Saturday. Yuck, yuck and more yuck! What’s all that snow doing out there? It’s not even mid-November yet. Thank god the local tyre guy persuaded me to fix my winter tyres last week. The only time I welcome snow is in the period from December 24 till January 2.
Now I just have to pluck up the courage again to drive on the un-cleared icy roads. Not even sure yet who our new local mayor is. Anyhow, now that they’ve just been elected, doubt they are interested in clearing or fixing any roads. Have you seen the state of the main roads in Sofia’s exclusive districts? DISGRACE.

Sunday. We are gradually getting used to the fact that our whole weekend is dominated and revolves around my son’s extra-curricular lessons in preparation for his entrance exams in the spring. Like so many other seventh graders, he wants to go to the American College, but will need to get a scholarship, ie, to finish among the top 50 candidates. As this is the ambition of many young Bulgarians it seems a whole cottage industry has sprung up preparing children to sit entrance exams. (Why are they not getting this prep in their schools?) These lessons are expensive by any standard and needless to say, not so much as a cash receipt in return! I have a real problem with this, but my son wouldn’t stand a chance if we don’t play the game…
In between a three-hour mock exam and extra maths – a quick visit to the golden M.
I was a bit rude to the poor cashier when she asked me if I would like to donate 10 stotinki to their charitable cause. Normally I am a charitable person but when I think how much money I have donated over the year to McDonald’s (or should I say its employees) I see red! It’s getting to be a joke: they never have the right change, you know those yellow coins! Of course you look stupid insisting that they give you your three stotinki change.

Monday. Cleaning lady is ill. Splash and Muesli (our two kittens, eight weeks) and their teenage mother (eight months) are wrecking the house. Hubby tells me to throw them out – but with no ounce of fat on their bodies and 10cm of snow as well as temperatures below zero... I doubt he ever watches Animal Cops.
Came home to find the hot water boiler is leaking… (and ignored it).

Tuesday. Spent several hours paying attention to friends on Facebook. Man it’s addictive, but also great fun catching up with friends or just keeping an eye on them, sharing photos with them and so on. Not sure I’m interested in playing vampire games and such kind, but when I find a friend in Australia with whom I lost touch 16 years ago, it’s great. I have decided it’s a definite sign of ageing when you prefer to catch up with friends from the past rather than make new friends.
But I must get on with editing my dad’s autobiography. He has written it for his family and friends – not for commercial purposes. It has given me an insight into his life that he doesn’t normally talk about and also an invaluable background to our family history. I think every parent should write their biography when they pass 60!
Hubby was thankfully able to repair the hot water boiler – now the toilet tank is leaking…
Must be connected to the recent change in water pressure, from “lucky to get a dribble on the third floor” to “full power jet stream”.

Thursday. It’s my 46th birthday and I still don’t mind getting older every year and telling people my age. I’ve decided not to go shopping in Greece this year (as had become somewhat of a tradition). The day starts off with a message from my office manager, who has ended up in hospital with a kidney infection (girls – dress properly in this cold weather!!) followed by a phone call from school telling me my son has injured his arm at sports. “Sorry, it’s my birthday and I’m off to lunch with some girlfriends – please call his father!” After a lovely lunch at Beyond the Alley (my friends thoroughly spoilt me) I finally set off from the office at 4pm to attend to my son. I finally got home at 7pm – my son’s right-hand wrist x-rayed and bandaged but not broken!
A simple family supper (brought in) and a wonderful well-deserved glass of red wine.

Friday. Thank god it’s Friday, or?

Paromita is Co-publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Sofia – the insider’s guide (www.insidesofia.com).