Silence, out and bang.

1. The fire alarm in the block has been making horrid beeping noises for a week. I managed to get the inspector round and he did magic things to the fuses and some wires and it stopped. What a relief.

2. Being let off work early.

3. As I was strolling home I spotted a craft kit sale in the stationers over the road. I dived in and bought a punching device - it's a heavy pen barrel thing with screw-on heads like little icing nozzles. There's a star, a flower, a heart and various squares and circles. The idea is that - leaning on the cutting mat - you hit it with a hammer and it punches a little hole through your paper. It takes a bit of practice, but it's very satisfying when it comes right. And the punched out shapes look as if they might be useful, too.