A beautiful little West Highland White has won Best of Show at Crufts this year. I guess that as a Westie owner I should be happy about this however I'm not sure that I am as pleased as I probably should be. You see for those of us with pet dogs who are not of show quality it can be a bit upsetting to compare our own mutts with the paragons that we see parading around the show ring.
The little Westie who won the show, "Devon-Geordie Girl" is pure, pure white. She is as white as the driven snow, as white as gloss paint and as white as cotton wool. In comparison Billy dog is a dirty grey shade, in fact he is as white as bathroom mould, as white as my nephews grubby sport socks and as white as cotton wool that has been used repeatedly to remove makeup.
Westies tend to get some rusty staining on their beards from getting their chins wet in their water bowls, Billy's beard is in fact pretty near ginger, however "Devon-no treats for me thanks, I've already eaten" must have been taught to drink through a straw as even her beard is white.
"Devon-Geordie Girl, look at me I'm perfect" has a beautifully groomed long skirt that practically sweeps the floor as she trots along. In comparison Billy dogs skirt is scruffy, starting to form dreadlocks and looks like it has been used to sweep the floor; the floor of a very,very dirty room.
"Devon- I've never rolled in Fox Poo" moves gracefully, head and tail held erect, barely glancing from left to right as she mirrors her handlers every move. Billy dog has his nose to the ground looking for dropped bits of food, then he jerks his head back against the lead to make sure I stop at every tree and lamppost so he can leave his mark.
"Devon-please lift me over that puddle, I don't want to get my feet dirty" stands perfectly still whilst the judge and the world admire her finer points. Billy dog scratches his ears, licks his balls and then sits and drags his bottom across the ground as he tries to dislodge a recalcitrant piece of poo that's got stuck in the hairs just below his tail.
"Devon-wow look at that cat, isn't it cute" has the perfectly rounded coiffure that's supposed to make the Westies head resemble a Chrysanthemum. Alternatively Billy dogs head has a disproportionately large nose, a strange under bite on his lower jaw that makes it look like his mouth is always open and his hair cut is more string mop than flower like.
No doubt "Geordie Girl-I don't think it's polite to bark at seagulls" smells sweetly of baby shampoo, talcum powder and freshly laundered, then line dried linen. Eau de Billy dog is a more complex blend of fragrance of seaweed, mixed with essence of swamp and attar of cow dung.
There seems to be a huge hoo haa each year following Crufts about the health of certain pedigree breeds, this year the judging of the German Shepherds has certainly come under fire. But don't let this divert you from what I consider to be the real issue with Crufts this year, which has got to be that the winner of the Best in Show, a supposed Westie, is in fact a remote controlled fluffy toy. "Devon-I never jump up on the furniture" is not in fact a dog, but a robot impersonating a Westie. What shocks me is that the judges never realized, they have obviously never owned a real West Highland White. So if you sat at home watching Crufts and were impressed with "Devon-I love being bathed and brushed" and are now considering getting a dog like her, think again. You might end up with a real Westie, more like Billy. A dirty, smelly, greedy, noisy and headstrong little critter who hates baths, cats, and seagulls. A dirty, smelly, greedy and noisy critter who I happen to love to bits and who bizarrely I wouldn't swap for any best in breed, class or even best in show. Now where'd I put that air freshener, off the settee Billy and stop barking!
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
Jigsaws, Angel Delight and Nowegian Fjords.
There is something very enjoyable, therapeutic and rewarding about completing a jigsaw puzzle, a fact that I have been reminded of this weekend.
I took my Mum away for a few days over Mothers Day weekend and we stayed in a little holiday bungalow. We had a good time but the weather was very changeable; one minute we were sitting in the sun and the next sheltering from a hail storm. We were really pleased therefor to discover, when we returned to our accommodation on the Saturday afternoon, that someone had left a jigsaw puzzle in one of the wardrobes. We changed out of our wet gear, cranked the heating up to its tropical setting, made a pot of tea, opened a packet of shortbread biscuits and set about making up the jigsaw.
The jigsaw was a very traditional one, it created a picture of a floral still life with some randomly added walnuts, grapes, plums and butterflies. The colours were deep and rather different from the picture on the front of the box, which had faded somewhat, and this added to its difficulty. First we sorted the sides and corner pieces and were pleased to find that they were all there, then set about filling in the middle. I don't know why it was so enjoyable but over the next couple of days we spent many hours making up the picture and rendering the coffee table out of bounds for hot drinks.
Making a jigsaw always reminds me of being a child as then it was a treat to get a puzzle out. I remember a caravan holiday when it poured with rain so we sat in one afternoon and made a jigsaw on the dining table. If I remember rightly it was a, then ground-breaking, circular jigsaw with a picture of a bowl of red and pink roses. My Mum, Dad, sister and I leant over that little table, piecing together bits of cardboard in various shades of crimson, maroon and magenta, chatting occasionally but other wise concentrating on the emerging picture. It was a really happy day and brings back warm memories and was made even better when we had luminous yellow Batchelors Savoury Rice for our dinner, followed by rather viscous butterscotch flavoured Angel Delight, foods we never had at home.
I guess the enjoyment of jigsawing (is that a word?) comes in seeing a picture take form in front of your eyes; from a random set of shapes you eventually create a photo of a Norwegian Fjord, a thatched cottage or a basket of kittens playing with a ball of wool. Although it's not really a competitive sport and I can't see it featuring in the Olympics any time soon, there is still a slight element of competition in seeing who can find the last corner piece, or complete the sky first, to add that bit of excitement. Whilst making up a puzzle you become focused and single minded, and although it can be frustrating when you realise that you have made a mistake on the edge pieces and you can't find where it's wrong, I'm sure it must still be good for stress relief.
Jigsaws can also be educational, I think that I learned all of my knowledge of geography from completing Jig-maps. Jig-maps, for those of you who don't remember them, were a collection of jigsaws with pictures of the continents on them, my favourite was Africa because it had pictures of animals on it. At one stage I could have accurately labeled on a map the major cities in Africa circa 1977. I'm not sure if you can still get Jig-maps but there are new additions to the types of jigsaws available including 3D puzzles, double sided ones and Wasgijs, where you don't know what picture you are trying to create. Surely all of this puzzling has got to be good for the brain although I do worry about the undocumented addictive quality of jigsaws.
So if you're suffering from stress, need to be reminded what it feels like to be a child, are unsure what to do as it's raining outside or you need to entertain a group of people with mixed ages, I can recommend putting the kettle on, changing into your comfiest clothes and getting out a jigsaw puzzle. Angel Delight is of course optional.
I took my Mum away for a few days over Mothers Day weekend and we stayed in a little holiday bungalow. We had a good time but the weather was very changeable; one minute we were sitting in the sun and the next sheltering from a hail storm. We were really pleased therefor to discover, when we returned to our accommodation on the Saturday afternoon, that someone had left a jigsaw puzzle in one of the wardrobes. We changed out of our wet gear, cranked the heating up to its tropical setting, made a pot of tea, opened a packet of shortbread biscuits and set about making up the jigsaw.
The jigsaw was a very traditional one, it created a picture of a floral still life with some randomly added walnuts, grapes, plums and butterflies. The colours were deep and rather different from the picture on the front of the box, which had faded somewhat, and this added to its difficulty. First we sorted the sides and corner pieces and were pleased to find that they were all there, then set about filling in the middle. I don't know why it was so enjoyable but over the next couple of days we spent many hours making up the picture and rendering the coffee table out of bounds for hot drinks.
Making a jigsaw always reminds me of being a child as then it was a treat to get a puzzle out. I remember a caravan holiday when it poured with rain so we sat in one afternoon and made a jigsaw on the dining table. If I remember rightly it was a, then ground-breaking, circular jigsaw with a picture of a bowl of red and pink roses. My Mum, Dad, sister and I leant over that little table, piecing together bits of cardboard in various shades of crimson, maroon and magenta, chatting occasionally but other wise concentrating on the emerging picture. It was a really happy day and brings back warm memories and was made even better when we had luminous yellow Batchelors Savoury Rice for our dinner, followed by rather viscous butterscotch flavoured Angel Delight, foods we never had at home.
I guess the enjoyment of jigsawing (is that a word?) comes in seeing a picture take form in front of your eyes; from a random set of shapes you eventually create a photo of a Norwegian Fjord, a thatched cottage or a basket of kittens playing with a ball of wool. Although it's not really a competitive sport and I can't see it featuring in the Olympics any time soon, there is still a slight element of competition in seeing who can find the last corner piece, or complete the sky first, to add that bit of excitement. Whilst making up a puzzle you become focused and single minded, and although it can be frustrating when you realise that you have made a mistake on the edge pieces and you can't find where it's wrong, I'm sure it must still be good for stress relief.
Jigsaws can also be educational, I think that I learned all of my knowledge of geography from completing Jig-maps. Jig-maps, for those of you who don't remember them, were a collection of jigsaws with pictures of the continents on them, my favourite was Africa because it had pictures of animals on it. At one stage I could have accurately labeled on a map the major cities in Africa circa 1977. I'm not sure if you can still get Jig-maps but there are new additions to the types of jigsaws available including 3D puzzles, double sided ones and Wasgijs, where you don't know what picture you are trying to create. Surely all of this puzzling has got to be good for the brain although I do worry about the undocumented addictive quality of jigsaws.
So if you're suffering from stress, need to be reminded what it feels like to be a child, are unsure what to do as it's raining outside or you need to entertain a group of people with mixed ages, I can recommend putting the kettle on, changing into your comfiest clothes and getting out a jigsaw puzzle. Angel Delight is of course optional.
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
If only, leap-frog and George Clooney.
I think two of the saddest words in the world that you can use are "If only", the five saddest being "Sorry, the bottle is empty". "If only" suggests missed opportunities and chances not taken. How awful to look back on your life with regret and the feeling things could have gone better.
This week unfortunately I have had my own " If only" moment as I have missed out on doing something I have always wanted to do and which you don't get to do too often. An action that's on my bucket list along with visiting the Giant's Causeway and learning to play the violin.
You see as this is a leap year (am I the only one who wants to call it leap-frog year?) we have had that rare date of 29th February this week, a date that we don't get every year. A date where according to tradition it is socially acceptable for a woman to propose marriage to a man, something that I have always wanted to do. A date that has passed again this year without me proposing. There are a few reasons why this didn't happen.
The first reason, and if I'm honest probably the most important, for not proposing, is that I'm not in a relationship and so didn't have anyone in mind to propose to, but I still regret not having done it. Actually it's not quite true that I had no one in mind, I had thought that of everyone I know I would propose to the old man who lives a couple of houses along from me. Every morning I see him walking down to the local shop to pick up a newspaper, when I take Billy dog out for a walk. We say good morning, comment on the weather and then he pats Billy. He also lets me steal herbs from his herb garden.
Not much to build a marriage on you might think but the reason that I was considering asking him to marry me is because I am pretty sure he'd say no. You see I don't want to be married, I'd just like to propose. I imagine it would feel really liberating to be the one to do the asking rather than waiting passively to be asked. However I didn't propose to him as I'd then have to change the time of my morning walk because it would have been too embarrassing to keep bumping into him each day after he'd rejected me. Also, supposedly, if a man refuses then he has to buy the woman a silk robe and I don't think that my elderly neighbour could afford one.
I could of course have asked a celebrity to marry me as I'm sure that they would have said no, but I don't know any and now George Clooney is married what would be the point?
As well as not being in a relationship and not knowing any celebrities is the fact that I'm just not brave enough to ask. I'm not really a natural chance taker. The most risky activity I take part in is eating cheese that's past it's sell by date and even then I worry for at least forty eight hours that I'm going to be ill. I just don't have the nerve to ask someone to marry me.
Another leap-frog day has therefore gone by and once again I have missed the opportunity to do something I've always wanted to do. Still only another four years to wait and I get the chance again. I wonder if I'll have the nerve to do it next time. If only I was braver; if only I was sure the man I asked would say no; if only my neighbour knew what a narrow escape he has had; if only George Clooney was unmarried. If only.
This week unfortunately I have had my own " If only" moment as I have missed out on doing something I have always wanted to do and which you don't get to do too often. An action that's on my bucket list along with visiting the Giant's Causeway and learning to play the violin.
You see as this is a leap year (am I the only one who wants to call it leap-frog year?) we have had that rare date of 29th February this week, a date that we don't get every year. A date where according to tradition it is socially acceptable for a woman to propose marriage to a man, something that I have always wanted to do. A date that has passed again this year without me proposing. There are a few reasons why this didn't happen.
The first reason, and if I'm honest probably the most important, for not proposing, is that I'm not in a relationship and so didn't have anyone in mind to propose to, but I still regret not having done it. Actually it's not quite true that I had no one in mind, I had thought that of everyone I know I would propose to the old man who lives a couple of houses along from me. Every morning I see him walking down to the local shop to pick up a newspaper, when I take Billy dog out for a walk. We say good morning, comment on the weather and then he pats Billy. He also lets me steal herbs from his herb garden.
Not much to build a marriage on you might think but the reason that I was considering asking him to marry me is because I am pretty sure he'd say no. You see I don't want to be married, I'd just like to propose. I imagine it would feel really liberating to be the one to do the asking rather than waiting passively to be asked. However I didn't propose to him as I'd then have to change the time of my morning walk because it would have been too embarrassing to keep bumping into him each day after he'd rejected me. Also, supposedly, if a man refuses then he has to buy the woman a silk robe and I don't think that my elderly neighbour could afford one.
I could of course have asked a celebrity to marry me as I'm sure that they would have said no, but I don't know any and now George Clooney is married what would be the point?
As well as not being in a relationship and not knowing any celebrities is the fact that I'm just not brave enough to ask. I'm not really a natural chance taker. The most risky activity I take part in is eating cheese that's past it's sell by date and even then I worry for at least forty eight hours that I'm going to be ill. I just don't have the nerve to ask someone to marry me.
Another leap-frog day has therefore gone by and once again I have missed the opportunity to do something I've always wanted to do. Still only another four years to wait and I get the chance again. I wonder if I'll have the nerve to do it next time. If only I was braver; if only I was sure the man I asked would say no; if only my neighbour knew what a narrow escape he has had; if only George Clooney was unmarried. If only.
Tuesday, 23 February 2016
Birthday Cards, puppies and matching socks
This week it feels that I have spent most of my time in stationers and card shops searching for that elusive item; the perfect greeting card. There can be no finer feeling than finding the ideal card for the person whose birthday/anniversary etc is coming up. The card with the exact picture and words I need, the card with the appropriate humour and message. I can happily spend hours browsing through racks of cards admiring floral fronts often accompanied by equally flowery sentiments inside, cute pictures of puppies and kittens, glittery handmade offerings and funny cards galore.
I'm often amazed by the variety of cards on offer, it seems that there is a card for every occasion. As well as the usual birthday, anniversary, get well, retirement, exam and birth congratulation you can also get thanks for watering the plants whilst I was on holiday, sorry your hamster has tonsillitis and we'll done for wearing matching socks for a week.
Why then, if there is so much variety, have I had such trouble finding the right card?
I started looking for cards for some up coming events a few weeks ago, however when I then visited the card shop it seemed that 78% of the shop space was being used for Valentines cards. I decided therefore to wait a few weeks to choose my cards, to get Valentines out the way, so that I had a better choice.
This week I headed back to the shop anticipating racks full of wonderful birthday cards to select from only to find that the Valentines cards have been replaced by Mother's Day cards. I know that if I wait till after Mother's Day I'll find that the shops are full of Easter cards.
Following hours of fruitless searching I have a few suggestions for card shops and card manufacturers.
I'm often amazed by the variety of cards on offer, it seems that there is a card for every occasion. As well as the usual birthday, anniversary, get well, retirement, exam and birth congratulation you can also get thanks for watering the plants whilst I was on holiday, sorry your hamster has tonsillitis and we'll done for wearing matching socks for a week.
Why then, if there is so much variety, have I had such trouble finding the right card?
I started looking for cards for some up coming events a few weeks ago, however when I then visited the card shop it seemed that 78% of the shop space was being used for Valentines cards. I decided therefore to wait a few weeks to choose my cards, to get Valentines out the way, so that I had a better choice.
This week I headed back to the shop anticipating racks full of wonderful birthday cards to select from only to find that the Valentines cards have been replaced by Mother's Day cards. I know that if I wait till after Mother's Day I'll find that the shops are full of Easter cards.
Following hours of fruitless searching I have a few suggestions for card shops and card manufacturers.
- Please be mindful that people have birthdays and anniversaries all through the year. There is a need for Good luck in your new job and Happy Retirement cards even in the run up to Christmas, so have a seasonal display but please leave us some choice of year round cards.
- Don't print and display so many over the top, slushy cards. When you read the words in many of the cards on display you'd think that the world was made up of angels and paragons of virtue. I often want a card that says Happy Birthday, I hope you have a great day but end up leaving the shop with a card that states that with each birthday the recipient becomes a bit more perfect and that my life would be empty without them.
- Conversely please don't make all the humorous cards X-rated.
- Yes have a few novelty cards such as Thank you for making me a cheesecake or Sorry you broke a nail but most of us are looking for regular birthday and anniversary cards, so could we please have more of these on display.
- Not a suggestion but a question this time. Why are cards so expensive? How come I can get a box of Christmas cards for the same price as one Good luck in your driving test card? I'm not buying them a car you know.
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Fences, graffiti and Hermann Hesse
This week I have discovered a new hobby and I'm very excited to tell you about it. As some of you know I have been a big fan of walls for a while now. Those of you who read this regularly will probably be fed up with hearing about Hadrians Wall, which incidentally is one of my favourite places and definitely my third favourite wall ever. There's something special about the arrangement of stones, the play of light glinting off mica and the warm fuzziness of the lichen that grows on walls. However this week my new hobby has become fence spotting. Yes you read it right, fence spotting.
It came about quite by accident as these things often do. You see storm Imogen took away several of my Mums fence panels as she blew through, so Mum has been getting some quotes to have her whole garden fence replaced by something a bit more sturdy. I happened to be at her house the other day when one builder arrived to take a look at the job. After he had left, Mum and I realised that there was a lot about fencing that we didn't know. He had described different types of fence posts, both wood and concrete, different panels, from "Hit and miss", to picket and full panels and had also discussed the optimum height of the fence. We decided therefor to go for a walk to see if we could spot some of the fences he had been talking about.
What followed was a very enjoyable hours walk where we were amazed by the number, variety and dare I say it the beauty of fences. There were those built on the ground, those that topped walls, some had vertical boards and others horizontal, many were topped by trellis, some had scallop shaped tops and the rest were plain. They also came in a variety of colours, some were left as natural wood others were stained various browns and greens and we even saw a couple of controversial blue fences. The heights also varied enormously, from knee, to waist, to shoulder to standing on tippy toes and still not being able to see over. We found out that on the new fences the builders had put a little plaque on them to say who had built it, a bit like a graffiti tag, and by the end of the walk we were able to identify the work of two builders before we got close enough to read the plaque. Mum and I both got home and agreed that it had been an unexpectedly enjoyable walk and even Billy was happy as he had been able to christen a few of the fences.
Since then, where ever I go, I find that I am spotting fences and not just walls. I'm not sure that it is going to take off into a widespread hobby but I do recommend it if you have a spare half hour. It's free to do, gets you out and about and is educational.
Hermann Hesse wrote an essay entitled "On little joys" where he explained that he thought that happiness and contentment come about in the little and often overlooked aspects of life. He felt that we would be happier if we paid more attention to nature: the beauty of a blade of grass growing through a pavement, the song of a bird and the feel of the sun on our faces, and focussed less on the "bigger pleasures" such as promotions, material goods and social standing. Hesse was definitely focussed on nature and the little joys that this would bring but I think that there can also be a lot a pleasure in other "little" details in life too, such as peeling an orange and keeping the skin in one piece, the sound of the first drink being poured from a new bottle of wine, writing a sentence that you are happy with and the appreciation a well made wall or fence. Here's to the little joys in life.
It came about quite by accident as these things often do. You see storm Imogen took away several of my Mums fence panels as she blew through, so Mum has been getting some quotes to have her whole garden fence replaced by something a bit more sturdy. I happened to be at her house the other day when one builder arrived to take a look at the job. After he had left, Mum and I realised that there was a lot about fencing that we didn't know. He had described different types of fence posts, both wood and concrete, different panels, from "Hit and miss", to picket and full panels and had also discussed the optimum height of the fence. We decided therefor to go for a walk to see if we could spot some of the fences he had been talking about.
What followed was a very enjoyable hours walk where we were amazed by the number, variety and dare I say it the beauty of fences. There were those built on the ground, those that topped walls, some had vertical boards and others horizontal, many were topped by trellis, some had scallop shaped tops and the rest were plain. They also came in a variety of colours, some were left as natural wood others were stained various browns and greens and we even saw a couple of controversial blue fences. The heights also varied enormously, from knee, to waist, to shoulder to standing on tippy toes and still not being able to see over. We found out that on the new fences the builders had put a little plaque on them to say who had built it, a bit like a graffiti tag, and by the end of the walk we were able to identify the work of two builders before we got close enough to read the plaque. Mum and I both got home and agreed that it had been an unexpectedly enjoyable walk and even Billy was happy as he had been able to christen a few of the fences.
Since then, where ever I go, I find that I am spotting fences and not just walls. I'm not sure that it is going to take off into a widespread hobby but I do recommend it if you have a spare half hour. It's free to do, gets you out and about and is educational.
Hermann Hesse wrote an essay entitled "On little joys" where he explained that he thought that happiness and contentment come about in the little and often overlooked aspects of life. He felt that we would be happier if we paid more attention to nature: the beauty of a blade of grass growing through a pavement, the song of a bird and the feel of the sun on our faces, and focussed less on the "bigger pleasures" such as promotions, material goods and social standing. Hesse was definitely focussed on nature and the little joys that this would bring but I think that there can also be a lot a pleasure in other "little" details in life too, such as peeling an orange and keeping the skin in one piece, the sound of the first drink being poured from a new bottle of wine, writing a sentence that you are happy with and the appreciation a well made wall or fence. Here's to the little joys in life.
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Audrey Hepburn, Storm Imogen and log fires.
Eventually my broadband was sorted and after a few very frustrating weeks I am now back on-line. Unfortunately pretty much as soon as my broadband was fixed my tablet died, it had been sick for a while but it seems now to have given up the ghost and I've yet to replace it. I really hate technology, it's great when it works but there always seems to be something going wrong with it. A bit like cars, they're just big money magnets, yes they are useful to get around in but are often a pain.
Whilst I'm on the subject of pet hates, I've discovered a new one these last few days. My new hate is the automatic, hole in the wall, hand washing machines that you get at service stations. Let me explain why.
I've been away for a long weekend and travelled back to Cornwall in the height of a storm. There were times on the journey when I feared the car was going to turn into Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and take flight, so strong was the wind. After driving for about 45 minutes the road was closed, and we had to take a diversion which added about an hour to our journey. Eventually we were diverted back to our normal road and were back on track, only to realize, all too soon, that myself and my travelling companion both needed a toilet break. Luckily we quickly came to a parking area complete with toilets, and a greasy spoon café.
Having used the toilets I went to wash my hands in one of the metal upright sinks where you have to put your hands into the aperture of the machine and hope for the best. For a nano-second I always feel a bit like Aubrey Hepburn. Not the most obvious time to feel like a glamorous film star maybe, standing in a drafty, smelly, public toilet. Nevertheless as I tentatively place my hands into the gaping hole I'm reminded of the scene in Roman Holiday when Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck visit the Bocca della Verita, or mouth of truth, a stone gargoyle that is supposed to act as a lie detector and will bite the hand off anyone who tells an untruth whilst their hand is inside. Anyway I braved the possibility of having my fingers bitten off in the hope of washing my hands.
I stood with my hands just inside the machine for a few seconds, nothing happened. Gathering my courage I plunged my hands further into the gaping abyss. Immediately a jet of soap squirted up my sleeve and ran down my hands and fingers. I rubbed my hands together but despite them being coated by about half a pint of soap there was no lather. Then off to the far right of the machine the water started to dribble out in a half hearted manner. I moved my hands into the luke warm trickle only for the water to drip to a halt and the air blower to start up. My still soapy hands were then blasted by an icy gale that put Storm Imogen to shame, then just in time to blast chill my hands without drying them at all it turned off. If I put my hands in again I would only end up soapier and colder so there was no point in repeating the process. I returned to my car with wet, soapy and freezing cold sleeves and hands. I don't honestly recommend smoked mackerel and soap sandwiches for lunch.
In the interests of balance and as Valentines Day is approaching I feel that although I hate technology, cars and hand washing machines (not to mention Morris Dancing, the feel of cotton wool and ironing) I should point out that there are many things that I do love. I really enjoy spending time with my family, I love winning at games, the unexpected warmth of the winter sun when sitting on a rock on the beach, Victoria sandwich cakes with raspberry jam and cream, a crackling log fire and crisp roast potatoes. So although technology is a pain, cars expensive and hand washing machines are inefficient the positives in life still out weigh the negatives. Or to quote the Monty Python team:
Whilst I'm on the subject of pet hates, I've discovered a new one these last few days. My new hate is the automatic, hole in the wall, hand washing machines that you get at service stations. Let me explain why.
I've been away for a long weekend and travelled back to Cornwall in the height of a storm. There were times on the journey when I feared the car was going to turn into Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and take flight, so strong was the wind. After driving for about 45 minutes the road was closed, and we had to take a diversion which added about an hour to our journey. Eventually we were diverted back to our normal road and were back on track, only to realize, all too soon, that myself and my travelling companion both needed a toilet break. Luckily we quickly came to a parking area complete with toilets, and a greasy spoon café.
Having used the toilets I went to wash my hands in one of the metal upright sinks where you have to put your hands into the aperture of the machine and hope for the best. For a nano-second I always feel a bit like Aubrey Hepburn. Not the most obvious time to feel like a glamorous film star maybe, standing in a drafty, smelly, public toilet. Nevertheless as I tentatively place my hands into the gaping hole I'm reminded of the scene in Roman Holiday when Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck visit the Bocca della Verita, or mouth of truth, a stone gargoyle that is supposed to act as a lie detector and will bite the hand off anyone who tells an untruth whilst their hand is inside. Anyway I braved the possibility of having my fingers bitten off in the hope of washing my hands.
I stood with my hands just inside the machine for a few seconds, nothing happened. Gathering my courage I plunged my hands further into the gaping abyss. Immediately a jet of soap squirted up my sleeve and ran down my hands and fingers. I rubbed my hands together but despite them being coated by about half a pint of soap there was no lather. Then off to the far right of the machine the water started to dribble out in a half hearted manner. I moved my hands into the luke warm trickle only for the water to drip to a halt and the air blower to start up. My still soapy hands were then blasted by an icy gale that put Storm Imogen to shame, then just in time to blast chill my hands without drying them at all it turned off. If I put my hands in again I would only end up soapier and colder so there was no point in repeating the process. I returned to my car with wet, soapy and freezing cold sleeves and hands. I don't honestly recommend smoked mackerel and soap sandwiches for lunch.
In the interests of balance and as Valentines Day is approaching I feel that although I hate technology, cars and hand washing machines (not to mention Morris Dancing, the feel of cotton wool and ironing) I should point out that there are many things that I do love. I really enjoy spending time with my family, I love winning at games, the unexpected warmth of the winter sun when sitting on a rock on the beach, Victoria sandwich cakes with raspberry jam and cream, a crackling log fire and crisp roast potatoes. So although technology is a pain, cars expensive and hand washing machines are inefficient the positives in life still out weigh the negatives. Or to quote the Monty Python team:
"Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And always look on the bright side
of life
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And always look on the bright side
of life
Always look on the bright side of life."
Wednesday, 3 February 2016
B*** BT!!, beeping call centres and fudgin Broadband!
I spoke too soon last week when I sang BTs praise for their excellent customer service, much too soon. This weeks experience has been very different!
Last week when I called BT, by some miracle I got through immediately to a very nice woman who told me that she could see what the problem was and an engineer would be out to fix it on Thursday. I explained that I would be out on Thursday but she told me that the engineer wouldn't need to get into my property to fix the problem. I got home on Thursday expecting to find that everything was sorted and that I'd be able to catch up on reading some of the blogs that I normally follow, only to find that my broadband still wasn't working. I then noticed that my answer machine was flashing and when I listened I found it was a message from BT saying that they hadn't been able to fix the fault as I had been out when the engineer called, could I call again to arrange another visit!
What followed then were some of the most frustrating phone calls I have ever made, I can feel my blood pressure rising just at the thought of them. In a nutshell:
Last week when I called BT, by some miracle I got through immediately to a very nice woman who told me that she could see what the problem was and an engineer would be out to fix it on Thursday. I explained that I would be out on Thursday but she told me that the engineer wouldn't need to get into my property to fix the problem. I got home on Thursday expecting to find that everything was sorted and that I'd be able to catch up on reading some of the blogs that I normally follow, only to find that my broadband still wasn't working. I then noticed that my answer machine was flashing and when I listened I found it was a message from BT saying that they hadn't been able to fix the fault as I had been out when the engineer called, could I call again to arrange another visit!
What followed then were some of the most frustrating phone calls I have ever made, I can feel my blood pressure rising just at the thought of them. In a nutshell:
- Firstly, when I called to rearrange the engineers visit, I was on the phone for 20 minutes in a queue before I even spoke to anyone. Eventually my call was answered and I explained that my broadband wasn't working. The person I spoke to ran a check on my line and informed me that my phone line also wasn't working. I then informed him that I was calling on my landline which was working absolutely fine. He still insisted that the problem was my phone line and he would have to transfer me to the phone helpline and before I could protest I was back in a queue.
- Fifteen minutes I was in the second queue before BT phone helpline answered my call and enquired what the problem was. I again explained that my broadband wasn't working, the person I was speaking to then told me he would have to transfer me to the Broadband helpline. Luckily I was able to interrupt him before I was back again in a queue and explained that I had just been transferred from there. This second operator ran another check on my line and informed me that my phone line was out of action. Grr! Again I told him that I was calling from my home number and that it was working fine. Nevertheless he informed me that the problem was with my phone line and he would arrange an engineer to visit on Saturday morning to fix it. He asked for my mobile number so that the engineer could inform me when he/she was on the way. I explained that there was no mobile reception where I lived but they could call on my landline, only to be informed again that they wouldn't be able to do this as my landline wasn't working. By this time steam was coming out of my ears.
- Saturday morning the BT engineer arrived at about 9.00 o'clock. I explained that the problem was with my broadband and my phone was working fine. He still insisted that the problem was with my phone line and sorting this would fix my broadband. He spent the next 2 and a half hours replacing the line which, where we live, runs underground. Eventually he came back inside and proudly announced that with the new lines my broadband should be even faster. He turned everything back on and, yes you guessed it, the broadband still wasn't working. It was only then that he looked at my broadband gizmos and identified that I had an intermittent power fault on my router. He told me that I would have to call BT again and ask to be sent a new router. I begged on bended knee, whilst sobbing into his toolbox, that he make the call for me as I wasn't sure if I could face it again but he heartlessly refused.
- This next call took 37 minutes to be answered. 37 minutes when I repeatedly listened to messages telling me how important my call was to them and telling me that I could get help on BT.com (assuming my broadband worked). 37 minutes when I contemplated whether I really needed the internet or in fact a phone. 37 interminable minutes where I paced the room, felt my blood boil and was able to perfect my teeth gnashing technique. 37 minutes when I wrote the weeks shopping list and attempted to clean the grouting between my bathroom tiles one handed. 37 of the longest minutes of my life. Eventually my call was answered and I told the operator what the engineer had said. She again insisted on running a line check and quizzed me about what exactly the engineer had said. At one stage it was touch and go whether she was going to take his advice as he was a phone engineer not a broadband engineer, apparently I should have originally requested to see a broadband engineer! Eventually she agreed to order me the part. It should arrive Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
I'm really hoping that the new router sorts the problem as I'm not sure that I can face calling BT again. How can a phone company, a phone company mind, take so long to answer a phone call? I'd also like to suggest that there be an international agreement that no head of state, who has responsibility for pressing the red button that releases nuclear warheads, ever be allowed to phone a call centre, the risk of them destroying the planet in their frustration is just too great.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)