What have you been doing today?

[Mottie]

I did the same. Picking them up was no problem but sorting them out….oh sod it, I just checked them in any old compartment and now I stab my fingertips raking through them to find the right screw.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Last night, at 11pm, I got it into my head to make a corned beef hash up, for several meals to freeze. Potatoes, carrots, onions, savoy cabbage, baked beans, oxo and a stock with red wine. Cooking makes you hungry, so I thought fried dumplings, having heard of them but never tried them. So hash nearly ready, I opened a ready mixed packet of dumpling mix, and put them in the deep fat.

So at 1am I was eating a dish of that. I quite enjoyed the fried dumpling sampler, definitely something to make again.

Then this morning, late up, due to the late night, but with two issues to solve.....

First, my online meds supplier was flooding me with emails, suggesting they were looking to send me the wrong meds, then pestering me to order my meds, which had already been ordered - replies to which emails, went unresponded to, so ring surgery to ensure they had been ordered - they had, then ring supplier to try to sort the mess out, and ensure I would be getting the correct items in the pouches, when they arrive.

Then on to the next problem, a Paypal payment, to Google for some sort of App advertising, taken 1st Jan. Absolutely nowt to do with me, not something I had requested, so I had immediately raised a dispute with Paypal. Paypal claimed Google had 'proof of delivery' of what ever it was, so claim cancelled. I rang Paypal, no way to contact Google to find any more details out and still could not get any sense out of Paypal. Then on to my bank to ask them to pull the payment back to my account.

Throughout the calls, my mobile was struggling to maintain the calls, I don't know if the cell was busy, off-line or what ever, but it was very distorted, cutting calls off, or rejecting attempts to make the calls completely. Added to which, the bank's call centre was difficult to hear what they were saying, due to the gabble going on in the background. It was much better when they worked from home, with a quiet background, during the covid.

 

[Mottie]

So at 1am I was eating a dish of that. I quite enjoyed the fried dumpling sampler, definitely something to make again.

You didn’t have a glass of lemonade while you were at it did you, Harry?

 

[Mottie]

…… They have no idea when the drain will be replaced. Had a call from the 'customer solutions centre' and they said as it is a major job (replacing 39m of drain plus two manholes for 6 houses that entails having their gardens and patios dug up), they have to apply for funding for it! The funding application ‘wasn’t successful' in the January budget meeting as they had two higher priority jobs so going again to the Feb budget meeting but theres "no guarantee" of success! Had them come round today and carry out a dye test - all okay so far and has been since 28 Dec so fingers crossed it stays that way until fixed.

While I was on to them, I told them I wasn’t going to keep doing their job and keep checking that the drain was clear.

This morning when I came home from my dog walk, there was a Thames water van setting up outside my house and putting the usual cones and signs around their van. I asked them if someone had reported that the drain was blocked again. They said no, but they have been instructed to check it every two days until it is repaired. They gave me some dye which I put down my toilet which I flushed - all good. They then sat in their van for the next hour and a half. Just now at just after 6.00 this evening there was a knock on my door. I opened it up to see a Thames Water man, telling me that he was there to check the drains - he had been told to check them every two days! I told him they had been checked this morning and he said he'd better check again as he had been allocated the job. He's out there now, setting up the cones and signs……..

 

[crystal ball]

You didn’t have a glass of lemonade while you were at it did you, Harry?

Elvis Costellos dad on vocals

 

[Brigadier]

While I was on to them, I told them I wasn’t going to keep doing their job and keep checking that the drain was clear

To which I would have replied, "Like I care, because I won't be the one bricking down my sink plugs to stop the shoite erupting forth."

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Then on to the next problem, a Paypal payment, to Google for some sort of App advertising, taken 1st Jan. Absolutely nowt to do with me, not something I had requested, so I had immediately raised a dispute with Paypal. Paypal claimed Google had 'proof of delivery' of what ever it was, so claim cancelled. I rang Paypal, no way to contact Google to find any more details out and still could not get any sense out of Paypal. Then on to my bank to ask them to pull the payment back to my account.

Paypal were not able explain what the payment was for, and no obvious way to contact Google to find out, Paypal were able to provide me with an email address, so last night I emailed them explaining I knew nothing at all about the Google Ads, or the amount claimed. I'm still waiting for their explanation for this.

It was only £6.17p, but none-the-less. My bank has now restored it back into my account, let Google and Paypal fight it out between them, as to why I might subscribe to any advertising campaign.

 

[Mottie]

I'm currently going through a claim with PayPal. Taking ages. Bought something on eBay 12 Dec. Didn't arrive. It got sent back to the sender on 31st as it was incorrectly addressed. Said I didn't want it, he agreed to refund me. eBay blocked it because I was going through Paypal. Still no nearer to getting my money back. Only £18 but that's not the point. Not too impressed with PayPal.

Came to work on my bike today, got a puncture on the rear. Tyre hasn't done 200 miles yet. Luckily it was right in the centre of the tread so at least it was repairable. I let one of my more experienced students do it.

 

[Dork Lard]

Baked my first ever loaf of bread. Quite chuffed am I that I only managed to grab 2x slices before all of the people in the immediate vicinity ravaged my bread.

 

[Mottie]

Baked my first ever loaf of bread. Quite chuffed am I that I only managed to grab 2x slices before all of the people in the immediate vicinity ravaged my bread.

You're not a proper baker until you have the hat.

 

[Odds]

I thought about gettin' the hat but decided against it as i've no hair left to stray into the dough Keep an eye on the creases in the dough and make sure they lie on the bottom of the tin next time, old sport. That'll help the rise and prevent cracking around the edge.

Spent the morning getting started on putting tiles around the bathroom window: is there a better way to spend a day?
Probably.
That's as good as it gets today, though.

 

[Mottie]

I thought about gettin' the hat but decided against it

I only bought it to wind Mrs Mottie up.

 

[Mottie]

Well, we went on our break to a cottage in Suffolk today. Booked it on cottages.com. Had it booked until Monday. Got in, unpacked and then looked a bit closer. Turned out to be a right dirty sh1t hole so we packed up, had words with the owner and are back home now. ****ing fuming.

Back in Suffolk again for another go. Absolutely pukka cottage. Spotlessly clean, lovely rural location - nothing but fields out the back with an enclosed garden for the pooch, modernised and has everything you could hope for. Stairs are a bit on the steep side though - almost a spiral staircase!

 

[Trazor]

eBay blocked it because I was going through Paypal.

Strange, Paypal is the preferred method of paying/refunding, for E-bay.

 

[Mottie]

Strange, Paypal is the preferred method of paying/refunding, for E-bay.

I was initially claiming through eBay but as the bloke was messing me around, I lodged a claim with PayPal. Because of that, my eBay claim was automatically closed.