Passenger Locator forms. Aer Lingus omitted to tell us we needed Irish forms as well as the UK version during the brief stopover in Dublin, resulting in consternation at check-in in Toronto. Nobody wanted to see them in Dublin or Glasgow. Now we are bracing to repeat the whole thing in a few days - more tests before we leave, Irish PLF in Dublin, ArriveCan for Canada. Enough!
Parochial Church Council members who want additional services to happen but don't turn up for them. This bit has been going on for years.
This year's special is those all look startled when the organist explodes with rage about finding a service which was not going to happen this year suddenly being reinstated between the start of the service and the notices. No, the organist was not consulted as to availability.
Throw in the bossy someone who's been in church exactly 3 times (for excellent reasons) since February 2020 instructing one of the more malleable to "Put away all those papers which have been left lying around" when we've been sticking to leaving them out in numbered pews (because of those who can't cope with ever-changing rules more than plague related guidelines) and I've been swapping stuff in and out mid-week as needed.
Parochial Church Council members who want additional services to happen but don't turn up for them. This bit has been going on for years.
This can happen even in a congregationalist setting - everyone decides that it will be a good idea to do something and then, nearer the time, finds excellent reasons not to participate.
Parochial Church Council members who want additional services to happen but don't turn up for them. This bit has been going on for years.
This can happen even in a congregationalist setting - everyone decides that it will be a good idea to do something and then, nearer the time, finds excellent reasons not to participate.
The non-participation thingy happened (sort of) in the Bible, didn't it?
IIRC, Our Lord tells the story of those who with one accord began to make excuse - I've bought a wife, I've married a cow...(I may not have got that bit quite right).
Our Lord tells the story of those who with one accord began to make excuse - I've bought a wife, I've married a cow...(I may not have got that bit quite right).
Oh, I don't know - depends on the county (I know which one I'm thinking of, but I daren't say).
Not just churches. My friend who has been running a Friends of a Park has people turn up at meetings with complaints about things not done but do not volunteer to do things themselves. (And the not done things include things done very capably by the park staff. And idiotic things like "Here's a photo of a man collecting daphnia. Isn't it against the byelaws?")
Our Lord tells the story of those who with one accord began to make excuse - I've bought a wife, I've married a cow...(I may not have got that bit quite right).
Oh, I don't know - depends on the county (I know which one I'm thinking of, but I daren't say).
Well, I don't think it's Wessex (a reference to Michael Henchard selling his wife to a sailor in The Mayor of Casterbridge), but I refrain from further comment or query...
TICTH the porter who delivered a box of assorted pharmaceuticals (which needed to be sorted into fridge and non-fridge) to the office just as I was about to leave, causing me to miss not one but two buses.
Why do things always happen when I'm trying to get away?
Another manifestation of that principle happened today: I'd been leaving messages on the Scotland's Baby Box answering machine to get them to send me information leaflets and application forms*, and of course when I left my desk to go and do some photocopying, they rang back.
Thee needn't worry. He will send thee a heavenly courier who will grasp thee by the scruff of the neck and haul thee off to His Presence, wheresoever thee may be when thy time comes.
Yea, and there shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth, an thou failest to heed the summons of the Lord, and turnest away the Heavenly Messenger from the door of thine abode.
It killed off UK delivery on my favourite clothes website where I've bought my nicest stuff for 8 years... It's the expletive-deleted gift that keeps on giving!
I ordered a harmonica (his request) for my mentally handicapped brother for Christmas, from Amazon. They say it was delivered to me at 3:42 today. It was not. I have been trying to get through to Customer Service to discuss this, but they are having issues today. I am not happy.
The issues, no doubt, being with other people who have not received their goods...
TICTH loose teeth.
Two lower-jaw molars (separated from the rest by a great gulf where another was removed some years ago) are working loose. There's no actual pain or infection, but I can't chew on that side (apart from SOUP), and I'm constantly aware of my teeth, IYSWIM.
I know I should, but I'm the world's biggest cowardy-cowardy-custard when it comes to teeth...
The looseness has been caused by my grinding my teeth whilst asleep, so I'm looking for suitable mouthguards to wear at night. Meanwhile, I'm making sure that my teeth are flossed and brushed several times per day, to ward off any possible infection in the loose areas...
Video in medical offices should be reviewed. I had to go for an ultrasound that required me to drink 6 glasses of water 30 minutes prior to the visit in order to fill my bladder. and then not use the bathroom until after the exam. So I drink the water, drive 20 minutes to the hospital, there as requested I arrive 15 minutes before my appointment to do sign-in paperwork. As you can imagine by now I am a bit uncomfortable. " Have a seat in the waiting room we will be with you shortly," she said. So guess what is playing on the large display screen in the waiting room. Waterfalls and running streams. I did not lookup.
I can imagine how horrible that was. Last time I had to drink gallons or water before an ultrasound, there was a major problem at the hospital and the person who ended up seeing us was sent over from the sister hospital over an hour late. The two of us with early appointments were uncomfortable to say the least, so bad she let me go to the loo after the first series of scans, before she started the second.
The Mall I visited had music playing - The Little Drummer Boy. It was my favourite Christmas music when I was in Primer 2, but in the intervening 63 years my tastes have changed and I hate it, especially played so loud I ripped out my hearing aids and it was Still Too Loud. When I got to my local supermarket someone was playing Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring so I thanked him and added a note to his collection.
I also consign to Hell the Green Customs Form. I filled in a number of them before I finally got it right. I brought one home so next time I can fill it in without my glasses fogging up so I can't read the damn thing, The man at the Post shop was so patient.
@Huia - you might like what I did to The Little Drummer Boy on the Ding Dong thread, after coming home from shopping in the local larger supermarket. Most of our other shops don't have music.
Weird charity adverts on FB. Has anyone else had adverts on FB suggesting donations for odd things? I've been assuming they are scams, but surely a scam would attempt to be plausible?
Today's one is from The Children's Society: A child near you will wake up feeling alone and hungry on Christmas day. Show them that someone out there is thinking of them by donating a bundle of essential food and basics. Because a little bit of hope can go a long way
This is illustrated by a photo of the essential food - almond milk, balsamic vinegar, herbal tea, kale and a pomegranate. Plus a tub of something which is either natural yogurt or crème fraises . There are a couple of genuinely useful items - eggs, bananas and a tin of sweetcorn. Plus courgettes, which I'd find useful, but less useful than, say, a bag of pasta.
Surely no-one is going to send £20 so that a hungry child can have access to balsamic vinegar and fresh kale? How much does it cost to put an advert on FB?
I regard myself as a reasonably competent cook, but the only meal I could produce from that £20 basket would be a courgette or kale omelette, with sweetcorn, followed by the pomegranate.
ICTH my next door neighbours who have left their (unoccupied and unsold) house for pastures new and took three days to come and switch off a car alarm.
I think I need to at least consign a person to heck.
I was taking the APs back to their assisted living after a doctor's visit, and I saw a car coming out of a convenience store parking lot. They certainly had the car body language that indicated that they were entitled to cross the road right through my car! Therefore, I slowed down and let them cross without hitting me. Dad started laughing and said the driver had the gall to flip me the bird!
That driver goes to heck because he made my Dad laugh so much!
ICTH my next door neighbours who have left their (unoccupied and unsold) house for pastures new and took three days to come and switch off a car alarm.
They have moved house, but left a car parked outside the old house? If they need the car, why is it at the old house? If they don't need the car, this is about the best possible time to sell it.
(I thought car alarms were required to silence themselves after a little while these days. Is that not true?)
The calendar company that messed up my order. I ordered two 'Scenic Virginia" calendars to arrive today so I could mail them tomorrow. When the package arrived it contained three calendars, none of which I had ordered. The name and address on the outside of the package was correct, but the packing slip showed the name and address of someone in California.
I hate sending late gifts, but it looks like I'm going to.
ICTH my next door neighbours who have left their (unoccupied and unsold) house for pastures new and took three days to come and switch off a car alarm.
They have moved house, but left a car parked outside the old house? If they need the car, why is it at the old house? If they don't need the car, this is about the best possible time to sell it.
(I thought car alarms were required to silence themselves after a little while these days. Is that not true?)
They've gone into a retirement village. The sale is being "managed" by their daughter and SiL and I suspect that granny's car is still here because they want it for their child who is nearly of driving age. Plus I think they reason that if a car is outside people will assume the house is occupied.
Most car alarms will eventually run out after about 4 days or so but until then they give you 20 minutes if noise, followed by 20 of silence, then noise again ad nauseam.
They want too much for the house; they're on their third agent in 6 months and all have told them that the market is dropping and that their asking price is too high, given that the house needs work. The one offer they had was 15% below asking price and before a survey had been done.
Still very forbearing of you. I would have been in there with the half brick and the wire-cutters.
Here there's been an agreeable absence of barking dog, which makes me think next door may have gone - with their Silesian yaphounds - to the Polish in-laws for Christmas.
Comments
(I do appreciate that things can be a bit difficult where relatives are concerned).
I got a Dirty Look from one passenger (unmasked of course) yesterday, but he didn't say anything.
P.S. You really need to open two windows, to ensure a flow of air. However hypothermia may then set in.
This year's special is those all look startled when the organist explodes with rage about finding a service which was not going to happen this year suddenly being reinstated between the start of the service and the notices. No, the organist was not consulted as to availability.
Throw in the bossy someone who's been in church exactly 3 times (for excellent reasons) since February 2020 instructing one of the more malleable to "Put away all those papers which have been left lying around" when we've been sticking to leaving them out in numbered pews (because of those who can't cope with ever-changing rules more than plague related guidelines) and I've been swapping stuff in and out mid-week as needed.
Argghhhhhhhhhh!!!
The non-participation thingy happened (sort of) in the Bible, didn't it?
IIRC, Our Lord tells the story of those who with one accord began to make excuse - I've bought a wife, I've married a cow...(I may not have got that bit quite right).
Well, I don't think it's Wessex (a reference to Michael Henchard selling his wife to a sailor in The Mayor of Casterbridge), but I refrain from further comment or query...
Well, quite. The whole effing thing Is Outrage...
Why do things always happen when I'm trying to get away?
* for work, for the benefit of the usual suspects
Woe unto thee, and thrice woe! if thou answereth not...
This hath the Lord revealed unto me in a Dream.
TICTH loose teeth.
Two lower-jaw molars (separated from the rest by a great gulf where another was removed some years ago) are working loose. There's no actual pain or infection, but I can't chew on that side (apart from SOUP), and I'm constantly aware of my teeth, IYSWIM.
I know I should, but I'm the world's biggest cowardy-cowardy-custard when it comes to teeth...
The looseness has been caused by my grinding my teeth whilst asleep, so I'm looking for suitable mouthguards to wear at night. Meanwhile, I'm making sure that my teeth are flossed and brushed several times per day, to ward off any possible infection in the loose areas...
Sorry, but that did make me chuckle.
I agree, though - a most inappropriate choice of programme...
* ask for advice on enabling the registering...
I also consign to Hell the Green Customs Form. I filled in a number of them before I finally got it right. I brought one home so next time I can fill it in without my glasses fogging up so I can't read the damn thing, The man at the Post shop was so patient.
Also me for stuffing up italics.
Italics duly unstuffed - Piglet, AS host
Let me assure you, dear Huia, that you look very fetching in it, and your inclination to say good and true things is highly appreciated.
Curiosity I will have a look.
Today's one is from The Children's Society:
A child near you will wake up feeling alone and hungry on Christmas day. Show them that someone out there is thinking of them by donating a bundle of essential food and basics. Because a little bit of hope can go a long way
This is illustrated by a photo of the essential food - almond milk, balsamic vinegar, herbal tea, kale and a pomegranate. Plus a tub of something which is either natural yogurt or crème fraises . There are a couple of genuinely useful items - eggs, bananas and a tin of sweetcorn. Plus courgettes, which I'd find useful, but less useful than, say, a bag of pasta.
Surely no-one is going to send £20 so that a hungry child can have access to balsamic vinegar and fresh kale? How much does it cost to put an advert on FB?
I regard myself as a reasonably competent cook, but the only meal I could produce from that £20 basket would be a courgette or kale omelette, with sweetcorn, followed by the pomegranate.
Also - Thanks CK, I think you improved it. I did hear a South African version that was interesting though.
NEQ - I think the kale suggestion should be reported to authorities as cruelty to children and prosecuted forthwith.
I was taking the APs back to their assisted living after a doctor's visit, and I saw a car coming out of a convenience store parking lot. They certainly had the car body language that indicated that they were entitled to cross the road right through my car! Therefore, I slowed down and let them cross without hitting me. Dad started laughing and said the driver had the gall to flip me the bird!
That driver goes to heck because he made my Dad laugh so much!
They have moved house, but left a car parked outside the old house? If they need the car, why is it at the old house? If they don't need the car, this is about the best possible time to sell it.
(I thought car alarms were required to silence themselves after a little while these days. Is that not true?)
I hate sending late gifts, but it looks like I'm going to.
They've gone into a retirement village. The sale is being "managed" by their daughter and SiL and I suspect that granny's car is still here because they want it for their child who is nearly of driving age. Plus I think they reason that if a car is outside people will assume the house is occupied.
Most car alarms will eventually run out after about 4 days or so but until then they give you 20 minutes if noise, followed by 20 of silence, then noise again ad nauseam.
They want too much for the house; they're on their third agent in 6 months and all have told them that the market is dropping and that their asking price is too high, given that the house needs work. The one offer they had was 15% below asking price and before a survey had been done.
Here there's been an agreeable absence of barking dog, which makes me think next door may have gone - with their Silesian yaphounds - to the Polish in-laws for Christmas.