Getting out of my comfort zone

gilligansyle

Can't get onto online banking today for some reason, just won't load the page. I have my co-op statement and I have a divi of 7.36 - gosh, what can I spend it on!

DS was telling me that I keep getting calls from 'HMRC' asking me to ring back and quote a number. The number is not a tax reference number. I've checked and its a DCA acting for HMRC; so having checked that I don't owe any taxes etc. today I'm going to have some fun. I need to check exactly what they are saying, as it must be on offence to pretend to be someone you're not.
We can do the 'going round in circles with the ID question'
We can do the 'you tell me who you are first'
We can put them on hold and go and make a cuppa.
We can put the phone next to the speaker on the telly and turn the telly up...

I'm sure I'll think of more as the day goes by.

Have finally got the English language dictionary to work again on my netbook, so no more problems with stupid american spellings, although it doesn't understand HMRC (!) but need to find the pound sign.

It's a dismal day here, not sure what I'm actually going to be doing yet. Decisions, decisions.

Karmacat

£7.36! Riches!

These people are so cheeky - fancy asking you to ring back! HSBC (my own bank)did that to me once, and I rang back all a-fluster, and it was basically a "courtesy call" - i.e. a sales call - I was absolutely incandescent with rage down the phone at them, they've never done it since

Have a good day, whatever you decide to do - I won't be round the next few days, so I'll include the weekend in that too

xxx

gilligansyle

Well I've found out why I can't get on internet banking. Tried yesterday, no luck. Used DS' PC and it was fine. Tried again last night, no luck. The reason? I don't use a PC! When you first go to online banking it does a check to see if you have 'Rapport' which is their security software loaded. It can't check my machine as it has an 'unconventional' configuration . So it does actually work, I just get fed up waiting for it. Not sure what the answer is, but definitely a complaint on the way to them.

Back later. Market day today. And I'm going to Cheshire office for a coffee with some people who weren't in on the day I left.

Firewalker

Have fun at the market - I love markets; just don't get to go to one often.

FW

Double_Trouble

Enjoy the market and the coffee

Boo to stupid internet banking (although it is only stupid when it doesn't work can't imagine life without it now)

DTxx

gilligansyle

Have had an odd sort of day.

Good points, - got paid, went to market, had a lovely wander and spent very little money, had a nice lunch with ex colleagues
OK points - put feedback on bank website about access issue, got a phone call. They can't fix it, but at least they acknowledged that it was an issue.
Bad points - and this shouldn't really be a bad point, Mum is out of hospital. Reason its a bad point is that she rang BIL and insisted he took her front door key up, and she's discharged herself. When he got there, she was sat in the hospitality suite, in her nightdress, waiting for an ambulance. It was chucking it down outside, thunder and lightening etc. so all he could do at that point was offer to take her home.

She didn't ring me as 'she didn't want to bother me' - :mad: I'll go and see her tomorrow, sister has gone up now, she's far calmer than I am.

So I'm about to open a bottle of wine. I've also got some strawberries, cream and a box of chocolates:)

gilligansyle

Don't know about everybody else, but my world has been a bit quiet lately. I think for me, I'm just re-adjusting to Mum being home again, and all that brings. I did intend going to watch the start of the Mersey Tunnel 10K, but was so tired I never made it, so apologies NL.

I've just spent an hour inputting my food for the last week into the WW site, and I need to print it out to get a better view of things.

Money wise, spent 15.00 yesterday, and a quite horrific 27.50 today, but there is a fridge full of stuff. I'm considering going to Costco for some bulk stuff with BIL during the week, so have put some money aside for that.

Its finally stopped raining at Queens Club, so about to watch the tennis, and then its the Canadian GP - where rain was forecast for today.

NorthernLas

Well it was very wet and breezy at the Mersey Tunnel, so you didn't miss much!!! By the end it was like running in your own personal shower

That said there were 3300 people who set off at 10am from Pall Mall and ended up near the Floral Pavillion in New Brighton (never bin there and what a lovely spot)

I am simply celebrating that I got my medal (1hour 21mins which is very slow) and today I am sorting my training plan for the big one on Oct 9 - sooo, you get a second chance to come and wave me off or see me finish!!! [Oh and interestingly enough, today I can still walk ]

Karmacat

Gill, hope you're feeling better this week. I find that I have to make a concerted effort to do things - stuff that I put in the diary ahead of time often bunches up, and I have to change plans, but thats better than trying to make arrangements at the last minute and finding that no one else is free, which is what used to happen.

And using cheap hotel deals - I mean *really* cheap, Travelodge cheap - to go away, just to get a change of scenery, is a big help. I even picnic, rather than eat out, when I do that. Its not luxurious, but its better than nothing. Or hostels, but I've *done* hostels, don't currently want to do them again.

I'm going up to Liverpool again on the weekend of the marathon - seeing my mum down here twice before then, so thats okay. Since FW and NL are both doing that, we should definitely meet up to cheer them on their way :j

gilligansyle

Will definitely have to go and cheer people on in the Marathon, I can remember it being run a while ago, when DS was little and then they stopped it. This time, it goes over the Wirral too, in fact the start is in Birkenhead, so presumably they run through the tunnel? The nearest it gets to me is Sefton Park, which is really good as its 2 miles round the park, so usually for the half marathon, you can see people as they come into the park and then again at another point.

Have had no internet in the hotel again, its there, just the signal isn't strong enough to do anything. But then again, by the time I go to Zumba on a Monday, then fat club on a Tuesday, there's not much time left.

I've lost another 2 ½ pounds this week, so something has finally started to click.