Travelling On

themadvix

Suffolk_lass said:

Pretty sure TMV has posted the [eek] emoji since changeover

Indeed I have....   The link to where Pyxis shared them is here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/76975005/#Comment_76975005 (go back a page for rotfl). 

Karmacat

Loving the idea of being the subject of a Poirot episode though for that particular luxury I'd rather it be set in Iraq, Agatha's favourite, or even my own favourite, Greece.  Greenland is a bit nippy for short nighties : D

Otherwise, I'm with badmemory here: pj bottoms tangle me up, so I need a nightie.  And I move around a *lot** in my sleep, I'm very restless unless exhausted. 

I'm lazy about emojis, sorry - I miss them, but not enough to fetch them at the start of the day I've learned the code for the blushing one, and thats enough for now.  I'll just remember fondly the blue shrieky

Been out walking at the local Front Gardens Open Festival - fascinating!  Most are modern, opulent variations on cottage gardens, with several sets of tall plants scattered here and there.  But there was one very elderly lady (who chatted from her bedroom window) who had a tiny border at the front a few feet wide, who did an incredible job of layering and trailing and growing.  Plus one that had mad scenes setup with lots of terracotta/whatever animals: hanging baskets upside down and little stone hedgehogs and cats and rabbits poking their faces out being cheeky. Must be such a favourite with the kids!

rtandon27

Karmacat said:

...RT!!! Honestly, some people have no sense, even at the back of beyond you're faced weth that, so sorry to hear it!  Yes, I'd be very interested to know what happened   ...

Three days later and after a rant to both my sister & mom, finally feel calm enough to retell it! (without any cursing!)
(So though I can hear Julie Andrews singing in my head to start at the very beginning, I'm going to jump right into the story from mid-day Friday🤣🤣🤣)

The C-19 swab for the study came with a detailed booklet of instructions including how the courier that picks up your swab is meant to interact upon pick up...
(paraphrasing the booklet's written instructions)

*upon arrival courier will knock on door and step back two metres, courier will be wearing appropriate ppe...
...courier knocked on door & when I opened it was still standing there declaring 'peek-up serveece' whilst standing on the doorstep, no gloves, no mask...
I immediately stepped well back into the kitchen (about 3m) at told him in no uncertain terms that he could go and wait at the gate while I retrieved the box from the fridge...
...Courier did not budge, he just stood there with the daftest expression on his face - obviously did not understand a word I said.

*courier should have placed basket on doorstep to collect package ...
...no basket to be seen...
I made broad gestures with my arms telling him to step back two meters and he stood there looking at me declaring 'peek-up serveece' - I raised my voice at told him to step back two metres from the door and I'd leave the package on the step which he could then retrieve when I shut the door. Blank stare, but upon seeing my angry face he did step back.

*in the absence of basket courier will retrieve box from doorstep once you have shut the door...
I'm sure you can guess what happened next! - As I went to put it on the front step he pretty much lunged towards me to get it.  I stepped back quickly and slammed the door in his face! (my very proper grandmother would have been so ashamed - lol)

I was LIVID! -   The courier obviously had not been trained or did not care to follow instructions.  Due to OH's health we have been shielding since the middle of March, so why would we risk his life to participate in a voluntary study?????  Back in April when OH participated in the study the courier that came to pick it up followed every rule & even vocalized what he was doing as he did it!  We reasonably expected the same care to be taken this time round.

I did a little search using handy g00gle and discovered that a new courier company with particularly poor ratings has recently been awarded the contract to be the exclusive company for the nh$ / imperial college study. GRRRRRR!

Called up the study help line to place a complaint - short version is that the woman I spoke to didn't give a damn and went so far as to tell me my problem was with the courier company not with them (the company running the study).  I politely and forcefully told her that a company they had hired had breached the written terms I had agreed to so the onus was on the research company & it was up to them to set it straight!  Magically she then logged a complaint to send on to the courier company. GRRRRRR! x2

Though I know nothing will ever come of my complaint I've learned a couple of lessons...
1) never volunteer again for anything that involves a stranger coming to my front door...
2) follow my own advice and stick my head out of a window before opening that door!!!!!

Karmacat

Good grief, RT particularly as its a swab, and a volunteer one at that ... that's awful.  As you say, nothing will come of the complaint though sometimes, I do it anyway, forcing them to take the time, whether its about bad policies or bad implementation

With *deliveries* what I do now is get outside onto the hardstanding at the front and tell them to put it on the front step, and I'll put it in the house when they've gone.  There's a slight wind effect in my road, that means it blows straight in the front door when I open it, so I keep it closed when people are within my property.  But again, I'm lucky to have the chance to do that, plenty of people don't.

I don't think I'm going to do much today.  I *didn't* get the blank cards out from their resting space, though I retrieved other craft stuff that was hanging around, so I can probably do that, but I think this is a day off   I hope describing your encounter hasn't affected your day!

rtandon27

Thanks for the 'over the fence' moan!  It's mighty nice to have that virtual fence 😁😁😁👏👏👏

Karmacat

It really, really is **airkisses**

beanielou

RT~~That is just dire.

Karmacat

Blank cards are found, as well as some others that are like postcards ... what did I buy them for, exactly?  Colour me confused.

Bit of a lease of energy in the evening, following bro's example: took another walk round the block, then did some gardening, cutting back stalks of stuff that had finished.  Plus weeds.  Very satisfied with that.

Karmacat

Almost snookered myself yesterday evening - I've been inputting updates to my Asda shopping basket for this morning, started to check it out after a few last minute additions, and the app couldn't deal with it - it decided to lose all the additions, and I was left with the original order!  So I started again   They seem to have almost everything I want, which is good. 

Yet another day of catching up, partly because of the order, I still haven't done any craft work, but I mooch around in the baskets while I'm doing other stuff, and its surprising what pops out at you because its there in front of you.  Will definitely keep this arrangement.

Karmacat

maggiem said:

Long time lurker delurking here to say if you have a Mo**isons nearby I have had some good nighties, below knee length from there at very reasonable prices and they've washed well too. I get a bit too hot in pjs and agree with bad memory that the full length ones just mean I trip on them. 

Great result with all the financial sorting Karmacat.

Maggiem, sorry I never responded at the time - thank you for this!  Before coronavirus, I had a Mo's nearby - now its a 20 minute train ride, including a change of trains at a local junction, it's not going to happen.  The trains round here are on a fast commuter line to London, and they always used to be packed.  No idea what they are now, of course - I'm not using public transport at all. 

NB, I did make a decision on the JL vouchers - I'm going to use them to buy Christmas gifts, where you pay over the odds for pretty food items and don't really care JL has family associations, so it's a nice choice.  So, I still want a nightie pattern, of course - I'll see if Wilko do them, actually, thats more my price range for normal stuff and I need a garden/DIY sealant delivery anyway.

Sorting the finances has been a huge relief - partly for the work thats been done, partly to know I haven't made my financial situation dire in some way.