An in-between phase

PennysIntoPounds

I *think* I can visualise that @EssexHebridean! I'm a natural! I'm a sewing genius! I'll sew everything, everything goddamit mwahaha- oh wait, I'll still be cackhanded 😭😂
Seriously though thank you for that explanation, I will definitely give it a go next time

You possibly didn't understand the question @foxgloves because it would clearly be really stupid for someone to try finishing off their sewing by taking the thread out of the needle and tying a knot in it and wondering why they couldn't get the knot to the surface of what was being sewed rather than at a useless point half way up the remaining thread, I mean, what sort of idiot would do that. Anyhoo 👀

beanielou

That idiot would be me 😂😹

Slowdown

@PiPI can sew a bit but then there’s always glue. Or staples, sellotape, safety pins, paper clips and chewing gum. In fact, I’m thinking that given my intimate knowledge of subsection 5.5, and the fact I’m going to be Site Manager for your new build, I’ll be using these to fasten your house together. 

PennysIntoPounds

It's the only logical way of doing it @beanielou! Now, if you could just put your finger on that bit of thread there while I pull it up, it's bound to work this time 😂

PennysIntoPounds

Sounds like you're better prepared and informed than the council @Slowdown so please do crack on! 😁

ukindexinvestor

omg i hate calling the phone companies. always on hold end up getting through to someone who barely speaks english. end up spending all day dealing with something that should take a couple minutes

PennysIntoPounds

ukindexinvestor said:

omg i hate calling the phone companies. always on hold end up getting through to someone who barely speaks english. end up spending all day dealing with something that should take a couple minutes

Took me a while there to realise you were at the start of my diary, don't remind me of the changing phone provider saga!

foxgloves

I am bored absolutely senseless by any interaction with phone companies. I can cope with about 20 seconds of explanation of the features of a contract or handset, then my brain tunes out. On one occasion, when both of us were in the phone shop sorting out the above, I politely stopped the salesman & said, "I'm sorry, I know you probably have to go through a set spiel, but I honestly have zero interest beyond using my phone for calls, texts & internet & paying the quoted price. Can we just skip to signing the thing?" Salesman looked at Mr F (probably in sympathy) but he just said, "She literally doesn't, mate. Let's get it done & you can move onto me!" As Budgeter-in-Chief here at Foxgloves Manor, I manage all the bills/service providers except for phones & internet. Mr F looks after both of those (suits me fine) as I'm sure he thinks we will end up one some weirdo contract otherwise, due to me tuning out of Sensible FM during a stultifying call!
F

PennysIntoPounds

Thanks for putting things in perspective @foxgloves as I'm having an astonishingly mind-numbing day trying to get a basic answer about national insurance, but it's still not as bad as having to do anything to do with phones!

PennysIntoPounds

After an excruciating nearly an hour on the phone we established that apparently HMRC does not deal with national insurance and the people working there do not know why or even that there are different levels of tax payments. I have however got a refund of forty quid coming my way, god knows how or what from but I'm not arguing

So I was told to call the national insurance line, and after an excruciating hour and ten minutes we established that the NI dept does not know why I'm still waiting after a decade to find out if three random years qualify towards my pension despite me having asked several times over the years. Because they haven't updated those years, I no longer qualify for Class 2 and would have to pay nearly two and a half grand. If I want to complain about this I have to write a letter like a Victorian.

They told me to call DWP to see if they had any information about whether those years were qualifying towards my pension (because it is obviously not the job of the national insurance people to record whether you've paid national insurance).

I am currently taking a small break- I would be screaming into the void but I have a horrible feeling that the void would just play on-hold muzak at me