NST December 2025 A Different December

dustydigger

I dont like my laptop. It defaults to Bing for internet,or maybe lets you use Chrome. But I am not keen. Yesterday had updates they wanted to install and it took an hour to do.and the machine has been clunky and jerky ever since.Scrolling is jerky, Can take 4 seconds to change sites. 4 secs is a very long time. online when it should be instantaneous. 
My bank has changed hands yet again is now part of Nati*nwide,but for some unknown reason my ISA has been moved without my approval to *ctopus.Nightmare trying to sign in with my now partially ruined mousepad,a code flashes on for a very short time,I dont have time to learn 6 figures anyway,but with my mousepad sticking by time I get 2 or 3 figures  the code has gone. Took numerous attempts to change all the many details,passwords and usernames and  codes it took forever to work through it but after all that they said they wanted to verify it was me not a fraudster. Code flashed on and off and I only caught 2 figures. before I was locked out.Got to leave it an hour before I can retry its crazy. And I'm crazy from making numerous attempts to make my mousepad work. I think they want me to send my passport and pension credit documents and a utilitys bill for the address to them digitally,but I dont have a pirnter nor can I do screenshots and other fancy things,so I will have to wait till the weekend when my son comes home from Scotland to be able to send the docs..Sorry but this 77 yr old dinosaur thinks she' brilliant just to be able to log in and surf the net including the Turtles. here Anything techy is beyond me. lol
Everytime they make one of these massive updates I have these problems for at least a week,its a nightmare.
I'm thinking of the title of that kid's book, ''Alexander and the Terrible,Horrible,No Good,Very Bad Day.'' Alexander I know how you feel! 
I now need to phone the hospital chemo dept. For some unknown reason we were allotted only 3 bottles instead of 4 of his meds,and to the oncology unit specialist nurse has arranged the usual 4 months phone consultation. His meds will run out well before 31st Dec. So its the nightmare struggling to push to do it.
through the phone system. Probably take about 30 mins altogether,because its visiting time in the hospital as a whole and a clinic is on at the unit.Phones jammed  with calls and the staff are on break.
Then we have to find a family member willing to travel 8 miles to the hospital pharmacy to get the stuff. DS2 s partner actually works there normally and could get the stuff but at the moment she is working 30 miles away as part of her doctorate so someone has to try to take time off work
.....terrible horrible no good very bad.......... 

beanielou

That all sounds dire @dustydigger. So sorry I’m not nearer to help. Xx

beanielou

Happy half century to one of our own today @Thrifty_Taylor. Bittersweet I’m sure. Xx

DawnW

What a rotten day @dustydigger - hope it improves! 

Happy birthday to @Thrifty_Taylor

Shopping today, then I was called in to work due to staff illness again    I only did 12-2 and then closed the shop.

Dinner is in the SC, though I will need to do some veg to go with it.

The latest named storm isn't too much of an issue here, it is windy and rainy as it often is, but nothing extreme. I appreciate it may be much worse in other areas. Hope everyone is ok.

OH posted the Christmas cards, so just a few local ones (that can be hand delivered) still to do. I do find them a bore, but it seems wrong not to send them to people we receive them from, especially relatives whom we don't see very often.

Grateful for not being badly affected by the storm, and not having to go to work tomorrow!

dizzyblnd

Hello you lovely lot. 

Nsd here, #5. Done some exercise and made all meals from home. Good day all round. Not sure where I am with Christmas but think I’m doing ok. Last few bits to get. Hubby as always is tricky as he has everything. Why are men so hard to buy for? 

weenancyinAmerica

@dustydigger - It's that Elf on the Shelf that took it and hid it. We have that problem quite often. My roommmates claim it is my brother moving things around (he died in 1995). I think it is my mother trying to drive us all bonkers (she died here in the house in 2008) and she is probably upset with our housekeeping or lack thereof.

weenancyinAmerica

Grateful for being able to get laundry started all by myself (needed help getting it back up the stairs however), forit still being warm (30C) here and dry, for being able to make the printer work after trying several different extra steps, for still being able to work out genealogy problems, for cats even if they won't let me in my own bed until I force them out. 

dustydigger

Lol! Nancy. Your Elf on the shelf sounds very like Mr Nobody in Walter de la Mare's very popular poem back in the day. Lots of old fashioned references now,but the sentiment is similar:

Mr Nobody

I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody’s house.
There’s no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr., Nobody

‘Tis he who always tears our books,
who leaves our doors ajar;
he pulls the buttons from our shirts,
and scatters pins afar,
that squeaking door will always squeak,
because of this you see:
we leave the oiling to be done
by Mr Nobody.

He puts damp wood upon the fire,
So kettles cannot boil;
His are the feet that bring in mud
And all the carpets soil.
The papers always are mislaid,
Who had them last but he?
There’s no one tosses them about
But Mr. Nobody

Walter de la Mare

thriftylass

Oh @dustydigger, I hate unprompted updates. Why fix what's not broken. And don't get me started on the gazillion passwords I'm meant to remember, two way authentication etc. Hate it, and I'm only 47. Technology, can't live without and bane of my life at the same time. Or school apps, the amount of stuff we missed because of their inconsistent system of email (to me or DH but never just one or both for some unchangeable reason), app or a second app....just send me a letter I can pin to the fridge. Sorry, rant over. 

Last one: The other day we were in N3W L00k and the young lady wanted, as usual, my email for the receipt. I, again, politely declined and asked for a paper one. Her reply: Oh, we don't really do paper any more and what if I loose it. I pointed out that I have been doing this for nearly 4 decades and will manage. I hate giving out my email if not needed.

Belated Happy birthday @Thrifty_Taylor

dustydigger

Rant away,Thrifty Lass,I am there yelling with you.Have tried several times to get into my new Isa but I messed up. It is so convoluted. My old bank helped sort things by the bank account username password and customer log in all being different in length. I had complictions because I had joined when it was known as N*rthern R*ck,then became ViRgIn M*nEy,then was acquired by someone else and now is joined to Nati*nwide. all with slightly diferent password etc. Then unexpectedly my bank handed over the brand new IsA to *ct*pus.
Innocently I went to look at my new account which as yet has made no payment. I set up new cusomer,account,password and whatever and signed in only to be blocked. I should have used my old ViRgIn  sign in apparently and now its all blocked. Got to get it sorted before the first monthly paymet has to come out. Going to have to phone and then admit I know nothing about uploading my passport and letters.
Bank would probably faint with shock if I told them how before the 2 step verification malarky I kept myself permanently signed in ,just clicked on to get in my account.lol..If I wanted to check my balance there I was signed it,Knew my 7 figure customer ID off by heart,and my 10 digit Password. Was in in seconds.....sigh.....