I got an award!

I have very kindly been given a 'sisterhood' award by Wise Herb, I might could question her choice in me but just the same I feel kind of flattered so thankyou Mrs Herb :o)

It goes like this, I now have to choose eight lady bloggers, sorry guys, I didn't make the rules, who's blogs show great Attitude and/or Gratitude to pass this award on to so here goes, the following are hereby duly awarded:

Lisa - because she's my best friend and her attitude to life has got the pair of us through many a 'scrape'....and likely, given how we seem to live our lives, will go on doing so for a long time yet!

Fabulous - for making me think, for her insightfulness, her honesty....and her cakes!

H.L.- for great tenacity and attitude in the face of tough times.

Daffy - for having the right attitude to life and despite our friendship being in relative infancy, being one of those 'sisters' who already makes a difference to my life.

Alright tit - a relatively new blog to me but one who's author has the most astounding approach/attitude to life and what it throws at her, refreshingly 'pulls no punches' and retains a fab sense of humour despite her trials.

That's the way life is - because Joanna is one of life's truly special people.

Daisy the curly cat - because she has great cattitude and brightens my every day!

....and finally, I'm going to break the rules here because it's my blog and because the recipient of my final award goes to a man who is without doubt secure enough in himself to be called a 'sister' and not be phased by it! I just can't hand out awards for attitude/gratitude without including him!

JW of Welcome to my world, long time friend, supporter of me in my good and bad times, a very clever guy with a knack for kicking my arse when I need it and for knowing 'where I'm at'. An intellectual who confounds and confuses me at times but who makes me think, never deserts me and can always be relied upon whatever is going on in his own life. This guy is family to me and I can't exclude him purely for his gender, so shoot me! ;o)

*Incidentally, I won't beat any of you over the head if you prefer not to pass it on!

That's it!

Ok...enough already!...the phone is going in the post today and winging it's sad way back to it's originator, I've had enough, life is too short to spend two days fighting a crap operating system!

I'm confounded really as to how an apparently high end piece of kit could have such basic flaws. Ok, I know the more the dev. guys cram into any piece of equipment the morel likelihood there is of problems... but to miss out such basic things as the ability to name a folder strikes me as pretty poor. Yup, it's a fact. The software version in the 6220 allows one to create folders for images, documents etc. but not to name them, in fact not to identify them in any way, the result of which is that one ends up with any number of folders, all completely unidentifiable! Useful eh? I thought it was me but many calls later, some internet research and a visit to a phone geek chap proved it not to be me but the software.

And that was just the start. I won't bore you with the other specifics but suffice to say, I got more than an acceptable number of 'blue screen of death'(ok, they were grey but you know where I'm coming from on this) appearances, it crashed completely more times than anyone could find remotely acceptable and wouldn't restart without much poking and prodding among stuff that Jane Doe shouldn't be expected to have to poke and prod at!

So, I don't know what next, I'm tempted by an iPhone, if for no other reason than it's just so sexy but the decision is on hold for a few days, I'm all phoned out!

On a happier note tho....we have BIG snow forecast as a 93% possibility for Monday so fingers crossed please! :o)

Nasty new phone!

Well, the new phone arrived yesterday, or rather I had to go and pick it up, o2 having for the first time in history managed to make a next day delivery, just when I didn't want them too....and it's nasty!

Well that might be something of an overstatement but thus far I can't say I'm impressed. This is not an item that displays Nokia's usual build quality, in fact this model, the 6220, is more reminiscent of a child's toy rather than a high end, 'smartphone' piece of technology! Add to that, thus far, the much heralded, Symbian operating system leaves a lot to be desired in my humble opinion with the result that I spent much of yesterday fighting it....with not much success.

To be fair I am not an expert but I am usually pretty good with phones, hell, I managed to circumnavigate Nokia's own software at length to convert certain files to a csv. format and load them successfully when nothing that was supposed to work actually did but the whole thing is just so convoluted and protracted that it's simply a pain.

Perhaps it's the old familiarity thing, my last phone uses a different o/s but I don't think so. I can forgive the build quality if the function is good but by last night it was back in it's box ready to be returned! This morning however I have woken with new geeky vigour, maybe I will give it one more go, damn, why did I 'restore factory settings', but if it doesn't shape up fast back it will go, despite there being nothing else I want on the market right now.....I would rather stick with the one I have!

Gingerbread men....and women!

I shouldn't encourage this but I couldn't help but laugh.

The moral of the story?....never let inebriated men into the kitchen!

Commencing phase two

Phase one of the hectic few days is done.

Unexpectedly we managed to make it home last night instead of spending the entire duration away, plans changed and instead of taxi-ing to and from the south coast we instead have a house guest for a few days, Fletch's younger brother, who we bought back with us last night and who will have to tag along with us for part two.

The birthday celebration weekend was cool, as ever. Fletch's mums manages the best family gatherings and among all the good humour, food and fun it was a day or two to forget the coming week and relax. We managed a walk on the beach, well I walked, Fletch sat on a groyne (Oh...I'm not sure that sounds very nice) and watched me walk, and I got to take a few photographs (see yesterday), something I haven't had much chance to do of late.

Today we re-group for phase two and the next journey, this time north for the funeral and somehow I have to get Fletch and his brother suited, booted, smart and away from the X-Box and ready to hit the road very early in the morning.

Wish me luck!

Beside the seaside

Saturday, a (cold) walk on the beach.

(Clickable)

The problem with printers is.....

A lazy, scheduled post in my abscence! ;o)

A few hectic days!

You know how everything seems to happen at once, for weeks you have nothing much to do and then suddenly, out of the blue come a list of things that need doing at once...the next few days in gemmak's-ville is one of those times!

Tonight, in theory at least (I'll come to that later) we are off down to the South coast to spend the weekend at Fletch's parents doing the 40th birthday celebrations family style. It should be good, it always is, fun, laughter, good food, good company and the sea, even in winter I love the beach.

However, you might recall that Christmas became somewhat hectic when unfortunately one of Fletch's close relatives became very ill....sadly she died last week and the funeral is to be held on this coming Tuesday, which means a trip up to Yorkshire and possibly some taxi-ing of relatives.

As a result I have no idea where or when I will be, the next few days will probably be spend mainly on the road again, covering distances from Cambridge to the south coast, to Yorkshire, to the south coast, to Cambridge....and that's where I said earlier 'in theory' because as sods law would dictate, Fletch's company car, late last night, presented a 'fatal flaw' message regarding it's road holding capabilities flashing manically from it's warning systems......wouldn't you know it! Fantastic timing Mr Toyota!

It is thus that today himself is 'working from home' (wink) while frantic efforts are made to get the local dealership to at least make the problem safe, the alternative is to take my little crap car, the prospect of which is not a good one when faced with the probablilty of over 1000 miles and the likelihood of us never actually making it to the funeral.... and instead finding ourselves on the back of a rescue truck!

Happy weekend guys! I'm packing for the long haul, I'll be here when I can make it and in the meantime I'll doubtless be Twittering!

Orange - The debacle continues

You might remember a few days ago I blogged a situation I was enduring with Orange. To re-cap briefly, they believe I owe them £30 from a broadband account I held almost three years ago in Scotland. I dispute the debt in the first instance but rather than discuss it with me, they emailed me the notification on the email address they had closed when I terminated the account and when unsurprisingly they got no response, they 'sent their boys after me', despite my having already furnishing them, on a number of occasions, with all the legally necessary information to prove that regardless of whether or not the debt was valid, it was dated prior to my being declared bankrupt and hence I wasn't liable!

But the saga continued. Orange (and their heavies) wanted hard copy but as a small act of defiance I refused to send it on the grounds that none of my real or significant creditors had required it and that the law doesn't require that I provide it either, only the details of the court and case number etc.

Not put off they continued to hound me two or three times a day, including Christmas eve and boxing day, I reminded them that to hassle me 'post bankruptcy' is contrary to the bankruptcy laws, but still they continued, so finally I just stopped answering their calls.

Next, given a few weeks to calm down I decided that to capitulate was probably the sensible way to resolve the situation....and sent them hard copy, with a covering letter expressing my feelings regarding their behaviour and requesting confirmation in writing that the matter was now closed.

No response! Well actually there was a response....a company of bailiffs contacted me....may I remind you this is all over just £30! They however acted within the law and once I had given them the bankruptcy case details they backed off, almost as confounded as me by Orange's actions.

Enough already! With my hackles raised once more I contacted Orange's bully boy company again.....and it will come as no surprise to you to discover they deny ever having received the hard copy! Any degree of patience I had retained was lost at this point and whilst I stuck to the basic rules of remaining polite and calm I 'let them have it with both barrels' so to speak and then requested that a manager call me back, pronto.

She did, though of course not pronto, and finally, much haggling later, she agreed to accept hard copy by fax. Easy?Of course not, their fax machine was buggered and my 'manager' didn't have access to the office to deal with it! Jeez!

I suggested I email a copy, this was met with some degree of confusion because she was concerned it would arrive in a format she couldn't open!!!! I promised it in a common format and she eventually gave me an email address....which didn't work either and bounced back at me countless times!

I called her again, each call I might add involves all the usual phone menu frustrations and then the inevitable, "she's on another call, I'll get her to call you back" in three days time response! Eventually I got hold of her again and she gave me another email address, with a promise to confirm receipt of my mail by return.

This time success...... Of a sort......at least my mail didn't bounce back but I can only assume it arrived because thus far, which is three days later, I still don't have any confirmation! In fact I have had no contact at all, so my assumption is, that as they appear to have got off my bloody phone line on a thrice daily basis, something must have worked and got throught to them at last!

You will understand though why I am more than a little sceptical and why I still anticipate having to deal with the bailiffs at my door.

This is outrageous behaviour from a national company. Firstly it's appalling that these companies employ debt collecting factors that they are very well aware operate outside the law. Secondly, every aspect of their administration systems appear to fall down spectacularly, which from a company in a hi-tech business isn't very impressive, thirdly, do they really think anyone goes through the nightmare of personal bankruptcy without familiarising themselves with the legislation and rights, fourthly I am sick of being blatantly lied to by fuckwits who assume I don't know the law, and consequently they can do as they please and finally....can anyone really believe they have spent so much time and money chasing a disputed debt of only £30 from a bankrupt that they know ultimately they can't collect from!!! It's no bloody wonder the country is in the state it is right now!

They now have one more item of hard copy, a letter stating my dissatisfaction in a very specific manner and a promise that should this continue any further I will go to law to stop them, if only on principle.

I can deal with these situations without too much bother, albeit a lot of stress, I'm not easily intimidated and I know my way around but Lord help anyone who is less able, it horrifies me to think just what these companies might inflict on some!

ORANGE....the future is bright, the staff are not!

Oh, and the bully boys if you are interested....Buchanan Clark and Wells a subsidiary of The BCW group, who interestingly seem to have a lot of negative google returns!

And in the news today

Given that the whole world will today be writing on the subject of Obama, I thought I would give you one or two alternative news stories instead. That's not to say that yesterday's inauguration was of no interest to me, I watched every moment of it and with a new sense of hope and even pride, despite not being American, but politics is not my forte so I'll leave that to those who know what they are talking about.

So, courtesy of the BBC a couple of reports of a lighter nature...

A weather forecasting cat in Germany,

A cow travelling by car in Beirut,

and a cat burglar in Swindon that reminds me very much of Tilly, who also had a penchant for soft toy theft, though she did at least stick to those in her own household!

Enjoy.

A moral dilemma

I'm on the horns of a dilemma, one I have been pondering for a while and still can't really find a comfortable solution for inside of my own head.

It's the work situation, or rather the lack of it. I haven't worked now in paid employment for coming up to a year, I have tried various options, the design thing, though that was never likely to make me a living income yet at least, employment agencies who generally didn't have suitable types of work (or the motivation to do their own job properly, I'm not sure which) and managed to find me the grand total of four placements and the obvious, job hunting by the usual routes. All to no avail.

If I am entirely honest, for some of my period of unemployment the hunt for a position has been a little more 'low key' than might be ideal, mostly for various personal reasons but with the new year a new stronger push for work was commenced.....and believe me, it's tough out there and getting tougher by the day, particularly when most of your life's work experience is in retail!

Fletch has supported me both financially and emotionally throughout and as I didn't claim a penny in benefit, our decisions regarding my work status, I felt were our business, but things have changed in that positions are very few and far between right now and I have a moral obligation to him also.

In the main the state expects him to support me although we are not married but if one applies the same principle to the taxation system, they don't allow us the same rights as a married couple! No surprise there then! I think that's called 'having it all your own way'....the more I look into the benefit and taxation systems in the more it becomes apparent that where it suits them we are counted as married but where being married might be beneficial to us, we are counted as individual people with no connection at all!

So this is my dilemma....do I now 'sign on' or not?

The pro's are obvious, I get a little money, which whilst it might not be much, it is more than nothing, I will feel that I am contributing financially a little the running of our life, the systems will kick in and make efforts to help me find a job and I will be counted in the unemployment figures, something that is important to me.

The down side though, and the real crux of my dilemma, is that whilst we aren't exactly flush financially we aren't on the bread line either, we manage ok and are way better off than tens of thousands are right now. I feel guilty that I might be claiming monies that someone else needs much more than we do, families with children they can barely afford to feed, people living on the streets etc. etc.

But of course, as has been pointed out to me, it doesn't work like that, if it did it would be simple, but the reality is that anything I might be entitled to, if I forfeited it, wouldn't go to help someone in more need. It may be a better option and solution may be to claim any entitlement I have, use what I really need and donate the remainder to an appropriate charity.

I don't much relish the idea of being humiliated and degraded by the attitude of the benefits agency staff again....my last experience of that a few years ago was enough for one lifetime thankyouverymuch but the unfairness of the system, and my having relied solely on Fletch for a year, is beginning to make me consider that perhaps my morals should now lie elsewhere. At the very least, if I claim unemployment benefit, even if I don't qualify for payment, suddenly the system will show an interest and help me in my quest for work and in the meantime I will be counted in the unemployment figures.

I just don't know......

Hamsters and physics

Hammy, it would appear, hasn't quite grasped the principles of basic physics yet!

(Clickable)

'Fletch is 40'!!!

Well, I had it all worked out, today's post was going to be simple, none of the 'what shall I write about today' malarkey, it was sorted, I had subject matter right in front of me.....but then, dammit, Fletch mentioned it wasn't er...'necessary' to blog the fact that today is his 40th birthday, and suddenly my easy post was gone!

So, no public jokes about age, no rejoicing in the fact that from today, he can no longer poke fun at my having been languishing in the '40 something' category for years while he was merely '30 something', no chance for public asides regarding age, wrinkles or decrepitude, as I can't mention that it is Fletch's 40th birthday today, and of course I wouldn't dream of it, all those opportunities for revenge are lost to me!

Ain't life a bitch!


*Hey...... shhhhh, just between you and me Fletch, HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY, I love you.... wrinkles 'n' all! Have a fab one. ;o)

Excuse the mess!

I've spent better part of the last twenty four hours fighting with this blog's code in an endeavour to change it from HTML to XML, don't ask me why, probably just because it's there to be done!

Anyway, along the way and for a day or two to come you may notice it appear to fall apart here and there, my apologies, normal service will be resumed shortly, I'm almost there. In theory it's not hard, in practice it isn't really either but in my usual picky nature there are some bits and pieces that I want 'just so', no one else will likely ever notice but I will and until I have cracked them all the fiddling will likely continue for a few days.

One things for sure, while most of me loves all this faffing and it has the ability to swallow up a whole day into something that feels more like just an hour or two, right now I think if I get one more 'this can't be parsed' error message I might just be tempted throw this machine out of my third floor window!

So, as the title says, if you arrive here and it looks like a tornado has just passed through...please excuse the mess, I'm working on it!


*P.S. Should anyone out there know how to get Haloscan and Blogger commenting systems into the XML together please let me know, it was easy in HTML, not so it appears now! Hell, I don't even use Haloscan comments anymore but I just can't bear to let all the old ones disappear into the ether, again, it's just me, no one else reads them but occasionally I still do!