Ramblings of a twenty something or other

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Yay!

Now the posties are back at work from their two day strike I got a mountain of mail this morning. Usual stuff letters from the Union solicitors advising me yet another one of my members is trying to sue my employer blah blah blah.

Also after slight worries due to strike and christmas post the train tickets to london have appeared. Have confirmed to hotel is book so don't worry Barry Dave and I won't have to kip on your floor !

Mother in law( half jokingly) asked if Eric was going to London with us. We told her that all dogs have to be carried on the tube and neither Dave or I are up to carrying about 50 or so pounds of giant lurcher dangled over our shoulders! Although I don't think taking the lurcher to a show about giant killer bunny rabbits would be a good idea either... Not that Eric works the only thing he's caught up with lately is his beauty sleep (lazy sod!).

Monday, December 18, 2006

Typical

been referred to hospital for a minor thing (won't go into detail here)... now you get to choose which hospital you want to go to via the new choose and book system. Get off the phone after arranging an appointment (only 4 ish weeks away v.good methinks) -then settle down and watch the local news and see very same hospital in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Good job I'm that unpopular that even the diseases want to keep away from me. Although I do have a fair old bit of flesh that Steptococcus pyogenes and his pals could have a good old munch on.... quicker than dieting and cheaper than liposuction.

Actually to be honest it comes as no surprise that this particular hospital has caught the headlines for the wrong reasons. This particular hospital is very run down in buildings dating back to Victorian times. . we can only wait and see what happens when the new (scaled down)super hospital arrives...

thank you Septuagent

I will shortly be contacting Computeractive as well as OFCOM. I think the issue of the MAC codes seems to be a bit like the issue the Energy industry had with privatisation (I work in Energy) it just seems like all these things get rushed through without actually thinking about the consequences its frustrating though when you get stuck in the middle -especially when like me you have the IT literacy of a dead goldfish and prefer things to be simple.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

grrr part 2

Right on the phone again to AOL after getting a unoffensive but entirely also unhelpful standard "we can't be bothered to actually get a human to read your email but we've guessed what you were wittering on about by a tag word in your email title anyway hope this banal drivel helps-type of email reply".

So on the phone to AOL for another attempted polite attempt for for MAC code. Apparently no I can't have it -why when OFCOM say legally you have to give it to me- no we won't because it won't do you any good anyway your line has a LLU tag and everyone else bar AOL won't accept this! so the only way off AOL is 20 days with no Internet.

Surely this isn't so in this day and age? Spoke to Sky (my prefferred supplier of choice) and they think its rubbish and AOL are trying to dodge their responsibilities.

Any geeks ahem I mean technologically minded individuals out there know if this is right. I CAN'T be without Internet (vital lifeline literally for the dog rescue side of life) and decidedly unpleasant for a "virtually" based union branch such as ours us for most of the time.

However at this rate I would suffer (as would the death row hounds) just to get away from the liars ahem I mean AOL. High ho high ho on monday to OFCOM I go !!!

Friday, December 15, 2006

Grrr

Having major issues with AOL at the moment - time lag faults, connectivity issues so am trying to change to Sky Broadband but AOL are not playing ball. I need a MAC code from them before I can switch and they promised me faithfully they would email it to me and I am waiting and waiting and thats when I can flipping get on line to check! It seems a lot of their broadband customers are having the same problem. They seem arrogant and rude and I don't appreciate paying national rate call charges while waiting forever for them to offer mediocre "loyalty packages" (I can get 4x better package from Sky for the same price they were offering which I add is £8 a month less than what I pay now!

Just sent them (AOL) a nasty email threatening to take them to OFCOM.

Just a message that British (or should that be Indian) Gas should take heed of. Customers vote with their feet.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

found an intersting website tonight

if you are nosy to see how "common" you are (well your surname anyway) go here

London here I come.....

Well what could a real drama queen like me do for her christmas treat. Yep I am going to London for a night at the theatre with OH. Parents have kindly agreed to look after (and hopefully not electrocute) the hound for a night. We will be staying at the Crowne Plaza -London City hotel and doing a bit of last minute christmas shopping. Well you only live once. I will try to get to see my brother even if it is just popping in to his tube station to laugh at his bum fluff ahem I mean handlebar moustache he has been trying to grow.

In the news.....

Shop workers in Austria are suing retailers for the 'psychological terror' of being subjected to hours of piped Christmas music. A union study found that listening to endless hours of Silent Night and Jingle Bells made shop staff 'aggressive and confrontational'.

Union spokesperson Gottfried Rieser said: “By the time Christmas comes around there are large scores of abused shop workers who hate the very idea of it. They cannot bear to listen to Christmas songs and completely lose their temper at the slightest mention of anything to do with Christmas”.

Union lawyers had been instructed to see whether legal action can be taken to stop stores constantly playing Christmas jingles, but it appeared there was little they could do. But he added the unions were now calling on employers to voluntarily introduce a code of practice where Christmas music was limited to a few hours a day in peak shopping hours. So it really is that the tills are alive with the sound of muzak.

Monday, December 11, 2006

More banality from Youtube

but this ones about my adoptive hometown duck

Is there anything the Americans won't eat?

hummm tasty - or maybe not

Friday, December 08, 2006

I am so unpopular!

that even my Mum has reported my email as spam so I can't email her! Anyway mum look what I've done to your beloved little pooch Amber as revenge. Who said dressing dogs up in clothes was cruel??? hahaha (evil ( nearly coldsoreless) again grin).

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Dog rules at Christmas

1. Be especially patient with your humans during this time. They may appear to be more stressed-out than usual and they will appreciate long comforting dog leans
.2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. Do not assume that all the gifts are yours.
3. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers
.4. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent place and cover it with lights and decorations. Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans, so there are some things you need to know:a. Don't pee on the treeb. Don't drink water in the container that holds the tree c. Mind your tail when you are near the tree d. If there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or that have your name on them, don't rip them open e. Don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall to the tree
5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for some discretion on your part:a. Not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans b. Don't eat off the buffet table c. Beg for goodies subtly d. Be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa e. Don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach
6. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting. Here your manners will also be important:a. Observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's houses. (4a is particularly important) b. Respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house c. Tolerate children d. Turn on your charm big time
7. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night. DO NOT BITE HIM!!

Monday, December 04, 2006

a christmas carol?

christmas greetings

Sunday, December 03, 2006

You know you are a dog person when........

You have a kiddie wading pool in the garden, but no small children.
Pigs Ears are on your shopping list every week.
You send Valentine's day cards from your dog to his favourite doggy friend.
You have baby gates permanently installed at strategic places around the house, but no babies. The rubbish bin is more or less permanently installed in the kitchen sink, to keep the dog out of it while you're at work.
You can't see out the passenger side of the windscreen because there are nose-prints all over the inside.
Poop has become a source of conversation for you and your significant other.
You refer to yourselves as Mummy and Daddy.
Your dog sleeps with you.
You have 32 different names for your dog. Most make no sense, but he understands.
You have little songs that you sing to your dog, and he always wags when you sing, even though you can't carry a tune.
Your dog eats fox poop, but you still let him kiss you (but not immediately afterward, of course).
You like people who like your dog. You despise people who don't.
You carry dog biscuits in your purse or pocket at all times.
You talk about your dog the way other people talk about their children.
You sign and send birthday/anniversary/Christmas cards from your dog.
You put an extra blanket on the bed so your dog can be comfortable.
You'd rather stay home on Saturday night and cuddle your dog than go to the movies with your boy/girlfriend
You go to the pet supply store every Sunday because it's one of the very few places that lets you bring your dog inside, and your dog loves to go with you.
You open your purse, and that big bunch of plastic bags you use for pick-ups pops out.
You get an extra-long hose on your shower-massage just so you can use it to wash your dog in the bath, without making the dog sit hip-deep in water.
You meet someone when out walking your dogs and you introduce your dogs first.
You and the dog come down with something like flu on the same day. Your dog sees the vet while you settle for an over-the-counter remedy from the Chemist
Your dog is getting old and arthritic, so you go buy some wood and build him a small staircase so he can climb onto the bed by himself.
You don't think twice about trading licks of an ice cream cone with your dog.
You match your furniture/carpet/clothes to your dog.
All of your charitable donations go to dog-related groups.
You have your dog's picture on your office desk (but no one else's).
You lecture people on responsible dog ownership every chance you get.
You hang around the dog section of your local bookstore.
You skip breakfast so you can walk your dog in the morning before work.
You are the only idiot out walking in the pouring rain, but your dog needs his walk.
You don't go out for drinks with co-workers any more because you need to go home and see your dog.
Your parents refer to your pet as their granddog, remember his birthday, and send him greeting cards and gifts.
Your friend's dog acts as Best Dog at your wedding.
Your weekend activities are planned around taking your dog for a hike (both days).
You keep an extra water dish in your second-floor bedroom, in case your dog gets thirsty at night (after all, his other dish is way down on the first floor...).
Your freezer contains more dog bones than anything else.
You never completely finish a piece of steak or chicken (so your dog gets a taste, too).
You shovel a zig-zag path in the garden snow so your dog can reach all his favourite spots.
You avoid vacuming the house as long as possible because your dog is afraid of the vacum cleaner.
You keep eating even after finding a dog hair in your pasta.
You carry pictures of your dog in your wallet instead of pictures of your parents, siblings, significant other, or anyone else remotely human.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

and another...

True facts about men!
1. If you think the way to a man's heart is through his stomach you're aiming too high.
2. Woman don't make fools of men -- most of them are the do-it-yourself types.
3. The best reason to divorce a man is a health reason: you're sick of him.
4. Never trust a man who says he's the boss at home. He probably lies about other things too.
5. A woman's work that is never done is the stuff she asked her husband to do.
6. If you want a nice man go for a bald one -- they try harder.
7. Go for younger men. You might as well -- they never mature anyway.
8. A man who can dress himself without looking like Wurzel Gummidge is unquestionably gay.
9. Men are all the same -- they just have different faces so you can tell them apart.
10. Definition of a man with manners -- he gets out of the bath to pee.
11. Whenever you meet a man who would make a good husband, you will usually find that he is married.
12. Scientists have just discovered something that can do the work of five men -- a woman.
13. There are a lot of words you can use to describe men -strong, caring, loving -- they'd be wrong but you could still use them.
14. Men are like animals -- messy, insensitive and potentially violent -- but they make great pets.
15. Men's brains are like the prison system -- not enough cells per man.
16. There are only two four letter words that are offensive to men - "don't" and "stop"..
17. Husbands are like children -- they're fine if they're someone else's.

and another post...

Yippee ..finally finished the dreaded assignment on "lies,lies and damn statistics on Trade Unions". Had to get an extension though. At least now I can get on with Life, Christmas and other joys and and starting the reading for the next one... I very much doubt I will get another B though.

Went to see the company nurse at work during the week- cause on the company stress test my scores were obsencely high. Nurse said I need to stop being a saint... wish my mum could have heard that... snigger. I

Christmas no mistletoe or whine!

Well its been a while. I have been very under the weather recently. Union bod (fulltime) and my deputy have both buggered off for varying amounts of time and my two footsoldiers of the old school unionism are keeping me and management v. busy. HR angel has told me if she wins the lottery then she will give me half so we can escape corporate hell.

A tenner would be great.

I need the extra money I have a new life form growing on my upper lip. Yep the evil coldsore is back. No mistletoe snogs at next weeks Christmas party then.... OH will be safely tucked up whilst I ensure my *beloved* members behave.

We already have a case where a night out was organised (not by the company, but in the company name) which has led to allegations of assault, racism and bullying and victimisation. All in the genteel world of bingo.

God help us when the alcohol is flowing next week. I am gonna stick to diet coke after my last dalliance with alcohol- although my worst crime was some very dodgy dancing.