Monday 6 December 2010

Icy Times, Christmas Card Dilemma, Sainsburys Service


The cat - chasing the cursor, also making it difficult to type at the same time.

Those of you from outside the UK must be having a giggle at us and the way we cope with (or don't cope with) the snow. Day time temperatures today didn't rise above minus 5 degrees Celsius where I was and the car clock this morning at 7 am said 'minus 9.' Several weather records have been broken this last week.

The main urban roads here are passable with care and the minor estate roads are hopelessly dangerous. The local authorities never get round to the side roads because they have other priorities, i.e., strategic routes and bus routes. If you think it's bad now in the UK and think the councils have been poor (I think they've worked very hard), it's going to be even worse as councils prepare for up to a 25% cut in expenditure for the next four years.


We even had mail delivered on Sunday (5th December!) That's because our postie had fallen behind with his work have fallen (literally) several times and hurt his back, he decided to come out on Sunday morning to catch up - off his own bat. Well done him!


This wonderful Government will slash spending on clearing our roads, our public servants that operate the gritters will be reduced along with everyone else, there will be fewer nurses and doctors to mend the broken bones, fewer ambulances to take you to hospital in a timely way so if you think it will get any better after all the 'constructive criticism' our wonderful public give the public sector - blimey, you ain't seen nothing yet!


Tonight is my first attempt to start writing my Christmas cards, well to be accurate, at least printing out some fancy address labels. I have wondered whether or not I should put a note inside the cards to say that I'll donate the £60 it costs me in cards and stamps every year to a charity next year. I haven't decided yet. I've given myself three or four days to make my mind up. The dilemma I guess is that I like to receive cards from friends and relatives. I find it comforting that you are thought of, if only for a few seconds a year while they write the card.

It's my dad's 74th birthday tomorrow and I have committed sacrilege. I was in Sainsburys tonight and bought him a bottle of Scotch. As I was paying for my lottery tickets on my way out I dropped the bag with the Scotch in and it smashed on the floor. OMG. The smell of spirits pervaded the kiosk area and a golden liquid started spreading across the floor. I was hugely embarrassed. But not as embarrassed as I was surprised when I realised that they were going to replace the smashed bottle and the two boxes of chocolates that I had consequently ruined in the same bag - no charge! Well done Sainsburys!

To a valued colleague and wonderful person 'J,' an old friend who is having treatment for an illness right now - thinking of you and your family too - best wishes and positive thoughts coming your way.


Hope you all have a safe, warm and successful week!


Chat soon


Ta-ra.

2 comments:

  1. Aw, that's sweet - you won't get that service at our local Tesco. I dropped a bottle of ketchup, and I was asked by a stacker, with security guard in tow, whether I intended to pay for it.

    Took me three weeks to get a reply to an email, an apology, and as a refund as shopping vouchers to spend at...yup, Tesco's.

    Worse, I had supply my address via email (I hate that - bad security!) and now I get Tesco junk mail. Sigh.

    Cats - my Bear has a constant battle with one of ours. It sends PM's on facebook :

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  2. Hi Wheelie, remarkable how different the stores are - for goodness sake, a mistake is a mistake, it's not as if you are doing it on purpose to damage and cause disruption.
    So far, the cat hasn't stood or sat on the keyboard, but there'll be a first!
    XX

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