Me, myself and I!

I hate having no money! It makes me feel worthless (which I suppose is the whole point). All I can do is sit as still as possible and conserve. Every action will spend money I don't have. Eat, watch TV. Use the phone or the internet, go out! I've now spent the last 4 nights (including tonight) at home, and I do feel lately that even if I had money it wouldn't of made much of a difference. Most folks these days seemed to be coupled up, so much so that they can't even be seen without partner. You can't have one without the other. But that only then dilutes the original to a pastiche. I can't get to enjoy the individual for who they are, but have to take the whole diluted package.

Why does it feel like individualism is just for kids, only to be cast away as one gets older; with life trying to force us into narrow preset channels. It feels like we have to be like everybody else, like cardboard cutouts. Why does life have to be a set of markers that you have to pass by a certain point in life, just because that's what everybody else has does before? Why does the world push us to follow the same path?

CLAMPED!!

Wednesday is usually my day off but last week I had to change my day off because my company wanted to do a 'leaflet drop' day. Everyone in all the regions offices could come to work in civilian clothes and would spend the whole day pounding the streets canvassing, delivering leaflets to all our area rooftops to drum up business.

Myself and new guy Alex went out first and had the task of tackling all the purpose built flats in the town centre. On our very last development we parked up and hit the letterboxes. As with most new build the letterboxes were outside so it made things very quick and easy. However, in the 5 odd minutes it took us to return to the car, I had been clamped for parking in a resident's bay. Actually the clamp guy was just getting off his knees when we got back to the car.

I announced to him that I was the driver but told me he had already logged the registration number and I had to call the office. On doing so they told me that the release charge was £150 plus (get this) £50 to cancel a tow truck ordered to remove my car! I pointed out that my car was clamped not 2 minutes ago so the tow truck (if really ordered) had not even left the yard yet. The lady told me that the charge still stands even if cancelled!

Sadly I seldom have £200 of disposable cash so my Manager and Sharon had to dig into their own pockets, and bring the cash to pay the clamp guy. It took the guy about 7 seconds to remove the clamp, and for that he got £200! I felt so sick at the waste of money. My company have reimbursed Sharon and Alan their money, but have arranged to take £66.66 out of my pay over the next 3 months to cover the cost. What a total rip!

Freewheel London

Not many updates happening lately because...
1) I'm getting lazy.
2) It takes about 1 1/2 hours (on ave.) to do each post, what with writing it, prove reading it, editing; uploading photos then arranging layout. Only for a couple of folks to actually read it!
3) I've got a problem with Blogger not uploading video (for me anyway) and that's really ticking me off cause I've got some good ones.
4) I'm starting to feel like a reporter, always having to take my camera out with me to get snaps for the blog.

Oh well... necessary evil I guess.

2 Sunday's ago I took part in London's inaugural 'Freewheel' event: several roads in central London closed to all but bikes, cycling in peace passed some of London's landmarks. I say in peace, but 32,000+ bikes turned up! I had ultimately borrowed a bike from friend John, as my Mom still isn't happy about me owning my own, and his wife Lyndsey let my borrow her nogging protector.

On the day I met up with sis, Sarah, and her uni friend Ellie at Stratford station for our ride down to Victoria Park, near Mile End, where there was a 'hub'. Kinda like a meeting point for us to pick up the marshaled journey into London. I hadn't ridden a bike since I was about 17 and enjoyed the trip. I was very nervous at first being on live roads but I soon got comfortable. I was also keen to be a responsible cyclist, heeding the rules of the road; obeying traffic lights and crossings and junctions, and not weaving in and out of traffic unpredictably. When we got to the closed roads we could ride with a bit more abandon.




The 9 mile route was basically a blast up and down Embankment from London Bridge to Westminster, with a loop around St James' Park. Free sandwiches were on offer at the 'Festival' in St James' Park with entertainment too. a chance to park up the bikes and take a time out. We 3 where approached by a reporter for bikeradar, an online bike magazine and the article can be found here on their website. Ellie's helmet also had a lot of attention as it was in the design of a blue ladybug, complete we antenna! It was also only her 9th trip to London.




All in all it was a great day out and I can't wait for next year's one!

more photos on my Facebook here

thanks to John and Lyndsey, and bikeradar.com

The Sky is the limit

Well hopefully THIS time my Sky problems have been sorted. The rebooked engineer came on Thursday and replaced the decoder from which the problem stemmed. It looks the same but is of a lesser make and is that bit more flimsy. He also added an extra microfilter saying my broadband was fouling the phone signal, however I already have a microfilter coming out of the main outlet so don't quite understand why we need two! I hope this really is the end of this hoo-har and can get on with being bored but other things!

Holiday anyone....?

I think I need a vacation! These last few days I have felt totally drained. I missed step aerobics on Monday and have been going to bed by 9.30 each night this week (usual bed time being 1am). Suppose it didn't help staying up till 4.30 last Friday night watching tv; reckon that that has offset me this week. Luckily I have a 4 day week this week and next, not having to work either Bank Holiday but I do have to work the Saturday in between (Boo!).

Sky have refused to return my £200+ saying the equipment is still not working despite having sent an engineer 21/2. They sent another yesterday but he rang the doorbell once then drove off not even checking back to allow time to open the door. Its been rebooked for tomorrow. Will this nightmare ever end!!

I did go out over the weekend: for my exploits read on.....

Daylight thievery

So there I was £90 odd in credit to Sky TV with another £67 due back to me now my (Sky) equipment was in working order, I assumed that it would be a good 3 months before Sky would come a-knocking on my door for another month's payment. I mean, I clearly had enough with them already to cover this month's bill of £53.

Imagine my surprise then when Sky cleaned £186! out of my account this month leaving me with £8 till April.

I called them up and asked 'What the hell is going on?' Apparently the money was taken in error (really? You don't say!) and would be returned to me..... in two weeks time! So now I have to get through the next 2 weeks on £8.

Thanks Sky, for f**king up once more. You're getting good at it!

The Sky saga resolved?

The Sky engineer came and went yesterday, and our system apparently now functioning normally; but he didn't 'fix' anything.

I seems to me that Sky believed I was fraudulently claiming their 'multiroom' subscription (full price for the 1st box, then only £10 for the 2nd box), the engineer simply ran a diagnostic through the menu system then rang Sky to confirm the box's location (address), then left. No screwdrivers, no ladders, no replacement parts. I wasn't there at the time, but my Mom pulled him up, "£65 for 5 mins work?".
To which the engineer responded, "I only get £7 of it, plus you son could have moved out and was still trying to get 'multiroom.'"

As it turns out I finally found my repair policy with Sky that very morning, so at work I called them and they refunded my £65 callout charge and with the equipment 'fixed' Sky should also return another £100 of over charges!

Now the fun begins. I'm gonna write a letter of complaint. I've had 3x £20 bank charges, had my viewing cut off for a week, had to shell out £165 over the odds (which I've not been able to afford, only to get it all back!) and had a knock on my credit rating! And for what?...

Shouting at the Sky.

GRRRRRR! Yesterday I went to bed with my blood boiling.
I came home from work to find that my satellite TV at been switched off, so I called up Sky to see why. Turns out I owed them money. The money they didn't take from my account because their computer needs 14 days in which to process a direct debt. So my payment date sailed by without them taking their money, so now now I've gotta stare at a blank blue screen till at least next week, by which time their computer should have caught up!

AND, to cap it all off; they are charging me an extra £33 a month more because one of my Sky+ decoders is still not ringing them back. I've had to book an engineer to come take a look at it next week at a cost of £65!

Excuse my French but right now I'm f**king p***ed off with Sky!

Life!

Life aye! Who's bloody idea was that? Bet they've sodded off back home laughing.

"Lets have 2 similar but completely opposite creatures, then have them not understand the other EVER! No matter how many centuries the live together, cohabiting and studying each other.

THEN lets make all the life forms on the rock breathe in oxygen but breathe out poison, then have the plants and trees breathe in the poison and breathe out oxygen. That way the trees will be safe.

To stop overcrowding will we make their bodies fail and decay from the moment of birth, then for good measure we'll throw in an incurable disease from time to time. Or a 'natural' disaster.

Now lets give our 2 creatures different skin shades and belief systems and values; that way it would be easy for them to create unnecessary conflict and hurt each other.

Last but no means least, lets give them emotion and thought. Now, for every one that cares; there will be one that don't care. For every one that thinks he's right, there will be another one that thinks HE'S right.

Put them all together on a little spinning rock in space, and call it "Life'"

Well excuse me!

Have you seen these two? Look out for them as they are considered dangerous!! Do not approach them!

Vicky
Martin

First up is Vicky. She has admonished me for her not appearing on Squish Pages enough times and 'would like the next entry to be devoted to how much I miss her'. Well I admit she has been missed whilst away at uni, her directness, bluntness and in-your-face honesty also missed. But she will be down early December for the Jumpin Jaks Christmas do and I'm sure over Christmas. So, see you soon Victoria!x

Second up is Martin, who feels that Squish Pages is lacking that zap and zest that it had when it was loaded with the Australia trip photos. Maybe he was suggesting that I need to go on holiday again to make things 'interesting' again. Well I'd love to go away again, but I only get 4 weeks off each year, so Squish Pages will have to be 'boring' more often than not!

I like you, do you like me?

Borat and cactus
Jagshemash! On Sunday I watched the moviefilm 'Borat!: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan' with the gorgeous Louise. We went to the Enfield Cineworld and was aiming for the 7.30 showing but there was so much traffic on the way there on the A406 that we actually arrived too late and had to catch the next showing at 8.45. The moviefilm itself is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. If you like your Borat and Sacha Baron Cohen's style of humiliation set ups, plus a bit of slapstick you will like it, if not, then you wont. Wa wa wi wa!

Jojo, album photo

On Monday my copy of 'The High Road' arrived. Every track on Jojo's 2nd album is well cool and it's gonna be my driving music for a good while! "Its just too little too late..."

phone

It's been a bit of a frustrating week so far at work. My job involves a lot of phonecalls, both incoming and outgoing, but I just don't understand how anyone can have a mobile phone and never ever answer it. I've currently got 3 vendor/applicants that I've not reached in 4 working days despite leaving them at least 4 messages a day! If you can't ever have the phone on or answer it; don't have one! The whole idea of mobile phones is to be reached when you're not near a fixed line! Its always in your pocket! Grrrr! Rant over!

Thanks to en.wikipedia.org for the photos