Late Post

To be fair the 'Daily Mail' has not got around to this yet, but they will!  They always do!

The only hoax so far is the one on the mobile from crooks pretending to be 'Evri,' click this link they ask for info re parcel.  Sadly if I use 'Evri' they always deal through the email, and that can be difficult also.  However, I finished wrapping the boxes today.  Almost no Brown Tape left in this house, and booked 'ParcelForce' to collect three of them tomorrow.  These might be delivered by Monday, or even Saturday!   

One advantage of the web is not having to carry such things down to the Post Office these days!   'White Van Man' has his uses, he can carry the box and deliver on time, usually.  I only need to carry small packets and buy stamps from the PO, while Royal Mail line their profits through my book of stamps and hinder the actual postman from delivering what I send.   

I began this post yesterday but failed to finish as I got bored reading it.    

The 'ParcelForce' man arrived before 10 am today, cheerfully removing my three boxes, and leaving me with the rest of the day to catch up on the things missing this week.

I failed to do them.

Instead, I took my '£4 off if you spend £30' con voucher round to Tesco and filled up on things required, and one or two that were not.  These vouchers have helped the Christmas shop, and the one for next week,  sadly only £3 off, will enable me to buy the much used things I will need so as to avoid desperate struggles through the last minute Christmas shop crowd.

The mass of household chores that await have been curtailed because I do nothing at the weekends, so maybe next week instead will be busy cleaning, maybe.   

The news on Twitter, but not in the press, has been filled with the 'Tetchy' PM going off in a huff because the press were asking questions he could not answer, and not for the first time, concerning his Rwanda Obsession.  Today it leaks out that the latest £100 million paid to the nation that has so far seen only Home Secretaries and no 'Boat People,' was signed off by Suella.  Who to believe?

None of them!

This shambles might be heading for closure, but what will result? 

If I were he I would call a vote on this Bill, or is there one tonight?  Anyway, if the ERG and the neo Nazis do not support the PM I would take the whip from them and call an election for the soonest possible moment, probably the last week in January.  Conservative members who have lost the vote cannot stand as prospective Conservative candidates.  This means all the far right would have to stand as independents and would not beat the new Tory candidate, who would lose anyway.  He will lose an election but if he won he would be rid of many the nation does not require in the House.

However, owing to a glitch in the system I remain, as yet, unemployed as PM.

Why are there five syllables in the word monosyllabic?

Joy Filled Freezing Wednesday

Joy at last yesterday late afternoon, Parcelforce collected my box a week late and took it in the right direction.  I expect it to arrive at the destination, a mere 400 miles away, sometime around March!  Joy also when the postman arrived today with a weeks supply of post.  One for someone who does not live here, one a charity, one money coming to me, one a Christmas card, the first so far, and a week late copy of 'Private Eye.'  Of course the parcel from Southampton, sent ages ago, has not arrived, nor has anyone else sent things to me.  I sit here, wearing those fingerless gloves to keep warm while surrounded by candles for the same purpose, looking for the parcel van to stop.  I await in vain.  

The temperature has indeed dropped this afternoon.  The cold from the north was not here last night, it will be here tonight however, and it has already begun to lower the temperature.  Up north snow may fall, here the freeze will be a pain, however, we will cope, as long as pipes do not burst, heaters fall over, and whisky coffee does not run out.  The simplest way to cut costs is to drink hot coffee/tea, place hot water bottle behind back, wrap something around rusting knees, and be happy.  This cuts running costs considerably, as long as you do not have to move about.  Also, as all women know, this is the time to do the ironing!    

Yes ironing, the woman's job not done by women here.  I keep asking for help but get rude answers.  Women I find are very susceptible to taking chocolate, receiving gifts and compliments but hesitate to actually do anything in return.  Tsk!

Last year British Gas sent me a form insuring my gas boiler for a year at no charge.  I found this unusual as I did not request this, nor do I require their insurance.  I ignored the letter, dumped it and moved on.  Today, I received an update asking for £92.76 for another years cover.  Now, I will dump this easily, but how many will be caught out thinking they always covered their boiler this way?  This is a British Gas scam and I wonder why this is allowed?  A free years cover you did not request, followed a year later with a chance to pay through the nose for another years cover?  With the vast profits these crooks are making I suggest they offer another free year to all those who already pay for such cover!

I certainly will not.

Parcelforce and PlusNet Upsetting the World, well me!

I'm peering into the distance.  I work on the basis that the harder I peer, the sooner the 'Parcelforce' man will appear.  This is a similar attitude taken by people standing waiting at bus stops.  As you pass you will notice them staring hard in the direction from which they expect a bus to appear, the harder they look, the sooner the bus will appear, or not as the case may be.  

So I sit here and peer.  

I ought to be fiddling about with the router, though 'fiddling' is to be understood in the terms of 'mass murder,' rather than 'fiddling.'  Once again the brute cut out during the football, five times while Brazil were exhibiting super skill against the Koreans.  My language was not biblical, my attitude not forgiving.

The intention was to call 'PlusNet' this morning but I hesitated until I have tried all the combinations, pulled all the wires, and shot the 'Outreach' engineer.  Unfortunately, or it is fortunate, I have had to await the, as yet unseen, 'Parcelforce' man.  Otherwise I may have been seen hanging around telegraph poles awaiting men in yellow Hi-vis while dangling a variety of weapons sufficient to make the Ukrainians jealous.  As it is the van has yet to appear, my parcel lies awaiting below, and he is rapidly joining the telecoms engineers in my estimation.  This parcel ought to have gone last Tuesday but was refused as they were on strike Wednesday and Thursday.  Insert 'I support the workers,' and 'Grrrrr,' here.  

Having discovered this brute was only giving 20.04, no wonder it is slow, I switched of the router, switched off the laptop, allowed both time to cool down and decide if they wished to work properly or not, then restarted them in due course.  The speed 'leapt up' (this is a misnomer) to 35.63.  Now this is of course better, and may enable watching the football today, however, it ought to be around the 60 mark!  Insert another 'Grrrrrr,' here.

Now I have a life, indeed it could be better but I do have one.  It is also true much of my life is lived through this blessed laptop, therefore when it fails all comes to a halt and I am exposed as trapped on a desert island.  I write a blog on here that few ever read bar those 'spiders' clawing information for Amazon, Google, Facebook and other chancers, but it is fun and an opportunity to shout at the world.  Indeed it was better in times past.  Some have died, some ran away, others drifted off onto Twitter, or family, or even a life themselves.  The rude repartee once enjoyed has lessened considerably over the last few years.  This is a pity.  Of course a great many got bored reading this codswallop, and who can blame them?  I read this and find myself yawning also.  

There is blue sky out there, though the remaining leaves are freezing off the trees.

Rishis Sunak, the temporary PM, is in hiding, Keir, the temporary leader of what was once the Labour Party and is now the red Tories, has decided to attack migrants, not support the striking workers, and probably wants to lead the Tory Party after the next election.  He has all their policies!  What a disgrace, so desperate to become PM he has sold the workers and runs after the Brexit voter.   His Gordon Brown led 'Devolution' amendments have failed miserably in Scotland, as they would.  Not that Keir cares, on the 'Red Wall,' matters to him.  

So the strikers continue to strike, on the railways, the post, the nurses joining them then the doctors and the paramedics.  December under the Tories with only thy right-wing press supporting their corrupt party is a terrible thing.  Of course Boris is behind much of this.  He is stirring rebellion, once Sunak fails at the polls as he must do Boris becomes the one to lead the Conservatives again.  Unless he is in jail of course.  It is time for Sunak to release the 'Russian Report,' and finish Boris.

Xmas Post

 

Busy day.

I had to stumble down to the Post Office to post a wee packet to Edinburgh.  I arrived behind an attractive young woman with baby in arms.  Unfotunately, in front of her was a woman, clearly a regular, posting a bag full of packets of various sizes.  This appeared to be a usual occurence for her.  

We waited.

We waited.

We waited and we waited.

We chatted between ourselves.

The dozyy child did not join in, sleep was still upon him.

A woman with one envelope joined us.

We waited.

We smirked at the wait.

We waited.

Eventually the lass was finished and the queue rrejoiced.

My turn came and the friendly Asian lass smiled at me as usual, informed me of the price with a quizzical smile, grinned at my gasping, and encouraged me to pay for it.

I like her.  She has personality and works very hard.  This is a family run shop and they work long hours.

Then she has to deal with the kids and feed them all.

Even a 'Tesco Express' opening up almost next door has not killed them, though Tesco do not have a popular Post Office inside.

Back home I attepted to watch the first of four football games today.

All I saw was the end of Argentina's loss to Saudi Arabia.  Ths was difficult as I was already seeking a box for parcel number two.  All day was then spent, between fixing this box and cooking 'Slop Soup.' The soup has lived up to its name.

The packet, during Denmark v Tunisia, was coompleted, 'ParcelForce' arranged to collect it tomorrow, too heavy to carry to PO.  Then my poor dinner cooked badly while Mexico v Poland ran themselvbes into the ground for nothing.

Tonight I sit in the cold bedroom awaiting the heating to climb higher while watching Australia play France.  This is our team now, three Aussies play for the Heart of Midlothian and possibly will appear tonight.  Therefore we are all 'Roos,' now.

One at least appears, here we go!

Wandering Free.

 

Parcelforce arrived before 10 this morning to collect my package with a smile.  He obviously had not read my Twitter feed.  Relieved of the bulk I then proceeded deliberately in an easterly direction towards the Post Office, here I deposited another, smaller, package with the young lady who smiles at me when I visit.  She appeared a bit down this morning for reasons unknown.  I always use this PO as it is better when you get a smile rather than the expression of the ex-Stasi operatives who are employed at the main PO.  They have never employed a human being in that office yet as far as I can see, and it has moved position several times in the past 24 years, to hide from past employees perhaps?  Smiles?  Did Soviet Union Border Guards ever smile?  Neither do that lot.

Having despatched two parcels, with nothing to do but catch up on things undone, with the sun shining to the south and big gray clouds gathering in the west I headed homewards via the parks to see some greenery, thus wasting time and being unable to attend to things undone.  The rusting leaves were annoying one man who was brushing a pile of them out of his driveway onto the council pathway.  It came from their trees I suppose.  Autumn is upon us, though in fact it is Sunday when British Summer Time ends.  I suppose this means the clocks go back.  Church services everywhere, at least where they open, will find at least one person an hour behind! 

I can cope with temperatures in the 50's, neither cold nor warm, but as I hobble along I am warm enough.  People out walking dogs and venturing to and from shops appeared at ease, allowing for masks and social distancing.  The dogs of course just wanted to speak to everybody, social distancing means little to them.  

 

 

Rishi Sunak, known better as 'that chancellor bloke,' has been barred from a pub in Stokelsey, in his constituency.  Also barred are three other Tory MPs in northern constituencies.  This because they voted against feeding needy children over Christmas.  On top of that the prices seen in the Commons 'Tea Rooms' have annoyed many,especially when voting against feeding children.  

It is nice to see free individuals standing up for children, especially this one who, as a publican, may well be losing money in these difficult times.  

Marcu Rashford, the Manchester United footballer who started this campaign, has been supported by many individual cafe's, restaurants, pubs and councils in deciding to feed such children.  I suspect Boris will be too busy this Christmas feeding his own, if he can work out who they are.

 

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So I waited in. 

I waited.

I waited.

Eventually I looked at the tracker, it had not worked the last time I looked.

Collection attempted at 10:53.

NO it was NOT! 

I am sitting here at the window, I was packing another package, no bell rang, no sound.

Before 11, I took out the rubbish, no red van in sight.

Sign in and enquire.

Cannot sign in, do not recognise details.

Vitriol is now rising (or was that a type of motor oil?).

Several attempts made, no response, eventually it worked, why I know not.

I rebooked for tomorrow, grudgingly.

I then went onto Twitter and found their site and placed a far from gentle expression of irritation there.

Later an email helped me sign in, no mention of package.

I fumed, griped, declaimed, bemoaned, and expostulated.

I also expressed my annoyance.

I needed to go out, it was now too late, I had another packet to post.

Grrrrrrrrrrr etc was my mood.

 

My irritation worried me.

This year I have spent much time fumong over laptops, Boris, Trump and a variety of things near and far.  This ought not to be.  I am sure I was less keen to express myself before but I think age and Lockdown, tiredness and lack of self discipline are showing results.  Spending too much time alone is not helping, I must get out more.  

I get frustrated when things do not go my way, self importance I suppose, wanting it my way, just like a spoiled PM does.  It's not pretty is it.  I supsect the driver today, if he actually arrived, I saw no van, did not ring the bell, he may have tapped on the door, the drivers do this to avoid touching the bell and risking catching Covid from it!  The fact that all drivers tap the door means the door is less healthy than the bell, but never mind.  Wearing gloves is beyond them.

These things canny be the Good Lord trying to expose the corrupt being inside of me, I am all to well aware of that!  However, it is strange that so many things have gone wrong recently, small things, like laptops.... 

Anyway, next time I will use OPD, much more responsible, but dearer.

 

Last night, by a majority of around 60, the Conservative Party voted against enabling schools to feed hungry children over Christmas.  This to save a few pounds from a government that has wasted Billions this year alone.  Five Tories voted against this bill, one having to resign her position this morning. The rest, including 5 Scots Tory MPs voted for the bill.  One abstained, Cowardly Dougie Ross, the Scots Tory leader.

Here is, what I am informed, an up to date menu from the Commons Tea Room. Here, in similar manner, is the Dinner menu.

Many are asking why those MPs on £70,000 and more a year, not counting their expenses, bits on the side and newspaper writings, why are these individuals getting subsidised meals?  Drinks in the many bars are also subsidised and to end this would create a bad feeling in the House.  Personally I think that may be a good idea and pre Christmas a good time to do this.

 

Grumble Whine Moan....

Now I am not one to complain.  Moaning, whining, getting ratty about the world are things far from my kind, forgiving nature as you know.  However when Mike Tyson appeared on the screen tonight to tell us about 'Being on drugs when boxing,' or 'How he overcame his drink problem,' I begin to think "SHUTTUP!"  I am sick to the teeth hearing celebs or the 'famous' tell us how they overcame being so stupid as to become hooked on drugs when the entire world has known for years that they are dangerous.  I am fed up hearing yet another celeb telling us their problems, at a huge price of course. Yet day by day they appear, contrite, sober and full of their story, until possibly the next time and the next payday.  
Now I am happy folks get away from such stuff.  Nothing better to see a man overcome a problem, happy indeed when the real world arrives and a celebrity finds a happy life.  However the tale of woe they offer often follows after they have been warned by many they are hurting themselves, or worse being led that way by those on the make and all celebs have someone attempting to use them.  There are Christian books like this where the individual offers nine chapters of 'How I was a witch,' followed by one where 'Jesus saved me.'  Much better to have one about the previous life and nine about the better one!   Let us spend less time on peoples failings and more on the good side of life.  Sadly that however would not sell papers, fill TV time and suit the public voyeurism. 

Had I been in a mind to complain I could comment on waiting in for Parcelforce to deliver this morning, filling in my time doing the women's work while listening for the doorbell, but I am not of a mind to grumble.  However I rose in the dark once again especially to be ready for his knock, waited till eleven and then gave up and wandered the streets.  When I returned he had still not yet shown up although the postman had, he went out of his way to make a special effort to bend the two Christmas Cards while shoving them through the door. Postmen don't like this door.  Usually the worst letterboxes are those three inches of the ground, and they ought to be banned!  However our main door is actually upside down and the letter box is therefore quite high for wee folks. The Landlord has reused a door simply by turning a battered one upside down leaving the box just too high for wee posties!  
After a foul lentil soup and stale bread lunch, a quick sleep and a bad coffee I guessed the parcel was not going to arrive today.  At this time of year it is inevitable they will be busy, and at three in the afternoon he would avoid the traffic polluting the street outside my door.  So I wandered abroad again, picturing the sun dropping behind the buildings, very glad that Saturday is the shortest day because from then on we head towards a glorious Spring!  I need not tell you that the weathermen inform us high winds and belting rain will obscure the shortest day, and last well into the longest night!  Bah!  
Anyway when I arrived back having avoided spending any money I do not possess I found the neighbour had taken the parcel in.  A box of goodies from my sister!  As my mother aged she ate less and less so I took to sending daft small things she might eat, tins of anchovies, small packets of chocolate milk etc, in what I called Red Cross Parcels in a vain hope she might attempt them while she and the neighbour gossiped during the dreadful soaps they watched. Nora was sent through by her man whenever the football was on, to give him opeace and to allow them to natter.  Later, when I was unemployed my sister began to send them to me at Christmas!  Using her womanly instinct she managed never to send me anything I ever used!  Mind you when mum died some of the stuff I sent remained unused also.  We ate it however!

      

A man brings his best buddy home for dinner 

unannounced at 5:30 pm after work. 

 His wife begins screaming at him 

and his friend just sits and listens in.

"My hair and makeup are not done, 

the house is a mess, the dishes are not done,

 I'm still in my pyjamas and I can't be bothered with cooking tonight! 

 What the hell did you bring him home for?"

 "Because he's thinking of getting married."    

*

Waiting, Waiting.....

On Tuesday morning as I ventured out to my museum duties I found a card from 'Parcelforce' informing me he had attempted to deliver on Monday at '16:12' and had ticked the 'We will endevour to deliver tomorrow' box.  Why I missed him I know not, maybe I was engrossed in a book or listening to something cultural on the wireless?  As it was Tuesday and shortly before 10 am I was unable to wait his return and left hoping he may not arrive until I got home.  Today I was awake by 5:30, in the morning that is, and shortly afterwards rose and shone in my usual style, if that is what that is called.  I decided to wait around for the man delivering today, just in case he did, but after a while i got fed up and went to Tesco's instead.  If I knew what was being delivered I would be happier but this is a Christmas surprise, probably a bundle of legal documents from someone suing me for something said on here!  He never showed today, and I contacted them through the website and now expect to wait for hours tomorrow until he shoves a card through my door and vanishes.  I know these people work at Christmas, I've been there, but always nicely.....

Having used all the Tesco vouchers I came home clutching a bag of reduced items and stuffed a cupboard with them.  I now have more food than an entire Syrian refugee camp!  Isn't it difficult to eat another slice of cheap cake when the telly shows pictures of starving children wearing thin clothes while snow falls around them and dinner is unavailable.  I canny look!  There again I get annoyed that the UK sends aid but I find myself asking how much aid comes from the rich Arab nations, especially Saudi and Quatar who started this war? If it were possible to send £5 now to feed a family I could do it, but how much gets through, why do others not send more, and will the starving children be fed or some Islamic Extremist?  Now I distrust so many charities and I suspect many others do also which means these kids will see less aid not more.  For myself I think I will once again support Tear Fund, I used to do this for years, a fiver a week when poor and more if I had it, as they work on the ground and I believe most gets through.  I must look into it again as I stopped when unemployed.  

Putting 'Agitprop' aside I ventured out again to Tesco this time to browse the non food items upstairs.  I was not buying just checking the prices for when the sale items appear!  In fact some were reduced already.  Since Woolworths went bust Tesco have taken their place as the shop that has the odds and ends you need.  Of course one or two Asian types run similar, and in some ways better, such shops where almost everything required once in a lifetime can be found, a 'Poundland' impersonator also operates but is rubbish really.  Where would we be without a place that sells cocktail sticks and cheap pots?  I had forgotten this was market day.  Every Wednesday the stalls arrive, spend hours erecting themselves, proffer their goods, then spend hours dismantling the shop, a lot of needless work if you ask me!  Why not do what one man has done and use a van? He has a large van which he has turned into a mobile barbers shop.  Not really sure why he comes here as there as plenty of those already, 'Chris & Jim's' at the 'Manor Street Barbers' being the best.  A large van as used by the fishmonger is easier to lay out, shows the goods and saves effort.  Admittedly some goods would not fit but my laziness would make them!  

  
As always at this time of year several dafties spend thousands covering their houses with fairy lights.  Some huge displays brighten the streets to the delight of the kiddies and more so the energy companies.  Me, I think their daft!  That is not what Christmas is about.  However it gives them a laugh, a wee bit of public attention, and money goes to a charity somewhere.  I still don't think much of it, especially after the 25th!  They say that one street around here has every house lit up, mine would stand out if I moved in, just a black sign reading 'Bah! Humbug!' would show. This couple do it right.  One or two wee things to add a splash of cheer but not too much.  Now I am going to blow out the candle as it is too bright in here, almost Christmassy, and we don't want that do we?

.