Busy busy busy

Why is it you can be scratching around for work for weeks then it all comes at once?!

I'm booked up with hosting and teaching students for the next two months with only two single week breaks in between, and the first one of those will be consumed by a decorating job.

I can't complain though, I certainly need to be earning! It's just frustrating when your "free" time (i.e. unemployment) is at the time of year when it costs you to be at home, i.e. heating etc,, not when you could be outside doing useful jobs in the garden or even on the beach!

I know, some people are never satisfied!

"Little ships"

I've found myself very moved by the stories of Operation Dynamo. The thought of so many amateur sailors out in boats never intended to go that far, and the realisation that without them another 338,000 men might never have got home, in addition to those already slaughtered.

On a totally different tack ('scuse the nautical reference - ha ha) does anyone know where we might be able to get second-hand, i.e. cheap or even FREE, those weeny curtain track fittings that you use in campers and caravans?

Murphy's Law

Why is it as soon as you actually start the washing machine all that lovely sunshine you were going to dry your laundry in disappears?

And someone brings dirty plates into the kitchen just as you've tipped the washing up water away?

Speelin/punchuashn

I know it's wrong to snigger at dodgy spellings Freecycle posts but I just can't help myself... :

"still have big tv (tosh) have got down my stairs with all fingers in tack lol, pink head board singel, 2x blue black out blind they where ere when moved in and left them up in boys room they will not fit any of windows in new house there for summer my kids never want to go bed as still light 2ft 9"

"a set of 6 glass bowels I think the have roses on them but not sure"

Ooh, I hope you're not eating out of bowels ...

Doncha love this typical Bank Holiday weather? It's just how I remember it from my childhood: walking along some windy prom, head down, huddled in an anorak (yes!) in the driving rain, looking over a grey sea and sky, then back to the car to eat sandwiches and chicken legs wrapped in foil while watching the rain streaming down the windows and drawing pictures in the condensation ...

I just found another one:

" wanted badly washing machine"

... and people ask why punctuation is necessary...!

... and another:

"hi have ,all singles and pillow cases sherek brats grovey chick scatboard plannets teddt bear hot water bottle cover purple flease blanket [well used] giant winnie poo tiny hole in the foot but repairable"

Southern Railways

Time for another moan - well, it's what I'm here for, isn't it?!

I've been extolling the virtues of Southern's cheapie-cheapie rail fares but I do have a problem with their dissemination of information!

Have been trying for the last few days to book an "advance" (i.e. "cheap") ticket for Saturday but whatever times I put in it just tells me there are "no fares available for your selected journey". I eventually managed to speak to a "real" person (after going through God knows how many recorded messages) who tells me it is because there are engineering works so you need to change at Lewes, get a bus etc.O.K., why couldn't they make that obvious on their website?

Now, another moan: When I telephone a company, isn't it obvious it's because a) I want to have a conversation with a real person, b) I couldn't find the information I required on their website, or c) I don't have access to the internet, so it really pisses me off to get the recorded message telling me I can go their website at www. whatever!

O.k., that's it for now...

New Time

I always think I'm not affected by the clocks going forward or back, but today I didn't wake up till 7.45! I guess the dark, miserable weather didn't help. Good job I wasn't working today! I can't believe I slept for seven and a half hours!

By the way has anyone on here signed the petition to keep the bank open (there's a sheet in the newsagent's next door) and do you think it's likely to do any good?

There goes another one!

I've just been to Nat West in the village and they tell me that the branch is closing at the end of May.

I remember when we had a Barclays and a Lloyds up here too. I thought that at least Nat West was keeping its promise not to close any more branches, if we were to believe the telly ads. Some hope!

I hate this dehumanising of everything. I know they want us to do everything on line and do away with human contact altogether and it makes me mad!

No wonder we have so many social problems. If people feel so disconnected from each other they can't develop empathy and understanding and cases like Jamie Bulger, people torturing animals for fun and having no qualms about destroying other people's property are only going to increase.

Rant over.