Techno-Dope - that's me!

Okay, so who's the complete dope - I'm afraid the answer has to be me. This morning, bright and early (9.30 am) the phone rang and it was John Lewis. A very cheery chap with a Scottish accent (sounding just like Doctor Who, or should I say David Tennant) asked me if I was having problems with my new TV. We had a very brief conversation. He told me to take the remote control in my hand and press this tiny little button (very hard to find among all those buttons - it's the biggest remote I've ever seen) which said TV/DTV. This I did and Hey Presto (magic) there were all my lost channels, hiding behind that tiny button. I told him I thought he was wonderful, and thanked him profusely, and then I phoned Son to thank him too - again - because he had obviously done it perfectly well on Friday, it's just that neither of us knew which button to press to make it work properly. (And after looking again in the 55 page impenetrable instruction booklet, I still wouldn't have been any the wiser!) I am seriously thinking of phoning Samsung and suggesting that I re-write the destructions, because honestly they are written in a completely foreign language. I'm sure there are more Techno-Dopes out there, like me, who would be grateful for a clear explanation. Simply "Press this button" would help!

Today is Son's moving day too, and he has already been here to collect all his stuff from the loft, and from the Storage Unit. He and his friend were very cheerful, considering all the lifting and loading they had to do (there were at least 5 boxes of records, the heavy vinyl kind). Plus his bed and mattress, his large mirror and amps, speakers, clothes, bedclothes etc. They also took the piano stool, which looks lovely now it has been stripped and the seat recovered. The wardrobe is still in the downstairs hall, though, because no-one has room for it. I have offered it to either my downstairs neighbour, or my friend across the road, on long-term loan. One way or another, that should sort it out. Anyway, I'm expecting to hear from Son later when they have driven back and forth and loaded and unloaded more stuff. It will be great to hear that they are in their new home at last.

"Quelle Day", as Holly Golightly might have said. I'm just off to the Tip with more rubbish...

PS. I really have been remiss with the three lovely, shiny new Awards I have recently been given. I will put them onto my Blog later (after the trip to the Tip) and thank the givers properly. Toodlepip for now!

Help! I need Somebody..Help! Not just Anybody..

Help. Help, HELP. I have got this bluddy (Shakespearean spelling) TV and can't, CAN'T get it set up properly. The man in Peter Jones said it was terribly easy to do. Huh!! If that's terrible easy then I'm a monkey's uncle. I need a fixer, no, I need THE FIXER.

I'll start at the beginning. Several days ago I decided that I'd had enough of being pathetic, and went on-line to buy this TV (Samsung, 26", built-in Freeview, HD Ready), which I'd seen in Peter Jones and had been advised (by the Salesman) to buy on-line as I would get free delivery on top of the free 5 year guarantee. Seemed like a good deal. So I sallied bravely forth (on-line) and bought the sodding thing on my John Lewis card (6 months interest-free credit). It duly arrived yesterday morning (during the five-minute space when I was drying my hair upstairs - do they do that on purpose?) Luckily though, my downstairs neighbour was home and took the delivery! I didn't even attempt to remove it from its package as I'm terrified of new machines (see my previous Post) and didn't fancy tangling with it, despite the Salesman's assurance that it couldn't be easier.

Part 2: Son, as it happened, had been made redundant last week, from his wonderful job in the music business in London. Fortunately for me, he didn't tell me until he had actually dealt with it and found himself another job. (He knows my bad habits, and I would have both panicked, and worried, terribly.) The end result of this is that, despite moving, taking on a new mortgage and being made redundant, he will actually be better off financially because of his redundancy payment (tax free). I must say he was enviably philosophical about the whole business, and sounded completely fine! He was invited to a very posh wedding in Somerset yesterday and the day before, and drove back today, via Brighton, to sort out some of his stuff in the Loft before the moving day - which turns out to be Monday (14th), not the 24th, as I had previously been told. (I hope you're still following this?) Anyway, I (perhaps unwisely) asked him if he would set up the new TV for me, which he did. Bearing in mind that he had had only two (or was it three) hours sleep, had driven here from Somerset, was probably still hung over, and had spent an hour in the loft chucking out his past, I guess I wasn't going to get his full attention or the best result. To cut a long story short, the TV isn't right. I have only 5 channels - and this on a TV which supposedly has Freeview built in. I have phoned John Lewis and they have promised to get back to me, but, as I said to Daughter, if they phone me and give me instructions, I still won't have a clue, and will panic and worry in equal measures, and get the bloody thing wrong again. HELP. Oh Fixer, where art thou?

Let the Tagging begin...

Ok, here goes with the answers. I was tagged by Mother's Pride, and I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to get this Post together:

1. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. The player then tags 5 people, goes to their Blogs and leaves them a comment telling them they've been tagged and asking them to read their Blog. (phew)

WHAT WERE YOU DOING 10 YEARS AGO?

I was living in Cambridge. Son was 18 and Daughter was 16. They were doing A Levels and GCSEs respectively. I was a self-employed Designer/Writer, with some Teaching thrown in (in my spare time!). We lived overlooking the Botanical Gardens and had 2 cats.

5 SNACKS I ENJOY.

Actually I don't like Snacks, but if forced:
Pistachio Nuts, Pecans and Almonds.
Basil and Black Olive Twists (from T***o) - great with a glass of wine.
Nothing else.

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A BILLIONAIRE.

Give all my Family and Friends what they need to relieve all financial worries.
Then take everyone away on a wonderful holiday.
Give a lot of it away to Charities that help Children all over the World.
Buy a house in France.
Relax!

FIVE JOBS THAT I HAVE HAD.

Au Pair. Bank Clerk. Copywriter. Designer (Graphics,Interiors and Gardens), Full time Mother.

THREE OF MY BAD HABITS. (Only Three?)

I Worry. I Panic. I'm hopeless with new Machines.

FIVE PLACES I HAVE LIVED.

Essex. London. Gloucestershire. Cambridge. Hove Actually.

FIVE PEOPLE I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT.

Donna
Dusty Spider
ExpatMum
Family Affairs
Working Mum on the Verge

That's all Folks.. and I hope you think it was worth the effort.
Now I've got to bustle over to all those lovely Blogs and give them the good news...

Thanks to The Fixer..and her Mum.

I'm back again because I forgot to add this new Award, generously given to me by Mother's Pride, courtesy of one of her lovely Daughters (The Fixer). Here it is, and I'll be passing it on!

And here are those lucky Bloggers whom I hope will be happy to receive this Award: I can imagine having a great chat with all of you!

Stinking Billy
Donna
Expatmum
Family Affairs
Potty Mummy
Retired and Crazy

I have also been tagged by Mother's Pride, so I have plenty to be getting on with..

A PS for Dusty Spider and Soft in the Head - I was going to give this Award to you too, but see you already have it. Never mind, it's the thought that counts..

Snowy Sunday.

Posting from a Winter Wonderland this morning (sorry afternoon). We woke this morning to a white world, and snow falling thick and fast - try saying that quickly. Grandson couldn't wait to get outside and make a snowman with Daughter. I didn't want to go out really, but provided a carrot for the nose (Chantenay of course for the perfect little snub nose) and a couple of stones for the eyes. We gave him arms too, so he is waving at the passers-by. Daughter, Grandson, the Boyfriend and his daughter have now gone off to Hastings to have lunch with some friends - and they couldn't have chosen a worse day for driving. Ho-Hum, they didn't seem bothered, but I hope they have a safe journey. The Boyfriend has been asked to be Best Man for this chap (I hope that wasn't him on the beach yesterday!) at the end of May, and they are getting together to make plans. Let's hope the weather will be more seasonal for the Wedding.

Now for the business of more catching up with Blogging Friends: Maggie May was so lovely and reassuring about my problems and worries with Son back in February (so were you all actually, but Maggie hadn't visited and commented before) Her Blog is called Nuts in May, and she loves being a grandmother too. Then there is The Mother of This Lot who introduced herself at about the same time, and sympathized with my worries about Son too. It was she who explained the difference between apron strings and heartstrings! She has FIVE girls, on her own - how she copes I don't know, but she does, and with great good humour. Her Blog is called Mother's Pride. Do pay them both a visit if you haven't done so before. Thanks to you both, and let's hope I've managed to follow Donna's and Dusty's instructions and embed links for you. If I've got it wrong, I'll just have to try again.

So nice to come home to..

I never thought I'd say it, but I'm so pleased not to be going anywhere this evening. I can settle down with my glass of wine and catch up, while Grandson slumbers in my bed, cuddling his teddy bears. It has been a tough week, socially, and though I'm not complaining, neither am I planning to go anywhere or do anything for a while. I'm just going to be a couch, or computer, potato.

Last night was the cherry on top of the cupcake. I went to meet a group of friends at Blanch House in Brighton for a Birthday celebration. Now this watering hole/posh hotel has been bruited abroad as the best in Town - but I have to say I wasn't impressed. First off, it's practically impossible to find - which is taking exclusivity a touch too far I think. One of the gathered friends had tried to locate it on the Internet, but failed because the website doesn't give an address!! I walked down Atlingworth Street (there's a clue for anyone wanting to find it) and couldn't see anything that looked remotely like a hotel. I eventually located it by simply looking at the house names and numbers, and there it was, Blanch House, modestly painted above a door which wouldn't open. You have to ring a bell! And then you are brought in to a semi-dark room with a sparkly bar at one end. The group of friends was already there, crushed together at the dark end of the room on a banquette (how old fashioned) with those square, uncomfortable stools set around a table, so that any latecomers could all be equally uncomfortable. Anyway, to cut a long story short, cocktails are £7 or £8 each and crisps are £3! We debated whether the charge was made up of 49p for the crisps and £2.50 to set them out by hand in the bowl. Or maybe one crisp only was cut from each potato, making the wastage the reason for the expense! We came up with lots of alternatives. Cocktailwise, I had a "Burt Bacharach" which, predictably took a very long time to make (caramel liqueur, a brown sugar lump and a couple of other shots of mystery alcohol) It wasn't as nice as I'd expected. And then I chose an Amaretto Sour, which was much better, simply because I love Amaretto. Both drinks were very strong indeed, especially on an empty stomach (we resisted the £3 crisps). At about 8.30 the lights were suddenly turned down, probably making many of the drinkers think that they had been struck blind by the strong drink, and also rendering the Cocktail Menu totally unreadable (it wasn't easy before, being in tiny, pale type which I had to hold up to the light). So we decided we'd had enough and went in search of food. By this time the place was heaving with young-ish people who had all dressed up to the nines to come out on a Friday night and spend a fortune on alcohol. As we left, a group of them stumbled blindly (or drunkenly, it was hard to tell) towards the seats we had vacated. They obviously needed a sit down, or at least they would when they got the bill.

This morning I took a brisk walk by the sea, which looked lovely, but was very cold. There on the beach, laughing hysterically, was a group of young blokes, one of whom was bollock-naked and just emerging from the sea. I thought it was probably a Stag Weekend thing. They were enjoying the experience, taking photographs of (I guess) the groom-to-be from all angles, and falling about laughing. He was taking it very well, and I thought he was very brave - there was a bitter north wind and I don't know if he even had a towel. When I walked back again 10 minutes later they were still there, still enjoying the joke, but I was relieved to see that Mr Swimmer was getting into some warm clothes. It would be terrible if some essential bits dropped off before the wedding.

I took my Gay Friend out to lunch today because it had been his Birthday in the week. It wasn't an entirely joyful occasion however, because he has had some bad news this week - a close family friend has died (at 92) leaving behind his twin sister. This dear old "couple" have always lived together, in the same house all their lives. They never married, and have always been inseparable. Sadly, it seems as if she will not survive him for long. She is not ill, simply heartbroken, and doesn't want to live without her twin. It is very sad, but I can quite understand that she doesn't want to go on alone.

This afternoon Daughter arrived, with my scabby little Grandson, and she has now gone out for the evening with some Brighton friends. All I can say is she is welcome. It's pouring with rain and snow is forecast again for tomorrow. I'm not moving...

April Already!

I really must apologise for being such a Bad Blogger for the last week or so. I've been taking time out to do all sorts of things which I couldn't do while my Foreign Student was around. I must say the freedom is blissful. Yesterday I went to London for the day, to see Sister, and I didn't have to get back to cook supper. We had such a lovely day, catching up, and Son also took time out of his working day to pop over to Hampstead to see us. That was great - he looks so well, brown and relaxed after his skiing holiday, and is also very cheerful about the new flat, so it was a treat for me. Sister is "holed up" in her flat because of the dreadful builders who are doing major works to the outside of the building - knocking off the render (and her phone connection), sweeping up the rubble (and trampling on her plants) and mixing up and applying new plaster, half of which seems to end up on the ground. They don't speak any English - at least they don't respond to spoken English, which is not necessarily the same thing. Anyway, this has been going on for three weeks now, and she has really had enough. They will probably be another three weeks at it, by which time her garden will be non-existent, so having visitors for the day was a little ray of sunshine. (She isn't getting any real sunshine through the windows because they are all covered with blue plastic to protect them while the work is going on!) I know just how she feels about the builders - I was only there for a few hours and I could cheerfully have clobbered the lot of them. There's constant noise, banging and drilling, and the occasional loud thump or crash when they drop something. They shout at each other in a completely foreign language which sounds vaguely Eastern European and, like the scaffolding, they are all around the outside of the building - there's no escaping them. Poor Sister has already had the telephone engineers out twice to re-connect her phone line. In spite of all this, we did manage to be both cheerful and positive, and I have promised to go back when the work is finished and help her to get the garden back in shape. It's the least I can do.

Sadly, I didn't get back in time to join in with our Pub Quiz team last night. By the time I'd caught the train at Victoria it was 8.30, so I didn't arrive home until 9.45pm. Then I sat at my computer and caught up with all my Blogging friends and their posts. The only trouble is, by the time I've read all of them, and commented too, I'm either too tired or it's too late to sit and write my own diary! I know it seems a bit counter-productive, but what's to do? I have to check up and see what all my "virtual" friends are up to, so I think it will have to be alternate days of Blogging and reading in future. At this rate I won't be going out anywhere, ever, for fear of falling behind. This evening I did meet a friend for cocktails and a quick supper. And tomorrow I'm off to see Daughter and Grandson for the day. Poor Grandson has had Chicken Pox since last Friday (you see, I haven't even had time to tell you that) and the poor little scrap has been smothered in Calamine Lotion and feeling rather itchy and scratchy. He phoned and left me a message on my answering machine today, which I thought was very grown-up. He just said "Nana, hello Nana", obviously in reply to my outgoing message. So I phoned him back when I came in, and we had a lovely conversation. Apparently my little soldier is very scabby, but I love him just the same. I can't wait for all those hugs and kisses tomorrow.