Here we all are then --- mid January already and I 'm still recuperating from the Christmas holidays and trying to catch up on stuff. I must admit that I had positive thoughts for 2008 but so far life seems to be getting in the way and I am longing for a bit of peace without some demand being made on me.; the kids have been ill, the dog's been sick, one of the chickens has been mauled by the others and taken up residence in the utility room, I've had a tummy bug and everyone wants a piece of me. A part of me longs to move away to the nearby seaside and to a bigger house which we've seen and can afford but everyone elses' life here is settled and happy --- happy at school, happy at work, happy with nearby friends, so we stay and I am sat sitting here (as Hilda Baker would've said) looking at the same scenery.
Quite apart from all this, the old sleeping is not good. Last night I found myself sitting watching a dreadful word quiz on TV at 2.30 a.m. I utterly detest this sort of T.V.but I was so brain dead that all I could do was slob on the sofa with me eyes trained on an idiot, leering and gurning and encouraging me to phone in with an answer which would give me the chance to win £30,000.
To be honest I could do with the money.
Yesterday I was sitting here with daughter (who was also supposedly off school with a tummy bug) and the phone rang. Twas one of my credit card companies.
Yesterday I was sitting here with daughter (who was also supposedly off school with a tummy bug) and the phone rang. Twas one of my credit card companies.
Now, dear reader, sickening though it is to some, being a Cancerian I am 'careful with money' (no I'm NOT tight, just careful) and so I always pay off the balance on my statements ---except this once on this particular card. I forgot to pay even the minimum balance because it was due on my son's birthday and my mind was numb with Xmas yet desperately trying to cling on to all the things we had to do for 'The Celebration' (which went very, very well actually).
Once the children were back at school I went through the paperwork which accumulates during holiday time and lo and behold discovered my error. I wasn't bothered. I knew I'd incur a late payment charge but it wouldn't be much since the total balance was only just over £65. Apparently the likes of credit card companies do not feel the same about such a paltry sum for as I was sat sitting the telephone rings and the lilting tones of an Indian maiden strive to reach me through a crackle of static and fizz.
Did I know I hadn't paid my minimum payment ? Yes
Why? I forgot.
Was I going to pay it RIGHT NOW ?
Yes O.K.
To cut a long story short I was harangued for the sake of £65 and threatened with all sorts, short of said maiden flying over and giving me a Bombay chinning. Not only that but, having paid up, two hours later a colleague of Miss Bombay Credit Card 2008 phoned and attempted to engage me in the same rigmarole....and then a letter arrived this morning reiterating all the same guff.
Gott in Himmel ! What is the matter with the world? Everything is automated and every computer spews out a nasty missive as soon as the scheckals don't immediately mount up. There's no humanity in all this. What if I 'd just been bereaved ? What if I'd forgotten because I'd just been told I was terminally ill ?
Karma is not on my side. Today, blurry from lack of sleep, struggling with a dodgy tum I determined to go out and buy two items of shopping before returning hot foot to go back to bed. Twas not to be. 'Must fill up the car with petrol' I thought '...don't want to be stranded at home with no petrol' (nearest petrol station is 4 miles away). Filled up, drove to shop, accomplished task and heigh ho, off home we go....except we don't because what has Numpty Head done? Numpty Head has put petrol in the new diesel car and the car won't start and numpty has to sit in the car waiting for an hour and a half for a trailer which takes car and Numpty to a garage 25 miles away to be flushed out and replenished with the right fuel. Numpty Head is £200 down on the old bank account.
Numpty is not pleased with self or world and wishes 2008 would get itself in gear and let me get on with what life I have left.
Not an auspicious start to 2008 or the first proper post of the year, I'm afraid. Maybe I should just go back to bed and wait for the clouds to roll by.....................
13 comments:
I feel I should kind of apologise for how 2008 is turning out for so many people as I predicted a "vanilla" year ahead, but clearly something has gone askew.
As to the credit card business: it's the invasion of the bodysnatchers, Cusp. Things can only get worse, as my grandma used to say.
I know that programme you watched in the small hours: been there, done that too.
Oh please don't feel too responsible dear. I won't blame you. Life's just a bit of a bu**er at the moment and that's the way it is.
My feeling about those TV quiz progs is mixed. I hate quizzes anyway --- of any sort --- but my attitude toward the presenters is odd because on the one hand I watch in horror and recoil yet simultaneously I find a sort of admiration working its way up my craw because there is no way on the world that I could witter on for so long about such tosh for 2-3hours at a stretch, even if I was paid. It really is quite a remarkable skill.
To think I wasted time getting a degree when I should have been searching for some innate talent like wittering.
errrr.....
I am a manager in a deptartment that is responsible for devising the collections strategies; who gets what letters and when they get dialled.
Not my credit card company as we dont use India for those calls though.
If you got charged more than £12 kick up a fuss. If it is your first time ask for a refund.
errrrr....
I'll slink off now!
:-)
Hope 2008 improves soon.
And Signs... mine is vanilla so far!
Aha ! Who'd have thunk it ?: Kahless working for the Dark Side :-))
Are you sure you live in the UK with Mrs K and are NOT a dusky maiden in Bombay ?? Haven't you always said you like curries and always have one on the go ? Very suspicious.
Oh well, I'll forgive you. I won't forgive a certain CC company who 'rides a black horse' though.
Yes I did get charged £12 and yes I am a non-minimum paynent virgin so maybe I should take a trip southwards, turn up at Ms. India's desk and claim my £12 back and then turn up at Taj's desk next door (the seocnd person who phoned to harangue me and ask for £12 of his money too.
My year's not vanilla so far --- more a sort of putrid fish.
Still glad it isn't the same for everyone --especially you dear K
;-)
Came across your blog following a link from ChronicallyME. Downer about the crappy start to the year. Those bank charges are actually illegal. You can fairly simply get them back using this site: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/credit-card-charges . It has letter templates and step-by-step instructions which is great for those of us with melted brains (that's not just me surely).
Hi Matthew. Good to see you here. Sorry you've caught me in a gloomy moment. I'm not usually this grumpy ! Please come back another day and hopefully the sun will have come out again.
I shall tackle the CC business
Oh dear. Poor you!
I am starting to wonder if January is just a write off month. A month to hang on for the ride and try and get some rest inbetween adventures (I use that term very very loosely).
Wishing for sleep and wellness and calm chickens and humanity flowing call centres and new scenery and new discovered joy of old scenery.
I give the same advice to at least one person every year; Chinese New Year is February 7th. If the Gregorian Calendar has let you down with the fresh start, simply borrow another.
In fact, there are New Years all year round, but the Chinese one is always well timed and is a good excuse for some noodles. :-)
Sound good to me !
Kung hei fat choi
poor cusp, i hope the credit card fascists feel proud that they harangued you over £65, altho i realise they are just doing their jobs & probably get 1p an hr.
i am being harassed by british gas AGAIN, they think someone else lives in my flat, (i don't know where i'm supposed to be living!), i thought we'd sorted that out last year, so no doubt back to a confetti of nonsense letters - tho a lovely girl called me today & is trying to sort it out. this is after i sent yet another letter of complaint.
things can only get better.
x
Hey NMJ. Yep I feel sorry for the poor devils at the Call Centres too. Those sort of jobs are always thankless and I am particular about being pleasant to them even though I often detest their bosses (as they may do also). All these big Comapnies are a pain in the backside. I remmeber a long and drawn out mess with Tiscali this time last yera.
I supose what I really resent is the ENERGY it all takes. When there's not much 'in the bank' anyway It is gaulling to have it used up on this osrt of nonsense.
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Thank you all for your positivity an support when I'm such a grumpy Cusp at the moment --- and not very blog-sociable either. I dod visit but discretely since I just dont have the wherewithall to comment with any degree of spark or usefulness.
Maybe after todays's full moon we'll all turn a corner
i know, cusp, the wastage of energy on such things enrages me too. had no idea was a full moon, i will go & look. x
Oh cusp, sympathies. That tummy bug messed me up too, including cognitive abilities for at least a week afterwards. The timing, straight after Christmas, wasn't great either. And it only takes one or two other misfortunes to tip one over the edge. I do hope you're feeling a bit better.
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