'Oh Dear, I seem to have dropped Something on my toe', I said

Work was so busy today, I've been trying to catch up with myself all day.  I had intended taking a picture of the wrist warmers I have started to crochet for Scary but I think that will have to wait until tomorrow.

If you have been reading this blog for a while now, you will know that we have no heating (or hot water) at the moment.  Of course, everybody keeps telling me it is going to snow.  Thanks a bunch.

We have an open fire in the living room but we live in a cold house and it is chilly in here even when the heating works properly, so you can imagine what it's like at the moment (lovely in a hot summer though).  Various electric heaters are spread around the house, so I dread to think what that bill is going to be like!

Whilst I was fetching some logs this evening, I dropped a log on my toe.  Hope my neighbour wasn't the other side of the fence because I might have taught him a few swear words.  My poor toe is so sore but, even worse, it looks perfectly normal!  At least if I am going to go through all this pain, it could at least LOOK as if it's painful!  A bruise or a little swelling would be ok; perhaps even a drop or two of blood.  Nothing.  Humph!

Well, I think I will go and put a few more layers of clothing on and go to bed!  Maybe tomorrow I can take some pictures in the daylight. 

Also tomorrow, I have to get myself organised for the fair on Friday.

If it wasn't for The Last Minute, I would never get anything done!

A Warning

Whilst we were away in Blackpool, unfortunately Scary left her handbag behind somewhere and even though we returned ten minutes later, it was gone.  Now Scary as a rule is very careful with her things and was very upset.  Because we were away, there were lots more things in it (thankfully not her phone, which was in her pocket) but she lost her ipod nano, new camera which she had for her birthday with really large memory card (and irreplaceable photos from her birthday), make-up, £50 cash that she had saved from her wages to spend on holiday, bank card, her sister's umbrella, her pills that she takes every day, purse (new), various other little bits and pieces, some of which we have only realised since and the bag itself I had paid £35 for only a couple of months ago.  You just don't realise how much you carry around with you and how much it is to replace it all.  It cost me £18 on the day just to replace the make-up!

Anyway, this is not the point of the story.  The Runner managed to wangle a refund from the hotel because of a draughty window (!) and so when we returned, we promised Scary that we would replace the ipod, which she listens to all the time, so I went online and started to have a look.  Now, they have updated the ipod nano since we bought Scary's and the new one is touch screen.  Surprisingly she didn't want this and much preferred the one she had before, so I searched for the slightly out of date one.

Although I looked on Amazon and ebay, I found a website that was selling new ones for a discounted price (£89) and so ordered it.  I received an email straight away saying that my order was being processed.

Since then, nothing.  I have been on the website several times, looking for a way to track my order to no avail.  So today, I decide to have a serious look at this website and did a search to see if anyone else was having problems.  Oh dear!

Poor Scary has been checking the post every day, desperate for her ipod to arrive and now she's upset all over again!

Thank God I paid by credit card.  I rang the credit card company and although I have to wait a requisite number of days, and fill out a form, I will get my money back eventually.  They actually charged me £91, not the £89 they said.

Now, I have edited the rest of this blog post because I had the name of the company and lots of details but whilst speaking to Trading Standards this morning, they have advised me to take it off until the matter is resolved.

But if you are buying (or think you are) an ipod from Apple, just make sure that you are actually dealing with the reputable company called Apple Store and not somebody else.  Check and double-check.

Then you won't be stomping around the house swearing all the time!!!

Duck!

PLEASE NOTE:  There are some rather rude words in this post!

Round about now, my collection of ducks usually makes an appearance.

My favourite is Digby

and he is the archetype of a concept that really irritates me

faux swearing

It did make me laugh when Marathon Runner gave him to me a few years ago, though.

This concept was quite cleverly summarized in a book, also given to me by Marathon Runner last year, called "Is It Just Me or is Everything Shit?"

"Strolling past The Shop Formerly Known As French Connection, have you ever been driven to splutter, giggle, tap your companion's shoulder and exclaim, 'Look, look - it almost says FUCK'?  I rather think you haven't.

Similarly, when you hear a panel show called Stupid Punts, there is unlikely to be a mass gasp of shock.  Maybe some old people would be shocked - but they're unlikely to be watching BBC3.  (Actually, most people are unlikely to be watching BBC3, but you take my point.)  During the fox-hunting debate, there wasn't a news source in the land that could resist a cheeky play on the word 'fox'.

There is nothing big or clever about pretending to swear.  If you want to be big and clever you need to call your shop Spunky Fucking Tit-Monkey's Arsing Cockarama and Co.  Now that's swearing."

Some people swear.  Some people swear a lot and some people don't swear at all.  That's life.  We have a choice.

Do you think he's saying: "Shit, there's a sodding ladybird on my conk!"

Or: "Oh look, a Coccinnella 7-punctata has landed on my rostrum!"

I swear.  My husband doesn't much.  One of my children does, the other doesn't.  They are just words; an amalgamation of letters in a particular order.

However, I wouldn't dream of using the word 'ginormous'!