Random as always.

Writing is on hold at the moment. Not a deliberate action. Just a temporary pause. Volunteering at Oxfam is going reasonably well. Although in truth it would seem the Oxfam price policy makers could do with taking a reality check. However as this seems unlikely I will continue to do as told as long as I can derive some pleasure from it. I had to sign on this morning. I was asked whether I had done any work since I last signed and answered by telling them about my voluntary hours. (As I did before starting!) I was then informed that I had to fill a form to cover this.(Not mentioned when volunteering was first mentioned). The officer then wandered off to get a copy of this form. On returning they scrutinised me for a moment and asked if I had done any work since I last signed including voluntary work!!!!
This person has a job!!!!!
Not only does this person have a job, they have a job that part entails asking me why I do not?
Tempting as it was to state that jobs are scarce due to morons such as they being in paid positions I chose to decline.
The trouble that can be caused by the single click of a mouse can be quite scary.
This person had their hand permanently poised above theirs.
I am going to rewrite my CV.
It will read;
I have fingers, therefore I can.
Or maybe not!!!!???

My first day as an Oxfam volunteer went very well indeed and I am very much looking forward to going back, hopefully to commit a few more hours and make my contribution financially worthwhile to the organisation. Unfortunately on returning home I had a letter waiting for me from the CSA. More to the point a demand for just under £500. Of course I phoned them and got through to a disinterested member of the debt management team who put me through to maintenance. The lady I spoke to there apologised on behalf of her colleagues as the letter should never have been sent, and clarified that there is no debt. Then I get put back to debt recovery where I spoke to the most arrogant woman who was under no circumstances going to appologise or even accept that her department was in any way at fault even though the previous person I spoke to stated that the person who sent the letter never should have done so in the first place!!!! She did however spend no small amount of time blaming the maintenance department. But I have been assured that I am now being assessed on the new maintenance system. Yet when I checked their web site later I read that when that happens I should recieve a letter advising me of this. So today I phoned again and asked where my letter was and was told by the person I spoke to that they did not know why the web site advised this. The new system, as far as I am concerned, is good news and most welcome. The stomach-chilling ineptitude that led to my receiving a huge arrears bill that I am not actually liable for was not. On a high note I have discovered the excellent tasting South African Red Bush tea bags. I have been paying just 44p for a pack of 40 of these from Tesco. Now either they have priced them incorrectly or they are discontinuing the line? I don't know yet but they are priced at four times that amount in Morrisons. Hopefully it will be the former or they will be relegated/elevated to Christmas treat status. Isn't life grand!!!??

Random rants and randoms.

While shopping late last week Karen and I found our usual choice of bread had sold out. Scanning what remained on the shelf led us to a loaf that boasted 20,000 seeds. Deciding that that sounded suitably healthy and looked quite tasty a decision was made. However, within seconds of taking it from the shelf another loaf of the same bakery but slightly different packaging was spotted. What was the difference? The first choice as already mentioned contained 20,000 seeds and was priced at £1.19. The second loaf contained 25,000 seeds and was priced at £1.23. That's an extra 5,000 seeds for 4p. The things I will take in, in order to make shopping trips more endurable, know no bounds!!!!!!
Over the last few weeks our landline has rang at least once a day every day without fail. This is from a body of people apparently doing an "energy survey" to determine who our suppliers are. Every time they ring their company name changes. Suspicious we are!!!!
All efforts to advise that we are not prepared to divulge that information over the phone seemed to come to nothing until Friday when Karen, who was actually getting fed up with the calls, handed me the phone.
A man who told me his name was Gabriel was really quite insistent.
It was time, I decided, for some blatant piss taking.
I advised Gabriel that I did not know who my energy supplier was as I was permanently kept in a dark room, and that all my meals were given to me through a hatch in the door to my permanently locked room. I then told Gabriel that the meals then had to be heated on a single candle which was my only source of energy. It would seem that my pathetic plight conveyed by my pathetic sounding voice was taken very seriously by Gabriel. Before ending the call he wished me luck and sounded genuinely concerned for my well being. I almost felt sorry for Gabriel.
But not to the point that we miss the calls as we have now had 3 full days without!!!
Recieved a full refund from our local rail operator in the post this week after filling out a complaint form following a 1 hour delay on a journey I took 2 weeks ago. Obviously they do listen then!!!
Relatively happy with todays writing. Just under 1,000 words added today which takes the running total of the current novel up to 31,623.
Tomorrow I start my first day as an Oxfam volunteer in Stowmarket. It would seem my passion for books was noted within minutes of entering the shop on Tuesday. Very much looking forward to being involved and of course being surrounded by books.

All sorts.

Finally got back to writing. I had intended to add something everyday but have found this really does not work for me. If the mood to write takes me then I am taken. Friday bought over a thousand words to the current project which were made very welcome by the empty page.
It is now Monday and I am waiting patiently for my next surge of inspiration.
Saturday was and went without issue.
This was due to anticipation of Sundays major local event.
This being the first ever Ipswich Gay Pride.
As I am hetrosexual and have no inclination toward homophobia there was no other reason to attend other than spending the afternoon relaxing while listening to free live music. The high lights being a young soloist called Lisa Ambrose who performed a fine acoustic set. The other acts were fine were what they did and I am quite sure other folk enjoyed them even if I did not.
Observations on the day: According to the events programme there are roughly 35,000 gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or trans-gender people in Suffolk. I estimate there were about 2,000 people in attendance although many drifted in and out as the day progressed. This in itself seems a shame to me. This is the third free music event I have been to in Ipswich and this was easily the most poorly attended. Was this due to homophobia, the weather, or just general apathy? Either way I felt it was a shame for the performers and organisers. Never mind. There is always next year. Must sign off now as my ever dependable Karen is looking at the online press report and is telling me we have our picture in the Ipswich Evening Star. Whooh hooh!!!!!!

Eternal Wednesday.

Halfway through Wednesday and you are halfway through the week. There has to be something positive in that, has there not? Well it used to apply quite adequately when I moved amongst the the ranks of the employed. Now it seems that Wednesday is just there to remind me that Monday and Tuesday have passed with little or no hint of any accomplishment other than being there to remind me that I have made it to Wednesday. Which in itself reminds me that the only thing that has caused the cerebral juices to flow this week is my trying to determine why a loaf of pre-packed sliced bread with the crusts removed should be 25p more expensive than a standard loaf? And why in the middle of a recession people are still buying it? Which in itself reminds me of my writing project which has not been touched for several days. Here I am writing fiction of what is best described as being plausible but unlikely and real life itself seems to be less and less conceivable with each shopping trip.
Must get on with the writing!!!!!!!!

Starbucks hush money????

On recent ramblings through my current town of habitat I have taken to taking a bit of interest in the history of the town. Lots of lovely Georgian and Victorian architecture to see and wonder at. Often on these gentle strolls I and Karen have stopped off for a coffee in one of the Starbucks outlets in the town centre. The one we prefer is located in a grand looking Georgian hotel complex although only occupying a percentage of the building. Not that this does not constitute a large area. On one occasion last month we sat pondering the history of the building whilst enjoying our chosen beverages. On finishing our drinks we took off to the library to see if we could discover some of its history. And discover we did. It is shown in historical records that a number of famous people had used the accomodation service available in accordance with which such a need arose. The one name and story that jumped up from the pages that struck me most was that of Charles Dickens.
It is recorded that in the early to mid 1800's that when working as a freelance journalist Charles Dickens had stayed at the hotel while covering the Sudbury bye election. With a little further reading I find it is noted that the hotel had a direct influence on his writing of The Pickwick Papers(chapter 21).
As twee as this may sound I was quite amazed and a little in awe of the fact I had been drinking coffee in a building that can be so directly associated with one of the greatest exponents of the English language.
Yet equally dissapointed too.
Not a single mention of this fact can be seen anywhere in the building that is open to the general public.
Not able to leave what I am telling myself is just an innocent oversight on the part of Starbucks I contact them by way of e-mail. Not an attack, just a polite enquiry to try and determine if they were aware of the Dickens connection. And if they had not been aware previously were they likely to consider an acknowledgement at least by way of the internal decor?
They have responded and very politely too.
Not to confirm that they have any plans to rectify this innocent cultural oversight but to send me two drinks vouchers.
Of course Karen and I used them and damn right we indulged in the most expensive cream filled, cream topped option on the menu.........and very nice they were too.
But I can not help wondering if this was just a ploy to shut me up?????
I will be keeping an eye on the internal decor of the establishment and if what I feel is a reasonable amount of time without change then other action will have to be taken.
The local press or Civic Society come to mind.
Or am I taking this all just a little too seriously?
Nice drinks though!

That Was That Sunday

It was THAT Sunday again. The Sunday that comes around every year without fail. Yes that Sunday!!! The one that falls before THAT Bank Holiday Monday. Nothing had been planned for this weekend due to financial restraints but I had quietly hoped there might have been a small affordable event on somewhere in the locality. Other than the same old, same old car boot sale there is nothing to report. Didn't bother with the car boot sale as I as on a self-imposed book buying ban.( Duration undeclared). This is due to the highlight of yesterdays county library book sale. After enquiring and finding the price of one volume of Winston Churchill's-The Second World War was only £1.50 I considered buying volume 1 and hoping that would deter anyone from wanting the rest.(Of course I wanted all 6 volumes but at this or indeed that moment in time £9 would take a sizeable chunk from the current budget). This is The Chartwell Edition. By no means the rarest of the rare but still a fine set of books. I returned the single volume to the sale trolley and made myself a one day promise. I love a bargain, I love books. I hate discovering a bargain and finding myself being financially unable to take advantage. Normally I would have haggled but for some reason I was not feeling particularly lucky so, resigned to my fate, I browsed the other books being offered. Now contemplating a large print volume about The Battle of Britain I hear Karen calling to me. I look around to see Karen has picked up one of the volumes and approached the front desk and is telling me to bring over the other 5 volumes.As I arrive at the desk she tells me that a deal has been struck and they are prepared to accept £6 for all 6 volumes. Well done Karen!!! Sad as it may seem this also afforded me a reason to spend a couple of hours re-arranging one of my book cases. Sometimes easily pleased is the mind of this self-confessed Bibliomaniac!!!