Recent annoyances

It has been a tough week for Tenon. I lost my phone last week, on Wednesday (I couldn't find it on Thursday morning). I retraced my steps mentally and thought it must have dropped out of my pocket in the town car park. I had tried to phone it to see if it was in the house but it was off. The search continued until I gave up and bought a new phone for a mere £19.99 from Currys. I don't go in for hi-tech phones; the old one had cost £25 from Amazon. Now I have a camera and potential Internet access with the Samsung E2120 pictured above. I bought £10 of credit.

On Tuesday I decided to wear brown rather than my normal John Major grey or Tory blue; this required a change of shoes. Of the 3 pairs of suitable shoes I chanced to select my most comfortable pair over the more formal choice. When I put my right foot in the shoe I found the phone.

Quandary!

Do I go back to my old phone, convert to the new one and new number, or put the old SIM card in the new phone? Well I did the last of these to save having to learn a new number and also enter all my contacts again (which I happen to have written down). At some stage I must use up the £10 credit which is not in the old handset.


One of my jobs today (it's a half day) was to phone Halifax Insurance. They wrote to me on 20th March to explain changes to my mortgage protection insurance. They wrote twice. Once for my current policy and once for my old policy. This rang alarm bells.

On 6th April I phoned and cancelled the first policy but the girl on the phone said they had been taking premiums from my mortgage account. I was worried - the standing order had been cancelled so I'd thought I was not paying anything.

I asked for an investigation and the girl said she would pass it on and they would write to me. I did receive a standard letter saying the policy was cancelled (dated 8th MARCH) but no special letter to me, signed by a real person, telling that I had or had not been paying premiums since 2003. I'd have quite liked a cheque to £2000.

So I phoned today (Halifax Insurance is based in Ireland) and could not make the girl understand what I wanted; she kept offering to send out a confirmation of cancellation letter. When it became clear to her I did not want this she kept asking what I DID want and I kept explaining, going round in circles.

When I asked to speak to her line manager her response was "For what reason", so off we went again. Eventually I got to speck to somebody else and I think they now understand. I await a signed letter.

Poor

We watched Dr. Who this evening. Seems like a good story (unlike last week in which the Dr just held up a Jammie Dodger at the Daleks and did little else).

Is it just me or was the dialogue almost inaudible above the music and FX track? I nearly asked Mrs TS to bring up the subtitles on teletext.

Also

Why, 15 seconds before the end did the BBC see fit to impose a cartoon/animated banner at the foot of the screen (can a banner go at the foot?) telling us about Graham Norton and the "Over the Rainbow" programme.

Dolts!

Out with the old

Yesterday I finished clearing out my study and put many things in the loft; others I listed on my Amazon shop front.

The photo above is of the Zip disks I destroyed. My new PC does not have a zip drive so I don't need them any more. I cannot remove the data and offer them via Freecycle because they do have data on. You'd think I'd done a good job of destroying them, but after this snap I cut up the magnetic media so nobody could decide to mend them and read my data - crazy I know, but that's me all over. I have recycled all the metal. I'm not quite sure what the piece of anatomy is in the bottom left hand corner, but I assure you it is not my arse! Aha - I was wearing shorts, so it's my left knee!

Today I went to Open Door Church again and was heavy of heart at the start of the service. By the end I was pretty much walking with a bounce in my step having been fully involved in the singing and praying. As a new member of this church I'm seeing benefits each week - everyone I know is astounded that I dare go, in view of my cathedral chorister background; I think that is actually why I find it so refreshing. They are extremely friendly and people make a point of talking to me. Sadly I shall be at work most Sundays until the end of term.

So out with the old life and in with the new. Although I thought I gave my life to God (properly) in 1994 (having been confirmed years before that) I think I'm more assured that I have a spiritual life now and am looking forward to walking with Jesus until I shed this mortal coil. I made a commitment this morning and shared some valuable time with two of the elders of the church. I have decided to share this now because it fits with the message of the sermon that we should tell others about God and Jesus. You will all have your views and I promise not to bang on about it, but you might as well know.

I hope you keep reading.

Good days, Bad days

Yesterday was a good day. I don't feel I did much (by my standards) but it felt like a good day. The list below has made me think again - I did a lot!

• I installed a webcam on my PC and got it to work with Skype (1 hour - it was fun)
• I started a major clear out of my study; some music will be going into the loft. (2 hours I guess)
• I gave two 1-hour singing lessons to 2 super children. (Plus driving, 3 hours)
• I found out how to sharpen my chisels and planes on an electric whetstone which I need at school. (Setting up, checking and sharpening took 2 hours)
• I cooked my tea and ate it (1 hour)
• I made a phone call (10 mins)
• I started to update the school website (I get the results pages ready for fixtures) (2 hours)
• I watched "Have I got news for you" on iPlayer (30 mins)

Today I have awoken a little bit fed up with life. I feel it is going to be a bad day.

• I have a skin condition which gets me down and causes some pain.
• I am still on Fluoxetine and not as positive as I should like to be.
  
• Mrs TS and I had a late night chat so I'm a little tired.
• I can still see the list of things I need to do for school.
• I don't seem to have any good ideas
• My job, by definition, involves motivating and inspiring people which I am just not in the mood to do right now. Hopefully I will do by Friday.
  

So I was delighted to receive an email from an old pupil (well, a series of them as well as Facebook messages) telling me about how good a teacher I was and how I helped this person pass Grade 5 theory. There are some ex-pupils I'd really like to be in touch with but I suppose it is not to be.

I was 'friends' with a few ex-pupils on Facebook until some of their 'friends' started making negative comments about me; so I removed them all and am now in touch with only this 1 person from my last school.

I guess I'd better have a shave and get on with something. Sorry to bang on; I felt I had to let it out.

There are positive things in my life but the negatives seem to much heavier. I can remember how much fun I had yesterday [see below] but it feels now as if I have turned a new page and the 'story' is about to take a turn for the worse.

A few days away

Post 400.

I have wondered what it would be about.

Religion?
Politics? (Well I have just joined Greenpeace)
Music?
Health?
My latest moan?

I have decided just to ramble on about the few days I have just spent in Torquay with my mother. I took her on a break and change of scene. We stayed at a fantastic little place; the Hotel Iona, we arrived last Wednesday.

On Thursday we wanted to go the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh but the traffic was so bad we turned off and drove to Totnes. We spent the morning there; mum bought some shoes, I joined Greenpeace (I couldn't say 'No' to the rather lovely young lady I stopped and spoke to) and I had a Spiritual Reading done.

It's a lovely place and I'd go back again as there was so much we didn't do (such as the castle). We had a lovely coffee and cake in one of the many tearooms (Not this one; the photo doesn't do it justice). You will note that they have keen Traffic Wardens.


After lunch we drove to Buckfast Abbey and looked around. Finally we drove to Bovey Tracey, looked in the church and went to the House of Marbles. I took a quick snap of a sign (without being seen) which I found somewhat disturbing; no doubt the get customers.


On Friday we went to Torquay Museum but the coffee shop was shut and I was gasping for a drink. We stayed about an hour and then moved on to Cockington where we found coffee and a Craft Centre.

After that our next stop was Babbacombe where I had arranged to meet an old friend. We went on the cliff railway and I flirted with the girl in the ticket office. Here's a shot of the descent.


In the evening we went to a play, "Stepping Out". This was at the Little Theatre and put on by TOADS.

All in all a much needed break.