How fun to allow yourself to act spontaneously!
The Bank Holiday weekend turned out to be such a happy time and it all stemmed from having no plans whatsoever! I spent Friday night realxing and enjoying a bottle of red indoors alone which was great as so tired after a busy week.
Saturday then turned out to be such a beautiful sunny day. My sister came to visit me and have a catch up as we hadn't seen each other all week, and dragged me food shopping as the cupboards were bare so to speak. We then went to a bbq together where everyone was so happy and chatty that the time flew by. There were lots of old faces to catch up with and the day ended well. Having stuffed myself with bbq food, I then went and ate more later on in a fabulous Chinese restaurant which i've discovered in Ipswich with a friend.
Sunday was spent again at a bbq, new people i had only met on the Saturday. So, all becoming more sociable etc. since my move back to Suffolk. The day again was very relaxing.
Monday was spent by the seaside, a proper walk to blow away any cobwebs followed by a few bevies in the sunshine.
So really I've learnt it's not essential to make plans in advance but to see how life takes you from time to time. The most relxed I've felt in weeks.......
Wednesday 29 August 2007
Tuesday 21 August 2007
Fraud
You go to the cashpoint and try to withdraw money knowing you have some in your account. The bank will not supply you with any so you try a different cashpoint in hope that it's just empty of cash for whatever reason.....it happens again! You then try and top up your phone which you do on a regular basis with your debit card and the top up is not accepted for whatever purposes. This is when you just want to scream.......... you don't have any food in the flat, your train ticket needs renewing the next day and there are other purchases that are necessary to make.
You call the bank who pretty much promise that they will call you back after speaking to another department and they never do! So the following day you call again, get put on hold for a further 15/20 minutes and then relay the whole sorry story. Then, you are put on hold for a further 10/15 minutes whilst they transfer you to the fraud department. You are then told that someone has hacked into your account and has been trying to make payments to Curry's, Oxfam and other weird and wonderful places....."oh" you say, so you've cancelled my card due to thinking there are some fraudulent payments trying to be made and you're not going to call the customer to tell them!!! Obviously not, you just have to work this one out for yourself as though you are psychic!!!!
You are advised to take some ID along to your local branch where they will offer you some cash whilst your new card is being posted out (which really will take about a week!). You show an assortment of ID but these are not accepted due to the fact that some are in one address, others are in another, some are Miss and some are Mrs - "it really is me" you want to shout down their earhole but me thinks, not a good idea!
So, £1.45 in your purse, no food, need for train ticket etc. what can you do? You have to beg someone for a loan which in itself is one of the most depressing things you have to do!
Life is a complete pile of sh** sometimes, and without balling my eyes out again about this scenario, I am just going to picture in my head the things i would do to the person/people that have ruined my day so badly - they would certainly not survive if I ever were to meet them!! Bring it on...............
You call the bank who pretty much promise that they will call you back after speaking to another department and they never do! So the following day you call again, get put on hold for a further 15/20 minutes and then relay the whole sorry story. Then, you are put on hold for a further 10/15 minutes whilst they transfer you to the fraud department. You are then told that someone has hacked into your account and has been trying to make payments to Curry's, Oxfam and other weird and wonderful places....."oh" you say, so you've cancelled my card due to thinking there are some fraudulent payments trying to be made and you're not going to call the customer to tell them!!! Obviously not, you just have to work this one out for yourself as though you are psychic!!!!
You are advised to take some ID along to your local branch where they will offer you some cash whilst your new card is being posted out (which really will take about a week!). You show an assortment of ID but these are not accepted due to the fact that some are in one address, others are in another, some are Miss and some are Mrs - "it really is me" you want to shout down their earhole but me thinks, not a good idea!
So, £1.45 in your purse, no food, need for train ticket etc. what can you do? You have to beg someone for a loan which in itself is one of the most depressing things you have to do!
Life is a complete pile of sh** sometimes, and without balling my eyes out again about this scenario, I am just going to picture in my head the things i would do to the person/people that have ruined my day so badly - they would certainly not survive if I ever were to meet them!! Bring it on...............
Thursday 9 August 2007
Commuting
Commuting to and from Ipswich & Mayfair has now become a new sport for me!
Each day, I am enjoying my train ride more and more. There are such characters each and every day that get on and off the train. This morning for example, there was a dear old lady with violin strapped to her back, a suitcase and bulky handbag - the gentleman she chose to sit next to then tried to help her with all her baggage. I then heard her comment to him "gosh, i haven't had a young strapping man bent down on his knees in front of me in years"....well, you can imagine, I was nearly in streams of tears, from what should have come over as such an innocent comment, I obviously misconstrued just to cheer my journey up!
Then there are the "accents"....oh, and these are the "farmer boys" that get on at Norwich. There is nothing wrong in having an accent, and how dull life would be if we all spoke in the same way, but this accent just makes me die. These men are suited and booted and having what should sound intelligent telephone conversations with clients/colleagues, yet their accent just changes the overall effect......
Then there are the families getting excited as they are off to the big smoke for a day out! I only get to see these if i am on a later train....they have so many bags just for one day. They just take over the whole carriage with their screams of delight when the train departs Ipswich. It's fun and it makes you remember how lovely it must feel to be a youngster with no worries but just excitement in going to explore a different place.
Then there's the game you play trying to guess what everyone does for a living.....a game that used to get my husband in hysterics when we were on holiday! Mmmm, he's definitely an architect!
So, in trying to change what could be a most boring ordeal each day travelling, I have managed to turn it round and make it entertaining, even if it is that little bit sad and yes, definitely for my own selfish humour!
Each day, I am enjoying my train ride more and more. There are such characters each and every day that get on and off the train. This morning for example, there was a dear old lady with violin strapped to her back, a suitcase and bulky handbag - the gentleman she chose to sit next to then tried to help her with all her baggage. I then heard her comment to him "gosh, i haven't had a young strapping man bent down on his knees in front of me in years"....well, you can imagine, I was nearly in streams of tears, from what should have come over as such an innocent comment, I obviously misconstrued just to cheer my journey up!
Then there are the "accents"....oh, and these are the "farmer boys" that get on at Norwich. There is nothing wrong in having an accent, and how dull life would be if we all spoke in the same way, but this accent just makes me die. These men are suited and booted and having what should sound intelligent telephone conversations with clients/colleagues, yet their accent just changes the overall effect......
Then there are the families getting excited as they are off to the big smoke for a day out! I only get to see these if i am on a later train....they have so many bags just for one day. They just take over the whole carriage with their screams of delight when the train departs Ipswich. It's fun and it makes you remember how lovely it must feel to be a youngster with no worries but just excitement in going to explore a different place.
Then there's the game you play trying to guess what everyone does for a living.....a game that used to get my husband in hysterics when we were on holiday! Mmmm, he's definitely an architect!
So, in trying to change what could be a most boring ordeal each day travelling, I have managed to turn it round and make it entertaining, even if it is that little bit sad and yes, definitely for my own selfish humour!
Wednesday 8 August 2007
A Mother's Hug
Since having moved back to Suffolk I am experiencing a rather strange relationship change with my Mother!
This is almost the third time it has happened in the last couple of years since my Father died. At first it was whilst my Father was in hospital and my Mother said to me one day, after I used to pop into the family home to do the odd job, "gosh, you really are lovely".....and to most, that may not be so strange, but to me, that was the first nice thing my Mother had said to me in years. Perhaps then she knew that our relationship needed to actually become a "relationship" as it was becoming more obvious as each day passed that my Father was very ill and going to pass away.
The second time this occurred was when my Mother realised that actually for whatever reason, I never brought up how bad a Mother she had been whilst my siblings and I were growing up, or say anything derogatory to her, this all when my Father had died, and she saw me as someone that she could rely upon. I would rush back to Suffolk to ensure all was ok and that she had someone to help with what even at times may seem small jobs....I was then seen in a new light as far as my Mother was concerned, I was now a convenience for her!
However, this third change is the most alarming! Last week, my Mother picked me up from her local train station in Manningtree on my return from work.....took me to her house, fed me supper and drove me to my flat where we enjoyed a coffee together. My Mother had also not seen my new residence until now. We sat side by side on the settee and from nowhere she moved closer towards me and put her arm round me and stroked the top of my arm! Rather than actually being drawn in, i was in a total mix of emotions, in one sense i wanted to let go and have a good cry about so many things, in another i was in shock from this maternal instinct and the other was just so bewildered by the whole experience i felt rather numb!
However, now I look back, i am absolutely thrilled by the whole experience. My Mother really can be a "Mummy" when she wants to be! I should have sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the gesture more....let's see if this ever happens again......
This is almost the third time it has happened in the last couple of years since my Father died. At first it was whilst my Father was in hospital and my Mother said to me one day, after I used to pop into the family home to do the odd job, "gosh, you really are lovely".....and to most, that may not be so strange, but to me, that was the first nice thing my Mother had said to me in years. Perhaps then she knew that our relationship needed to actually become a "relationship" as it was becoming more obvious as each day passed that my Father was very ill and going to pass away.
The second time this occurred was when my Mother realised that actually for whatever reason, I never brought up how bad a Mother she had been whilst my siblings and I were growing up, or say anything derogatory to her, this all when my Father had died, and she saw me as someone that she could rely upon. I would rush back to Suffolk to ensure all was ok and that she had someone to help with what even at times may seem small jobs....I was then seen in a new light as far as my Mother was concerned, I was now a convenience for her!
However, this third change is the most alarming! Last week, my Mother picked me up from her local train station in Manningtree on my return from work.....took me to her house, fed me supper and drove me to my flat where we enjoyed a coffee together. My Mother had also not seen my new residence until now. We sat side by side on the settee and from nowhere she moved closer towards me and put her arm round me and stroked the top of my arm! Rather than actually being drawn in, i was in a total mix of emotions, in one sense i wanted to let go and have a good cry about so many things, in another i was in shock from this maternal instinct and the other was just so bewildered by the whole experience i felt rather numb!
However, now I look back, i am absolutely thrilled by the whole experience. My Mother really can be a "Mummy" when she wants to be! I should have sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the gesture more....let's see if this ever happens again......
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