Still waiting for those signs to go up, pointing the way for customers struggling through the roadworks to our shop. If I don't see them tomorrow, I guess I shall have to do some more shouting!
On the plus side, It's nice to be going home in half light these evenings instead of pitch black as the days begin to lengthen. Last year, when I was still teaching and charging back and forth to L:iverpool every day, I never saw the house in daylight, except at week-ends, for months. Come to think of it, I can't imagine how I ever got up at 5.30 every morning to set off on my journey at 6.30 ready to start my day in school at 7.30. Now I struggle to get up at 7 o'clock. I put it down to having to catch up on sleep after all those months of too-early rising!
Council War
Having tried in vain last week to get someone at the council to talk to me about the effects the local roadworks are having on local businesses, I have been making further attempts this week. It's like being on a roundabout - to Highways, to Planning, back to Highways and so it goes on but no-one bothers to return my calls. Then, to add insult to injury, yesterday morning, as I drove to work, I saw council workmen putting up direction signs around the diversion route for the multi-national supermarket just up the road from us! As if they need the extra help more than we smaller businesses!
So I've been doing some shouting in my best deputy headteacher manner. Never mind about 'sorry, we don't think there's anything we can do....'
'I'm afraid our department can't help you....'
'Well, of course, you'd need planning permission to put up signs on the roadside.....'
Forget it, folks. Jenny's on the warpath. This is people's livelihoods we're talking about here!
All that shouting must have had some effect because, within the hour, I had the site foreman visiting us in the shop - and wiping his feet before he stepped off the mat! - and agreeing to have signs made with our name on, at no cost to us and placed on the main road and along the diversion.
How's that for a result?
It's just that a little voice in my head keeps muttering something about believing it when I see it........or is that me just being cynical?
So I've been doing some shouting in my best deputy headteacher manner. Never mind about 'sorry, we don't think there's anything we can do....'
'I'm afraid our department can't help you....'
'Well, of course, you'd need planning permission to put up signs on the roadside.....'
Forget it, folks. Jenny's on the warpath. This is people's livelihoods we're talking about here!
All that shouting must have had some effect because, within the hour, I had the site foreman visiting us in the shop - and wiping his feet before he stepped off the mat! - and agreeing to have signs made with our name on, at no cost to us and placed on the main road and along the diversion.
How's that for a result?
It's just that a little voice in my head keeps muttering something about believing it when I see it........or is that me just being cynical?
Christmas tree?
This is the set of spanners that Keith bought to use on the Camaro when he's working on it. Since he bought it, whenever it has not been in use, it has been sitting on the dining table, together with an assortment of other tools, sprays and tubes of noxious materials. However, Keith has great plans for these spanners. He has decided that, next Christmas, they would make a wonderful Christmas tree table decoration, once they have a few bits of tinsel thrown artistically over them. Considering that this is the man who, before I met him had a 7 inch 'Christmas tree' consisting of a few wires with lights on them and a 'Christmas wreath' nailed to the wall which remained up till the following year, I consider this to be probably one of his more reasonable ideas.
But that still won't stop me putting my foot down with a firm hand when next Christmas arrives.
Page 3 girl!
Since New Year, there have been extensive roadworks on the main road by our shopping precinct, so, whereas January should be the shop's busiest month - I know you would expect it to be pre-Christmas, but that's the way it is - this year, trade has been about 20% down on last year. Other shops on the site have had similar experiences, so I rang the local council, twice, and am still waiting for my calls to be returned.
So, on to plan B - contact the local paper and see if they are interested in doing an article about the situation.
That worked a treat!
This morning a reporter and photographer hurtled over to interview us and take our photos - Keith and mine, as we were the only ones there at the time. However, to Keith's chagrin, out of all the photos they took, they picked one with just me on.
"Stand at the door, looking concerned at the empty carpark," said the photographer, so I did - you can see the result!
Still, I am on the front page and in the full article, which is on page three!
Fame at last!!!
Autographs can be requested through the 'comments' ! lol
A small world
Out and about visiting schools again this morning but back in the shop this afternoon, I was party to a 'heated exchange' with a customer who had brought her laptop in for us to install Norton Antivirus. Her problem was that the laptop was second hand and Norton would not install because there was already another antivirus on it. The word 'install' had definitely been mentioned - in fact I had written the very word in the worksheet in front of her as she said it. Now I know my writing is not the best (I blame it on being left-handed :)) but it's not that bad!
Striding purposefully into the shop, she demanded her money back as she couldn't register it (it was her own copy) and anyway, she hadn't wanted us to install Norton - she was not stupid, she was perfectly capable of installing it herself.
This, to my mind, begs two questions:
1. In that case, why did she not go ahead and install it?
2. Why else would she have brought Norton and her laptop in to us if not to have it installed?
By this time, Josie was dealing with her and I had turned my attention to another customer, but, in the background, I heard her declare that she was 'a teacher.'
Let's hope she isn't a local primary teacher who appears on the doorstep as I approach one of the schools on my list for tomorrow in my bid to win friends and influence people!
Striding purposefully into the shop, she demanded her money back as she couldn't register it (it was her own copy) and anyway, she hadn't wanted us to install Norton - she was not stupid, she was perfectly capable of installing it herself.
This, to my mind, begs two questions:
1. In that case, why did she not go ahead and install it?
2. Why else would she have brought Norton and her laptop in to us if not to have it installed?
By this time, Josie was dealing with her and I had turned my attention to another customer, but, in the background, I heard her declare that she was 'a teacher.'
Let's hope she isn't a local primary teacher who appears on the doorstep as I approach one of the schools on my list for tomorrow in my bid to win friends and influence people!
Quiz for ageing grey cells
Here's a quiz to test your ageing (or not) grey cells, borrowed from a new friend over on Bravenet, Grandpa Chuck
Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As
we grow older, it's important that we keep mentally alert. The saying;
"If you don't use it, you will lose it" also applies to the brain,
so... Below is a very private way to gauge your loss or non-loss of
intelligence. So, take the following test presented here and determine
if you are losing it or are still "with it." The spaces below are so
you don't see the answers until you have made your answer.
OK, relax, clear your mind and... begin.
1. What do you put in a toaster?
Answer: "bread." If you said "toast," then give up now and go do
something else. Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, "bread," go to
Question 2.
2. Say "silk" five times. Now spell "silk." What do cows drink?
Answer: Cows drink water. If you said "milk," please do not
attempt the next question. Your brain is obviously over stressed and
may even overheat. It may be that you need to content yourself with
reading something more appropriate such as Children's World. If you
said "water" then proceed to question 3.
3. If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from
blue bricks and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house
is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from?
Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said "green bricks,"
what the devil are you still doing here reading these questions????? If
you said "glass," then go on to Question 4.
4. It's twenty years ago, and a plane is flying at 20,000 feet over
Germany. (If you will recall, Germany at the time was politically
divided into West Germany and East Germany.) Anyway, during the
flight, TWO of the engines fail. The pilot, realizing that the last
remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure.
Unfortunately the engine fails before he has time and the plane fatally
crashes smack in the middle of "no man's land" between East Germany and
West Germany. Where would you bury the survivors? East Germany or West
Germany or in "no man's land"?
Answer: You don't, of course, bury survivors. If you said ANYTHING
else, you are a real dunce and you must NEVER try to rescue anyone from
a plane crash. Your efforts would not be appreciated. If you said,
"Don't bury the survivors", then proceed to the next question.
5. Without using a calculator - You are driving a bus from London to
Milford Haven in Wales. In London, 17 people get on the bus. In
Reading, six people get off the bus and nine people get on. In Swindon,
two people get off and four get on. In Cardiff, 11 people get off and
16 people get in. In Swansea, three people get off and five people get
on. In Carmathen, six people get off and three get on. You then arrive
at Milford Haven. What was the name of the bus driver?
Answer: Oh, for crying out loud! Don't you remember your own name? It
was YOU!!
Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As
we grow older, it's important that we keep mentally alert. The saying;
"If you don't use it, you will lose it" also applies to the brain,
so... Below is a very private way to gauge your loss or non-loss of
intelligence. So, take the following test presented here and determine
if you are losing it or are still "with it." The spaces below are so
you don't see the answers until you have made your answer.
OK, relax, clear your mind and... begin.
1. What do you put in a toaster?
Answer: "bread." If you said "toast," then give up now and go do
something else. Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, "bread," go to
Question 2.
2. Say "silk" five times. Now spell "silk." What do cows drink?
Answer: Cows drink water. If you said "milk," please do not
attempt the next question. Your brain is obviously over stressed and
may even overheat. It may be that you need to content yourself with
reading something more appropriate such as Children's World. If you
said "water" then proceed to question 3.
3. If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from
blue bricks and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house
is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from?
Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said "green bricks,"
what the devil are you still doing here reading these questions????? If
you said "glass," then go on to Question 4.
4. It's twenty years ago, and a plane is flying at 20,000 feet over
Germany. (If you will recall, Germany at the time was politically
divided into West Germany and East Germany.) Anyway, during the
flight, TWO of the engines fail. The pilot, realizing that the last
remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure.
Unfortunately the engine fails before he has time and the plane fatally
crashes smack in the middle of "no man's land" between East Germany and
West Germany. Where would you bury the survivors? East Germany or West
Germany or in "no man's land"?
Answer: You don't, of course, bury survivors. If you said ANYTHING
else, you are a real dunce and you must NEVER try to rescue anyone from
a plane crash. Your efforts would not be appreciated. If you said,
"Don't bury the survivors", then proceed to the next question.
5. Without using a calculator - You are driving a bus from London to
Milford Haven in Wales. In London, 17 people get on the bus. In
Reading, six people get off the bus and nine people get on. In Swindon,
two people get off and four get on. In Cardiff, 11 people get off and
16 people get in. In Swansea, three people get off and five people get
on. In Carmathen, six people get off and three get on. You then arrive
at Milford Haven. What was the name of the bus driver?
Answer: Oh, for crying out loud! Don't you remember your own name? It
was YOU!!
24 hour drinking
And now, the information you've always wanted on where to go for your 24 hour drinking spree. Have fun!
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Plaster board and dust
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