BT – crap. Why have I had an invoice sent to my old business address (oh dear, looks like their databse really is as up to date as it is, and no more)? Why have I received a credit for £2.11? What is the Exchange Line Credit Scheme? Why is the invoice marked "copy" when I’ve never seen an original?
Dutchman – idiot. Honestly, expecting me not to act in my principal clients’ best interests? Fool. And he’ll soon learn never to rile a graybo. Mwah ha ha!
Category: work
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Whinge
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Fruitless
BT have sent a letter to my business. It was sent to the old address and relates to the old telephone number, telling me that I am to get an upgrade to my broadband service there from 512kbps to 2Mbps.
So, I call them to see if the database needs to be updated and if I can get the same upgrade at my new premises. And all I got, after ten minutes in a queue, was the telephonic equivalent of a shrug and "I dunno". Not terribly helpful.
Essentially, I’ve been advised that I should get a letter at my new premises in the next week or so. The database, apparently, is up to date, in spite of the letter clearly showing that it isn’t. And I’ll only get to hear about the upgrade once they get to my exchange, as they are doing each in turn.
Sigh. -
Neighbourhood watch. And clogs.
Update on the neighbour situation from the other day. It seems that everyone is now in agreement on the way forward, so we hope that a quick trip to the pub for beer and curry tonight will patch up any slightly damaged bridges. Which is a good thing.
As for the Dutch guy problem (or Dutch problem guy), he seems to have gone very quiet indeed. And I’m not too worried by that. I think that problem will go away. In fact, in many ways, his ejection of playthings from his perambulator has left me free to make vastly superior new arrangements concerning a couple of products, much to my satisfaction. -
People
What is it with people at the moment? Our neighbours aren’t speaking to us, or so it seems, because we have done something (about which I can not speak here) with the best intentions, and it seems that only the local outcast agrees with us. At this rate, we’ll be outcasts too. Meanwhile, one of my clients called me up this afternoon and we had an absolutely extraordinary half-hour telephone conversation in which we seemed to spend a lot of time going nowhere. He seems incapable of realising that I might be a little annoyed that he has not returned some paperwork for seven months in spite of several reminders and seems to try to put the blame on me. This in spite of the fact that the paperwork is sitting on his desk! And when I pointed out that I would be easily satisfied by means of him putting his signature to the papers and sending them back to me, he proceeded to throw all of his toys out of the pram and have a little tantrum. Most revealing was the point when I said that we appeared to be going around in circles with our conversation and he said "yes, but I am going around them the other way". I think that spoke volumes. But then he is Dutch, so I suppose we should forgive him something (not sure what, and no offence to any of our Dutch reader).
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It gets worse
I’ve spent a very large chunk of my day sorting out work politics, being told by a client that I’m breaking the law (true) and generally battling with unpleasantness. It’s left me with a situation for which there is no suitable solution which I can implement that will leave everyone happy. Unfortunately, it’s the result of a situation that I inherited and did not create – I guess that is a consolation of sorts, but it means my reputation is not enhanced, I’m frustrated by it, I’m powerless to do much about it and my clients feel slightly upset about the whole thing.
If anyone tells you that working with plants is a relaxing and enjoyable occupation, they’re simply wrong or at least very misguided.
Meanwhile, I’ve got to prepare for Europe’s biggest trade show which is in Germany this week – I’m flying out tomorrow evening and returning on Friday evening. It’s a mammoth event spread over twelve exhibition halls and will be totally gruelling, particularly as I’m travelling on my own this year and will not have my German-speaking friend with me. The only highlight is that I hope to have dinner on Thursday evening with my friends from Schwäbisch Gmünd. -
Good news and bad
Well, the good news is that I’ve completed my tax return in time and will post it today. I was getting into a bit of a pickle, but a quick call to my accountant sorted out the problem I had and put my mind at rest – that’s what I pay him for, I guess.
The bad news is that I owe the Inland Revenue some money. Bah! If I’d got my finger out and done my return earlier, I could have had it taken from my tax code and paid in small amounts through the year. Instead, I’ll have to pay it all now. That’ll teach me.
Thankfully, PFE owes me some money, so I can jiggle funds around and cover the bill.Anyway, the moral of the story is that if you haven’t done your tax return, DROP EVERYTHING AND DO IT NOW!
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Dilithium crystals
BT business broadband borked. I’m one of the 70,000 customers that have this problem it seems – my connection has been patchy this afternoon, to say the least. Most infuriating.
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Lights out
Today, we had a power failure that lasted seven hours. Thankfully, the alarm didn’t go off and the food in the freezer seems to have stayed frozen. I guess that’s the price one pays for living in the middle of nowhere, with power supplied via overhead cables and one of those farm transformers on a pole.
It also means that having surge protection is pretty much essential. I suspect that if this becomes a regular problem, PFE may procure a small generator. -
Wireless print server
I spent a bit of time looking around the web for a wireless print server yesterday. As I regularly use two different printers (a laser for bulk work, and a colour inkjet for printing plant pictures), I wanted a server that would drive them both. Only Belkin do one with this capability (every other server I looked at would support only one printer), but nearly every site I looked at was out of stock. I ended up at Transparent Communications of Aberdare, who offered the server at a reasonable price (more expensive than Amazon, about the same as Dabs) but actually had one in stock. It arrived this morning.
I’ve just installed it. The driver version supplied on the CD failed to work, but it was quick and easy to get the latest version from the Belkin site, and I’m now up-and-running, printing documents from anywhere in the house. Or pub.
Remarkably, this is classified as "work". -
Tomorrow
Tomorrow, we get the keys for the new house. Today, I have to go to HomeBase for some decorating supplies, and to Sainsbury’s for some first-day-in-new-home provisions (teabags, milk, readymeals, etc.).
Yesterday, BT phoned me. At 1pm tomorrow, my old office telephone and broadband should be switched off, and my new phone line and broadband should be switched on. At the same time. The chap from BT (who had a very strong west Scotland accent) said to me "well, we’re still on for it at this end, but who knows what’ll happen on Friday – we’ll just have to wait and see". I’m not filled with confidence.