Saturday 2 February 2013

The Saturday post

Our new washing machine arrived today.  Which was nothing short of amazing really.  We had left directions that our phone line was down so we had to be contacted by text as for the delivery time.  We received a text which bid us to track our delivery - ON LINE . . .  Oh for heaven's sake!  Then the phone rang - 3 rings.  I sprinted to get it but they had stopped phoning, and so I went outside to catch a passing signal and phone the unknown number, hoping it might be the delivery men . It was.  They wanted directions.  I was halfway through giving them when they said they would phone later for the rest.  I quickly said, just keep turning left.  Fortunately they did so and we now have our replacement machine and the old one taken away for recycling, but it just shows - you pay peanuts, and you get monkeys . . .  Short term memory loss is obviously par for the course - I had only given two turn lefts and their eyes glazed over!

I have to say, I am glad for the replacement as washing by hand leaves a lot to be desired, and my OH is wearing his woollen winter socks and they take a lot of wringing out.

In the meantime, I have to report that little Theodorable was out of his brain on cat nip yesterday.  I had made some sachets using the cat nip grown and sent by my dear friend Sharon over at Morning's Minion blog.  Theo had unearthed one from a gloomy corner yesterday and I found him rolling his face on it, biting the sachet and generally on cloud 9.  It has different effects on different cats.  Fluff and Lucy are underwhelmed by it; the other two boys aren't bothered by it, Banshee considers herself above such things (well, spending the entire winter with a bed on top of the fridge-freezer means she is above everything!) and the grey tabby Stella (Misery Guts) gets comatose on it. But Theo went completely BONKERS!  He was hurtling up and down the long refectory table in the hall as if it were his personal gym, he chased a ball up and down the hall for as long as I was willing to bowl it, and then he went into the kitchen.  I went in to make a cup of tea and found him on top of the speakers (which are on top of the cupboard) trying to climb the holding rope up onto one of the Betty Maids (where we dry our clothing).  He was as high as a kite on cat nip!  I put him outside to try and catch the goldfish (his favourite outdoor pursuit), but he came in later and crashed out on my lap, purring like a grampus.  Bless him.  He has brought me such joy and in a way, makes up for losing poor Tippy so prematurely, as there is much of Tippy about him.

Well, just another week - WE HOPE - before BT finally get around to growing the tree which is to be the replacement pole for the line, and then I will be able to stay in contact with the outside world without having to drive out to go in search of it.

Meanwhile, my best friend Tricia's daughter is in labour, and I have to keep in touch by text.  You have NO IDEA how frustrating that is!

2 more days and T will be home from Sheffield for the week (we are off to Hay-on-Wye on the Tuesday), and on Tuesday night/Wednesday night most or all of my offspring will be in residence for a joint dental check-up.  We are having roast hoggett for tea on Wednesday.  I can't wait to have them all under our roof again. 

9 comments:

  1. Theo's episode sounds similar to our Nellie who wallowed in catnip last evening and about turned himself inside out.
    Reading about the dim delivery people--yes, we have no phone but do call us again. I can recall similar frustrating events where it seemed the person one was dealing with had a scripted speech and couldn't move beyond it to grasp a different circumstance.
    I do think BT should compensate you for the outage, but that will happen in a pig's eye.

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  2. Not sure what hogget is! Is it sheep?

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  3. Nearly spewed my tea with laughter reading "before BT finally get around to growing the tree which is to be the replacement pole"
    *I adore your on-going humor even when stressed (rightly so)*

    As for support services (be it BT, delivery chaps, or getting most anything accomplished at all anywhere - US or UK) I won't start my shared rant, lol. All I can add to that topic is it's getting to be a bit of amazement AND luck I think that ANYthing is accomplished, ever.

    Glad for the new washer arriving - have done a bit of the bucket-laundry and right you are, exhausting and varied in outcome! (and I never knew how much water a spin cycle throws off, omgosh, lol).

    Here's hoping life settles back to normal soon for you!

    Hugs
    Issy

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  4. Hope the BT people fix the problem soon ! I should think they would give you some sort of compensation for the problem but if they are anything like my omcast company that is very unlikely.
    I never gave my cats catnip because to me it is like a drug makes them high, crazy, spacey, demented and I was always afraid what danger they could get into. Some one I knew would give their cats catnip and I hated the way the cats when into frenzies. It was so disturbing. But that said I an not someone who grew up around cats, so I just made the decision not to give my cats any. Does that make any sense ? I am also very allergic to cats but after about 40 years I am somewhat better around them. I don't have any cats now but daughter does.
    Glad your new washer came. I think my washer is soon for the recycle yard too. I love having a washer and dryer but shopping for one is so hard. I just seem to pick one and hope for the best.

    cheers, parsnip

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  5. Lovely descriptive piece of mad cats high on catnip ;) Left turns and dozy delivery men, we went past that first left turn last time!
    I do hope the BT men get it sorted, it must be a bit of a bind going down to the internet cafe. Does the dentist come to visit ;) my daughter always has the hairdresser to the house, and the children line up for hair cuts.....

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  6. It's so lovely to read your posts again.x Theo sounds hilarious :D My cats are either mellowed out by cat nip or not bothered, Manchee however devours it!

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  7. My cats used to crazy for it too. Brilliant stuff! A new washing machine is one of the most exciting things, after a spell without one, that I can think of. What does that say about me?

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  8. My elderly cat has dementia, I think I'll avoid the catnip!

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  9. Cat nip sachet currently hidden now, as I don't think I can cope with Theo out of his brain on it - he has too much energy before he even gets to the cat nip!!!

    I am trying to maintain a sense of humour, but events in our lives over the weekend have left me absolutely foaming at the mouth. Think I shall abandon the washing machine today and get rid of my ire by banging washing on the rocks down at the river!

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