Oh, how embarrasing!

Hi Folks,

I couldn't let this little incident pass by unmentioned.

Yesterday I decided to sort through a long outstanding pile of papers and file them or bin them accordingly.  Amidst this little lot was an unopened pin number for one of my bank cards.  As we've been receiving new pins / cards due to the new format of Chip & Pin it didn't seem amiss.  In this instance though I hadn't received a card to tie in with the pin number.  So I thought I would phone up my bank.  (Telephone banking is wonderful! )

It was five past midnight - nothing like striking when the iron's hot!

I spoke to them and said I'd received details of a pin but hadn't received the card, could they tell me if they had sent one, or was it just a replacement pin number.
Whilst we were talking on the phone trying to ascertain what was what - the telephonist stated that there had been no requests for a re-issue of a card or pin number.  I couldn't see an obvious date on the letter - and I jokingly suggested that perhaps it was the original pin number...

Oh, how many a word spoken in jest!!!

Whilst speaking on phone I scoured the letter a little further and lo and behold, I discovered a date 9/12/01 - can you believe it!!!  I was mortified & got a fit of the giggles!  The telephonist thought it was quite amusing too I must admit - so I'm glad I managed to brighten up his evening.  For my par - my husband thought I was nuts!  I was cracked up in a fit of the giggles for about half hour after!  I just couldn't believe how stupid I had been!

Anyway, that's it for today, I thought I would share this with you as I thought it was quite amusing!

Thank you for stopping by - come back soon :)

PaulineA

Happy networking

Hello again!

Hopefully my blog will flow a little better today.

Last night I had a couple of inspirational conversations courtesy of MSN with some ex colleagues and and old school friend of mine - both of whom are in the process of setting up their own business ventures.

Bouncing ideas off of one another was very stimulating and got me thinking about my own little venture - which would help one of theirs. 

This evening, I attending an Everywoman Focus Group which was a network meeting for women entrepreneurs - in the process of starting or already running their own businesses.  It was very motivational and inspiring to see all these other women doing their own thing, being enthusiastic and giving good advice based upon their own experiences.

I think I will be going to a few more of these types of meetings.  Trying to run your own business from home can be quite a solitary venture so these kinds of things are wonderful.

For any of you ladies who may be reading this check out www.everywoman.co.uk lots of good advice.  They run events all over the UK I believe.

From this evening's gathering I may, perhaps, even be lucky enough to get a small amount of work which will be really cool. 

Well, that's it for tonight as I'm tired and it's past midnight already!  Where does the time go to??

Come back soon.

Thank you for reading

PaulineA :)

Deep Purple / Purple Haze

Hi Folks,

Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote - it's been a manic few days doing lots of mystery shops - as many as 5 in one day!  Phew!

Crazy crazy.

This week is a little calmer, but next week will be even better.

I met up with an old friend last week whilst meeting up with another friend - all of us ex-IBMers and all moved on to different pastures.  Not necessarily greener - but just a different shade!  So that was a pleasant end to an extremely hectic mystery shopping day!

Oh yes, the title of today's blog - Purple!

I dyed my hair again yesterday - roots needed doing etc., it took me ages & three shops of looking before I found the colour I wanted to use.  Ultraviolet Brown by L'oreal.  (I'm writing this down like this so I don't forget next time I go to do my hair - as I can never remember which one I used last - hopless!)

It came out lovely.  You can't see the purple until I'm in light.  Like a purple haze :)

If you know me you will know I adore the colour Purple, and if you don't, you do now!

I don't go overboard though I must hasten to add,  and hubby will vouch for that. 

I did find a website the other day www.purple.com - a totally purple page with and faq link right in the middle of it - which disappears after a few seconds so you have to be quick!  Totall useless sight - but quite clever at the same time.

Ah, and also, talking of purple, I bought a fantastic double cd last week too - Purple Rainbows - a compilation of tracks by Deep Purple / Rainbow / and their offspring - Gillan, Whitesnake, Dio.  Fantastic!!  They don't make them like they used too - though the charts are changing it seems these days.  The first ever concert I went to was Ian Gillan on his Magic Tour  - it was fantastic!!!  Portsmouth Guildhall - 1980something.    Those were the days.

Well, that's it for now - writing not flowing so well today.

Come back again and I'll try to write a little sooner!

Byeeee

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dishwasher free!

Hello!

What is she going on about this time? I hear you utter!

Well, the other week we ran out of dishwasher tablets - I hadn't budgeted well enough and/or forgot to order some during my last monthly shop - and I decided I was going to wait until my next monthly shopping delivery, rather than run out to the local shop & get some others to tide me over - so I reverted to the manual method of washing up!

Strangely enough, it hasn't been too bad!

The washing up doesn't seem to be piling up as much as I thought it would be - unlike the dishwasher pile. I need to explain, if I don't empty the dishwasher at night before I go to bed, I have to empty it first thing in the morning - but that is normally thwarted by my son wanting to 'help' and I am always in fear of having a reduced supply of plates and cups due to his over zealousness at 'placing' these particular items on our 'tiled' floor! (little poppet!)

Working the manual method, the washing up seems to get done a little more frequently (approximately 3 times a day), which means that I have an almost near full cupboard of crockery etc., at any time of the day! It's marvellous.

It would seem that these days anyway, I need to wash up alot of things by hand - my non-stick baking aids, and various other bits and pieces that aren't 'dishwasher proof' - so in fact, it's been quite good - and my kitchen has looked a whole lot tidier too - which can't be a bad thing!

It also means that I don't have a build up of tea stains any more on my teacups (something which I can't abide), and also now we have nice sparkling, tea-stain free teaspoons also. For some reason, dishwashing them never seems to get them completely clear of these stains.

I'm now considering (sorry Jon!) switching over the washing machine - which currently lives in our conservatory come utility room - with the dishwasher and saving the dishwasher for when we have lots of people around for special occasions etc.

I suspect we'll probably save a fortune in electric - as it will mean I can plumb in the washing machine to a hot & cold water supply at long last - rather than just the cold water fill it has at present. Also we won't have the running costs of the dishwasher going on at least once a day! (I will keep an eye on the meter and let you know about that one - though I'm sure Jon will post something on his money tips review).

Well, that's it for now. Please drop by again soon.

PaulineA

Christmas time, mistletoe & wine...

Hi Folks,

I know it's not even the start of the summer holidays yet but I'm already starting to think about christmas! (I thought I'd get in before the kids break up from school and the shops get in there!)

The reason for this, is that I am attempting to make presents this year - yes, you read it right - make! The old past times of knitting, embroidery & needlework, and perhaps some silk painting are being resurrected in our household in an attempt to try and a) save a bit of money b)get rid of some of the commercialism that surrounds us all 24-7.

When I was pregnant I knitted a few things for our little baby - to the surprise of so many! I was quite surprised myself at peoples reactions. I knitted my girls loads of little outfits and toys etc., and that was almost 20 years ago. I find it quite satisfying knowing that I have made something from scratch, and it may actually last a little longer than some of the shop things that are around.

I never got to teach my girls how to knit - perhaps one day they may want to know. But for now, I'll be making them their christmas pressies by hand. :) I have a winnie the Pooh to knit, a table cloth to embroider, and picture to cross stitch and probably a silk tie and a silk scarf or two to design and paint.

The theory is that if I start early enough, I will get everything finished by Christmas eve! Watch this space!!

Well, that's it for today, i've been embroidering a few white flowers on white fabric tonight and my eyes are tired and I've had a busy day.

Please come back soon.

Pauline. :)

Mums & babes vs public loos!

Hi Folks,

Having a bit of a grumble today I'm afraid.

If you are a mum (or dad even in this case) and you are out and about with your little one in tow - or in front in a pushchair! - there are times when you simply have to nip to the loo - not your little one, but yourself.

I was out and about today and came across some relatively nice looking loos - it was labelled up as having a baby changing room etc. Excellent - I thought. I went in to find it was just a baby changing room. I went to the main loos only to find the pushchair wouldn't fit into a cubicle (well it would, but I wouldn't be able to shut the door!) So I went along to the Tourist information office next door and asked if they had a key to the disabled toilets. No use. I needed to pay £3 deposit for the key, which I would get back on return of the key. Pretty useless to me as I didn't have any change left on me as I'd used that in the car park!

I was told I could go to a couple of department stores as they had loos I could use.

I trundled off to one of these stores, and after a ride up 4 floors in the lift (which my littlen really doesn't like) we cut through the restaurant - down a long narrow corridor with a very sharp bend in it (I wouldn't like to have had one of those double pushchairs - as there would not be a chance in hell of one of those getting down that corridor or around the corner!), when I came across the most humungously spacious ladies loos i've every come across - only to find that the pushchair wouldn't fit into any of the cubicles. I double checked the baby room - once again - no loo for the parent!! What are we supposed to do!

In the end I simply had to go, and had to park my little one just outside my loo door - hoping to god that no-one came and took him away - sounds over protective but there are alot of strange people in this world that will stop at nothing.

I read a note in the comments book in this particular stores' baby changing room and they too had commented on what I have just mentioned - and someone else had criticized them for saying this as this was quite a good one by most people's accounts!

I am more and more amazed every time I go out, with pushchair and child, at just how unfriendly this country is to us mums with children. We, who probably make up the bulk of daytime customers in most of these stores - and who have put up with unnecessary problems just in order to spend a penny.

In other countries (Norway for one) is far more child friendly. Every disabled loo is available for mums/dads & babes, they are equiped with pull down changing pods etc., and you can go to the loo as well.

I'm sure if some of these big stores were to be a little more mum & child friendly, they would encourage more people to come to them. It really wouldn't take that much.

That's it for today, I thought I would share this one as it's been bugging me all day today, and most days when I go out.

Apologies to those that find this post annoying - but tough - you try being a mum with a pushchair & you need to have a pee!!!

Please come back soon :)

Pauline.

I give up!

Hello again,

I thought I would just tweak my Blog layout again this evening, just to tidy up a few little niggley bits - but - it has not gone as smoothly as I would like. I just change one small thing - say a graphic - fairly straightforward - and it throws the whole blog off course!

It has been a very frustrating evening.

No less frustrating than my day - so I guess it caps it off quite nicely!

That's all for today I'm afraid!
Apologies for my Blog's incompleteness - I'm sure I will fix the problem that's bugging me shortly - so please bear with me if when you look at it next time it may have slightly altered!

Let's hope I have a more fruitful day tomorrow - without getting a drenching - our lovely summer weather!

Bye for now

Please drop in again...

Pauline.

A change is as good as...

...a rest - so they say!

So, apologies if you have noticed my webbylog format has changed yet again!

I discovered the blogger matrix yesterday, and so was inspired to do a little bit of tweaking tonight! Hence the change. It needs a few adjustments - but it's past midnight now so I will have a further play tomorrow night!

I must admit I've had much more fun doing this rather than tackling the ironing pile which is getting bigger by the week - yes week - I hate to think how many weeks worth of ironing has accumulated - I just can't face it when the weather is hot, or when there are other things more interesting to deal with. So, I'm currently ironing on as as required basis!

I used to be very good and dedicate Sunday evenings to ironing whilst watching "House of Elliot" but there doesn't seem to be anything interesting to watch on a Sunday night any more - so that certainly doesn't aid in my ironing stakes! I can't seem to get back into the swing of it these days.

Never mind - I'm sure it will all get tackled eventually!

So, apologies once again to those who really don't like change.

I personally quite like it - as a wee teenager I was forever switching my bedroom around. I still change the house around fairly regularly - you can ask my husband! (fellow blogger "newbiealert") I helps to shift energy and makes it feel like you're living somewhere new :)

Anyway, I've been "playing" for too long this evening and it's late and I have a busy day tomorrow - three mystery shops and a demo audit! Ending on another cliche - variety is the spice of life!

Never a dull moment in this household!

Until next time.

Thank you for visiting - please drop by again.

Pauline