Friday 29 June 2007

Here and Now

Friday 29th June

The solstice hasn't affected me as much this year. Normally I'm depressed as hell, as the year starts to wind down, and the days get shorter. I know it takes a long time for it to become apparent, but it's happening none the less.

A year or so ago I bought a huge mother of a computer, that had at one stage in its life, been a server. I got it cheap and struggled to get it into the car. Prouder than a chipmunk with a horde of nuts, I set it up and moved most of my mp3 albums onto it (as well as a bunch of other stuff). It hasn't worked since. So today I pulled it apart, took out the hard drive, and found I had over fifty albums, a lot of writing I'd forgotten, and a recording of a rehearsal in 2004 where I played drums. All in all nearly 4Gb of data.

Factoid: The lavatory doesn't leak any more. Happiness.

Much to my surprise, and without thinking, I called M 'Babe' this afternoon. He grinned. After I got over the shock, I grinned too. :)

I'm utterly fed up with normality. I'm going to get off my face, then, maybe I'll be able to write something worthwhile.

Thursday 28 June 2007

Suing the bank - update

I actually got the money today. Yesterday I called them, and nice woman said it 'is being processed, and will be in your account in seven to fourteen days.' This morning I checked, and there it is. All of it, every last sou, just begging to be spent...

Oddly, I don't feel triumphant, though I did let out a whoop that frightened the cats: I feel mildly guilty.

Hey ho. So now I'm going after a couple of mortgage companies, and a credit card company.

If anyone wants all the relevant information it's at http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk

Wednesday 27 June 2007

Suing the bank

an update:

They overcharged me by rather a handsome amount, so I asked them - politely - for the money back. Like the shysters they are, they offered 50% of my claim. I declined, espousing common law from every orifice. They caved.

Peachy. Now I can pay another bunch of shysters for a bit longer.

Pound of flesh, anyone?

Wednesday 20 June 2007

Guns



I'm not sure if this achieves what it set out to do.
You decide.

Sunday 17 June 2007

Mouse and Cats

Two days ago Eduardo Dominic Wouk-Wouk (large, beefy, black and white beast who, like me, thinks he is a novelist) brought in a small mouse. He's a sweetheart, and plays with them rather than having them for supper. Nonetheless big cat playing with small mouse can result in mouse having coronary, so I pull him away, at which the mouse looks at me, winks (might be my over-active imagination), then rushes for the skirting board at high speed.

I try, oh lord I try, but no amount of cheese (do mice actually eat cheese, I wonder) will bring the cute wee beasty out. I go to bed, leaving two of the four cats circling like sharks.

Yesterday - no sign of the mouse. Very sad. Almost went to church.

This morning, having got over the trauma, I'm strolling to the kitchen for a second cup of coffee when lo and behold there's the mouse looking up at me. In mouse terms I'm big and frightening so mouse rushes behind freezer. Nonchalant cats lurk, pretending disinterest, licking chops and purring.

After hefty freezer moving manoeuvres, fending off cats with nimble foot parries I managed to catch the mouse, and release him/her in the long grass by the caravan.

Friday 15 June 2007

Banks

I'm not good with money. I love to spend it, and have had rather ... expensive habits over the years; so consequently my relationship with banks hasn't been exactly peachy.

You bounce a cheque and you get charged. You're bad and you get spanked. These things you learn as you grow up. However....

In 2006 some wise sage found out that it was actually illegal for banks to charge the extortionate fees they do when you are a 'bad' banker. I watched the documentary with sceptical interest, and thought 'no fucking way will he get his money back', then wandered off and sang a song, or some such. He did! And now so are lots of other people, including me!

Over the years the bank charges I've accrued (good word that) are not negligible, and it seems like I'll get them all back. They've already offered to settle for 50%

Consider me tickled pink.

Tuesday 5 June 2007

Saturday 2 June 2007

Life is what you make it

A truism, and a line from a lyric. Nice song, if I ever get to record it. If I ever get to do anything I want to do.

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Don't read further if you value your sanity. This is self serving drivel.
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I don't like the 'human condition'. Especially my 'human condition'. Compared to the vast majority on the planet I have nothing to be upset about. I'm not starving, I don't live in a desert with no water, I'm not being ethnically cleansed. I have a house - ergo I have money, but I don't. No sense to that statement, but that's the way it is, and the way I'm feeling.

I've always lived from hand to mouth, 'cause I didn't want to get into the debt trap, but here I am balancing on a knife edge. If I don't get rid of this ... pile before the end of July I'm stuffed, and if I do I'm well off, in that I'll have money - but I'll have nowhere to live. How fucking stupid is that?

In theory all is peachy. Sell the house, be rich for a short time (remembering not to go totally stupid with the money - even though recording an album in the Bahamas would be nice, and a holiday in the US, and, and) and then what?

Then I don't know. The plan is France, but where? No idea. Getting on the boat and then driving until one finds somewhere nice is actually daftness personified. But probably just what we'll do. With six cats.

Oh, God help me! Oops, I'm an atheist. Or is that agnostic. Dunno. God?

*runs away screaming, looking for nice padded cell*

Friday 1 June 2007

Time de......lay

I've just got off MSN with a friend in the west coast of the United states, and it's nearly three am and I want to go to bed. The cat wants me too as well - though there's nothing fishy afoot she's angrily meowling.

Anyhow. this is a winge about the eight hours I'm missing