Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Crash...

Such is the stability of operating systems these days (!) that it's been a few years since I've seen a blue screen of death. But, heck, the laptop's just died in front of my very eyes. Tried all kinds of re-boot techniques and strange Vulcan grips to bring it back to life but couldn't even get the thing to start in safe mode. So, over in the other room, it's being well and truly recovered. Naturally, I've backed all of my data up, he lied, so there's nothing to panic about there. Thankfully, I got that grants for arts application printed off prior to the hardware collapse, which is the important thing. Fingers crossed for that one.

Journeyed into town. Keep having trouble in the post office ever since the changes were made to postage charges. Last time I was interrogated re whether the two first class stamps I had bought were intended for an A4 envelope I'd purchased at the same time. Of course not, I'd seen the literature that the Post Office had sent through my door, and I couldn't avoid the posters all over the walls of the branch I'd walked into, nor the reminder at the counter. But still they didn't think I had the common sense not to put standard first class stamps on an A4 envelope, which now falls into the 'large letter' category. Anyways, today I wanted to post an A4 envelope, that would be filled with a few sheets of A4 paper and nothing heavy. I was quizzed about the weight of the paper and told that they "must weigh the package". "No you mustn't," I replied, demanding a 'large letter' first class stamp. Why is this bullshit such hard work?

Call from the credit card company informing me that I have exceeded the card limit. "It's not the end of the world, is it?" I laughed down the phone to the nice man in HFC Bank's call centre. "I don't know," he replied, as deadpan as Tony Hancock. "No, I can assure you, it's not the end of the world." I complimented him on having such a silky smooth voice. He wasn't interested, just wanted to know whether I would be paying the appropriate amount this month. I lied and came up with some ridiculously large amount and promised to make a counter payment immediately. But still it didn't cheer him up. I remember a time when I didn't owe any of these cunts money. They should never have convinced me that I needed it in the first place.

So, yes, boring, tedious bullshit. It's me own fault for listening to Morrissey's The World Is Full of Crushing Bores just before we set off. The day's minor trials, probably nothing that would dent most people, just added to my current downward spiralling frame of mind. I don't really know where I'm going, just that I'd like to get to wherever it is pretty fucking quickly. Before it's too late. But I've started to feel that the only people that ever get anywhere are the bullshitters.

The day's highlight? We bought Pocky and Hello Kitty sweets from the Chong Wah Chinese Supermarket and drank and ate in the sun across the road from Humberside Fire Service officers who, back from a shout, were relaxing by sitting on their appliance.

4 comments:

Stephen Newton said...

When XP crashes it really crashes. I had that a while ago, turned out to be a faulty memory chip.

Anyway. I meat someone from Hull on holiday; he sounded like a Geordie.

Bazza said...

hang in there with the thought that, at least you make ordinary sound interesting (ish!)

Dave W said...

Stephen - what was that Hull person doing abroad? We're supposed to be insular types who never leave the city. We must banish that person FOREVER, he'll be giving the inmates fancy ideas. I'm in Manchester tomorrow, so if you hear a Geordie-a-like, it might be me! Did you notice the way that words containing 'o' become 'eur'? For example, a mobile phone is a meurbile furn, etc, ad infinitum. Anyway, recommend a nice place for a cheap lunch for me and the gal.

And thanks, Bazza. Too much mundanity around these parts at the moment, it's like a Ken Loach film!

Stephen Newton said...

Sorry I've been away again, so too late with a lunch reccomendation. You forget one Hull person very much sent this way: Paul Heaton. I still get hate mail for saying he deserves a good kicking. His offence: complaining about rain. Shame I couldn't have joined you in Sinclairs.