The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.

[JellyLegs]

I think they are asking if I have two jobs, in which case, I can defer paying NI on one of them.

But I don't have two jobs, which they should also know. It's a reminder that I need an adult to look after this, the last one retired, which was unfortunate for me and fortunate for him.

If it’s the communication I think it is then HMRC have possibly received some NI payments credited to your NI account that came from an unexpected source.  I have had more than one job for decades and I have had this each time I started with a new employer.  As relatively few people have two or more jobs, receipt of NI deductions from multiple employers for the same NI number triggers a check to ensure they tie up the credits to the correct account in case someone somewhere has given your NI number by mistake.  It’s  also an anti-fraud measure to prevent someone not entitled to work in the UK giving your details to an employer.  Or at least that was how it was explained to me when I queried it.

[mrcharly-YHT]

The ferries are stuffed up again.

Normally, I take this as nothing to get wound up about; it is part of island life.

However, this week it is getting to me.
Bought a kayak for MrsC from someone on Skye. Plan; catch ferry over, walk on with kayak, ferry home.

Except:
MrsC has to head south on Sat to clear furniture out of her parent's house.
My brother and wife are arriving here on Fri.
I have numerous doors to refit in house.
I have house to clean and prep for visitors (we've had friends staying for past two weeks, so no space/time to clear).
Work is really busy, 12hr days.

Best option is cancelling picking up the kayak, giving me the day to refit doors instead. Can't rely on that until I know if the kayak seller can hang on to it for a couple more weeks. they aren't responding to emails.

Gah!

[ian]

I think they are asking if I have two jobs, in which case, I can defer paying NI on one of them.

But I don't have two jobs, which they should also know. It's a reminder that I need an adult to look after this, the last one retired, which was unfortunate for me and fortunate for him.

If it’s the communication I think it is then HMRC have possibly received some NI payments credited to your NI account that came from an unexpected source.  I have had more than one job for decades and I have had this each time I started with a new employer.  As relatively few people have two or more jobs, receipt of NI deductions from multiple employers for the same NI number triggers a check to ensure they tie up the credits to the correct account in case someone somewhere has given your NI number by mistake.  It’s  also an anti-fraud measure to prevent someone not entitled to work in the UK giving your details to an employer.  Or at least that was how it was explained to me when I queried it.

I now suspect that it's down to the fact I did have two jobs in a single week (as I left one job on Tuesday and started a new one on Wednesday, don't ask). I don't recall the resolution of the HMRC down to the day unless they're calculating interest owed. I'll get around to filling in the pointless paper work.

[ElyDave]

Trying to get to ABerdeen for two days week after next

Sleeper train full on the way up,
Rail strike on the way back

So much for trying to reduce impact and not be overly spendy for clients.  And to top it all BA's flight reductions means it's Sleazy Jet from Gitwock on the way up and to Luton on the way back. What fresh Hell is this?

[rafletcher]

You could try Norwich to Aberdeen - but a bit pricy!

[Mr Larrington]

Surely, Mr Bus Driver, there is some way of silencing that 1Hz “BEEP” serenading me from 'stow Central to Larrington Towers?

[CAMRAMan]

Villager on Farcebook: Your recycling bin is overflowing because you can't be arsed to squash your boxes and empty plastic bottles. Don't blame the council for your laziness.

[ElyDave]

You could try Norwich to Aberdeen - but a bit pricy!

I used to use that route a lot, before BA bought BMI and I lost my Star Alliance frequent flyer membership as a result.  As you say, now very pricey

[rr]

You could try Norwich to Aberdeen - but a bit pricy!

I used to use that route a lot, before BA bought BMI and I lost my Star Alliance frequent flyer membership as a result.  As you say, now very pricey

Last time I went up it was from city airport

Sent from my motorola edge 20 using Tapatalk

[rr]

Autofill seems to be a problem on some websites now, where they won't believe you've entered something in to a required field if Chrome has done it itself. So you have to click into each field, and type then delete a character so it realises there's something there to check.

I think web designers actively look for innovative usability fails, in an arms race against browser coders.

The best one is that Microsoft forms does not see text  entered using dragon, and deletes it when you click next or submit. You have to add something with the keyboard.

Sent from my motorola edge 20 using Tapatalk

[ElyDave]

You could try Norwich to Aberdeen - but a bit pricy!

I used to use that route a lot, before BA bought BMI and I lost my Star Alliance frequent flyer membership as a result.  As you say, now very pricey

Last time I went up it was from city airport

Sent from my motorola edge 20 using Tapatalk

BA dropped the LCY route a long while ago, who were you flying with?

I used to use LCY to EDI regularly, and occiasionally to places like Zurich.

[ian]

The Asbestos Place has reached the plateau of eternal maintenance, which means something falls apart every other week. So with the mystery broken window fixed (we will be finding glass on the driveway forever).

Anyway, yesterday I flushed the upstairs loo and water came out of the front, where the cistern is. I’ve quelled the noisy gurgling of many a hotel room toilet over the years, but some bright spark ensured these waterworks are sealed up and the inner workings secreted away. Tidy it may be, accessible without destruction it won’t be. Job for a grown-up.

[rogerzilla]

Oh ffs, it's daddy longlegs time of year. 

[Pingu]

Yes. Yes it is.

[ian]

I quite like them. They don’t bite.

[cycleman]

My cats  🐈🐈‍⬛ like them to 

[phantasmagoriana]

Villager on Farcebook: Your recycling bin is overflowing because you can't be arsed to squash your boxes and empty plastic bottles. Don't blame the council for your laziness.

As someone who has communal recycling bins that aren't emptied often enough, people who don't flatten their boxes are one of my pet peeves. In my last place, I ended up putting laminated notices on the bins, and may have to do the same here - not that it would make any difference to the terminally lazy.

[robgul]

Villager on Farcebook: Your recycling bin is overflowing because you can't be arsed to squash your boxes and empty plastic bottles. Don't blame the council for your laziness.

I think you're in the same bin collection area that we are in SuA?  - just wait until this person has to grapple with the new (severely reduced) collection regime!

... plastic bottles:  half a cup of boiling water from the kettle, crush, replace top - simples.

[Giraffe]

Bins outside flats: "Flat residents only" - less space needed and will reduce rubbish as 2-D residents are taken away.

[L CC]

Consett Pool was closed for 3 years after the Carillion-built pool with its all singing all dancing movable floor broke.
Opened July 1st. Closed again 8th August after, yes, the movable floor broke, leaving swimmers with a deep end deeper at one side than the other. It opened at 06:30 so I didn't have to rush to bike from there to work. Stanley Pool doesn't open till 7 which means I only get half an hour before I need to get moving to get to work. O, and I had MWF at Consett and Stanley only lets non-club in on WTh. And the route to Consett is gently uphill for 14km and the route to Stanley is brutally uphill.
Pah.

[rogerzilla]

Bins outside flats: "Flat residents only" - less space needed and will reduce rubbish as 2-D residents are taken away.

What about Murdoc, Russel and Noodle?

[robgul]

I ordered some samples of wall tiles the other day (all the same style) from 5 potential suppliers - received BUT only one supplier had the brains to label the tile or send any sort of information about the company - dumb or what?  Pretty basic sales/marketing stuff if you want to get any orders.

I managed to identify one as the sender name was on the label (Victoria Plumb, tile was awful) - not a bloody clue for the other 3???  What's annoying is that the one we probably want is one of the unknowns. 

[phantasmagoriana]

I ordered some samples of wall tiles the other day (all the same style) from 5 potential suppliers - received BUT only one supplier had the brains to label the tile or send any sort of information about the company - dumb or what?  Pretty basic sales/marketing stuff if you want to get any orders.

I managed to identify one as the sender name was on the label (Victoria Plumb, tile was awful) - not a bloody clue for the other 3???  What's annoying is that the one we probably want is one of the unknowns.

Yes, I had the same issue a few months back with tiles. Total contrast to flooring samples, of which all I received were clearly labelled. Tile companies clearly need to speak to flooring companies!

[robgul]

I ordered some samples of wall tiles the other day (all the same style) from 5 potential suppliers - received BUT only one supplier had the brains to label the tile or send any sort of information about the company - dumb or what?  Pretty basic sales/marketing stuff if you want to get any orders.

I managed to identify one as the sender name was on the label (Victoria Plumb, tile was awful) - not a bloody clue for the other 3???  What's annoying is that the one we probably want is one of the unknowns.

Yes, I had the same issue a few months back with tiles. Total contrast to flooring samples, of which all I received were clearly labelled. Tile companies clearly need to speak to flooring companies!

Ditto - we were inundated with bits of wood, all labelled and many in fancy packaging.

[Beardy]

Just how does one request the lady of the house to stop interrupting you without it causing a flounce and slammed door? For clarity, I am trying to research the sourcing of paint to meet her requirements at a cost that will not excessive.