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

[Kim]

Finally done last week, man said it took twice as long as a "normal" installation.

You'd expect that, what with there being twice as many wires to connect...

As feared, the monitor thingy doesn't work in the house, so it's in the shed where it will never be looked at.

Correction : OH has just come in from lubing my bike and he has looked at it, but so far we don't have enough info to compare and make changes.

The octopus website and/or API does a better job than the little display thingy for everything except instantaneous power, anyway.

[Flite]

You'd expect that, what with there being twice as many wires to connect...

We were the first call of the day, so it would mean the poor bloke was going to be late for the rest of his appointments - felt a bit sorry for him!
And yes, I think OH is clued up about the octopus website so I'm keeping a low profile till I have a better idea of how we might adapt our timings to get a better tariff.
The AGA will be fun - the system is set to get itself up to full cooking temperature twice a day, and by some magic it monitors useage so it knows when to turn itself up to achieve same. And by human magic, I organise the cooking around it. I'm sure there are economies to be made...

[Mr Larrington]

Another bloody lightbulb gone PHUT

[Tim Hall]

Excite! My Scout hut has a New! Shiny! smart meter, on account of the old one being old. However,because reasons, the hut has a three phase supply and two meters. Only one has been replaced, with the other still a spinny disc.

[Basil]

Don't you just hate it when you drop the new bog roll into the bog?   

[robgul]

Don't you just hate it when you drop the new bog roll into the bog?   

Is this proof that a bloke has actually changed a toilet roll??

[Basil]

Don't you just hate it when you drop the new bog roll into the bog?   

Is this proof that a bloke has actually changed a toilet roll??

 

[Beardy]

Don't you just hate it when you drop the new bog roll into the bog?   

Is this proof that a bloke has actually changed a toilet roll??

I’d have to say no, becasue it seems he failed in the attempt!

[Pickled Onion]

I can say, as a bloke, I have never dropped a bog roll into the lavatory. But then again, I've never cycled into the canal either. I live a sheltered life.

[Pingu]

Don't you just hate it when you drop the new bog roll into the bog?   

Is this proof that a bloke has actually changed a toilet roll??

I’d have to say no, becasue it seems he failed in the attempt!

Cutting out the middle-man, thobut. Such efficiency.

[Kim]

Don't you just hate it when you drop the new bog roll into the bog?   

Is this proof that a bloke has actually changed a toilet roll??

IME it's not changing the rolls that blokes (Basil notwithstanding) have a problem with, so much as remembering to actually buy the stuff.

There are many things in life that really shouldn't be subject to just-in-time purchasing logistics, and a surprising amount of them involve toilets.

[robgul]

Don't you just hate it when you drop the new bog roll into the bog?   

Is this proof that a bloke has actually changed a toilet roll??

IME it's not changing the rolls that blokes (Basil notwithstanding) have a problem with, so much as remembering to actually buy the stuff.

There are many things in life that really shouldn't be subject to just-in-time purchasing logistics, and a surprising amount of them involve toilets.

Buying the stuff reminds me:   We moved house and then went on a long-ish holiday . .  domestic supplies were run down prior to the move for obvious reasons of storage/packing etc.   Covid strucj while we were away and the holiday was cut short by 3 weeks . .  . the panic buying of toilet rolls back in the UK worried my wife to the point that she bought a 4-pack in a supermarket in New Zealand to bring home!

Personally I think the squares of newspaper on the nail on the back of the bog door would have been fine had itcome to it

[T42]

Don't you just hate it when you drop the new bog roll into the bog?   

Especially when you've just scuttled across the bathroom with your bum al fresco to fetch it from the cupboard under the sink.

[Poacher]

Say goodbye to bogroll blues by installing a bidet, as we did nearly 40 years ago in Manoir du Braconnier. 




(Still rely on bogroll for phase 1 cleaning, thobut.)

[Mrs Pingu]

Need a new garage ped door. Can't get our previous fitters to answer the phone, some comment on Google reviews about creditors ... Need to find someone else now.

My The North Face snow boots split right across the toes this morning. Probably perished with age.

Need to buy new tyres before the Future Classic goes for MOT next month.

My phone has spent the past few months displaying droid rot and threatening to die.

Now my tablet is doing the same.

I forsee much spending in my future.

[hellymedic]

Previous occupants of this house left a new loo roll in both toilets.
I cant change loo rolls whilst standing and doing the task whilst seated prevents mishaps.

[T42]

Say goodbye to bogroll blues by installing a bidet, as we did nearly 40 years ago in Manoir du Braconnier. 

Spike Milligan on French his hotel room "...and a bidet of steaming coffee".

[Mr Larrington]

At Mar a Lago the bidets are full of steaming covfefe.

[T42]

Beware the crema.

[Canardly]

We have a rather nice polished chrome bog roll holder upstairs, presumably made in the PRC. Quite why the Chinese insist on spoiling an otherwise excellent product by not inserting springs at both end of the roll I do not know. It make changing a roll a bit of a nightmare, including the risk of stabbing onself with a long flat bladed screw driver, the use of which is compulsory for changing a roll.

[Wowbagger]

Bugger. Trying to phone the doctor. "You have dialled an incorrect number" says the Electronic Lady.

Well, not according to their website, I haven't, which is the same as the one stored in my phone, and which I have been using for some years.

[matthew]

Bugger. Trying to phone the doctor. "You have dialled an incorrect number" says the Electronic Lady.

Well, not according to their website, I haven't, which is the same as the one stored in my phone, and which I have been using for some years.

My parents village was badly impacted by someone lifting a manhole and dragging out as much copper cable as they could. BT lost the phone lines to pretty much the whole village though fibre to the cabinet survived so internet access was largely maintained. However installing new copper and reconnecting the pairs correctly at each end was a major exercise, and for an extended period phone numbers were miss connected and dialling one number could get someone almost anywhere else in the village. Let alone them working out the billing for outgoing calls whilst mis-connected.

[woollypigs]

A rather long moan but with a good end

(click to show/hide)

In the last few days of August 2022 I applied to get C1 added to my driving licence.

First step was to get a medical sorted, since going via my GP would clearly delay things, they are way too busy saving lives than having time for some bit of admin, and would cost more than other places.

So I booked a doctor online.

Nowhere in their paper work or on their website, did it say it would be a remote doctor in the back of a van, parked in a lay-by.

So after a few Googles, I kinda had an idea where - from satellite view, when searching for the post codes (yes I ended up with two) - it looked like it might be in a new build area. Oh and one of the Google map pins, was out in a field.

Cue a long phone call, because that new build area clearly didn't contain a building where doctors would be. What maded this comical was that they were asking me where I was, not giving directions, just asking where I was. I had to repeatly ask where they were and didn't get much wiser, as they never said they were a mobile unit.

I decided to go to the nearest point I could, of one of the post codes I had, thinking that OSM and Google might be wrong and there might BE something there after all

When I arrived it was a doctor in a van, which was new to me.

I got home and scanned the 12 pages form, where the doctor said, I was good to drive any vehicle the C1 license covered.

Then I posted all the pages to DVLA, well I was sure I did ...

Because 14 days later I found the very last page in my scanner, Doh!

I called the DVLA up, and this is where DVLA have always been brilliant, no long waiting times, max 15min, most were 2-3min. Talked to a friendly person who gave me a ref number for me to attach the last page, so it could find the others in Wales.

Then the wait started ....

A week later, I started my near weekly call, I called the DVLA back, cause we have all heard the stories, to double check that my missing page had found its friends.

First few calls, the answer was no and then I learned that anything sent to the DVLA needs to be scanned in, before they could read it and make a decision on the letter. This scanning could take from 11 days and up.

On one these calls I learned that they can see, that the letter had arrived and was in the scanning queue.

Some weeks later I got a letter from the DVLA, which said that they had send a letter to my GP to check up on my medicals.

A week later I called my GP asking if they had received said letter, which they had, but the GP hadn't read it yet.

Another week later, I managed to get a phone appointment to talk to the GP about the letter from the DVLA. The GP told me - yes, everything looks good here, I'll write back, once I get around to it.

I pushed to get get it done faster, cause I had to wait for the letter to go from the GP - letters from NHS/GP are also known to be sent out on the slow coach - to the DVLA and then the 11 days at least for the scan to happen. The doctor laughed "11 days, we are used to at least 14+ days".

But the GP send their reply that very day, thank you.

A week or so later I called the DVLA and they still didn't have the letter in their hands,

But the very helpful person on the other end of the line said "if you can get your GP to email us, we still need to get the email scanned in", in response to my question "how to speed this up". As we were about 5 weeks past the timeline the DVLA had on their website.

This would be futile, if the GP took over a week to answer a letter that I had nagged them about, with their love of faxes and fear of emails and the scanning of the email (yes I know!?!!) at the DVLA. This wouldn't have helped any speed up.

Then on my weekly call I got the update that the DVLA had my letter but their in-house doctor needed to read it.

This went on for many a week. So many weeks, that I caved in and emailed my MP to hear if they would be able to nudge it along.

It did.

The very next day after the email from the MP to the DVLA. I got a call back from DVLA telling me that they have now issued my driving license with the provisional C1.

Funny part was, I had just done, 15min before, my bi-weekly online check and seen the update online. And were enjoying a celebratory cup of tea, because something had happened, after 3 months.

I email my thanks to my MP and the following Monday I get an update from the MP saying that it was great news and that they were happy to have helped.

11 or so days later I get another email from the MP saying that they have just heard from the DVLA, a reply to their email, where DVLA said they are very sorry about the delay and the issue is now solved.

Which it isn't.

Cause we are now over 3 months down the line, I still don't have a driving licence in my hands.

Remember that I had send in my old one to get it updated.

Then a few other delays arised:

1: We have moved and changed address, asked the postal service to forward mail from old address to new address. 23 days later we still haven't received any letters to the old address. Remember the postal service is on industrial action, and rightly so.

2: To take the driving theory test, I do have to have a valid driving licence to show. So no theory and driving test to be taken before I got a bit of plastic on my hands. They don't accept the updated details on their own website, go figure.

3: To chance my address on the driving licence I can do it online for free, if I got a valid UK passport. Since I don't, I have to use the postal service and send in my only valid ID, my passport, because the other valid ID is in the void somewhere. Honestly I'm not too keen on doing that, especially when you look at point number one.

4: The Union at DVLA have also voted to take industrial action, rightly so. This will probably add extra delays to any administration like booking a date to take the theory test, update my address, send out a new driving license.

Anyway since I wrote the above I got my new driving licence in my hand. With landed in my hand on the 28th. This got Peli fired up and she went online to change her address that evening.

The very next day I went online and booked my theory and hazard test on the 9th of Jan. On the 3rd  of January Peli got her new and shinny driving licence back, and there was a Bank Holiday between these days !

A week later I passed my theory and hazard tests, which meant, I could book my driving lessons and driving tests. Lucky I found a driving instructor for C1 who could squeeze me in 1-2 weeks earlier than others.

Today I passed my final test \o/ rejoice and all that happy stuff and five month later.

Now I just have to await until I get my driving licence back so I can send it back to get the address updated, feck knows how long this will take.

If you have read the above you prolly figured ...

(click to show/hide)

that we have moved out of our house into our new mobile home and is planning to tour the EU in it, more details to come

[mrcharly-YHT]

A rather long moan but with a good end

(click to show/hide)

In the last few days of August 2022 I applied to get C1 added to my driving licence.

First step was to get a medical sorted, since going via my GP would clearly delay things, they are way too busy saving lives than having time for some bit of admin, and would cost more than other places.

So I booked a doctor online.

Nowhere in their paper work or on their website, did it say it would be a remote doctor in the back of a van, parked in a lay-by.

So after a few Googles, I kinda had an idea where - from satellite view, when searching for the post codes (yes I ended up with two) - it looked like it might be in a new build area. Oh and one of the Google map pins, was out in a field.

Cue a long phone call, because that new build area clearly didn't contain a building where doctors would be. What maded this comical was that they were asking me where I was, not giving directions, just asking where I was. I had to repeatly ask where they were and didn't get much wiser, as they never said they were a mobile unit.

I decided to go to the nearest point I could, of one of the post codes I had, thinking that OSM and Google might be wrong and there might BE something there after all

When I arrived it was a doctor in a van, which was new to me.

I got home and scanned the 12 pages form, where the doctor said, I was good to drive any vehicle the C1 license covered.

Then I posted all the pages to DVLA, well I was sure I did ...

Because 14 days later I found the very last page in my scanner, Doh!

I called the DVLA up, and this is where DVLA have always been brilliant, no long waiting times, max 15min, most were 2-3min. Talked to a friendly person who gave me a ref number for me to attach the last page, so it could find the others in Wales.

Then the wait started ....

A week later, I started my near weekly call, I called the DVLA back, cause we have all heard the stories, to double check that my missing page had found its friends.

First few calls, the answer was no and then I learned that anything sent to the DVLA needs to be scanned in, before they could read it and make a decision on the letter. This scanning could take from 11 days and up.

On one these calls I learned that they can see, that the letter had arrived and was in the scanning queue.

Some weeks later I got a letter from the DVLA, which said that they had send a letter to my GP to check up on my medicals.

A week later I called my GP asking if they had received said letter, which they had, but the GP hadn't read it yet.

Another week later, I managed to get a phone appointment to talk to the GP about the letter from the DVLA. The GP told me - yes, everything looks good here, I'll write back, once I get around to it.

I pushed to get get it done faster, cause I had to wait for the letter to go from the GP - letters from NHS/GP are also known to be sent out on the slow coach - to the DVLA and then the 11 days at least for the scan to happen. The doctor laughed "11 days, we are used to at least 14+ days".

But the GP send their reply that very day, thank you.

A week or so later I called the DVLA and they still didn't have the letter in their hands,

But the very helpful person on the other end of the line said "if you can get your GP to email us, we still need to get the email scanned in", in response to my question "how to speed this up". As we were about 5 weeks past the timeline the DVLA had on their website.

This would be futile, if the GP took over a week to answer a letter that I had nagged them about, with their love of faxes and fear of emails and the scanning of the email (yes I know!?!!) at the DVLA. This wouldn't have helped any speed up.

Then on my weekly call I got the update that the DVLA had my letter but their in-house doctor needed to read it.

This went on for many a week. So many weeks, that I caved in and emailed my MP to hear if they would be able to nudge it along.

It did.

The very next day after the email from the MP to the DVLA. I got a call back from DVLA telling me that they have now issued my driving license with the provisional C1.

Funny part was, I had just done, 15min before, my bi-weekly online check and seen the update online. And were enjoying a celebratory cup of tea, because something had happened, after 3 months.

I email my thanks to my MP and the following Monday I get an update from the MP saying that it was great news and that they were happy to have helped.

11 or so days later I get another email from the MP saying that they have just heard from the DVLA, a reply to their email, where DVLA said they are very sorry about the delay and the issue is now solved.

Which it isn't.

Cause we are now over 3 months down the line, I still don't have a driving licence in my hands.

Remember that I had send in my old one to get it updated.

Then a few other delays arised:

1: We have moved and changed address, asked the postal service to forward mail from old address to new address. 23 days later we still haven't received any letters to the old address. Remember the postal service is on industrial action, and rightly so.

2: To take the driving theory test, I do have to have a valid driving licence to show. So no theory and driving test to be taken before I got a bit of plastic on my hands. They don't accept the updated details on their own website, go figure.

3: To chance my address on the driving licence I can do it online for free, if I got a valid UK passport. Since I don't, I have to use the postal service and send in my only valid ID, my passport, because the other valid ID is in the void somewhere. Honestly I'm not too keen on doing that, especially when you look at point number one.

4: The Union at DVLA have also voted to take industrial action, rightly so. This will probably add extra delays to any administration like booking a date to take the theory test, update my address, send out a new driving license.

Anyway since I wrote the above I got my new driving licence in my hand. With landed in my hand on the 28th. This got Peli fired up and she went online to change her address that evening.

The very next day I went online and booked my theory and hazard test on the 9th of Jan. On the 3rd  of January Peli got her new and shinny driving licence back, and there was a Bank Holiday between these days !

A week later I passed my theory and hazard tests, which meant, I could book my driving lessons and driving tests. Lucky I found a driving instructor for C1 who could squeeze me in 1-2 weeks earlier than others.

Today I passed my final test \o/ rejoice and all that happy stuff and five month later.

Now I just have to await until I get my driving licence back so I can send it back to get the address updated, feck knows how long this will take.

If you have read the above you prolly figured ...

(click to show/hide)

that we have moved out of our house into our new mobile home and is planning to tour the EU in it, more details to come

Just promise me, you won't start posting videos tagged with 'van life'.

Drives me round the "£$%"£$^ bend.

[rafletcher]

Us cottage ownere - a terrace of 8 - have a rough ground parking area we use to keep the road clear. In December the contrcators laying FTTP ducts decided to take a short cut across and alog it, rather than use the road. This resulted in the heavy clay subsoil being scattered all over it, making it a bit of a quagmire. The FTTP company agreed to make good, but the agreed date was the date of the snowfall here, so nothing happened. I've been chasing them since, and on Tuesday a guy turned up to say they'd be doing the work Friday. He then decided Monday would be better, give the frozen ground time to thaw.  Of course that meand all the cars will ned to be moved on Monday to make space, and one of our neighbours is away. Fortunatley he leaves a car key with another neighbour.

Last night we get a phone call as I'm preparing dinner. It's the neighbour with the key, who has, once again, not done as she was asked and run his car occasionally. So now it's battery is flat, and so is the front offside tyre. So that's my Friday afternoon and probably a chunk of Saturday charging the battery - extension has to be laid across the road - and pumping up his tyre. Luckinly I'll be changing wheels on my car as well, so was intending to be around.

This is the second time she's let the battery go completely flat, and he's not the sense he was born with so won't have got the battery replaced after the first time. I hope it'll not only charge but also hold the charge long enough for the necessary manoeuvering over the weekend.