Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.  (Read 1575917 times)

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11575 on: 18 November, 2019, 05:01:35 pm »
A protein shake forms a substantial part of my calorific intake each day (I eat full meals as well).

1hour after lunch I go to work fridge to get some top up. There in work kitchen is my protein shake container, drying on the worktop. Very well washed.

No clue what happened to the contents. Drunk by person who thought it was theirs? Emptied out by the cleaner?

I feel bloody hungry. And not a little pissed off.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11576 on: 18 November, 2019, 05:06:27 pm »
Lunch thieves will be up against the wall when we pedal the panzers up Whitehall.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Paul

  • L'enfer, c'est les autos.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11577 on: 22 November, 2019, 01:31:25 pm »
I've got a jacket that somehow manages to be neither waterproof nor breathable.

I've checked: it's not inside out.
What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11578 on: 22 November, 2019, 02:15:24 pm »
I've got a jacket that somehow manages to be neither waterproof nor breathable.

I've checked: it's not inside out.
I have one of those. A cheap 'softshell' jacket. It is sweaty and no more waterproof than my montane windshell (but gets sodden, weighs a ton and takes 2 days to dry out).

It is warm in cold weather. That is about all I can say for it.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11579 on: 22 November, 2019, 04:44:38 pm »
The joys of trying get a boiler repair this side of the heat death of the universe...
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

andytheflyer

  • Andytheex-flyer.....
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11580 on: 22 November, 2019, 06:20:04 pm »
The joys of trying get a boiler repair this side of the heat death of the universe...
Tell me about it.  We live in a small village, but there's a big electrical/plumbing business here, with a retail shop.  We've spent thousands with them over the past 30 years.  They've always been good on service, but, the last twice we've called them for boiler servicing, they've been "too busy....".  A month ago the boiler (that they installed) shut down and my wife suffers from the cold.  They would not even give us a date  - too busy.  I reminded them of the money we've spent with them over the years.  Deaf ears.

I went somewhere else - had to wait a week and had to buy a Berco water boiler so we could at least wash. The new supplier has us on a very economical maintenance contract which guarantees a turn out within 24 hours.  Suits me.  F*** off B*****s, your maintenance business and your appliances. I've been loyal to you over the years. You had 2 chances, and you blew it.

Bear a grudge?  Moi? I sure do. And anyone who asks me will be told why.  This is a small village, news gets around.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11581 on: 22 November, 2019, 07:12:34 pm »
Ringing around, I got December 3 as the earliest I could be seen, voicemail, November 28, November 27, voicemail and Monday morning - which I went with on the basis that was probably as good as I was going to get...  ;D


edited
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11582 on: 23 November, 2019, 04:49:12 pm »
The joys of trying get a boiler repair this side of the heat death of the universe...
Tell me about it.  We live in a small village, but there's a big electrical/plumbing business here, with a retail shop.  We've spent thousands with them over the past 30 years.  They've always been good on service, but, the last twice we've called them for boiler servicing, they've been "too busy....".  A month ago the boiler (that they installed) shut down and my wife suffers from the cold.  They would not even give us a date  - too busy.  I reminded them of the money we've spent with them over the years.  Deaf ears.

I went somewhere else - had to wait a week and had to buy a Berco water boiler so we could at least wash. The new supplier has us on a very economical maintenance contract which guarantees a turn out within 24 hours.  Suits me.  F*** off B*****s, your maintenance business and your appliances. I've been loyal to you over the years. You had 2 chances, and you blew it.

Bear a grudge?  Moi? I sure do. And anyone who asks me will be told why.  This is a small village, news gets around.

The taxi company I use to get me to the station is on thin ice for the same reason, late twice in a row, and last time I ended up sprinting onto the train just as the doors closed
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11583 on: 25 November, 2019, 06:20:12 pm »
Our boiler is (over)due it's annual service with BG. Called them at the beginning of November. Next service date is mid-January 2020. My wife is grinking them, they can refund three months of fees then.

(Much as I understand they prioritise fixing broken stuff, it's not really my problem that they can't maintain their current agreements in the meantime.)

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11584 on: 25 November, 2019, 06:44:48 pm »
Our boiler is (over)due it's annual service with BG. Called them at the beginning of November. Next service date is mid-January 2020. My wife is grinking them, they can refund three months of fees then.

(Much as I understand they prioritise fixing broken stuff, it's not really my problem that they can't maintain their current agreements in the meantime.)
A few years ago my heating engineer (with whom I have a half-decent relationship because motorcycles) informed me that modern gas boilers these days are so safe that they will shut themselves down in the event of anything untoward occurring, adding that the whole 'annual service' thing is a bit of a con.
Since then I've not had my boiler serviced for at least five years, and the heating engineer has been back twice in that time.
Once to replace a defective diverter valve, and a second time to replace a radiator.
I think I'm probably quids in.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11585 on: 25 November, 2019, 06:59:31 pm »
Likewise, we’ve never had our “new” boiler serviced, and we’ve had it at least 7 years. All our plumbing woes have been drain related.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11586 on: 25 November, 2019, 07:11:26 pm »
I have ended up taking out an annual 'maintenance contract' on out boiler only, following the experience I have had with a breakdown.

When it broke down last winter, I simply could not get anyone to come out and look at it.
I could not get most local businesses to even answer the phone.

So I took out a contract with one of the Big Cos, and they showed up the next day.
And I now have a number I can call and get an actual response.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11587 on: 25 November, 2019, 07:23:28 pm »
Our boiler is (over)due it's annual service with BG. Called them at the beginning of November. Next service date is mid-January 2020. My wife is grinking them, they can refund three months of fees then.

(Much as I understand they prioritise fixing broken stuff, it's not really my problem that they can't maintain their current agreements in the meantime.)
A few years ago my heating engineer (with whom I have a half-decent relationship because motorcycles) informed me that modern gas boilers these days are so safe that they will shut themselves down in the event of anything untoward occurring, adding that the whole 'annual service' thing is a bit of a con.

I've heard similarly from one that was doing the annual certificate.  He remarked that we didn't really need[1] a CO detector because the suitably modern boiler would fail safe if flue gasses weren't going where they were supposed to be going, and that - safety inspection aside - a service would mostly consist of hoovering the dust out of the innards.


[1] Keeping one anyway, because reasons.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11588 on: 25 November, 2019, 07:53:06 pm »
Our boiler is (over)due it's annual service with BG. Called them at the beginning of November. Next service date is mid-January 2020. My wife is grinking them, they can refund three months of fees then.

(Much as I understand they prioritise fixing broken stuff, it's not really my problem that they can't maintain their current agreements in the meantime.)
A few years ago my heating engineer (with whom I have a half-decent relationship because motorcycles) informed me that modern gas boilers these days are so safe that they will shut themselves down in the event of anything untoward occurring, adding that the whole 'annual service' thing is a bit of a con.

I've heard similarly from one that was doing the annual certificate.  He remarked that we didn't really need[1] a CO detector because the suitably modern boiler would fail safe if flue gasses weren't going where they were supposed to be going, and that - safety inspection aside - a service would mostly consist of hoovering the dust out of the innards.


[1] Keeping one anyway, because reasons.

^
My bold.
This.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11589 on: 25 November, 2019, 08:55:23 pm »
With many modern boilers, they won't even do that.
They won't open the combustion chamber at all.

They will shove some tubes on the flue ports and measure the combustion gasses, check for leaks, and check the flue for compliance.
And serve an At Risk notice if they feel they can get away with it.

Then offer you some add-on purchases ( alarms, additional insurance for your un-covered items, etc ).

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11590 on: 25 November, 2019, 10:00:37 pm »
Oh, I don't believe the annual service really achieves much, but I'm paying for it so they can perform the ceremony. The main reason we have the contract is for the reasons mentioned: they turn up at short notice when the heating does fail. Last year, the engineer did spend two hours cleaning out some junk from the bathroom radiator to make it get hot again. I was planning the same scam this year as it gone cold again.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11591 on: 26 November, 2019, 11:20:55 am »
Pissport photos

Rejected, because my head is tilted. Is it? I line up a piece of paper down centreline of photo. I guess it might be, by half a degree. My head is just a bit wonky, thanks.

Second photo; "Your head blends into the background." Well, your rules insist on a pale light background. I have grey hair. Guess what, grey hair blends into a pale background!

FFS  Bring back the standard blue background please.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11592 on: 26 November, 2019, 11:38:21 am »
I just did a phone selfie against the kitchen wall (which I think is plain old white), worked fine. The main issue was getting out of shadow, so now my face is a bit waxing on one side, but it didn't bother them. The picture, by-the-by, is hard to see as it's now buried under so much security holography.

However, my brand new passport (already omitting any mention of the EU) is a bit crap. The picture page, previously a sturdy laminated thing designed to be slammed through slide readers etc by airline staff, is now thin and pathetic and simply bends and took three machines to find one that could read it at check-in on the way back. Compared to my previous passport it's a limp little thing, unlikely to survive the depredations of 10 years of international travel (though I don't anticipate replicating the epic travels of the last 10 years going forwards).

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11593 on: 26 November, 2019, 11:40:37 am »
(though I don't anticipate replicating the epic travels of the last 10 years going forwards).
I hope you appreciate the new backwards facing airline seats.  ;D
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11594 on: 26 November, 2019, 11:43:55 am »
AAaand - they approved the 'grey' photo.

I suspect my accompanying text gave someone a laugh and they waved the photo through, even though the computer said no.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11595 on: 27 November, 2019, 09:40:40 am »
Oh, I don't believe the annual service really achieves much, but I'm paying for it so they can perform the ceremony. The main reason we have the contract is for the reasons mentioned: they turn up at short notice when the heating does fail.

Are you sure? For years I held onto that belief, especially due to the likelihood that when I really needed the engineer there might well be severe contentention for engineers. Indeed, more years ago that I care to think about I was smug and warm in just such an instance when there was a SnoPoccalypse spread over the UK. It was a "premium" package, probably similar to your BG, I religiously paid the premium (some 20% of the cost of a boiler?) for this benefit. However, over the years their modus operandi has changed and a few years back when I needed a repair - not in a SnoPoccaplse time - the earliest visit possible was three days out. They lost my business at the next renewal and I am back to self-insuring as I do with most things. I also have a dependable plumber who prioritises based on need (which may work against me but such is life).

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11596 on: 27 November, 2019, 09:55:27 am »
Well, on the two occasions we have needed them in recent memory, they've turned up same day. Once on the eve of Christmas as guests descended and within a few hours they'd magicked up an entire new circuit board for our decade-old boiler and warmth was restored. The other time it was a pump and he had a replacement in the back of his van.

In our older place, I seem to remember them spending days (at one point I think we had their entire engineering staff) replacing our Bosch boiler part by part until they'd essentially assembled a new one.

Limited data points, of course, so mileage may vary. Not so worried about the insurance aspect, just having someone on call. It is, of course, ruinously expensive in terms of the actual cost, like most insurance we could probably just replace the insured item every couple of years. But they know that.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11597 on: 27 November, 2019, 04:13:59 pm »
Cycling club committee meeting this evening = early dinner + two hours of crushing boredom & lousy coffee. Bleh. :sick:

Why don't I resign? Founder member, ex-secretory,* El Prez's buddy etc, etc.  Allasame, bleh.

*yes I know
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11598 on: 02 December, 2019, 11:56:02 am »
We've got christmas music at work. This may get old some time before Christmas.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


Clare

  • Is in NZ
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11599 on: 02 December, 2019, 12:22:10 pm »
So, with much giggling and chatter the Crapstmass decorations went up at work today, lots of 'Obviously Claaare won't join in' <giggle, giggle>, 'I do hope this isn't annoying Claaare' <giggle, giggle>, 'Can we put anything on your desk Claaare?' <giggle, giggle, giggle> 'Oooh she said 'No', ooh you are such a Scrooge' <giggle, giggle, giggle>.

For Dog's fucking sake, you name is the same as mine, you know how to pronounce Clare so why do the damned extending the 'a' to infinity.

BUT, more than that, you do not have to put everything up exactly the same each year, we do not need you asking 'Can anybody remember where these go?' about every fucking item.

 >:(