Latest moan from you and me - 2016

They did say they would call the water board when they've finished. Is that the right way round to do it?

All vehicles gone except one. Hole still in road and one man left, sitting on back step of his van (in the shade) and smoking. The van is parked across one driveway entrance and traffic lights across the other . Lights now moved . He didn't seem to know why he has been left on his own (hour and a half so far).

 

6 p.m. No vans, no men, big hole in road, everyone has electricity (at the moment), a lot of frozen food from upright freezer moved to chest freezer, traffic lights in right place - now that I've moved them to a more convenient situation for me and the traffic.

 

I reckon they've packed up for the weekend as everyone is back on electricity, but not on their correct phase. It wouldn't surprise me if they come back on Monday and cut us off, dig up the road, decide they can't do the work because the hole is full of water and then wait a week or two for the water board to fix the leak. Of course, the water board is likely to say that they're not going to fix the leak when there's a suspected electricity failure in the area.

 

It reminds me of the two old songs

 

The Gasman Cometh

• (Michael Flanders / Donald Swann)
  It was on the Monday morning when the gas-man came to call
  The gas tap wouldn't turn, I wasn't getting gas at all
  He pulled down all the skirting boards to try and find the main
  And I had to call a carpenter to put them back again
  Oh it all makes work for the working man to do
  It was on the Tuesday morning the carpenter came round
  He hammered and he chiselled and he said, Look what I've found
  The floors are full of dry rot but I'll put them all to rights
  Then he hammered through a cable and out went all the lights
  Oh it all makes work for the working man to do
  It was on a Wednesday morning the electrician came
  He called me Mr. MacIntyre which isn't quite my name
  He couldn't reach the fuse box without standing on the bin
  And he put his foot through a window so I called the glazier in
  Oh it all makes work for the working man to do
  It was on the Thursday morning the glazier came along
  With his blowtorch and his putty and his merry glazier's song
  He put another window in, it took no time at all
  So I had to get a painter in to come and paint the wall
  Oh it all makes work for the working man to do
  It was on a Friday morning that the painter made a start
  With undercoats and overcoats he painted every part
  He painted every corner but I found when he was gone
  He'd painted over the gas tap and I couldn't turn it on
  Oh it all makes work for the working man to do
  On Saturday and Sunday they do no work at all
  So it was on the Monday morning that the gasman came to call
  
  (as sung by Iain MacKintosh)
  

There I was, a-diggin' this 'ole 'Ole in the ground, so big and sort o' round it was And there was I, diggin' it deep It was flat at the bottom and the sides were steep When along comes this bloke in a bowler Which he lifted and scratched his 'ead Woooh, he looked down the 'ole Poor demented soul and he said "Do you mind if I make a suggestion? Don't dig there, dig it elsewhere Your digging it round and it ought to be square The shape of it's wrong, it's much too long And you can't put hole where a hole don't belong" I ask, what a liberty, eh? Nearly bashed him right in the bowler Well, there was I, a-stood in me 'ole Shovellin' earth for all that I was worth, I was And there was 'im, standin' up there So grand and official with his nose in the air So I gave him a look sort of sideways And I leaned on me shovel and sighed Woooh, I lit me a cigarette And havin' took a drag I replied I just couldn't bear to dig it elsewhere I'm diggin' it round 'cos I don't want it square And if you disagree, it doesn't bother me That's the place where the 'oles gonna be Well there we were, discussing this 'ole 'Ole in the groud, so big and sort o' round It's not there now, the ground's all flat And beneath it is the bloke in the bowler hat And that's that!

 

Hmmm, I not sure there are such things as "freebies" as they're all costed into the premium ..........or am I being cynical, again

 

Bernard Cribbins, there is none like him - I've liked him from childhood.

My moan is to do with shops versus online shopping. Last Saturday, when I got out of the bath, I had a lugfull of water which wouldn't come out, so I attacked it with a cotton bud (yes, I know, I know.....) - predictably, I made matters worse, and rammed earwax back up into my ear and blocked it completely.

I went to the chemist on Sunday, and was given Otex Express, and used it faithfully for days. By Wednesday, things were no better and the tinnitus in my left ear was driving me mad so I ordered a syringe kit from Amazon which arrived on Thursday. Mrs C had a shot at it, and got some out, but still no relief. I kept at it with the Otex, and also tried warmed olive oil.

This morning, I did a bit of reading online and worked out that Otex was pretty tame in the wax removal stakes, and that Earex was better. Better still, a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and isopropyl alcohol droppered into the ear.

So, I set off this morning to try and find some Earex, and possibly some isopropyl alcohol as a last ditch measure. I tried the local Boots - sorry, we are too small to stock it, try the big Boots a couple of miles away. Big Boots - no, we don't stock either Earex or isopropyl, but can order them in for next week. Tried Tesco Pharmacy - no joy, suggested I try an independent pharmacy (where?? they've all been put out of business by the big boys!)

Went to the next village - I could see the pharmacy, but that was about it - - it was regatta day, so all the parking was taken and the adjoining roads were all dug up for pavement works (since when did pavement works require half the road to be dug up too? )

So, onto the next town - first independent pharmacy, shut at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon! Second independent pharmacy, don't stock either, but we can sell you a wee bottle of olive oil that has had its price inflated to £9 just because it says on the box it is for medical use. Aye right! Olive oil is olive oil, they must think people are daft. Another Boots - nothing. So, on to the next town and another independent pharmacy - - neither item stocked. And another Tesco pharmacy - sweet FA. So, on to the NEXT town - first independent pharmacy, shut - still middle of the afternoon. Finally, at the next independent pharmacy, I managed to obtain Earex; no isopropyl alcohol though.

Now, taking a look at Amazon when I got home, I can buy both products quite cheaply and easily, albeit they wouldn't be here until Monday/Tuesday, but they are at least in stock. For the cost of my diesel, I could probably have paid BUPA to operate on my bloody ear! Is it any wonder that shops are closing and people are buying more and more online.

As a contrast, we have ordered a load of books and CD's, all used from Amazon this past couple of days -- most of which have been delivered, and we simply cannot see how they have ever been used (seriously, some of the books are still that tight spined way they are when they are new) - my cheapest CD?? 1p - - yes, 1p! Including delivery, it is £1.27 for a double CD that is in pristine condition, and delivered the very next day.