Grinch Corner

I have just discovered a gift that one could give if one were of a mind to reduce the giftee’s teeth to rubble. I often buy things from a shop called Skandi Kitchen as I am very fond of one of their cheeses called gjetöst.

Every Christmas time they offer Scandinavian style Christmas food and this year I saw something called Snebolde which are little marzipan snowballs. I thought they might make a good gift to have in the house in the event of a surprise present being handed to us by an unexpected visitor.

Today, confident that nobody was going to turn up like a fourth wise man with a present in their hand, I opened up the box of snebolde and offered one to hubby while I took one for myself to have with our morning coffee. They looked quite soft in the photo on the box.

Neither of us was prepared for the rock-like consistency of these things. We ended up smashing them with the rolling pin. While the insides were soft and delicious the outer shells were hard enough for them to have been used as ammunition.

So glad I didn’t give them to anyone with dodgy dentistry.

 

Maybe you're supposed to suck them, like gobstoppers.

 

Yes, I’ve always been very wary of sweets that are designed for that after having almost choked to death on one when I was a small child.

 

The "Christmas is Ruined" tweets have started already.

@AsdaServiceTeam
VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. You have now spoiled my Christmas. Its a season of goodwill except for loyal customer who wants a refund on Asda branded wine with no receipt

Does it not occur to him that people returning things without a receipt have likely pinched them?

 

You do see women in the male lead in panto. They are known as 'Principle Boy'. The bloke playing the woman is the 'Dame'.

 

@Escarpment It seems the norm now when paying for goods ( whether by card or cash ) I am always asked if I want a receipt. Of course I do but plenty of people say no.
Not only must it make it difficult to keep track of your expenditure but as you rightly say if needing to return an item for any reason, you have no proof of a legitimate purchase.

 

@Philippa our loyalty cards are online now, via the dreaded mobile phone app, and so are receipts. You have to ask now to get a printed receipt.

@noisette47 am drams, pantos etc are one of the many reasons we have chosen not to live in an ex-pat ghetto. There's an Anglo-French club here full of wannabe luvvies and the like. We lasted 2 years - none of its activities are of interest; the French members only want to practise their English and the Brits didn't want to learn French.

 

I bought some blueberries once and didn't get the receipt, and when I got them home they tasted mouldy. I took them back, but with no receipt they wouldn't refund, only replace. I would rather not have risked another packet, but luckily they were fine. Since then I have always taken the receipt.

 

I often dont want a receipt when paying by card as it always pings up on my phone when I buy something.
Not sure how that works if you buy multiple items and want to return one though.

 

@Obelix-Vendée can't help but agree about the Ex pat "ghettos" - we avoided them like the plague in both France and Spain. So much easier to settle in and make good friends.

 

I don't have a phone so just a debit card or cash for me - either way, I want a receipt

 

@pete and @Philippa it is normal now for receipts to be sent online to your account and even a rule about their not being printed in order to save paper and ink. Nearly every shop we use has a customer loyalty system to do this. If I buy something that needs to be returned, proof of purchase can be found online either at home or in the shop.

I only ask for printed receipts when buying something for the patch club - treasurer insists.

 

If I go into the supermarket and pay for multiple products I dont get a receipt sent to me via e mail, only for online transactions, I dont actually have an account they can send it to in lots of places.
I still get a receipt automatically out of the till when using Morrisons, its only places like petrol stations and garden centres where they ask if you want one.

 

I think it depends on the total; sums less than £5 they always seem to ask.

 

A yr ago, in Dunelm, they asked for my email address at the till. I refused. They said I had to as they aren't printing receipts any more.

I was paying cash for a low value item. I'm not parting with my data for that! Have never shopped there since.