What Jobs are we doing in the Garden today 2014..

Well, having been away for a week I seem to have, somehow, ended up with what looks like a month of catching up to do So I'm sitting having a cuppa whilst working out the priorities.

My schedule (which I haven't an earthly of sticking to )
cuppa no. 1
plan the schedule
breakfast
cuppa no. 2
recheck the schedule
order bird food (neighbour fed them whilst we were away and they seem to have got through the last five kilos of seed!)
have strong word with BT about mistakes on my bill
have a rest from the hard work
four hours of mowing with cuppa breaks (3 and 4) included
lunch
trim edges
talk nicely to the runner beans and wind or tie in the plants (if they don't wind properly I tie them with wool in order to get them trained in what to do)
limit myself to one hour bindweed and mare's tail pulling
cuppa no. 5
tie in lots of shrubs and bushy plants and see what I can do to straighten up the hundreds of campanula that are flopping around
talk to the birds
cuppa no. 6
try not to step on Mr pheasant who usually noses around when I'm pulling weeds
stroke Sarafi, on demand, if he can be bothered to wake up on a hot day
fit in some shopping and cooking during all that
Whilst Mrs Shiney will be doing all the hard work in the garden and make it look as though I've been skiving!

 

@Jiffy mine's a bit complicated for them . I have two phone lines and pay 12 months in advance (for approx. 30% discount) but the rules say we have to have paperless billing. I have an agreement with them that they will still send me paper bills. There's normally a £1.50 charge per bill if you have that but my agreement is 'no charge' - as they have an insoluble problem with trying to get me logged into my account.

Part of getting the bills online is that I have to use my email address for part of the logging in process. Their computer won't accept any of my three email addresses and it tells me that they are already registered (they are, by me!). After their technical dept. tried, unsuccessfully, for two years to get me logged in they came up with a solution. They told me that it would work if I opened an email account with one of their rivals and used that address!

After I pointed out to their management that the media would have a field day with that, they made an over-ride on the accounts to send me paper bills (I'm not interested in looking at my account on line). Each year their computer starts charging me the £1.50 (after I've renewed my annual payment) and I'm at that stage now. Hence the upcoming phone call.

I'm going to enjoy it because I have to get through their first line of defence in order to get a senior supervisor. I, very pleasantly, tie them up in verbal knots to get them to put me through.

 

If they're in bunches I just loop some string around them. If they're spread out a bit more I put a couple of canes in, just on the outside of the plants and run a loop around the canes.

 

All done

Short version (after pointing out all the illogical points of their system):- They explained that, under their new computer system, there is no way to remove the charge as it's automatic but they can do a manual refund and have now done so for the two months that I've been charged. The problem with that is that they said I would have to phone each month to get them to do the refund.

"Have no fear", said I , "I know you don't want the horror of having to talk to me every month, so I have solved your problem." "Give me the whole year's refunds in one go, in advance - meaning now!" Sigh of relief from other end (no, not a fart! - the other end of the phone!) and they have done it.

All seemed OK and they were ready to ring off, but no .

"Anything else we can help you with?"

"Yes, can you answer a question?"

Hesitation, "I'll try."

"You've said the system doesn't allow the removal of the charge as it is put on automatically if you opt for printed bills (under the Line Rental Saver system)."

"Yes, sir."

"So how are you managing to not charge me on my other account that operates under the same system?"

Dead silence! I gave him the account details and he checked it and agreed that I wasn't being charged. He freely admitted that he hadn't the faintest idea and tried to do it on the charged account but couldn't. His final comment was that "I'm sorry, but I shall look into it and get back to you, but I wouldn't hold my breathe!!"

 

Stay well, Steve, and drink plenty of liquid [not beer!!] and let us know how you feel tomorrow!!