Groan. The time of year has rolled round once again for getting my car MOT & service done – as I have to renew my tax disc by the end of June. Honestly, I have no idea why they give you only a bare two weeks to get this sorted out – don’t they know people have busy lives and have to book things months ahead just in order to fit them in these days?? Last year, we really pushed it to the wire. And some. Anyway, Lord H has nobly said he’d book the service etc at a garage near him, so I’m hoping it will be done fairly soon. And at the same time he can add huge numbers of Husband Points to his already pretty full slate. Hurrah!
Not much going on at work this morning really, though I did have a nice walk around campus at lunchtime. And I’ve even remembered to post a birthday present to a friend in time for their birthday next week. Have cheated once more though, and simply given him a copy of A Stranger’s Table (http://www.poetrymonthly.com), as I’d really like to shift more copies before the autumn is upon us, with or without filthy lucre changing hands. Sigh! I must make a mental note that for my next poetry collection (anticipated c2009, I think), I will have to make a big splash of donating all the proceeds to charity; it’s what I did for my 2004 poetry collection (Tidal) and that sold like the proverbial hot-cakes. People are evidently happy to pay £4 to a good cause, but not for good poetry. Ah well. A lesson for us all indeed.
Oh and it looks like our new Mentoring Handbook is ready to print. Hurrah! It’s been a heck of a long time coming, but will be worth it, I think, for next year’s intake of mentors. And it looks so good too – Carol & I are quite proud of our A5 binding expertise – and in colour too, hurrah!
This afternoon, we had the Student Affairs Committee, so I had to put my secretarial hat on and look efficient. Ho ho. Nice to have a meeting that isn’t cancelled before I can get there for once. Suspect it’s the June flurry of meetings before everyone flees to the hills for July and August. Ah well, welcome to the academic life.
Tonight, we have a Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) meeting, which I shall again have to minute. To be honest, I hope it won’t go on too long, even though I know next week sees the launch of Jay Margrave’s marvellous historical thriller, The Gawain Quest – which is hot hot hot, and you must at least check it out, preferably buy it – just click on the Goldenford URL above for more information. Anyway, I’d like to get back home fairly early, as my next real night in is Friday, and it’s therefore a long, hard social trawl to the weekend. God, but I love being at home …
And one of my old uni friends has emailed me to say that the reason why two others of the old group haven't answered my not-so-recent-now communication about how things have been over the last year is that they didn't know how to respond to someone with depression. Well, bollocks to that, I say. Large ones. It ain't no effing excuse, m'dears. If someone had been as honest and open, and put myself as much on the line, with me as I'd been with them, even if I didn't have a bloody, bollocky, fucking clue how to respond, I would have least have tried. Either by email, phone or letter. As far as I'm concerned, they can take their so-called "friendship" and stuff it up their arses. Where it obviously belongs. Because I'm just not interested in that kind of friendship. At all. Lordy, lordy but when did things get to be so shallow? So. I have now crossed out their names from my address books, and we all move on. Deep breath, eh ...
Today’s nice things:
1. Lunchtime walk
2. Being efficient with birthday presents
3. Lord H’s husband points!
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.pinkchampagneandapplejuice.com
8 comments:
We had a good idea re the MOT/service issue this year. We had a mechanic ( recommended by a friend) come and collect my little car, take it away for service and bring it back complete with MOT certificate... and it was cheaper than taking it to a garage in previous years!
Re the old friends, I can sympathise as we have lost many friends due to our family situation. But I always feel that adverse circumstances sort out who your real friends are, so rely on them, ditch the others and move on without guilt.
hugs
Cx
Cathy - sounds marvellous! Can your little man come to me??!
You're right about the friends thing too, as ever - thank you. I shall endeavour to be calm (there's a novelty then ...)
A
xxx
He's in Watford, Anne, so probably not a lot of use for you! But might be worth asking around locally, some garages will also collect and deliver the car if asked.I suppose it depends if your car is under warranty so needs to go to a proper dealer...mine is ancient so can be serviced anywhere!
Goodness, they're obviously much more customer-friendly in Watford - we've asked about this before but to no avail!!
A
xxx
Have you ever got your tax disc on line? I tried it this year and it was really fast coming through.
It's also a bit scary as they know all your details about MOT and insurance to send it through. Saved going to the post office anyway.
Regarding friends, you don't really care what they say as long as they keep in touch. It's if they try and avoid a topic it's frustrating, as you've experienced.
I've just tried to organise a get together as we've been off the social radar a while. I've had to cancel it as most people can't come due to other commitments.
I know it can't be helped and I thought I'd given plenty of notice, but it did make me feel a bit like Billy No Mates!
But then I thought at least I tried and they know that. So if you've been the one to try and catch up with them, then you've done your bit, it's up to them now, if they are worth it?
Sue xx
Yes, I think I'll try the online way once I've got the MOT done - sounds like a great idea, thanks Sue!
And yes, I've been the one making the "keep in touch" effort with those particular two for the last 3 or 4 years now. I'm getting sod all back, hence the decision to wipe it - and them, the mean buggers - off the social radar and move on.
A
xxx
Can I make a practical suggestion which will help you next year if not this year. Get a 6 month tax disc, and then yearly thereafter. Then you won't have the same panic to get the mechanical stuff organised within a tight deadline.
Re friends, if I care about someone I will forgive them even if they do the wrong things. If not, then they've had it.
Jackie
Good idea, Jackie, re the tax disc!
Must say I entirely disagree about the forgiveness/friendship thing - if it's worth anything, it's got to be a two-way street. If I ain't getting nothing back (and I'm not), why the heck bother? The only person I'm having to worry about in that case is, frankly, me.
Slightly off-topic, but speaking from a christian background, I do think forgiveness is a much more painful and hard-won state of mind than today's society would have us believe. I distrust the concept of forgiving too easily and not going through the hell you have to walk before you get to that point. And sometimes, that can take a lifetime or is only truly resolved in the great hereafter. I do appreciate that's a minority view, but hell I'm used to holding to those.
:))
A
xxx
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