With no need to be up early I let “er indoors TM” see to the puppies this morning. I listened to her refereeing their squabbles as I had a shave, and by the time I’d scraped they’d all had their brekkies. So I took them to the woods a tad earlier than usual.
As we drove the pundits on the radio were making great show about how so many under-thirties are spending a third of their income on rent and how this is unaffordable. Seriously? When we moved to our first flat in Pavilion Road in Folkestone the monthly rent was one hundred and seventy-three quid a month. At the time my monthly take-home pay was two hundred and thirty-three quid. Three quarters of my income went on the rent thirty-eight years ago. Even allowing for “er indoors TM”’s wage (which was intermittent at best as she was young and working through an agency) at our financially best we were spending over half our income on rent. Why is this being bandied as news today? As Oliver Hardy once remarked “Twas ever thus”.
We got to the woods; we had a good walk. As we walked we met two dogs on leads. Treacle walked straight past but the puppies made a point of trying to bother them. Fortunately (amazingly) three sharp blasts on the whistle got them to come to me each time, and as we walked we practiced whistle training until Morgan lost interest. He has a rather short attention span even when food is involved (which makes training problematical).
We came home, I had brekkie and as three dogs snored on the sofa next to me I watched another episode of “The Sandman” and then sparked up my lap-top.
Yesterday I mentioned I’d emailed the company of the lorry which nearly crashed into me (several times) as I drove home last night. I had a reply. The chap who’d emailed me said that he would review the lorry’s dash-cam footage. On the one hand I feel guilty that the driver might get into trouble. On the other hand he was either asleep at the wheel or deliberately driving dangerously.
I also had an email from the power company. My bill for the period from February to August was available. The power company operates this daft scheme in which I pay so much a month into a holding account. Twice a year they produce a bill, and take the money I owe from that holding account. You’d think that with SmartMeters they would take exactly as much money as is needed to pay for what I’ve used, wouldn’t you? After all the SmartMeter updates the power company every half-hour. However… in the last six months I’ve paid just under one thousand two hundred quid to them, and in that time I’ve used just under nine hundred quid’s worth of power. I’m three hundred quid in credit with them, and I’m told my monthly payments are staying the same. Oh well… better in credit than in debt, eh?
I settled the dogs (they didn't need much settling) and drove round to B&Q. Over the years some of the panels on the shed walls have warped, and my plan for Sunday is to replace them. I got the drill bit and galvanised nails for the job, but the fence panels themselves were too big to fit in my car. They would have easily fitted in previous cars, but not the new more sensible (smaller) car. I shall go back tomorrow with “er indoors TM” to help me carry them home.
And from B&Q I set off to work. Work was much the same as ever. As I did that which I couldn’t avoid I got a message from Munzee HQ. They’ve had an awards ceremony and I got given several e-badges (which was nice!)…
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