I'm always surprised at how many places who want your email address in exchange for downloads will accept [space]@[space].[space] Silly nuffers. I wonder whether they ever try to spam it, and if so - does it break things?

Forgot to mention yesterday that I finally got my funny kneeling chair - Christmas 2001. Mum didn't like me mentioning it was my promised Xmas '01 gift, after she said it was an early birthday for this year. The Mouse hates the new chair, as I am now lapless.

[Music: Einsturzende Neubauten - Feurio!]
[Mood: sick]

I don't think I like the man in charge of the Salvation Army's collection service. I took a day off work last month to get some stuff done, including waiting for the Salvos to come and pick up a heap of stuff. But they didn't show up! I left a confused and sad message that day, and then they wanted me to take another day off, but I couldn't. So I call back today, and the Salvos are too busy to pick up - but he wishes me well.

That's sad, because the Salvos are my charity of choice. They were always really good in the starvation days, and they didn't make me feel like I was being judged. Like some other charities - possibly including The Catholics.  read more »

I had a good laugh this morning. Actually, I had a good laugh a few minutes ago. I'm pre-tea.

My dad has responded to my "I'm Unemployed!" email with an "Oh Well". I knew I was 'joining' Dad, but apparently my leaving coincided with my uncle's (dad's brother) quitting as well. That's funny.

[Mood: amused]

I have a means of listening to my old vinyl. No speakers, but I prefer headphones, so that's cool. And I had to dredge my memory for the bit where you weight the needle with blu-tac. But that is okay - because now I have The Fall, and Frenz:

My friends
Gonna tell you about my friends:
My friends ain't enough for one hand,
My friends ain't enough for one hand,
My friends don't amount to one hand,
One hand.

My friends don't add up to one hand,
My friends don't amount to one hand,
One hand.
Tell ya 'bout my friends. (Why do you count them?)

My friends don't count up to one hand,  read more »

Possibly my mum really is going through the Change of Life this time. There's been a lack of berserker christmas fallout which is making me uneasy in a whole new way. Possibly my dad is also going through the Change of Life.

My reconstruction of events follows. (Notice how all the little factual bits make it seem less like I'm just imagining the rest... )

Lynne sends the fancy christmas card'esque emails advising she just had all the orders mailed, and will not be attending the 'festivities'. Dad reads his at something like 2 am that night. Dad spends the next day living the nightmare that is 'I am a COBOL guru, but Windows and HTML are mysteries beyond my ken'.  read more »

Thank God for the souvalaki man. I would truly be adrift in a sea of total despair if not for him.

Work is about par. By mid morning I'd reached cynical and sarcastic. I went to the copier and someone asked me how I was, today's response: "I am the happy fairy of cheer and good will! Merry Christmas!!" *brandishes hideous orange Bad Debt forms at onlookers* *onlookers scurry away*

Mid afternoon I got an email from a branch after explaining to them that they just have to sign off on their Bad Debt. Fortunately this is a nice branch, unlike my rabid friend the other day. We discussed my new fairy persona in more depth. Then they sent me an email expressing their hope that a big fat fairy flies up my nose. So I responded that I hope that fairy gets a good run-up, gathering enough speed to take out my frontal lobes - thus ushering in a blissful era of calm.  read more »

And now I also have an email order from my dad. Just a URL and a choice of two catalogue numbers.

So I got him both, and had them mailed direct to him as well.

[Music: Severed Heads - Pilot In Hell]
[Mood: about the same]