An Offer to buy the House

I had another offer on the house, but it turns out to be a bogus one, apparently the 'company' agrees to buy the house, but you have to indemnify them against any and all admin charges they might incur while they try to find a buyer for you.

My estate agent told me they were bogus and there is a report in the Daily Mirror saying just that, even Trading Standards have now got involved and taking the company owner to court over unfair practice. I am still trying to find the link again, and when I do I will update this post.

So if you are considering selling your house, and you get a similar offer be careful as it isn't likely to bring you anything but misery and cost you money.

On a brighter note, I just reached 600 posts... my word what a load of drivel I have filled the internet void with :-)

The end of an era

Today is officially my last day of employment with the University at the back of beyond; one of the advantages of a job in HE is the hols and I gave enjoyed having a long holiday to recuperate after getting a sinus infection. Still it was nice to sit on the seafront at Portrearh yesterday, hot chocolate in hand, watching the surfers in the sea and I am looking forward to having a go later next year.

This is also the end of the first decade of this century, if you take 2000 as year 1, and it is a good time for a fresh start leaving all the problems behind where they belong. No bad thing, remember the good things that have happened and leave the bad things behind and use the new year as a new beginnning.

I have some work lined up, and am looking forward to neing the new girl on the block. I brought a large diary to use for work details and feel as excited as I remember I was when starting a new year at school, just thankfully no homework.

I dont make many new year resolutions, but this year I am making an exception. Mine is Carpe Diem or sieze the day and moment.

Hpw about you?

Bi-Lingual - Right or Wrong

Cornwall decided on Wednesday that in future the county of Cornwall is to officially become a bi-lingual part of Britain, with all street signs appearing in two languages similar to that which is used in Wales.

So in the future when an old street or place sign needs replacing the new one will have both languages on it including the ones on the border from Devon will now read 'Kernow a'gas dynnergh' - or 'Welcome to Cornwall'

Of course not everyone agreed with the decision, but that is democracy in action for you and it is more widespread than just changing the street signs, the decision to go bi-lingual calls for Cornwall County Council to recognise the county's distinctive culture and the place of the Cornish language as a unique cultural asset and asks for it to be promoted in line with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

I'm glad of this, to see a revival in the ancient language of Cornwall is always going to be a good thing to keep old ways and traditions alive particularly in the light of the European Union trying to make us all one Europe.

Fictional Fear

I used to be absolutely scared stiff of watching Doctor Who, I remember peering out from behind the sofa in sheer terror at hearing the music yet drawn to the tv to ensure that the Doctor made it through the episode, particularly if the Daleks were involved (please note that I was only about 5 or 6 at the time).

I used to be an avid fan of Hammer House of Horror films, Vincent Price, Christopher Lee specialists in conferring fear into their watchers... but it was still good fun to watch as it wasn't so realistics as today's horror films such as Saw etc.

Nothing on television has been quite as terrifying as the above that is until the advent of Harper's Island which was shown recently on BBC3 and I watched it on the BBC Iplayer for which thank you very much BBC as I watched it with the same sort of fear as I had during my childhood.

The story is based on the wedding of Henry Dunn and Trish Wellington, which takes place in Harper's Island. Abby Mills, one of the guests is still haunted about the murders on the island that happened seven years before, caused by John Wakefield.

The murders are particularly shocking and horrific, and starts from the very beginning of the first episode until the last moment... and holds you enthralled as to who was the murderer and what are the connections between the victims.

If you like a good murder mystery, being scared witless and great scenery (it was filmed on Bowen Island - Canada) then do try and catch this series if it is repeated near you... and enjoy the fear.. just remember it is fictional and don't have nightmares..

The sad story of a phone

In May 2008, I traded up on my mobile contract for a Sony Ericsson W960i phone.. touch screen, large display window, cute as could be... I was very tempted by the Nokia N95 but it cost £80 more and I couldn't justify the costs...

How I later came to regret that decision...

Within a few months, I began to get problems, the battery would just drain, the phone wouldn't work as in ringing calls and I made the first of many visits to Vodaphone.. initially they said try the software upgrade, just download and install it..

Phone wouldn't accept it..

Took it on it's first trip back to Vodaphone, back within a week, they had done the software upgrade..

All too soon it was apparent that the problem wasn't the software on the phone..

Back to Vodaphone again, this time they had it for 2 weeks, they had replaced the circuit board...

All too soon it was apparent that this hadn't worked either..

I took it back in August for yet another visit, tried to explain that the problem was intermittent, that the lights were on in the phone, but obviously the phone wasn't capable of communicating that it wasn't at home.. you could only restart the phone if you took the battery out.. something which you shouldn't do as it isn't good for the technology.

I went back to pick it up just before the bank holiday, but their service department had returned the phone without the battery.. I couldn't pick it up before last saturday and even then they had to search the shop looking for a) the phone and b) the battery which were located in two different places.

Finally I had my phone back, they assured me that they had replaced the faulty battery charger... hmmm I thought different but implausible... and sure enough yesterday I went to make a phone call and the phone hung on opening a folder, when I rebooted it the battery which previously was showing full was now 2/3 empty and the folder now opened.

I then got on the phone to Vodaphone, explained the situation and as a result a brand new Nokia 5800 touchphone is heading to me and should reach the back of beyondsville tomorrow... I am so happy and yet so sad. The Sony phone is a lovely phone, but can't be relied upon and I need on that is so it will be used as a back up phone I think and I may get it unlocked and get an O2 sim card for it... that way I can still use it but not as my main phone.

Finally!

I heard today, I have an interview for one of the jobs I have been applying for.. my average form filling time is about 40 mins per application in my bestest handwriting lol.

This is a job in Pool, near Redruth and working with a regeneration charity. I am trying not to get my hopes up as there is likely to be stiff competition but it is a step in the right direction and I am always hopeful that a) I like them and b) they like me enough to offer me the job.

I will remember that the interview is a two way streak, as much about whether I want to work for them and what their ethics are about the people that use their services. I now plan to do some investigative work and try and find out more of what they do so that I can ask intelligent questions at the interview stage.

Also my new laptop arrived last night, I purchased this last week from the Dell outlet. It was supposed to be a scratch and dent laptop, but I can't find a mark on it and I am looking forward to exploring it in the next couple of days.

Achievements

Since Friday, I and a close friend have been busy doing :

• Painting the stairs wall and ceiling
• Painting the front room walls and ceiling
• Painting the window ledges front, wall posts, garage surround and porch woodwork
• Putting woodstain on the front door
• Repainting the number on the door (was brass is now painted with gold leaf paint - which looks pretty)
• Replacing the coving - which had fallen down over a year ago.. being as it was over 10 wide impossible for me to do on my own.
• Met with an estate agent who has given me an estimation of the value of the house
• Drank 4 bottles of beer, 2 bottles of wine - yes really not a lot at all.

We were pretty much on the go from 8am until usually 8pm with a short break for lunch... dinner was more of a slow affair as both of us were shattered by then.

Sounds good, well this is the list of things that still need doing :

• Painting the dining room walls and ceiling
• Painting the spare bedroom walls and ceiling
• Painting the study walls
• Painting the kitchen walls and tiles
• Painting the bathroom and sealing the bath
• Gloss work in the entire house - skirting boards, doors and some window ledges

House will be going on the market when this is done, which I estimate to be the end of the month. Another couple of friends are coming down to help me to do the kitchen and bathroom but the rest of it.. that's all mine..

I know it will be worth it in the end, but it does seem like an awfully long list to me

Estate Agent Visit

I have arranged for an initial visit from an estate agent, local, on Friday afternoon at 4pm. This is to give me a value of what I can expect for the house, they have said that properties in the village are going almost as soon as they are put up for sale but though I have some optimism I am also wary of EstateAgentSpeak which might be a little fork-tongued.

I am planning on getting another couple of valuations done and then I can sit down with the costs for sale and work out the best way of selling the house...

Anyone done this out there and wants to give me some valuable advice and tips, I am all ears..

I apparently need either to pay up front (non-returnable) or at the point of sale between 1-1.5% of the value... hmmm which is the better option?

How do you interview an Estate Agent to get the best price for them to sell on your behalf?

Help me here someone must have some useful info?

One of the reasons

I haven't posted much the last couple of days, mainly due to me being busy, but also giving me time to mull over the inadequacies of the HR department at the place where I work.

I was 'invited' to attend a meeting to discuss my recent sick-leave, which goes back to the 23rd Feb when SOH left. I was told at the time that any sick leave related to that would not affect any triggers that HR had in place, and apart from some asthma issues in late March, a migraine in early May and a virus later on in May I have been there more than I had been off.

I did have a meeting with the doctor, in Feb, and I was offered time off then, but wise ole me decided that work was a better distraction than the four walls at home so said no I wouldn't.

Needless to say the meeting went badly, I was so angry with them and said they were unsupportive not only of this issue but of a previous one and that I felt it was harassment and causing me more stress not less; which doesn't bode well for my asthma as that is worse when I am stressed.

I came out of that meeting, just wanting to turn around and say go to hell, especially when they set a target of no more than 3 days sick in the next six months. My answer 'I don't expect to book sick leave in advance, and I don't plan on any time off sick' but the reality was by the end of the meeting I was no longer engaged in it and just wanted out of the meeting, out of the job and out of here.

Common sense is prevailing just, however the house tidying is going well, the excess furniture went yesterday, and it will be a case of tidying/decorating and then valuating and hopefully selling very soon as I don't want to be here any longer than I have to.

I think I have grown out of this job, this location and the sooner I can leave and hand my notice in the better.

Things to be grateful for

I have an inkling that many of us are not necessarily having a good time leading up to the festive season, what with all the credit crunch and jobs being lost etc., but as it is thanksgiving (for the US at least) this week, I thought I would kick off a list of things to be thankful for.

• Having SOH in my life, even when he is in pain he is considerate and caring
• Having a job I like doing, interesting and entertaining
• Having a garden which is big enough to provide us with vegetables
• Having friends whose support is there, no matter what
• Having memories of those who are no longer around

I'm sure there are lots of other things, but I was trying hard not to list material possessions as they can change more quickly than other things.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to the citizens of the US, may your day be blessed with family happiness and joy and your Turkey be done to a turn (just like this ole bird)

Just a Thought

During our weekend in Cornwall, about 10 days ago, we were chatting over a cup of tea/coffee/wine/mead (can't remember which one) and I can remember discussing Dad with SOH's oldest sister when she asked where he was. Now I can't remember how I usually speak of him, whether it is the present or past tense, so it flummoxed me (such a nice word) when she asked about him and I had to tell her that he died in 2002.

I know that when Mum died, Dad was keen to mention her likes/dislikes etc and whenever we went somewhere he would comment that 'your mum would have liked that' and it became normal to me to not to include her in conversations as though she were just out of sight and not mind. So naturally when dad died, I did the same thing with him and he often turns up in my conversations.

Is this common, how many people talk of their loved one's as though they were still with us rather than no longer of the living?

Memento Mori

I had all these bright ideas yesterday, when I was listening to the conference speakers, but somewhere between then and now it disappeared into the ether..never to be seen again.

So instead, I give you 'Remember you are mortal'

During the conference, we held a two minute silence at 11am, which was nice to see; though I would rather see Armistice Day become a new bank holiday as it deserves a special moment of thanks as we see fewer and fewer veterans of the Great War.

Linked to this : when SOH and I were down with his family in Cornwall, SOH-Dad showed me some details of his Uncle Harold Dawe, who sadly died in France in early Oct 1917. SOH-DAD provided me with visual copies of the papers received, including the letter saying he was killed in action, also a letter from the pensions office. This information included his rank, army number, regiment and I am now trying to find out a little more about him.

On to the war graves site, only to no avail, the only gentlemen on there were either not in the right regiment or were not on the right date having been killed earlier in the war.

I had a breakthrough when I queried the dates involved, as this was Passchendaele or the third Ypres offensive, and so far I have 'interrogated' a number of websites trying to find out a little more information.

I have also contacted the war graves commission with the information I have as many of the WW1 records were lost in the blitz bombing of London in WW11 and it may well be that his details were lost at this point in time; but hopefully they will come back with yet more information than I have currently.

It is equally valid to say that as this was a difficult time just after the heat of battle and many men were buried without the details being kept for identification; partially the numbers of men involved and the conditions of the battleground.

If Harold is known, buried etc, it is likely to be at the Tyne Cot cemetery which was first used in October 1917 when one of several German blockhouses on the Passchendaele Ridge was captured by the British Army on 4th October 1917 and then and used as an Advanced Dressing Station. As a result of this there were some 350 burials in the vicinity of the Dressing Station between then and the end of March 1918.

This photograph is taken from the high ground of the Passchendaele Ridge, looking south-west towards Ypres. This was the dominating view over the northern part of the Ypres Salient which the Germans had from the Passchenaele Ridge as the Allied soldiers tried to approach them during the Third Battle of Ypres (Battle of Passchendaele) 31 July - 10 November 1917.

The cemetery is the last resting place of more than 12,000 soldiers from Oct 1914 to September 1918. Many were reburied when the cemetery was enlarged after the cessation of hostilities and many of the gravestones are engraved with no-known name only 'an unknown soldier of the great war'.

I have one more casualty I am still trying to find out more details on, and that is my Great Uncle Charlie who also died during WW1 but we don't have any details on which regiment he was with, where he died in the field of conflict nor when so it is an uphil struggle and may not even be known.

Its a Bl***y Disgrace

See Here on Elaine's Blog or Here for Dickiebo's which gives more detail

I heard the news about the solder refused entry to the Metro Hotel in Woking when he produced his ID card as proof of identify. The so called Manager has made the receptionist the scapegoat by saying that the receptionist got it wrong, the hotel does not have such a policy regarding not allowing Military Personnel a room.

It beggars belief that a hotel can treat a person, never mind a serving solder (especially considering he was also injured at the time), with such appalling manners.

Like Elaine, and Dickiebo I will not be using that hotel or any other in the group and if you want to publicise it, Elaine has kindly made available her post for your blogs.

What I am doing?

Reading

1. Val McDermid - The Last Temptation
2. Andy McNab - Immediate Action
3. Ken Follett - Triple
4. Ken Follett - World without end (still ongoing since Dec)
   

Listening

1. I Claudius (Audio Book)
2. Enigma - all
3. Depeche Mode
4. Andrea Bocelli - Cieli di Toscana
   

Watching

1. The Apprentice - I loved this programme
2. Casualty - am an Addict and a I Love Charlie fan
3. Rugby - Union, League or 6 Nations etc not proud
4. NFL - new season is no so far away now and have tickets to the NFL match in October at Wembley
5. WWE - got to have some vices
6. Street/Road Wars, Police Interceptors etc..
   

Supposed to be doing

1. Working
   
2. Gardening
3. Decorating
4. Tidying up
5. Organising the study
   

Want to be

1. Out on my motorbike

Important things I need to do

1. To tell the people that are important to me, that I love them and respect their views
2. To stop worrying about the small things in life
3. To try and fix the big problems in my life (the one's that I can do something about anyway)
4. To stop looking backwards into the past, it is done with... End of
5. To be true to me, my beliefs
6. To stop judging other people by my standards
7. To not let other people make my decisions for me
8. To not drift through life without purpose and meaning
9. To read the books I have before I buy any more new ones
10. To remember what I love about living in this country

I am sure there are more, what about you.. what is important to you?