Last week was less than successful. The previous week I reached a longlist in a short story competition and was elated. On Monday Wi-Fi became less Wifi and more Difi. At times I could connect laptop, phone or the iPad, sometimes a combination, mostly none of them. Occasionally I could get emails and maybe BBC Sounds but no websites. The providers tried to help but sadly it wasn’t their problem, so they arranged for BT Open Reach to come to see if it’s the connection or external factors. I wasn’t been able to join my writing group - London Writers Salon - for more than a few minutes at a time before being thrown out, (but maybe that was LWS’s choice!).
I hear your frustration with the bygone years of customer service and empathize with your pre-winter blues. That said, your perspective on the lot of it gave me great JOY to read!! :-)
Victorian seaside towns when one is already feeling grim? 100% agree that this is not a wise move. So sorry you didn't make the longest, Sue!...and I do love a good rant, so you squeezed some value out of the rubbish day. x
Great rant Sue! My friend Greg hates it when people say, “Enjoy!” when they present you with food and drink. One weekend when I was staying with him I reckon we heard it at least 15 times. I was finding his facial expressions hilarious 😂
Oh Sue, you do make me laugh, but you are also so right. I’ve also lived in France (and Germany where decent communication is also alive and kicking just as it ever was) and do lament how we seem to be going from bad to worse in this country, on this theme.
My bug bear is connected to my deafness and the need to ‘see’ people as they speak. I ask not even as much as to annunciate clearly, just, I don’t know, to annunciate, full stop. There’s something about shops, restaurants and cafes now, where there’s way too much mumbling, too much whispering and not enough holding up of the head to give us the full music and the dance. Without this, it doesn’t matter how amazing my hearing aids are, I just can’t communicate. But we all need this, even people with ‘pitch perfect’ hearing. We all communicate better and the all important ‘mis-communicate’ less, if we speak with our whole selves, particularly the whole face. Other countries seem to do this naturally. I’m not sure what happened to ours.
Sorry for being a grumpy bum. But you got me on my ‘favourite’ topic!!!
I shall end on a very positive note to say that getting on the long list is a huge achievement. It’s hard work out there and hey, you may have missed the short list by a whisper, and it may have been for many reasons - because your story just didn’t resonate quite as much as another, perhaps - and nothing remotely to do with being a lesser writer. So please, forget the shortlist now and celebrate your wonderful writing being placed 😘😘
Jackie, you need a badge that says’ Look at me when I’m talking to you’! That would make them pay attention. Thanks for commenting and reposting x
I hear your frustration with the bygone years of customer service and empathize with your pre-winter blues. That said, your perspective on the lot of it gave me great JOY to read!! :-)
Victorian seaside towns when one is already feeling grim? 100% agree that this is not a wise move. So sorry you didn't make the longest, Sue!...and I do love a good rant, so you squeezed some value out of the rubbish day. x
Great rant Sue! My friend Greg hates it when people say, “Enjoy!” when they present you with food and drink. One weekend when I was staying with him I reckon we heard it at least 15 times. I was finding his facial expressions hilarious 😂
Oh Sue, you do make me laugh, but you are also so right. I’ve also lived in France (and Germany where decent communication is also alive and kicking just as it ever was) and do lament how we seem to be going from bad to worse in this country, on this theme.
My bug bear is connected to my deafness and the need to ‘see’ people as they speak. I ask not even as much as to annunciate clearly, just, I don’t know, to annunciate, full stop. There’s something about shops, restaurants and cafes now, where there’s way too much mumbling, too much whispering and not enough holding up of the head to give us the full music and the dance. Without this, it doesn’t matter how amazing my hearing aids are, I just can’t communicate. But we all need this, even people with ‘pitch perfect’ hearing. We all communicate better and the all important ‘mis-communicate’ less, if we speak with our whole selves, particularly the whole face. Other countries seem to do this naturally. I’m not sure what happened to ours.
Sorry for being a grumpy bum. But you got me on my ‘favourite’ topic!!!
I shall end on a very positive note to say that getting on the long list is a huge achievement. It’s hard work out there and hey, you may have missed the short list by a whisper, and it may have been for many reasons - because your story just didn’t resonate quite as much as another, perhaps - and nothing remotely to do with being a lesser writer. So please, forget the shortlist now and celebrate your wonderful writing being placed 😘😘