I'm an addict!

I have recently obtained an Xbox 360, which means I have left the realms of the PS2 and neglected my PC gaming for this machine. And I love it. The graphics are super.

I've had so much spare time the last couple of weeks and next week isn't looking mcuh better (I only have to work on Tuesday) and when I couldn't bare the sun any longer I ended up gaming.

I'm loving it and I've entered into the genre of online gaming, scary, especially as I'm such a numpty, but I'm getting there. I'm going down the educational route as I'm learning new skills while playing, so much so that it's no longer frantic button pressing I seem to know what I'm meant to be doing, now its just the execution! lol.

I've managed to link up my xboxlive gamer card with the blog, and hopefully as time progresses my achievements will grow! Right now I'm addicted to Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfare or G.R.A.W. to those who are skilled (ermm that's not me, I often blow myself up!).

Technorati Tags: Xbox360, G.R.A.W, Ghost Recon, Xbox Live, Gaming, PS2

Fear alleviated for a further 6 months!

I don’t know about the rest of you but I hate going to the Dentist. The whole concept of it fills me with dread… Which is why when I missed my 6 month check up in January I wasn’t too bothered, until I knew I’d have to go back at some point and off I trundled on Wednesday.

I’m sure I have an aversion to the Dentist due to the horrific amount of orthodontic work I had as a teen and even look back at that time makes me shiver. I so loved my braces not! And that over the head into the mouth thingy to help straighten my jaw and my teeth was delightful, such a crowd pleaser, the offers of dates just rolled in whilst I was wearing it. Yeah right! Nothing like being ostracized!

Then there's always thepleasant sounds that orignate whilst in the chair. Do the drill things really have to whir like that?

Mind you I am blessed with strong teeth, not that I often remove beer caps but I reckon I could. Now that's an attractive thought!

Anyway back to my visit this week, you’ll be pleased to know that I didn’t need anything done! Yippee. I could have skipped! Okay I did skip a little bit as I vacated the building, obviously no-one else could see, but if you wont tell neither will I!

The only downer was that my dentist has now changed from NHS to being solely private, which means I had to part with £34 whole pounds for someone to look inside my mouth, and go “everything’s okay, see you in 6 months”. Which means I can push the thought of dentistry to the back of my mind until 13th December!

I do begrudge being forced to have to pay privately for dental treatment, what other profession charges such extortionate rates, I was in the chair for about 6 minutes which means it cost £5.60 per minute, so on an hourly rate the Dentist is raking in £336! OMG that's horrific! And that's apparently a low rate, well it's the lowest in my area!

Best start saving in case I have to pay more in the future! Where did I put the piggy bank....

Technorati Tags: dentist, fear, NHS, private

I'm incensed! Nope I'm mightily grumpy!

As some of you know I've had work done in my house, namely had bathroom's re-fitted and I purchased all the white goods (loo, bath, showers and sinks etc) from BMI in Burgess Hill. And I have to say they weren't run of the mill items so I paid adequately for them. However the quality is good!

My builder being a clumsy oaf damaged the shower plinth, which wasn't discovered until late into the project, so I went into the showroom and ordered a replacement. This was in January (note the month please!).

I get a call in March (yes March) to tell me one has arrived, this is after I spent many times chasing for an update etc. So I dash off and collect it. It is well packaged and I opt to take it home in its packaging to protect it during the I get home and peal off the several layers of shrink wrap, remove the protective stays, I discover this plinth is cracked in 2 places. Curses galore.

So we return to the showroom and ask to order another. I was offered a refund at the time, while I waited but opted not to take it as I knew I needed one so would have to pay for it eventually. I left the showroom with a promise that I would be called when the next one comes in.

Well as its now June and I got no phone call, I went into the showroom in my lunch break. There in the office was a plinth, and yes deep joy it was mine! Yippee... but (you just knew there was going to be a but didn't ya), it had a small crack in that the manufacturer had filled in, and I was told by the showroom staff that it wouldn't be noticeable as it was the bottom side.

They were wrong, as it would be visible as it's the top edge of the plinth and when I said surely they wouldn't want me to take an item that I paid 100% cost for which had been repaired, without recieving some money off? But yes that's what they actually wanted! OMG do they think I'm stupid!

When I voiced my concerns over their stance, voiced not shouted as claimed by their staff! If I'd of shouted you'd all of heard I can tell you. The manager (yes manager walked away!) I am appalled by now! He then returns and said he'll order me another! To which I retort how long am I going to have to wait for this then? Eh? Another 3 months per chance? No way!

I told him clearly I'd take the repaired one away if I could have some money taken off, but he said he couldn't do that as it was the manufacturers fault it was damaged. Obviously I pointed out I was his customer and he was their's so he should address my needs and in turn address his own with the manufacturer, but hey that's not possible! Great customer service not!

Even when I asked if they placed the repaired item on show for sale would it be at full retail price or reduced, he admitted reduced but still wouldn't let me have it at a reduced price. Evidently I'm missing something here, but for the life of me can't think what!

I left empty handed with a promise of a call by 2.30 today, wherein I would be told when the plinth would be delivered. I will concede the manager intimated if the next one arrives damaged (whenever that might be) I'll get a replacement for free and a full refund! Believe that when I see it.

The sun is shining which means I haven't had much time to blog cause I've been enjoying the moment as it were! The garden is wilting, not through neglect but due to the fact that we have a water shortage and I'm having to be good with the amount I splurge upon it. Nonetheless it is still glorious to lounge in, soaking up the rays.

I love the sun it always brings an air of happiness with it, I will admit I'm not a sun goddess though, I can't just sit in it and would rather being 'doing', hence why when out in the garden I'm playing Swingball {solo! :-( } or reading even cleaning the barbeque which I'm feeling quite pious about having done it to a gleaming standard.

Today however I'm not so happy with the sun, as it's blazing away and I'm stuck in a sticky office, {no air conditioning here!} ewww.... Surely the sun knows to go in when I'm working?

Fortunately for me I'm not due back into this sweatbox until Friday after today, so I've got 3 whole days away. Mind you there is a hint of there being thunderstorms etc on way to us ... sigh..

As you can imagine the gorgeous weather has meant I've been lapse once again on here, and now that the world cup has started my visits are bound to be less frequent. Oh well.. I'm sure it wont go away.

Talking of the world cup (well I was) England seem to be the only team to win without scoring themselves! Fingers crossed this doesn't direct their future games will be so lack lustre and relient on others mistakes!

What luck!

Having had a bit of a gruesome week with pain, and extra activites not wanted (see earlier post re my trauma), I had a right result the other day.

As mentioned I'd ordered a new TV which got delivered on Thursday and I had to chip into my savings to pay for it. It was a major extravagance and yet I thought what's the point in waiting, I could get run over by a lorry tommorow, oh no that's right that's already happened, but still. Alright I admit it, I just wanted it and I'd decided to regress into a spoilt child and had a must have need!

Onto the right result! I had to pop into my local town Worthing to go to my bank to get a cheque drawn to pay for the family holiday. I've been very good putting money away each month to pay for this, and having asked for the cheque to be drawn, I decided to close the account as I'm no longer paying money into it. So we started the closing process.

I was met with an 'Ooooh' by the cashier, who said there seems to be an error as your account has now shown an increase of £2000! And so I was asked if I was expecting any monies to be paid in... Wishing I was, I could only say 'No', gloomily. So a call was made to head office to see why I had the increase etc.

On the cashier's return I was advised it was the interest payment for the account for the year, which would have been put in mid June, but as I'd closed it before then, it came in now. It seems it was accrued as I had my compensation money sitting in the account before it all got tied up in hte new home etc. So the £2000 was all mine to have! Yee ha. How big a cheesy grin did I have??? Huge!

Which means I managed to pay back some of the money I borrowed out of savings for the TV, so now I sit watching the TV which the bank paid for! Yippee!

No doubt I've used my luck up for the year, so I'm going to be real careful from now on!

It's here and it's wonderful!

OMG, the TV is superduper! How childish does it sound for a 35 year old woman to be saying superduper? Major, I do believe, but I just don't care so again I say super duper! Nah!

Okay I will admit it took a bit of a time for my eyes to adjust to the huge screen, about half and hour and now, the screen looks right at home, which is just as well cause it's not going anywhere!

Surround sound has all been hooked up, I've got to scrub up on my DIY skills and tack the wires to the speakers down, right now they all look higgledy piggledy so they've got to be sorted. Maybe I'll pass that job over to Carole... hmmm... I reckon I'll get away with it. I so love delegating! Rather like I love passing the blame (Jess take note LOL).

We all sat and watched the DVD of Pirates of the Caribbean, so love that film and with surround sound it was fanbloodytastic! I feel a Star Wars evening will be required soon.

I'm so excited!

I'm sitting at home killing time as I'm waiting for a delivery. Die time die... and when my item gets here, thrive time thrive.

Last week I ordered an HD ready TV, a whole 40" along with a surround sound system. I so can't wait. If I turn my head and look out the window again, I'm sure my necks going to creak, and yet.... I can't stop myself. Ooooohhhhh heard a car.... Nope not for me... Sigh...

Oh hurry up! This is worse than crimbo time, which is only 6 months away, yippee... Ooooohh another car... Rats it's not the installation people.

Sigh... I'm going to have to do something else while I wait. I know I'll got and have lunch.

Traumatic Time was had by me this week.

Okay, no one laugh, come on I wan't your assurances that you will control your sniggers and not laugh too much at the following story, which relates to my misfortune.

In the hope that you will honour your promise I will carry on.

Before I go into the whole story, I’m going to have to give you a bit of background over a major character in it. Before I had my car accident I snapped my anterior cruciate ligament and ended up in the Rehabilitation Home run by the Police for physiotherapy etc. Whilst there I met up with a girl, who I will call M throughout.

The Background!

M had been involved in a car accident arising by her driver responding to a 999 call and taking a corner by St Paul’s Cathedral in London too fast, which resulted in them, ended up smashing through a bus stop. M was the only one injured, and ultimately she got a compression injury in her spine, which developed into a twisting of her spine in the thoracic area. She also suffered from muscle spasms, so severe that they gave her the shakes etc, and these were brought on by her not managing her capabilities properly.

M was as action girl, a real gym addict and as you can imagine her injury was meant to prevent her from carrying on in her attendance. However she went against medical advice and continued to go to the gym etc. This meant her spasms got worse meaning her friends etc were left to pick up the pieces after wards. I can’t begin to count the amount of times she has got herself taken to hospital by ambulance because of her stupidity and mismanagement of her condition.

As most of you know I have back problems but I know my limitations. I know and so does she, when you do too much you can end up in a right state which means you have to be dependent on others, which in my mind isn’t on. I don’t think its fair, when it can be avoided; to have others forced to care for you. I recognise this, she doesn’t, and as such I often perceive her as really selfish. I appreciate she’s got a shit hand in life now, but still. Am I being too harsh in my opinion?

Whenever I would go and visit her, she’d do too much either before I got there or whilst I was there, which would mean the time I was there would be spent nursing her as it were. I’d do anything for my friends but in all honesty I kind of felt I was being taken advantage of. When you asked her to take it easy, she’d rebel, she wouldn’t use things to assist, say a motorised wheelchair as it was too indicative of being disabled, and instead she’d insist on self wheeling (when she had a need for a chair) which in turn meant she’d spasm in an hour and I or others would be left to pick up after her.

M is also the woman who despite having had a throacic spine fused with titanuim bits (way too complicated and dull for me to relate) and who wears a spinal brace, when board kiting, got lifted up by the wind, thrown in the air, fractured her skull and went unconcious and as you can imagine this didn't help the back at all! And still expected people to run around for her! I hated the fact our overstretched health service was picking up after her due to her lack of self restraint!

The Story relating to my trauma

M sent me a text message and said, “Fancy popping round and going out for lunch”. I naively thought “hey, sounds good” and replied with a positive, arriving at her home just before midday.

M says we’ll drive into the local village and have a pub lunch and as it was okay weather we’ll eat outside so we can take her German shepherd, but before sitting down we will give him a quick run around the field. M mentions it may be muddy and so lends me her lodger’s welly boots, (slightly too big for me). I go with, though I wasn’t up for dog walking, my back wasn’t in the best shape, and I had a busy evening to attend to, namely Stoolball umpiring, but heck it was going to be a quick dash round a field and then a pub lunch easy! Only it wasn’t!

We enter the field and this transpires into a walk into a wood, ultimately it could have been pleasant if I hadn’t of been sliding all over the place in a quagmire! Not good to have sudden slips when you’re back isn’t the most stable! Neither was it much fun wading through mud, struggling with the possibility of losing the wellies as they were too big. I know it’s a funny image, but I have to say I wasn’t laughing; my sense of humour had totally disappeared. And when I expressed this calmly (yes truly calmly ~ though I wanted to have a major temper tantrum and throw my toys a far distance from the pram so to say) I was cast aside. M just kept on.

M has only recently moved to the outskirts of this village so didn’t really have a good idea where we were, neither did we have maps etc. We end up climbing steep banks and I express I want to go back, as I’ve had enough, a quick stroll round a field has now turned into an hour and it was more like a hike, and I only came for lunch! Again, I was ignored and she carried on. By now I’d had it, my back was screaming, I was totally pissed off, so I tried to be sensible and said I think we should head back the way we came. M said do what you like and just walked off and left me, how caring how considerate. This from the woman whom, I've dog sat for, (though the little bugger bit me), run errands for, sat with her through the night when's she's been really bad, having been stupid by over exerting herself, my god was I feeling bitter and angry at that moment (yes)! Fab!

So I turned around and entered the woods again. Ahem… as I’d spent so much time watching my footing, I kind of lost my way, there were loads of paths crisscrossing the woods and I had no idea which one I needed. Ultimately I got out the woods and hiked across a couple of fields, before stumbling into a farm, where I sought directions. By this time I’d been walking nigh on 2 hours, and not nice level walking. I was in a bit of a state and it’s taken a good couple of days for me to get my back into a manageable level again.

As you can imagine M and I are no longer talking, and to be honest I feel kind of relieved.

Hope you’ve managed to get the picture of me wallowing in the mud out of your mind now! I’m beginning to find the situation slightly amusing, only slightly mind!

As I'm never one to accept blame for myself, I've decieded this time it's all Jess's thought that I ended up at Blogthings doing the inane tests so you can thank her for these! LOL.

You Are 40% Boyish and 60% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch. Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes. You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

Do any of you remember when we ended up with silly muppet names in Gars? If so no doubt the following test will apply. Funny how I ended up with the name I chose myself! LOL.

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test