What are you doing today?

[Scepticalscribe]

Do you remember when you could pop to a shop and get something in 5 minutes?

Something to cherish.

Time, - and its elasticity and the perception of its passing - is an amazing thing.

And these days, it can take days and days.

Actually, just now, I am really annoyed; yesterday, I placed an order with a (local) coffee business - precisely because they are small and local (and, I mistakenly thought, geographically convenient for rapid deliveries), for, as a consequence, rather erroneously, I thought I could expect to receive it today, or perhaps tomorrow.

Anyway, I have been informed that I can expect to receive it by Tuesday evening by DHL. A phone call failed to resolve anything, for I was offered excuses rather than apologies.

 

[Huntn]

Heading for the gym, then back to work on my new planting bed, am actually making progress!

​

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Still spitting teeth at that local coffee company.

As it happens, their office (and roastery) is less than ten miles from my address yet they insist (most unhelpfully) that a five day expedition excursion with DHL is the only way that they can send my coffee to me.

Their attitude ('that's your problem') and tone irked me even more than their refusal to want to see that taking five days to complete a journey of under ten miles for a coffee delivery is ludicrous.

 

[Huntn]

Still spitting teeth at that local coffee company.

As it happens, their office (and roastery) is less than ten miles from my address yet they insist (most unhelpfully) that a five day expedition excursion with DHL is the only way that they can send my coffee to me.

Their attitude ('that's your problem') and tone irked me even more than their refusal to want to see that taking five days to complete a journey of under ten miles for a coffee delivery is ludicrous.

So they don’t have a customer counter?

 

[shadow puppet]

Getting a hair cut this afternoon. Last one was in November. I currently look like an aging hippie.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

So they don’t have a customer counter?

A mobile (cell) number I tracked down, with an unsympathetic person - with an unhelpful attitude - on the other end of the line.

Getting a hair cut this afternoon. Last one was in November. I currently look like an aging hippie.

I feel your pain.

My last haircut was mid December.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sipping a beer and trying to calm down.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Phoned Decent Brother (chatted for about an hour) to thank him for the (mixed) crate of wine that arrived today, and emailed Other Brother and my German sister-in-law to thank them for their parcel (books and 70% dark chocolate) that also arrived today.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Car booked in to replace the faulty petrol flap actuator for Wednesday as it won't open at all now. Looks like I'll be slumming it in Mrs AFB Kia until then.

First curtain pole up. Two more to go. Not looking forward to the big one which is next.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Still seething re that local coffee company.

This morning, I headed into the city to the farmers' market:

Eggs (free range, organic, local), salad greens, tomatoes, cucumber, chard, small beets, onions, carrots, blood oranges, lemons, parsley, olives (both black and green, the latter stuffed with anchovies), fish, black pepper corns, French bread, and fresh coffee - Colombian, rather than my more usual Ethiopian, because the proprietor recommended it - (because I cannot expect to receive my coffee order before Tuesday) were all purchased.

Meanwhile, the coffee company which lies less than ten miles from my house - following my phone call, yesterday afternoon, I was furious, (which is not a state I normally find myself in, and nor do I like to feel such powerfully negative emotions, it takes a lot to infuriate me, but, thus, and therefore, it also takes me a while to calm down when I do become angry) - probably recalling the unpleasant phone call yesterday when I had phoned to ask whether other, alternative, arrangements might be possible so that I could receive my coffee yesterday, having ordered it the day before, given that they are local, and very close - they normally guarantee next day delivery ("that's your problem", when I said that I couldn't click and collect; "do you expect us to prioritise your order?" - well, yes, it is local, you should be able to do local deliveries yourself; and - when I commented that coffee companies from London and Dublin had been commendably swift in the past "well, I'm sure they'll be happy with your business") - wrote, unexpectedly, (probably after some thought) an email today which attempted to strike a slightly more emollient tone.

 

[Alli]

Flash floods here, so any plans I might have made have been washed away.

 

[Huntn]

Phoned Decent Brother (chatted for about an hour) to thank him for the (mixed) crate of wine that arrived today, and emailed Other Brother and my German sister-in-law to thank them for their parcel (books and 70% dark chocolate) that also arrived today.

I laugh every time I read this and think about poor indecent brother.

 

[Pumbaa]

Flash floods here, so any plans I might have made have been washed away.

Better your plans than you.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I laugh every time I read this and think about poor indecent brother.

Well, I am close to one brother - and I didn't want to name him here, hence Decent Brother - because he has the character, decency, kindness and generosity of my father (qualites that are too little appreciated in men, I think) - hence, he was baptised with this appellation on these threads, although, this past year, or two, since my mother died, my relationship with my other brother (who is not indecent, it is just that we weren't as close) has improved considerably, and we are kind and thoughtful to - and considerate of - one another.

This afternoon, a very good college friend phoned from Oslo, where he now lives and works, and we chatted for the best part of two hours, very welcome and much appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed.

 

[Clix Pix]

SS, I guess in your community they don't have any sort of delivery service such as "Door Dash," where a customer can order something -- usually a meal from a restaurant or carryout place, but they also probably do service coffee shops, bakeries, etc., as well -- and the shop has a contract with Door Dash so that it does not need to have hired employees specifically for delivering to local customers; the customer pays the delivery fee, of course. Some small shops do not want or cannot hire extra staff only for the occasional local delivery and even during COVID-19 they've been able to manage by offering curbside delivery which does work for most people who have cars and can easily get to the shop. Yes, those who for whatever reasons don't have a vehicle or don't drive are at a disadvantage in this ever-increasing vehicle-reliant era. In my area, it would be very difficult to live without a car at one's disposal.

That said, now the new trend, after years and years of building vehicle-focused suburban communities, seems to be going back to the concept of creating a walkable "village" of mixed housing and shops so that the reliance on vehicles to even just simply go out to pick up some food is lessened. There's an area not too far from where I live, which used to be just some odds-and-ends of warehouses, a few old houses, an old movie theatre, which was eventually bought up by some savvy developers and has now been re-emerging as "Mosaic," a walkable community with townhouses, condo apartments, rental apartments, shops, restaurants, a brand-new movie theatre, a regular grocery store and an organic market, a "doc-in-the-box" walk-in medical services facility, etc., etc...... One could easily live there and never need to drive anywhere to get basic necessities and have nice meals in restaurants.

 

[Clix Pix]

Phoned Decent Brother (chatted for about an hour) to thank him for the (mixed) crate of wine that arrived today, and emailed Other Brother and my German sister-in-law to thank them for their parcel (books and 70% dark chocolate) that also arrived today.

Methinks you have a birthday coming soon, right?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Methinks you have a birthday coming soon, right?

How very right you are.

Tomorrow, as it happens.

 

[shadow puppet]

How very right you are.

Tomorrow, as it happens.

Happy early birthday!!!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Happy early birthday!!!

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Thank you.

Some beer (and crisps, chips to Our Transatlantic Cousins) have just been delivered.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And wine (plus books and chocolate) were delivered yesterday.