Inconvenient Annoyances

The Christmas lights in the big window in the front of the house won't stay up. I'm at my wits' end trying to figure out how to get this to work!

Bloody Christmas lights! Argh.

Most U.K. prices don't really make me cringe, but for some reason I am blown away at how spendy basic Christmas lights are here.

I sucked it up, bought a few sets for our tree last weekend, and one of them has already stopped working.  Silly me thought that since LED lights are supposed to work for at least SEVERAL years, I didn't hang onto the receipt or original packaging. So unless I want a half-ars* tree, I'll be spending more money on another new set.

I have taken things back without a receipt because like you its not my intention to return the blooming stuff, so give it a try. You didn't know that they were selling defective stuff. Ask for the manager if the customer service person doesn't move. Then if the manager doesn't come across find out where he lives and send him a letter to his home in a personal pink envelope sprinkled with perfumn and maybe his wife will see it.

I think you said you paid an inflated amount for the lights.

I was charged 79 cents for a candy bar (Rocky Road, thank you) yesterday and the price on the shelf said the sale price was 50 cents. To cut a long story short they refunded the 75 cents and gave me the candy free. I thought they had made a mistake and I wanted to give them the 50 cents but they wouldn't hear of it.

I was charged 79 cents for a candy bar (Rocky Road, thank you) yesterday and the price on the shelf said the sale price was 50 cents. To cut a long story short they refunded the 75 cents and gave me the candy free. I thought they had made a mistake and I wanted to give them the 50 cents but they wouldn't hear of it.

The customer is always right! 

My IA is that I have "failed" my field of vision test and have to do it again next week. I hate those things -- I think I subconsciously just tune out because I find them so uncomfortable and annoying.

DF and I were supposed to stay at his sister's house in East Lothian tomorrow evening then go see a potential wedding venue half an hour from there first thing Saturday morning. Unfortunately, both of these places are out in the countryside, where they've had at least 2 feet of snow and complete crap clearing of it, so we're having to cancel both

Grrr...

"You know what...I made plans with friends..."

"I know I said I could make it earlier...and I know I said I'm going to be late... would you hate it if I just didn't turn up?"

"If I knew I had to pay four quid, I wouldn't have gone because it's not important to me, it's important to you"

 

This is what I get for spending a week of my free time just planning a thanksgiving menu. I invited six people and six people told me that they were coming. Three turned up. Two just didn't turn up even after I called them. Two were late and one made plans.

Funny. I asked them all weeks ago if they would be willing to join in on my thanksgiving dinner. Of course they were all enthusiastic, but when it comes to splitting the bill, they suddenly want no part in it. I spent well over 30 quid for one night and it seems like no one appreciated it. Yes there were leftovers, but if I only knew three people besides me were going to show up, I would have only cooked for four! I certainly would have spent less than over 30 quid for a single meal! I could have been mean and demanded that the other three split the bill by four, but no, I merely asked them to split it by seven, costing them less and ME more.

Again, I spent a week just planning a menu and reading recipes. I spent two days just buying everything. I spent another day and half just cooking and preparing.

What do I get? "I shouldn't have to pay for what I ate because thanksgiving isn't important to me" Excuse me? Wasn't it me who kept refilling your wine glass over and over? Isn't four quid worth the meal that I served you? Are you saying that I should have to eat the entire cost even though you ate as well?

Btw, they were served turkey breast, mashed potatoes, (made from scratch I might add, which I only do maybe five times a year) gravy (also made from scratch), fresh green bean casserole with onion rings, fresh corn, mulled wine, and smores. I cooked everything. Entree, drinks, and desert.

Next year I'm just not going to *bleep*ing bother  

My IA- the freaking Atlantic Ocean. I wish we could move it somewhere else so England and the US could border one another.

Sorry for all the colds and other sicknesses! I hope you feel better soon.

Grrr...

"You know what...I made plans with friends..."

"I know I said I could make it earlier...and I know I said I'm going to be late... would you hate it if I just didn't turn up?"

"If I knew I had to pay four quid, I wouldn't have gone because it's not important to me, it's important to you"

 

This is what I get for spending a week of my free time just planning a thanksgiving menu. I invited six people and six people told me that they were coming. Three turned up. Two just didn't turn up even after I called them. Two were late and one made plans.

Funny. I asked them all weeks ago if they would be willing to join in on my thanksgiving dinner. Of course they were all enthusiastic, but when it comes to splitting the bill, they suddenly want no part in it. I spent well over 30 quid for one night and it seems like no one appreciated it. Yes there were leftovers, but if I only knew three people besides me were going to show up, I would have only cooked for four! I certainly would have spent less than over 30 quid for a single meal! I could have been mean and demanded that the other three split the bill by four, but no, I merely asked them to split it by seven, costing them less and ME more.

Again, I spent a week just planning a menu and reading recipes. I spent two days just buying everything. I spent another day and half just cooking and preparing.

What do I get? "I shouldn't have to pay for what I ate because thanksgiving isn't important to me" Excuse me? Wasn't it me who kept refilling your wine glass over and over? Isn't four quid worth the meal that I served you? Are you saying that I should have to eat the entire cost even though you ate as well?

Btw, they were served turkey breast, mashed potatoes, (made from scratch I might add, which I only do maybe five times a year) gravy (also made from scratch), fresh green bean casserole with onion rings, fresh corn, mulled wine, and smores. I cooked everything. Entree, drinks, and desert.

Next year I'm just not going to *bleep*ing bother  

Wait, I'm confused.  You invited people to your house and then made them pay for dinner?  I'm sorry but that seems bang out of order. 

Wait, I'm confused.  You invited people to your house and then made them pay for dinner?  I'm sorry but that seems bang out of order. 

Wondering the same thing.

I'm guessing it's cos they're all students? Maybe sort of how we would order a pizza for the dorm in college and everyone split the cost?

I'm guessing it's cos they're all students? Maybe sort of how we would order a pizza for the dorm in college and everyone split the cost?

I'm a student.  We still don't invite folks over and expect them to pay for dinner.  Even in student-world. 

Work with a cold/possibly the flu. *sniffle cough hack*

Wait, I'm confused.  You invited people to your house and then made them pay for dinner?  I'm sorry but that seems bang out of order. 

Yeah, that's a bit wrong to me as well...I've never invited anyone over for a regular meal, let alone a traditional holiday meal, and charged THEM for it....if you're not willing to cover your own costs of entertaining then you shouldn't have done it in the first place.

I'm guessing it's cos they're all students? Maybe sort of how we would order a pizza for the dorm in college and everyone split the cost?

It sounds like that was what RAR was getting at, except that it doesn't sound like the guests were sincerely signed on to, or in confirmed agreement with, the plan.  Also, there was a new trend that - was it Jamie Oliver who was showing this on his show about America a year or two back?  Where you do like an unofficial 'restaurant' in your home - charging everyone a fixed price to come to your house for a meal - except that was something that the 'home restaurateurs' advertised on Facebook to strangers until they got the maximum number of paying guests that they wanted & the price was set and agreed in advance.

I would think that it would probably be confusing (and perhaps a bit offputting?) though to ask people to come over for Thanksgiving dinner, expecting them to pay you.  We do a Thanksgiving meal at our house where we cook all the main underpinnings (turkey, stuffing, mash, pies, etc) - but we aren't students on limited funds.  However, each guest is asked to bring a dish (not money )which we agree in advance - so we don't end up doing the whole shebang ourselves & everyone gets to have input/participation on the food.  That might be a better way forward in the future?  Or if you don't have the money to do the mains, then do a total potluck thing - you cook one dish & everyone else brings something.  Unless you're going out to eat somewhere - a restaurant where everyone pays, (IMO) Thanksgiving is about getting together with friends/family & sharing (food and the day).

Okay - on to my IA (as I don't think I've posted one yet on the all-new IA thread!):

I receive a private health insurance benefit as part of my compensation package for my job.  It really annoys me that I can get more money reimbursed in a year for alternative things such as aromatheraphy, Hopi ear candling, and colonic hydrotherapy - than I can get reimbursed for eyeglasses (only £35 annual reimbursement!), something essential to my health/quality of life that I really need because I'm pretty blind without them & also considering I really only get a pair about every other year or so.  FFS!  (I am reminded of this because I got a mailer through in the post today reminding me of all the alternative therapies they cover!)

So I can have stuff put up my nose, stuck in my ears, and up me bum - but none of that will help me to see any better...just eyeglasses!