Inconvenient Annoyances

They changed the one for FLR(M) a day after I printed mine, which was only a few days before I planned to send it in.  I hate UKVI in so many ways.

I think I would just implode at that point.

I do balloons for the grown ups!

We stopped at a Tesco and my husband saw they had Star Wars balloons with LED lights inside on clearance, so he HAD TO buy them. I guess we're saving them for his birthday in a few weeks 

We stopped at a Tesco and my husband saw they had Star Wars balloons with LED lights inside on clearance, so he HAD TO buy them. I guess we're saving them for his birthday in a few weeks 

DH got me balloons with LEDs for my birthday. The lights were still going after THREE WEEKS!!!! 

I'm on a scotrail train. Was never given the option to book a seat when buying our tickets and yet only one carriage is for people without a reservation. If I had known that bookig a seat was an option, or given any opportunity to do so on the ticket machine, I would have done so. But no, we get to stand. I am desperately hoping someone gets off because it's going to be almost 3 hours.

I'm on a scotrail train. Was never given the option to book a seat when buying our tickets and yet only one carriage is for people without a reservation. If I had known that bookig a seat was an option, or given any opportunity to do so on the ticket machine, I would have done so. But no, we get to stand. I am desperately hoping someone gets off because it's going to be almost 3 hours.

I'd just sit on the floor between carriages! 

I'm on a scotrail train. Was never given the option to book a seat when buying our tickets and yet only one carriage is for people without a reservation. If I had known that bookig a seat was an option, or given any opportunity to do so on the ticket machine, I would have done so. But no, we get to stand. I am desperately hoping someone gets off because it's going to be almost 3 hours.

I think my partner uses Trainline when booking train tickets, and they do give you an option for seat reservations.  Next time, right?!

Pioneer Woman.
I really like most of her food, but the woman herself is just... odd.
Also, in one of this morning's episodes, she made some weird concoction of tomatoes and eggs, which looked vile to me.  Then she said 'tomatoes and eggs... it doesn't get any more delicious than this'.

I can instantly think of about 100 things that would be more delicious than that.

I think my partner uses Trainline when booking train tickets, and they do give you an option for seat reservations.  Next time, right?!

100%!!! I used national rail for the Edinburgh to home part and it did let me book a seat. It just did not let me book one for this other train which was all within Scotland so I thought they didn't do reservations. Southeastern doesn't reserve seats so I thought it wasnt unusual.

We've been experiencing a rash of utterly stupid customer service from an array of service industries lately.  This will take a while, but I'll feel better after it's all typed out.

That is so annoying! I find the customer service here shocking sometimes. Not saying I didn't get bad customer service in America, but not nearly as bad as I come across it in the UK. Hope that couch actually gets sorted!

I've lived in the UK 8 years this September and not once had a visitor. No friends or family at all have come around but that will change tomorrow when an old friend and work colleague is coming up. She has had some weird requests. She promptly let me know that she will "eat anything...but really just chicken and fish"  and that she needs a running track and if not then she will just run in the road :-/ I told her before when she asked if she could come up that I couldn't take the time off apart from one day, and she said that was fine, and that she would just cook with me in the evenings and spend the day walking around the city to try to spot Tom Hardy (I am not kidding, and she will do it too because she has asked me many times over the years about any celebs I see walking around London even though I have mentioned several times I am nowhere near it). But since saying that she has come up with some plans for us even though I told her I am not able to stop working? After explaining that she said that is fine and she will do whatever I do and go wherever I go (again...working!). I am annoyed already (is that bad?) but I think maybe I am more annoyed with myself for not planning this better and not trying to plan more activities, but at the same time I am self-employed and if I don't work I don't get paid and things have been super tight (plus I have a visa to pay for next year!)

100%!!! I used national rail for the Edinburgh to home part and it did let me book a seat. It just did not let me book one for this other train which was all within Scotland so I thought they didn't do reservations. Southeastern doesn't reserve seats so I thought it wasnt unusual.

I always get an option for reserved seats when I book directly through Scotrail.

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That is so annoying! I find the customer service here shocking sometimes. Not saying I didn't get bad customer service in America, but not nearly as bad as I come across it in the UK. Hope that couch actually gets sorted!

I think, when you're in the US, when you get bad customer service it's just that *bad* customer service. You get more annoyed/put off from going back there because of your bad experience because you're expected to give at least a 20% tip and have the service be to a higher standard. It's hard when you first move here I think (or even just when you visit) because people here completely are NOT working for tips. Here "bad customer service" can actually just be customer service. I remember the first few times I forgot that it was different here and just thought "maybe we shouldn't go back to that restaurant again as they don't pay much attention to you etc." but the longer I was here, the more I realised that it's pretty universal. When I get service that is above and beyond now, it makes me incredibly happy and they have made it a guarantee that I will tell people about it and maybe even tip a bit more than 10%, but I've come to learn to take the service out of the equation when picking restaurants I like.

In fairness though, I like the "lack" of customer service when it comes to shops vs restaurants. I like that I'm not constantly hounded by people wanting to help me as I can just get on with things and ask if I need help.

I've lived in the UK 8 years this September and not once had a visitor. No friends or family at all have come around but that will change tomorrow when an old friend and work colleague is coming up. She has had some weird requests. She promptly let me know that she will "eat anything...but really just chicken and fish"  and that she needs a running track and if not then she will just run in the road :-/ I told her before when she asked if she could come up that I couldn't take the time off apart from one day, and she said that was fine, and that she would just cook with me in the evenings and spend the day walking around the city to try to spot Tom Hardy (I am not kidding, and she will do it too because she has asked me many times over the years about any celebs I see walking around London even though I have mentioned several times I am nowhere near it). But since saying that she has come up with some plans for us even though I told her I am not able to stop working? After explaining that she said that is fine and she will do whatever I do and go wherever I go (again...working!). I am annoyed already (is that bad?) but I think maybe I am more annoyed with myself for not planning this better and not trying to plan more activities, but at the same time I am self-employed and if I don't work I don't get paid and things have been super tight (plus I have a visa to pay for next year!)

Do you work from home? If not, could you? Are you able to work flexible hours (as in maybe start a bit later than usual/end a bit later than usual as long as full hours are done)? If so, perhaps you could arrange it that you have breakfast together then you work until lunch (and she can go explore wherever). For Lunch, maybe you could go somewhere close enough by for the hour then come back and finish up work and do some fun things in the evenings?

I wouldn't be bothered about her food requests or the running requests but I would definitely be annoyed if I were you that she has chosen to come when you can't take off work (knowingly) and still expects you to play the entertaining host.... Could you maybe come up with some ideas for her (like the easiest way for her to get into London or the bus routes for her to get to the fun local spots she could check out)?? Sorry this is your first experience with visitors Definitely not the best one you could be having...

She is flying into London and then taking the train up to Manchester. I already told her she could get the tram from my place to the city (where she said she will do Tom Hardy spotting...)

It's hard because I don't have much money, and I did say that before to her. I do work from home, which is why I am really hoping she will go out and find something to do (even if it is Tom Hardy searching). The problem is I don't know what kind of work will come in when. Sometimes I can take the morning or afternoon off, sometimes I can't, but I am not in a position where I can turn down work. I told her we can do some things in the evening, and the one day we will have to go somewhere is Sunday (the day my husband is off and can drive us since I don't drive), but I feel like a crappy host for the other days.

I'm sure you've already thought about it, but maybe there's some ways you could encourage her to be more independent and thus more likely to explore a bit while you work.  How about a proper paper map with the tram stops and your house clearly marked?  A mobile phone for her with credit and your number programmed in?  Whatever the Manchester equivalent of an Oyster card is with some credit? 

I still remember when my sister came to visit and had to be shown how to catch a bus by standing on the side of  the rode where traffic is going in the direction you want to go. Or another American who thought the ferry to France would wait for them if they were late.