The grumpy thread

[SierraMikeHotel]

Big family barbecue tomorrow for the wife's birthday. That's the perfect fucking day for the fridge to break, isn't it?

 

In a really infuriating way, too: it works perfectly fine, but one of the hinges has failed in such a way that it refuses to shut.

 

Fortunately we have another fridge...

[SierraMikeHotel]

My brother-in-law has suggested a g-clamp but we don't have one that fits.

[xtriple]

Think I've had enough.

 

Yesterday, helped a neighbour by taking him to hospital, when we got there, he said he expected me to bring him home, which was not arranged, the dogs were in the car and it was HOT, so I didn't really fancy hanging around for an indeterminate amount of time. I gave him my number and said to call when he was finished and if I could, I'd come back and pick him up.

 

You would have thught I'd smacked him in the face.

 

So I hung around for the best part of an hour then had to go to meet my mate with wife problems, tried to ring neighbour but he didn't pick up. Rang again later to see where he was, still no answer.

 

Went and met mate, had a good chat about various relationship problems and his new dates he's been on (it seems 'Match.com' works), advice and man hugs given and then sat on the grass with dogs. A lass wanders over and starts chatting, pretty lass, nice dog, getting along fine, mate wanders off and sits alone for a few minutes then comes back, declares he's off and leaves, I tried to stop him/get him to sit and chat (this lass wouldn't sod off!) but he just went. Now he's not talking to me either! Apparently I'm a 'bad friend' and should be 'ashamed of myself'.

 

So I tried to do good things and now the very people I tried to help hate me.

 

To compound all this, I have plagued myself with 'bad' dreams ever since: basically me telling me what a c)))t I am and not worthy of friends at all.

 

Properly depressed today and just ready to hand my cards in.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

.....helped a neighbour by taking him to hospital, when we got there, he said he expected me to bring him home...

It's the sense of entitlement that would piss anyone off.

[STUNO]

Think I've had enough.

 

Yesterday, helped a neighbour by taking him to hospital, when we got there, he said he expected me to bring him home.

You would have thought I'd smacked him in the face.

 

So I tried to do good things and now the very people I tried to help hate me.

 

 

You need to give up being nice to people who don't appreciate help and well meant advice  

If someone gives me advice I don't want about something, I thank them then carry on being stupid/totally wrong .

[beko1987]

Yea thats out of order, I would have done the same tbh (unless they had made it clear they wanted me to stay and asked accordingly...) drop off, call me when your done and I'll come and get you etc. Don't feel bad Mr Triple

[dave21478]

Yesterday I found that internet and phone are down at work. You are supposed to use an app to diagnose the fault yourself these days but without internet how do you download the app if you are in the middle of nowhere with a gash mobile signal?, so those of you who know my fondness* for technology can already imagine my temper at this point.

After humpfing up to the top of the tower and waving the phone in the air I finally got the app, and trudged back down to where the modem is where after 5 minutes of "tests in progress, please wait" it said it didnt know what the fuck the problem was. 

Brilliant.

I found a phone number which led to a menu system but rather than the usual "press one for sales, press two to speak to the canteen dinner ladies, press three for billing...." you have to talk to the robot woman who uses voice recognition to completely ignore what you want and connect you to some department that will be no use. So after going through various combinations of "technical problem", "faulty line", "internet doesnt work" and so on, and getting replies like "we will connect you to online banking" and "you want to change your offer? we will connect you to sales..." it turns out that screaming "fucking cunt" at your telephone loud enough to hurt your own throat seems to transfer you to a person.

A few minutes later and the diagnosis is apparently a line fault somewhere in the area and it will be fixed sometime in the next three weeks. U FUKKIN WOT M8? Three weeks? They said as a goodwill gesture they would loan an "airbox" to access internet via 3g/4g, which is fuck-all use when the signal doesnt really work indoors, but whatever, maybe I can wedge it on a windowsill or something. Unfortunately this has to be collected from the nearest Orange shop which is a 40 minute drive away, so I braved the boiling heat and Saturday afternoon crowds to go into town.

You know those old-timey paintings of purgatory and the seven circles of hell and stuff like that full of people being ass-fucked by goat-headed demons and children being decapitated and folk disemboweling themselves? they are pretty much a realtime snapshot of the shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon on the first day of the summer holidays. I fought my way through the melee, into the Orange shop, waited fucking ages to get served, had the box thrust at me by the sour-faced slagbucket and fought my way back to the car, which had been keyed. Again. 

This morning I fired up this magic box and connected to it, where it asked for the security key...ok, whats the key? I scoured the box, the booklet, every bit of paper there is, the bottom of the thing itself...tried every combination of numbers I could find all to no avail.

Luckily its Sunday and the shop will be closed as I would right now be standing in the Orange shop again making a scene, because I have just seen that the key is printed on the inside of the things battery cover. That would have been embarrassing.

 

Anyway, it doesnt work worth a fuck unless you hang out the kitchen window with it, so all for nowt.

[Richard]

I was away on holiday from the 29th of June and arrived home at midnight last night. I checked my emails and found that I had been sent one on the 29th to tell me I'm going to be in Shetland all week, not coming back until next Saturday morning, when I have another job to do that I was told rather than asked about.

 

I am contracted to work from 8:30 to 4:30, and 3:30 on a Friday. We used to be told when nights away or Saturdays were coming up so we could discuss the best way to fit them in. Now it seems to just get booked in, and it's our responsibility to tell the work if we had any plans.

 

There's also the issue that I was guilt-tripped into cancelling the second week of my holiday because another engineer was going away and two of us can't be off at once- except somebody else has been given the week that I had to cancel.

 

It feels like the piss is being taken here and I'm about to send an email to the management with what I think are reasonable demands along the lines of

 

Give us a copy of the list of work that's generated at the start of each month. We used to get it, and it gave us some warning about overnights and Saturdays.

 

No overnight or Saturday work to be booked without consulting the engineer, preferably at least a week in advance.

 

If we say that we won't be able to fit in the jobs that have been booked in for a day, don't automatically assume we are being lazy and don't give us attitude when we don't get all the jobs done. I started at 5am one day in an attempt to get everything done because I had things to do in the evening and I still didn't get home until 8pm, and that was with no breaks. 

 

 

 

Are these unreasonable things to ask for? 

[Lankytim]

I think those Union flag rear lights on some Minis are pretty snazzy. Made me smile when I first saw them. No idea why they would upset anyone.

[Guest Hooli]

Because it's a german car and not a mini.

[Des]

Imagine the outcry if Reliant had bought the Trabant factory, did a re-design tripling size and incorporating 'snazzy' tail lamp assemblies in the shape of a rotating Swastika.

[SiC]

I think those Union flag rear lights on some Minis are pretty snazzy. Made me smile when I first saw them. No idea why they would upset anyone.

I have passed the thought of painting my 1100 white and having a vinyl Union Jack on the roof. Wife is a bit meh about it and I'm not sure if it'll look a bit BNP-ish.

 

Could work or could look awful. Probably just have everyone say "That's a cool Mini, mister".

[cobblers]

I agree with your wife.

[chaseracer]

Are these unreasonable things to ask for? 

 

No.

[SiC]

I agree with your wife.

She's taken charge of painting it, so it'll probably be her final decision.

 

Our current thoughts are to get out the foam rollers and paint tins. Her attitude is that painting a metal radiator with more complex curves comes out half decent, so why not a car? I tend to agree.

 

Interwebs say that rustoleum does a half decent job, but marine paint is much better to work with and go on. Going for lighter colours help show less imperfections in the paint too apparently. Also fits the 1970s restoration vibe too.

 

Given the state of the paint on it, anything is better than what it is now. Even a can of Dulux dribbled over it - which is where my painting skills max out as. Luckily she has far more painting skills and if she thinks she can do a good job then it's all hers. Plus anything getting her involved in its restoration is good and more likely to accept it into the family!

[chaseracer]

Our current thoughts are to get out the foam rollers and paint tins. Her attitude is that painting a metal radiator with more complex curves comes out half decent, so why not a car? I tend to agree.

 

I've been thinking about repainting the 205 in this way...

[Lankytim]

Isn’t the Mini built in Oxford? It’s a clever bit of marketing, that’s all.

[dollywobbler]

Isn’t the Mini built in Oxford? It’s a clever bit of marketing, that’s all.

 

Yes, but it somehow looks like a bloated German toad. A Nissan QashQai is more British.

[SiC]

I've been thinking about repainting the 205 in this way...

Best tricks for good finish seems to be reducing bubbles and thinning the paint to improve flow. Reducing the bubbles can be done by folding the paint over rather than shaking the can. Same when mixing in thinner - folding over rather than stirring. I've also seen someone using a hairdryer in one hand when rolling with the other, which apparently works well.

 

Quite a lot of info around if you Google "$50 dollar Rustoleum paintjob". Especially in regards painting old school busses, RV and the like.

[New POD]

Isn’t the Mini built in Oxford? It’s a clever bit of marketing, that’s all.

Some minis are assembled in Oxford. Some other parts are assembled in Hams hall and Swindon (the bmw production triangle).

Lots of other bits come from across the. globe and some Binis are assembled outside of the UK.

[Timewaster]

Imagine the outcry if Reliant had bought the Trabant factory, did a re-design tripling size and incorporating 'snazzy' tail lamp assemblies in the shape of a rotating Swastika.

Not quite the same thing. I don't think Germany is full of tourist souvenir stands selling swastika umbrellas and tee shirts in quite the way we use the union Jack.

[DodgeRover]

Yesterday I found that internet and phone are down at work. You are supposed to use an app to diagnose the fault yourself these days but without internet how do you download the app if you are in the middle of nowhere with a gash mobile signal?, so those of you who know my fondness* for technology can already imagine my temper at this point.

After humpfing up to the top of the tower and waving the phone in the air I finally got the app, and trudged back down to where the modem is where after 5 minutes of "tests in progress, please wait" it said it didnt know what the fuck the problem was.

Brilliant.

I found a phone number which led to a menu system but rather than the usual "press one for sales, press two to speak to the canteen dinner ladies, press three for billing...." you have to talk to the robot woman who uses voice recognition to completely ignore what you want and connect you to some department that will be no use. So after going through various combinations of "technical problem", "faulty line", "internet doesnt work" and so on, and getting replies like "we will connect you to online banking" and "you want to change your offer? we will connect you to sales..." it turns out that screaming "fucking cunt" at your telephone loud enough to hurt your own throat seems to transfer you to a person.

A few minutes later and the diagnosis is apparently a line fault somewhere in the area and it will be fixed sometime in the next three weeks. U FUKKIN WOT M8? Three weeks? They said as a goodwill gesture they would loan an "airbox" to access internet via 3g/4g, which is fuck-all use when the signal doesnt really work indoors, but whatever, maybe I can wedge it on a windowsill or something. Unfortunately this has to be collected from the nearest Orange shop which is a 40 minute drive away, so I braved the boiling heat and Saturday afternoon crowds to go into town.

You know those old-timey paintings of purgatory and the seven circles of hell and stuff like that full of people being ass-fucked by goat-headed demons and children being decapitated and folk disemboweling themselves? they are pretty much a realtime snapshot of the shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon on the first day of the summer holidays. I fought my way through the melee, into the Orange shop, waited fucking ages to get served, had the box thrust at me by the sour-faced slagbucket and fought my way back to the car, which had been keyed. Again.

This morning I fired up this magic box and connected to it, where it asked for the security key...ok, whats the key? I scoured the box, the booklet, every bit of paper there is, the bottom of the thing itself...tried every combination of numbers I could find all to no avail.

Luckily its Sunday and the shop will be closed as I would right now be standing in the Orange shop again making a scene, because I have just seen that the key is printed on the inside of the things battery cover. That would have been embarrassing.

 

Anyway, it doesnt work worth a fuck unless you hang out the kitchen window with it, so all for nowt.

How about wrapping it in a bin bag and taping it to a pole to secure it in the one location where it can get a signal?

[DodgeRover]

I have passed the thought of painting my 1100 white and having a vinyl Union Jack on the roof. Wife is a bit meh about it and I'm not sure if it'll look a bit BNP-ish.

 

Could work or could look awful. Probably just have everyone say "That's a cool Mini, mister".

Old English white and a black or racing green roof would suit it in my minds eye.

 

Union Jack is trying to hard to be something it's not - a mini.

Confuse folk by using a NZ or Australian flag, it's got the Union Jack as a part of it.

 

Coach enamel is the right paint for brushing or rollering, tractor paint - tractol is also good and can be mixed in RAL numbers for a specific shade.

[SiC]

Perhaps an EU flag would be appropriate? I'd probably have difficulty driving it to certain parts of the country mind. Would be great for raising eyebrows at shows though.

 

I am really going towards White. The ones I've seen look really good in it. Alternatively it's likely to be blue or red. More towards the blue side though. White roof, red body (strawberries and cream) I think might be quite good too.

[DodgeRover]

Perhaps an EU flag would be appropriate? I'd probably have difficulty driving it to certain parts of the country mind. Would be great for raising eyebrows at shows though.

 

I am really going towards White. The ones I've seen look really good in it. Alternatively it's likely to be blue or red. More towards the blue side though. White roof, red body (strawberries and cream) I think might be quite good too.

I would base the EU flag idea on where you live and the ease of availability of replacement windows....

 

Red with a gold roof and wheels would look nice.

[SiC]

In Bristol I'd get knickers, bras and flowers thrown at me. Down the road in North East Somerset (Jacob Rees-Mog constituency), the locals will be out with their pitchforks.

[chaseracer]

Old English white... racing green roof...

 

[stonedagain]

Painted an outside window frame this morning. Just been out to check it's drying ok. 14 million little black flies stuck all over it!

[Guest Hooli]

I've been working on-call since 11am & still awaiting an ETA on a new switch to get the last ward up & running. Bloody powercuts blowing things up in places we've not replaced the UPS yet

 

The money will be nice but I had a day of maintenance on my pushbike ready for next weekend planned. I got as far as buying the new inner tubes before my phone rung.

[Timewaster]

Facebook is full of pictures of "football fan" twats smashing things and stood on vehicles and generally giving the country a bad name, now I read of a lad with special needs and pretty defenceless getting beaten up in a nearby town.

 

I dispise people sometimes.