The grumpy thread

[xtriple]

I do my BIG shop every month online with Sainsburys. Not this month it seems as there are no hoe deliveries listed at all. Tried Asda, no home delivery slots listed. This is going to make things interesting as I and I suspect, a lot of other old crips, will be proper fucked.

Also had an e-mail from the vets which is the most terrifying scaremongering shit I've ever heard. staff wearing masks and clear plastic visors, no one allowed in the shop until 1 minute before their appointment. All repeats to be ordered over the phone and paid for at that time, collection to be at a specified date and precise time.

Have I mentioned before how much I hate this vet?

[wuvvum]

17 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Shame. Might be alright as a parts donor. I think Neil Hotham (he of the 250hp+, souped-up, pearlescent-painted S2 Turbo 1) is always on the lookout for a spare 5-speed diesel gearbox (stronger than petrol 5 speeders. allegedly), and the CX diesel lickers would usually welcome having a spare engine to hand.

Lights glass and trim always useful.

Mainland Europe CX lickers (mainly the fanatical ones in Holland and Germany) will welcome the LHD-specific parts. Battered panels might be useful for a panel beater to practise on, assuming not creased.

Be a shame to see it broken up, it's not that rotten - although I suppose if I sell it I don't really have any control over what happens to it.

I'm not even sure how much it's worth as it is.

[High Jetter]

11 minutes ago, xtriple said:

... there are no hoe deliveries listed at all. 

Um, are we talking garden implements or willing ladies?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

2 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Be a shame to see it broken up, it's not that rotten - although I suppose if I sell it I don't really have any control over what happens to it.

I'm not even sure how much it's worth as it is.

My guess is you'd probably get a bit more for it in Europe than here, mainly because not enough people in Britain are genuinely interested enough (i.e. not flippers) to actually own a CX. I get the impression that it's a bit like the Visa in that respect - only about 140 cars on the road in a year.

That said, there are a few LHD CXs in Britain - generally very early Series 1s.

[Zelandeth]

Just had a text through (yep, at 2AM) confirming as I half expected that the doctor's appointment I've been waiting for the last two and a half months for (about eight weeks is the normal waiting time for a routine appointment here) has been outright cancelled.

This was a medication review for my antidepressants as I've been really struggling a bit in this last month or so.  Having been basically told by the therapist that they're not going to be able to do anything about 3/4 of the issues I asked to be referred to a councillor to address as "these are physiological reactions to the issues, nothing we can do with CBT" really isn't helpful.  However my sleep having got even worse lately and the stress this Coronavirus nonsense is causing (please bear in mind that I have an anxiety disorder to start with!) way more issues...oh, and I've been struggling to manage my ASD more in the last year or so.

So being told that I basically just have to suck it up for the foreseeable future...blaaaaaaaarg.

Especially with everyone working from home making for a very full house.  Well...aside from Abby whose boss is psychotic and won't let her work from home "because she's young and healthy" so she's having to train into central London every day. 

I have asthma.

One of our close family friends is in the middle of aggressive cancer treatment.

My Nan is 92 in a couple of months.

So yeah, I am quite worried about the potential for it to directly impact my family.  Especially as none of us have exactly a great medical history.

 

Oh...and had a phone call yesterday confirming that I am now officially unemployed.  I've only been doing occasional consultancy work as it is, but it's still a bit disheartening.  Reason is plain and simple, the budget which covers the project was sourced from an EU grant, and with Brexit happening that's just evaporated.  They'd been sitting on things for a few months until they knew what was happening...now they know.  Bye bye project.

I was pretty much expecting this to happen at some point (and it was still only the odd few hours here and there anyway) but it still sucks.  Especially as it's quite a lot of time on several folk's parts which has just been flushed down the metaphorical toilet.

Not going into politics any more than explaining why I'm grumpy!

Blarg.

[sporty-shite]

2 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Just had a text through (yep, at 2AM) confirming as I half expected that the doctor's appointment I've been waiting for the last two and a half months for (about eight weeks is the normal waiting time for a routine appointment here) has been outright cancelled.

This was a medication review for my antidepressants as I've been really struggling a bit in this last month or so.  Having been basically told by the therapist that they're not going to be able to do anything about 3/4 of the issues I asked to be referred to a councillor to address as "these are physiological reactions to the issues, nothing we can do with CBT" really isn't helpful.  However my sleep having got even worse lately and the stress this Coronavirus nonsense is causing (please bear in mind that I have an anxiety disorder to start with!) way more issues...oh, and I've been struggling to manage my ASD more in the last year or so.

So being told that I basically just have to suck it up for the foreseeable future...blaaaaaaaarg.

 

Will your GP not do a telephone consultation? If it's a meds review, they should be able to make adjustments without physically seeing you.

[sporty-shite]

On 3/13/2020 at 7:58 PM, clayts450 said:

 the going trade rates (round about 65 to 70p per loaded mile)

Really? I was doing between 75p and £1/mile in 2004. Glad I quit!

[Zelandeth]

7 hours ago, sporty-shite said:

Will your GP not do a telephone consultation? If it's a meds review, they should be able to make adjustments without physically seeing you.

Potentially - though I'll need to start the ball rolling from scratch again as they've just outright cancelled the appointment.

Not sure how to go about booking a telephone appointment as they've locked down the entire booking system (including the phone based one) so there's no way to request an appointment without physically going there.  Going there involves ignoring the big angry red signs on the door saying do not enter unless in case of dire emergency.

[purplebargeken]

Went out to get a pack of paracetamol. Boots none, Superdrug none. FFS. Local chemist, sorted but the place looked like a biohazard containment unit FFS. This is getting a bit silly. 

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, purplebargeken said:

Went out to get a pack of paracetamol. Boots none, Superdrug none. FFS. Local chemist, sorted but the place looked like a biohazard containment unit FFS. This is getting a bit silly. 

Yep...took me visits to seven pharmacies on Friday to find some Nurofen Plus (the only thing which will even touch the pain when my back is acting up).  There went a significant portion of the afternoon!

[myglaren]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Yep...took me visits to seven pharmacies on Friday to find some Nurofen Plus (the only thing which will even touch the pain when my back is acting up).  There went a significant portion of the afternoon!

If you have one close by then Savers and Home Bargains, probably others too, stock that and similar items.

[clayts450]

12 hours ago, sporty-shite said:

Really? I was doing between 75p and £1/mile in 2004. Glad I quit!

Yeah, market forces. If I had my own customers I could probably push it up to 1.20 plm, but as a subbie I have to make do with the scraps. 63p plm today, which on a 57 mile job (plus the 18 miles to pick up) equates to the square root of fuck all. And that was quite a high offer from me too !

 

[clayts450]

35 minutes ago, myglaren said:

If you have one close by then Savers and Home Bargains, probably others too, stock that and similar items.

Wilko too

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, myglaren said:

If you have one close by then Savers and Home Bargains, probably others too, stock that and similar items.

Sadly Nurofen Plus has codeine in and as such is pharmacy only.

I did eventually manage to get through to the GP surgery this afternoon on the phone.  They currently aren't booking anything whatsoever (phone or otherwise) other than for emergencies, and cannot advise when they will be changing that. 

They've also advised that as I am officially firmly in an "at risk" group, that I should be immediately taking action.  Their advice is that I should immediately cut off all contact with the outside world (including isolating myself from my housemates as they're still having to venture to work at the moment, especially Abby who's still having to take the train into Central London daily), and plan on not setting foot out the door for at least the next 12 weeks unless it's a matter of life or death.

Um...Yeah.  Let's see how that goes...

[Supernaut]

I should probably find out if I'm classified as "at risk", being a type 1 diabetic telecoms engineer who shares a house with a postie...

[PiperCub]

18 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Um, are we talking garden implements or willing ladies?

HOE? You mean a Horizontally Orientated Entertainer?

[sheffcortinacentre]

Do you have a branch of "mind" locally they give 6 months free counseling.

[MikeR]

My others halfs way to start a argument ..

The shop is on a main road between 2 towns .....

And ....

[GrumpiusMaximus]

16 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Do you have a branch of "mind" locally they give 6 months free counseling.

It depends on the Local Mind Association's provision.  I used to work for one.

Each local Mind is an independent charity that does its own fundraising and service provision.  The services therefore vary between different areas.  In effect, 'Mind' charities are a franchise system that signs up to a set of policies and procedures but are otherwise independent.  The Local Mind Association I used to work for did offer free (and paid-for) counselling, as well as drop-ins, activity sessions, housing, employment support, etc. - but we were a bigger one with good financials.  It depends.

[Zelandeth]

I did try calling them about a year back. They basically punted me back to the GP and IAPT, saying "We have 900% more patients than resources, if you get suicidal then give us a call back."

As with everything vaguely health related in my area, massively underfunded and oversubscribed.

Edited March 17, 2020 by Zelandeth
typo

[taxi paul]

Went out in the celica today. Got to leave my mums and I snapped the bloody key in the door lock.  Managed to get it out. Then realised no spare key. So celica left at mums and will now have to get one of them auto locksmith chaps to come and cut one and programme it on site. 

[Kowalski]

Presuming it has the original locks, Toyota should be able to cut you one based on the VIN number. The cheapest option would be to get a non electronic key cut and tape either the remains of the key to the barrel or take the chip out and put that there. 

[wuvvum]

Yep, Subaru were able to do that when I lost the keys to the Justy.  I then had to spend an enjoyable* few hours upside down in the driver's footwell bypassing the dealer fit immobiliser.

[Cavcraft]

The Montgomery canal triathlon's been cancelled. Been really looking forward to doing it again, buts this bastarding Corona virus has seen it off.  

[outlaw118]

Two grumps; one probably self-inflicted the other not....

ONE: Got an email from Top Boss/CEO chappie saying as of today (Tuesday) all non-essential field based staff are to either work from home or be redeployed into essential roles, if they have SKILLZ.. I don't.So I spent the day at home, ringing, texting, emailing punters on my visit list. Trouble is, at some point in 2018, someone who has no idea, decided to remove the result code for "telephone call back" and "telephone no reply" "telephone 3rd party message". That's a PITA when one is expected to document every minute of the day - As a consequence there's big gaps on my workflow stats, which show I've done about 10 calls in a 7.5 hour day. I may be being paranoid, but I'm willing to bet this will come back and bite me on the arse.

TWO: Megamoose's insurance renewal came through this morning. Best part of £550, having paid a smidge under £500 last year (Hastings) Mr Meerkat reckons he can insure me, through AXA for £385, with all the same details, barring a slightly increases excess (£350 v £250). That's a big difference, and Hastings have happily informed me, they're going to automatically renew, as "We're confident you'll be happy with our quote". 

Am I bollocks.

[Remspoor]

Lock down in Spain means no shops other than supermarkets, pharmacies, news-stands and hairdressers allowed to open. The only way of purchasing things for DIY, car repairs etc is via Amazon. Now they are closing that door too.

https://www.politico.eu/article/amazon-suspends-delivery-of-non-essential-goods-in-coronavirus-response/

[Parky]

Boss mails us at 6.30pm telling us we need to have all our sales plans redrafted by 9am tomorrow to reflect how client meetings will fall owing to Corona stuff.  

Made it quite clear that as we are working from home activity levels will be closely monitored and there are no excuses for failing to be busy.  In fact as we won’t have to commute our hours will now be 8am to 7pm and he will be calling on video to check we are at our workstations in the mornings and evenings.

What an absolute fucking prick.

[cort1977]

Does he pay you to commute? Sounds fucking dire.  

I expect everyone wfh will mean the servers are overloaded and there will be times you just can't log on right?

[Timewaster]

In all these emergency plans, whenever anyone mentions working from home I can't help but do this:

 

 

[AnthonyG]

3 hours ago, Parky said:

Boss mails us at 6.30pm telling us we need to have all our sales plans redrafted by 9am tomorrow to reflect how client meetings will fall owing to Corona stuff.  

Made it quite clear that as we are working from home activity levels will be closely monitored and there are no excuses for failing to be busy.  In fact as we won’t have to commute our hours will now be 8am to 7pm and he will be calling on video to check we are at our workstations in the mornings and evenings.

What an absolute fucking prick.

Do you have set hours? I’m fairly sure what he’s said about working longer due to no commute is illegal, although someone like @chaseracer would know more. 

He does sound like a right prick.