Not the best timing

So after the move I took up rowing a bit more seriously again. With two of the major events cancelled so far it seems the weather gods have not looked kindly upon this decision. At least my new rowing club does an excellent line in post outing coffee and cake.
Other than this minor blot our new life continues apace. Small child is settled in to the new nursery to the extent you'd be convinced she owns it. As well as rowing I've also rediscovered cycling. I've dug out the 18 year old beast that has followed us from house to house, on the promise that one day I'd use it again. With station parking at £5 per day, the incentive to get the thing mobile again was certainly there. So I'm now a little bit fitter, a little bit more windblown and, above all, insufferably smug. With the parking having gone up to £5.50 (10%, you bastards) I'm now 10% smugger. Although there is a temptation to regard this as extra cash direct to my pocket for personal treats. Muffin, anyone?

Snow

Snow is a monstrous occurrence before which all should quake in fear. White death, powerful and invincible even in its lightest measure. Tremble before it puny mortals. Run, mewling for your mother's embrace. Quake in fear and await your doom in compliant supplication.

Extract from Heathrow airport operating manual.

Moving On ...

So tomorrow is my last day at my current job. Then next week I move house, and start working in London village. Luckily my wonderful daughter (3 and a half) and my beautiful wife (who looks 21 and a half) are coming with me. Provided I don't annoy them too much by Tuesday.

 

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Off to Sutton

A family outing today: we're off for a lovely day out in Sutton! There are nicer places to go, but worse ones too. All to do with the impending move; rental hunting. Like house hunting but without the scope for imagination.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

On the move again

Well, it's been over a year since we moved last time. Of course now the first thing to consider is the school. I'm pushing for rowing club proximity to be considered too.

Friday, June 01, 2012

We're living in the future

I've posted this from a phone! And I've forgotten how to write more than 140 characters.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

How Rubbish Can BT Be?

Well, we upgraded to BT Infinity! I was actually quite pleased. We are getting speeds up in the high 30 MB, at all times of day. The only issue is a rare, but annoying tendency, for the line to drop out, and the router to need resetting.

Then the letter arrived, promising "an even better BT Infinity modem for free".

A moment's research found that this was actually to fix an overheating problem that was causing the line to drop out. Well, annoying that they didn't come clean, but at least they were fixing it.

Even better, the letter promised "We'll do the work whenever it suits you - daytime, evening or weekend. Our engineer will only need about 30 minutes to set it up."

Next niggle - no answer on the telephone booking line. Still, there was a website where we could book an appointment.

It turns out that "whenever it suits you - daytime, evening or weekend" means weekdays, between 8am or 5pm. And that's it. And the engineer needing only 30 minutes is irrelevant, since you need to say in from 8am to 1pm, or 1pm to 5pm to wait for them.

As far as I'm concerned that steps over the line from "misleading" to "outright, blatant lie." It shows a dreadful lack of respect for customers.

I'd have been happier with a simple admission of the design flaw, and a very apologetic request to book a weekday time, within specified hours, perhaps with a minor, low cost customer rebate - either cash, or even reduced calls or a minor perk for a limited period. They didn't need to offer more than they are doing, just be honest about it.

The irony is that until this I was pleased with the actual technical performance of the service, and had recommended it to others. No more. I will be contacting people I'd praised BT Infinity to, and filling them in on the extra details.

And on Monday I will be looking for alternatives to BT, both for my home internet and the work business account.

 

About Me

Name: Stef the engineer

Location: London, United Kingdom

Preparing for a graceless descent into middle age, recently moved down South, trying to buy a house, juggling childcare, living for time on the water followed by a decent pint. Married with two cats. We don't have to send them through college, and they keep the mice down. Mind you, you can't send them up the chimney to clean it. (Since had suggestions from friends involving pointy sticks, and the cat taking a passive, if uncomfortable, role in the procedure. Note to self: get nicer friends.) For a mid-life crisis decided to have a baby; didn't quite realise quite how demanding the Tiny Tyrant would be, although she rules by love rather than fear. Actually now she's toddling and talking there is some fear in there too. Star sign: Bollocks (but then they all are)

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To anyone offended by not being on my blogroll; I like to describe where people would go, rather than just slap the link down. If I visit your blog regularly, leave comments and yet you're not listed, I'm not trying to be offensive. I'm just a lazy arse.

• Daily Sally
• Ascerbic, sometimes angry, American Boomer. Apparently that's not a bird that lives in marshland and makes loud noises; it's some kind of demographic label. Shame; I have this weird vision of an entire generation of Americans lurking in the reeds, lifting their throats, and calling to each other like podgy bitterns. Whatever. I like reading what she writes, although it isn't light relief, and I don't always agree with it.
• D Flat Chime Bar
• Surly Girl's Blog. She writes about life, because she has one. I'm so jealous. And she left me a comment. But I'm not pimping her blog, honest. I do really read it, and like it. She appears to have moved recently, but her new home has an important point of commonality with her last; it is surrounded by an ever increasing group of mutant aliens. She spends her time defending her family; think "Assault on Precinct 13" crossed with "Pitch Black." I guess that would make her Vin Diesel? She claims she has an amazing ability to hit a flat bit of metal screwed to a cylinder thing, making a sort of mournful off-key boink noise, but has offered no proof.
• Curlews in the Goyt
• By Birdwatcher. Sort of Victor Meldrew meets Bill Oddie. In a nice way.
• James and the Blue Cat
• One of the writers of Green Wing. We are not worthy! Genuinely funny and entertaining, and I used to keep reading to see if there were any clues about when the next series will be screened. I seem to have kept the habit.
• That Man in Japan
• A man, in Japan. If you ever want to know what it would be like for a gaijin to make a living and, more importantly, make a life, in Japan, this blog would be a good place to start.
• Grammar Puss
• So many blogs, so little time. Look, I like it because it's well written, ascerbic and she really cares about grammar. I always imagine she'd give you a really strong telling off if you misplaced an apostrophe. Lovely. A good jumping off point to read the blogs of many people far more important, intelligent, cultured and, probably, attractive than you. It's the blogging equivalent of pressing your face up against the window of a really fancy restaurant. And drooling. Seems to have gone very quiet recently, though.
• Life is...
• Dave's blog. He's a minister in a obscure cult that appears to worship cricket, and I gather he spends a fair proportion of his time marrying siblings to each other so they don't have to share out their tractors to outsiders. He runs his ministry by allowing visitors to his blog to suggest what he should do with all the e-mails and letters that arrive, thus abdicating all responsibility for his actions, and is currently waiting for the arrival of $30M in Nigerian diamonds. Harrison Ford plans his holidays for him. Well, it's all sort of true, in my head. Currently living in a caravan, as his house went swimming without him.
• Urban Chick
• Urban Chick is a pair of really, really cute shoes animated by sheer force of will. They have adventures. She takes pictures. Of the shoes, not the adventures.
• Slap of the Day
• Bela shows us that virtual violence can solve our problems. Unfortunately there's no way to nominate something for a slap, or ask for a slap yourself. Maybe one day.
• Quinquireme
• Patroclus introduces us to a weird world of ancient languages, and classical geekery, with a delicate hint of interior design and shopping. Would you like fries with that? In a strange twist, she has "hooked up" with James. I don't know where the Blue Cat fits in, and am too scared to ask.
• Smat's Blog
• A sporadic blogger, but occasional commenter. So her name's on the list.

Links

You know where Dilbert is, and finding news on the web isn't hard. Here's what else I like.

• Pibgorn
Is it wrong to fancy a cartoon fairy? No, not Pib; the hairy one! And it's moved, by the way. This is the new link.
• Kansai Dragons
So I'm not there anymore. I still keep an eye on them; I'm one of their parents.
• Stourport Boat Club
Retirement home for an old rower.

"Please miss. Can I have a weather pixie?"

Oh, go on then. Random type, hopefully. Live a little!

And what does this do? I have no idea.

Previous Posts

• Not the best timing
• Snow
• Moving On ...
• Off to Sutton
• On the move again
• We're living in the future
• How Rubbish Can BT Be?
• Yoo hoo! I'm still here
• So It's Been a While..
• Over Here, Over Here, Yoo Hoo!

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