SOLC – Slice of Life Challenge – Two for the Price of One!

Two slices that is…

Grab yourself a coffee (or preferred beverage) and enjoy!

Last Tuesday I promised a slice all about the birthday celebrations – then I didn’t manage to post a slice at all… let’s step back to mid-August – there are many of us now wishing we could step back a few weeks and relive the summer…

I started celebrations on the Friday as I went to a Jazz Festival (my dad’s band ‘Broadband’ were playing) -it was a fantastic night with friends and afterwards I went to spend a bit of time with my Dad. I got home close to 1 a.m and crept to bed.

The next morning I expected to wake late – but I am still like a child with birthday excitement! I was awake at 5 a.m and in Blogland so as to not wake Mr G.

Then we shared a lovely birthday breakfast*. I treated myself to some cereal (chocolate pillows filled with hazelnut chocolate – I am such a big kid!) and croissants and coffee and some special ‘Gooey’ biscuits Mr G had bought!

Then I had a treasure hunt to find presents (told ‘ya… big kid!) it was the first birthday/ any celebration in our new house and I wanted to remember it! I had 8 clues text to my mobile. I had to ask for help on social media… who says it’s for networking?! Eventually I found them all – by this point a friend was over and I had to get ready for a family lunch.

My family lunch was amazing and I enjoyed a lovely meal out in good company! My bro and his partner managed to get there with my nephews… any excuse to play the birthday child! I loved sharing it with a 5 and 8 year old. All their needs met. Excited questions about presents answered eagerly!

I got home in time for a quick outfit change and went out to a local bar for birthday evening drinks with a few friends. We got home for 10ish (incredibly early) but I had been out for almost 10 hours and was exhausted. Our friend who came back with us had the superb idea of ordering a take-away, we finished the night off with a film and a curry. (Oh and some more drinks!)

My birthday continued on the Sunday with a birthday brunch of hash browns, potato waffles, eggs and beans, something there was no time or stomach room to have on my actual birthday.  Oh AND I got a cake with candles… Thanks Mr. G!

This past week I have been relaxing (offline for the Bank Holiday weekend – as Mr G had time off and has completely transformed the garden!) I have had family visit and helped babysit two incredibly cute nephews in their onesies!

Today is the first day I need to get back to ‘work’, organise my future. Which leads me to the banking fiasco of today!

Today… started early as I woke up with a hacking cough sometime just after 6AM and didn’t manage to get back to bed, let alone sleep. (I’ve had the cough for over 3 weeks and due to the PSA adverts got a little worried. Eventually had a Dr appointment last week, airways seem to be clear. So as long as it has gone in 3 weeks (now 2.5 weeks) I should be okay, if not at that point they will order a chest x-ray!) It isn’t as bad as it was – but when I start I can’t stop and lying down is the most likely thing to set it off!)

THE BANKING FIASCO

I decided to ACTION my two main tasks for the day – joining agencies for work this September and activating online banking (having forgotten to transfer bill payment money last week before the Bank Holiday weekend. Eek!)

And so begins my day – it is hard to imagine without an image of Calamity Jane! I am a real techno phobic deep down and am one of the rare species who prefer face to face contact in a local branch. Firstly, I discover I have online banking, last accessed 6 months ago. Of course I have to change all my details as I cannot recall usernames and passwords and all paperwork is still in a ‘I just moved house (this June) box’!

Secondly, I discover that I don’t have the right telephone number logged with them so they cannot verify who I am. I look up a landline number to contact (as I only have mobile access) and wait until after 8 a.m. I eat my last bowl of birthday cereal* and watch some TV.

I phone the bank. I confirm the changed details. I log into my account, online. I process the transaction – incorrectly at first, of course (see note about techno phobic), I try again. The transaction is successful – they will phone to verify.

The phone number is incorrect. I change it. That will take 3 days to process. (As will the financial transaction – the first payments are already going out and there is no overdraft facility!) I look up another alternative telephone contact and phone for assistance. I am told I don’t have telephone banking so they can’t help me. I set up telephone banking so I am never in this farcical scenario again. That will take another 5 days.

An hour later I have to walk into town (close to us) in baking sun (thank goodness we have a few more sunny days at the end of the school holiday to enjoy!) I queue at my bank and get served by a trainee so everything needs to happen twice and be confirmed (we all started somewhere) – but for some UNKNOWN reason my bank cannot transfer the money across to another account of mine in a different bank and so I have to walk the street with cash for all my bill money. Fortunately the banks are all close together and I don’t have far to walk… needless to say I prayed all the way!

I wait in an EXCEPTIONALLY long queue and EVENTUALLY transfer my HARD earned pay into our joint account to pay for Household bills! The total transaction time approx: 3 hours! And they say internet banking makes everything quicker – we will see next month when hopefully it will be up and running! I cannot set a debit as the monthly amount varies before any of you suggest such sensible solutions.

Now I have half a day to sort agencies for the Autumn – and to relax and enjoy the sunshine. We still have boxes to unpack and rooms to sort – but it is sunny and anybody who lives in the UK will tell you, when this happens – you get outside and enjoy it!

 Off to get a big coffee of my own now!