Almost No Blog

Okay, blog time. Yeah, well, the thing is I’m not feeling it this week. Not sure how much I’ll be able to write, because, honestly, I don’t have that much to tell you. Stuff has happened, of course, I mean I’ve breathed, eaten, gone to work, etc. but in terms of major life events, there’s not much to report. I’m over the kidney infection that plagued me at the beginning of the year, and I feel good health-wise. My new tumble dryer was delivered, although I had to plead and bribe the delivery guys to lift it into place. Whenever I’ve had to buy a new large appliance from Argos in the past, I’ve always chosen the recycle and install option. Yes, it costs an extra £50 BUT it meant the delivery guys took the old appliance away, unpacked the new one, installed it, checked it was working, and took all the packaging so, in my mind, it was worth it. And anyway, it’s not like I had much choice. Appliances are heavy and there was no way I could lift one — or even fit it — into the back of my little car or lift it out and chuck it into the skip at the recycling yard.

I went onto the Argos website and looked at all the tumble dryers within my price range. There were thirty listed but twenty-eight of them were out of stock. What the heck! Why bother listing them, Argos, and … here’s a mad suggestion … get more stock in. Finally, I found one that looked okay and put it in my basket. It could be delivered on Thursday the 4^th of January, which was good.  I couldn’t find the recycle and install option to add. I searched all over the page, but nope, no sign of it.

Eventually, I went ahead and ordered because I know from experience that the only way to talk to Argos customer service is if you have already placed an order. It’s no good phoning the helpline number if you haven’t yet placed an order, because the first thing the automated switchboard will tell you to do is key in your order number. No order number, you are stuck and can’t progress any further.

I waited for someone to talk to me, listening to the awful elevator music and being told how important my call was to them. Is it? Is it really? Well, answer it then. I put my glasses on and pulled up the order confirmation email I’d been sent and then noticed that the delivery date wasn’t the 4^th of January, but the 24^th, nearly a month away. A month? I couldn’t go without a tumble dryer for the whole of January. How on earth was I supposed to get my clothes dry? When it’s freezing, pouring with rain, and dark and damp for most of the day there’s no point hanging washing out because it’s not going to dry. And for all those people shouting at me to put it on radiators, I only have one radiator that’s not behind one of those fancy cover things. It would take me over a day of constantly taking washing on and off to get a load dry. I would also have to leave the heating on all day. Now, I may not be good at maths but even I know that eight hours of gas-fired central heating is worse than an hour’s worth of electricity using the tumble dryer. Besides, it’s not a good idea to have wet washing drying on radiators. It puts dampness into the atmosphere which can cause mould, it’s bad for wallpaper and it’s very bad for electrical devices such as TVs etc.

I digress, there was no way I was prepared to wait until the 24^th to get a new tumble dryer and when someone finally answered my call, I led with that. She agreed it was a very long time to wait this time of year. I then asked about the recycle and install option which appeared to be missing. She told me it wasn’t something Argos offered anymore. I asked what I was supposed to do with the old dryer. She had no answer to that — at least, not one she was prepared to say out loud.

She searched their range of tumble dryers and even she had to admit that there wasn’t a lot of choice, what with them all being out of stock. I asked why they were so low on stock, and she couldn’t answer that either. Finally, she gave a crow of triumph and directed me to a model I had missed. It was within my price range, could be delivered on Friday, and had a recycle option — why none of the others did was something neither of us could fathom out — after all, it’s not like it matters what model they’re delivering, surely, it’s the model they’re taking away that matters?

So, they would take my old appliance away, at least that was something. What about installing it? My tumble dryer sits on a shelf above the washing machine, and it would be impossible for me to lift it out, much less lift the new one in. That’s no longer something we do, she told me, but this once, I’ll put a note on the delivery and ask the team to do it.

Hmm. I wasn’t sure about this but didn’t have a lot of options. I placed the order and cancelled the order for the other dryer.

The day of delivery came. Your item will be delivered between 8am and 6pm. Will it? Oh, gee, thanks Argos. Best I stay home all day then and make sure I don’t linger long in the bathroom. In the morning, a text arrived saying it would be delivered between 11.14am and 1.29pm. Very specific. Couldn’t they just have said 11-1.30? They didn’t arrive until almost three, so …

Anyway, before they unloaded the new dryer off the van I asked if there was a “special note” on their delivery details.

No, should there be?

Umm, yes.

I told them to come and have a look at where the current dryer was and where the new one would have to go. Like I said, it’s on a shelf … in a cupboard … in a very narrow passageway. It’s … tricky.

They looked at it.

No, they said. We’re not allowed to install anymore. In fact, we can’t even lift the old one down.

But I’ve paid for recycling. It’s the reason why I chose this model because it came with recycling.

Doesn’t matter, we’re legally no longer allowed to lift things down. You were supposed to have it ready to take away.

I looked at the pair of them — burly, six feet tall, young, fit and strong.

They looked at me — five foot nothing, wimpy and middle-aged.

We all looked at the tumble dryer. Now, dryers are nowhere near as heavy as say a washing machine or an oven, but they still weigh a considerable amount, and it was obvious that there was no way in hell I’d be able to lift it down on my own.

Okay. I will have to refuse delivery then, I’m afraid.

Look, love, if we take the old one away and leave the new one in the middle of the floor, could your old man not lift it up there when he gets home?

I don’t have an old man, I’m all alone, I told them, trying to look all brave yet sad at the same time.

I saw them fight a war between their chivalry and company policy.

I sighed.

They sighed.

Right, the older one said — he was clearly the leader — we’ll do it, but for heaven’s sake don’t tell anyone and I don’t know what we’re going to do about the packaging. The vans are examined every evening when we get back to the depot and we’re not passing anywhere we can get rid of it.

Don’t worry about the packaging, leave it here. That I can get in the back of my Yaris and take to the skip.

They lifted the old one out, unwrapped the new one and pushed it into place, making sure the plug was in and on before they pushed it back. They checked it was working. They took the old one out to the van. It took all of three minutes and didn’t cause them to even break a sweat. I did slip them a tenner though to buy some coffee and sandwiches on the road. They didn’t want to take it, but I insisted because they had got me out of a spot, and they could have been completely “jobsworth” about it and refused to help me. If they’d not helped, I honestly don’t know what I would have done.

So that was that. Honestly, 2023 was not a good year for me, appliance and device-wise. New fridge/freezer, new tumble dryer, new printer, new battery in my car, new computer — speaking of which, my new computer is a dream to use. It is so wonderful to not have to wait twenty minutes for it to switch on and trust it to save when it says it has. I have been writing a lot and am now up to over 25,000 words. As the Blackwood books are only 50,000 words or so long, that means I’m halfway through writing the book. I’m not doing any overtime in January and don’t have anything else going on, so I’m confident of finishing the book by the end of the month, if not sooner.

It’s wonderful to be writing again. Every time I have a break of any length, when I go back to it, I have forgotten how much I love it. I am massively grateful to my lovely child for buying such a thoughtful gift.

Speaking of my child, I have wonderful news. She has been offered a place at Reading University next year. She is beyond excited because it’s the university she was desperate to attend and to be offered a place is very exciting. It is a conditional offer, of course, she must pass her exam and get a merit which is a 2:1 or above, but she is on track to achieve at least that, so that should not be a problem. Reading is a fabulous university and is a lot closer to home. Instead of an eight-hour train journey, it’s only two, and instead of being almost four hours away by car, it’s only two. I’m thrilled for her, but not surprised. I knew she would be offered a place, even if she had doubts. Everything Franki has set her heart on she has achieved through sheer hard work and commitment.

I will see her again at Easter, which isn’t that far away, and then she will be coming home for the summer at the end of June. I think the plan is to try and get a part-time job for the holiday to help boost her savings. A new Primark store is opening at the top of our job so there may be summer vacancies there, which will be very handy. It’s only a two-minute walk away so her wages won’t be going on bus fares and nor will I have to ferry her around in the car.

In other news, my current lodger and I have come to a parting of the ways. I don’t want to say too much, other than after a very promising start it’s all gone rather horrible, and I no longer want this woman in my home. She no longer wants to live here either — apparently, I have too many rules! Yeah, once a fortnight give the bathroom and kitchen a quick clean, and don’t come home so drunk you wake the entire household up. Right, such draconian rules, must be like living in a communist state. So, that’s that. I will be looking for a new lodger soon and will hopefully find someone lovely to share my home with.

What else is there to tell you? Not a lot. Work is going well, and I still love it. After December when I worked practically every day, January is a lot easier going as I’m not doing any overtime. At least, I didn’t think I was. Thursday was a day off as usual, and I had a haircut booked for ten o’clock. After going three years with my hair not growing at all, since I’ve started taking medication for my underactive thyroid gland it’s started growing again. It needed cutting even though it’s only been eight weeks since it was last done.

Normally, even on my days off, I am up, showered, dressed, and drinking a cup of tea by eight at the latest. I just can’t lay in bed anymore. I get cold and bored and then my back starts hurting, and my bladder is insistent and once I’m up, well, I might as well stay up. But, on Thursday when I woke up at six, I thought, no, go to the loo and then go back to bed and try to get some more sleep. I did and was quite surprised not to wake up again until eight. I stumbled downstairs and made a cup of tea. There was no point washing my hair because it would be washed again at ten by the hairdresser. So, I sat there, blissfully chilled out, drinking my tea in my PJs and thinking about the day to come.

At 8:40 my phone rang. It was my boss. In a panic. The lady I job-share with couldn’t come in so could I cover her shift and go to work? ASAP. Please!!! I was there by a few minutes past nine. It’s amazing how fast I can hustle when I need to. My hair was a haystack, but I put some mousse in it and managed to tame the worst of the frizz.

And what about my haircut? Well, I texted my hairdresser as I was walking to work and explained the situation. She was okay and offered me another appointment for next Wednesday. At least as my workplace is shut that day, I know I’ll be able to make it. I think in future I will book all my appointments for Wednesdays, just in case.

And that is it, for now, that’s all my news. I didn’t think this would be a very long blog but ho hum, look at that — 2400 words. It’s Saturday evening and I have a spaghetti bolognaise for dinner which I have already made and just needs heating through. Below me I can hear the lodger’s TV blasting out — so loud I don’t know if I’ll be able to hear my own — but there’s no point asking her to turn it down. I’m afraid she left “reasonable behaviour” behind several weeks ago.

Take care, my friends, and I hope the new year is so far treating you well.

Julia Blake