Pollyana

them rodents is good at it now, I tell you! Kitchen looks like Waitrose and the bathroom looks like Boots

paulry

Oh to be on the salary you're on :greenmonster:

Pollyana

Thats why I'm still here Taken me years to work up to the kind of salary where I don't panic every month over bills. Plus the fact that I spend very little in between trips; rarely go out, eat cheaply, don't travel elswhere etc - and of course its just me, no kids to worry about. Not really a conscious thing at first, but now I'm realising what the result is.....
The work is a killer at times, November to March this year was a very long tough haul, so I certainly worked for this trip. Didn't realise how much it had taken out of me till I got to London and relaxed actually. Maybe I should be saving for retirement or something but I could drop dead tomorrow, so I'll enjoy it while I'm here, and the family do well out of it too - strange stuff like phoee contracts and X Factor tickets seem to crop up on the credit card with startling regularity these days

paulry

Good for you Polly Actually it's surprising how expensive kids are - especially teenagers. We seem to be constantly shelling out for one thing or another. Of course they're worth every penny but sometimes it feels like the Bank Of England has relocated to Australia. Fortunately they won't let us splash money on them for obvious rip offs and are okay waiting until I'm working for the non-essential and luxury items.

GingerDom

Oh right.......so I should be ok with stuff like tea bags, Heinz Baked Beans..........that kinda thing?

Sweet jesus that woman is a right thicko!!!! hahahaha



Hahahahahahaha

But all the sooner for when you return

GingerDom

Good on yer girl!!!! Live today for tomorrow we die

Pollyana

definitely. Yorkshire teabags sailed through no problem yesterday morning Most things will have been mentioned on here at least once so do a quick search, but as long as you avoid fresh and/or dairy stuff you'll be fine. Just make sure you tick FOOD on the passenger card for customs and declare what you've got

GingerDom

Ok will do...........

So glad to be "home"??

Who did you fly with?

Beedubya

Yes I have always done this, ticked food and declared the choc and the biscuits, fingers always crossed they didn't ever (and they never did) find the Chicken and Mushroom Pot Noodles and the Batchelors dried peas.

p.s. Was that a Meerkat in your bag and did you declare it to AQIS??

Pollyana

Qantas as ever - lots of people won't touch them but if find them pretty consistent and the points add up pretty fast, specially as I also have credit cards that give me FF points. Hence the upgrade to Business this time, pays off every so often!!

This isn't home though, very odd, but the UK is definitely Home, and I feel like I just commute here for work!!

never brought Pot Noodles in, and somehow I have also resisted the desire for dried peas too I did bring cheese once, there was about a two year period where the foot and mouth restriction was lifted and you could bring cheese through, so I did Declared it, and got some VERY funny looks but I'd printed off the relevant AQIS passage and they couldn't do anything about it
Only time I've been questioned apart from that was over a bag of Flying Saucers - the rice paper sweets - all that shows on the xray is the sherbet, the rice paper becomes invisible so it looks like a very dodgy back of white powder

And yes, that's Brian the Meerkat, named after the best football manager in history, a certain Mr Clough He was in charge of the whole pack of furry travellers accompanying me this time - pictured below with a couple of their host teddies, and with my niece's Chelsea supporting bear

Bernieboy

Oh dear i thought i had helped you return to reality,i can see i failed

Pollyana

I'll never lose my eccentric side, sorry! The return to reality is going well in the other 80% of my life though

Pollyana

ARGHHHHH!!!!!

Well and truly grounded in reality now.

AGL have just cut the gas off.

Aug 09 I moved in. Rang AGL who said fine, we'll send you the paperwork to put stuff in your name. Electric has been fine, gas is another matter......

Sept 09 I get a rude letter addressed to the previous tenant threatening to sue her for an unpaid gas bill. Rang AGL who said throw it away, we now have an account in your name.

Oct 09 Ditto

November 09 I get a rude letter addressed to the previous tenant threatening to sue her for an unpaid gas bill. Rang AGL who said throw it away, all the gas going to that property is on a shared account paid by the landlord as there is a joint water heater shared with the next unit. You don't need to pay anything.






Yesterday I get back to find a letter from AGL addressed to the previous tenant telling her the gas will be cut off unless she rings them by 3 days ago.
So I rang AGL who said of course you need an account why didn't you open one in August 2009.....throw the letter away, we will open you an account, and we will NOT disconnect the supply. I give them all my details and they give me an account number.

I get up this morning and guess what? No gas. They have cut it off.
So I ring AGL who say they haven't disconnected it. So I point out that in that case they need to find out who else has put a padlock on the meter.
They tell me to ring the service line and give me a number which goes through to an Indian sounding gentleman who claims his name is Fred and he only deals with commercial gas leaks.
So I ring AGL back and they tell me that they have indeed cut the gas off due to non-payment of the bill. So I ask "ÖK where's the effing bill and how big is it?" and she says "Oh we can't tell you that because you only opened an account with us yesterday!!!!!"

Holy mother of God give me strength!!!

So they now assure me that they will get the gas reconnected today....probably......or Monday ...... possibly.........and will send me a bill backdated to August 2009.
It also transpires that the hot water heater is indeed shared - with the unit next door - and is billed to THIS unit. So she suggests I speak to the tenant next door about splitting the cost....back to August 2009. Small problem. The guy next door only moved in a few months ago. The previous tenant has moved out to live with his lorry driving boyfriend and not left a forwarding address. So when they do finally produce a bill it seems I will have to pay for all the hot water he used as well as my own.........


I had been really good since I got back and drunk nothing but coffee....... that's one resolution now out of the window then!


(and sorry BB I know I promised to try not to whinge, but this one deserves a good rant!)

paulry

Just as well you're earning a good salary then.

<Paulry grabs his coat and runs to the door...>

Pollyana

I'm just fuming at their incompetence! nearly two years I've been trying to get them to set up an account for me and their only response has been repeated letters to a previous tenant - which they then advise me to chuck in the bin
I have absolutely no faith in them reconnecting the place before Monday so I shall have no hot water till then Good thing I now have two kettles, at least i can boil double the amount at a time