Journal Entries
It should be simple.
Posted May 7, 2006
Mrs Disorganised and I have had our lives disorganised a little more recently.
Mrs D. was working at the local school, where our two young children are both pupils. This revealed several short-comings in the education being supplied, and revealed a hierarchy of bullying within the staff.
Mrs D. found herself being bullied by her line manager, and so complained firstly to her, and then to the local authority. Neither were inclined to do anything.
Our little girl then started saying she didn't want to go to school, which was strange because she used to be really keen. At first we thought it was just a phase, but it continued. Then she came home with a scratch on her face. This was done by another pupil, and we were assured it was being dealt with. Then her hairband was stolen. The teacher was unable to determine where this had gone, but the class TA sorted it in about 10 minutes. Our little girl was becoming more and more unwilling to go to school, frequently crying. Then she came home saying she'd been made to stand facing the wall because of Jack. Mrs D. and I therefore made an appointment with the headmaster.
The teacher who was bullying my wife, was the class teacher for my daughter, and we expressed the belief that our daughter was being treated unfairly because of this. He pointed to a recent OFSTED inspection which praised the standard of care in Stage 1. We pointed out the inspectors were only in the school for 2 days.
The upshot was that we withdrew our children from school and Mrs D. resigned.
We are therefore home schooling again.
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Latest reply: May 7, 2006
I may be some time.....
Posted Jan 8, 2006
Next Friday, 13/01/06, I'm going into hospital to have my chest cracked and have cardiac arterial bypass surgery.
Now I know this is literally an everyday operation nowadays, but frankly I'm petrified - I know its going to hurt a lot, and I might die. Against this I already have one artery that's totally blocked, and the angio-gram shows dangerous narrowing of the remaining two - right where they branch. 
So its not a hard decision.
Hopefully I should feel better afterwards than I have done for at least 6 years - I had a heart attack in 1999, which is when the 1 artery became blocked.
I don't think I'll be on h2g2 much between now and then, and I'll be in hospital for at least a week - hopefully I'll be back for my 52nd birthday - on the 26th.
Discuss this Journal entry [32]
Latest reply: Jan 8, 2006
A chance to rest and recuperate ?
Posted Aug 21, 2005
Holidays. I thought I'd share with you all my recent holiday, to Javea in Spain.
14 hours before I'm due at Birmingham Airport, my travel agent calls. Cosmos have rung to say that the 9 seater car that I ordered and paid for 4 months ago, they cannot provide. Instead they will provide 2, 5 seat cars.
This is the standard package for this holiday - were it acceptable I would not have paid £482 EXTRA to have a 9 seat vehicle. I am the only driver in the party, so a second car is worse than useless. I request a full refund to be immediately transferred to my bank account, so I can try to make alternative arrangements, and say I shall sue for loss of earnings for all my group.
It comes as no surprise they won't give me an immediate refund, eventually we compromise on a 7 seat vehicle, taxis to and from the airport, and a full refund (by cheque) of the extra I paid for a larger vehicle. I'm not happy, but given they've deliberately waited until the day before my departure its the best I can do.
We fly out and arrive in Spain, and I'm presented with free tickets to a theme park, as a gesture of goodwill. Its getting better.
Here are my car hire documents - wait a minute this says 'compact' - what does that mean ? The rep doesn't know I will have to talk to the car hire people. I talk to Europcar - its a hatchback - I say I'm expecting a 7 seat vehicle - they don't have one, and holiday autos have ordered this car. Holiday autos ? Who are they ? Oh - another middleman I'm paying. Seems I have no choice, pile family plus luggage into the taxi, and go to look for the car. Its so small I can't even get the buggy in the back - it has to sit upright between the children. It would be interesting to take my blood pressure right now. 
So off we go for a chase across Spain at speeds in excess of 140 KPH, until we reach the letting agents in Javea - oh goody, another middleman.
Before I left England I was warned there was a breakage deposit I'd have to pay before I got the keys - 50 euros. No surprise then, actually its 200 euros. I actually have a choice here - I can pay it or sleep in the car. I pay.
We find our villa - well its not the gleaming white shown in the brochure - in fact its quite grubby looking. Never mind, we unlock the first door we come to, and step inside. The place is dank and musty, and smells like it hasn't been used in months. After some searching around I find the fuse box, we now have light, and can see that the shower curtain has mould on it, the base is filthy, and this is only a 2 bedroom accomodation.
It turns out that the Villa is split in two, 4 people downstairs, and 6 people upstairs, it doesn't say that in the brochure. Upstairs has at least been used recently, and the pool is lovely - apart from the broken tiles around the edge, and the broken pieces of mosaic in the bottom of the pool. My daughter calls me, downstairs is infested with 
s. Back to the letting agents.
The agents tell me the villa is fine - there was a family in it last week and they had no problems, there are no broken tiles on the terrace, and a few bits of mosaic missing is not a problem. Ants ? they are normal. Well I'm not happy; call Cosmos ! She chats on the phone to someone in Spanish and then says she will send round cleaners, and someone to check the pool, and to spray the s, and Brett will come and see me tomorrow or Monday - latest.
We go out to get something to eat, or rather, I drive half the family to the local town, then come back, pick up the rest of the family and go back again, and drop them off, then go to find somewhere to park. Eventually we all get to eat.
When we return home the Villa has been cleaned somewhat and the place has been sprayed. I sweep the terrace to remove the broken bits of tile.
I photograph the wires hanging out the wall, the broken terrace, the cigarrette holes in the furniture, the hole in the wall where the cooker hood used to be, the squashed bug on the wall, the dirty sheets, the undefined other hole in the kitchen wall, the missing mosaic tiles, and the broken ones in the pool.
Time for bed.
Next morning the kitchen is alive with s - luckily we've bought a spray, I photograph the dead s on the work surfaces and all over the floor. I dig out the cake that is under the kitchen cupboard, and attracting the s, and throw it away.
After we've done some food shopping I decide I will drive to the nearest Europcar and see if I can arrange another car. The night before has shown how useless this one will be. I notice that the advertised 'beach pack' is missing as well.
After a pleasant drive over the mountain, I find that Europcar is closed - I'll have to come back tomorrow. Never mind I drive back over the mountain, and we head for the beach.
Two drives to the beach later - we leave some stuff at home as I don't fancy making 3 trips - we have a nice afternoon on the beach, and a meal in a bar. I make two trips to the villa taking everyone home.
Next morning we spray the s that are now proceeding in column across the hall, before I drive over the mountain, with half the family to speak to Europcar. She will try to get a larger car, come back this afternoon. I drive back over the mountain, collect the rest of the family and return over the mountain, and we all meet up to look round Denia. I go back for the car, and all they can manage is an estate - well at least the buggy and beach junk will fit in that. I pay 160 euros and we go eat, then time to stroll round the little stalls that spring up along the quay in the evening. Well - it is for half the family, I have to drive over the mountain, back over the mountain, and then over the mountain again, so I don't have time.
Pretty tired when I fall into bed that night, after photographing the strange hole I've found in the bathroom wall, yet for some reason I awake at 3 AM.
I feel all itchy, and can't sleep. I toss I turn, I throw off blankets, I pull up blankets, but I feel all goose-pimply, and tickly. I trun on the light and the problem becomes clear. My side of the bed is covered in s - as am I - personally I don't consider this normal. I spray the bed, and brush myself off - lucky I'm not the sensitive kind really - it only takes me 2 hours to get back to sleep.
This sets the pattern for the holiday - we can't visit towns like Benidorm, it would take to long. The Roman sites in Valencia will remain unvisited. We won't be finding little beaches for us all to play on. And I'll be spending half my time going everywhere 4 times instead of twice.
I discover exciting new things to photograph each day - the stagnent water under the sink where the drain leaks, the cupboard downstairs filled with old furniture, and mould, and dripping water, the strange, hot device hanging out of the plug socket in my children's room. the views from the fantastic roof terrace. (this is fantastic as it non-existent) The barbecue ("perfect for al-fresco dining") which some people would describe as a rust pile of tin sitting on a heap of stones. And everyday we spray some more s.
Nobody from Cosmos ever came to see me - they don't provide reps for Villa holiday makers, they regard us as independant. I think this means they regard us a suckers who'll just hand over money and will accept nothing in return, so can be ignored.
We make do throughout the holiday, but just to round it off, the buggy is bent out of shape on the flight home. None of you will be surprised to hear that there was no refund of my car hire waiting when I got home either.
4 page letter of complaint, and 4 pages of photographs have been sent off - I now have to give them 2 weeks to acknowledge my complaint, and 4 weeks to respond.
Stay tuned.
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Latest reply: Aug 21, 2005
The shame of it
Posted Jul 15, 2005
I just sent out a work e-mail - to quite a wide distribution list.
I signed it -
Discuss this Journal entry [10]
Latest reply: Jul 15, 2005
To have and to have not
Posted May 28, 2005
Some of you may recall that back in April 2004 I was promoted, well at the time I was told that because the company had been taken over recently, salary reviews would have to wait 6 months. 6 months later and its 'Sorry, my manager won't free up the money, but I'll make it up to you in April.'
I'm sure it will come as no surprise to anyone that come April - there's still no money forthcoming. So I've instituted the company grievance procedure.
At the meeting the personnel girl trots out the company line - "Promotion dosn't always mean salary increase - if it WAS a promotion." So putting me in charge of 2 departments instead of 1 isn't a promotion ? Try telling that to someone who lives in the real world.
Anyway, no surprise they've turned down my grievance, so I've rejected the hearing and asked for it to be moved onto the next level. Of course, I'd be better positioned if the 3 people who were promoted with me had reacted in the same manner. However after screaming about how they won't let them get away with it, they've all kissed the managerial bottom, and rolled over.
So, which way will it go ? Troublemaker - knife him ! or Individual Thinker - promote him !
Answers on a coastguard....
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Latest reply: May 28, 2005
McKay The Disorganised
Researcher U200618
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