Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 15 July 2018

Sounds noisy, but musical, Pat - I'm sure it'll be well received. What is it with crumbs?  Maybe it's because it's different when people eat standing up.

Good Morning.  I'm late because I had a rough night, so my OH went off to golf without wakening me. Feel better for my lay in!  Why it should be last night, which was cooler, after so many overly hot nights, I don't know.

You're back to "doing" mode, then Annette. Does the fountain go green? - our bird baths keep getting slimy. Explaining PPI could take some time, but in a nutshell, there has been a ruling that companies who "mis-sold" a thing called payment protection insurance, by adding it on to our loans and credit cards, etc, have to pay it all back now. Most of us didn't request or need it. It's costing the banks and moneylenders billions. But you have to claim it, it's not automatically given back to you.

Lindy - they were sitting down to eat, but still managed to scatter crumbs to the four corners of the room!  Glad you were able to have a lie-in this morning - I was up silly early to catch the start of The Open.

I didn't realise PPI covered credit cards as well.  Perhaps I need to claim.  I haven't had any loans but have had a credit card for ever.  I also had a mortgage at the appropriate time … oh dear, more paperwork to do!

AQ - Glad you got some rain, even if it was not enough. Love your notice!

Pat - As far as I know, it also applies to credit cards, and I found one of their statements the other day dated 2010 which had PPI on it (Annette, it's supposed to have protected you if you became unemployed or fell ill, and couldn't keep up your payments - this did not always apply to me as I've had a chequered career, being at home with the children for a long period, and also being self employed some of the time, as well as normal work.) The companies just slapped the extra charge onto your payments without being asked. This has now been ruled as unfair and illegal.

I'm going to try one of my credit cards first: I have two, one of them, as you say, for ages. They can only say No!  I'll let you know how I get on.

Good luck with the PPI, LINDY! My sis in law got about £1500 back.

Just received pics from youngest daughter - they are at a pick your own fruit farm. The contents of the girls' baskets look scrumptious!

It is a lovely day here and I must do some weeding (again). I truly don't understand how there are so many weeds. Well - my OH used to say that if there was a weedy garden nearby, then that was why we got the weeds! There is, indeed, a very weedy garden very nearby... Also, he has made a rod for my back (!) because one of his favourite sayings was 'One years seeds, seven years weeds'.

Hope that OG is well - haven't seen a post from her for a day or so, unlike her.

ANNETTE - After your marathon decision making in AZ, I'm not surprised that you maybe feel brain dead (ish!)

AQ: Hope the clatter-clatter around grandfather's chair wasn't his false teeth...

Lindybird:  Ha!  Not surprised to read that PPI was yet another way to nickle and dime unsuspecting consumers.  Except Heather's tale sounds more like real $$$$s were involved

PatO: I like the sound of a drum that won't last long.  :-)  But there's always a spoon and a tabletop when all else fails

Fountain is reassembled and all connected correctly but - sigh - not turning on. I suspect an airlock somewhere, but what do I know.....  Current plan is to go shout at it a couple of times a day, check circuit breakers, shout at it some more....

Annette: You have to use sweary words. Shouting won't work unless you use the sweary words. :-)

… or perhaps a gentle 'please work' … failing which, a hammer.

Didn't you have trouble with the fountain last year, Annette?  Hope it responds to a few well chosen words. 

Dashed off after lunch to go to M&S to change a pair of trousers I'd bought last week, picked up some food again, and then went to a nearby village where my Friend G lives. She has a visitor at present, an old friend has come to stay with them. We all enjoyed a chat and a cuppa, and discussed the Flower Show, where we are all hoping to go tomorrow, although G looks really frail and I will be surprised if she can manage even a couple of hours at the show.

Got stuck behind a "muck spreader"  and tractor on the way home down country lanes, followed by a very slow horse and rider, then nearer home, saw the aftermath of a nasty accident where at least four cars appeared to have crunched into each other, nose to tail. The ambulance was approaching as I left the scene, although all the people I saw were standing forlornly at the side of the road.

HEATHER - all okay here, thanks.  Hoping to make chat time tomorrow.