How was your day?

[PeteB]

Feel a cold coming on! Seems that loads of people around me have been having it too. Felt a tad lousy when I woke up, but, life goes onwards....

Drive to Alcester via M1, M69, A46 was fairly uneventful, easier than the M42 has been for  a bit so that might  be the route of choice going forward! Dropped off the thing I collected from Chester yesterday and set off for Leominster to swap another poorly unit with a good customer over there. My Satnag voice recognition doesn't do L-E-O-MINSTER, and when you pronounce it Lemster, it wants you to drive to some spot in America! It had started raining by the time I left and the roads are filthy from farming traffic etc! His nice clean, repaired unit is looking rather 'used' by the time I get there! Swap them over, chit chat with nice girl in the office and head back again. Awful driving conditions with driving rain etc all the way back to factory and then home!

I was recently after a tool box for the 'service' kelter that I carry about in the back of the car, something a tad more organised than the split plastic box that I have had for a bit. I won a Britool box on eBay. It'll do, not clean and shiny but paint splattered and probably a tad bruised but I don't want to take anything from the garage stock! I got one MAC and two Snap On in the garage but it would be sacrilege putting that shiny stuff to be rattled about in the rear of a Ranger. Plus, if it gets stolen, I would be heartbroken! Good job I got clients in that area as I can pick it up when I go through.

I had a an exisiting client (course sort of fellow!) leave a message on my system, his boss has ordered another machine for him. The crux of the message was along the lines of, one of his staff has used this new machine before in a previous position and didn't rate it. If that is how they are, then the order will be cancelled! I had to point out that the lad whose opinion he listened too was an ex-council employee and that unit was never maintained properly and the last time that I saw it, no one did the basic daily checks (despite the training that I covered with them) and that the brakes were badly adjusted, the blades blunted and the belts slack! If that is how they look after their machinery then they can expect it not to work properly! The order stands....

Another customer wants his new machine delivered to site, on thursday, in Falkirk! Urm, sorry chap. Cannot get there and back in a day because of Tacho rules and I got a sales meeting on friday. No deal! I wanted to get it out last week but he hadn't signed the finance documents so it will be late!

That chap from Prestatyn who had his pinched has had a knock back - the old one was on a finance agreement and they will not allow the replacement serial number on his documents. The finance will have to be settled in full and a new agreement for a lesser amount organised! Beggars believe at times at how things can get screwed up over beaurocracy.....

The Ranger front tyres are looking ragged - like I been driving on broken glass while the rears are wearing as they should, don't know why that is but will rotate them corner to corner soon, might get 60k miles out of them then. My record is 120k out of a set of knobbly B F Goodrich's....

[PeteB]

I didn't get time yesterday evening - was busy then too tired!

The 15tog down quilt that we had as a gift late last year is just too heavy and hot for my house - we both had trouble sleeping under it! I went and got a 10 tog and we had a good nights sleep! The heavy one will go to Wood Lane where they have minimal heating and insulation in the house!

I went to visit a couple of customers and dealers yesterday - it was a good day in that respect with no traumas and nothing but good words! Sweet to have the odd day like that.

My colleague has fried his laptop again - how does this happen? He has some new dealer reps to have to the factory and needs me to do him a Power Point Presentation as the versions that are stored on the mainframe are too old and he doesn't have access to the last one I did. In 20 years, I haven't managed to bust a laptop, I was issued with two that were low spec and too slow to use but never bust one. He has a new one every other year I think! So I got to do that today instead of my own stuff....

Wednesday - divorced Dad's Day, ever since I got separated from their Mother, one or both of mine have come for dinner on Wednesday - for the first few years, we used to go swimming and then to MacDonalds. Then I got a house near them and it was swimming and then Tesco (horsemeat) Lasagne! Tom mostly comes on his own now, and I still end up cooking something for his 'beige' tastes and something for Caz and myself. Pasta parcels of sage and butter nut squash in a tomato, bacon, mushroom and garlic sauce! Tasty.

Caz is up for retraining at East Midlands Airport to keep her security clearance and try and gain more qualifications to widen her scope. She passed yesterday at 94% and that is good as she was right nervous of failing and getting 'let go'. They have three tries at the test and there were three people fail badly on the first attempt. Good on the girl!

The registered letter giving the people who sold me the Lemon Q7 has arrived - they now have 14 days to act. Curiously, I tried to get a 'chargeback' on the card purchase but this was declined because I had test drove the car, despite the faults occuring some time later, and I was there to present my PIN! Not happy with that and will have (no doubt, fruitless) words with my bank....

 

[PeteB]

After writing up yesterday this morning. I set about the old PPP stuff. what with that, sales meeting stuff and routine works, the morning flew by! I drove to Tuxford to collect one of our demo fleet and then to Alcester to the Kings Court Hotel at Alcester. Had a meal with other sales and support staff and a few beers and then to bed. 

Caz finished her training at EMA, that's that done for another year and she will be back to the normal routine of odd hours and strange occurancies in the life of Airport Security.

Between now and Christmas, I think that I will have another 7 nights in hotels, possibly ten even! Odd life I lead too!

[PeteB]

Sales meeting dragged on and went overtime, but was worth it. Some very useful points raised which will be good for further progression on the range, as well as venting about stuff that needs to be done. Once that was done, I had some voice recording to do for videos. Star of stage and screen stuff! Not really, just cobblers for YouTube films. 

I was that tired, I had a kip after that in readiness for the Pig roast supper, beer up, whatever that is our factory xmas party! I'm tired, spent out, cold'd up and got to mingle and be sweet to people, buy rounds and chat when bed would be best. But, hey ho! got to be done!

Caz had to be at home, Tom and Pip came down to it, stayed as long as they could and went. They have been since they where kids and are part of the 'team'. I met friends, work mates, co-workers, dickheads that draw a wage etc. Had several pints, had a laugh etc. Two years ago, a work friend "came out", last year I was introduced to a !Removed! friends chap, this year was someone advising me that he was Asexual. Each to their own and fair play to them!

Looking forward to seeing Caz later today (?). Night All.

[PeteB]

Got to Caz's after a stop at mine to change bags and feed cats! Made a hearty and windy soup for dinner and had to take the dog for a walk! Ez was off to spen the night at her boyfriends and Joe was off on work do! Had a couple of beers with him and his work mates before they went off. Absolutely astounded to see what one of the Managers was wearing - and sat in an old pit pub in Ollerton - it was like a scene out of 'This is Britian!'. He has on a pair of very pointy cowboy boots in white snake skin, picked out in gold. Fairly tight jeans that matched the boots, snake skin in white and gold! A shiny gold lame shirt, with a black leather waistcoat and finished off with some very chunky silver jewellery on fingers, wrists and neck. Top marks for the courage to go out in public! I wondered what the rest of his private life was like too!!! Mind boggles....

Caz and I went back to village pub to settle the bill and have a Bruscetta and she had Mozarella salad and I had steak. £60 we went home!!! Too tired to stay up late, we retired. Much later, the phones were going as Joe had 'fell' of a low wall to be catched by his co-workers, but the missed and he had a right egg and scratches on his forehead! Caz didn't sleep much after that!.

Today was a slow day, I walked the dog, ate a roast lamb dinner and drove back to mine. The latest project in mind is using some cash to buy property instead of ISA's, buy to rent stuff and maybe a house close to mine for her kids to come to as living in North Notts isn't good for employment prospects and they might be comfortable living on their own close too. Tom has also sent me details of a rat look Cortina drag car off of eBay - tempted too....

[PeteB]

Spent the day at the desk. I somehow got the job of doing the official record of the sales meetings, not into short hand or anything like that so it is a tad complicated at times. I try and rely on people sending me their notes etc and putting them together in a vague form of what has been said. Some people never bother giving me their notes so I 'improvise' with my powers of recall and a few notes that I take myself. I write them up and pass them to the Sales Director to vet - the distribute from there. Years back, a admin girl did them, she was a right brown noser who used to write long hand, missing peoples comments, refused to look at their notes and produce 4/5 pages of what the Chairman wanted to read! She would produce these sometimes days before the next meeting and I do remember several times when I and the other guy's would say - ' I must have been out the room when that was agreed upon as it was never said when I was there!'.....Now I do them, there is 22 pages of copied/pasted notes and slides from PPP shows etc, but it still takes a long time to do....just chasing people for their notes is hard work!

Attended to a couple of other stuff and arranged a hotel in Dumfries for tomorrow and the day is done!

Caz came here just after lunch, she is on a 16:30 to 04:30, then I go to Dumfries and wont see her until Wednesday night....

Tom isn't a drinker - but he had his works 'do' on Saturday, his mother works in Morrison Supermarket too. They all went off to town and Tom drank Vodka, big ones, several off too! One pavement pizza later......he did enjoy the night, and he isn't a clubber like his Mum and sister so fair play to him! A downer on the night was his mothers drunken partner going to the same club - they are in strife all the time, he got bolshy, she responded likewise, he stormed off after pushing her and Pip over and refused to come out of his bedroom all day sunday! What a buffoon and what an ex-wife! they deserve each other! No doubt she blames me for her having an affair with him which has lead to her having an 'untidy' life since with the muppet!

[PeteB]

Caz crept in to bed soon after five - we both fell instantly asleep for a couple hours. I left soon after 08:30 to get to the factory. Several meetings/chats later and I'm on the way to Dumfries, towing some 3000kg. Got to Dumfries at 18:00 and it is already -1deg C!

I was contacted by an Estate Manager from Herefordshire recently. His took over from a load of crusty Trust managers and a Farm Manager who was a useful as a chocolate fireguard! They brought a woodchipper back in 1995 and very quickly realised that it wasn't what they wanted so parked it up. He was after a value and help to sell it. I gave him some advice and said 'send my some pictures and I'll put it on our webpage too'. The pictures showed that it hadn't been used much and that it was unsafe to use due to a change in legislation! Our records showed that the estate manager had been contacted to tell him that a retro fit kit was needed but these letters went unheeded. He has a piece of scrap which would need a thousand spent on it before he could sell it! I might make him a bid on it for the museum though....

I also got a call from a chap (traveller) who has one of our machines - he brought it off the internet and doesn't know how it works really. A previous owner has knackered it and welded a spring clip in place which means a days labour and over £600 in parts. He has phoned three dealers who all gave him the same sort of news but he ends up with me. He wants us to fix it in our workshop and settle in cash for significantly less than face value. He actually hinted that me and the fitter split the money! Muppet! he got rightly told to take it to a dealer and pay up....some of our customer base are not good people! When scrap is fetching good money, they are 'Recycling Experts', when scrap value is down, they become 'Local Tree Experts'....

Oh well - time to do a couple of emails and have a steak!

[PeteB]

Left the hotel in Dumfries soon after 8, the dealer is in the local Industrial Estate and a good bunch to do business with. I scoop up the Groundcare Manager and head off on the Stranraer road. Cold and miserable wet! The customer lives just off the main road and we have a history of good banter and honesty. After the exchange of machinery, we head back to Dumfries and heads off to Falkirk to continue his workload. A busy man! I drop my dealer in Dumfries and after a frank discussion on stock orders etc, head south into the worsening rain!

I stop at Rheged Services at Penrith to have a soup with an old colleague. Good chat about old times and people in the trade and we both head off. Me going south again. The Satnag says that I'll get to the factory at 18:30! Weather bad, traffic bad and I'm getting annoyed. It is my 55th birthday, Caz was doing supper, the kids coming around and I'll not get home until after 20:00!!!

I did get home soon after 8 but asked the kids to come tomorrow for a steak supper instead. Caz has been in bed since 9 as she got a 2 o'clock alarm. I got to leave at 7 for a demo in Hull tomorrow. I will finish in time to get home late afternoon!!!

[PeteB]

Caz was away after a 01:30 rise, and I slept badly until about six! Left the house soon after 7 for the drive to Hull. Scooped up the Sales Manager and went 20 minutes up the road to his client. He had a 2004 unit which had seen some work! He thought it was worth about £5k, I was honest and said £1,500 if you are lucky in a sale! He admitted that, despite seeing other makes, he preferred ours and is likely to go with us, and I hope he sells his himself as we didn't really want it at any price! Back to the dealer's, chat about machines and that sets some seeds for the future! Good people and sorted depot!

Home then to do a few emails and make the supper that we missed last night. The figures came through and I am about £200k down on their forecast and that is a big ask to get in within December! I seem to have a bit of a grey moment lately and am a week ahead of myself, thought next week was the 17th and had a week touring Scottish dealers! Few, got an extra week of work to play with!

[PeteB]

Today just seemed to drag by. Caz was away in the wee small hours and then it seemed minutes before I had to get up! The Local Authority close to the factory had three new machines delivered today and I had to go and do some hands on training with them. They have been a loyal bunch over the years, buying three or more every other year, and we have grown up with them - the chaps on the tools when I went to work with GreenMech are running the job and they see the benefit of the things that we have done for each other. I understand that a few on the team wanted another make and were a tad upset when they didn't get their way and had intended to be a bit bolshy and 'anti' this morning. The first comment that came from that team was on the lines that they preferred a competitors unit as the Safety Bar, which controls the feed mechanism, was too sensitive and proned to 'nuisance' tripping. I politely pointed out that all wood chippers were supplied under the same legislation with regards to the controls and if ours was too sensitive then theirs would be too - furthermore, after hearing that a 22 yo father of two had his arm chipped to above the elbow two weeks ago, I would be glad if the Safety Bar was easy to work and that they should consider safety over productivity every time! I chopped my thumb of years ago in a circular saw and they stitched it back on, but once in a chipper, you are coming out in a red mist and you don't grow back! The training session was very good after that and they went forward with renewed vigour - the earthy banter and repartee made the morning fun too....

The to the factory to drop one off an get and empty trailer. I find out that my awkward colleague is in deep bother at home - no wonder I avoid him as his mess is toxic and I wouldn't know how to handle it myself! One son's two year marriage (his second has collapsed) and he needs financial support, the other son is in secure rehab after trying to seriously harm himself while under a drug induced 'episode', the !Removed! daughter, who was training to be a paramedic and being supported by Dad had move her girlfriend in and gave up training to get a bar job to support this girl who refuses to work! And his wife has some degenerative eye condition leaving to early blindness!

I collected a dead machine from Wellingborough and and have now finished, hopefully for the weekend!

[PeteB]

I'll write this up today as I know how/what the day is coming/going!

Caz away in the wee hours again. She finishes at 10 so it will be middle of the afternoon before we set off for hers to spend a couple of days there. I'm taking the trailer and busted machine down to the factory as I'd rather do something else on Monday (yes, I know heroes don't get paid extra!). I'll probably collect a little unit that I want to sell to someone next week who I've known for years, so that will be a day of fun etc....

Once back (via a supermarket) I'll give her some quiet and try my hand at online shopping for Xmas - I'm more of a 'lastminute.com' sort of person and pretty clueless at the best of times! But occasionally, things can seem inspired, but that is more from luck than good judgement! I found a long sleeved t shirt that I brought Tom last year and realised that it is too bright for his beige life and the thing is too small for me! Superdry people must be midgets to think that their XL will fit a European XL figure!

I could buy Tom a cheap 'daily' as he is saving to pep up the existing Subaru wreck - Caz will instruct me to get what she wants and the others may be surprised and shocked at my choices! Absolute disaster me....

It will be too late to walk the dog once we get to North Nottinghamshire and I'll make some Kedgeree for supper and we might venture to the pup for a beer or two, watch some tripe on the TV and then retire!

[PeteB]

There was a slight change in the end of things - we couldn't be bothered to cook so went to get a curry. Got to say that it was one of the better take aways that we have had! Absolutely delicious! Well worth a meal from Tuxford Spice if you are within striking distance.

After a short lie-in, we got up a did the usual round of chores and set out to get a couple of xmas trees from a spot near Gainsborough. When we went to leave, this busy little farm shed was over crowded and cars everywhere! When we went to go, there was a fair amount of dodging cars coming in through the narrow entrance etc and a Saab Estate, beached on the high curb - poor chap got stuck on this making way for a couple of big 4x4 type things. Several people just drove around him and ignored his predicament in their haste to make or get away with their purchases. We towed him off the curb and it made my day to help some one especially when others just blanked the poor chap....

Caz and her daughter sorted their tree out and i offered advice from the sofa - and had a nap once the hard work was done.

It is tradition at hers to go out for a cheap meal somewhere when there is a birthday. We had a table for 8 at The Alders, a carvery on the west side of Ollerton. Good end to the day really. I dropped Caz and her kids at hers and then came back to mine in readiness for the start of the working week. 

One of tomorrows jobs is the next step in getting a resolution from the charmers who flooged me the lemon Q7. They have had their two weeks to come back with a written solution so I suppose that the next stop is the judge! I would have worked with them to solve this but as the have 'flicked me the bird', I'll go for the throat! I may think on trying for a winding up order unless the refund my loot within 7 days!

[PeteB]

Steady day here, usual sales stuff. Lend a demo unit to a firm in Lincoln, good people and I've dealt with them before. That sorted then back to Loughborough to go to the banks. Caz and I are considering a buy to let mortgage so had to make an appointment to sit down with someone.... Might as well use some of the ISA's that I have to get a better value, well, hopefully. Not really looked into the Landlord side of things - there might be a forum for them too....

I called at my own bank just to let them know that I was unhappy with the result of my request for the Section 75 for the Lemon Q7. I have no confirmation of their decision other than a phone call and felt that I was owed a more formal letter of rejection and not some call centre response over the phone. The girl read the case files and agreed that it may be worthwhile lodging a complaint as that was the due process as the case had been studied, rejected and filed. Bizarrely, an email turned up from her to tell me that she had made a call on my behalf and that the case was being reassessed - but, they had not received the forms that I was supposed to return and I may need to re-apply. How does a case get opened, assessed and rejected if my original complaint is not received!?! What was the file that she had been reading on her laptop? Where had she got the quote from the card issuer confirming that the case was closed.....Should I smell a rat?

Caz brought her daughter her first car back in August, that damnable thing has died with an ECU problem! The ECU has failed and is quoted as being a £1000 to replace and pair to the car! Fed up with motors at the moment! The Corsa was a £1000 car and now could be scrap! Modern motors are nonsensical!

I'm off to pick Caz up from hers and return to mine - we are together tomorrow but a short fall at the factory means that I got to loan myself to the workshop on a day off! That will take some explaining...

[PeteB]

Very strange to wake up and still be in bed at 8 during the week. We set out tonight the tree up at mine, a tad short of decorative stuff so add that the list! Supposed to do some shopping but did the Tesco thing but no further.

Caz and I had been thinking of getting a buy to let mortgage but didn't know much so organized a meeting at a bank. It transpires that I can get a reasonable mortgage but a joint one to the same value isn't allowed as Caz is classed as a first time buyer! Bizarrely, she can get a residential mortgage which is cheaper but renting the spot out is fraud! We might find another lender who has different rules but, to be honest, I'm not sure whether the loan to value is good enough as the 25% deposit would involve flogging my ISA things which aren't a bad return.

Caz went of to the gym and I did some work stuff and also more letters to do with the Lemon Q7. The bank want to revisit their decision not to refund my money and the CAB say go legal with another letter!

[PeteB]

Same again, very strange to get up late in the week! Could almost get used to it! Caz's daughter had her first ever day at a proper job today - she started as a junior cashier - no apprenticeship etc - straight to work! Bless her! Sounds like a decent enough company - they had put an Advent Calendar at her work station as everyone else had one too!

Caz and I settled to do a bit of email type stuff then away xmas shopping. But I am pretty hopeless so still got it all to do! Not my comfort zone shopping at all....

We had a lunch out which is rare and a good traipse about Leicester and will have to get gritty and determined later!

Wednesday night supper - Tom here but Pip cried off, I think that there is a new fellow in the mix so she probably burned the candle at both ends again - party child!

Sent of some documents and formulated a letter to go to the garage - will get hard over this as they totally ignored my last letters and emails! The swear filter would work hard to cover my anger on here!!!

[PeteB]

Caz was up at 02:30 and back at 10ish - I had to meet a dealer in Tuxford which was good - a little order will be placed just when I need a tad more in my figures! A bit of supplier politics was played out too. I hadn't made an appointment other than 'see you tomorrow morning!', my contact and I sat in his office drinking tea and putting the world to rights and he told me that another supplier was due at 10:00. Comparatively speaking we are smaller than these other guys and their was two of them coming to muscle in. They arrived early and had to stand in the showroom because they got told that a 'premium supplier' was discussing a big order with the sales manager and I was too important to disturb! The look of surprise on their faces when the realised it was only me was worth a chunk! Even more when I told them that my man had spent up and was bot buying mowers this week either! Sweet!

I then drove the two hours to the factory to drop a loan machine off, collect a fixed machine to take to Wellingborough and back home.....

I got into a conversation with another dealer contact who I gel with. He drives from the family home, North West of Burnley over to Wakefield everyday - that M62 is simply awful! It can take hours! So we were mulling over the prospect of putting a runway in at home (big plot) and finding somewhere in Wakefield to land it.....he thinks it may work...

[PeteB]

Caz doing an early again, she came home soon after ten as I was leaving. I had a couple of things to do at home first. We still might get another house so another mortgage appointment made. A sum was wrong on the last one, apparently, I am good in principle for a £14,000,000 mortgage! Two extra zeros added!

I then collected the demo unit from my mate in Lincoln and drop it off at the factory - we like to have all the toys in the shed over Christmas. I reckon that is sold, as is the other one I got back tother day too!

Traffic home was awful, perhaps I should get a plane too!

Got sent a pretty awful video of a tree surgery video which went wrong. A chap up a tree cut too little a gob in a big limb, then cut the back out too slow. The limb split up its length, fell out and smeared him as to came down. It was hushed up some years ago as it looked bad for the plc company because he was poorly trained and badly supervised!

[PeteB]

Started the task of doing Xmas cards for every one at work, ran out when Caz came home from night shift. Still got to finsh these as well as the latest expenses! We went off to the appointment at the bank to rethink mortgages. Caz feels left out of live, no property in her name, no real savings, no pension and no real prospects going forward. She will benefit from her parents passing but that may be 30 years hence! Her job is annualised hours and loads of overtime which is difficult to get a lender excited. Buying houses is hard work until the debt is paid and awfully stressful getting it organized! We will keep trying....I'm a tad hard nosed about things at times and my view of a second house is one that can be rented out and I've no interest in living there myself! Caz's view is roses around the door etc. Poor kid has to work again tonight too!

Weather awful and not very welcoming either! Mood is blue here! Still not done anything for Xmas bar the cards!

[PeteB]

Caz did 04:00 until 14:00! Came home and had a quick bite then bed for a bit! I did some housework, got yet more cards and a bag or two of chocolates to give away and finished all the cards. They got posted too! 

Leicester Tigers were playing Racing 92 at Welford Road today, Tom and I watched them loose on the box! Seem to be having a bad season this year....

Caz's daughter has her driving test tomorrow and her grand parents have replaced her dead Corsa with a Suzuki Swift. Good of them! Hope she passes as she has a full time job in town and there isn't a bus service through early enough!

I have printed off the letter giving the garage 7days to do something or we go legal on the lemon Q7! Just in time for Xmas....

[PeteB]

Caz's daughter passed her test and is as proud as punch! Bless her and it is a relief to the rest of the family! Living in the country does have some benefits but the downside is the truly awful bus service compared with other villages. So, everything social has to be planned with travel in mind, who can take them?, who can collect them?, which friends need a lift etc. Now she can drive to and from without anyone having to be available.

Caz had a lie in while I was up and away. Collected someone from town for a lift to Alcester, a few things done in the factory, including collecting a machine for delivery into Dumbarton. I had to then find a new tractor mounted machine delivered to our local council - I had been asked to view as it was thought that the PTO shaft was at too keen an angle. I met up with one of their staff and drove off around Redditch to find this unit. Nothing wrong with the angle but the lift geometry showed that they cannot lift it to full height as the shaft would be too short and it would separate. I feel a little disappointed as I've reported this several times and had a few altered but still they keep turning them out! An extra expense and embarrassment. To paraphrase Einstein, 'if you also do what you always done, you will always get what you always got!'

I then set out at 60mph to Paisley! After a long but pretty uneventful drive, I get to the hotel, some 285 miles! During the day, I have felt that something was not right. That uneasy feeling feeling that I have forgotten something. I realised that I had left a coat and fleece on the bannister at home but can overcome that. I got another coat in the car and would get another fleece from the office. The only fleece they have is XXXL! I'm fairly rotund and fairly broad but not that size! Looks like I'll either look daft and be warm or cold and cool!

I also discover that the power lead for the laptop is still sat under my desk so a trip to a Curry's will be in order!

One other thing to report - my ex-wife, the mother of my children, the one that I should not have married (we were never compatible), the one that sacked me on the eve of my 40th birthday to be with a builder in the next village, the one that gave me 7 years of domestic abuse, the one that took me for about £100k, the one that took two years to divorce me as I was paying for things.......(can you sense that I'm a little bitter and twisted?) is to split from the builder - they too are incompatible, and life unhappily together in separate rooms, and do not get on at all. They only thing that has kept them together is their joint debts, the house that they share and doesn't have planning permission for, the two dogs and five parrots! I feel sorry for my children having to witness this relationship breakdown as both of them are  not being helpful, honest, truthful etc......I smile wryly at how things have turned out! They have been together for 15 years and have been at odds for the last 8 - history repeating itself?

[PeteB]

Away in good time after a couple of emails and a decent enough meeting with the owner of the dealership - he and I hit it off as we both have the same sort of attitudes in a manufacturer/dealer relationship. The rep is stuck on The Isle of Bute as the weather is too rough for the ferry. I take the new machine to the client in Dumbarton and have a good craig with them! Only slight downer is that they though that I was delivering today and collecting my loaner on thursday - so I got to dash back there before heading south!

The weather has been atrocious here - typically bad for the west coast if it feels that way! Hosing it down and blowing a gale! My appointment at Oban is cancelled and two other calls don't happen - the drive to Inverness is spectacular and one of the perks of the job - although, in terms of business opportunities, it is infuriating that compared to the other areas, I have customers and potentials!

Another Premier Inn night and wished I could have a good cup of tea and some simple food! Only another two to go though.

Two of the people I see at Inverness are ill, but I'm hoping to see them more for social than business reasons - both are good people who have helped us in the past. I got to stop somewhere and get a power lead for this laptop too!

[PeteB]

Inverness started very cold and still so I could be in shirt sleeves without feeling the cold. The dealer folk were bright, cheery and glad that I had made the effort to get to see them and glad of the chocolates that I took. The hospital visit to the cancer ward was better than anticipated but still daunting! One chap looked a hell of a lot healthier since I saw him last and the other was bouyant going forward but the treatment is awful and the prognosis unsure this time!

The next meeting was at Elgin to see a machine with issues. The chap who took it in left instructions for me to ring him as he couldn't be bothered to go himself! I'll try again to resolve his issues, last time out, our warranty man appeared to be completely disinterested! The folk who man that depot think that it is brilliant that a manufacturer rep will bother to come and see them, bring chocolates and drink tea, while having some witty banter! Not many of their own sales staff stop by let alone suppliers!

The drive to Forfar is a stack better now that the bypass at Aberdeen is done, but I ought to spend a day there in the future knocking on a few doors and seeing potential buyers etc, but I always seem to be in a dash! The dealer staff in Forfar were really pleased to see me and are positive about selling more next year and it is gratifying that once they see my Ranger appear, the different departments want to discuss things rather than bump and moan!

I head out for Stirling to overnight, stopping to get a charger for the laptop. PC World sold me a Lenovo compatible device that isn't compatible! How infuriating! The other moan for the day involves my bank and the paperwork for the lemon Q7. I rang to ensure that my paperwork had arrived and things were progressing. Apparently, I need to send in the declaration that they sent a day after my paperwork arrived to confirm that the details in the paperwork were true! Honestly, they ask for a written declaration that the details in the letter are correct! I come into that category of folk who dislike foreign call centres and have a distrust of banks.

[PeteB]

I'm sure  wrote up last night! Perhaps hotel WiFi no good. Anyhow......

Stirling back to Kinross for a meeting I missed, then across (!?!) To Dumbarton to see the Mafia again. Collect a loan unit and head into southern Glasgow to a meeting with Network Rail, some work early in Jan to sort out a deal. A stop for lunch at Bothwell's services and sit on the phone then head towards Strathaven. I spot a spot to but Caz a present then carry on. The people aim to see in Drumclog have had a delivery of two machines (they run possibly 12) only to find that an ally is leaving. Back to creating new relationships with another Plant Manager! Head off for a hotel in Carlisle. Head in a spin, wanting to get home, I go to the wrong hotel! #@&+! Drive on to the right on!

Get away before 07:30 to drive to Stanford Bridge near York. I got a good customer (and friend) there who I may want to buy back two old units to sell on elsewhere! In principle, a deal is done and a chip dinner had to celebrate! I end up spending a few hours there talking tall stories and having a laugh before heading home! A couple of phone calls secure the last deals of 2018 with about £40k to come!

Nice to see Caz and get the low down on how her life is and what conceivable we can do over Xmas. Difficult with her work, the Gatwick thing had an impact at EMA too!, Her kids work/play, mine doing the same all come into play and I might be having my oddest Christmas for a while!

My work finished today, play, housework and domesticity starts! Best wishes to those of you who still have to toil! 

Sorry, I still work, a good rep never stops!!!

[PeteB]

Caz away early, again. The Gatwick thing has meant that EMA work load has increased! I got up, did some house stuff then took the chipper to the factory so I got nowt to be stolen while the holidays are on!

Once Caz was up, we had a drive around town to view streets etc, with an idea where she might buy somewhere! A quick Tesco shop and curry for tea. She has 04:00 to 16:00, Tom has 22:00 to 07:00! 

You may recall that we had some bother swapping (or not!) Our broadband package. Had an email from BT today informing me that my monthly bill was ready, £19. But I don't have an account with them! I'm told that I need to go to my online account to cancel it! You could not make this up.....I check my bank account and Virgin took a chunk out, £25 more than anticipated. I go online to find that my £60 pm deal was £84 last month and £126 next!!! An irate couple of calls later, they both apologize and promises are made. I get another email from Virgin, they tell me that all is good and okay! My package is now £75 pm..... honestly, you could not make it up!!!!

Best do the present shopping tomorrow! 

[PeteB]

Caz doing at 12 hour shift at the airport - should be home for before five! She will be shattered for the next few days! I'm hoping for a quiet couple of days!

After racing around here for a few hours doing anything to make up the day before I have to shop.....not my hobby or pastime and good job that theres is tomorrow too! Not inspired this year after traipsing about and no clues of the kids or Caz either! But I got the heads up from her - 'don't get me anything', well, that means 'don't get me anything and you are dead meat!'....

Roast pork loin for supper but I'll delay it until Caz has been and had a kip for an hour or two....

The BT thing got a tad better today - the rang yesterday evening to apologise for the screw up, they was an issue in that they couldn't shut down the account that I didn't have but not to worry, they assured me that the tech guys would sort it and they wouldn't contact me again. An email was there this morning, to apologise for the inconvenience, they would credit the account that I don't have, that they cannot shut down with £5 that I cannot have!