Delivery fail

I was meant to get an important delivery tomorrow. I woke up to several messages saying it would be delivered today instead. Great! But I had plans. So had to take a raincheck and rearrange a few other bits so I could be here.

Now I’d had a few failed deliveries recently. Frustratingly I was actually here. So I checked my doorbell. It seems it had stopped working. Fixing it was on the list. In preparation for today’s delivery, I moved it up the list. Quite impressed with myself for fixing it. Nothing a screwdriver and some WD-40 couldn’t sort.

I patiently waited for said delivery. I even moved to work on the sofa so I could see when anyone came to the door. No-one arrived so I checked the tracking details. It said the parcel was refused. Huh?! I was right there…

Cue terse phone conversation with the delivery company. Yes, I actually got to speak to a person! A real, life one too. She told me that ‘because the road was closed’ the delivery driver moved onto the next one.

Now it’s true that they are doing gas works and have closed a bit of the road, but there is another perfectly open way to get to my house. Any SatNav worth it’s salt would have rerouted him.

And the bit that’s closed is maybe 50m at best. The driver had my number, I would have happily walked up the road to meet him. Or he could have walked to me.

By this point, I’d hit my exasperation levels as you can imagine. A lack of communication really annoys me. So does a lack of common sense. When did common sense become a rare skill?!

Let’s hope the next delivery driver actually uses their brain a bit more. Not that I actually know when they are going to try and deliver it. I’ll have to wait till tomorrow for that joy.

Still I now have a working doorbell. And while I had the WD-40 out, I sorted out the sticky door on the Buddymobile. So not all bad…

Technology

This photo sums up my day. Let’s just say it was a series of technology fails. And no it wasn’t user error. This photo also made me laugh. Two intelligent women taking photos of our screens to send to each other so we could see what the other one saw. Or not in my case.

We got there in the end. Thankfully. We live in a world full of technology. It’s getting more complex in some ways. Having spent many years working in IT, I’m a big fan. But it does concern me on other levels.

It’s hard enough to know what’s true without throwing AI into the mix. I’ve started questioning so many things I see. I wish more people would too rather than blindly believing everything they see, hear or read.

I’m of a generation that remembers what it was like before technology took over our lives. I remember a time before the internet. When we weren’t bombarded with data all day and night. Orr permanently attached to our devices. It was a simpler time I guess.

I don’t miss the sound of the modem. Man that was a horrid sound…

Back again

After a very long time, today saw our return to Blickling. Honestly, it’s been months since we were last there. It was also Bert’s first visit! It was so good to catch up with Katie and Archie too. We talked the whole way round.

It was glorious weather too. This photo made me laugh, it looks like Archie and Buddy have had words.

Having ridden for nearly 1.5 hours, I took Bert for a run around. We had our first recall fail when Bert decided that another spaniel was far more fun than Mummy. Thankfully, said spaniel was very happy to play and the owners were incredibly understanding. They said they remembered those moments well.

There were lots of positives though. Bert waited in the lorry while I rode. He ignored several other dogs. And he did come back after he’d played. He clearly has the same love of Blickling that I have…

Fashion fail

I was sent this photo of Buddy today. Not a clue how he ended up like that! It was definitely on both ears when I left him in his field earlier.

There must be something in the air today as the horse in the field next to him rolled while I was poo picking and ended up without her fly mask on. Maybe it’s a new fashion trend that I’m not aware of. Or maybe it’s just a fashion fail on Buddy’s part. Who knows?! He’s clearly not bothered by it. Funny boy.

Moving feast

I had a bit of a food fail today. I had to do a day trip to Birmingham to do a site visit for a conference I’m working on. I wasn’t hungry on my way there, so didn’t bother stopping. On the way back, I thought I’d treat myself to an M&S Best Prawn Sandwich. It’s a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Played Russian roulette with my fuel gauge but made it to the BP in Kettering. Once the Comedy Car was refuelled, I headed into the M&S food bit to refuel me. Not a single sandwich, wrap or roll to be seen!!

Apparently the delivery lorry broke down. By this point it was 4:30pm and I was really hungry. So had to make do with a finger buffet instead. Slightly eclectic mix, but it was slim pickings. And what I had was so good (even if it was meant to be heated).

Selfie fail

Today we put the band back together! It’s been a while since we hacked. It was like no time had passed at all. We chatted the whole way round. The boys seemed pleased to see each other too.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is my inability to take a selfie on a horse. This photo made me giggle when I saw how it came out.

Sometimes it’s the little things in life. A catch up with a good friend, a good ride in the beautiful countryside and at good laugh at your own ineptitude.

Buddymobile

The Buddymobile failed its MOT last week so I’ve had a nervous few days while it’s been fixed. Picked it back up this morning after being sorted and retested. Such a relief. Though I will be eating bean on toast for a bit…

I’ve had my little lorry nearly 3 years now. And I bloody love it! I smile every time I take it for a spin.

It got a new admirer today as a woman stopped me at the petrol station to ask if it was for sale. She said it was just what she was looking for. We got talking about horses, as you do.

Typically I can’t go anywhere as it’s too hot to travel Buddy right now. He seems to have adapted to the hot weather much better than I have. Today I found I’d empty the recycling bin in to the garden waste bin. Not a clue when I actually emptied the recycling bin.

Roll on cooler days and my brain firing on all cylinders again.