Saturday 6 August 2011

Berry Picking Already

Two out of three projects went to the wall today. 

Firstly I got up unreasonably early today, on my day off  (Saturday) and trundled into town to upgrade my mobile phone as it is now within three months of the contract coming to an end. Or so I thought.

My other half and I have renewed our contract for many years at the same time, together and in the same shop. We've stuck to our provider because I've never had cause to complain either about prices or signal coverage and the choice of phones are okay.


However whilst hers indoors was due for renewal, mine wasn't until next month. Apparently years ago, when we changed our mobiles, I had an extra month left on my contract, so that carried forward and has done for a long time. So no new phones today which is a shame for the company because I am going to pay more for the contract. Just seems overly bureaucratic and stands in the way of progress and moreover, them gaining extra income. 'Because the computer says so, I can't do it Sir.'

The second project that went belly up is that I've had a panoramic picture I took in San Francisco in 2010 waiting the be framed. My middle son wanted a picture framing and I had another photograph of his I've had blown up and I wanted framing. The shop only works nine to five, Monday to Friday so that will now have to wait a little longer.

The third project went without a hitch. Shopping. Oh joy.

I don't know if you've noticed, but all the berries are out already. I passed a couple yesterday picking brambles from a hedgerow and they had ice cream boxes full of berries. The elderberries have turned and my honeysuckle and pyracantha are jammed with berries. 

I know I've exploded the myth already in a past blog that an abundance of berries mean a bad winter to come (it actually means we had a good spring past,) but I believe that they are about a month early. My benchmark is that I used to pick elderberries with my kids to make wine in the first week of September before they went back to school and even then, some weren't ready.  

Chat soon

Ta-ra

5 comments:

  1. Berries? Oh, dear, Don't get me started. Actually, what started out as a comment to this post just turned into a blog post :)

    Due to a complicated deal with my lad, I just now have my first ever smartphone on a 2 year contract. I'm gobsmacked at what it's capable of. The darn thing has as much power as my lasses net-book. So much so, I'm already worrying about renewing the contract. Thanks for the heads up.....

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  2. My father once made elderberry wine. he was so proud of himself until a couple of bottles exploded in the cupboard!

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  3. Hi Wheelie
    There's probably more computing power in a modern smartphone than PCs sold to us not that long ago! Certainly thousands of times more power than computers sent with astronaughts to the moon! Be careful about getting sucked into a 24 month contract too. Weigh the longer term costs very carefully.
    XX

    Hi GhrisJ
    I made a mean elderberry wine! I can remember home made ginger beer when I was a kid. My dad left the bottles fermenting in the back yard with screw tops rather than wired corks. Needless to say, the sun shone on them and they all exploded! He never made any after that.
    XX

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  4. Picked my first brambles today. They're currently in the oven under a crumble topping!

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  5. Hi MorningAJ
    I am drooling at the very thought!
    XX

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