Amazon exiles discussion
Trackless wastes
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Today, I shall mostly be...
I'm not sure where in Ireland you are but - on checking out Collette's suggestion of Debenhams - online still seems to be working and delivering to parts of Ireland? ...https://www.debenhams.ie/kids/girls#f...
And I've no idea if these might be considered reasonable prices for little un's clothing? ...
https://www.tesco.ie/zones/clothing/k...
https://www.mothercare.ie/clothing/ba...
https://www.hopscotchkids.ie/collecti...
https://www.dunnesstores.com/c/kids/b...
https://www.littlewoodsireland.ie/chi...
https://www.justkidz.ie/product-categ...
(I always get carried away whenever I'm on a Google Search mission! ;o>)
EDIT: Nah, forget about Debenhams - looking around they have got quite a few terrible Reviews recently that suggest they are best avoided.
I think eBay pressures sellers into using their Global whatever for shipping overseas. It's not uncommon to see double figure postage costs when buying something as small as a single postcard. In the past I have contacted private sellers and said, look I'm interested in your items but I can't justify the postage costs. A few have apologised and said they 1) didn't realise anyone overseas might be interested and 2) didn't think how prohibitive the shipping was. Luckily they've then backed down and charged me the actual cost of Royal Mail. But shipping costs are definitely on the rise. I have bought plenty from firms like Marks & Spencer, Dorothy Perkins and Museum Selection but the latter in particular have doubled their shipping in the last 12 months, pricing themselves out of my market.
I was just looking at a postcard on eBay (I collect a particular artist's work). The card is £5.00, which is already over the top, and the Global Shipping Program which includes international tracking would cost me £14.91. So for a single postcard I would be up for the best part of £22 including tax! That's a sale going begging as far as I'm concerned.
Gee ISO doesn't half keep you busy! I'd ordered beer and wine from Woolies (free delivery). Got a text to say my delivery was on its way by Sherpa! Sure enough, a battered Toyota Camry pulled up and there it was. Then I got a text asking me to rate my Sherpa, Arif. So I did that. 5 stars for friendliness and politeness. Then had to phone the chemist to organise scripts be delivered. They'll be here between 3 and 6pm. Then phone the local florist to order a nice arrangement for my daughter's birthday. After a long chat, I realised I'd given her the wrong date so had to ring back. Then there was an email exchange with Readings book shop. I'd ordered 2 books for said daughter's birthday and then had a light bulb moment that as I'd spent enough to earn free delivery, I should add Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" to the order for grand-daughter's 1st birthday. Managed to get that done. Put my little seedlings out in the sun. Silverbeet (4) is leading the charge, from spinach (3) and rainbow chard (1). Curly kale has some catching up to do. A family of magpies was carrying on so I fed them. Got a load of washing on. Time now to do some dishes and then I might do a bit more jigsaw!
suzysunshine7 wrote: "I'm not sure where in Ireland you are but - on checking out Collette's suggestion of Debenhams - online still seems to be working and delivering to parts of Ireland? ...https://www.debenhams.ie/k..."
I've did a good few online orders with Debenhams Suzy, and apart from a missing button on a Jasper Conran blouse a few years back, I've never had any problems. Reviews can be good at times, but IMO sometimes it's perhaps better to decide for yourself?
Today I'm going to take my shelf bears down and give them a good old comb.
Ohhh, I agree with you, Collette, as I've never had a problem with ordering from Debenhams online either but the latest few weeks of Reviews for Debenhams.ie are suggesting that suddenly not every Order is arriving and Customer Service aren't responding to Calls and Emails - which might be down to their current rather sad situation. I hope they manage to successfully negotiate a buy-out to save all of their Stores. The main Shopping Centres around Greater Manchester just won't be the same without a Debenhams.
Val wrote: "... Then phone the local florist to order a nice arrangement for my daughter's birthday. After a long chat, I realised I'd given her the wrong date so had to ring back ..."Val?!! ... Ohhh, this made me laugh out loud!!! ;o>
My own Mum has taken to looking quite blank and to me for the answer for a few years now whenever she is suddenly put on the spot by someone asking her for my Birthdate ... and I keep on saying to her ... "But Mum?!! - you were there!!!!!!!" ... LOL!!! ;o>
Val wrote: "I was just looking at a postcard on eBay (I collect a particular artist's work). The card is £5.00, which is already over the top, and the Global Shipping Program which includes international track..."Perhaps I could buy them for you, Val? - and then try posting them onto you for a fraction of the p&p that they are asking you for? ;o>
Today I shall mostly be dealing with one Doorstep delivery after another and another and another ... and building up an impressive stack of cardboard Boxes in the Garage! ;o>We now have another month's worth of Milk, several trays of exceptionally fine and healthy Plants from M&D's favourite local Nursery, two fresh Chickens and 3 packs of Lean Minced Beef, a large luscious looking Fruit & Veg Box that should last us at least a week, several loaves of freshly baked Sourdough Bread ... AND I finally managed to access a Priority Customer Supermarket Slot with Morrisons and have successfully managed to get delivered almost a half of what I ordered - and thankfully it was nearly all of the most important stuff that we really needed too ... YAYYY!!! ;o>
Brilliant, Suzy. Queen of the lockdown shoppers! :o)
It's been a bit chaotic as everything came only just a few minutes apart including a parcel of Pears Soap Bars from Amazon, a much needed (as we ran out last night!) bulk-buy Order of Toothpaste from a Seller off eBay, and a delivery of several Grow Bags for the Tomato Plants as well!The Doorbell has barely stopped ringing all Morning - and this has meant that little Mitz has kept on with doing her Door duty in barking and needing to be repeatedly shut into the Lounge every time with my Dad ... who has kept on with sitting watching TV and complaining to me about all of the noise! - LOL!!! ;o>
I'm completely knackered from all of the dragging in and around and unpacking of all of the Boxes but I'm ecstatic too at suddenly being able to cross so many essential things off my seemingly endless Groceries & To Do Lists.
Today has got off to an absolutely cracking start and is most definitely turning out to be a VERY good day indeed! ;o>
Traffic update;
The queue of delivery vehicles causing delays in the Stockport area have now cleared and traffic is getting back to normal :)
The queue of delivery vehicles causing delays in the Stockport area have now cleared and traffic is getting back to normal :)
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Ohhh, this made me laugh out loud!!! ;o>My own Mum has taken to looking quite blank and to me for the answer for a few years now whenever she is suddenly put on the spot by someone asking her for my Birthdate ... and I keep on saying to her ... "But Mum?!! - you were there!!!!!!!" ... LOL!!! ;o> ... ..."
Would you believe I had to ring three times!! I had it in my head that her birthday fell on a weekend. Probably because I had tickets to an opera on the Saturday and hoped she wasn't going to organise a family get-together on that day (pre-Covid). So I ordered the flowers for the Friday except I said May 7th. I rang back and said make it May 8th. Then I looked at my diary and remembered her birthday is actually on May 6th. Talk about old age!!
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Perhaps I could buy them for you, Val? - and then try posting them onto you for a fraction of the p&p that they are asking you for? ;o>"Thanks Suzy but I think the £5.00 is already too much for a postcard. I know for some sellers it is a business but I'm not prepared to pay those sort of prices. Your kindness is much appreciated.
Council update;Reports are coming in of a small House on the outskirts of Stockport that is now completely hidden by a massive mountain of cardboard Boxes on the Driveway. The Blue Bin Emergency Service has been informed and say they might be able to arrange for a Collection sometime in September!
;o>
Val wrote: "Would you believe I had to ring three times!!"Well? - you've got an awful lot going on in your Mind right now and you do have several Children with a lot of memorable Dates attached to their lifelines now such as Weddings, Anniversaries, Grandchildren's Birthdates and Christenings ... and at least you did finally remember and get there in the end, Val! ;o>
Val wrote: "Thanks Suzy but I think the £5.00 is ..."That's okay, Val ... just remember the offer is always there if it ever works out to be any cheaper for you on something that you really want ;o>
I was a bit surprised this morning to find no peppers in the supermarket. Much less surprised to find no flour. Managed to walk out with the self-scan handset, having last week taken out a bottle of vodka with the security cap still on.
Don’t know about peppers, but flour’s been in short supply for ages as has yeast.
Popped into our local Morrisons yesterday on my way home from work and they were selling 16KG bags of flour!!
Lez wrote: "Don’t know about peppers, but flour’s been in short supply for ages as has yeast."Flour isn't the problem, it's the supermarket size bags to put it in causing the bottleneck.
Been giving some serious thought to a conversation I had at work the other night with my line manager;
I collared my manager to bitch about doing collections instead of deliveries as this involves a lot of sitting around waiting to be loaded, something that I hate doing as I always end up with a splitting headache.
I had three hours waiting plus loading time the other day picking up bananas, and was extremely grumpy by the time I got back. When I got home I went straight to bed, no dinner, so bad did I feel.
"Do what the other drivers do, have a kip" he said.
"I don't come to work to sleep. Do you?" I replied.
"So, what's the problem then?" he said.
I explained my hatred of waiting around and the effect it has on me, and that I have been diagnosed as just tipping over into being diabetic but, with exercise and better diet, I can pull myself out of that. Spending half my shift sitting around doing nothing counters all the effort I'm putting in at home to reverse this diagnosis.
There are routes that involve delivering to three, four or five stores which means plenty of moving cages around and the only down time is when taking required tacho breaks so why can't I be put on these and the collections go to those drivers who want to sleep on the job.
"Diabetic," he said. "You do know that with that diagnosis we could shield you, which would mean sending you home for 12 weeks on full pay plus the current 10% bonus."
Initial reaction?
F*** OFF!! - 12 weeks sat at home would turn me into a complete basket case!
Even worse, to see it through properly, Mrs Grizzly would also have to be home for 12 weeks to further reduce any risks to me. I'll start digging the grave now, shall I as one of us will end up dead. He told me to think it over while off on my rest days and give him a definitive answer when I go back Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
Upon recounting this conversation to Mrs Grizzly, she came up with a counter argument worth consideration - despite home deliveries increasing and being able to book an online delivery is nothing short of a miracle, Ocado have been asking drivers to take holidays (paid or unpaid) due to a lack of work!
The upshot is that Mrs Grizzly had a week off work, incorporating rest days and four days holiday and is only back at work due to the fact that she also does marshalling duties and those shifts never get cancelled.
Having used up all of her holiday entitlement now, any further days off will be unpaid so her reasoning is that if I am off for 12 weeks and she has to be off too, then she will have to be paid for that. She is making the relevant enquiries today, in case we decide to go down that route.
The question then is can we survive 12 weeks of being together 24/7 in the house or is it possible financial hardship is easier to bear?
I collared my manager to bitch about doing collections instead of deliveries as this involves a lot of sitting around waiting to be loaded, something that I hate doing as I always end up with a splitting headache.
I had three hours waiting plus loading time the other day picking up bananas, and was extremely grumpy by the time I got back. When I got home I went straight to bed, no dinner, so bad did I feel.
"Do what the other drivers do, have a kip" he said.
"I don't come to work to sleep. Do you?" I replied.
"So, what's the problem then?" he said.
I explained my hatred of waiting around and the effect it has on me, and that I have been diagnosed as just tipping over into being diabetic but, with exercise and better diet, I can pull myself out of that. Spending half my shift sitting around doing nothing counters all the effort I'm putting in at home to reverse this diagnosis.
There are routes that involve delivering to three, four or five stores which means plenty of moving cages around and the only down time is when taking required tacho breaks so why can't I be put on these and the collections go to those drivers who want to sleep on the job.
"Diabetic," he said. "You do know that with that diagnosis we could shield you, which would mean sending you home for 12 weeks on full pay plus the current 10% bonus."
Initial reaction?
F*** OFF!! - 12 weeks sat at home would turn me into a complete basket case!
Even worse, to see it through properly, Mrs Grizzly would also have to be home for 12 weeks to further reduce any risks to me. I'll start digging the grave now, shall I as one of us will end up dead. He told me to think it over while off on my rest days and give him a definitive answer when I go back Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
Upon recounting this conversation to Mrs Grizzly, she came up with a counter argument worth consideration - despite home deliveries increasing and being able to book an online delivery is nothing short of a miracle, Ocado have been asking drivers to take holidays (paid or unpaid) due to a lack of work!
The upshot is that Mrs Grizzly had a week off work, incorporating rest days and four days holiday and is only back at work due to the fact that she also does marshalling duties and those shifts never get cancelled.
Having used up all of her holiday entitlement now, any further days off will be unpaid so her reasoning is that if I am off for 12 weeks and she has to be off too, then she will have to be paid for that. She is making the relevant enquiries today, in case we decide to go down that route.
The question then is can we survive 12 weeks of being together 24/7 in the house or is it possible financial hardship is easier to bear?
I think that I'd ask Phoebe as to what she thinks about having you both Home for so long? You may have to promise to sleep for up to 18 hours a day just to fit in around her usual daily routine ;o>
Grizzlygrump wrote: "Been giving some serious thought to a conversation I had at work the other night with my line manager;I collared my manager to bitch about doing collections instead of deliveries as this involves..."
12 weeks! Death or divorce seem likely,
"...weeks to further reduce any risks to me. I'll start digging the grave now, shall I as one of us will end up dead. "Before that you have to think hard of good alibi, 12 weeks would suffice...
Would suggest an agreement: "I don't hate you/want a divorce just because I spend a solitary hour in the loo, shed, cellar, study, attic (insert as appropriate to Grizzly Towers). Negotiate some space... This is the voice of experience. ;o)
... especially if they opt to spend a solitary hour in the Loo ... !INSIST on your Partner ALWAYS having plenty of space all to themselves in there - keep the Window open and ensure that they always have access to a Loo Brush and a full Bottle of Toilet Cleaner! ;oO
... This is also the voice of experience. ;o>
Just think of it as practice for when you're both retired.
no no no. In this case half measures won't help. Start looking for hitman.
Looking for a new project, last one is on now my profile.Today is Earth Day (as mentioned on the nasa website) and it's such a beautiful day again.
Please excuse me if I'm misremembering but I think it's Lez I have to thank for the link which helps me through the day. It puts things in perspective...
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Yes it was me, Isabella. Glad to be of service😀
Oooh, can you see a really teeny-tiny itty-bitty little dot there waving? ;o>That's me, that is! ... " ! ! ! HIYAH ! ! !" ... ;o>
Is this a variation on "Where's Wally?" :)
Today I will mostly be crunching around and occasionally sticking to the Kitchen Floor!I found my Dad downstairs this morning wandering all around the Kitchen with a bag of Sugar that had a hole in it and, despite me asking him to hoover up the worst of it all first, the Phone rang ... and while I was answering it he decided to get the Mop out and give the whole Floor a nice thorough sticky sloshing instead ... (*sigh*)
I wouldn't mind so much but he's taken the Plug off my precious Coffee Filter Machine AGAIN, for some reason known only to him? ... and I'm SO in need of Coffee right now ... as I woke up first thing to the wonderful sound of Bathroom Floor being flooded because he had put the Sink Plug in, turned the Taps on full blast, and then wandered off and forgotten all about it ... !
Ohhh!!! ... I SO NEED MY COFFEE TODAY ! ! ! ;oO
Stuff the coffee - have a large port and lemon instead!! :)
Ohhh please?! ... Don't tempt me! ;o>I went and found my Mum who was out tending to the Garden and told her what had happened and do you know what she said? ... "Sweetheart, I thank my lucky stars every day that I only married him. You're the one who is related to him by Blood" ... ! ! !
I'm doomed, I tell you, doomed! - LOL!!! ;o>
suzysunshine7 wrote: "Oooh, can you see a really teeny-tiny itty-bitty little dot there waving? ;o>That's me, that is! ... " ! ! ! HIYAH ! ! !" ... ;o>"
I thought I recognised you... ;o)
Congratulations! - you've just won First Prize in our Spot The Suzy Competition! ;o>You can choose your Prize from ... a Bar of Soap, a 10ml bottle of Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser ... or? ... (brace yourself now, Isabella!) ... THREE whole sheets of (unused!) Toilet Paper!!! ... WOO-HOO!!!
if the winner comes from ayr could instruction manuals be included?
... for the Bar of Soap? ... or the Toilet Paper? ... !;o>
suzysunshine7 wrote: "... for the Bar of Soap? ... or the Toilet Paper? ... !;o>"
No; how to handle a WOO-HOO.
Ohhh, you have got to be kidding me?!! ;oOFirst put on Heavy Duty Gloves, chase your Hoo all around the Back Garden, grab it by the Woo, quickly shove it in a Pet Carrier, and you're done!
... surely everybody knows this by now?!! ;o>
""Sweetheart, I thank my lucky stars every day that I only married him. You're the one who is related to him by Blood" ... ! ! !"Pure classic.
Lessons in Insulin injections today for our Dog, from the Vet.First go went ok tonight, now twice a day, same time, for rest of Dogs life...
......sigh.......
A bonus today, small village shop not too far from us is now stocking potting compost, so I delivered Duck Eggs to them and they paid for 2 bags. Happy days propagating veg in the cold frame again.
Serial wrote: "Lessons in Insulin injections today for our Dog, from the Vet.First go went ok tonight, now twice a day, same time, for rest of Dogs life...
......sigh......."
Awww, may it be a long, happy, and as healthy a Dog's life as possible ... x
Serial wrote: "Lessons in Insulin injections today for our Dog..."Who will the dog be injecting?
... my Monies on it being the Cat! ;o>
Amazon exiles
Books mentioned in this topic
Time of the Child (other topics)This Is Happiness (other topics)
Time of the Child (other topics)
Mog's Christmas (other topics)
We're Going on a Bear Hunt (other topics)
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Thanks, Lez, they have no store in Ireland, but I see they deliver, so I'll check it out