Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Doobs]

When I got home last night from what was essentially a 5 or 6 day trip away, I went to log on to Sky Poker to start my "thank you's" & continue with my usual duties until the curtain falls early next week, only to find that my account has been...... SUSPENDED.

FFS.

It's nothing to do with my retirement, & there's nothing to see here, so to speak, but the bottom line is, right now, I can't access the Sky Poker Forum even to read only. The Boss is trying to sort it, but it's quite complex, so I don't know if I'll get back on there before it closes.

So if any regulars from Next Door see this, please just put up a notelet saying that I've not jumped ship, I'm just having access problems & hope to be back on in a day or two.

Bit of a weird ending to my 18 very happy years there, but it is what it is.

Meanwhile, with no work duties elsewhere, I might just get my blonde Diary going again. I had to give priority to my work, but that is (almost) history now.

The problem of course is that unless they are your Dad or Grandad, there's no such thing as an interesting 77 year old & they are, with just a few exceptions, a bit boring. I don't mean to insult any 77 year olds, a few are exceptions to the rule, but I'm sure you get my point.

Anyway, that's where it's at.

Posted this on your thread.

"Just a note from Tikay.

He can't access the forum right now as he has login issues that aren't easily resolved.

He is hoping to be back before this closes, but isn't deliberately ignoring anyone.

I will likely just screen shot messages if he doesn't get back."

Was very tempted to just post "say what you like about him now, he's gone"

[Karabiner]

I tried to claim a refund about a year ago after my train back from London to Nottingham was delayed by over an hour.

I must have spent about an hour trying to submit my application online and giving card details etc. - it's a very complicated process - but it turned out to be a complete waste of time as nothing ever materialized.

[tikay]

With the SPT behind me, Tuesday & Wednesday was a Golf Trip to Lincolnshire with Miserable Trev & Miserable Moulty & 6 others. I was very luck to get a spot, thanks to Trevor, as it was a private family & friends gig but, as always, luck smiled on me & a spot fell my way.

We played Woodhall Spa on Tuesday & Seacroft on Wednesday.

For those unaware, I'm a very poor high handicap golfer, I love it  but I'm shite.

Both Courses were way too tough for me. At Woodhall Spa - VERY tough with 143 fearsome bunkers - I really struggled front 9 but redeemed myself a tad on the back 9 with 19 points.

At Seacroft, there was a "fresh breeze" & it's one of those "out & in" courses, so 8 of the front 9 were downwind & I scored a respectable 19. Coming back, into what now seemed like a Force 9 Gale, the Course got the better of me & I scored a  miserable 9 points I think. Sheesh, it was tough, but I stuck at it.

I was seriously whacked at the end (I don't use a Buggy, I walk, with an Electric Trolley) but I got round.

Then we had a little presentation, prize money & medals. Thanks to Moulty, we won the Pairs Comp & I got a little Medal. Yay.

Then the dreadful drive home from Skeggy to Nottingham (I was chauffeur to Moulty) & then on to my home at Ilkeston, That took a painuil 3.5 hours, after which I had to pack & head south to my overnight stay at Beaconsfield Sevices IBIS, in readiness for mt flight to Vegas this afternoon.

Buit two shocks awaited me at home, first the Forum thing, & then a menacing letter.... That's all I needed last night when I was ready to pack & head south....

[tikay]

When I got home last night from what was essentially a 5 or 6 day trip away, I went to log on to Sky Poker to start my "thank you's" & continue with my usual duties until the curtain falls early next week, only to find that my account has been...... SUSPENDED.

FFS.

It's nothing to do with my retirement, & there's nothing to see here, so to speak, but the bottom line is, right now, I can't access the Sky Poker Forum even to read only. The Boss is trying to sort it, but it's quite complex, so I don't know if I'll get back on there before it closes.

So if any regulars from Next Door see this, please just put up a notelet saying that I've not jumped ship, I'm just having access problems & hope to be back on in a day or two.

Bit of a weird ending to my 18 very happy years there, but it is what it is.

Meanwhile, with no work duties elsewhere, I might just get my blonde Diary going again. I had to give priority to my work, but that is (almost) history now.

The problem of course is that unless they are your Dad or Grandad, there's no such thing as an interesting 77 year old & they are, with just a few exceptions, a bit boring. I don't mean to insult any 77 year olds, a few are exceptions to the rule, but I'm sure you get my point.

Anyway, that's where it's at.

Posted this on your thread.

"Just a note from Tikay.

He can't access the forum right now as he has login issues that aren't easily resolved.

He is hoping to be back before this closes, but isn't deliberately ignoring anyone.

I will likely just screen shot messages if he doesn't get back."

Was very tempted to just post "say what you like about him now, he's gone"

Ahh, thank you very much David.

[tikay]

I tried to claim a refund about a year ago after my train back from London to Nottingham was delayed by over an hour.

I must have spent about an hour trying to submit my application online and giving card details etc. - it's a very complicated process - but it turned out to be a complete waste of time as nothing ever materialized.

Exactly. They deliberately make it complicated so that you just give up.

Bastards.

[tikay]

Having been away at Glasgow & Lincolnshire last Friday I arrived home to quite a bit of mail.

Included amongst it was a letter from Horizon Parking. (Who?).

They claimed I'd parked at Tesco Ilkeston for 4 hours one morning last month, which is in excess of the allotted time, & so were fining me £70. They offered photographic proof too, as in a photo of my car entering Tesco at 7am (correct) & another photo of it leaving at 11am (also correct). Suffice to say, they were wrong. I DID enter at 7am, then left at 7.20am. Later that morning, at around 10.30, I returned to buy some US Dollars from the Currency Booth, which does not open until 10am.  So they had missed two photos - my Exit at 07.20 & my re-arrival at 10.30.

I mean, I can probably live with that. Life's too short & all that. Argue on principle? Nah, wars are started on principle. Sod that.

Except.....


The letter said (something like) this.

"The Fine is £70, but as a Goodwill Gesture, if you pay within 14 days, we will reduce it to £40".


I mean, these days I'm dead chilled, & make a point of never arguing with anyone about anything.


But....


"as a Goodwill Gesture"?


Somehow that sparked some resentment deep inside me. And I just decided fuck you.

I've appealed, & I'd rather go to prison that pay it. Seriously.  

Watch this space.

[tikay]

So that's it, & in a few hours time my Great Retirement Adventure starts properly, with a 4.30 flight to Vegas with Wooly Jumper.

Apart from this dreadful heavy cold, I'm dead excited, a new Chapter begins. I've worked non-stop for 61 years, & loved every minute, but I gotta move on, that big old clock is ticking....

[tikay]

For now though, a 45 minute drive to Heathrow, get the car parked, Shuttle Bus, check-in, Security, followed by being herded around in endless queues, & an 11 hour flight. Then get through Immigration & face a queue at the Hotel check-in at around Midnight US time (8am tomorrow UK time). Long old day that.

Never happy, are we?

[animalpoker]

Have a good flight Tikay, expect I’ll bump into you next week in one of the casinos for some Omaha 8 of some form or other.  I’m itching to get there and started thinking yesterday of bringing my trip forwards a few days, but I think 23 nights out there is probably more than enough for me so I won’t give in to temptation.

[Jon MW]

I tried to claim a refund about a year ago after my train back from London to Nottingham was delayed by over an hour.

I must have spent about an hour trying to submit my application online and giving card details etc. - it's a very complicated process - but it turned out to be a complete waste of time as nothing ever materialized.

Exactly. They deliberately make it complicated so that you just give up.

Bastards.

It depends on who the operator is.

When I used to commute by train, before COVID, I semi regularly put in delay repay compensation claims.

With SouthEastern they had a form online

Your sign in to the site meant it remembered some of your details

The browsers auto complete filled in most of the rest

So for every claim you pretty much just had to put in the start and end of your journey and click submit.

About a week later they did a bank transfer for the compensation amount into your bank account.

I don't know if they're the only ones who made it that easy though because I've only done it a couple of times with any of the other operators and they were long enough ago that they might have changed their system by now.

[mondatoo]

Enjoy your retirement tikay, and be lucky in Vegas.

[Doobs]

Have a great trip Tikay.  See you in about a week.

Add buying currency to complete ballaches.  My bank seems unwilling to let me buy in today.  They frequently block gambling transactions too.  Yeah, I want to make the payment, yeah, I know it could be fraud.  Declined...

Think I had more success with refunds on trams in the past, but think that was via an APP.  Was probably virgin trains though RIP

[RED-DOG]

Have a good trip Tony. x

[alanc]

Having been away at Glasgow & Lincolnshire last Friday I arrived home to quite a bit of mail.

Included amongst it was a letter from Horizon Parking. (Who?).

They claimed I'd parked at Tesco Ilkeston for 4 hours one morning last month, which is in excess of the allotted time, & so were fining me £70. They offered photographic proof too, as in a photo of my car entering Tesco at 7am (correct) & another photo of it leaving at 11am (also correct). Suffice to say, they were wrong. I DID enter at 7am, then left at 7.20am. Later that morning, at around 10.30, I returned to buy some US Dollars from the Currency Booth, which does not open until 10am.  So they had missed two photos - my Exit at 07.20 & my re-arrival at 10.30.

I mean, I can probably live with that. Life's too short & all that. Argue on principle? Nah, wars are started on principle. Sod that.

Except.....


The letter said (something like) this.

"The Fine is £70, but as a Goodwill Gesture, if you pay within 14 days, we will reduce it to £40".


I mean, these days I'm dead chilled, & make a point of never arguing with anyone about anything.


But....


"as a Goodwill Gesture"?


Somehow that sparked some resentment deep inside me. And I just decided fuck you.

I've appealed, & I'd rather go to prison that pay it. Seriously.  

Watch this space.

Happy retirement Tikay and fingers crossed for you in Vegas.

On the parking front, my experience is that your appeal will be rejected by the parking company and you'll need to go through Tesco customer services for them to get the fine annulled!

[bagel]

safe journey tikay , SCOOPIO THE LOT .

not that you will give a f**k about parking tickets for next few weeks , when you get around to it have a look at this if you have not already done so ...

 
 https://www.parkingcowboys.co.uk/private-parking-tickets/