Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[AndrewT]

Here's a story Tikay might appreciate from the guy whose puns he rates so highly...

So, I'm out tonight with a few friends at a pub on Marylebone High Street and we get hungry. We're undecided as to whether to eat in the pub or go somewhere else. I announce I'll go outside and have a quick look up and down the street to see what other places there are in which to eat.

I do so and spot a place across the road called 'Eat and Two Veg', along with a couple of Italian places. I wander back in the pub and announce my findings, saying the Eat and Two Veg place sounds interesting, and that I'll go and have a closer look at the menu posted outside, which I proceed to do.

Whilst I'm gone, the conversation in the pub continues.

'Eat and Two Veg sounds like a vegetarian place, surely?'

'Yeah, Andrew of all people isn't going to recommend that'

Meanwhile, I'm stood outside Eat and Two Veg looking at the menu.

It's laid out in a classic manner. Starters at the top, a panel on the left listing some burgers, salads on the right, with main courses at the bottom. Now, one of my friends is a vegetarian, so I'm mindful enough to see what sort of selection there is for her to eat.

Looks promising, there are three main courses with a Vg sign next to them, which I take to mean 'vegetarian'. Great - many places only have one veggie option. I'm getting big brownie points here. I glance at the starters. There's something called 'Aromatic Crispy Luck', comprising of '1/4 luck'. 'Silly spelling mistake', I think. 'They should have spotted that'. I also notice one of the main courses consists of a 'protein escalope'. 'That's a bit odd', but I think nothing more of it.

I go back to the pub. 'Looks OK. They do burgers and that and they seem to have some good vegetarian options.'. We tootle across the road to the restaurant.

Upon sitting down, we're handed the menu.

I look through it.

I read the descriptions of the meals.

I notice the heavy usage of words such as tofu and protein.

I look up.

My friends are all looking at me, eyebrows raised.

'You've not been to this place before, have you?', says one of them...

Yes, I'd missed the pun in the title of the restaurant. Nevertheless, I had a very nice mushroom and beetroot burger with organic lager.

[Colchester Kev]

Here's a story Tikay might appreciate from the guy whose puns he rates so highly...

So, I'm out tonight with a few friends at a pub on Marylebone High Street and we get hungry. We're undecided as to whether to eat in the pub or go somewhere else. I announce I'll go outside and have a quick look up and down the street to see what other places there are in which to eat.

I do so and spot a place across the road called 'Eat and Two Veg', along with a couple of Italian places. I wander back in the pub and announce my findings, saying the Eat and Two Veg place sounds interesting, and that I'll go and have a closer look at the menu posted outside, which I proceed to do.

Whilst I'm gone, the conversation in the pub continues.

'Eat and Two Veg sounds like a vegetarian place, surely?'

'Yeah, Andrew of all people isn't going to recommend that'

Meanwhile, I'm stood outside Eat and Two Veg looking at the menu.

It's laid out in a classic manner. Starters at the top, a panel on the left listing some burgers, salads on the right, with main courses at the bottom. Now, one of my friends is a vegetarian, so I'm mindful enough to see what sort of selection there is for her to eat.

Looks promising, there are three main courses with a Vg sign next to them, which I take to mean 'vegetarian'. Great - many places only have one veggie option. I'm getting big brownie points here. I glance at the starters. There's something called 'Aromatic Crispy Luck', comprising of '1/4 luck'. 'Silly spelling mistake', I think. 'They should have spotted that'. I also notice one of the main courses consists of a 'protein escalope'. 'That's a bit odd', but I think nothing more of it.

I go back to the pub. 'Looks OK. They do burgers and that and they seem to have some good vegetarian options.'. We tootle across the road to the restaurant.

Upon sitting down, we're handed the menu.

I look through it.

I read the descriptions of the meals.

I notice the heavy usage of words such as tofu and protein.

I look up.

My friends are all looking at me, eyebrows raised.

'You've not been to this place before, have you?', says one of them...

Yes, I'd missed the pun in the title of the restaurant. Nevertheless, I had a very nice mushroom and beetroot burger with organic lager.

Thinly veiled "I have friends" brag post imo.

[tikay]

Thanks Andrew - cheered me up after a truly horrible day, one way & another. Well, horrible & lovely, & in some ways, the oddest of days.

I've tried to fall out with everyone today, & done pretty well. Only my closest friends remain on the list, & I'm working on them.....Ah well, tomorrow the sun will shine from a cloudless sky.

Went across to see Maria tonight. She's read my Diary Post in which I said I was all behind with my bills & mail, & had unpaid parking tickets & suchlike all over the place. So she ordered me to report to Chill-Ville tonight with all my paperwork, & a cheque book, & she'd sort it all out for me. And she did.

You read about footballers, forever cosseted, & quite unable post-career to organise hotels or airline flights or whatever. I'm a bit like that, only my problem is paperwork, & personal "house-keeping" husbandry. For 30 years, whilst working, I had a PA who sorted all these things for me, Oh yes, lucky me. After I retired, Wendy kept me straight, I had to keep "good order" in my house & paperwork, because I knew she'd be cross if I did not. When we went our seperate ways, I lost the need & drive to keep my home spick & span, & keep up with my paperwork, & everything went to rack & ruin. I just did things I enjoyed doing, & paperwork & housekeeping were not on that bloody list, for sure. I always paid my bills, but it was not usually until the "Red" letter arrived, & I cut it fine a few times, & only Direct Debits saved me really.

Anyway, I bundled all this paperwork into a carrier bag tonight - actually, 3 carrier-bags - & toodled across to see Madam Maria.

After hours of opening envelopes & sortng & filing, we found, & paid, these parking tickets:

Blackpool (2), from February & March, while playing their £200 deepstack jobbie.

Hounslow (2), from a meet in Chiswick in February.

Brighton (1) from January.

Leeds (1) from last August.

Nottingham (1) from April.

All accompanied by "Final Demands" & threats of Court Action, Bailiffs if not paid, da de da. Sheesh.

There were 11 TV Licence Reminders - luckily, I'd sorted that a month or two back - albeit 3 months late. But the new Licence is backdated, so I've paid the "missing" months. Sheesh again......

Oh, & a Summons from Notts Police, for (allegedly, & not quite true) running a red-light in Nottingham City Centre at 4am back in April. I was lost, & somehow while searching for a road-sign, my car "crept" across the Stop Line. That one, though not really true, looks like a 3 pointer......

And we found the "Citation" I picked up from the Nevada/Clark County Police for that bumnp I had in Vegas. I was troubled by that, as I fear being banned from re-entering the USA if I don't sort it. The Cop told me I had until October to sort it. Anyway, this Citation thing was so damn complex, we could not figure out what needed doing. There was no Fine mentioned, but a need to appear before a Court in Clark County in October. It gave a reference number to pay a Fixed Penalty instead, but the amount was not shown. My address was given as "Rio Hotel"........

So, we rung the Court in Vegas, & it was the most complex "for this Press 1, for that Press 2" rigmarole you could ever imagine, about 27 options, & none of them "fitted" my case. From what we could make out, it's a simple Fixed Penalty, but working out how to pay it is a nightmare, & I don't really know what to do about it.

So, that was that, it took 5 hours, Maria was writing cheques one after the other, & thrusting them in front of me to sign., I did feel rather silly, truth be told.

Still, it got better after that.....

[tikay]

Amongst all that clutter of bills & unopened envelopes, Maria sorted out all my 'Phone Bills - all of which are paid by Direct Debit.

I have a BT Landline, which I only use for Broadband at home. I have not used my home 'phone for donkeys years. The BT Bill was about £100 per 3 months - effectively my Broadband Bill. I'm only at home 1 or 2 days per week. So she's gonna can that I think.

And I have two Vodafone Mobile Accounts. One is for my Vodafone Data Card dubree, about £30 per month, which I've not used for about a year. She canned that, too.

And my "main" Vodafone Mobile Bill, which averages around £200 per month, (£600 for the month I was in Vegas!) mainly in texts I think. Must be the worst deal in the history of bad deals, that one.She canned that, too......

She rung up Vodafone, spoke to a nice man, & cancelled both Accounts, & negotiated a new Account for my Moby at, I think, £40 a month, including Internet roaming. And she ordered for me, as a free Vodafone replacement, a new Nokia 6214 or whatever, all Bells & Whistles, camera, internet roamer, bla bla bla. It arrives Thursday. My existing Moby must be about 8 years old, but it works a treat, & I don't have any hang-ups about posh or trendy Moby's, but anyway, it's all sorted now.

Then she ordered me a Vodafone Dongle thing - £25 per month. All in all, I'm a few hundred quid a month better off, & got myself a new 'phone, free, & a new dongle. Result. I have about 600 numbers stored on my Moby, so the next job will be to transfer that lot across to the new 'phone. Maria can sort that.......

Oh, & Glenn cooked us all a lovely roast dinner - Roast tatties & chicken, with gravy (runny), beautiful.

I need to return to Chez Chill next week for Phase 2 of the Clear-Up, & to "install" my new 'phone & dongle, (& she's gonna sort out my Lappie for me, too), so I opened up my Online Diary to find a blank date & had a right result. I had thought I was doing the Show this week on Thursday & Sunday, but upon opening my diary, realised it was in fact Wednesday (tonight), Saturday, & Sunday - phew - nearly a disaster there.

I really don't know how I've got myself so disorganized these last few weels. I really am beginning to think that those Tablets I was taking which said "may cause confusion" were more effective than I realised.

So, that was that, & I drove back steadily from Grantham just after midnight, on deserted roads, much relieved, a huge weight off my mind, but really quite embarrassed & perplexed as to how I got myself so behind with everything.

Then I listened to the Radio Four News...... And there's me, feeling all down about myself, & I listen to the tale about Paul Gadd (aka Gary Glitter), who's just been released from Prison in Vietnam, for child molesting. He was deported, & due to fly home to London, with a flight change in Thailand. He boarded the first leg of the flight - which was full of ogling Press - with a blanket over his head, refusing to speak to anyone. And I'm thinking, boy oh boy, is he NOT looking forward to his "reception" at Heathrow.

Then it's revealed that he had "missed" his onward leg to London. Apparently, he refused to come home, wanted to travel to another country, but nobody would take him. But Thailand deported him on the spot, so he had no choice. Until he feigned (or perhaps not feigned?) a "mini heart attack", & so Thai Airlines refused to allow him to board the Flight. And so, he's stuck in Thailand, nobody wants him, & a terrific Press story is growing in intensity by the minute. And it will grow & grow, & at some stage, he has to go somewhere, somehow. And wherever it is, the reception he gets will be "warm".......

What will happen to him, I can't help but wonder, if & when he gets to the UK? I shudder to think. I'm not pleading any mitigation for him, not at all, but wow, he's gonna get some "warm" reception.

The sun won't be shining for Mr Glitter tomorrow, that's for sure, but The Sun might take a shine to his story. All that Glitters will be told.

[thetank]

9 times out of 10 when you have to choose between 27 sub menus on the phone, they all put you through to the same person anyway.

I don't stress about them, and typically just mush the '2' on the keypad till I get a person.

[tikay]

There - I've unburdened myself, & I feel better already, so much clearer of mind.

Big up to Maria, too. She's a star.

Now I can get down to clearing my writing backlog. Funny thing, the human mind.

[tikay]

9 times out of 10 when you have to choose between 27 sub menus on the phone, they all put you through to the same person anyway.

I don't stress about them, and typically just mush the '2' on the keypad till I get a person.

It said, "if your ref begins with a number, press this, if it begins with a letter, press that".

It begun with "X", so we pressed the "letter" version. And it then said, "if it begins with the letter 7....." Honest, it did!

[tikay]

We were searching for something on my e-Mail account, & Maria noticed all my Facebook requests (unopened). "Right, let's get that sorted" said she who must be obeyed. God, I'd hate to be married.

There were 60 messages in my Inbox, 121 various "application" requersts, (someone slapped me with a fish - what?), & 93 new "Friends" to Confirm or ignore. Not one of which I'd done anything with, as I've not opened Facebook for months on end.

I really wish I'd never opened a Facebook account. I'm totally passive on there, but it seems somehow rude to ignore "Friend Requests".

Anyway, we worked through the list, just "ignored" most stuff, but "accepted" most (but not all) of the "Friends". (What a weird thing, if you think about it, to "accept" a friend! It wholly redefines the meaning of "friend").

Whenever I visit an Office, I see all the youngsters on Facebook left right & centre. It really does seem to be a time-sponge. I guess it's a generation gap thing, but I really don't get it at all.

[RED-DOG]

I just did things I enjoyed doing, & paperwork & housekeeping were not on that bloody list,

Probably the most sensible thing you've said since you entered your dotage.


How come the dongle is £25pm? £15pm is the going rate.

[Woodsey]

I just did things I enjoyed doing, & paperwork & housekeeping were not on that bloody list,

Probably the most sensible thing you've said since you entered your dotage.


How come the dongle is £25pm? £15pm is the going rate.

Depends on what Gb use you want per month, £15 deal is enough for all but heavy users.

[ripple11]

After hours of opening envelopes & sortng & filing, we found, & paid, these parking tickets:

Blackpool (2), from February & March, while playing their £200 deepstack jobbie.

Hounslow (2), from a meet in Chiswick in February.

Brighton (1) from January.

Leeds (1) from last August.

Nottingham (1) from April.

All accompanied by "Final Demands" & threats of Court Action, Bailiffs if not paid, da de da. Sheesh.

Nobody likes to get a ticket,but you've got to make a straight decision....pay or appeal.
 If you pay within 14 days it costs you "half price"....and since you don't sound like the appealing type Tikay! ....just phone the ticket office and pay STRAIGHT AWAY!..done/finished.
 FFS, once you get to court action/bailiff....you're talking £200+ a ticket.

[RED-DOG]

I just did things I enjoyed doing, & paperwork & housekeeping were not on that bloody list,

Probably the most sensible thing you've said since you entered your dotage.


How come the dongle is £25pm? £15pm is the going rate.

Depends on what Gb use you want per month, £15 deal is enough for all but heavy users.

3GB for £15, (plenty for me) What do you get for £25?

[Woodsey]

I just did things I enjoyed doing, & paperwork & housekeeping were not on that bloody list,

Probably the most sensible thing you've said since you entered your dotage.


How come the dongle is £25pm? £15pm is the going rate.

Depends on what Gb use you want per month, £15 deal is enough for all but heavy users.

3GB for £15, (plenty for me) What do you get for £25?

5GB for £25, 3GB is enough for me too. I just upgraded from one of the old cards to the USB stick in the last couple of months aswell and its way faster too. If anyone is still using a card or dongle I'd recommend getting a USB instead, speed is 7mgs per sec compared to 2.8 with the old ones. Plus I was on the old rate of £25 per month for 250megs(lol) with the card so its cheaper with more usage too.

[Bongo]

Who needs a dongle? Unlimited (limited by fair use) net for free on my phone, bluetooth to laptop and away.

Just need to be careful when setting it up so you don't use the phone as a modem and pay data rates.

[kinboshi]

Who needs a dongle? Unlimited (limited by fair use) net for free on my phone, bluetooth to laptop and away.

Just need to be careful when setting it up so you don't use the phone as a modem and pay data rates.

Easier for some who are technophobes, and also a good option for people who are already in long contracts for their mobile.