What's making you happy today?

[classicman]

Good to hear that Clod. Give him our best.

[infinite monkey]

Good stuff!

[lumberjim]

He'll yeah

[lumberjim]

I got a tin of chocolate goodies from brother b. And a funny disclaimer letter. Good stuff, buster! Thanks!

[Sundae]

A belated public thank you to the marvs Dwellar who wired some money to me last week when I was in need. It meant I didn't have to start using the Arabic way of wiping myself as I was able to buy toilet paper.

And the care packet of sugary goods from one of my regular saviours.
And the phone, so that I am in contact with the world.
I do thank people personally, but I don't like to boast about the really lovely things people do for me in case I embarrass them or it encourages other people to come and steal my Jelly Babies... That's not a euphemism.

I'm off to hospital for a sleepover tomorrow, so Mum sent me a balloon. She likes sending balloons. They come in a box with a small pack of chocs, so I'm never going to get thin at this rate! But it did make me smile. I'm assuming I'm forgiven for wasting Police time by letting someone steal my phone

[DanaC]

I may have mentioned here, somewhere, that I got a letter over Christmas telling me I owed NHS dental services several hundred pounds for dental treatment that I was supposed to be exempt from because of claiming Jobseeker's Allowance at the time treatment started. The treatment had continued, because of several postponed appointments (the dentists were having some issues at the time), past the point when I signed off JSA. When the dentists had sent in the paperwork, they'd put the date I went in for the treatment under deep sedation, instead of the date when that round of treatment began.

I spoke to the dentists and they said they were emailing the NHS and not toworry. Then I get another about ten days ago, from the NHS telling me I have still not sorted out the money I owe them, they've added £50 costs and the next step is taking me to court. I phoned them, explained what had happened with dates oftreatment and that my detists had said they were emailing them - was told there was no email on record, they'd had no contact from the dentists - but would put a stop on the account for 21 days whilst I try and sort it out. Spoke to my dentists - they'd sent two separate emails, to the correct email adress and received an automated reply telling them their email had been received and they would be contacted in the next few days. That was in early January.

Bless them, they phoned the NHS and got them toaccept that there had been an error on the dates and that treatment was to be dated to the first visit. But - they now needed proof that I was on JSA at that start date.

So that left me having to call the Jobcentre Plus hotline. The only point of contact for anything to do with JSA , it can be an hour or more on hold and the advisors are often less than helpful.

I've been putting off calling them. Just the thought of having to explain the situation makes me feel tired. And then there's actually getting through to them. No good trying at just any time of day - pretty much the only way to get through to them is to call during their first hour (8-9am) so there are only two days a week I am even about at that time. This week I am on holiday from work and decided to get it out of the way early. I was on the phone at about 8:30, on hold for about 30 mins. Just as I was starting to get really hacked off with the Four Seasons hold music, someone answered.

The call took less than three minutes. The advisor was very helpful. Oh, right, she says, I'll get you a letter sent out. It'll be with you in th next few days. And, yes, by all means I can send it to an alternative address where the dog won't shred it.

This makes me feel pretty groovy.

[Carruthers]

Franz Kafka is alive and well and working in the Civil Service.

Whatever you do, do not enter into dialogue with HM Revenue and Customs.

But well done in triumphing over the forces of bureaucratic darkness.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by DanaC

... snip ... bureaucratic tedium...
So that left me having to call the Jobcentre Plus hotline. The only point of contact for anything to do with JSA ,

The call took less than three minutes. The advisor was very helpful. Oh, right, she says, I'll get you a letter sent out. It'll be with you in th next few days.

This makes me feel pretty groovy.

The fact that things went so smoothly with a call to your govt bureaucrats must mean that Mercury was retrograde...


snark

[monster]

can you get one of those cages to catch the mail?

[monster]

or just attack a box below the letterbox (on the inside)?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by monster

can you get one of those cages to catch the mail?

She could if she were in charge, but we all know who's in charge of that house.

[DanaC]

Hah.Unfortunately not. It's a UPVC door with the letter box right at the bottom. Cage wouldn't fit and no way to nail it on anyway.

What I need, really is an external letter box. But as I don't have a garden it would need to be a decent, secure one. It's on the long list of shit I need when I earn proper money again.

[Gravdigr]

Follow me here, I know it's an out there idea, but...

Perhaps the dog could be trained to not eat the freakin mail!

[DanaC]

Yeah...I have tried. For most stuff he trains pretty easy - but there are a handful of things that he is immovable on and the post is one of those things.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Send yourself some mail with hot pepper on it.