Saturday 19 March 2011

GRUMPY OLD PERSON

This morning I went out to try to buy and look at various things for the house.


First of all I wanted a replacement large rechargeable torch to replace the one given as a Christmas present the year before last. Can I get what I want? Of course not! I can get the same one again, which, truth to tell was a bit heavy and not altogether convenient to use but why would I want to buy an identical torch which has only had some 15 months wear before becoming unusable? Stuart's taken it to see if he can juggle with it for use at the stables. So, no torch.


Then, I'm gradually getting irritated with my washing machine which I bought from John Lewis on-line. It works perfectly well but has an annoying feature which, truth to tell, I wouldn't have picked up on if I'd been looking at it in the shop.


You can't tell how far through the cycle the washing's actually got. There's no indicator on the 'dashboard' to tell you whether, for example, it's still on the wash cycle and you haven't put in enough soap or whether it's gone into the rinse cycle and you just don't need any more soap.


There's one expensive model which counts down the minutes to finishing - so what good is that? You still don't know which cycle you're in. I want to be able to stop during rinsing and spin so that I can go out...


Then I thought about updating my almost 6 year old laptop - silly me to think I can get what I want. I bought a Fujitsu about 4 years ago as a stopgap when this HP went away for repairs but hated Vista so much - AND the shiny screen which reflects everything behind it - that it's lived on a shelf in the workroom almost since I bought it. Oh, and it didn't have any way of turning off the integral mouse, which I loathe! So, that idea came to nothing, too.


Why do we have to put up with manufacturers who decide what's going to be 'out there' for us to buy, with no choice offered?


One last grumble, which has been on-going for several decades - I like round-toed shoes with flat heels and consequently have decent feet for my age.


I bought these 'Desert Island' shoes more than 25 years ago at Hampton Court flower show, while I was still teaching. They cost about £30 a pair and the children, sitting on the carpet in front of me, loved them too. They were made by a pair of hippies who worked in Glastonbury and these were the only ones in my size at Hampton Court.

Some time later I was on a coach trip to Glastonbury, found the shop they had opened in the meantime and ordered a pair of shoes in the colours I chose - a sort of cyclamen for the heel part, turquoise and purple for the upper and the toe cap was, originally, red and yellow with white stars. Those wore off with all the polishing! I had them resoled about a year ago which cost almost as much as the shoes since women's replacement soles don't fit and men's repairs are much more expensive.

So, why can't I buy round-toed and colourful shoes in a shop?? I usually wear trainers as they are at least comfortable but I won't entertain women's shoes in the shops, too cramped in the toes and such boring colours...

There, I feel better now!

So, what irritates/annoys/frustrates you when you're shopping? Some things you just can't buy on line, you need to try or handle the goods. Let's have a few grumbles from you!!




9 comments:

Micki said...

I love your shoes. Those are my kind of style.
Micki

Marigold Jam said...

Love those shoes! What irritates me most is anything which doesn't work as I think it should. I have just got mad with the sidhwasher as I can;t fit in a teapot I wanted to wash - seems it is fine for plates and mugs but anything not flat enough to fit in the racks not small enough to go where the cups fit has to be hand washed so why not wash the lot!

Kath said...

That's easy, you have to come back to Glastonbury!

Sylve said...

Hi Micki, those shoes are so comfy to walk in, I never get tired feet.
Jane, I can sympathise with you about your dishwasher - everything's designed by You Know Who!
Glastonbury's a bit far for me to drive I think - but take a photo of their shop window if they're still around, please, Kath.

Bernard said...

Just because your HP came with Vista as an operating system, you don't have to live with it.
I think you could have a different one if you wish. I am no expert in these matters.
I bet Angus Die (my follower) will know. He repairs computers in his kitchen!
If the integral mouse is on the keyboard, you just need a new keyboard, and a separate mouse plugged in the back. The HP computer is too expensive to give up on.
I could write a book on things that 'cheese me off'. Better not start here.
There used to be a nice Wainwright's shoe shop in Great Missenden. They are a good shop and worth a try.

Sylve said...

Bernard, my HP has Windows 2003, it's the shiny screened Fujitsu which has Vista... I think I could borrow a Windows 7 disk and get someone to download it for me, or is that illegal?
Could I have just one or two of your gripes, please? (Price of vet's bills, perhaps?)
Wainwright's is still there, tho haven't been to Missenden in a while, but there's one in Risboro', too - where one of the young assistant wears co-respondent shoes!! I always expect to see him leaping about the furniture and breaking into a Fred Astaire routine!

Sarah Elisabeth said...

Macanna shoes are colourful, i have no idea where in England they are sold but they are expensive.
Maybe someone does a copy?

Maybe if the shops still there i can take you all that way =D

Anonymous said...

Do you feel better now mother after your rant..... I was going to suggest the we take you to Glastonbury while over as I'm sure Jonathan would love it............ but seems Sarah has beaten me to it..see you soon...Dutch Duo

Sylve said...

Dear Anonymous - carry on suggesting...