And it's a good day from him
Jul. 11th, 2007 08:20 pmThe morning did not start auspiciously. My mobile phone steadfastly refused to recharge. Of course, I don't have a contract phone; hell, I use it so rarely that it's a miracle that I have one at all. So it's a bit of a pisser for a phone that's only seven months old to start messing you about. I was resigned to forking out another hundred or so for a new phone, because I was damned sure that my chances of finding the box, or the receipt, or anything useful, were next to zero.
But from thereonin, the riptide began. Pound goes even higher against dollar. kerching. Stop-win point is 2.05 BTW.
Get home. Share certificates from my share option scheme have arrived in the post. Kerching. Now it's just a matter of working out how many I can sell each year without incurring CGT.
Look for original box for phone. No luck. But, at the last moment, inspiration strikes. Maybe I put receipt in my tax-receipts file? (After all, it's a business expense, isn't it?) And, voila, not only is receipt there, but so is Tesco Mobile phone helpline number.
And, rock on, big up for Tesco. Not only is phonecall answered promptly, but person at other end of line is courteous, efficient, and helpful. They'll send me an envelope. I send back phone, sans battery and sans sim, and they fix it. Or, if they can't, they replace it. And, yes, I did say "Thank you very much. You've been very helpful. And it is appreciated." BT, learn some lessons on how it's done.
Then plumber phones me with quote for bathroom. Hell, I'd been resigned to chasing him up at least twice before I got any exact numbers out of him. Quote (£7.6K plus VAT, if any of you want to compare bathroom costs, and that includes the skip and underfloor heating) was two to three grand less than I anticipated. Kerching. Quids in for another three grand. OK, I know that's a bit like the wife spending a few grand at the shops and claiming at the end that the reductions were so good that she's saved you more than a grand, but, well, it felt like a saving to me.
So, all in all, a highly profitable day. All that money "saved" goes half-way towards a not-bad-car. Shall I treat myself?
Funking for Mr Ward today, of course, although he'll probably be all-in at least five times in the first couple of hours. Provided (a) he doesn't get called or (b) he gets lucky with his 75s, thigs should be fine. And the way my luck's running today (I have 2% of the action...) I'm fully confident that he'll be rolling with 250,000 by the end of the day.
But from thereonin, the riptide began. Pound goes even higher against dollar. kerching. Stop-win point is 2.05 BTW.
Get home. Share certificates from my share option scheme have arrived in the post. Kerching. Now it's just a matter of working out how many I can sell each year without incurring CGT.
Look for original box for phone. No luck. But, at the last moment, inspiration strikes. Maybe I put receipt in my tax-receipts file? (After all, it's a business expense, isn't it?) And, voila, not only is receipt there, but so is Tesco Mobile phone helpline number.
And, rock on, big up for Tesco. Not only is phonecall answered promptly, but person at other end of line is courteous, efficient, and helpful. They'll send me an envelope. I send back phone, sans battery and sans sim, and they fix it. Or, if they can't, they replace it. And, yes, I did say "Thank you very much. You've been very helpful. And it is appreciated." BT, learn some lessons on how it's done.
Then plumber phones me with quote for bathroom. Hell, I'd been resigned to chasing him up at least twice before I got any exact numbers out of him. Quote (£7.6K plus VAT, if any of you want to compare bathroom costs, and that includes the skip and underfloor heating) was two to three grand less than I anticipated. Kerching. Quids in for another three grand. OK, I know that's a bit like the wife spending a few grand at the shops and claiming at the end that the reductions were so good that she's saved you more than a grand, but, well, it felt like a saving to me.
So, all in all, a highly profitable day. All that money "saved" goes half-way towards a not-bad-car. Shall I treat myself?
Funking for Mr Ward today, of course, although he'll probably be all-in at least five times in the first couple of hours. Provided (a) he doesn't get called or (b) he gets lucky with his 75s, thigs should be fine. And the way my luck's running today (I have 2% of the action...) I'm fully confident that he'll be rolling with 250,000 by the end of the day.