Happenings

No. 12    Thursday 11 August 2011

Companies are funny things.  Some of them have entered the digital age fully and communicate by using e-mail and accept payments by internet transfer or debit card and others use various parts of outdated systems mixed with their ideas of digital operation.  This does not depend on the size of the company, as I found a couple of days ago.  I have some of my compensation which I want to put away to gain some interest until it is needed and accordingly I searched out a suitable bank on the internet with which I hadn't had previous dealings.  Their web site accepted my application - but they insist having the payment by cheque!!  This bank is a very large one, much larger than a building society with which I had similarly dealt with (and which took payment by debit card) and massively larger than a local laundry whose monthly bills I pay by internet transfer.  I am still considering whether to comply with their stupidity and write a cheque (a major task as writing is rather difficult due to limited hand use) or whether to tell them (politely) where to put their savings bond.

In blog No. 9 I mentioned that the footpath at one side of my bungalow needed attention.  Well, last week it was thoroughly attended to - the contractor (which I used for the front and back 'gardens') took on the job.  In a couple of days the inaccessible jungle path was converted into one which matched the front path and side drive and which had proper drainage.  The exterior pathways now look fully organised and very smart.  Their work is so good that I've given them a free hand to let future tentative customers come and have a look.

Back at the start of my legal case, something like five years ago, I made two lists - one of things I could not do (due to my disability) and the other of things which were difficult for me in various degrees.  If I still needed these lists there is a fairly recent addition which I could make.  This has come about because, some time ago I realised that my hearing wasn't up to scratch, so I had some hearing aids produced.  Much testing was done to find the exact level of amplification that I needed, and how they would fit with my limited hand control (to put them in).  The pair of aids which I ended up with are superb at improving my hearing but, because they are so small they need the batteries changing roughly every ten days (which they signal by a four-note chime when about to run out).  This is the problem, it takes about ten minutes to do a job which would normally take only a minute or two.  The main reason for this is that the batteries are only 8mm across and about 3mm thick.  Adding to the problem is a protective sticker on one side which has to be removed before use.  I am getting a little better at changing these batteries - when I started it took fifteen minutes so maybe it will get a little easier in time.

Mike