Bloody Mobile Phones

Typical, isn't it!

Last weekend Hubby went out and bought us both a mobile phone, a Motorola Raz 3 thing, brilliant, really neat and fits the hand a treat. Takes good photos (except for the fact it's a mobile phone so you always get a bit of a blur going when you hit the shot), and exactly the same except his is black and mine is (very) pink.

So we go on the website to make them web configured, and his works and mine doesn't.

Doesn't matter what I try, no go. Tried everything, bar throwing it out the window, and believe me that is next.

Been on the website and cleared the cache, taken out battery and reset the SIM and tried again, and then gone back to make sure put in the right number and then etc etc etc.

Still doesn't work.

Gone right back to the beginning, checked all settings - the brochure for the phone doesn't have a troubleshoot page. This I find very unusual and slightly disturbing. Could it be that the phone is so bad that the trobleshoot page would be longer than the main instructions??? We may never know.....

Not even swopping his SIM over to my phone has worked so it's clearly the phone.

Shame. Wanted to use it over the next few days as well.

Had a bad couple of days actually. Went over to see Mum on Saturday along with the rest of the family. Went over originally to see Oldest Nephew who has just passed his GCSE's. He's done really well, and so we bought him a laptop. Got to flex the Rich Auntie muscle very occasionally!

Mum however was on form. The entire nation is being overrun by immigrants apparently. This has always been Mum's point of view of course, it's just that they have been more sneaky of late, because they're not black! I try to shut her up, - she knows it leads to friction between us so why does she do it? But she is on a roll by now. I tell her I don't want to discuss it because I believe that because most of the people who come here are between 20 and 40, and work, they are contributing to the country. They are young, single and healthy, so they pay taxes, do not use schools or hospitals. So on balance they put in more than they use up.

But they take up our houses, she says. Apparently there is a household near them, with a young family - man, wife and a couple of toddlers - living with the in-laws. They have been on the housing list for ages, and now apparently, because we have the entire population of Warsaw and Portugal living here, they have had to- sharp intake of breath - they have had to go into private rented accommodation!

At this point I tell her quite sharply that I do not see this as a problem - so they may not be in a council house but please don't tell me that private landlords are a problem. Hubby and I rent out two houses after all!

I haven't mentoned yet (although I will, I will, one day!) that Dad gave up work when he went out of business and has been on benefit since he was 48, and she therefore has been a "burden on the taxpayer", ie me, since she was 41!

Instead I simply say that when we go to Spain to live we will expect to be given a courteous welcome, and so I will offer the same to anyone coming here!

Anyway, enough of that. Oldest Nephew was suitably gratified and Middle Nephew took note. We could see him working out how much revision he can cram in now before his exams in May. Eldest Niece still wants me to showher how to do a french plait, and Youngest Niece cleaned the bathroom while we were there. This was treated with suspicion. Sister wanted to know what she had done which resulted in such a cleaning frenzy and Husband of Sister made a mental note to order a new toothbrush. (the story that will be told to all prospective husbands of Youngest Niece is how she used Husband of Sister's electric toothbrush to polish the shells of several snails she had gathered on the garden wall! )

Youngest nephew still looks like Rooney and still needs a good slap!

Anyway, work has been a pain. Put into practice something I learnt at management training a week or so ago. always dangerous, however it didn't go too bad. Only one of the team resigned! My Boss by Proxy shook his head and proceeded to run down the motorway to meet with aforementioned Resignee to talk him out of it, whereas my reaction is, if they want to go, they will go. Actual Boss agrees with me, so we'll see.

Hip has been hurting like a bitch though over the last two days. yesterday was very hot and humid, not bad for this time of year, however today was rainy all day. Doesn't matter, hip very bad whatever the weather, so that sainsbury's zimmer needed two bottles of wine for ballast at least! Up to eight tablets a day from the prescrbed 6, but what the hell, it's my pain!

Only 6 weeks left now before the operation, so hopefully all will be on the up after that!