Goodwill to all men...except ...

Firstly, can I say Happy Christmas to everyone who drops by this Christmas eve blip. Its been 9 months since I joined blip and almost everyday people on here have been kind, funny, supportive and really good fun to 'be around' in a virtual sense. I've made some friends on here, some of whom I have had the privelege to meet as well, and some who I am sure will be on my list of people to meet in 2009.

So thanks guys for getting me through some tough times, particularly in early September, and for listening to (or reading) my extensive rants about drivers, the education system and Ed Balls!

But now I have to have a little whinge - because although it is the season for 'Goodwill to all men' about 30 minutes ago I was royally p***ed off by a knock at the door. Make sure you read it through ...otherwise you will think I am being an arse, when in fact I don't think I am.

Corin has been outside since 1pm working in the back garden, doing some paving and then moving the summerhouse (on car jacks) so that he could get behind it and seal it properly as it is leaking. After his tea, he went back out and decided to make some structural changes to it which involved him doing some sawing for about 20 minutes and some hammering, for another 10 minutes or so. What he hadn't noticed was that it was 8.30 in the evening...


So there's a knock at the door - and I'm in the middle of messing with photos on the computer - and stood at the door is a little round man who looks scared witless (I'm on holiday - I am NOT that scary when I am not at school!) who says

"Is there someone building at the back of this house?" To which I replied yes there was. He then went on to explain that he could hear it in his house and was it going to go on for long. I very politely said I could ask Corin to stop straight away if it was a problem and that we didn't intend to cause any sort of disturbance. If it had been me at the door, i would have said "oh cheers, yeah that would be great. Thanks very much".

Oh but no.

I then was subjected to "we have an 18 month baby and she is poorly and her room is at the back of the house and I can hear it" (no mention of it disturbing the baby - it was probably disturbing his telly viewing) So again I said "not a problem, I'll go through and get him to stop right now"

"Oh well I don't want to stop him if it needs to be done"

At this point, I am going to sound like a complete arsehole, but I got angry then ...because he either wanted it to stop, which is why he had bumbled his way round from his house and knocked on my door and had the conversation ...and stopping would have been not one little bit of a problem....or he wasn't that bothered, in which case he was wasting my time and obviously just wanted to practice his complaining skills.

So, Mrs Tact and Diplomacy 2008 say "Do you want him to stop, or not?"

Oh well if its not too much trouble and its not going to cause you any problems

Oh my gosh

So I asked him again - "do you want him to stop?"

"Well, yes because the baby is poorly but if the work REALLY needs to be done...

Losing the will to live I told him as politely as I could that I would go through and ask Corin to stop and apologised for disturbing him. Then shut the door on him and locked it.

i promptly went through to the back garden to find that Corin had already stopped working on anything other than creosoting the timber (which is REALLY BLOODY LOUD) 5 minutes previously...

Lord only knows what the poor bloke is going to do come 11.30 went all the local kids, chavs and drunks cut through the street as they normally do on Christmas Eve, singing and shouting. Maybe he'll go out and complain as effectively to them as he did to me "Do you mind being quiet....if its not too much trouble"


Merry Christmas to you all - I am going to go and watch "Its a wonderful life" on DVD (Hence the sepia toning to the picture!)