Holidays! Hah!!

This morning I got up as normal , as I'd intended going to my parents. I decided to phone my Dad and check he was OK for me to go. He heard my croaky voice on the phone and told me to leave it until Monday, and keep my germs to myself, basically!

So I walked down to the post sorting office to collect Zeph's Christmas present that finally had arrived. I needed to pay a little bit of tax on it and almost three times as much in handling fees to the PO for their trouble!

Whilst down there I popped into Trespass as I noticed some snow boots on offer by the door. I found a pair I liked that were better than half price, but as I didn't have enough cash on me to buy them I had to phone Bri to come and pay for them for me, 

The reason for this is that my credit card got declined when attempting to make an online purchase earlier in the week. Strange as I knew I was nowhere near my limit. 

I contacted the company to be told there was a block on it but they couldn't tell me any details until I'd jumped through a few security hoops. This is the first time since taking out the card a very long time ago that I've had to do this, and in those days they did not set up all the security questions they do now. I didn't even have  mobile phone then, so they didn't have a number for me either.

So they had to send me a security code by post before I could deal with the problem! It finally arrived today, and it turned out someone has booked themselves a £1000 trip to Eurodisney at my expense! They tried to hire a car too, but my card company had realised how out-of-character just the holiday was that they'd already blocked the card!

He reassured me the money will be refunded and the case will be passed to the police fraud squad for investigation. Now I have to wait for a new card to arrive.

While I was out I saw these characters promoting a new branch of a travel agent that's just opened in Lincoln. Today is apparently Sunshine Saturday, when people start booking holidays. The three of them (The lady is guiding them around!) all seemed fed up as it was drizzling, and she was telling them to hurry up as they might be fine, but she was cold and wet!

I won't be booking a holiday - a) Can't afford one, especially as we want to get the house damp problem dealt with. b) Brian's idea of a good holiday is my idea of hell and vice versa! c) Minstrel is a house-cat, and I won't traumatise him by subjecting him to a cattery or the long journeys involved!