Obstacles

Visiting my mom in the evening, because of my birthday in sunday, she had a small gift and she would like to meet me. After a busy workday, a busy dinner and...

At my mom's the first thing she asked was, if I could download a Taxi-call application into her mobile phone.
And I did.
Time for a short advising how the application works. And an interesting conversation followed. It went like this:

Me ... And the system shows that you're home now. And then you write in this box the destination where you're going ...
She: why?
Me: what why? What do you mean why?
She: why do I have to tell where I am going to go?
Me: I don't know, it is always asked also, when the taxi is pre-ordered. I have not thought about that.
She: No it is not asked. If you book a taxi for tomorrow, they do not ask the destination.
Me: well, at least I've always been asked the destination, if I make time pre-reservation.
She: no they don't ask for the destination, and I wouldn’t tell anyway.
Me: well I do not know, but I have been asked. Everytime I or hubby have been making a taxi time reservation, the destination is asked.
She: what do they do with the destination information then?
Me: I think the taxi-office is trying to chain the bookings cleverly, so that if there are bookings from the same direction where you are going to go, then the system will offer you the car that can sensibly continue it's journey. Effectively, you see?
She: the destination is not their business. And I will not tell.
Me: ok. Then don't tell. Do not fill it in the application. But since some destination has to be given, maybe you can give your own home address as a place of departure and arrival....

(sigh)

We had a cup of evening tea. And a bun. Chatting too.

She was eager to show me that she had bought a small box of baking powder. The lid of the baking powder box had a loosen small part of plastic and she was going to send it back to the factory, because the lid was broken and she would need some compensation...

I maybe was tensed of tired, but now I had to laugh already. Really. A normal baking powder box lid.

Me: it is not broken, the loosen part is only a seal and should be taken away when opened. Let's try. Look again!
She: oh really, is it?
Me: yes. Just try it. And if you take the small seal away, the lid can be opened and closed more firmly.
She: oh my! How happy I am, that I did not send this to factory! What would have they thought about me!!!

The rest of the visit was more relaxed. I heard how impossible and idiot neighbors she has, she continues to stalk them from her door-eye and her windows. Also water drain pipes tend to keep odd noise.

(sigh)

As I finally got back home, some shoveling had to be done: 10cm new snow during the day. It took me almost an hour to clean the front yard. Good exercise.

+0c

Susanna