It's only money!

There is nothing more irritating that getting into a shop with an itchy credit card waiting to have its scratched soothed by the spending of money and finding that the shop assistants don’t really seem over-bothered to take your cash from you.

I am presently in the market to get a replacement chair as mine is disintergrating.  A combination of avoirdupois and sweat seems to have done for the thing.  I do not think that having a “relax” version helped at all, as the lounger element has never been entirely convincing and worked out to be just something else to go wrong.

Getting a replacement is not easy.  The cost of furniture in Spain is markedly more expensive than in the UK for reasons which are not in any way clear.  Our best bet is to go to a place in Sitges (well, a bit outside really) and see what they can offer.

What I really want is a high-legged, high-backed, cloth-covered chair, something like the chairs that they have in hospitals but not looking quite so institutional!  I fear that what I want is not readily available and what I am going to be presented with will be ugly and expensive.  Still, I am an inveterate shopper so even failure will be interesting!

With the prefect sense of timing and helpfulness which characterises the Spanish Post Office, I returned from my swim to find that they had “called” and found that we were “out” and so were unable to “deliver” the parcel sent to me.  I do not believe they attempted to deliver anything and, to be fair to them, they didn’t even write in a fictitious time – just a few crossed lines.  One has to admire the honesty of their duplicity.

The Forums in the OU have many students commenting that the various delivery services that are supposed to deliver the study materials do nothing of the sort and merely pop a slip through the letter box telling the putative recipient that they “failed” to deliver.  One writer on the forum was insistent that you should never be complicit in this form of anti-service and always demand that they pay a return trip to deliver.  I know where he is coming from but this is Spain and not the UK and I am going for the easier option and giving in!

Disturbingly, the package is described as a “sac” or bag, and that is only used when the original packaging has been damaged in some way.  I do not want to have a battered collection of learning materials.  OU stuff is printed on fairly heavy paper so there is a real weight to the total delivery, but if it is not pristine then I am going to write to the University and demand replacements.  Or perhaps I am being unduly pessimistic and all things may be fine.  But speculation never waits for reality!

I have also discovered FutureLearn which is a newish company whlly owned by the Open University but dedicated to mass free learning utilizing the expertise of partner universities and giving access to short courses which demand an input of 3 hours work a week.

Not knowing anything about it apart from thinking what little I did know seeming to be a good idea, I have registered for a course on commercial Brands and their influence and importance.  Starting in October.  Just like my OU course.  Not the one I am doing now but the next one.  I am sure it will all work out.

Friday is the day when I expect to have my essay returned

Tomorrow Suzanne and stories about the beginning of term. 

I must remember to take my little red book to jot down any ideas for Creative Writing that I can glean!