4 October 2001
So my new monitor got delivered yesterday. Why did I need a new monitor? Well, I had a 17" monitor at home. Perfectly servicable, but it just wasn't, well, big enough. I wanted a 19" monitor like the one I used at work. One where I could have a resolution of 1600x1200, at 32bit colour, and at least 75hz. My mum had a 15" monitor. Perfectly servicable, but it just wasn't, well, big enough. Soooo, instead of carting my 17" monitor down here, the plan was that I would leave the 17" monitor at home and purchase a new 19" monitor to be delivered down here. Perfect.
So, the monitor got delivered at about 10:30 am yesterday. It got heaved up the stairs by D in a very impressive display of manliness, and everything was fine. Except it wasn't. Because I needed the 8 waty surge protected gang socket (19.99) that I'd tried to purchase from Argos the two previous days, that was still out of stock. Sooo, I remembered that on the bus on the way home the day before I'd seen a Woolworths, and I knew that I'd got surge protected sockets from the Woolworths at home, and thus reasoned that there would be surge protected sockets in the Woolworths here. Right?
Wrong.
Ordinary sockets a-plenty. Surge protected sockets? Not a one. But there's electrical stores nearby, so off I toddle, and we enter an electrical store that smells for all the world like there was a recent death in there. Doing my best to not breathe through my nose, I ask for a surge protected gang socket, and after a quick rummage, he pulls out this dusty, ratty old plastic bag containing a 4 way gang socket. Hrm. Okay, maybe I can get two, because there are two sockets in the wall. Sorted.
Not.
I look at the price. 14.95. I resist the urge to scream "DAYLIGHT ROBBERY" and instead swallow quietly and mumble that I'll leave it for now, thanksverymuch. So we leave, and a small discussion on the ridiculousness of going to Argos three days in a row ensues. We decide to check about getting it (and the extra deep bookcase that's also been out of stock) delivered from Argos online via the internet cafe at the top of the road (the one that's been full every time which has meant us being here and not there) and miracle of miracles, there are two terminals available. Only that place is kinda weird, and I don't really feel like taking my cards out there, so after about 20 minutes, D says he wants to leave, and we head out.
Of course, by now it's well after lunchtime, and I'm starving, and so we decide to go to a local cafe/sandwich bar/bistro (!?) for some lunch. So we sit down, and it looks nice enough, and I order bacon, sausage, egg and chips. It arrives without much delay and as usual, I pick up the vinegar to put some on my chips. Except there's wee black things floating in it. Wee black things with wings.
By this time D notices me sat frozen with the bottle at 80 degrees from upright staring at the vinegar bottle, and not, as is my usual habit, drowning my chips in vinegar (would you like some chips with your vinegar? no? okay then).
So, I didn't have vinegar on my chips, I ate the bacon after examining it closely, I poured on small amounts of brown sauce, spreading it out thin to check for flies, and felt vaguely ill.
I don't think we'll be going back.
Thank god they didn't have honey out on the counter for breakfast...
Jeez, you are just sooooooo picky.
... the online home and (not very) alter(ed)-ego of Ann McMeekin, a recently freelance Web Accessibility Consultant.
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