Maybe she's afraid of her home blowing up, due to residual materials on the equipment? And, if the authorities swing by, she doesn't want to have to name *you* as inciting her.
I sympathise with all the ants in sugar problems! During the years I lived in (Little) Aden, everything had to be safely sealed, otherwise they'd get into anything. Fortunately, I don't think I ever accidentally ate any!
Richard Feynman had a system for diverting them elsewhere.
Meanwhile, my surgery. They have a system whereby you phone after 8.30, describe the problem to the receptionist, get a phone call from a doctor who decides how to progress the issue, and if you need to see them, book you in that day. You do not, under current rules, go in to the place.
It is now 9.20. I have been phoning every five minutes. It's a good thing it is not the sort of serious that isn't serious enough for 999, but something slowly developing. I was calling till 10 on Tuesday, with no answer, no queuing system, and no use of ringback, though it suggests it. (Possibly due to my supplier.) It doesn't even do that on my mobile.
9.30. still busy.
At 9.40, I got through, and then through the menu to a real person, who informed me that all appointments today are fully booked and I need to ring at 8.30 tomorrow. I informed her that I had been ringing since 8.30 this morning.
The system doesn't, it seems, allow for advance booking. It has to be on the day.
We had a weird system whereby you phoned and were told the next available appointment was two or three weeks away. So you took that appointment. It became your backstop appointment.
Then the next day you phoned again to see if any spots had opened up for a earlier appointment, and possibly got it brought forward by a couple of days. Then you phoned the next day... By a combination of time passing and your date becoming closer, and the phone calls bringing your appointment forward, you eventually got an appointment which suited.
Every time your own appointment was brought forward, your previous appointment became vacant so someone else could be brought forward and get that one, so there was a sort of constant cascade system.
Actually, I think one needs another word - system has implications for effectiveness. (And I'm pretty sure I used ringback for somewhere else the other day, so it's them, not my phone company.)
Yours must have had a lot of patients with "self-limiting" conditions.
At 9.40, I got through, and then through the menu to a real person, who informed me that all appointments today are fully booked and I need to ring at 8.30 tomorrow. I informed her that I had been ringing since 8.30 this morning.
The system doesn't, it seems, allow for advance booking. It has to be on the day.
I always start phoning continuously at least 10 minutes before the official time, otherwise I have no chance of getting through!
At one point my job involved making a lot of phone calls to try to get appointments for a boss. Some of the hold music was amazing. In South Korea I got some very nice traditional koto* music, but I think my absolute favourite was a big Bollywood style number in India.
* Or an instrument similar to it, I suppose. Koto is Japanese.
I don't get hold music at the moment. They don't have a hold system. They have continuous repeats of "The number you require is busy. To use ringback, press 5." Which in my case does not work. If it is working for other people, I haven't got a chance. I keep ringing at random intervals in hopes of hitting a gap, but if the others are on ringback, there won't be one.
I've just completed a YouGov survey on Covid and Christmas:
What is YOUR favourite part of Christmas? Family? Food? Tradition? Decorations? Presents? Carols? Watching TV? Parties?
"Tradition" has an emoji of Santa after it. I suppose "Carols" might be a shorthand for "celebrating the birth of OLASJC." Once you have answered the question, the current voting results come up, and only 3% have chosen "carols."
When the YouGov survey is published it will be very easy to spin as "only 3% chose "religion" as their favourite part of Christmas. (Way out in front is "family" chosen by 47%).
It's one of the reasons I do YouGov surveys - I know what questions were asked, which sometimes helps explain the results.
Usual outcome. Looked at their flashy new updated website. It seems that I need an app on a smartphone, or access via the computer. In an area with a lot of elderly people who have not had the advantage of being in charge of IT at school. Off to doctor link, if it will work on Windows - seems to be Android or Apple based.
My local surgery: I'm having trouble with my ears and need them looked at.
I ring one afternoon: "Oh, we only do emergencies in the afternoon, you'll need to ring at 8 tomorrow morning".
I ring - repeatedly - at 8 am. The line is constantly engaged. I ring at 11 am only to be asked, "Is it an emergency?" - "No" - "In that case you'll have to ring at 8 tomorrow" - "I tried that, I couldn't get through" - "Well, that's the way we work, anyway I don't think we do ears anymore" ... !
I didn't wait for the brushoff line yesterday.
Doctor Link, apart from being for phone or tablet, and a separate company, demands lots of my information, beyond what they need for contacting the surgery. There is another one, Patient Access, more local, but again on apps for the two As.
They don't want older patients, do they?
I didn't wait for the brushoff line yesterday.
Doctor Link, apart from being for phone or tablet, and a separate company, demands lots of my information, beyond what they need for contacting the surgery. There is another one, Patient Access, more local, but again on apps for the two As.
They don't want older patients, do they?
What happens if you show up to the doctor's office without an appointment, looking ill and confused, and mumbling about how you've been trying to get through for weeks? Is there any chance someone would take pity on you and just put you through?
It's an automatic door - probably couldn't through as far as the desk! And it's not that bad a thing I need them for. And the receptionists are better than the one's at my friend's mother's surgery, who I owe something negative to*, but I had a telling off from them after I tried email a while back.
If I was bad enough, as above, I could call 111, who would put me on to the surgery if deemed appropriate.
They are probably very busy - our area continues to have more cases of covid, and the rate of increase is increasing.
It's a nuisance with something that isn't self limiting, treat it myself with Friar's Balsam, lemon and honey, paracetamol and a warm bed, or support socks, or salt gargle or anything like that, but might be the precursor of something else and needs to be nipped in the bud. Not something really serious, but needing a professional eye.
*Thank you for making the decision not to see Mrs X, which led to the loss of three years of my life and the money involved in it. Here, as a thank you gift, is a tin of Quality Street, as I know you are barred from sharing it in case you get covid.
The people at my gynecologist's office don't answer the phone and frequently the voicemail is full. I have emailed them through the contact page on the website a few times, but last time I needed to talk to them and couldn't get through and went to do that, the website was down. So I wrote a letter. They called me when they received it.
Check your GP's online system, it may be worth using. Ours allows us to book appointments (with the GP not any of the nurses*), book repeat prescriptions (unless they need reviewing), check progress of prescriptions and all sorts of things. I don't remember finding the questions particularly unnecessary for what it was achieving when I signed up: date of birth, NHS number, address, phone number, GP surgery.
Also check the phone system: we have an emergency on the day appointment system for something that needs immediate attention with queuing system, irritating muzak and updates on number in the queue, usually listened to on speaker while getting on with something else, and we have an appointment system - 3 weeks or so in advance for general check ups and other problems. The emergency appointments line opens at 8:30am and all slots are usually booked by 9:00am/9:15am for either a call back or an appointment. For anything else, including booking an ordinary appointment and checking for results, the request is that calls are made after 11am, so after morning appointments have been sorted out.
* typically, my regular asthma checks are with the asthma nurse, so I have to phone to book my appointments.
Curiosity Killed. Different doctors have different systems. With mine, you have to ring on the day you want an appointment and you cannot request your own GP at present. You cannot have a regular appointment apart from this. I should be having probably bi-monthly check-ups at present. I have twice been told I am unlikely to get my GP by the receptionist. When you have a medical condition going back thirty years with various complexities over the years there is no sensible way another GP can just pick up and triage in the problem in ten minutes. If it is something separate from that I do not mind who I see. Needless to say I both times got called by my GP.
I'll check out the online thingy. But there is no queuing system on the phone. I have a cunning plan, though. I rang, accidentally, at 8,28 on Friday, to be told to wait until after 8.30, so I put the phone down and rang a bit after 8.30. I'm going to try ringing at 8.29, and keep on holding, thus possessing the line for when they switch over. But not tomorrow, as I reckon that there will be a number of people who needed them over the weekend who I might prevent from getting through.
Forgive me if I've missed this, but a) does your doc do phone and/or virtual appointments now; and b) are there somewhat lower-ranking staff (here: physician assistant, nurse practitioner) who could help you instead?
I've had a phone appointment with one doc, and it went very well. I have another with the same doc soon. In the past, I've had PAs when a doc wasn't available; and, in my case, they were better doctors than many MDs.
Phone first, talk with doctor over phone, actual appointment if required. I think it needs an actual doctor, and it needs eyes on at some point. It's getting past that first hurdle of the phone to reception that is the problem - I can't judge on the rest of the procedure, which sounds good. Why the dickens they can't have a queuing system, and why the redial procedure doesn't work I can't think. They've spent enough on their web site.
TICTH the YouTube ad algorithm. I had the Praetorius Christmas Mass playing whilst I was washing up this morning, and I kept getting gambling ads. I couldn't skip them as my phone was safely out of reach of the sink.
TICTH the YouTube ad algorithm. I had the Praetorius Christmas Mass playing whilst I was washing up this morning, and I kept getting gambling ads. I couldn't skip them as my phone was safely out of reach of the sink.
So much for cunning plan. I've been waking quite late this week, so about 8.25 I dragged myself downstairs, and started ringing when the phone said it was 8.29. Message saying the phone would not be operational until 8.30, press 1 if urgent, 0 if to cancel appointment. Repeated once. Then switched immediately into busy signal, which was repeated when I disconnected and tried again.
I'll see how the Patient Access thing works.
I am consigning the branch of a well known high street chemist where I normally get my prescriptions which seems to be incapable of regularly getting in reliable staff. I today went in to see if they had my prescription which I am sure was for last week. No. They did not seem to have even ordered it. I know they were going to BUT it took me three efforts to get the assistant to get the right date. I assume that she went with the middle one which means it will be booked for sometime next week. If this did not seem to happen every other time I go to collect a prescription I would be more lenient on them.
We gave up on what I assume is the same well known high street chemist, as they seemed incapable, as you say, of finding reliable staff. Started using an independent chemist, much more reliable.
Royal Mail, Streatham. for the second time it has lost a parcel aimed at my neice. This time I have a signed for record from it's posting by me, but nothanaged to delivering else. Should have done tracked. They have managed South Wales - locked down, Gloucestershire, Oxford, Tenterden and Brighton - both tier 4, but South London has something wrong. And a nice turned wooden pot from the Faroes, and a set of knitted things from Sainsburys. And who knows what else from other people.
Does yours have an online patient portal? Mine does. I sign in, can order a refill and schedule it, see whether it's ready or not, etc. Plus I signed up for e-mail notification, so I get a heads up when it's ready, or if it's delayed. I can also be notified by phone or text.
TICTH the dozy bint who rear-ended my sister this afternoon and whose first words to her were not "are you OK?" but "do you know how much this f***ing car cost?"
I hope she doesn't try to weasel out of her responsibility like the lads who rear-ended me last year, who claimed it was my fault for stopping on a blind bend - so I didn't hit the very large John Deere tractor hauling a very large crop spraying device coming toward me. Are there witnesses? (Reminds self to reinstall rear facing camera. It doesn't half change the behaviour of cars behind me.)
I don't think there were witnesses, but I think the other driver will try and wriggle out of it.
I also consign to the Nether Regions the toerag who hacked my Facebook account, but say a heartfelt thank you to the Shippies who are FB friends who warned me about it.
Password changed again - do these hackers think I have infinite space in my address book to write down new passwords?!?!?
It is a lovely sunny day, although rather cold, and I know it's Christmas Day and all that, but I have just gone to the fridge to get out the packet of two cooked chicken breasts as I decided I'd rather have one of those with veg today instead of the WFF Turkey dinner. So what do I find? Uncooked chicken breasts. I checked the shopping list which I keep in docs on computer and which I took to Tesco on Tuesday and it clearly said 'cooked'. So I suppose I might as well have the turkey dinner instead! The uncooked ones are now in the oven wrapped in foil, so no extra washin--up would be required, but that's nnot the point!
I shall take a copy of the shopping list next time I go and mention that I was a bit fed up about it, and they're very good, by always providing an Assisted Shop, but I shall ask would they please make sure the assistant is one who reads all the words. I suppose I'll just have to double-check the exact content of every item before I leave the shop ....
Ah, well! Excuse me if I heave a small sigh! And of course, if that's all I've got to worry about today, then I'm very lucky!:)
TICTH the YouTube ad algorithm. I had the Praetorius Christmas Mass playing whilst I was washing up this morning, and I kept getting gambling ads. I couldn't skip them as my phone was safely out of reach of the sink.
(Thanks for the recommendation Piglet.)
Have you tried installing a decent ad-blocker?
Alas this is the YouTube app on my phone. As I refuse to pay for the free version I have to endure them unless I can press skip at the correct time.
Password apps are a wonderful thing.
My parents and brother (both tier 4) had a fortune spent on them for special delivery food presents the other day.
TICTH the YouTube ad algorithm. I had the Praetorius Christmas Mass playing whilst I was washing up this morning, and I kept getting gambling ads. I couldn't skip them as my phone was safely out of reach of the sink.
(Thanks for the recommendation Piglet.)
Have you tried installing a decent ad-blocker?
Alas this is the YouTube app on my phone. As I refuse to pay for the free version I have to endure them unless I can press skip at the correct time. [...]
Tip: Do not use the YouTube app. On mobile, use a browser, e.g. Firefox, with the Adblock Plus add-on; that way, you can watch stuff without any ads. Works for me on my mobile (Android).
I don't think there were witnesses, but I think the other driver will try and wriggle out of it.
I also consign to the Nether Regions the toerag who hacked my Facebook account, but say a heartfelt thank you to the Shippies who are FB friends who warned me about it.
Password changed again - do these hackers think I have infinite space in my address book to write down new passwords?!?!?
Grrrr ...
If you’re rear-ended, it will almost always be regarded as the rear-ender’s fault. The Highway Code expects you to drive at a sufficient distance behind another driver that if they make an emergency stop you are able to stop safely behind them.
Running into the back of them is prima facie evidence of being too fast or too close. Virtually the only defence is that they reversed into you.
@BroJames is right. Having twice (in both cases, many years ago!) been guilty of rear-ending the car in front, I know whereof I speak (to my cost)...
A nasty little Scrote once rear-ended my Ford Cortina Mk I whilst My Old Dad was driving (I was not in the car). Scrote refused to co-operate, so we took him to the Small Claims Court, and won.
Comments
I like pickles , but ants and raisins taste foul.
You try to make a constructive suggestion using equipment you'd already have around for making crack or crystal meth...
Maybe she's afraid of her home blowing up, due to residual materials on the equipment? And, if the authorities swing by, she doesn't want to have to name *you* as inciting her.
Meanwhile, my surgery. They have a system whereby you phone after 8.30, describe the problem to the receptionist, get a phone call from a doctor who decides how to progress the issue, and if you need to see them, book you in that day. You do not, under current rules, go in to the place.
It is now 9.20. I have been phoning every five minutes. It's a good thing it is not the sort of serious that isn't serious enough for 999, but something slowly developing. I was calling till 10 on Tuesday, with no answer, no queuing system, and no use of ringback, though it suggests it. (Possibly due to my supplier.) It doesn't even do that on my mobile.
9.30. still busy.
The system doesn't, it seems, allow for advance booking. It has to be on the day.
Then the next day you phoned again to see if any spots had opened up for a earlier appointment, and possibly got it brought forward by a couple of days. Then you phoned the next day... By a combination of time passing and your date becoming closer, and the phone calls bringing your appointment forward, you eventually got an appointment which suited.
Every time your own appointment was brought forward, your previous appointment became vacant so someone else could be brought forward and get that one, so there was a sort of constant cascade system.
Yours must have had a lot of patients with "self-limiting" conditions.
I always start phoning continuously at least 10 minutes before the official time, otherwise I have no chance of getting through!
* Or an instrument similar to it, I suppose. Koto is Japanese.
What is YOUR favourite part of Christmas? Family? Food? Tradition? Decorations? Presents? Carols? Watching TV? Parties?
"Tradition" has an emoji of Santa after it. I suppose "Carols" might be a shorthand for "celebrating the birth of OLASJC." Once you have answered the question, the current voting results come up, and only 3% have chosen "carols."
When the YouGov survey is published it will be very easy to spin as "only 3% chose "religion" as their favourite part of Christmas. (Way out in front is "family" chosen by 47%).
It's one of the reasons I do YouGov surveys - I know what questions were asked, which sometimes helps explain the results.
I ring one afternoon: "Oh, we only do emergencies in the afternoon, you'll need to ring at 8 tomorrow morning".
I ring - repeatedly - at 8 am. The line is constantly engaged. I ring at 11 am only to be asked, "Is it an emergency?" - "No" - "In that case you'll have to ring at 8 tomorrow" - "I tried that, I couldn't get through" - "Well, that's the way we work, anyway I don't think we do ears anymore" ... !
Doctor Link, apart from being for phone or tablet, and a separate company, demands lots of my information, beyond what they need for contacting the surgery. There is another one, Patient Access, more local, but again on apps for the two As.
They don't want older patients, do they?
It’s sure looking that way, ☹️
I didn't get if it was Vivaldi or Frankie Valli.
If I was bad enough, as above, I could call 111, who would put me on to the surgery if deemed appropriate.
They are probably very busy - our area continues to have more cases of covid, and the rate of increase is increasing.
It's a nuisance with something that isn't self limiting, treat it myself with Friar's Balsam, lemon and honey, paracetamol and a warm bed, or support socks, or salt gargle or anything like that, but might be the precursor of something else and needs to be nipped in the bud. Not something really serious, but needing a professional eye.
*Thank you for making the decision not to see Mrs X, which led to the loss of three years of my life and the money involved in it. Here, as a thank you gift, is a tin of Quality Street, as I know you are barred from sharing it in case you get covid.
Also check the phone system: we have an emergency on the day appointment system for something that needs immediate attention with queuing system, irritating muzak and updates on number in the queue, usually listened to on speaker while getting on with something else, and we have an appointment system - 3 weeks or so in advance for general check ups and other problems. The emergency appointments line opens at 8:30am and all slots are usually booked by 9:00am/9:15am for either a call back or an appointment. For anything else, including booking an ordinary appointment and checking for results, the request is that calls are made after 11am, so after morning appointments have been sorted out.
* typically, my regular asthma checks are with the asthma nurse, so I have to phone to book my appointments.
Forgive me if I've missed this, but a) does your doc do phone and/or virtual appointments now; and b) are there somewhat lower-ranking staff (here: physician assistant, nurse practitioner) who could help you instead?
I've had a phone appointment with one doc, and it went very well. I have another with the same doc soon. In the past, I've had PAs when a doc wasn't available; and, in my case, they were better doctors than many MDs.
Best of luck!
(Thanks for the recommendation Piglet.)
Have you tried installing a decent ad-blocker?
I'll see how the Patient Access thing works.
MMM
Does yours have an online patient portal? Mine does. I sign in, can order a refill and schedule it, see whether it's ready or not, etc. Plus I signed up for e-mail notification, so I get a heads up when it's ready, or if it's delayed. I can also be notified by phone or text.
FWIW, YMMV.
I also consign to the Nether Regions the toerag who hacked my Facebook account, but say a heartfelt thank you to the Shippies who are FB friends who warned me about it.
Password changed again - do these hackers think I have infinite space in my address book to write down new passwords?!?!?
Grrrr ...
I shall take a copy of the shopping list next time I go and mention that I was a bit fed up about it, and they're very good, by always providing an Assisted Shop, but I shall ask would they please make sure the assistant is one who reads all the words. I suppose I'll just have to double-check the exact content of every item before I leave the shop ....
Ah, well! Excuse me if I heave a small sigh! And of course, if that's all I've got to worry about today, then I'm very lucky!:)
Alas this is the YouTube app on my phone. As I refuse to pay for the free version I have to endure them unless I can press skip at the correct time.
Password apps are a wonderful thing.
My parents and brother (both tier 4) had a fortune spent on them for special delivery food presents the other day.
Tip: Do not use the YouTube app. On mobile, use a browser, e.g. Firefox, with the Adblock Plus add-on; that way, you can watch stuff without any ads. Works for me on my mobile (Android).
If you’re rear-ended, it will almost always be regarded as the rear-ender’s fault. The Highway Code expects you to drive at a sufficient distance behind another driver that if they make an emergency stop you are able to stop safely behind them.
Running into the back of them is prima facie evidence of being too fast or too close. Virtually the only defence is that they reversed into you.
A nasty little Scrote once rear-ended my Ford Cortina Mk I whilst My Old Dad was driving (I was not in the car). Scrote refused to co-operate, so we took him to the Small Claims Court, and won.