Option 1 please.

Well, my faith in Paul at the IPC was justified, although it took all day to get back to me. I think I have spoken to just about everyone in that department now. Carol rang, and sounded quite efficient. She explained that I needed to fill in the next form (about whether I was taking a lump sum or slightly more money each week for the pension I have not yet collected) before anything else can be done. I had assumed, as it was calculated on the wrong amount, that I should get the correct amount sorted first. Wrong.

"And so I fill this in, send it to the local pensions office, and they will contact you to do the next bit?' I asked, hopefully.

'No. They won't tell us. You have to ring us yourself.'

It appears that the UK Pensions Department don't speak to the International Pensions Department, and in fact, I got the impression that each department thinks the other is, er, rather incompetent. 'I don't want to cast stones, but...' said one of them on the phone yesterday.

So the form was filled in this morning. There were two Options. Option 1 was to get a little more money each week, and Option 2 was a lump sum now. Even with my rudimentary arithmetic skills, I worked out that the lump sum was worth about 10 years extra payments. I intend to be around for more than 10 years! Also, Option 2 had a huge form to fill in about tax. Option 1 has been posted! Things are moving!

I decided to go and get a replacement for the lost Club Card. No problem there, and nobody else can use it anyway, there's photo ID. I had to pay on the bus, but I rooted around and collected up all the small change to get rid of, so I didn't mind.

I won't say it was dreich today, because it wasn't actually raining. It was misty-moisty, which was nice. Just a low hanging fog, which makes everything very atmospheric. I was in the Gardens for ages. I couldn't see the castle!

I had to do another automated phone call to the bank, and this time I was groaning and moaning loudly as I went through each option again (so soon?), and the date of birth (waited for it to complete the instructions this time) and the muzak. Honestly, my blood pressure must be sky high!

I was trying to book and pay for tickets to an event. How come things that you think will take five minutes end up taking an hour?

Anyway, this cultural event is in November and something I've been wanting to do for a long time! JR, although a Kiwi (the clues are there) is not quite so excited, but didn't point blank refuse when I mentioned it, so I struck while the iron was hot. Or at least, not cold.

As for my other much anticipated happening - no, I'm not getting a hamster, a cat or going horse riding, but these are all good ideas! I may work on them.