Rotten day

Today hasn’t stopped.

Conversation with my girlfriend in London coincidently (see below) involving a driving licence renewal she’s applied and paid!!! £57 for. I queried as it’s free to renew. Seem she picked on one of those scam ads masquerading as the DVLA.

Put the phone down, and the postman arrives with a DVLA letter, saying if I didn’t have a visual field eye test by the end of February, they will suspend my driving licence, despite the country experiencing the highest Covid cases and deaths ever (was due to be renewed in December, but they because of Covid they were extending it temporarily).

Spent 25 minutes holding for an agent at the DVLA (after several answerphone messages where they said they were too busy to answer). Nice polite chap, fully understood my predicament. Extended the period to March 6th. He said phone again to check if there’s any change to the Covid rules.

I mentioned a) we don’t go out - “fine but licence will be suspended so can’t drive”, b) the letter they sent referred me to authorised spec savers branches in Exeter Salisbury Romsey or Weymouth (local branches usually fine, but have withdrawn due to Covid). The nearest being Romsey which is 25 miles away. “Unfortunately, need to go there”

I don’t drive when roads are icy, so pray the weather’s OK. Also have to wait for a while for the dilating eyedrops they use, prior to the test, to allow me to drive again. So could mean waiting in the car for an hour or so before I can drive home (Mr doesn’t drive).

Why do these things have to be more stressful than they need to be???? There’s b*****y Covid around.

Test booked. But then remembered the hospital eye appointment I cancelled yesterday probably covered the visual field test. Called, on hold again forever. Told, if I want to arrange a new one, as had cancelled twice (because of the high no. of Covid cases around), had to speak to consultant’s secretary. Called at 3:45, no answer, left message.

Received notification from Hermes an Aldi delivery of glass containers had been delivered. What??? I’m home all day, no-one rang the bell. Photo showed dumped downstairs outside the block’s main entrance together with another parcel. Messaged Hermes to complain. No answer. Left it there in the hope a kind neighbour might bring it up. They didn’t.

Friend called asking for help with storing documents on iCloud. Arranged a zoom meeting where I checked his screen. All set up correctly. Think he hadn’t synched the document.

Dinner. Then donned a mask and face shield and went down for my parcel. The second one was for a gentleman in the ‘other’ block. They hadn’t even left it in the correct entrance.

Unpacked the box. The last container at the bottom was smashed to pieces. Glass all over the box. Then found shards and splinters had dropped all over the table and carpet. Several items were damaged by the broken glass when I checked. So after a hoover and wipe, wrote to Aldi. By then knackered. And it’s now past 23:00. So GOOD NIGHT ...