OK but not great

I’ve had an OK week.  Only OK, not great.  Work has been difficult, looks like \I’m going to lose my best contractor and my best permie.  I can’t compete with what they’ve been offered but it will leave a massive hole I’ll struggle to fill.

Mileage is mainly just work and back, not even every day.  Friday I satyed in to get my hands free kit fitted in my car.  This has been a nightmare to arrange.  I put the order in Christmas!  First of all they sent me a Parrot kit.  I rang up to arrange installation only to find that it wasn’t certified with my phone.  It would work with it and Parrot recommended it but Vodaphone didn’t certify it.  So I couldn’t have it.  So I ordered a different kit and was sent a Berry Uni-8 kit.  I rang to get that installed.  Sorry you need a de-install as well as an install voucher to take the old kit out.  Another order for the de-install, for which the voucher eventually arrived.  I rang again.  Sorry the separate de-install and install vouchers are only valid if you’re taking a kit out of one car and installing in a different car, you need a combined de-install/install voucher!  Eventually I got sent what should have been the right voucher, I rang again.  Have I got all the necessary parts?  Well I think so, I’ve been sent a box load of stuff.  Not so!  When the engineer arrived I handed him the box and he asked where was the rest of the stuff!  I said that’s all I’ve got, so he told me to ring the installation order line.  The woman there was really snotty, saying that I’d confirmed I had all the kit when I booked, I said I had a box of stuff, how was I to know it wasn’t everything I needed.  The engineer took the phone off me and said “Just sent the stuff” and hung up.  He could use some of the existing kit and all I needed was a snap in cradle I can fit myself.  6 months and I still don’t have a car kit fully working.

Jayne and I had a lazy weekend, we went out on the tandem yesterday, just into St Anne’s to go to Apple.  Liam got me a £20 voucher for fathers day, so I thought ‘d get a new rear mech for the Ribble.  I’ve put the compact double from Jayne’s Boardman on it, but the 105 rear mech doesn’t quite have the capacity, so I bought a Sora long cage mech.   Fitted it this afternoon and went for a couple of short trial rides.  Seems pretty good.  I was worried that the 9 speed mech wouldn’t work well with the 7 speed chain and cassette, but it seems fine.  Need to try it out over Boundary Hill.  When I first bought the Ribble it had a 21-12 block and 42/52 front rings.  I could get over Boundary Hill on that without much trouble.  Now I’m wondering if a 34 front and 28 rear are low enough?  Old age!

I’ve not reached my weekly mileage target again.  Need to do better next week, but I’ in Bristol for 4 days so probably a poor week again.  I need to go and do some long days, 70-100 milers to get back on track.

Miles for the week – 101

Year to date – 2973

Shortfall – 132

Cheers

Tim