Thursday 26 June 2014

Shoes and speeding courses and a bad Internet day

First, the shoes.

I wanted some sandals - I love sandals - and have recently ordered several pairs and sent them all back. Wrong fit/appearance whatever. Then I sent for another pair. Wonderfully comfortable, but I didn't really love them (someone once said to my daughter: "never buy any clothing you don't love, because if you don't love it when you buy it, you certainly won't love it when you get it home". This is so true. My wardrobe is full of things I don't love. I hang on to them for a while, and then they go to Oxfam).

Anyway, the sandals. I didn't grow to love them, so arranged for John Lewis to collect them. J L were very helpful, and would collect them the next day.

But wait! Upon checking my Amazon orders, I found that the sandals had come from Amazon, not J Lewis. Oops. Arranged to return them to Amazon (are you still with me?), grovelled to J Lewis. All this took some time. But what took the most time was worrying about my crumbling brain. How did I manage to make this stupid, stupid mistake? And why were J L so happy to collect something they didn't sell me in the first place?

On to the Speed Awareness Course. Simple to book on line, they said. No. Not simple at all. After thinking I'd booked one in Bedfordshire,  I found they seemed to think I wanted to go to Hampshire. In the end, I phoned them. Long, long wait (probably part of my ongoing punishment for driving a little too fast), plus horrible tune (more punishment), then finally managed to arrange it. The whole thing took nearly an hour (and you may not believe this, but I've left out quite a lot of this boring tale).

Plus, we'd resolved to have an alcohol-free day today.  Sigh.




23 comments:

  1. Sandles. I go in a shop and try them on. The last pair I bought have a toecap to avoid injury and Vibram soles for grip. Lasted four years they have.
    Speed awareness, just take the fine, it's cheaper and less hassle. I bet a pound to a shilling you could give the talk.

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    1. Yes, but what ifs there's a paucity of shoe shops? And apropos the course, of,course I could give the talk. I remember it from last time. I just don't want points on my licence!

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  2. I would NEVER buy any clothes/shoes on line. I have enough trouble in shops as it is. Doesn't all this sending stuff back get on your nerves?

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    1. Yes, CM. it does. But km a very slow learner.

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  3. I sympathise with your bad day, Frances and I sympathise with the sandals problem too. I'm still wearing the same pair my daughter bought me six years ago.

    (Is it bad that I thoroughly enjoyed my Driver Awareness Course, felt as if I were playing party-games and made nice friends that I still bump into in Waitrose?) x

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    1. I hated mine, Joanna. It was sooooo boring. Ah well...

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    2. Perhaps that's the punishment Frances. Bore you into being a Slower Driver.

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    3. GB, you've had a go at me about this before, and I've taken it on board (bored).

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  4. Frances you have given me hope. This morning I read your post and was going to respond but got distracted. Last night I went to take my glasses off to wash my face only to discover that I hadn't got them on. I suppose that's better than my usual thing of getting into the shower with them on. There would seem to be at least two possible explanations for John Lewis's acquiescence to your request: you spend large amounts of money with the firm or you were so convincing that they decided it was easier to comply than to argue.

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    1. Shame you had to cancel the JL courier - I expect they would have sent along a bear and a rabbit.

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    2. GB, my husband worked for JL for many years. Maybe that's it...?

      Now try sending your glasses back to JL and see what happens.

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    3. Wendy, the bear/rabbit thing drives my husband mad "They never did that kind of thing in my day" blah blah blah. I can't say I like them myself. Kitch is the word that springs to mind.

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  5. I love shopping for shoes (if I have the time), trying them on and deciding which one (or two) pairs to buy. But I am sorry to find my two favourite pairs (one are Mary-Janes, the other a kind of sporty ballerina, if that makes sense) will soon have to go or they will be falling off my feet from all the wear and tear. I know I won't find the exact same ones ever again. Sigh!

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    1. Very little in the way of shoe shops here, Meike, and I have big feet!

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  6. Must say I'm not a fan of sandals but I do have to try on shoes and fall in love with them! Intrigued to know if JL would have collected the sandals and credited the money back to you, even though you didn't pay them in the first place...

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  8. I have always hated buying shoes due to the size of my feet, so always need to try them on. Hence I never shop on line. John Lewis have always struck me as a good old fashioned store where the customer is always right.

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    1. I hate buying shoes too, Maggie. Big feet and I can never find what I want.

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  9. I have such problems buying shoes. My only really comfy sandals that I love are ancient and will soon fall apart.
    But what a day to choose to stay alcohol free! x

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    1. Teresa, I've just been anxiously examining my ancient and favourite sandals. Will they last the summer?

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  10. Modern life eh?
    Luckily I am not a shoe loving woman. I live in red clogs, a pair for indoors and a pair for outdoors and warm boots indoors and wellies (outside only!) for the garden in winter.

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    1. Red clogs...are they as heavy as they sound? Boots sound good,

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