The Thessaliad Redux

The banks, they make me livid.

Look, here's the thing. Letters from Inland Revenue are scary ... usually. So when I opened up my mail earlier this week, including the scary letters from Inland Revenue, imagine my utter shock when it turned out that they were giving me money. And I don't just mean 'I won ten quid on the lottery; let's get fish and chips with it' money, either. I'm talking a little over £450, 'Fuck's sake, be sensible and don't buy that iPod classic you've been drooling over for a year' money. So I get my nice shiny cheque/postal order thing from Inland Revenue, huzzah!

So I take this money to my bank. My bank puts it in my account. Ostensibly, anyway. I check my balance next day - because this is a postal order, not a cheque per se, and should clear pretty quickly, and if it doesn't ... well, no harm in looking, right? It says MONEY. So I go to use said money. Except that the cash machine tells me that I cannot access this money. Apparently, despite the fact that the bank is saying that this money is in my account, I can't have it. Apparently it hasn't cleared yet.

Then why the fuck are you telling me that it's in my account?

...Oh right; you want the interest, you fuckers.

Look, I get that they want to make sure that the money that is going to happen is ... y'know, going to happen before they give it to me. I understand that; I really do. But to say that this money is in my account when it isn't is absolutely fucking ludicrous. If my cheque has not cleared, do not tell me that my account has the funds that it would have if my cheque has cleared. If you are telling me that I have this money, let me have this fucking money, okay? It's not rocket science.

This is probably one of those first world problem things, but I don't actually care. Half the problem with this economy seems to be that people are finding ways to make imaginary money for themselves, and holding on to someone else's money to gain a piddling few pence worth of interest is part of that. Can we just have a clear-cut system whereby things move in a logical way? Like, people are not told that they have funds until those funds are available? Is that so hard?

It doesn't actually help that the staff at the bank branch I visited to check on this matter on Thursday were ... well, okay, the greeters at the door were nice, but I think that's because that's what they're there for; the friendly smiling icing on the turd cupcake that is over-the-counter banking. Because the guy I talked to about this a) didn't crack a smile, b) talked to me like I was about six and c) basically said, "Yes, it says you have this money but you don't; try on Tuesday" without so much as a 'sorry for the confusion'. Even if it's not meant, you could at least say it. I have to apologise for shit that isn't my fault and I'm not genuinely sorry for because it's company (read: NHS) policy all the time! A certain consultant only wants my co-admin to handle appointment bookings and I'm on the phones because it's Friday and some patient is screaming at me to book them an appointment RightThisSecondNow? Maybe I'm not sorry because the patient (or, more often, the patient's relative) is being an arsehole, but I'll say it. Gods, is a little tiiiiiiny bit of politeness too much to ask for? It's not like I was asking for the moon; I was asking for clarification on a matter, nothing more. And the question of "How do I know when these funds have actually reached my account so that if I do decide to make a purchase for an amount greater than the funds that are currently in my account, taking into consideration that it says these funds are in my account but apparently aren't, I don't get horrifically embarrassed" should not be met with a sullen shrug and no response at all. Apparently it's perfectly reasonable to have someone check their available balance on a local ATM every day until it states that they have X money available, because of course no one hates it when people waste time faffing about on the ATM ahead of them when they just want to take out a tenner to buy lunch with the half-hour they've got for their lunch break. Apparently it's reasonable to let customers not know how much money they really have available in their accounts because their actual balance says one thing and the ATM says another. It's a damn good thing I didn't need that money particularly or I'd have been fucked.

Anyway, that said, it looks like Tuesday was pushing things a bit. Maybe. I have a habit of sticking most available funds into my flexi-saver account and transferring out what bits I need week to week, so that I don't spend too much. So I didn't actually have the funds necessary to, in this case, buy Sims 3 Pets without that cheque clearing. I decided to try the card purchase again (I download these things via Origin these days; it's easier, and this way I don't have even potential embarrassment of 'your card has been declined' from a human being, and as a way to ensure that there is money it beats the hell out of yomping down the road in the cold and grey for what might be a total waste of time) and it actually went through. So ... I maybe have my awesome tax rebate money. It certainly likes my card now, which it didn't on Thursday. I probably will have to go to the ATM and double-check this later, but that can double with my trek out for supplies (for which I have cash money) so it won't be a wasted trip even if I can't get cash out from the ATM. Which would be really stupid, seeing as Origin likes my debit card, but I am putting nothing past my bank right now.

Soooooo ... anyway, Sims 3 Pets! I'll stop bitching now...

Well, things are basically just a little bit sucky right now.

I was so chuffed and generally thrilled - I had new memory for my computer and a new graphics card and I was just going to log on to squee over it before installing...

And Hardison wouldn't start up. The fans were going, all was fine there, but it just wouldn't boot. Which ... well. That makes it a little problematic to use, doesn't it?

So last night was entirely dull. Thing is, I don't own a TV or a stereo. I have my computer for that. So when my computer is down, it doesn't just mean no chat. It means no movies, no TV, no music beyond what I can drag out of my iPod through my iPod dock ... I have books. And there's nothing wrong with books, but it takes away a good 75% of my entertainment options.

I'd just order a new one, but ordering a new one involves it not being delivered for at least three days. The word I am looking for there is "FUCK". Not to mention that this kills my budget in ways I never even dreamed of. But I cannot do without a computer. At all. In any way, shape or form. I don't even know if I'm going to be able to get all my information off Hardison - I swear, that mini-thing? NEVER AFUCKINGGAIN - but ... yeah, no, I can't do without a computer. End of statement. So ... bye-bye budget, hello serious financial juggling, and hello trip to PC World or somewhere equally stupid. Hu-freakin-zah.

*sigh* Fare thee well, Hardison. You served well and faithfully.

(I am currently at a King's Cross internet cafe. Woo.)

So I've been having bank card troubles for the last couple of days, and I couldn't for the life of me imagine why. I found out why last night, and now I'm in a bit of a quandary.

See, quite some while ago (like, two years ago now), I thought I might start up a Mage chat/forums RP of my very own; if you're on my journal rather than just reading friends list, look left and you will see City of Complications. That would have been it. Thing is, I could never make even forums work on the damn thing, and I eventually gave it up. Apparently, like an idiot, I never remembered to cancel the thing (which you can only do over the phone, yay). Now, one would think that one would get some kind of warning from the providers - like, "Hey, we're about to take something like eighty quid out of your account", or even something in writing that says, "Hey, this is notification that we're taking something like eighty quid out of your account". Except ... no. No, I only found this out when my card stopped working on reasonable sums and the 'something like eighty quid' renewal charge finally turned up on my account.

Now, okay, part of this is my fault for not paying more attention. However, one expects a fucking invoice at minimum. And my first reaction is "cancel the service, try to pry a refund out of people". After all, even if I did want to start that game up now, do I really want to use a net host that would charge me without even invoicing me? On my way to work this morning, though, I reconsidered. It's a week of me being skint, true, but I did want web space anyway, for podcasts and stuff for the HIPPIE writings. I can pay back what I had to borrow from the emergency kitty to top up my Oyster card this week on Friday (or, at worst, a week Friday) and it's looking like a five-day week this week (particularly if I top up my supply of Migraleve) so there'll be more coming in than there has been the last little while. And as domain names go, I could do a hell of a lot worse than "City of Complications" for HIPPIE. And it's an expense I don't have to worry about for another year. Besides, even if I do get a refund out of people, it probably won't hit my account until next week anyway.

So the dilemma - cancel the service and try to get a refund, at which point I'll have to go hunting for a new web host anyway when things are a little more settled? Or keep the service and actually use it for something I've intended to do for months anyway? It doesn't affect another week or so of tight personal finances, really, so ... why not actually use this reminder to start the project I've been talking about for months on end?

(Note: I wouldn't even be considering this if I hadn't already contributed to the household funds this week, or if this was going to affect my ability to do so next week. It isn't going to make an appreciable difference either way.)

I apparently really needed some sleep. I deduce this from the fact that I didn't wake up until quarter to five in the afternoon.

Now I have to go and make with the shopping, as eating would be a good thing. Of course, this week's budget is tight and there's so much to drop money on it's not even funny. Sims 2 Freetime just came out, but I won't be able to get that until next week. I've placed a bid on a Gladstone bag on eBay and am watching it carefully because the one I had my eye on? Heh; some script kiddie set something up so that a bid will be made just a little bit higher than the last highest bid. (But then again, I doubled what said script-kiddie is going to have to pay for it. Isn't that nifty?) And my FFXI content IDs have expired, but I might be waiting until Friday to renew those too, as I've at least got some extra coming in owing to two hours of overtime done yesterday, and I want to keep that extra tenner in my bank account in case someone outbids me on that Gladstone bag in the next couple of days, not to mention the whole deal with shipping.

The reason I need a Gladstone bag is simple - putting together LARP costume. In addition to the Gladstone bag, I also still need a lab coat. There was talk about possibly being able to get one from Dan, though fearrett also offered one, and I am very grateful though the problem is whether it can actually reach London in two weeks. Well, I might take him up on it anyway. One can never have too many lab coats, maybe? As for the rest ... I've borrowed the big clompy slip-on New Rock ankle boots dodgyhoodoo can't wear any more, I'll pull out my shades-of-brown lace skirt and ... well, I still don't know what I'm going to do for a top but I suppose if push comes to shove there's the maroon camisole shawl thing Mum got me for Christmas. Though how one wears that under a lab coat I don't know. Anyway, I'll work that out closer to the time. Now what I really need is a good safe dagger fisrep.

I'm all on my lonesome this weekend, as dodgyhoodoo is visiting his mum. So I'm going to go get something foodlike, sit down in front of Angel eps for a bit while eating, and then we'll see what the evening brings. Potentially Sims. Sims are good. Even without the new EP. And maybe RP later. At least I've got stuff to keep me occupied.

I should at least email my mother to wish her a happy Mother's day, but that can wait 'til tomorrow.

We now have an Xbox 360. We predominantly have an Xbox 360 because weaselbitch followed in my footsteps and suckered someone (namely dodgyhoodoo) into the wonderful world of Vana'diel via giftage. Read: she got dodgyhoodoo Final Fantasy XI on the 360 as an early birthday present.

Now why, you may ask, did this necessitate purchasing an entirely new console? Well, because the alternative would have been to buy a new PC and for weaselbitch to have got him the PC version instead. Zim borked awhile back and I got the salvageable parts for the Frankenbox and on the whole, dodgyhoodoo seems happy enough to stick with Skanklet (PowerBook) for the time being. And decent PCs, when last I checked, were still a little bit more expensive than the Xbox 360. Plus, Dead Rising and the fact that Sony just keeps shooting itself in the face as re the PS3. Therefore, Xbox 360.

I trust that we can absorb the cost of this when I get the promised money from my mother. I know full well that dodgyhoodoo wouldn't have bought it if he didn't think we could afford it. I do get a little bit nervy because it is a lot of money that could have gone on necessities, but I trust him. I'll feel a whole lot better about it when I'm employed again.

But then the question becomes: if I trust him to know what state our finances are in and to budget accordingly, why am I so resistant to the idea of him paying for my subscription to the stupid game for this quarter when I am incapable and he insists it's doable? Not to mention that it's so very much less than what he just spent on the console?

The answer's fairly simple - overabundance of pride, for the most part. I mean, I'm not earning at this point, and things are expensive. I feel bad enough tacking smokes onto the shopping list, but know I'd go batshit if I tried to quit at this point (a state with which he can empathise, I believe). I know I get a great deal of pleasure out of FFXI. I know it's worth the money. However, I know it's worth my money. I do not want to be little more than a resource drain. Besides, it's a lot of futzing about getting different card details on the stupid system which I'll have to change later and all told, it's a great big pain in the neck. On the whole, it doesn't seem worth the bother for something that's going to make me feel even more burdensome than I already do, when I'll have the money in my account to cover it within a week.

Still, I will admit that I miss the game and it doesn't make it any easier to have dodgyhoodoo poking me about my overabundance of pride. It particularly doesn't help to have weaselbitch endorsing the nagging to just let dodgyhoodoo pay for the damn subscription already. I have no idea what I want at this point and on the whole, all I want to do is go back to bed and not think about it for awhile. And to be employed soon, please.