What A Shambles

I have twice in recent time been out of town for concerts that didn't go ahead at the time promised. So when Babyshambles announced a concert in Melbourne there were mixed feeling about hopping on a plane for a four hour flight when there was a reasonable risk the band wouldn't make the appointment. The band is somehwat nptorious due to Pete Doherty being the driving force behind it, he tends to be unrelaible due to his drug taking and has failed to turn up to events in the past. So making it to Australia seemed a big ask and even if he gets there, then he still might not find his way to the stage on the night.  

However, really keen to see the band and it is worth the risk. There are also plenty of other things to do in Melbourne including going to see King Long the Musical where a six metre puppet is evidently the star off the show. So it isn't a big risk as there will be fun to be had anyway, but here's hoping that Babyshambles make the stage and provide all present with a memorable night. I have to say I am really looking forward to it but it will be the icing on the cake of the trip as I will be having a good time whatever Pete gets up to.  On this occasion the customer knows the risk, but has decided to go ahead anyway and take a chance. 

Hotting Up

Just under two years ago I had a new kitchen installed. These days that means you go off to a place that specialises in kitchens, and you pick what you want from a catalogue. They have the ability to use computers now to mock up the look and feel of the kitchen, so you have pretty free hand in designing it how you want to fit the space you have available. I have to say this process went pretty well, the firm Kitchen Studios were very helpful and once we had decided what we wanted, they arranged for it to be installed by a builder within a few weeks.  

The Parmeco induction hobbs failed last week in the middle of cooking a meal, it wasn't the first time it had happened but it had always been able to be recovered by a reboot, that is turning the power off and on. Now I did this without thinking which with hindsight is odd because it it had been a PC doing that I'd have immediately suspected overheating was the cause. But truth is I didn't even advise Kitchen Studios as it was a minor inconvenience. Once it failed I rang up to find who the accredited repair firm was, and was pleasantly surprised to find I was still under warranty.    

About a week has gone past and finally the electrician arrives, I'm hoping to save me form Microwave meals. But it turns out the instructions weren't passed on correctly and he needs to take the Hobbs away and it will take a few more days. What he does reveal though is that there was no venting in the bench to let the heat dissipate from inside the hobbs.  So I was happy with the original job but now know they didn't do their job perfectly. As a customer I'm feeling inconvenienced but if they fix it next week and put the proper venting in, I imagine it will just be one of those things. Now to wait and see if we have a happy or grumpy customer this time next week. 

Customer Announcment - We're Going Downhill

It's not uncommon on Air New Zealand when I flight takes off a little late for the Captain to come on and say they'll make up some time on the flight. Yesterday was the first time I had heard it on a train. We set off about ten minutes late and over the intercom came the usual apology for setting off late, the one we get nearly every day that is. Apparently the problem yet again was slippery tracks which had slowed down the trains on the way to Johnsonville. But then came the report that they would try and make up time on the return trip to Wellington, because it was downhill. Now this made me wonder that if the train could go faster than it normally did, why didn't it go faser all the time and not get late in the first place. But more surprisingly, it the train couldn't get traction on the uphill journey to Johnsonville, how come it was now safe to go faster than normal on the downhill trip to Wellington. It started to look like slippery tracks aloow a faster return on the downhill section and fortuantely appear to have no effect on braking. I knew though there was no need for concern, the train predictably lost more time on the downhill section and was even later to Wellington.