She had a Q. Look

I have now had another layer of naivity stripped away. I have had to claim on my car insurance.

I finally finished filing the claim for my supermarket-ding (which stripped away one of the other naivity layers in itself).

I got quite irate at having asked to be called when there was progress and having heard nothing, rung up several times, sat on hold for significant portions of my lunch hours, had several hold-ups in my claim's processing (case manager was sick for a few days, had to be reassessed to see if delay in finalising claim had lead to further damage etc) and left notes on my file to have my case manager call me and still heard nothing back from them. Not a single phone call..... And yet every time I called THEM there actually was progress, though usually a set-back as well.... and they assured me someone would call me when there was more news.

And while I was moaning about this my workmates just kinda laughed knowingly and said, 'Have you not had to do this before? They NEVER phone you up..... that's normal.'

Well, now I'll know for next time.

To my amazement they found no reason to not pay out my claim even though it was actually started last April (2007). I was sure there'd be some small print somewhere that would get them out of it. So, yay! Still have to pay excess, but I'm guessing that will be a lot less than the total cost (two doors and the end panel to be replaced).

* * *

In the mean time, since this whole process took almost two weeks (not the 72 hours initially estimated) my warrant has run out, so I'm experimenting with living like I did in the olden days and walking and taking the bus places. It's quaint! Always stories to be shared after a bus-ride. Me and Reidun bussed to and from town last night and possibly sat by a man who was on the cover of some music magazine (or possibly the guy who pointed that out was drunk..... but the man certainly LOOKED famous - he had that air about him).

And because we bussed in, we could spontaneously head into the Welsh Dragon after going to the police station to file her report about her car being broken into (hence her car was out of action too and we were having to take the bus....). We had mulled wine and made up movie plots to go along with the music the guy playing the piano was churning out. They were mostly tragic love stories, with moments of happy flash-backs.

And Jon's friend Dave was there, with another old codger called Dave (who either had a very odd accent or was pissed off his face because neither of us could really understand him - I think he was complimenting my woolly hat, not sure what he said any time after that).

* * *

Plans are going forward to propose a school radio station, with me at its teacher-helm. My hand-picked bunch of 8 kids have had covert secret-project meetings and have met with the Broadcasting School (who were very helpful and have offered lots of free stuff and help). We are trying to come up with an air-tight proposal before we take it to the powers-that-be. Minimal costs, all considerations accounted for. And branding! Unfortunately, word on the street is that any name involving 'Beast' is not going to fly with senior management..... 'The Beast' was the only station name anyone could agree on. I tried to float the idea of something about a 'pie in the sky' (in honour of our Georgie Pie fame).....

In the proposal, I have got a section outlining what each member of the team brings to the table. Some of them have a musical background (the head girl has an 8-track at home, plays in several bands and is used to speaking and performing in assembly). Some of them have experience (one girl is already working at Access Radio as her Gateway programme).

But my favourite strength is..... one of them is a wrestler (as in Wellington's version of the WWF). I somehow related that to being a DJ in that she is used to putting on a public persona and performing......... I am totally in awe of her still. It was my primary school dream to be a female wrestler (me and my friend were gonna be a tag team - we used to go hire GLOW* videos during the weekend). So this girl is living my childhood dream......

Anyhow..... that could be my fun-new-project if it gets the go-ahead.

* * *

I have a slightly sore throat. First time I've had a sore throat all winter. Hope it goes away quickly.

* * *

TV is really really crap at the moment! There is never anything good on. All crime shows and cheap New Zealand reality TV.

* * *

I love Daffodil Day. The last few years I have taken $20 to school a bought a whole bunch of daffodil pins and given them out to my form class. It's my favourite charity. And the yellow flowers look lovely with our uniform...... And it makes my form class look the bestest. And if there are any left, I have discovered that people see me walking around with them and assume I'm selling them, insisting on buying them off me. So I get money back! To be fair, I found some kids doing a bake sale for the Cancer Foundation at lunch time and used my newly earned money to buy brownies which I chopped up and left in the workroom for my fellow English teachers.

Charity is fun! Donating lots gets you good karma and brownies.






* Glamorous Ladies of Wrestling