Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Rough

Apologies for the delay in posting - for some reason Blogger has been experiencing one or two technical problems and as a result I've been unable to publish sweet FA since the weekend.

Below is the post that I've been trying to publish since Monday morning...


It’s been something of a rough few days.

Karen and I had to head over to the hospital Sunday evening as baby Tom was unusually quiet – enough to get us both quite worried. As soon as we arrived Karen was wired up to a scanning machine for 20 minutes and I’m relieved to say that all proved to be well. Not only that but there are early indications that Tom might try and pre-empt the date set for his Caesarean (9th October)...

We no sooner arrived back home than I found a telephone message from my mother reporting that my granddad had suffered a fall – a result of a high fever and an ulcerated leg – and had been admitted into the very hospital that Karen and I had just come back from! He had a comfortable night but unfortunately took a turn slightly for the worst yesterday. He's reacted against the anti-biotics they've pumped him full of and is now suffering from diarrhoea and an infection.

There was utterly no communication from Mr CM over the entire weekend. To tell you the truth it was no more than I expected and I’d had an email to him drafted up since Saturday morning informing him of my intention to take him to the Small Claims Court if I didn’t receive full payment in 7 days. I was then going to add the court costs onto the amount owing...

As it was, I received a telephone call from him yesterday at the 11th hour - a much more polite and "hey buddy" type of call than Friday's frosty dialogue - and he appeared to completely capitulate. He's asked me to divide the invoice into two separate ones and send a copy of one to himself and the other to his business partner (they're splitting the cost 50/50) and they'll see that I'm paid within the next 7 days.

Hmm. I'm not getting my hopes up too much but my instincts are that my strong stance on Friday may have moved the mountain... I'll wait and see. I've kept a copy of the draft email just in case. It may yet get an airing!

Talking of ignorant and annoying people – I never did hear anything more from the hack from the London Standard so can only assume that the piece I wrote about Nigella was either never used or was used but they couldn’t be arsed to tell me or send me a copy. Either way I’m pretty cheesed off though more disappointed with the lack of manners than the lack of publishing credit.

But as I’ve been feeling as rough as a badger’s arse for the last two days anyway I’ve consoled myself with a couple of sick days off work and have been recuperating by reading, watching TV and generally bumbling around the house in a warm and comfortable fugue… It’s actually been quite blissful.

9 comments:

The Poet Laura-eate said...

Shame about the journalistic career but at least the baby's ok and the client looks like paying up!

Fingers crossed for the grandad. Hope you're feeling better too soonest Steve.

Blogger definitely slowed down a lot for a couple of days, but it was still just about working on my account. Sorry to hear it wasn't working for you at all.

Anonymous said...

thinking of you all - and best wishes for a safe delivery...

Stan did a lot of that 'quiet' kind of thing in the last few days before birth, and I was often to be found 'down maternity' strapped to the monitor - I think they settle down a bit and start anticipating their escape...although best to be safe and always get their quiet periods checked out!

love from the family fitz (em n tris)

Steve said...

Thank you Laura and Em - glad to report that Karen is ok, I'm groggy but back at work, my grandad is miserable but bearing up, Mr CM still hasn't paid but still has a little time to make good his honour and Blogger appears to be back to normal.

Huzzah!

-eve- said...

No wonder you didn't post for so long! Glad to hear everything is looking up now... :-)

Glenda Young said...

Best of everything to you both over the next few weeks. I'm thinking of you both, not in that way you understand, as we've never met and even if we had, I wouldn't anyway. All the best, honestly.

The Sagittarian said...

Best wishes to your entire family! What a rough few days, but I'm sure things will all work out for you. Karma is a wonderful thing and if you consider all the crap that has been your way you just gotta have faith that the rewards will be just around the corner.
And if your wee babe is fine and healthy,your wife the same and your other son and grandpa you've already won. Take acre, cyber hug.

Steve said...

As ever, thank you one and all - my grandad is much improved; got his appetite back which is always a good sign (pretty good for 87) and baby Tom has apparantly taken up kick-boxing...

Old Cheeser said...

Hope you get the payment from Mr Chauffeur w**ker-man! Then I'll send the Daleks round for you!

Steve said...

Thanks OC! Damn good to see you back! I must admit part of me things I'm going to get stiffed yet again and Karen thinks so too. However, my one hope is that Mr CM has realized that he'll need me to perform any updates that he may need so he'll have to keep me sweet. Once I have payment though I won't be doing any more work for him. It's just not worth the hassle.