Errantry

[wiseheart]

I was out of the house all morning - unfortunately, not for reasons I'd like to be out of the house for. It started with a battle with the bank, which I lose - I didn't have a rat's chance against bureaucracy. So I'll have to find a way to drag my 92-year-old mother (who can just walk very short ways around the house) to the bank to prove her identity. Or have official copies made of her documents (by a notary or whatnot) and send them to the other end of the country where the bank has some administrative centre. *insert really bad curse words here*

To get at least something out of the day, I made another page for the baby book before starting my odyssey. It isn't completed yet, but almost. I'll have to add a few tags and cards, but otherwise it's done... and very pretty, if I say so myself. No sewing today; the abused fingers are still recovering.

After the bank fiasco, I visited Tedi, Pepco and Kik - all shops that also sell craft supplies. Bought a few little things and heroically resisted the temptation of some really beautiful jam jars that were also really expensive. I mean, I do need more jars, as I've bought all the frozen blueberries and raspberries, but paying as much (or more) for the jars as for the fruit seems a bit extreme. So I called my friend Evie and she promised me some jars, as she isn't planning any jam-making before high summer. We regularly re-use the emptied jars, I've just run out of mine.

Having done half of the food shopping in the same shopping centre, I came home, put down my booty and turned back to Aldi for the aforementioned frozen blueberries. There I met my neighbour, IT guy's wife, and I finally know what time I'll have a good chance to actually speak with the guy. I might get my antivirus programme renewed in time, after all.

Comments

[meathiel]

Argh @ the bureaucracy!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Polish sci-fi author Stanislaw Lem has an anthology called Kyberiada. In one of the stories Trurl, the robotic engineer (one of the lead characters of all stories, together with his colleague Klapancius) defeats a malevolent comet by inventing bureaucracy on the planet threatened by it. *g*

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

You have reminded me how very grateful I was, when we were in that position with my mother, that her bank had a system for the housebound where they actually sent two members of their staff out to see her, verify her identity, and have her sign all the things needed in their presence.

I really feel all banks should have to provide such a service.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That would require a humane disposition, which most banks sorely lack. It's good to hear that there are exceptions.

[akane42me.livejournal.com]

Gahhhh dealing with bureaucracy is awful.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

It really is. See my reply to meathiel's comment above for a laugh, though.

[akane42me.livejournal.com]

LOL that's hilarious!!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

But completely believable, IMO.
Lem is an excellent author, BTW. If you can get any of his works in English, I highly recommend it. The first period of his working consist of hurrah-optimistic socialist stuff, like The Magellan Cloud, the most characteristic work of his second period is Solaris. There are lots of smaller things in-between that are worth reading, too, like Kyberiada.

[akane42me.livejournal.com]

My library had several of his books that are in ebook format so I have to look at them closer to see if I can get them. But they did have Solaris in a hard copy. So I have requested it and I am looking forward to reading it. I have not read any of his books. I'm glad to have this recommendation from you!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Solaris counts as one of the great sci-fi classics, although personally, I find it very depressing and a bit hard to comprehend. I like the books that fall between his two big periods best. I hope you'll manage to get hold on Kyberiada eventually, it's absolutely hilarious, even though there are a few tragic stories in-between as well.

[akane42me.livejournal.com]

There's an ebook titled 'The Cyberiad', which has got to be Kyberiada, and I will try to get it!
Thanks!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yes, that ought to be it. I hope the translation is good and that you'll enjoy the short stories.

[noadvertising.livejournal.com]

I was debating the same thing with my sister not that long ago. When my mother was in hospital and wanted to draw money (we are talking about a small amount!) they wanted that she showed up in person, which she wasn´t able to. But it never is a problem, when demented people draw all their money, to give it to tricksters.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Banks are totally unreasonable and very user-unfriendly, considering that they life off our money.

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

I had similar bank woes when my mother reached the point of not being able to leave the house. I don't know whether they have a similar system in your country, but here I got a Power of Attorney, which gave me the ability to act on my mother's behalf in financial matters. Nowadays it's not too big an issue here, because of cash point cards and telephone/online banking. The system sounds a bit more clunky in your country.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Bureaucracy is crap.