Well, i've had a productive morning - done my phoning, first to my neighbour asking him to take a couple of the Salvation Army plastic bags to the local shop for me.  What's the point of having these drives for clothes etc, if they don't pick them up when they say they're going to??

Second, to my doctors to ask about getting a couple of items on prescription.  Didn't get my usual lady doctor [who is super] but the guy who rang me back was very pleasant and asked pertinent questions, coming up with useful suggestions.

i've answered ALL my emails and sent a couple too, been such a good girl!  i've even paid a couple of bills - haven't made my bed yet!  Got my priorities right!

i may walk up to the postbox for the exercise but damn me, if the weather hasn't gone from fine to super bleak, dark and raining.  Cold & blowy too.  *gets up, shuts windows, puts on heating and turns on the lights!*  Made bed too!   Maybe i'll take a stroll after lunch, when i've warmed up a bit.

Did you see the piece in the paper about our Taxman stuffing up again??  Apparently THOUSANDS of people have been hit with fines and 'final demands' , in spite of being taken out of the self-assessment system or submitting their returns on time.  Quite a few accountants and Tax assessment brokers have reported quote - countless incorrect penalty notices - unquote, in the latest of a string of blunders by Revenue & Customs.  Some said up to 60%  of returns they had filed were bungled, a horrific number.   Again i quote the article in the Sunday Times, 'Scores of other people told by HYMRC last year that they no longer had to file a tax return have also received penalty notices'.   A spokesman for HMRC said it had issued arround 466,000 'payment reminders' but said that if a notice had been issued in error, they would apologise and 'put matters right straight away'.  So hope for them at least.
To date, i haven't received any such notice - i did my tax assessment online [as a pensioner, it would have been surprising if i had owed them anything], which hopefully may negate this problem.  i'll let you know if i hear from them.

When things go wrong with our public systems, they really do it right, don't they??  Not one or two but so many thousands - which will cost as many thousand to put right...  like the Council survey i told you about earlier with it's excessive multiple mailings - further waste of Taxpayers' money.   When you think of how much money you pay out in taxes, both income and council, i'm constantly surprised more people are not writing to newspapers/local MPs etc about what happens to it.   SO MUCH of it, in my opinion, is wasted on committees reporting on committees and astonishing official salaries & expenses - without the people on the ground getting an equal shake.  And don't get me started on translation services...!

Right, i'm off to have lunch - toasted cheese, i think... 
*smooches*