Leave Me Alone

 I don’t want to connect my coffee machine to the Wi-Fi network. I don’t want to share the file with OneDrive. I don’t want to download an app to check my car’s fluid levels. I don’t want to scan a QR code to view the restaurant menu. I don’t want to let Google know my location before showing me the search results.

I don’t want to include a Teams link on the calendar invite. I don’t want to pay 50 different monthly subscription fees for all my software. I don’t want to upgrade to TurboTax platinum plus audit protection. I don’t want to install the WebEx plugin to join the meeting.

I don’t want to text with your AI chatbot. I don’t want to download the Instagram app to look at your picture. I don’t want to type in my email address to view the content on your company’s website. I don’t want text messages with promo codes. I don’t want to leave your company a five-star Google review in exchange for the chance to win a £20 Starbucks gift card.

I don’t want to join your exclusive community in the metaverse. I don’t want AI to help me write my comments on LinkedIn. I don’t even want to be on LinkedIn in the first place.

I just want to pay for a product one time (and only one time), know that it’s going to work flawlessly, press 0 to speak to an operator if I need help, and otherwise be left alone and treated with some small measure of human dignity, if that’s not too much to ask anymore.

Author: Robert Sterling

I saw this on Facebook the other day, and oh gosh did it resonate with me.

Rather coincidentally, I had also saved this image from Facebook at the end of last week.

Yes, yes, yes!!

Just leave me alone all you advertisers, all the pop-ups, all the people that ask me to 'Like their page' just because I liked one thing they said, once in the past. It's sad when you have to stop 'Liking' and 'Loving' things just to be left in peace.

Leave me alone, I choose what I want to do, watch, buy, Like and Love. I choose the people I want to interact with ... and when I want to interact with them. I'm going back to my book, all that it asks of me is that I read it, relax and give it to someone else who will do the same after I have finished.

Sue xx

• Artist: Nick Gentry

Taking It To Another Level

Thanks for all the comments on yesterday's post, sorry but I didn't have time to answer them all individually.  It's been a bit chaotic here, we are still in the midst of organising the renovations on Mum's bungalow, finally closing our company down and all that that entails.  We have also been backwards and forwards to the vets with Mavis, and Alan has had extra diabetes monitoring appointments.

All in all we've had a busy start to this year, with my March calendar already filling up with dates that we are unavailable for anything extra.  Years ago I would have loved the busyness of it all, now I see it as something to plough our way through, with hopefully a quiet evening at the end of each busy day.

Whilst trying to keep on top of everything, we are also trying to build in things that are just for ourselves, so we went to see the new Bridget Jones film on Sunday night.  It was really good, a couple of hours of laughter, sadness and memories of the earlier films, but overall totally joyous. 

This morning after Alan's doctors appointment and my gentle walk around the park with Mavis, and then a vets visit, we decided to stop off at Booths for a cooked breakfast and an hour to ourselves to discuss the rest of the days business busyness.

I went one step further than my usual bringing home of all the little extras off our tray, by spotting some little packs of butter left on the table next to ours.  I swiftly gathered them up, just before the table was cleared and all the other remnants were swept into the bin.  So, five of the butter pats were rescue ones and the other one was the one that Alan didn't use on his toast.

And then I went even further, and I deposited my leftover scrambled eggs into a plastic bag.  Just a little something for Mavis to have for her tea ... she will love it, and it will make a nice change from her current diet of chicken and dog kibble.

It seems that I am on a mission this year to both jettison my excess and gather in that which we need if it will stop wastage.

Sue xx

The Same But Different

 

I had the M&S Melt in the Middle No Fishcakes for my tea the other night, they were much better than I remember them and definitely worth me trying them again.  I cooked a double portion of rice as I just knew that I would want to have the Garlic Kyivs the next day.

And I did.  It looks just the same doesn't it, but obviously is actually very different.

I really do prefer the Kyivs to the No Fishcakes though, so they will stay in my repertoire ... while I doubt the fishcakes will.  I only want to keep my absolute favourites of anything that could be classed as ultra processed.

With this in mind I decided that rather than stashing the remaining No Fishcake in the freezer I would have it for lunch yesterday.  This time however, it was served with a quick slaw made simply with a crated carrot and a couple of slices of finely chopped red onion.  I discovered this simple mix HERE.

 Delicious, and it made for a lovely light and tasty lunch.

I don't know if you spotted these on my last post, but I bought them from Aldi as they had been reduced.  It was only from 99p to 69p but it seemed like a bit of a bargain.  As soon as I saw them I thought that I could freeze them in portions of five and have them as little accompaniments to either a curry or a pot of hummus.

 Well either the machine that packed them was faulty, the person doing it was generous or the printing on the packaging was wrong as there were 25 little naan bites in the bag.  So now I have five bags in the freezer for future use.

And now that I've typed the word hummus I'm really fancying it for my lunch.  😄

Sue xx

It's Just a Shopping Frenzy!!

 

We were supposed to be visiting Mum on Thursday, but when we got there we found that the care home was in lockdown ... again!!  This time flu is doing the rounds with two of the residents already having been sent to hospital.  Mum is currently okay we were told, and we were able to hand in the things that we had taken for her.  Poor Mavis was very confused ... 'What no Granny, no special doggy treat'.  

So, rather than just getting straight back on the motorway we detoured to the local little M&S Food Shop as I had a couple of vouchers to use up.  Does anyone else find that vouchers for any decent amount of money burn a bit of whole in their pocket and just have to be used as soon as possible.  😄 

I had £9 as you can see from the top photo ... and I spent £9.05.

I'm happy.  😀

It might not be a 'challenge year' as such, but it's definitely the year that I make the best use of everything and collect as many 'freebies' as I possibly can.

Then Alan asked if I wanted to go with him to Aldi this morning, and I did.  Wine, Pringles and a few other bits that I sort of needed.

I knew I didn't actually need rice, but it had gone down in price and the shock of a price actually going down made me pick up a bag.

I really didn't need any rice!!

I knew I should have cracked on with my cupboard tidying, it's been a slow process as I just can't get in the mood to get everything out on the worktop all at once.  I've now sorted through all the rices and put them back in the lower cupboard with them all stacked in date to be used in order.

Oh well, that's another little section done.  😄

I asked Alan not to buy me any flowers for Valentine Day this year.  Every year for the past few years he has really splashed out on expensive flowers, and as awful as it seems I just hate the thought of all that money going on flowers that die just after a week ... and his taste is completely different to mine, so it's sad when I actually feel relief at stuffing them into the compost bin when they die.

There, now you know I'm an ungrateful wretch!!

This year he printed me out a card ... and a poster of some flowers.  Now in my book that is the most perfect example of Valentines Day thoughtfulness.  

We also went out for breakfast at our local fancy garden centre ... and I came away with some freebies.  To say thank you I have bought us tickets to see the new Bridget Jones film tomorrow night.  It's been a good couple of days.

I hope you have a good weekend. 💖

Sue xx

Just a Fun Thing for Valentines Day

 Remember back in the day when these sort of things used to do the rounds in Blogland and on Facebook. Well this popped up in my Facebook Memories the other day.

I added a couple of updates in brackets ... things change!!

A Couples Quiz

In honour of Valentine's Day, all couples: Make this your status and answer honestly!

Who's older? Alan by 1 year

Who was interested first? Me

Who's the tallest? Alan by 3 inches. (Alan by 6 inches)

More sarcastic? Me

Who makes the most mess? Alan

Who has more tattoos? Me

Who's the better singer? Alan

Hogs the remote? Me (now we have one each)

Better driver? Me in forward ... Alan in reverse

Spends the most? Alan for sure

Smarter? Alan

Most common sense? Me

Do you have any children together? No

Did you go to the same school? No

Who is the most sensitive? Equal

Where do you eat out most? Osbornes (now it's Booths)

Where is the furthest you have travelled together? Rome

Who has the worst temper? We're equal.

Who does the cooking? Both

Who is more social? Alan

Who is the neat freak? Alan (me)

Who is the most stubborn? Both

Who wakes up earlier? Me

Where was your first date? Lunch at The Ferry, Walney Island

Who has the bigger family? Very similar

Who does the laundry? Both

Who's better with the computers? Alan ... mostly

Who picks where you go to dinner? Me ... mostly

Who wears the pants in the relationship? Both of us ... we love our jeans

That was interesting for me to look back on for sure. 

Happy Valentines Day  🌹 

Sue xx