September 2009 Archives
Lower Estimations
We don’t often get anyone knocking on the door. We’re in what I like to call a “gated community” - in that an electronic fob is required to get through the gate into the grounds of the apartments, and again to get into the lift/stairs - and so visitors have to call on the intercom or phone when they arrive, to be let in.
And so, when there was a knock on the door earlier today, I assumed it must be one of our neighbours. But no - it was a salesman - and he must have persuaded one of the other residents to let him in. I’ve flatly refused to let other salespeople into the apartments in the past, as I hate the concept of being doorstepped with a hard sell.
Anyway, so this guy was from Airtricity, and he was trying to persuade me to switch electricity suppliers to them. He asked if I had a recent electricity bill that I could show them, and he would explain how much money I could save. I declined, but he kept talking, trying to persuade me to play along - reminding me why I hate this kind of selling.
The thing is, I’d been considering moving my supply to Airtricity anyway, as they have the cheapest prices on the market at the moment, and are a good way for eco-agnostics like myself to feel a bit better about saving the planet, without any of the down sides of being properly green (such as putting in any effort). I even had the company’s website loaded up on one of my browser tabs. But this recent visitation has put me right off the company, and I may well end up going with Bord Gais instead, just on principal.
September 26, 2009
Time for a new bike?
My bicycle is broken, again.
On my ride home from work today I heard a distinctly loud clunk, and stopped to find that the rear wheel was way out of line and rubbing against the brakes and frame. And at first thought, I guessed it must be a broken spoke or two, but I checked them and they all seemed fine. So I looked a bit more, and eventually spotted the wheel axle itself was broken. A disc of metal had broken off, and all this lubricant stuff was leaking out, and you could see the ball bearings popping out.
It’s yet another repair that I have to deal with. The bike itself was pretty cheap - but with the amount of money I’ve spent on it since then, replacing and repairing various bit, I’ve probably doubled the original outlay. And there’s only so long that I’ll be prepared to throw good money after bad.
I had been pondering the idea of a new bike for a few of weeks anyway, and I guess today’s problem is helping to focus my mind. I have an idea about the kind of bike I want to get, and I’m rather hoping that my employer with embrace the Irish government’s Bike to Work tax-efficient scheme, as it would give me a significant discount.
And until I decide whether to go for a new bike, I’m rather loathed to get the old one fixed. After all, I sense this repair might cost a few quid, and if I then tried to sell the bike on second-hand, I doubt that I’d get that money back. And so, I guess I’m back to being a pedestrian again for a few days.
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