Tuesday March 11, 2008
We were visited by the most obnoxious little eco-fascist yesterday. He came to do our heat and energy survey for the HIP. My advice to other UK house sellers on this one? Do not be present when he visits. If you have to be present, do not engage him in conversation. If you have to engage him in conversation, take a large dose of Valium in advance.
Grrrr!
‘Nuff said on that score. It’s done, paid for, and will hopefully not need to be revisited. If we do need to renew the pack we shall go to another supplier.
We took ourselves out for a little break after that, being in need of fresh air even it it did come in large bucketsful. Very gusty, it was, though if this was the greatest storm of the winter then it must have been storming some other place because all we had was a bit of wind and a fair amount of rain and hail.
I know. I am not well advised to scorn the weather. Even so.
Do you know, I strive very hard to suppress the last vestiges of my juvenile cynicism, and to avoid the acquisition of the ‘mature’ variety. Mostly I succeed. Increasingly I succeed.
There are however days when cynicism rules. And this was one of them.
The author, webmaster, and minder of the cat
11 responses so far ↓
Alison P // March 11, 2008 at 10:46 am
I hope you two weren’t gritting your teeth too hard - neither of you want any more dentistry just yet!
I’m sure some people just go for certain jobs so they can be bossy and pedantic.
Brigitte // March 11, 2008 at 11:28 am
Even if I don’t know any details, and don’t want to either, I quite agree as I can imagine too well how things went. They seem to be the same all over the Western world…
Wendy, NC // March 11, 2008 at 11:36 am
I can’t quite work it out, but there’s a comment here somewhere about self-righteous energy fueling the fires of Dante’s inferno . . .
gary // March 11, 2008 at 1:06 pm
what the heck, juvenile cynicism feels good sometimes
Gordo // March 11, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Cynicism makes teh world go ’round, John. I expect mature cynicism could be better described as “confirmation”, wouldn’t you think? You’ve lived long enough to find out that you were right all along.
Mage Bailey // March 11, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I’m so sorry about that guy, John. Hope this was the last hurdle.
wayne // March 11, 2008 at 2:02 pm
What a powerful expression of our human condition. “Mostly I succeed. Increasingly I succeed”. Once again, thank you for giving us empowering words.
CBG Dee // March 11, 2008 at 2:58 pm
John, our Harry Truman had a good word for people like your little eco-fascist, although he applied it to politicians — Snollyguster. Beware the snickety Snollyguster.
bonnie // March 11, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Well my curiosity is brimming trying to figure out just exactly what this job entailed.
Energy survey? hmmm
oldgreypoet // March 11, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I love Snollyguster! Thought I’d heard most Trumanisms but this is a new one on me!
The ’survey’ is supposed to check for insulation, double-glazing, heating boiler efficiency and efficiency rating of lighting and other electrical fitments. I didn’t see anything remotely resembling checking, in the sense of testing. Just ticking boxes on a computer input form. And irritating the vendor.
He turned up an hour early, without notice or apology, so I was unable to absent myself. Probably just as well. Graham would like as not have strangled the little Snollyguster…
CBG Dee // March 11, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Oops! My bad, John. I shouldn’t have taken a mere journalist’s word for the word. “Face The Nation” host, Bob Schieffer, used “snollyguster” but, when I looked it up online, Google gently corrected me. The proper word is “snollygOster” as defined here:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/snollygoster
Ah well. Live and learn, eh?
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