Green sheep

As I mentioned in my last post, I like to run, which always gives you a good chance to really look around you, and if you plan on being a good runner you need to learn how to stop thinking about how much your legs hurt, start thinking about anything else, just let your mind wander. It certainly gives you a good chance to have a long hard think about the things you see. Sometimes it leaves you with questions about why the world doesn't work.

So answer me this; Q. Why havn't sheep evolved to have green wool?

The things you see while running at midnight

Running always gives you ample time to notice the world around you, whether it be cows, hills, fields, neds or anything like that but tonight was new. At nearly midnight towards the end of my run I notice a convertable sportscar with stripes running across the bonnet like a dodge viper, with the top down, parked in a laybye at the side of the dual carriageway. This wouldn't have been that odd if it didn't have a fire engine parked right behind it, seemingly for no reason. Upon running closer I noticed that there was a massive bush fire at the side of the road being attacked by the fire crew. I'm not sure who/what started the fire or even the extent of the fire (I couldn't make out if the adjoining garden or even house was buring) but lets hope that no one was hurt because some idiot forgot to put out his BBQ.

First step

Made my first step in attempting to get my money back from Abbey today by sending a letter asking under the data protection act to know how much I have paid in charges over the last 6 years. At first I had this feeling, from reading the various websites that provide advice, that I would get my money back but now I have lost that since reading that small claims courts are no longer accepting these cases as there is a case going through a higher court against Lloyds TSB. If that case is successful then all banks may have to drop their charges down to the cost of actually sending a letter out, and accept that they've been overcharging people.

Anyway, read about that here

The figure I've seen for how much over 6 years is £18,000,000,000. So I reckon the judge is going to rule that the banks are wrong but people cannot claim back what they have lost in the past 6 years because they wouldn't want to bankrupt the banks and risk disharmony in the economy.

Trust me to decide to actively do something on the day that I'm stopped from doing it.

Oh and just to add to the stress of it all my mobile stopped working today, so I found out that the bank had charged me £50, which took my balance to less that my phone bill, so that went unpaid and has been cut off and of course next month I'll be getting another £50 bank charge! How the hell are you ever supposed to get out of the cycle?

Abbey: The bank that really kicks you when you're down

How often do people check they're bank statements? To be honest I never check mine but seeing as I'm painfully poor at the moment I checked mine today.

In 5 months Abbey have taken £415 from me in charges. No wonder I always go over my overdraft limit, they have £415 of my money!

This includes £150 of charges in one day, and in another instance a £35 charge for a rejected payment for £2!


This is on a student account too, so they already know I have very limited money, it really brings out a rage in me.

One instance, I have £25 in my account and pay for something on my card, later that day they take a £30 charge for the month before and hey presto, Im now overdrawn and have a rejected payment, so another £50 of charges.

How can they justify any of this?

Craziness

Forget Gaza and North Korea what about Wigan? £5.5 million for Heskey, thats nuts, he won't score 15 goals next season.

Anyway, went out with my Dad for a pint last night and we somehow got talking about odd songs, including one 80's hit who's main lyrics are da da da. Turns out my Dad had a bet with my Mum that my Older brothers first words would be Dad and not Mum, so when my Mum was away he would play the song on repeat for hours on end to him. It worked but they now wonder why he acts so demented. I wonder if my Dad will ever confess to cheating?