Shell completed

Well I have just received the second stage payment invoice from The New Boat Company for the boat. The original contract was signed on the 15th November and this arrived on the 7th December. That makes it 22 days from the time of order to the completion of the hull. Take off four days for postage of the order to Liverpool Boats and postage of the invoice to me makes it 18 days for the hull from start to finish. That's not too bad I suppose for a 70 footer but they'd best get a move on with that engine, spray foaming and ballasting or I might be having words.

I have been transferring money between accounts today. Why does it take 2 days to electronically transfer money from one UK bank account to another? It's electronic. It's supposed to be instantaneous, that's the whole point. Don't get me started with the chequeing system and the five working days that takes. I can go to the hole in the wall and electronically withdraw money and it shows up in my internet banking instantaneously. I can log on to the computer and send electronic mail immediately. In the words of a fellow countryman, “Is it me”.

Our cooker has just died. It couldn't have picked a better time to go to that great cooker showroom in the sky. We're obviously reluctant to buy another as, since it's electric, will have no use for it on the boat. Lisa is wondering how we are to cook the turkey as the outlaws are over for Christmas lunch. Looks like it's going to be buffet. Maybe ply them all with wine punch and when they wake up we'll tell them they've already eaten it and they should really be getting home before it gets dark.