My Weekly Rant !!

April 1st 2000

Well not being one to be known for originality I have finally come up with something to write about. So here is my story, hope you are sitting comfortably with a nice cup of something, and just relax.

Well back in September I decided that I absolutely MUST have an MP3 player. You know the thing. It is the new gadget out at the time and there seem to be so many reasons to have it. I wanted it so that I could take it rollerblading and choose whatever songs I wanted, have the option of a radio and not worry about my walkman skipping, which it has started to do, the poor little thing.

So I found the one I wanted, a brand new Creative Labs Nomad, the newest one out, quite good reviews and not a bad price, and placed my order. Now I ordered it over the internet, from shopping.com who has a nice price comparison thing. Very useful, and found it cheaply and ordered it. The page told me it would be available and shipped within a week. Cool. I would have my mp3 player and be all happy and completely mobile.
Now as with all things, it got a little delayed, and the shipping schedule was put back. Now I was only in America for a short time and so the fact that the date got put back lots meant I had to figure out a way to get it shipped. But I kept checking to see when it would be mailed out to me, it was end of September, October, November, December. Argh January. OK OK It will be here soon. Honest.

So March, and the thing is finally mailed out. And this you may think is the end of the problems. But if you have read my travel exploits, maybe you will not be so sure. Maybe even a little dubious. And you would be right. The player was mailed to be by Fed Ex, and so here I sat, eagerly awaiting it. Trying to tell my friends why I absolutely needed this thing.
And so I waited, and waited. Just as I was getting a little worried, I received a phone call. The company delivering my package could not find my house. You may think this is a joke, but really its true. They actually called me to find out where I lived. I had to give *them* directions. Now all this even *I* could not believe, until I finally got my parcel. On it, by the address, is written (and I quote) "where?" and "not on map". Can you believe it ?

As you may have guessed, they finally found the house, but no one was home. Argh. So I told them I would come collect it. The day I told them I would get it, they had actually sent it out to be delivered again. NO I was working and wouldn't be home. Argh so close. However it all ends happily as I bribed Kate to housesit and sign for my Nomad.

And that is the story of my Nomad. It has travelled millions of miles and been all the way around England. Probably anyway. We were almost expecting it to have lots of comedy country stickers on it. Maybe next time.
And so, the moral of this story, well it seems to be not only never travel with me, but never let me order anything for you either !
;0)
Hugs and Kisses (where appropriate)
Darren 2000