I am crap at thinking of decent headings for blog posts...

Dear all,

Thought I would delight you with a blog post before Christmas. My system at work is down and so is my server, which means I have no access to my cases, so I have some time to spare:).

First of all I want to wish everyone


Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Healthy 2006!!!


I am well. Work is going better and better. I am starting to feel like I know things now. The prospect of being the Dutch desk on my own from January 4th is still daunting, but I should be able to manage ok. Customers can be a pain in the backside, but overall they seem to respond well if you call them as soon as you receive their complaint (within 24 hours). If you then let them talk and explain themselves they tend to calm down. Quite a lot of the time people that complain just have no reason to (they are months or even years out of warranty most of the time, but still want us to do repairs free of charge etc), but if you are willing to listen they at least feel that their complaint is being acknowledged. Giving customers good news is of course the best feeling. Generally my advice when complaining is: nag on and you will get something;)! The people in my team are the best complainers when it comes to their own problems.

Life generally, when I have time to enjoy it, is also great. Derek's holidays have started, so he has some more time for me:). It was damn hard getting out of bed this morning with a sleeping beauty next to me that I just wanted to cuddle up to! I am really looking forward to tonight, when we are meeting some friends for the traditional Christmas get-together, and I am also very much looking forward to Christmas at Derek's. It is so weird to think that last Christmas is already a year ago. At the same time I am so used to having Derek around, when this time last year he'd only just come home from Denmark! I have got everyone a present, thankfully no Christmas eve rush for me. Luckily I have the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas off (as I work UK hours I have all bankholidays off:)): I really need those extra days to relax, stay in bed with Derek till the afternoon, have Derek-sandwiches (not with Derek on it;), but made by him and for those of you who haven't sampled them: they are the best sandwiches in the WORLD) with left-over turkey for lunch, go for a nice walk, watch silly Christmas TV and all those things that are so great around this time of year (which definitely does not include going shopping on boxing day (such a ridiculous concept, considering that Brits spend a FORTUNE over Christmas!).

On Saturday I went to Edinburgh to do some Christmas shopping (not because it's better, just because I wanted to meet up with my friend Barbara). I was slightly hung over from the night before, so it was not too much fun in the crowds, but I managed to do the necessary shopping. I even went into Harvey Nichols, hehe;). For anyone expecting a present from me from there: NO CHANCE. The cheapest thing that I might buy for someone I could find was a diamante (yes, that means FAKE) brooch that cost £80!!! Not quite within my budget...:'( Edinburgh is so stylish around Christmas. In Glasgow everything blinks, coloured lights everywhere, tackiness all round and that is great. In Edinburgh on the other hand they only have tiny white lights that don't blink and everything looks so pretty. It always amazes me how different these two cities are, when they are only 50 miles apart! Edinburgh is great to stroll through every couple of months, but Glasgow is home in all its tacky splendour.

Back to work now (or pretending to anyway as all systems are still very much down).

I hope you are all, or will all, be enjoying the holidays! Drink one on me.

Lots of love,