Friday 9 July 2021

Snatching a Triumph From the Jaws of Defeat

I was meant to take No.2 Son to Winchester on Wednesday to take possession of his university digs ready for September and so he could start the job he had lined up that was meant to start today.


Firstly, Student Finance hadn't received Hay's financial information, which had to be posted because it proved impossible for her to logon to her Student Finance account.

Secondly, his deposit for his flat hadn't been received yet by the organisation holding the key.

Thirdly the flat people additionally required my financial information as guarantor of No.2 Son's rent.

The Student Finance issue wasn't on the critical path for collecting his keys, but the flat deposit certainly was. This, naturally, led to a delay and thus the schedule was delayed from Wednesday to Thursday, with his new employer being informed he couldn't start work now till Saturday.

Thursday arrived and the organisation handling his student accommodation still hadn't received his deposit, despite it having been sent on Tuesday by bank transfer.

Additionally, the on-line guarantor system accepted only one proof of income form, whereas I have multiple sources of income. Decided to lodge my last self assessment, which is irrelevant for this year, but it was accepted.

The intended departure time for Winchester yesterday came and went, but still the deposit hadn't hit their bank account. Finally, by 2pm, they conformed receipt. My car, having been packed and fitted with a bike carrier for his bike, was ready and waiting. We jumped in the car and - nothing - the battery, which I'd been meaning to replace for the last couple of months had packed up in a terminal fashion and no amount of jumping it from a spare, also well depleted battery, would cajole it into starting.

Luckily, Hay's dad next door was home and I hurriedly commandeered his car, moving the bike rack from my SAAB estate to his VW Passat saloon - no mean feat. Set off at 2.30pm and arrived at the key collection place on the outskirts of Winchester with just under an hour to spare before they closed.

Took No.2 Son shopping at Aldi, decanted him, his effects and his shopping at his flat and raced back home just in time to greet the bloke who had bought my Triumph Daytona and wanted to collect it. 

No.2 Son then contacted me to tell me his Wi-Fi in the flat wasn't working - which for a young man is a humungous disaster. However, it transpired that the router had simply been unplugged due to no-one having been there for ages.

All-in-all, a successful conclusion to a fraught day in which everything was conspiring against us.

Now is when I'm meant to start suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome....


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