Tag Archives: email problems

A Tale of Two Shillings

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Shilling of Charles I depicted, accurately, as a silver coin.

Last night I thought I’d better brush the cobwebs off my reserve email address. I have just had an email from an editor who has been unable to communicate with me for the last ten days and thought I’d been ignoring them. It is, as far as I know, only happening with one magazine, but it is slightly perplexing. As part of the email was an acceptance for two tanka, and a comment on the others which weren’t required, I’m glad she persisted.

Unfortunately it is just over six months since I last used the reserve address and the provider is in the middle of closing it down. There is no way to reverse it, and until the process is finished, there is no way to see if I can get it back. This is slightly annoying, but it is my fault for losing track of time. I have manged to get one with a similar name, and will remember to use it regularly.

I had a novel experience at work this morning when I was told I could write to a customer and tell him that I thought he would be better looking elsewhere. Normally we don’t turn business down but he has a low feedback, a history of returning things and quite precise requirements.   I’ve been polite and told him he’s welcome to visit the shop and check the stock out for himself, but we can’t guarantee that our photographs or descriptions will give him what he requires.

The trouble is, as every photographer knows, the camera does not see what your eye sees.

It is possible, by altering camera settings, to turn silver coins gold and vice versa. As I recall, all I did with the shilling in the header picture was to change the setting from tungsten to fluorescent and the coin changed from silver to “gold”. Some metals seem to do this on their own, without help from the camera. They just have some sort of quality in their colour which makes the camera mis-read the balance. I wish I could work it out, but it always seems to take me by surprise. Note how the colour of the background has moved from light blue to grey.

“Gold” shilling of Charles I 

 

 

 

A Sea of Troubles…

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Last night I got home, chatted to Julia, admired her new hair cut, ate tea and fell asleep.

She woke me at around 10.30 with a cup of tea and a scone. I was, it seems, less than charming, ate the scone and went back to sleep, waking just after midnight – too late for a second post about my adventures. This was just as well, because there were no adventures.

That is how a day ends that started so well.

Today I went to the shop and found, even before I entered, that my key didn’t work. This sometimes happens. It hasn’t happened for about a year and I was beginning to think the keys had all bedded in. Seems I was wrong. The stale smell by the door is getting slightly better but the dodgy light switch still crackles when you use it. I get round that by leaving the lights off when I arrive. Whoever comes in second can risk electrocution. This is evolution in action – the smart ones survive.

I switched on the computer, which worked, then I opened up the email, which didn’t. For some reason it had randomly thrown us out instead of keeping us permanently signed in. Fortunately I now know the password to get back in.

British West Africa 1/10th of a Penny

I had messages about postage and delivery to answer. I won’t bore you with the details.

Then I found I couldn’t get into eBay. They’ve been messing with security and decided not to let me in without a one-time pass code. Unfortunately the pass code has to go to the telephone of the owner. It’s lucky he was already up and working at home when I rang to explain that. Then I started to sort the orders. This can be difficult when you work with people who think that the alphabet doesn’t apply to them. I needed three sets of world banknotes, which should have been easy enough to sort out if they had been, as they are supposed to be, in alphabetical order, They weren’t.

Just after we opened a man ring up to sell us “rare” stamps. We don’t really deal in stamps, as we tell him every week. And they aren’t rare. Then the query about the “rare” £2 coins. We have plenty of them, which tends to suggest they may not be rare. Then the walk-in with the 50p coins. At least she didn’t tell us they were rare. Add a man who called in to spend £3.50 on card and that completes our day.

I will chuck in some photos of stock and move on to cook tea,

We are expecting an ASDA delivery soon. Three times I have ordered celeriac. Three times it has been out of stock.

EIIR Medallion

EIIR Medallion