takin' care of business

A few years back there was a tendency for publishers to publish books - both fiction and non-fiction - in a genre I tend to call "My Miserable Life". You know the stuff, even if you've never read it (I certainly didn't), "I was brought up in a chicken coop" sort of novels. Usually written by someone called "David" (Ha!). This reached its nadir in books such as this. I have neither the time nor inclination to read them, but you can prove me wrong about their worth.

So, to enter 2014 with a bit more brio, here's a more positive point.

When the Bose Wave Music System that Mrs Dave bought me for a Christmas present some five years ago started to go wrong - in a sort of Dementia-like decline - a year or so back I must admit to not being terribly impressed. All that was wrong was that the CD part of it was getting sluggish and unresponsive. That is, that it often wouldn't play older CDs (and more recently, new ones) very well. it didn't like fast forwarding. It certainly didn't like Christmas CDs (some of you may have less sympathy at this point), but on the whole it was certainly CDs that were the problem. FM Radio, no problem, iPod no problem. CDs often just stopped. So, something radical needed doing. Given that it was kept all these years in the kitchen so has probably clogged up the lens with cooking fat etc, it was no real surprise.

By reading Googled  responses, you'd have thought that the writers of such books as mentioned above had all contacted Bose during the complete nadir of their appalling lives. They won't do this or that, service is crap etc. But no! Wait - a phone call before Christmas sorted it. Wait until after Christmas, they said - after all, you'll want to use it over the holiday - and get in contact afterwards. A human response, no a humane response!

So, about a week after Christmas we got back in contact, sent it off and in less than two weeks, it's been off to Belgium, fixed, returned and happily playing CDs as I sit here. Mrs Dave is happy as she gets to listen to Radio 4 in the mornings again and I'm happy that it works. Very happy.

So, within two weeks a company can turn a repair round with no quibble or complaint. Even deliver it to our work place (no hanging around at home to sign) and get it back to you by the time they say they will.

Well, I'm impressed. Sorry David Shitlife and co, not everything is as you complain. So for all of you out there who think that life is awful and getting on top of you and that modern life is rubbish, here's a little present. Given that not all things are as bad as you make out, here's a wonderful poem that could help you think through tough times: http://bit.ly/1d7NKQV

Good night. Smile. And in the words of an old joke, "I 'ope you 'ave 'appiness all your life". Gentlemen, read it slowly in a Spanish accent.