So where the bloody hell are you?

Not me losing control of my editorial style, but obviously an old advertising tag line for Australia.

It is also of course what my vast readership has been saying about me.  It is true;* my blogs have been just a tad sparse of late, but I do have an explanation.  Not a good one mind, but the truth, which is sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes fish**.

The reason for my bloglessness is, simply and rather boringly, due to work.  Long hours in the intense environment of the City, followed by a walk, a tube and a walk to the hotel.  And then I have to put up with the hotel messing me about.  Again.  A long wait to check in, a lift ride up to my room, only to find the "key", or bit of plastic wot is programmed for the technical readership, did not work in my door.  "Bother" and "dash it all" and a few other Bertie Wooster's carried me back to reception.  "Oh yes, that doesn't work does it" said the receptionist, with what probably equals the highest level of understatement I experienced all day.  A pair of new keys later and I was in my room, twice.  With the noisiest air conditioning I have ever heard.  Now a chap can bunk down with the best of them, but dash it all to hell, a poorly working air-conditioning unit is against my basic human rights.  And being a proactive person, I took off my socks and put up with it.  In the morning I did complain, to be told I needed to pack all my stuff up in my room "... because our porters cannot touch your stuff..." ready to be relocated.  I am writing this from the sixth floor, the highest I have ever been in this hotel.  I certainly know how to live.

I have also had the a missing breakfast from the 30th June just added to my Amex on 6 July, for which I now have a receipt, since I am happy I did have it, but at the time the receptionist said don't worry, it is on us.  And I also had some bar drinks that were definitely not mine, and have been left for the manager to sort out.  Which if every other complication I have had here is to go by, will go nowhere fast.  In fact, I am just now ringing reception to see where it has got to.  I am on hold for the manager.  Still on hold.  Yep, still on hold.  I have now gone back to a receptionist.  Chocolate teapot.  Back on hold.  Lovely lady telling me about the "... unique experience at the Cumberland.  For a sneak preview at our breath-taking services...".  Then I was being asked to press 0 to speak to someone.  Now back to the same chocolate teapot to tell her again what I just told her.  I am finally with the manager, explaining for the fourth time.  So I finally get to the nub of my problem, rather than theirs, and it is kind of sorted.

Anyhow, I would love to stay and chat, but I have some TV to watch.  Have a good evening, and don't be a stranger.

*For those who like to know these things, that is the first use of a semi-colon in the Kenobi blog.  And that is a fact, in real life and in this country.

**A little joke for the abstractionites amongst us.  And don't bother trying to argue that there is no such words as abstractionites, you flognatites.