3 December 2011
I made my customary call to my mother and Richard this morning only to find that they too had been unwell in fact my mother been in for bed 12 day. One of the blessings of early onset of Alzheimer’s she had no memory of being there so long. Then Paul Richard got the same bug so the pair of them were ‘hor de combat’. In the normal way this would be very worrying, with them both being well into their 90s viruses or colds can very quickly turn into pneumonia. And the awful thing is I feel so helpless myself not being able to do anything. Fortunately, to remind the oldest friends, the Prytz’s live within 20 min awayI am godfather to the oldest girl, Amanda, who married a New Zealander and now runs a very successful wine business in the best winegrowing district, Marlborough. They have been absolutely marvellous and called in everyday to see if they could do some shopping and so on. I don’t know what we would do without . The trouble with Richard and Nan (short for Nanette) is that the doctors will hand them in hospital at drop of a hat, whereas they are far better off in their own home provided there is somebody, like the Prytz’s keeping an eye on them.
I am now almost fully recovered myself and am so relieved as had it been a really bad bout of flu it could have gone on for two or three weeks.
Paul ‘the computer’ came round yesterday afternoon and continued bringing the old files up to date. We are very nearly there. It’s such a pity that the other problem with Dragon, seems no further forward. I have heard absolutely nothing from them for weeks, despite, or perhaps is because of me referring the matter to the Trading Standards Office. Even they had been recalcitrant. I rang up the man allocated to the job, Mr Missen, only to get his answerphone message to say he will be away until 8 August I replied, touque in cheek, that I thought that was rather a long time, particularly, as my complaint concerned the delay of Dragon sorting out my problem. I’m not sure that he appreciated the joke. However, to keep them on their toes I spoke to his supervisor who said Mr Missen had been very busy but he would ask him to give me a ring me next week. During our conversation the supervisor dropped a bombshell and said that whatever happens they have no power to force any person against whom a complaint is made, to do anything at all, leaving it to the complainant to take the matter to court.
Why on earth did they not tell me that at the beginning and why do we spend millions every year maintaining such a useless outfit? It’s like beating someone with a feather duster. I’ve no doubt that the corporate lawyers in America at Nuance, quickly acquainted themselves with the powers available to the Trading Standards Office and instead of quaking in their boots just laughed the matter of. After I speak to Missen on Monday I must take serious consideration as to whether to put you on this matter in the local court. I’m sure one of my legal friends would be prepared to represent me ‘pro bono’.
With the Eurozone debate occupying a great deal of media and thought you might like to see an alternative view to the Greek situation than the one I gave earlier. (See 15 November 2011 entry)