Information Overload

This is silly.

It's been a busy week, with one thing on top of another. Work has been the usual load squared with a cherry on the top, with the usual inane questions from people who either haven't bothered to read the supporting documentation or have read it and forgotten it (and forgotten how to click on the link that says 'Click here for help'). We will draw a discrete veil over that part of my life and try not to think about next week and the first live run on the expenses payments system ... gulp.

Last night I looked up at the kitchen ceiling and wondered why there was a funny looking stain close to one of the light fittings. It gradually dawned on me that it must be something to do with the upstairs bathroom so I went to investigate. I found a barely noticeable drip coming from underneath the toilet cistern - we are talking chinese water torture levels rather than an obvious flood - but it was enough to gradually soak down through the floor. We flushed the loo and jammed the ballcock in position to stop it from filling up again, and I rang a plumber. He was here for less than an hour fixing it it, but it still cost on the wrong side of a hundred pounds. Ouch.

On top of that, I noticed that Frank the cat was very reluctant to jump down from his bed on top of the tumble drier for his food this morning. He didn't want anything to eat and slunk off upstairs, limping badly. I took him to the vet and it looks like he's just injured his paw - nothing broken, but he's had some antibiotics and pain killers, costing another thirty pounds. Ouch again.

I've also just tried to vote over the internets, but it keeps telling me that my login credentials are not valid. I rang the help line who said that I had to go to the town hall complete with photo id so I could enjoy the convenience of voting on line. Sigh.

It finally struck me that I was feeling guilty for not keeping up with my various sources of information on the internet. Four hundred or so unread news items on bloglines and goodness knows how many posts on uk.media.radio.archers and tv.misc. Drastic action is needed, so good bye to the register, slate.com, cruel site of the day and a couple of others. I'm going to unsub from uk.media.tv.misc - in recent times it's been overrun by gun nuts, phony psychics, world trade centre conspiracy theorists, lunatic ghost story authors and juvenile morons. I will not feel guilty if I have to call upon the services of Mr Mark Read. I also resolve to not start playing any more games until I have finished Phoenix Wright : Justice for All and Zelda. I will sit down and start reading the new Iain Banks book that Rachel has loaned to me.

... and breath.