Fingers crossed

Will everything please stop breaking!

Over the last few days, things breaking seems to be the pattern of life. The tree drama was enough of a disaster but it hasn't stopped there.

When we opened one of the new pan sets that we bought in London, to go in the suites, we found a pan with a broken handle and therefore a useless pan. On Monday whilst emptying the dishwasher, a china spoon exploded into three pieces - it is nothing special really but is part of a set that we use on our breakfast trays and is therefore annoying and inconvenient.

When we arrived back from the supermarket yesterday afternoon, all the dining room lights blew in one enormous bang and fused the circuit - naturally it happened as we got back, not before we went - and I didn't have replacement bulbs in stock for the original 1970's wall lights that adorn our dining room. Fingers crossed that I can find some in town today because I really don't fancy the supermarket on Christmas Eve and besides I have enough to do already.

On Monday I received an email from my father stating that he had been trying to telephone me but that the phone is permanently engaged. I checked and it is - can't phone out and nobody can phone in - a bit of a problem when that is my business number and the only alternatives are expensive English mobile phones.

I went to see France Telecom in their showroom in town, who helpfully told me that the line was 'en service' and that the problem was mine. I told them it had worked perfectly well for two years as it was currently set up and nothing had changed so can you please help me solve it. Er, "Non".

Fortunately, an English lady overheard my stilted French conversation and told me that she'd had exactly the same problem and that it was a fault with the 'livebox' - it was only solved by bringing it into the showroom, shouting a lot and getting them to change the unit. I surveyed the queue of twenty odd customers all trying to buy last minute mobile phone presents, thought about having to disconnect my internet, bring the 'livebox' into the showroom and try and have the necessary conversation and decided to leave it until after Christmas.

When I got back home Christian said "Is there something wrong with the internet - it isn't working" Aaarrgghhhh.

My first fear was that it related to the phone problem, but after a bit of investigation it turned out that the server at France Telecom was the fault and a couple of hours later it came back on line - what a relief.

Now if everything will just keep working and/or just fix itself please, we might be able to get on with looking after our guests.

My fingers are well and truly crossed.