Fbg 6.9
I just asked Google if the co op website was down because just now I was unable to log in, it said my username was incorrect, it wasn't, because it was set up with this username yesterday and in the Co-op bank itself...
And it said
"...some parts of their IT system are shut down due to a potential cyber threat..."
To me, that is very telling and not surprising given everything yesterday in the co op bank. Between the evasive “invisible colleague,” the lack of proper access to my own statements, while in the co op, and the minimal info I got off the site earlier this morning, because it explained I had changed to paperless statements and so it could not give me full info.
If parts of their IT system are shut down due to a cyber threat, it might explain:
• Inconsistencies between devices
• Why the website wasn’t showing my full account history
• The lack of proper clear communication from bank staff as I found yesterday.
I am starting a pros and cons list whether to stay with them. At the moment it appears I should look for another credit card account that is more reliable....
I had not intended talking about this part of yesterday today, but the saga continues...
The rest of yesterday....
As you can see from my drawing from my day yesterday, I had an amazing conclusion to the day…
I’d found a great parking space right in front of the library, museum, and art gallery...which I intended to visit before heading home.
But first, I was just sitting in the car, looking at the museum and watching people go past. For some reason, I never thought of drawing them...kicking myself afterwards…
Then a man with a bag walked right up the steps to the top, outside the museum. He started removing his clothes. Fortunately, only the top half. He turned to face the sun, held one hand out palm-up towards it, and then reached into his bag… and took out a pair of boxing gloves. He began shadowboxing! Mostly uppercuts, it seemed. I took some photos, but he was quite a distance away.
About half an hour later, he came down the steps and had a word with a woman who had a shopping trolley, then returned to the top and resumed boxing again…
Meanwhile, I’d set up my mobility scooter to get to my Co-op appointment. Recently I’ve been wondering about getting a smaller scooter, thinking it might fit better in a smaller car. But the moment I began driving over the huge old paving slabs and cobblestones, impossible to avoid at that point, I was instantly reminded of needing the loo, and wondering if the scooter would cope! I also knew there was no way a smaller scooter would survive this terrain…
I reached my Co-op appointment. A couple of hours later, I left.
I decided to drive around a bit and see which shops were still there and how things had changed. I visited a few of my old haunts. The people were different, but the shops smelled the same. They didn’t recognise me—I suspect they were the children of the people I used to know, still running the businesses. I didn’t say who I was, but I mentioned to one lad that I’d been coming there since the 1970s. Maybe he’ll tell his dad when he gets home…
Wandering down Bold Street, I spotted the Cat Café—I’d heard of it! It was full of cats, but alas, closed on Tuesdays. It’s £4 for 15 minutes to sit with the cats… I get that for free at home.
Finally, after three hours, I noticed my scooter battery was running low. I hoped I had enough left to get back to the museum and library, and I made it, with three bars still showing.
I risked going into the art gallery on my scooter, but it wasn’t easy. The heavy doors between rooms made it quite a challenge for a disabled person. So I left.
Then I visited the library. It had changed completely since I last saw it years ago. Back then, it was all oak panelling and dark brown. It looked like a library. Now it’s thoroughly modern, and to my surprise, I actually liked it. I normally hate modernised libraries.
I went straight to the counter.
“I live in Wales,” I said, “and I know this is Liverpool in England, but I’d love to borrow some books. Is that possible?”
“Oh yes,” said the man. “Just fill in a couple of little forms and show a letter with your address on, from a utility company or similar.”
“Oh, that’s alright,” I said. “I’ve just been to the Co-op where I had to prove my identity.” I pulled out a pile of papers from my bag.
“Just one of those will do,” he laughed.
“How many books can I borrow?” I asked.
“Fourteen,” he replied.
“FOURTEEN?!”
I said, in total shock. “You don’t even know me, I’ve just walked in, and I’m from another country!”
He laughed.
Later, I had a lovely chat with an elderly gentleman in the science fiction section. Come to think of it, I’m an elderly woman… We talked about Terry Pratchett and Josh Kirby, the illustrator of some of his books. My partner, J, was the same age as Josh Kirby and studied at Liverpool School of Art at the same time, so I had plenty of stories to share—and the gentleman had lots of his own, too.
How many books did I get?
FOURTEEN!!!
Hence today’s creative illustration.
Have a good day!
Going to read my first library book now...
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