Extinguishing

It's burning in all corners, time is running out and an early start. Having sorted out the various animals, collected up as much recyclable matter as possible, set the washing machine in action, set off with the trailer for Ottobeuren. Unloaded the trailer but did steal a petrol lawnmower that had partly been demolished but importantly the front wheels were intact - I need to see if I can use them on our mower which is semi-broken.

Recycling yard one can take almost anything one sees that could be useful with the exception of electrical equipment but above all metal. as the county council makes good money selling the scrap. Luckily no one looking.

Off for the dog walk and then quickly to the supermarket to stock up with some essentials for this week's visitors. Ended up with a full trolley.
Unloaded everything on the counter except the two crates of beer (2 x 20 bottles stacked on top of another), As I passed the cashier she said there is an item hidden behind the crates which I had simply not seen through the till - makes one feel like a shoplifter. Oh well ...." pay with bank card" .... open wallet to find a gaping hole ... no bank card and supermarkets don't take credit cards (Visa/Mastercard etc). Now I could see the cashier having serious doubts about me searching like mad in the wallet, pocket etc and stuttering. Slowly had to unload various items bit by bit until the till showed a total for which I had enough cash.

Felt a real twit leaving the shop but worse brain fighting with Alzheimer's to try and remember what might have happened. As all other cards still in wallet unlikely it had been stolen but it may just have fallen out. I couldn't remember when I had last used it. Dash home, check likely places, check Blip as to when I was last shopping .... 10 days ago but not quite sure when I last used the card. Tried logging in to my account but as it had to happen the site was down - unbelievable for a bank that has no branches and is only available over the web.

Had no choice but to phone  - after minutes in queue finally got through. Basically no choice but to get card cancelled and order a new one (and pay for a replacement) but unless I go to a police station to report the loss and then using the case number, register the loss in a central register, my account is not protected against use where the person is simply required to sign rather than enter the PIN. I did manage to persuade them to tell me if my belief where the card was last used was right (they wouldn't tell me where I had last used it but because website down they at least agreed if I said where/when it was).

Set off to the police stopping at Erkheim where I had last used it. In the supermarket ... no, but in the next door petrol station, it was luckily there. No real help as the card was now cancelled and couldn't be rescinded. Annoying as it was the cashier's fault ... one of those places where they take the card and put it in the card reader out of sight and then get you to sign the receipt - so they hadn't handed me back the card.

Still relieved at having found out where it had been back home and get on with the work. Fed the dogs and then saw the blinking light on the washing machine. It's been playing up for ages, we thought it was a semi blocked waste pipe but only ever had temporary success getting it working. Now watched it a bit closer and realised it was restricted water flow to the machine. Hitched up garden water hose and presto after letting in masses of water through the soap tray, it worked! Then ages messing around with connections and trying to descale the inlet but almost impossible to get access. Getting very fed up with plumbing.

what a day putting out fires ...

After the dog walk, quickly took a Blip of the now extinct "Benedictine Brewery" in Ottobeuren a huge building and part of the Abbey. There are nowadays two pubs/restaurants in the buildings, one of which has a small brewery.. There are two such "micro" breweries, not bad for a town with 8000 inhabitants ..The wall painting is of St Florian, the patron saint of the fire brigade and shows him putting out a house fire with a jug or possibly a large beer glass. My personal expert for all things extinguishing thirst and also a St Florian fan, Bliper Nigel, can no doubt explain the connection with a brewery!