Sunday 12 September 2010

Poor poor auntie

I think I missed the memo that said for 2 straight months we are going to take every penny auntie earns and then take some more.

I am a poor, poor auntie.

Things that are making me poor, in no particular order are...

My Eldest Beautiful Daughter and her imminent departure to the place where they take all my money and she gets to perfect her partaying technique. Who knew she needed so much stuff? and Marks and Spencer £7 for a colander? Would you give yourself peace!

My car - a service, a coil fitting and road tax means I have spent £592 in a month on my car. IN A MONTH (in capitals for emphasis) I do love my car and it has never cost me as much in a year as it has in the last few weeks. Baah - that's a middle aged lady exasperated noise for the young uns amongst you.

My son - if he grows 1 more inch I will have to cut a hole in the roof, how can his legs be that long? For the first time in my life I am grateful for the jeans below the arse showing the pants look, it means I don't have to go into TopMan every 4 weeks and hand over £90 for 3 pairs of jeans. I am replacing jeans that haven't even had time to get dirty for feck's sake.

My watch - the ex mr auntiegwen bought me a watch for my Christmas 2005. This watch was a Cartier Tank Francais, it's a lovely watch, very plain, very simple, not bling in the slightest. But it cost him a fair amount of cash. Last week it stopped working so I popped into the jewellers, foolishly and naively saying to EBD if I put it in before we had lunch and did our shopping we'd be able to pick it up at the end.

When you have to ring the doorbell to get in a jewellers you know that's not a good sign.

When the nice young man tells you that you can't have just a battery changed because your watch needs serviced, you have your bemused and confused middle aged lady face. Why do watches need serviced? It just sits on my wrist telling the time. Isn't that what watches are supposed to do?

When the nice young man tells you that it will take 2 months to do, you have to resist the incredulous explosion of "WTF" that is screaming inside your head, remember you're in a posh jewellers and you have your nice middle aged middle class lady face on.

Then to round it all off the nice young man tells you it will cost £245. Yep, you read right TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE FECKIN POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because I suppose, the Cartier people have specially employed watch fixing fairies who fly over specially and take your watch on a red velvet pillow to their special watch fixing palace. Then, with gossamer wings, they polish the steel (not silver or white gold or heaven forbid platinum, just bog standard steel) and kiss the watch back to life and fly it back again. I expect that's why it takes so long and costs so much, I mean fairies don't come cheap, do they?

I won't even begin to do the nice lady things maths because I know it'd be enough for a Chanel 2.55 and a pair of black patent leather platform peep toe Louboutins and a bag of chips on the way home.

All together now, poor poor auntie

24 comments:

Laura said...

Crikey!!! That's a mighty pricey watch repair. Don't bother with a watch and just use the clock on your crackberry.

Style At Every Age said...

Did you ever read my post about my cartier dealings? http://lookingfabinyourforties.blogspot.com/2009/07/santos-returns.html - it will make you laugh, what happened with mine was facical, it went in for a new battery and when I first went to get it, the winder fell off in the Sales Assistants hand! read on Auntie! Oh and don't forget the Louboutin sale starts this Wednesday at the outnet and runs for three wednesdays.

Curry Queen said...

Yikes! I had a similar experience with a Fendi watch but that was a mere £110. You may have to sell your body...

auntiegwen said...

Lolly - I didn't realise how often I look at the time till this. I've pinched my old watch back off EBD and she's pinched Hot Boy's, I've no clue what he's doing!

Mrs Fab - I remember that, I am way tempted by the outnet sale, I loved the shoes you bought but the ones I wanted sold out :(

Curry Q - yep that'd give me enough for the bag of chips!!!

Sueann said...

Ouch! And again I say...OUCH!!! That has gotta hurt! It is amazing how kids can grow so quickly...especially the young men!! And you are so right! College is where they learn to party and drink...and learn something (maybe) on the side!!
But that watch repair cost has got to be some kind of record!! I mean, seriously!! It is a watch for God's sakes!! A watch!!!
Hell, my dryer repair was only $150.00 and that's a dryer!!
Sorry poor poor Auntiegwen!!!!
Hugging you
SueAnn

Gigi said...

I'm feeling your pain, Gwen. Seems like every time I turn around money is flying out the window. And yes, you are quite correct that those watch-fixing fairies ARE expensive.

Working Mum said...

Ouch - I don't think my watch cost £245 new!! Oh, and what does a student want a colander for?

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

If only we could ear it that fast...

Hugs.

XX

A Woman Of No Importance said...

The Cartier Tank watch is one of my Most Coveted Things, Rantie Auntie!

But, like, it requires servicing?!

I'll stick with me Fossil! x

Nota Bene said...

Sell the children, all of them, into slavery...it's the only way to emjoy the lifestyle which you know you deserve...

Looking for Blue Sky said...

Ooh this does sound painful...but at least your car won't be having any baby carlets now it has its coil fitted...

Rarelesserspotted said...

Poor Auntie!
Can I send you my tax bill for £2,110.68? You seem to be in the mood to spend...
XX

Madame DeFarge said...

You poor wee soul. Get a second opinion on the watch and refuse to accept the first one. Go 'harrumph' at them and chortle at their impudence. And remember that you'll have the children to pay for you in your retirement. You can pay them back with interest then.

Muddling Along said...

£245 for a watch service??? Blimey

Am sitting here making middle aged lady sounds of disgust

Ayak said...

Why is it that all these unexpected expenses come at once? You have my sympathy :-(

auntiegwen said...

SueAnn - I had no idea it needed servicing every 5 years !!!!

Gigi - a big fat rip off is what it is

WM - I know for the money he paid and what it'll cost to service over a lifetime I could have bought a new regular watch every time the battery went. She wants the colander for draining pasta, which will be her staple diet at uni!

Suzanne - I'm scared to count out how long it would take me to earn it! xx

Fhina - it is a lovely watch but servicing???? never mind lovey our teenagers will keep us in style post uni!!! xx

NB - I do wonder who'd buy them and what use they'd be to anyone though...

LFBS - and if I was growing baby A class mercedes maybe that would've helped the cash flow

Rls - Oh God Steve, do you really have to pay it back??? we could have a bloggy whip round for you xx

Madame - I'm so looking forward to being cared for in my old age, I mean 1 of the 3 of them is bound to take pity on me, right?

MaM - I know, all I needed was a good coat and a brooch and I could have stood in for any of the Grunpy Old Women on their next show!

Ayak - yep, it never rains but it pours as my mother always says, ps I can't comment on your blog, but I'm still reading, so sorry about Mr A and all the stressy stuff xxx

OhMyMissRebeccaJane said...

I ran over my own seatbelt (don't ask) it's going to cost almost $400 because it has some stupid special drawback kind of thing! ..I guess your pounds would almost equal that...so I hear you!

xx

OhMyMissRebeccaJane said...

I ran over my own seatbelt (don't ask) it's going to cost almost $400 because it has some stupid special drawback kind of thing! ..I guess your pounds would almost equal that...so I hear you!

xx

Mrs Worthington said...

It's a bastard when you get unexpected expenses and they seem to like to arrive in a crowd rather than space them out over the course of a year. In the space of 2 months my car costs me,well my summer holiday basically. I don't wear a watch though. Get yourself to IKEA to kit your daughter out ,much cheaper

Helena said...

The monetary drains of life! This week we've ALL had extra's to pay for, too! I hate when it all comes at once! And my bus fares have gone up!

ps.....I know a nice (Barras) bloke who could get you a really convincing Cartier...?

Troy said...

I can't help thinking your jeweller is being "economical with the truth". If it has just stopped due to an expired battery then you should just be able to replace the battery. Even a market stall holder doing batteries, straps etc. should be able to change it - whilst you wait (don't leave it - see below).
I think those watches are £2,500+ new now and well into four figures second-hand but, being quartz not winding or self-winding, they shouldn't be anywhere near £245 to be serviced.
Just my tuppence worth on the matter.

auntiegwen said...

Becca - that sounds like the sort of thing I could easily do! xx

Mrs W - the nearest Ikea to me is an hours drive away and when I get there I find myself buying all sorts of things I don't need just because I'm there :) I am a crap shopper

Lena - it always comes at once, doesn't it!

Troy - I was told that Cartier use their own screws, batteries etc so you have to use the main dealer as other watch repair people don't have the tools/spares. I suppose it's just like my car, if I use the mercedes garage it costs double than if I use the garage in the village!

The Accidental Author said...

Oh gawd, I can really sympathise! We bought a new (to us) car recently and since then it's developed faults in places we didnt even know about. I reckon we've spent more than the car cost to buy, then the diamond in my engagement ring worked loose so I took it to the jewellers thinking the could just tighten the claws but instead the whole ring had to be reclawed at great expense as it's platinum, then I lost the butterfly to one of my diamond earrings, simple, get a new one. But no, they are special screw ones and so new posts and butterflies had to be made. They've been at the jewellers since June because I can't afford to pick them up. In case you should think me rich, I should point out these are the only nice bits of jewellery I possess. Then my Longines watch stopped working. New battery I thought. Wrong again, it needs to be serviced and have something replaced. Cost similar to your watch. All I need is a small lottery win and I'll be laughing!

auntiegwen said...

VLIF - oh my, you're having the same luck as me!!! we should go halves on a lottery ticker x