You know when you do that thing where you eat or drink something so fast, you're a little bit embarrassed at your food-hoovering abilities?

I just did that.

But whatever.

Seriously WTF: Gangnam style

In the interests of expending my mind and the diversity of this blog - because it isn't random enough - I watched this video clip sent to me my a loveable if slightly odd friend.

It might be the best collection of randomness I've ever seen in my life. So I am sharing it with you.

Where is my butler?

Every so often, I think I would like to have a butler or valet to cater to my whims and provide general life-assistance; make the path smoother, as it were.

 

Perhaps something along the lines of a Jeeves who, as we all know, has the solution to every problem and can do anything within the Valet remit.

Jeeves, brilliantly played by Stephen Fry with Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster in the TV mini series 'Jeeves and Wooster'. Just Brilliant.

Jeeves could do just about anything. If you had a butler, you'd want him to be a Jeeves. 

However, if I were to think about it seriously, I don’t think I could ever actually give someone orders. I don’t think I could pay someone to cater to my whims. Though I may wish for breakfast in bed, I am perfectly capable of getting it all myself. Though I may crave a cider or a chocolate cupcake at around 2:32pm on a weekday afternoon, I don’t actually need either and I don’t need anyone to fetch them for me.

I suspect that the employment of a butler, lady’s maid, valet, chauffeur, is something that you grow up with, accepting the presence of someone to take care of the little things. An integral part of extremely privileged way of life. I’m sure many of my friends may like the idea of someone to attend to them, most would revolt against the notion if that person was presented before them and they could suddenly issues instructions such as ‘Fix me a martini’, ‘Fetch my dinner jacket’, ‘Pop to the shops to get me some herring.’

Do you think you could feel comfortable issuing instructions to a maid or valet? Or does the idea make you cringe? 

Jim Carter as the butler Carson and Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey.

A genuine surprise

I don’t really like surprises. I know that makes me strange but it’s true. To be more specific, I don’t like big surprises like parties because they make me feel like people have been scheming behind my back. Surprises that come from just one person like flowers or presents or cupcakes are always welcome.

This comes up as a topic because last night I was surprised. I was surprised and I received a surprise. One word, both verb and noun. Way back in the mists of time in 2008, I worked for a while in the UK. I had hoped to stay in Europe for many years but that plan fell through and I came home in January 2009. Before leaving I filled out my tax forms as required by my employer and was told I should get most if not all of my tax back because I’d earnt such a pittance. Nothing came of it and I forgot about it.

Then last night I went to dinner at my parents’ house and there was a letter waiting for me from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. It contained a cheque for GBP100-73. That’s about $151.40. It had taken them almost 3 years but my tax return found me!

Surprise !