The Power Of Social Media!

OK gorgeous Hedgies, here's the deal. My dear Bloggie chum A-M from The House That A-M Built has been powerless thanks to a huge stuff up by her energy provider Origin. Go here to read her story. She's been updating us on Twitter today & the comments via her blog post & Twitter account have gone off the scale. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she wasn't trending globally, there's so many agitated A-M fans baying for Origin's blood on her behalf. Here's some of her Tweets.

The House That A-M Built: Would You Ever Use Origin Energy?

Sitting in apartment complex corridor with my 2 boys plugged into the cleaners power. Going to bring out the jug and boil me a tea.

Epic fail ORIGIN ENERGY :

I have electricity. Now to clean out my festering fridge. Laying it all out and photographing it. Just what I felt like doing today!

Then lo & behold this Tweet to A-M:
@ Origin Energy

Hi A-M, Just read your blog post, I wonder if it would be okay to have someone call you to discuss this issue?- Claire

So these faceless Corporations have taken on board the power of social media & are now monitoring their Company's performance or lack of out there in social media land. Suddenly my world has taken on a whole new meaning. No more MOTH yelling down the phone to some organization's Not Customer Service dept. trying to resolve an issue the MOTH way. All I need do now is post my complaint here at The Hedge & it will be resolved in a flash. Oh the power, the power (every pun intended!!!). Do leave the amazing A-M a message of support if you can, I'm sure she'll appreciate it. It's the weekend, go enjoy!

Best Use Of......

.......a clinker dinghy! When John & Nicky Fisher were building a guest house next to their home on Queen Charlotte Sound in New Zealand's South Island, Nicky noted that it lacked a porch roof.

Without a blink, the lovely John commandeered an old clinker dinghy c.1930, which he'd restored in 1989, up ended it & voila, problem solved!

If you fancy a luxurious weekend away in Kiwi Land, go here to drool!

Images: NZ Life & Leisure

A Wonderful Evening!

Now that I can draw breath after our very big weekend, here's a few pics of the Engagement Party. It was a truly wonderful night & I was so proud of all the work Son #5 & his girl sweet Miss A had done to get their home & garden looking lovely for the night.

Here's the happy couple!

My cousin's daughter, Son #3, his girl & Son #2.

Son #4, a mate & Son #3.

MOTH & his sister in the kitchen.

The happy couple again. Someone took a couple of pics of MOTH & myself & promised to email them, so will post them when they arrive. Thanks to everyone who left messages here, on Facebook & Tweeted wishing us a fabulous night. It was just the best.

It's Party Time!

I'm back from Melbourne & straight into engagement party mode. Thank you to everyone who left great messages & emailed me re the Basic Sales Training course I had to attend. They were all brilliant & came at just the right time to get me over the line with a laugh. I've brought home a certificate that tells me apparently I can now sell - funny about that!

I've taken the next 2 days off work so I can cook, shop, clean, make up beds, do a heap of airport pick-ups, run around for the happy couple etc. We are so looking forward to Saturday night, it will be such a treat to have all the sons & their partners home to help their baby brother celebrate his betrothal to sweet Miss A. I'll let you know how it all goes & post some 'suitable' pics next week. In the meatime, let's partee!!!

Image: Notonthehighstreet.com

I've Got To Do What?

Dearest Hedgies, I'm writing this post from my hotel room in Melbourne. Yes, I'm back again for the 3rd time in 3 months. The reason is one I never thought I'd have to report - my new Company want me to do a 3 day Basic Sales Training Course. I did remind them through gritted teeth that that is exactly what I've been doing very sucessfully for the past 21 years - they were unmoved. I even suggested that I send them an image of the slew of awards sitting on the shelf over my desk.....a couple of them actually say Sales Person of the Year.... they were still unmoved. So I'm now resigned to get through the next few days as best I can without marching the Trainer out of the door & conducting the Course myself & then running with joy to get the plane back to Adelaide on Wednesday night. Then I have a couple of days annual leave as we need to prepare for our very exciting weekend - Son #5 & the gorgeous Miss A's engagement party on Saturday night.

The house will be overflowing with interstate relatives & friends - puppy Lulu will be beside herself with so many new people to jump all over! I have a beautiful new party dress hanging in the wardrobe & an equally gorgeous pair of party shoes to dance the night away in. So let the week begin & please, please, please let Wednesday night come quickly.

Thank You From MOTH

Well my dear Public, I was overwhelmed by all your kind wishes for my 63rd 33rd birthday last Saturday which was a most enjoyable occasion engineered & executed by Mills & the boys. Millie's mischief in associating that luscious & most scrumptious being Justine with moi, has caused unexpected repercussions........notably being labelled as a Dirty Old Man (DOM) - AND - the possibility of an anti-stalking order. If found guilty in a court of law, I could be at Her Majesty's pleasure for up to 10 years. (Could it be that Mills had motive here to stir up trouble to give her a MOTH-break?) If I do end up in the Cooler, one of my first tasks would be to find the Prisoner's Suggestion Box & slip a note in strongly advocating Cooking Classes for the Criminally Incarcerated taught by Justine.

Happy Birthday MOTH!

I'd thought I'd spoil MOTH on his 63rd birthday today & give him a treat. Here are the 2 most important things in his life............food & his gorgeous girl Justine.

I've been working in Darwin all week & have only just got home. Puppy Lulu & MOTH seemed to have survived OK on the puppy casserole I left them, although I had to cover Lulu's ears when MOTH made a comment about just how delicious the puppies were!! We're out for dinner tonight with the kids to celebrate another year in the life of MOTH. Jussie if you catch this post, maybe you could surprise your biggest fan with a comment, you would make an old man VERY happy!

Images: Justine Schofield