The seventieth week of the pandemic

In order to put my weekly blog posts back on track, this week's offering is a bit soon after the last, but Wednesday being the regular day of posting, here it goes.

Sooty is guarding my roses

There were roughly about three happenings that can be mentioned in the last three days:

1. Heino and Manet's problem with their utility bills has occupied us a bit, trying to help them out;

2. A lovely concert that I watched online on Monday night;

3. And my delightful birthday celebrations which were most unexpected, and therefore that much more enjoyed.

Gas bill comes from this lot

Water bill from this lot

There were only three bills, one of which (the gas one) has already been sorted. Water and electricity were a challenge, but not impossible to solve. The Water Board is thankfully local, and Heino went there last July when they managed to sort it. Unfortunately, what was not sorted, was the facility of receiving the bills by e-mail. We tried a few times, but finally we managed to register Heino via dijnet.hu and from now on he'll get the bills in an e-mail and can pay them from the Netherlands.

Electricity bill from this lot

 

The electricity bills was a harder nut to crack. All the required documents have been sent twice already, once last November and then were repeated in January or February this year. No response ever since, so it really needed sorting. The biggest bit of luck that we all had was that I have friends who work for the Electricity Board. Heino sent me all the e-mails that were sent months ago and I forwarded them to my friend. Miracles do happen: she went to see a colleague, who found that the meter is already in Heino's name, but they didn't bother to send him bills, because they reckoned that being a foreigner, he wouldn't use much, so it wasn't worth it. Any of you out there, who have ever had a doubt about this being a crazy country, now they can be sure it is.

Heino and me doing paperwork

My friend offered me a chance for Heino having a bill, she said that if I pop over and read the meter, she would pass it onto the billing department and Heino would receive a bill soon. This will still be a paper one, but once you have a paper one with all the personal customer ID and other numbers, he can register online or use the app for his smart phone, to ask for electronic bills. Hooraaaayyyyy! Stuff sorted, I feel good!!

Andrea Vigh (harp) and Béla Drahos (flute)

 

The concert on Monday evening was one of those free ones that I get in compensation for all my concerts that have been cancelled due to the pandemic. This time it was put on in the Törley Salon, which, I think, is situated in champagne magnate József Törley's old villa in South Buda. A harpist and a flutist played, sometimes solo, sometimes together and it was delightful.

Andrea Vigh the harpist

And then the main event of the week, my 73rd birthday, happened on Tuesday. It started with breakfast in bed and a bunch of red roses. Then Heino came over to sort some bills and I offered to show him round the "estate". Manet came over to join us, and the three of us walked about in the garden and the three buildings. I also had a most unexpected set of presents from Heino and Manet. The 2020 Booker Prize winner novel from Douglas Stuart: Shuggie Bain, a bar of 70% dark chocolate (my absolute favourite) and a lovely fire lily, which is still alive in the vase with my rose.

Muggins, Heino and Manet

At the end we made sure that we opened the bottle of champagne we planned to toast my birthday with, and it was so nice to sit outside in the gazebo, in the slight breeze that we also had some cheese and biscuits. Heino and Manet made my birthday special. We had some company, which we have been short of for over a year, and it was a joy to get to know them. I am absolutely sure we will be good friends and I do hope that the pandemic will allow them to come more often than just once a year.

Heino, Manet and Roy

Tomorrow we are off to Pásztó, as Roy has his second jab, we will also have to do some food shopping in SPAR and buy a few other bits and pieces. I do hope that Roy's blood pressure will not jump again, like last time, but hopefully we will park closer this time, so he won't have to walk a long way in that heat.

Next post hopefully on next Wednesday and the same day from then on.