What. A. Week.
I suppose that's life, isn't it? Unpredictable.
One minute things are just jogging along nicely, the next, your row of dominoes just collapses.
It all started early in the week when some lowlife managed to somehow get access to my banking details and attempted to buy £173 worth of goods from Asda.
I got a really suspicious-looking text to my phone alerting me to this and also telling me whoever it was had also tried to buy something from a food delivery company.
Now, I'll be honest, the text looked like a scam. There was no indication it was from my bank so I was a bit unsure about what to do.
Then, I got a phone call from a number in the Republic. It was a pre-recorded message saying it was the fraud team at my bank and I should call them, but again, I didn't know if it was real.
Feeling a bit panicky, I called the bank anyway and after an age of being passed around and people cutting me off and me having to wait a lifetime to get through again, I eventually spoke to the fraud team who told me the texts and phone message were genuine.
They informed me they had cancelled my debit card - just like that - and a new one would be issued within five days.
Well, that was just great. I had no cash and no diesel but had thankfully bought bread and milk that morning.
I was not at all happy that I had been left in this position and that a five-day wait was the best they could do and it really didn't help that the bank employee told me to 'be patient and just shop online' - yeah, ok, I'll just get my diesel online then.
Put in simple terms, the customer service from the bank absolutely sucked.
So, the next few days were complicated to say the least.
It basically took the whole morning to sort it out and then, my laptop packed in.
Of course, I was in the middle of a shift at home, in the middle of sending copy and in the middle of a breakdown at this point.
After phone calls and Facetimes, the wonderful David from our IT department performed some virtual surgery and got me up and running again but of course, I was behind schedule and thus, stressed.
Then, at the weekend, I dragged the kids out of bed super early for optician appointments.
It was only when we got to the store that I was informed the appointments aren't for another two weeks.
I just don't know how I made such a mistake - am I losing my mind?
I don't mind admitting the week left me feeling worn out and in a bit of a tizzy.
Here's hoping things start to improve.
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If you've yet to find your Christmas spirit, why not take a trip to Victoria Square in Belfast where there's festive fun in abundance?
The tree is up, the lights are on and there's a host of yuletide activities to get you in the Christmas mood including weekend pop-up musical performances.
Santa’s Grotto is open every weekend in November and daily in December and Victoria Square’s Festive Brunches are also back.
Why not enjoy brunch with Santa and his trusty elf at Frankie & Benny’s followed by a festive family favourite movie in The Odeon?
Further details are available at www.victoriasquare.com
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Competition
If your Christmas shopping is in full flow, how about treating your favourite book lover to the "brilliantly funny" first novel by best-selling author and comedian Bob Mortimer?
The Satsuma Complex has been described as "funny, clever and sweet".
Gary Thorn, a 31-year-old legal assistant in London, goes for a pint with a work acquaintance called Brendan.
When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub and while he doesn’t catch her name, falls for her anyway.
When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember her by is the book she was reading, The Satsuma Complex.
And so begins Gary’s quest, through the council estates and pie shops of south London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life.
I have three copies of The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer to give away.
If you would like the chance to win a copy, simply email your name, address and telephone number – along with the answer to the question below – to competitions@irishnews.com.
Closing date for entries is noon on Tuesday November 29.
(Q) Who wrote The Satsuma Complex?
Normal Irish News rules apply.
COMPETITION WINNERS
The winners of the Elave competition are Terri Sheppard, from Antrim, Vincent Copeland, from Saintfield,
Colette Jordan, from Crumlin, Jeanette Nellis, from Ballycastle, and Josephine Harte, from Pomeroy
