vivdunstan

- Overheard on the bus: woman on the bus talking LOUDLY about when the fire brigade had come round to deal with a vibrator under her bed, and all the passengers pricked up their ears but were disappointed to learn that the "vibrator" is a fire alarm because she's deaf. And it was lucky for me I was getting off at the next stop so I could laugh uproariously for several minutes without embarrassing everyone.

- Reading: my library-based A-Z author read through challenge has been going well but it looks as if I might end up reading Julia Quinn for Q (probably not my thing), and I suspect I'll get stuck on X and Z unless I go to a bigger library with more translations.

- Current reading quotes, on lawyers:

"We failed," I said.
He laughed. "Well sometimes you'd like to commit an international crime, but you can't pull it off. No problemo. Give me a call when you do."

- Health advice, fungal nail infections: most fungal nail infections (and some ingrowing toenails caused by invisible infections) can be cured by painting white vinegar on the nail bed (and around the edges to be thorough). Vinegar stings on open wounds so avoid those and dilute it with water if necessary. One application will probably kill the fungus at the nail bed but viable fungal spores tend to lurk in socks, shoes, and bedding, so an occasional re-application after bathing or as part of regular weekly / monthly footcare routine are advisable. Remember it takes toenails up to 18 months to grow out so you won't see the full improvement immediately. White vinegar also has no side-effects: external application won't ruin your digestive system, or breed a resistant super-fungus. I have to wonder when this simple solution stopped being common knowledge and some people swapped to expensive and potentially dangerous drugs instead.

- Consumer advice, UK holiday rentals: don't rent through Sykes Cottages or any of their accursed shell companies, all based in Chester whatever region they claim to be representing, because their terms and conditions remove any consumer rights you have under UK law. They can legally take your money and give you nothing at all in exchange, or rent you an unfit property that nearly kills you, or whatever. You don't have to take my word for this because Which? warn against them (27%, more than 1 in 4, Which? subscribers, the most savvy group of consumers in the UK, who'd used Sykes had serious unresolved problems with them). There's also an anti-Sykes group on facebook with thousands of members, and growing. I thought everyone knew this but apparently not (someone I know nearly died and lost £900 in a Sykes rental with no refund and no recourse in law).