Oh, for an ageless identity

I have just been asked for ID while attempting to buy a bottle of red wine.

I entered the shop, and asked the assistant for a bottle of red wine, European, that would go with a vegetarian meal so nothing too challenging, costing £6-10.

The assistant duly brushed the dust off an tempting-looking bottle of French red, then, as he approached the till, said: "Do you have any ID?"

"I'm 26!" was my crestfallen reply.

And it's true, I am 26, nearer to 27 than 25, and beyond the age when I should have to carry ID in order to buy alcohol. I may not look 26, but I certainly don't look 17. And I'm fed up of saying "Ah well, I'll be grateful when I'm 30." Grateful for what? Looking like a spotty wretched uneducated contributingnothingtosociety teenager?

And do I have the air of someone who is part way through their A-levels, rather than someone who has two degrees, one enagagement and a number of bereavements under their belt (my pants being where I keep such things)?

I have now been ID'd three times this year; in a pub in early Spring, in a supermarket on my way to Bestival and now in a quite-posh off licence in the City.

And I'm getting increasingly angry about it.

Any advice, Toller?

Planes in the night

Yet more thoughts to add to the debate on climate change. This is an article from The Independent on how to fly more greenly, and this is information from Friends of the Earth about why night-time and winter flights are worse for the environment than daytime summer lights.

Green wake-up call

This, from The Guardian, made me smile:

Thank you for entering our competition to win Ecover washing powder. Our competition ends at midnight on September 20.
Winners will receive their prizes shortly after.

So I can expect a knock at about 1am then?

Spider with Penny

Yes, I know they can't kill you, but this little snippet from The Guardian does little to allay my fears about a spiderous winter as a spinster. Please, please join me to stop climate change. The eight-legged buggers are thriving in the heat.

Why not everything is good

Technology is a troublesome beast.

[17:54:32] Penny says: hiya hold on!
[17:54:32] Hannah says: Hello Penny
[17:54:52] Penny says: are you ringing me?
[17:54:58] Hannah says: yes i did
[17:55:09] Penny says: everythign ok?
[17:55:18] Penny says: i have my head phones on now
[17:56:00] Penny says: but i can't hear anything...
[17:56:14] Hannah says: do you heai hear you
[17:56:24] Hannah says: i hear you
[17:56:35] Penny says: I can hear nothing
[17:57:33] Hannah says: i hear you
[17:57:45] Penny says: no i still can't hear grr
[17:57:50] Hannah says: do you have your speakers on