Cybercheckout and the Curse of the Chocolate Cake . . .

We had a minute's silence today. All work stopped; we sat at our computers; our eyes flicked over the work on the monitors in front of us, but no work was done. Nothing.

Why?

Sarah brought in Chocolate Fudge Cake. A slice had to be devoured.

A valuable minute was lost by all. We now sit here and think back to what we could have achieved if only we had worked through that one minute. Our new website could have been closer to it's finish; Lisa could have completed her fiddly equestrian work; Keiron could have finished that banner; Drew could have started another email; I could have written another article . . .

Bah! Who am I kidding. IT WAS CHOCOLATE CAKE!

Chocolate fuels the brain. Without it, we can't possible churn out the quality work that we do, and our customer service would suffer dramatically because of it. Chocolate deficiency is a serious matter that needs to be considered in this modern world. People just don't realise this. They think it's a fallacy. But it's twoo, I tell ya! TWOO!!!

Now you can understand why I've decided to title this blog `the Curse of the Chocolate Cake . . .` Am I talking rubbish? Maybe. Does the chocolate induce `running mouth syndrome?` Yes, quite possibly. But it was good, and thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you, Sarah.

If you fancy making your own chocolate cake, to discover the the glorious benefits that it can bring, then check out our fantastic kitchenware range that can help you along the way. (Had to slip in an advert somewhere along the line).

In the mean time, I'm off to have more cake . . . ;D

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop Ltd

New Website . . .

Hello fellow readers. It's been a while, I know. We've been so busy just recently, and our poor blog has suffered as a consequence. Bless it's little cotton socks.


Anyway, down to business.


For all those who have visited our website just recently, you may have noticed one or two changes. In fact, there are more than just one or two changes . . . it's a whole new website. Yes, we are evolving.


I ask all visitors to please bear with us during these changes. The website is new, and there are still a few adjustments to be made. It's also a system that we, ourselves, are trying to get used to. Hopefully these won't take long, and soon we'll have a fantastic and perfectly working website that should please everyone. That's the aim, anyway.


I'd like to say that apart from that, nothing much has happened since the last blog, but that would be a lie. We have new products, new jewellery boxes to charm your socks off, picnic hampers to help you picnic in style, TV brackets to mount your TV on the wall, and more. We also have our original products, our Redstone Outdoor camping tents, our Equestrian range and much much more. We are still the same, good ol'faithful Cybercheckout. And that includes the staff.


Our Sarah is still a proud mum, our Marie is still playing with her over-playful puppy (did I mention she has a new husky pup called Mya?), Rob is still having elastic bands flicked at him - by your's truly - and both Father and Drew are livid over the Man City game last night, in which they lost (although Drew claims that he's not that bothered . . . do we believe him? Hmmm . . .)


D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

Cybercheckout - A Day In The Life Of . . .

Sarah's all on her own in customer services this week. Our dear old Marsha is on holiday, but despite the fact that this renders our customer services team short staffed, Sarah is more than capable of handling things on her own. Monday's are usually our busiest day of the week, with questions that have built up over the weekend, but was Sarah fazed? Not on your nelly!

She worked through today with flying colours, holding her head up high with a constant smile beaming on her face. This just goes to show what a valued and competent member of staff she is. But then the same can be said for everyone here. We all have our little areas of valued expertise. When put together they add to the moving cogs in the system we have going here and keeps things moving as smoothly and as nicely as they are now. If one cog is disrupted it creates havoc for another cog.

And talking of expertise, I'm so chuffed I have to share this. Ezine Articles, a website in which we submit articles, sent me a gift today in celebration of my level promotion. I now hold a platinum level, despite the fact that you only need to submit ten articles to attain this achievement. However, it still brought a smile to my face when I discovered a brand new mouse mat, a writing pad, a swish-swoo pen and . . . AND . . . a sticker that tells everybody I'm an EXPERT AUTHOR!

Expert author! Now I can go around and tell everyone. It's official! I am a genius! . . . But don't panic. I'll wake up soon enough.

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop Ltd

Cybercheckout Blogs Past And Present . . .

I confess, I've neglected my blogging duties. For this I apologise profusely. I've let you all down.

There are two main reasons why I can see this has happened. Firstly, I've been too busy. I get given a list of things that need to be done - or written - and I find myself plowing through that list without even a thought for this blog (I'm sorry, I hold my head in shame). And because it's been going on for sometime I've just found myself stuck in a routine that doesn't include blogging. I know, it's a terrible thing to let happen to yourself. I used to blog religiously, three times every week. Now I'm lucky if I do one or two a month. It just isn't on, is it!!

The second reason is because, frankly, I have little to blog about. My mind can only churn out so much stuff. It's only human. So why, if I can't think of anything, did I choose to blog today? Well, I've written over a hundred and thirty blogs now, and some of them I thought were pretty good. It's a shame that they are now lying somewhere in the great wide web, their one day of fame come and gone. I've decided to give them a second chance. I've decided to recap over a few of my favourite blogs from the past:

1: The Greek Legend of Hotstones . . .

http://cybercheckoutcouk.blogspot.com/2009/07/greek-legend-of-hotstones.html

How could we forget the great (or not so great) Iydalnis Basalt, the serpant Medusa, and the legendary discovery of Hotstones? (Of which we no longer stock unfortunately) . . .

2: Multi-Purpose 105 Rucksack

http://cybercheckoutcouk.blogspot.com/2009/06/multi-purpose-rucksack.html

Marie and the bag lady . . .

3: Rise of the Cybercheckout Machines...!

http://cybercheckoutcouk.blogspot.com/2009/06/rise-of-cybercheckout-machines.html

I still believe they are out there . . .

4: Equestrian Shenanigans

http://cybercheckoutcouk.blogspot.com/2009/05/horseware-shenanigans.html

The attempted over-throw of the Spiritual Guide . . .

And then you can't forget the other times, such as Father meeting the queen, that sweet little German Sausage, the mysteries of the Marie Celeste, Father's blogging, and many many more (136 to be precise). . .

Sitting here, looking back at all, I think I can safely say I've had a good run so far. May the blogging continue.

D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

Cybercheckout Reviews . . .

A little while back I posted a blog with a couple of customer reviews on it. (And to refresh your memory, the link for that original blog is below) Seeing as it's been a while since this was published - last summer - I thought it was about time I published some more.

http://cybercheckoutcouk.blogspot.com/2009/08/noob-reviews.html

It's good to get these reviews out. As employees who have put in a lot of hard work to get where we are today, it's reassuring to know that every thing we do, be it even the smallest of things, makes a difference to the quality of service we offer. It's good to know that our customers are happy, and we appreciate every comment made.

So a big thank you goes to everyone who has left a review.

Sabre Nutrition Whey Protein

"NO SOONER ORDERED ,AND I WAS DRINKING IT.GREAT TASTE,GREAT SERVICE"

Chillton Lite Weight Turnout Rug

"Best fitting rug the mare has ever had. Fantastic transaction in every way Thanx"

10,000 High Lux Lamp

"Super fast delivery, helpful emails. Would order from again. A* "

And finally, a personal favourite . . .

Acoustic Classic Guitar

"Fantastic Item!!! I bought it as a present for my boyfriend who will no doubt be over them moon with it! Perfect for learning how to play at an amazing price! I have to admit I was very dubious about what the quality would be like for such a good price, but was more than pleasantly surprised when it arrived (well packaged and extremely quickly) as it looks and sounds awesome!! Thank you very much Cybercheckout, think I am going to earn loads of girlfriend points with this item!!"

Incase anyone has forgotten, the 14th of this month is supposed to be the most romantic day of the year. Yes, it's Valentines day. For anyone out there struggling with ideas on how to express their love, I hope the comment above gives you a few hints on how to earn "Girlfriend" or "Boyfriend" points.

I hope he serenaded her with some lovely songs . . .

D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

The Big Cyber Move Continued . . .

Well, we're nearly there.

The office is looking like an office now, which creates a nice working environment - and as we all know, a nice working environment helps to produce a better quality of work. The files are on their shelves, the computers are set up, and the workers are at their desk - but . . .

There's always a 'but' . . .

We are still experiencing problems with our telephone lines and internet connection - and you can't exactly run an internet based company without the internet. That kinda goes without saying really.

We've had issues where the phones don't ring, then the wrong phones ring, followed by our answer machine message not switching on (which was put on to explain about our difficulties, etc). And then the internet is either on, off, or running incredibly slow . . .

It's been a hair-ripping-out time, but hopefully, fingers crossed, as this afternoon slowly draws on, things seem to be looking up. The right phones are ringing, allowing customers to finally get through to us, and the internet connection seems to be running at a reasonable speed, allowing us to finally get some work done.

Let's hope it remains so . . .

D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

The Big Cyber Move . . .

Well, once again we have just moved office. If you have been trying to get hold of us, and have been unsuccessful, then we apologise. Our new phone lines are now up and running - although we still may be suffering from a few teething problems with the new system. All our contact details are now listed on our website.

You don't know, until you move, just how much stuff you accumulate over the years. We had numerous samples from our warehouse that we had been doing marketing work on, and these had just been left afterwards to gather dust. They were eventually supposed to be sent back to our warehouse, but their time for dispatch had failed to come round.

Instead, on the day of our move, we hired a big van, threw everything in the back and shipped them all in one go. But we were still left with untold amounts of cardboard boxes - where they come from we didn't know.

Moving can be a very stressful thing, but it gives you the opportunity to have a good clear out. However, despite what some people - or person in particular -said, the moving of an entire office could NOT be done in just four hours. Who ever thought it could? (naming no names) Shame on them. We moved in yesterday, and today we still spent most of the time sorting the new office out. (I even bought myself a little plant, a Primula, for my desk to make it feel a little more homely. We've called her Roseeta. Roseeta the office Primula. It goes lovely with my cactus.)

So, after forty-eight hours - NOT FOUR - we are finally beginning for feel like a proper office again. Services should be resuming as normal.

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop Ltd

A Brand New Year . . .

Welcome to 2010 and the start of a brand new decade . . .


We enter this year with big ideas and visions for the future. 2009 saw huge changes for us in every department, and sadly the loss of numerous members of staff, most recently being the wonderful Alison and our little Beci who has decided to restart her training as a nurse. We also saw some humorous times, including an eventful day out on a long boat for both office and warehouse staff, and a day in the sun trying to put up as many tents as we possibly could (and not forgetting the chance to take the michael out of our Drew at every given opportunity).


The changes also revolved around stock. We waved good bye to many lines, but in return greeted many new quality ones that have proven extremely popular with you, the customer. And it's not finished yet. New lines are constantly being looked at, and during the course of this year you will, no doubt, see them gracing our website . . . or at least hear me blogging about them.


Our horizons are broadening, and it wouldn't have been able to happen without the support from all our wonderful customers out there throughout 2009. We thank you all, and hope that 2010 will be just as eventful and just as prosperous.


2010 will be a year for optimistic success in every way . . . (and not to mention more random blogging by yours truly)


D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

A Christmas Poem . . .

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the workplace
Not a creature was stirring, the doors were locked just incase.
The stockings were hung by the radiators with care,
In hopes that Andrew would try them on as a dare.

The workers were drunk, soon to stagger to their beds,
As visions of rude things danced in their heads,
While Mother in her ‘kerchief, and Father in his cap,
Had just settled their brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out in the car park there arose such a clatter,
The cleaner sprang from her Hoover to see what was the matter.
Away to the window she flew like a flash,
Tore open the blinds and slipped back the cash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to her wondering eyes should appear,
But Andrew in stockings, a sight with such fear!

He was a little old plonker, completely drunk on stout
And it was obvious he was the boss of Cybercheckout
With an unsteady tread, up the stairs he came,
And he whistled, and shouted each of his staff by name!

"Now Lisa! Now, Rob! Now, Dawn and Marie!
Oh, Keiron! Oh, Marsha! Oh Sarah and Wendy!”
To the top of the stairs! to the top of the wall!
With a drink in his hand he thought he could climb them all.

He was dressed all in satin, from his head to his knees,
And his clothes were all tarnished with jaffa cakes and cheese.
A bundle of presents he had flung on his back,
’Cos he was late for Secret Santa and lucky not to get the sack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the grey in his hair was as white as the snow.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And turned on his computer without even a jerk.
He opened an email and began to type,
A drunken little message that was to go with the hype.

He typed with a need of someone quite festive,
Using phrases that sounded rather suggestive.
He’d send it to staff, he’d send it to all,
Secretly having his own festive ball.

The message he wrote was intended to say
Merry Christmas to all, have a wonderful day.
But what he put never sounded the same,
It’s too rude to mention, it puts him to shame.

He finished his drink and stumbled away,
To the other little office where all our stock lay.
Fishing out the horserug Lisa intended to keep,
He curled up beneath and fell swiftly to sleep.

He missed Christmas lunch, being locked away,
The cleaner stole the keys and laughed all through the day.
The staff and customers had such a festive time,
While poor little Andrew lay shocked up 'til nine.

The moral of the poem, don’t leave things till late,
Or you’ll get stuck in the office and miss the big date.
From everyone at Gridstop, we all shout and cheer
A Merry Christmas to all, and a happy New Year.

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop Ltd

T'is The Season To Say Goodbye . . .

`Snow is falling,

All around me,

Children playing,

Having fun...`

It snowed last night! Thick snow! Bets on for a white Christmas...

Despite the fact that it's nearing Christmas, t'is the season to be jolly, and fa-la-la-la-laa, and all that, it's still a sad day today.

T`is the day that our dear little ol' Beci leaves us.

She's decided to go back to college and begin training to become a nurse . . . a huge career move, and who knows, two years from now you may even find yourselves being treated by her. Either that or we'll see her in an episode of `Scrubs`. With her famous blonde moments, I'm sure she'd fit in perfectly as a member of the medical cast . . .

We all wish her the best of luck in her career, and hope everything goes well for her.

No doubt we will soon be seeing Vultures circling her desk - a tradition that normally takes place after someone leaves, but a word of warning to them, beware of the jackals, ie Keiron. They normally sneak in before the vultures have time to swoop down. They did after Alison left . . . I missed out on a brand new keyboard . . .

But still, it is Christmas. Who knows what Santa may bring . . .

D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

There's still time . . .

The big day is just around the corner, but don't go into panic mode just yet! If you have any last minute presents to get then visit our website and have a browse. We have lots of items that will make great Christmas pressies, and there's still plenty of time to have it delivered before Christmas. This gives you time to get wrapping and relax and put your feet up, happy in the knowledge that for once you have been organised and everything is ready.

I know there are ups and downs with Internet shopping, especially as a last minute rush. This year I have done most of my shopping over the Internet. I have made use of the web and I have surfed from one site to another, comparing prices, inspiring ideas . . . and generally spending all my hard earned cash. Luckily, with all that surfing, I haven't come across any `cyber sharks,` so to speak. I know many people are dubious about them. One bite can either leave you slightly scratched, mildly wounded, or in a life threatening state, but if you get to know your sites, then you get know where the `sharks` linger and where it is safe to surf. This cyber metaphor can be used in many other contexts too.

Rest assured Cybercheckout is completely free from sharks. Imagine, if you will, a small island with blue, tranquil waters, crystal clear skies, and nothing but friendly dolphins, tortoises, and beautiful, fancy fish accompanying you while you surf . . . okay, I may be going off on a strange little tangent here, but I can assure you that you still have time to place your orders, and with our free delivery and 24 hour courier service, you'll still get it before Christmas.

So get surfing! The water's lovely. . .

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop Ltd

Xmas Countdown: 11 Days . . .

Pressie Idea:

Poker Table / Casino Table / 8 in 1 Games Table

http://www.cybercheckout.co.uk/p-295-poker-table-casino-table-8-in-1-games-table-free-pp-.aspx

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop ltd

Xmas Countdown: 17 Days . . .

Pressie Ideas:

3M Dual Line Kite

http://www.cybercheckout.co.uk/p-678-3m-dual-line-speed-foil-kite-free-pp-.aspx

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop Ltd

Sweet and Sour . . .

There's no pleasing some people, I hear Drew exclaim from his corner of the office.

You can reach and stretch and bend as far backwards as you can for someone, but they're never happy. I hear you asking me what I'm talking about. Well, with five minutes left of my working day, I suddenly remember I have a blog to write, and what should happen to prompt me? Someone complained.

Now, I put this question to you. If you're on a healthy diet, what would you prefer in your tea, sugar or sweetener? Sugar, on one hand, is fattening and too much is bad for you. Sweetener, on the other, is supposed to be the substitute for sugar, but with all the chemicals in the ingredients is this any better?

I think not. But Marsh . . .

With all the sweeteners used up and finished in our kitchen, our poor Drew was sent on a mission to the shop to pick some up. He carefully selected what he thought to be the best brand off the shelf, a brand that he thought would keep his staff happy and the quality of work to its normal high standard, paid for it, brought it back, and what did he get in reply?

"I don't like that brand! Go get some more!"

Oh, what Drew has to go through to keep his staff sweet. And while he's on his shopping mission I might get him to buy us some chocolate fudge cake!!!

It's all to keep us happy, and happy staff provide a happy service . . .

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop Ltd

Xmas Countdown: 21 Days . . .

Pressie Ideas

Horseware Newmarket socks

http://www.cybercheckout.co.uk/p-1499-horseware-newmarket-socks-pack-of-3-mixed-free-pp.aspx


D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

And Now For Something Completely Different . . .

As I sit here and wait for this dreaded `seasonal bug that has no seasonal joy` to depart, I can't help but feel myself struggling for inspiration about what to blog about. My humour escapes me . . . so I thought I'd steal someone else's, and found it fitting for a product that we have sitting in our office and waiting to grace our website.

Rabbit hutches.

So, the question I put to you is: Why buy a Rabbit Hutch? (Have you guessed whose humour I'm going to steal?)

(Quote: Follow. But. Follow only if ye be men of valour, for the entrance to this cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel that no man yet has fought with it and lived. Bones of full fifty men lie strewn about its lair. So, brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth.

Am I making my point clear yet?

(Quote:
Tim: There he is!
King Arthur: Where?
Tim: There!
King Arthur: What? Behind the rabbit?
Tim: It *is* the rabbit!
King Arthur: You silly sod!
Tim: What?
King Arthur: You got us all worked up!
Tim: Well, that's no ordinary rabbit.
King Arthur: Ohh.
Tim: That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on!
Sir Robin: You tit! I soiled my armor I was so scared!
Tim: Look, that rabbit's got a vicious streak a mile wide! It's a killer!
Sir Galahad: Get stuffed!
Tim: He'll do you up a treat, mate.
Sir Galahad: Oh, yeah?
Tim: I'm warning you!
Sir Robin: What's he do? Nibble your bum?
Tim: He's got huge, sharp... er... He can leap about. Look at the bones!
King Arthur: Go on, Bors. Chop his head off!
Sir Bors: Right! Silly little bleeder. One rabbit stew comin' right up!

And as Sir Bors went to slay the killer rabbit, his death was swift and quick, leaving the others completely stunned.

The humour is stolen from `Monty Python and the Holy Grail` (I won`t quote the part about the holy grenade of antioch) However, I bet none of the Python crew ever researched the deep psychology of their killer rabbit. Why was this rabbit so mad? Why did this rabbit feel submerged with it's deep, dark anger?

Why?

Because he didn't have a decent rabbit hutch like ours. Have a thought for your rabbit . . . watch our website for their arrival . . . and don't have nightmares.

(Quote: What an eccentric performance . . .)

D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

Xmas Countdown: 22 Days! . . .

Pressie Ideas:

Horseware Baseball Cap with Light

http://www.cybercheckout.co.uk/p-1493-horseware-baseball-cap-with-lights-in-navy-one-size-free-pp.aspx


D. Ilott
Cybercheckout
Gridstop Ltd

Seasonal Cyber Virus . . .

Wow! What a week it's been.

I apologise for the lack of blogs just recently. It's hard to get your mind round things when your body is being invaded by a horrible little seasonal bug.

Yes, it attacked me, and it got me good and proper. First it attacked my throat, my nose, my ears, then my head. Obviously it decided early on that it didn't want the rest of me. It just hovered in the top part, clouding everything and making my head feel like it wanted to explode.

It hasn't been a good week. But luckily today is the first day that it feels like this little bug is leaving. My immune system is finally getting the better of this seasonal beast. And - call me selfish - so far it seems that I haven't shared it either . . . which is good.

One thing I could have done with whilst I was curled up on my sofa at home, engrossing myself in a good film and feeling miserable about myself, was one of our electric blanket/throws. Ah, it would have been heaven to have been snuggled up under one, savouring its warmth instead of shivering, and maybe helping my defense system in battle at the same time, but no . . . I was out of luck.

There's still a chance for you though! If you find yourself coming down with this seasonal virus, you need to fight it before Christmas! When you have no energy, and all you want to do is curl up and keep warm, this blanket is the perfect aid! Kill that bug!!

http://www.cybercheckout.co.uk/p-1508-electric-heated-throw-heated-over-blanket-cream-free-pp-.aspx

However, despite the fact that I feel in good spirits today because I believe this virus is finally departing, I still feel disappointed in missing out on office birthday cakes. It was our very own Marsha's birthday last week - 21 years old (everyone's 21 these days) - but I wasn't up to eating the wonderfully delicious cakes that she brought in. And one was a Chocolate Fudge Cake!!!

Curse this bug to hell . . .

D. Ilott

CyberCheckout

Gridstop Ltd

Xmas Countdown: 25 Days . . .

Pressie idea of the day:

Electric Rotating Buffet Server

http://www.cybercheckout.co.uk/p-1479-electric-rotating-buffet-server-free-pp-.aspx

D. Ilott

Cyberckeckout

Gridstop Ltd

Xmas Countdown: 28 Days . . .

Pressie Idea of the Day:

Zone 40
Interactive Wireless Gaming Console

http://www.cybercheckout.co.uk/p-1516-interactive-wireless-gaming-console-with-2-controllers-free-pp-.aspx

D. Ilott

Cybercheckout

Gridstop Ltd