We the living

Twice this month I have tried to make an online reservation with GOL, a Brazilian airline, for an internal flight for my trip to Brazil. Neither of my attempts to pay with my debit card were successful, but what I didn't know, was that even though the payment didn't go through, and no actual booking was made, Barclays 'ear-marked' both as pending payments. So, just before Christmas, I have £200 floating around in banking-nowhere, and I will have to wait 10 working days to get it back.

Isn't that just fucking lovely.