Whirlwind

Working notice, Christmas, housesitting (they have 6 dogs now. SIX.) awesome cricket series and everything else has become a bit much. For example, New Year is my favourite holiday, it is in two days time and I only have plans because I got a call from La a little while ago panicking about the same thing.

I spent my Friday night in front of the learning channel as they had a special on Financial Accounting and I am a newbie. Things I learned:

• the learning channel is kind of like those Verimark Infomercials without all the awesome clips of bad actors injuring themselves.
• I do actually know more than I thought I knew (thanks Dad for the lifetime of making me read financial statements).
• Never take business advice from a TV channel. Geez i wanted to jump in there and shake them.

Anyway my head is spinning a bit at the moment, and I am stressing a little about the fact that I have four (yes four) days between finishing at work and starting the course to do a heck of a lot of prep work.

They told me it started in January they said. It'll be fun they said.

I have a financial accounting assessment for next week. And four textbooks and two files to know by the first class.

I'm becoming more upset about losing my leave than about losing my bonus.

Entering the fish-bowl

So I resigned, a couple of days before I actually had to. I was unceremoniously given to the Bridezilla as a lackey, had my leave taken away and my Christmas Bonus revoked. The girls I work with were as awesome as ever (I will miss them) and the general feeling among my colleagues is absolute fury at the way I am being punished for trying to do something with my life. Of course Bridezilla is not being given anything that may interfere with her Pinterest habit (she really should have learned to hide that on facebook) and so all of my work is going to someone who averages 30 hours o overtime a week already. Morale is not good right now.

In the midst of all the chaos I went to the introductory cocktail party evening. I learned a few things:

1. It is possible to go to a cocktail party and a Nickleback concert in the same evening although a cocktail dress and takkies look weird.
2. The new fun game of these functions (developed by myself and P1) is called 'spot the trophy wife'. Long blonde hair and 8 layers of makeup (which was the description given to girls at my high school).
3. I ran into two girls from my high school, fortunately they are students, not partners. Unfortunately the one I was friends with is doing a diploma, not a full MBA.
4. There is a dress code for classes (ouch, losing christmas bonus)
5. Laptops are mandatory (see above)
6. Meals and textbooks are included (well that's something)
7. Wearing heels for the first time in ages makes me grumpy
8. I get along better with mining people than financial people
9. The best people are those crashing the party from the TED-X talk next door (dammit)
10. Everyone already knows everyone
11. If I don't network enough P1 will sit down and refuse to let me go home (or to Nickleback) unless I go and talk to another 5 people.
12. Other people are as scared as me.

Surrealness

So I found out that I got into the most prestigious MBA in the country (and Africa I think), and Mandela died. The world went completely off-kilter. I don't want to write a whole thing on what that meant to me, it has been done, many times, far better than I could. While he was an old, tired man who deserved a rest, he meant a lot to every single South African. The reason that I grew up largely in a healing country. The reason that we didn't have to pack up and run away to a different country. The reason that I have come to know and love so many people who might otherwise have been considered not even citizens.

I read a news article about people visiting Mandela's house and how the street vendors selling cold-drinks are making a fortune. I remembered an old project I worked on where people dug sand out of a vacant lot for building, which then became a rubbish dump, and within two weeks someone had set up a sorting centre to take the rubbish for recycling. I think there is no better tribute to someone great than to see the spirit of this country where a plan is always made, an opportunity is always taken, if money can be made someone is doing it.

I love this coutnry, and I wish people would stop focusing on the crime and corruption (fixing and focusing are different and fixing should be done), and start looking at the amazing South African spirit and potential.

That is a legacy fit for a great man.

Ch-Ch-ch-changes part 3

So I showed up to my entrance exam so terrified I thought I might throw up. I hate being in a situation where I don't know what to expect, and I had done some extra studying the night before and not done as well as I would have liked. I sent La and S messages, made sure I was writing with the pen they gave me for graduation and tried to breathe.

Two and a half hours later I bounced off on a coffee break having had the best fun of my life. I won't say anything about the content, just that it was amazing. Two and a half hours later (after the CA sitting next to me had gloated that he was finally outpacing me once we hit the financial maths stuff) I slouched out of there feeling miserable.

The two weeks of waiting for results was pretty bad too. I figured I'd come out as above average in at least one and an average for another and below average in the dreaded maths. Fortunately the results came in a day early - above average in all three! All I can think is that everyone else was as tired as me by the end and my disaster was slightly less catastrophic than the norm.

I called the admissions department to request a fast-tracked application so that I could find out in time tor resign if I got in, and a week later got told to report three days later for orientation. I didn't bother asking for study leave and filled out the orientation questionnaires in absentia.

Ch-Ch-ch-changes part 2

So deciding to do the MBA was just step 1 in a pretty scary process of applying for it. Bear in mind that when you've spent the best part of a year being called an idiot, it's rather hard to sell yourself as amazing to a course I don't meet the entry requirements for (I don't have the experience, but the PhD for once actually counts in my favour). There are application forms, an essay (a 300 word essay. That took more time to cut down to the word count than to write), photographs, references (costing a lot in humility and chocolate) and the dreaded Entrance Exam. The application form asks about everything from academic performance. work experience, life in general, your hobbies (please account for any time not allocated to a hobby between high school and the present), leadership experience, haircolour, DNA sample...

The entrance exam, besides costing a fair chunk of money to write, is one of the most secret things I've ever had to deal with. I was told I didn't need to prepare, and I did the natural research and came up empty. I decided to study instead for the alternative test - the GMAT just in case. One test exam in I had hit an amazing 22% and panicked, managing to get a days study leave to actually write it and studying before work in the morning, after work in the evening (I re-learned long division!) even mid-conversation with the ever long-suffering P1.

The strange thing is, as stressful as it was, for the first time in ages I enjoyed myself. I felt parts of my brain wake up and start stretching and I was improving the whole time. But just as I was getting to feel slightly better about the situation, I was told to work the weekend before the exam, as well as an late evening meeting. I went to the boss and asked if I could have a day study leave in exchange for all the overtime and was told that it wasn't possible as I was a)too stupid, b)too slow, c) too careless etc etc as I had had to do half of Bridezilla's work and was not able to dot every i in time as I had 10 000 pages to write in 5 days.

I realised I was making the right decision,  and made sure that my application was for full-time

Ch-ch-ch-changes part 1

It's no secret that I've been pretty horrified at the career opportunities that the PhD provides (i.e. you can get paid less than a high school teacher while working double the hours on your contract while being shouted and and told you're stupid/lazy/careless/slow/worthless at least once a day). I have been having a particularly bad time lately since Bridezilla lost it, whined at the boss and then the boss started victimising me in some pretty unbelievable ways (for the record I have said nothing to any colleagues about the fun and games Bridezilla trampled all over me. My colleagues came to dislike her intensely all on their own).

Anyway I figured that the best way to deal with the situation of being in a dead-end career I didn't want would be to get a couple of qualifications and become at least marketable enough to get in somewhere where I could have a chance to show my skills. People see zoology and chuck the cv without reading further - something nobody told me when I signed up for it.

I looked around, nothing much caught my eye, except an MBA, which has the most ridiculous tuition fees known to man. Eventually my dad, being the hero as always, told me to do what I wanted to do, at least go to the MBA info evening, and if I really wanted it then the family would make a plan. I went to the info evening, freaked out at the ratio of BMWs to Mercedes in the parking lot (there were no other cars, unless you want me to count the three porsches I passed on the way in) and snuck into the open evening where I met half the staff of every large financial company in Joburg.

I left an hour or two later, met up with P1 and said it.

"I might want to do this"

whew

it has been a heck of a few weeks. I have been at work for three weeks straight, including saturdays and sundays, while battling death-flu and dealing with people who are great believers in admitting mistakes and moving on, as long as it isn't them that has to do it. I was housesitting, and actually had to organise another housesitter WHILE I WAS LIVING THERE as working 16 hour days is not very conducive to taking care of pets. And to bring me flu-meds.

Anyway I found these today:

*(property of Craig Mahoney).

(from here)

(Can't find the original link to that one, but it isn't mine)

They made me a little teary, that's for sure... I miss Calvin and Hobbes, thinking of looking to get all of the books at some point, it will be good to read them again.

Just another day*

*Names, details and everything else changed to protect my job and general dignity.

Phone rings, I answer it.

"Hello! You didn't respond to my meeting request, do you not understand that the meeting request means you have to be there?" ah, that client.

"Yes I did, and as I asked for you to approve a document for a full 10 days and you didn't, I sent it in to the Powers That Be, which makes our deadline tomorrow."

"but it can't be. We haven't met yet."

"I am aware of that, and we can make amendments later, but we can't tell then a date and then not do it. It's a long drive to deliver everything and I have to do it tomorrow, I can't be back for a 9am meeting and get it delivered in office hours, and I can't leave it for a driver because it's too important."

"Can't we just change the due date?"

"I asked you to confirm by 4pm, 3 days ago and sent multiple emails explaining that if I didn't hear from you I would submit. Your boss said you would respond. We can't change it now."

"Oh ok, you should have done that ages ago."

"Yes, well tomorrow is the day."

"But what about changes? we haven't met yet?"

"We can make amendments later, but the documents need to be delivered tomorrow."

"Ok, we will discuss it at the meeting tomorrow."

Hangs up.

An hour later I get an email approving the document that needed approved last week, hence giving me the deadline that makes me unavailable for the meeting. And she sends another meeting request.

Facepalm.

this is a total filler

This was going to be a full-on angry rant about everything, but I find myself unable to write it. Life is feeling like a big spiky hamster wheel at the moment, with my (emotionally) five-year-old, vindictive, selfish and self-rationalizing middle-management wielding a whip. Fortunately I do have a pretty good support system, although I'm sure they're getting tired of the endless snappishness and ranting.

It's also difficult to be patient and wait for things to get better. I want things to work out now and I know that I will be happier in the long run if it doesn't, but that doesn't make me frustrated and prickly and snappish at times.

On the plus side my plants are still alive.

decisions

As I'm sure it is apparent, decorating is becoming something of an obsession. It is a difficult thing to do without an outside and with carpets everywhere as most projects leave me in a state of panic over potential paint spills (I painted a spice rack. a Spice Rack. I am old). And you'd think I'd actually finish the kitchen rather than starting a million other things.

I'm also discovering that I'm not as exciting as I expected. Sure the paint stripes were delayed, but that's ok, but I always dreamed of fairy lights and now I can't figure out where I would put them if I got them. I still want them, but now things like plug points and fire hazards and other ideas circulate and block out the fun ones. I also caught myself debating between plants vs zombies figurines and a casserole dish this morning (and decided on Billy Talent tickets of course - maybe not so old). I also get into discussions with salesmen about threat counts in bed linen. Like that's even a thing!

Oh, and so I have all these curtains in my flat and some are ok, and others are old and nasty and others are just plain hideous - upholstery-style was never my thing. And I decided ages ago to remove the curtain rods and replace them with bars so I can have looped curtains which I think are so much prettier than taped ones (those are the ones with the hook thingies). Now that I think of it though, there's nothing wrong with the old rods, and taped curtains would be smoother and better for insulation and there's be less wear-and-tear on the fabric.

When did these things get important? For the record the curtains issue is a critical one, I have high ceilings so standard curtains end about a foot and a half off the floor, it looks like I'm living in a place where the windows wear capri pants.

And I spent a while debating tax returns at work today.

Lets look at stripy curtains to forget about these things:

none of the pictures are mine.

market-ing

So I was out with La the other night and she mentioned that the reason she wasn't staying with me that night (I live forever away from everyone so a fair number of weekend plans involve sleepovers) was because she and S were taking their mothers to the Irene Village market the next day. I invited myself along immediately, with the disclaimer that I tend to go nuts at markets.

As much as I am trying really really hard to not be a hoarder (my parents house is cluttered and just gets worse all the time and I am trying very hard to keep my new home a sanctuary, and that sanctuary nature partly depends on it being relatively empty and clutter free. That and having the dishes washed, which is harder than I expected). I have been practicing restraint by going to thrift stores and not buying armloads of random junk.

Anyway I met them out there early (they swear by getting there at opening time, and seeing the state of the place at 11am I understand why) and we went off shopping. I got two new 'children' for my burgeoning jungle (I have a tulip names Petunia, some daffodils named Gary, 2 cacti with a rather inappropriate name as they are the love-ferns of a particularly vindictive person, an african violet (Violet) and now tw more plants, Basil and Rosemary (named appropriately if not inventively).

I also managed to pick up some chandelier button earings (yesm they are a thing), another set of earrings that are a fork and a spoon (everyone except P1 loves them) and a filligree heart necklace that is cheesy but I've wanted one forever.

kind of like this (not my picture)

After that I limited myself to gifts for the impending baby shower season, managed to walk away from an awesome lampshade that I don't have a lamp for and a pewter lizard doorstop (I do need a doorstop but it's the principle or something) and got accused of haggling by an artist until I admitted that I have a small place and I only have space on my walls for things I really like. As much as smiley elephants are cool, I would end up stabbing one after a bad day at work.

After a while La folded from shoppers-fatigue and an impending appointment and left me with the other three, who really do believe in going through every. single. item. at. every. single. stall., and I passed the time wandering around until S and I stopped at a funny little stall with canvas paintings. I fell in love with a simple little painting and thought about it for a while. It helped that the artist was not pushy, but happy to discuss his motivation for painting it and what it meant to him and I was able to see it, but still know what it was that spoke to me.

At that point S's mother decided that I clearly had no decorating ability, and I couldn't possible have only one bright blue painting, and bought me matching one to make a set. I took them off to a framer and now I am waiting for the quote and the paintings. I can't post a photo because I don't have one, but I will as soon as I get them back.

I also loved a HUGE mosaic that I can't afford, but the artist promised to make another one for me when I have saved up, if the original one has been sold by then. So instead of painting light grey stripes on my yellow living room wall, I'll wait until I can get the mosaic and then paint the whole wall grey to go with the multicoloured amazingness (once again, should have had the presence of mind to take a picture).

so all in all a successful day that has left little by way of regret except some rather stiff legs from walking so much (getting unfit). Next up, exploring the Braamfontein markets I think!

checking in

I know it's been a while. I've been super busy. I've had dealing with power-kicking middle management, clients from an unpleasant and fiery place, my grandmothers tag-teaming in and out of hospital and all the usual fun and games.

I'm not sure what to write about since some makes me sad, some angry and some just feels too private to broadcast.

in the meantime, I leave you with the most awesome thing ever:

story of my life

from iwastesomuchtime.com

Just frustrated. The work environment is nasty, due to someones personal issues, P1 still hasn't found a job (and isn't looking too hard) and I just don't sleep anymore.

Hold thumbs that things magically sort themselves out.

I didn't understand Dilbert until I started working...

Nothing makes you feel more loved

Than sitting in the hospital getting a tour of your liver-veins (which are totally pretty apparently), while work phones to scream at you for not 'asking permission' for a sick day.

Sorry I went to find out if I will get cancer.

FFS

Game of Thrones problems

OK, so I've been watching Game of thrones since the first release. I started getting into it and needed a book to read. So I started with book 1, carried on... at that time I was pre-graduated and unemployed so I read a lot. Right now I am wading my way through book 5. I say wading because the books are MASSIVE, I am too tired tor ead most of the time, and the jumping between characters, while fantastic for on-screen (and pretty much the only way to manage so many storylines) gets a bit annoying. Plus I tend to take breaks and read other stuff for months between big books.

My problem is that nobody else seems to read them. P1 started at last, but that is book 1. I know someone who I think should be up to book 3 by now, but he has little kids, so reading time is limited. Do you know how frustrating it is when everyone in the world is watching it and they discuss it and then they ask questions and then tell me not to answer and then tell me to answer and then not to answer.

Plus even in book 5 there are twists and new characters and thing that need discussing.

I need more friends who read.

Crayon-talk

Life would be easier if was only sarcasm that needed explaining.

Things I've learned - moving out edition

1. You need very little furniture.  Camping stuff is awesome: have guest over then camping mattress on carpet is fine.

2. Groceries stop magically appearing in the cupboard.  Shopping stops being fun.  Weird things like herbs and flour and toilet paper and teabags end up being very frustrating as they either get forgotten or you don't realise you need them until you need them (not toilet paper, I knew about that one).

3. it takes very little to make a place dirty and while I'm fortunate in that it's small enough to clean quickly, the motivation to pull out the vacuum cleaner can be difficult to find. I blame our country's pervasive maid-culture for my horror at how quickly shelves get dusty.

4. Having a laundry service is fantastic.  Diminishing return of underwear not so much.

5. staying somewhere else for a few days makes me cranky.  Furniture or no furniture I loved being in my sanctuary.

6. People coming to visit when I haven't cleaned first really upsets me.  For the people who do visit: I clean on Mondays so please don't visit on or after Thursday without giving me a day or so warning.

7. Things are expensive.  I had lots of create furnishing and decorating ideas - almost all of which are on hold pending budget allocations.

8. On that note I love stripes.

9. Christmas lights are impossible to find in March, April or May,  here's hoping June will be better.

10. It is possible to get ridiculously excited about an ice tray, dustbins (I don't have any yet) and similar random home stuff that I always took for granted before I had to get them.

P.S. tupperware too

Aaaargh

My phone number has been locked as a random service provider couldn't listen to instructions. 

I am becoming one of those old folks that complain all the time.

Yay for mobile posting :)

Testing testing 123...

Hehe awesome!

fallen by the wayside

I was thinking about pictures. I take a lot of them, most of them never get further than my harddrive. I have a collection of photoframes with no pictures in them (soon to be corrected, I keep promising). I am a champion of backing up when it comes to work, but pictures are big, and it's difficult, and and and...

I have dropbox now and I put a lot of pictures in there, I do facebook a few, but never all. My laptop doesn't turn on anymore, I got it at the end of my honours year, and I managed to get it to the end of my PhD - it became a very important issue to make sure I started and finished on it, even thought I had dragged it all over the country, worked on it halfway up cliffs and basically wore it out completely. My netbook died an ugly death - I sopped it down a flight of stairs and it survived, then I stood on it.

And I realised now that there are pictures on them. The netbook I think can have the harddrive pulled out and reused, I hope my laptop can be connected, it is old now. I have ancient photos from my film-camera  childhood, and I love stumbling across them, going through the old envelopes and remembering things. My trip to Namibia, hanging out in Jersey with my Dad, traveling around South Africa with Luke - all of those memories are in there. I just have to stop being lazy about making sure I can hold onto them.

It just makes me feel old that finding the old photo-sleeve in the back of the cupboard won't be happening anymore. Saving the good photos doesn't seem as important as the surprise-photos that use to come out of the developers lab.

a new era?

Last week after many many fights, tears, pleading phone calls etc etc I got handed my shiny new phone. I'm not sure why I found the whole situation so distressing, I think it was general stress, bad customer service and... good marketing sucking me in? Again?

Anyway I have now downloaded the blogger app, and I am hoping I will be able to update a little more regularly.

As irony would have it (not really, coincidence but whatever) P1 had his phone stolen, the day I got my new one. Here's hoping he can get a shiny new job soon so he can get a shiny new phone and not have to use my elderly blackberry for too long. I also nearly had two punch-ups at Bon Jovi on Saturday. It was a stadium filled with 60 000 hostile females (I made the mistake of walking past someone, who grabbed me by the collar and dragged me across to her so that she could scream at me for invading her personal space). Crazy stuff. The second one was just a nasty person who thought that going to a concert requires single-file walking, and standing completely still while listening to music.

Still a good concert though!

Once again this post makes no sense.

Attracting strange people

It seems that wherever I go I end up with a strange contingent* (is that the right word?) of hangers on. It is even worse when La is with me, I think we feed off each other's energy and create some kind of crazy-person whirlpool. We had the managers, the green-haired guy, the person in a position of power who may not be named, the strange girls in the bathroom, the very honest gentlemen, the very rude people...

So I generally figure if I go out with her, weird things happen, if I don't then it's usually a quiet evening. Anyway I forgot to defrost anything yesterday, so after a rather frustrating day, and a tough gym session, P1 and I decided to go and get some dinner. Where we were asked to baby-sit a girl by her ex-boyfriend (10 minutes after he dumped her, but then wouldn't leave her. Communication man... communication is key... and it's the girl's job!), and the old guy with a bowtie who asked us if he could join us for a 3-some.

*It isn't always a bad thing. Some of my favourite people in the world are randoms I have collected on evenings out. Heck I picked up P1 in a dodgy pool-bar, so I guess it's a case of taking the good with the... interesting?

In other news I feel like I have shoulder-spasm, tension style. Apparently it is normal and just a result of torturing my shoulders with heavy weights.

I am also leaving my Blackberry and going Android.  It makes me sad because I have been very happy with my Blackberry, but it's a good deal, i'm due for an upgrade and its shiiiineeeeeee.

And this post makes no sense so here is a random picture:

what I wish a few people in my life would understand

complaints and complaining

My brother works in marketing, and always says that the people who call customer-complaint numbers are generally pensioner-age. Which is why I;m a bit alarmed to see the speed of my complaining response. In the last few weeks I have been furious with: the petrol station for false advertising (they have huge flags outside saying credit and debit cards accepted!, and after half an hour of queueing told me the card machine wasn't working), the book shop for... lets not go there, my cellphone service provider (once again don't go there), and my gym (only one branch, where there are fleas).

The thing is, complaining gets stuff done. Ok, I know I'm not the one to thank for the gym upgrade, that was happening already. But I got the items I wanted, with gift vouchers, apologies and prompt service. I knew my phone service provider was going to be a nightmare, there was never any question about it. So I calmly called them up, had a screaming match, complained bitterly on hellopeter for 5 minutes and waited for my problems to be resolved.

Why? Because last time when I got my upgrade it was the only way to get it done. complain and make a public noise and the managers come to shut you up, and in the process do what you needed doing in the first place. Maybe I'm cranky and difficult but I'm tired of waiting for things to happen.

I do feel a little difficult. I know I worked behind counters for a good decade while studying and looking for work. I've been yelled at by every type of cranky customer, and it's usually not reasonable or fun or easy. But I also know that I worked in that environment, it's possible for one person to manage a busy counter, while answering the phone and keeping the place tidy and organised. So then four people are working, one is helping customers while 3 stare into space and ignore the ringing phone then am I a bad person to tell their management that at least 2 of them need to be shouted at?

Anyway I am currently delighted with my soon-to-be cellphone network, who have bent over backwards to help me get sorted out. Maybe if I thank them profusely (and publicly) enough, my bad karma might be partially replaced?

Thing I've learned: Metallica edition

• When going to a concert have a confirmed number of people you're meeting. Ours changed as people cancelled, appeared, resolved fights with significant others (and therefore un-split the group). 
• Keep this number below 10. Get to 12 and you'll be herding cats.
• DO introduce separate groups of friends together and watch them discover the awesomeness. Do not be confused when they are surprised that you pick good friends. 
• Wear flat shoes, it's quicker to get away when running into significant other's exes in the bathroom.
• Do not go to the bathroom after the start of the show. Besides the fields of passed out/tripping people on the access stairs, you may have to watch a random stranger pee in the sink (with several open bathroom stalls).
• If someone walks past, trips and pours a glass of... hang on that's warm... yip, a glass of pee down your front... I don't know. Enjoy the show. Then get the heck out of there and take a very hot shower. VERY hot (shudder).
• The guys in Metallica may be twice my age, but they're still cooler than I'll ever be!
• try not to lose friends, finding someone in a crowd of 60 000 people with blocked cellphone networks is tricky.

Good show! Now to de-angst in time for Bon Jovi next week!

Things I've learned

Yes, it's been a while. I'm sure the internet held its collective breath as I fell of the planet (internet-wise anyway). In truth, it was less a falling off the planet, and more a starting to live in the Real World.

Things I have learned:

1. How to have fun again, and laugh again, and be silly again. Who I am when I'm not fighting fires and dealing with drama and looking after anyone except me.
2. What it means to make a promise and keep a promise.
3. How lucky I am to have the friends that I do. From showing up on moving day with sandwiches, ready to scrub, to sitting up with me until 2am letting me vent, to not letting me sit at home and mope (no really, 'get in your car and get over here or we're breaking your door down style) to just plain having fun. I am a lucky lucky person.
4. Making new friends is fun.
5. Greek lemon-chicken egg soup is surprisingly un-tasty (recipe here) - please let me know if there is seasoning that could rescue it, it is about as bland as it gets, even with a whole pack of bacon thrown in in desperation (4 hours cooking time for bland soup will do that to a person).
6. Law is fun! I totally got 90 % on my first course, and I'll be going back for the proper degree next year. Having lawyer friends to debate with is even more fun.
7. Nobody has the right to tell you how to feel about something.
8. 'Friends' who break down other people for some childish purpose of being the best/only/favourite friend disgust me. The people who let them disgust me too. Good thing I have awesome friends.
9. I will never be able to sokkie-dance.
10. I do not understand the whole Nicholas Cage thing on the internet, but I think I love it.

Happy black-Friday

seems about right

2013 coming at you

It seems a common theme that 2012 was the hardest year ever for everyone and therefore the world would end. Not so much, but my boss believed it based on what this random missionary on a plane told her that managed to convince her that the world was going to end and we had to run to the Drakensberg. I think someone else responded by lending her the DVD for the movie 2012 and that may have cleared up some of the issues.

When I sat down to think about 2012, I decided that is wasn't a bad year, it was a hard year. It was a year of growth, and that can be painful. Then a whole lot of things happened one the SAME DAY. My mother was attacked at home by armed robbers who tied her up, P1 lost his job because of his epilepsy diagnosis (we won that one, but he is still jobless, and crabby as anything as a result), people went to hospital, people fought...

And I decided dammit, 2012 needs to end now.

Happy 2013 people. May the growth hang on for a while, while my head stops spinning.