More fearsome leaders!

So today I attended another session with an even greater authority. This guy is IT Services Business Operations Executive UKISA (UK, Ire, SA).
More of the same though. He spent most of the time telling us what problems we have, how they see this, and what they plan to do about it.
Open Q&A and I told him my / our side of it. Like how they think we are dishonest, mindless pen pushers. Like how badly we get paid. Like how management fucked up, and pass the buck. He made notes. Said he'll look into the issues....... We'll see.

Another of my peers is leaving our department. It's like lemmings season out there, only they flee to survive as opposed to die.... Wonder when I'll take the escape route? Maybe I won't. Maybe I still believe I can beat the system. Maybe.... Just maybe, I'm stupid!

I tend to "dominating" these type of meetings. Maybe it's cause I have a big mouth, and am not afraid to voice my opinions, or it's because I know more than they think, and tend to force them onto the back foot as often as I can. Either way, it does cause some "conflict", as I was / am seen as a "trouble maker". Well, so be it. You ask the question, not you will listen to my answer. If we were all like the other "dummies" who attended the last session, apart from one other sales guy who is more like me, then management would believe that all is well. But for most of them, BEE types, it probably is. Either they don't know better, or they just don't understand. Or both.

Salagatle!

Here's a drawing of my mom. My first valentine! And still the craziest lady I know. Typical Italian, hardheaded, lovable, great cook. She's 74 this year, and still goes to visit the elderly at the old age homes!!! Still drives, lives alone in the same house she and my dad bought in 1957 when she emigrated here. Great lady, and I love her to death. (Another fearsome leader!)

Oh fearless leader...

So I get invited to an Executive round table session. This is with my managers managers manager!!! Go figure! The guy who issued me with the "Mutual separation agreement" letter some months ago!!
I accept, and turn up, a bit concerned about what this is about. The others invited do not come from my "team", so I didn't have a clue.

Anyway, turns out that since the second in line resigned, this exec. has a better view of what's going on in his department, and he does not like what he sees! All is not rosy as he was led to believe! Wow, I could of told him that, 18 months ago!

Anyway, he had asked his managers to nominate people within the division, from different sections, with whom he could meet to "uncover" some of the issues affecting the department. He wanted people who are not scared to voice their opinions. Well, they couldn't have picked a better candidate!!

Anyway, after hijacking the meeting for the first 30 minutes, I allowed the more meek attendants to voice their opinions. Much note taking was taking place. In fact, it seems that this place is more fucked up than even I thought. Typically my gripes are around issues that affect the sales team. the others have more management / HR type issues.

it would seem that the Exec. Is really going to try and fix things. If so, good. I hope he can. I did tell him that I love the company, but don't like the people I work with (Brutal?) And I did offer to assist him in any way I can to get things back on track. In fact I do believe we have a good thing here, if only we can sort it out we could be the darlings of the company. Time will tell.

I used the opportunity to try and promote myself a bit. Hope it worked. I'm really scared of losing my job here...

Got some good news on my way home yesterday. A client who was supposed to renew their contract 01 April 2006 called to say it was signed, and I could called it today. Great. Another one on the wall, 136 more to go....

I've got one of these standing in my garage. Still running. Don't get to use it much though. And it's in just as good condition, same colour and all. Only difference now is I had to have a 4-1 exhaust fitted recently as the original fell apart eventually! And the 4-1 was the cheapest option..... Oh, and I DON"Y have the sissy bar fitted to the back seat.....
Yamaha XS 1.1 - 1982 model... shaft drive!














Salagatle!

You are my brother

You really are a special person
Who pulls out all the stops
You hear about our situation
And get here on the hop!

Never wanting any promise
Nor needing any help
You give of yourself selflessly
You deliver out of love

I'm not sure I deserve this
Nor why I have been blessed
But I do know that it's always
Nice to have you close

Whenever I need assistance
I know that you will help
I know you ask no questions
Nor expect any financial reward

You give true meaning to "Brother"
And your family truly is
And not because we share a mother
But because you really care

You really are someone special
And I'm glad you are on my side
I hope that one day I can repay
With kindness all you've done

I'm so proud of your achievements
And always brag out loud
About my brother who's so special
And large, and kind .... And loud!

Thanks for being my brother
Who cares, and shares with me
All my trials and tribulations
And does so, because I am me.

You are my Brother
And I love you.

Back to school / work / ,.......

Back at work. All the public holidays are done and dusted, and life gets back to normal.... Or quasi normal anyway!

My brother and his family went back home yesterday, and by last night I was already missing them. It is amazing how much help they were while they were here, (except for my brother slave driving me!). His wife was a typical Florence Nightingale, and took very good care of the recuperating Princess. It's so special having family like them. Really going to miss having then around......

Anyway, Queenie has moved in, and is busy unpacking all her stuff. She's a chronic dust hater, and everything was wiped before packing. It will now be wiped again before being packed into the new shelves, after the shelves / cupboards have been properly wiped / cleaned (about 6-7 times!).

Anyway, she's now available to look after princess while I am at the office.

More later

Salagatle!

Shopping blues

Ching, ching, ching
Hear the till ringing
Hear the money singing
As it flows from purse to safe

This one, that one
And two of those
Mince meat or bacon?
Bread, white or brown?

Pushing trolleys, Crying kids
Picking chewing gum from their lids
Pushing into crowded queues
Flashing credit cards to pay their dues

The flower boxes

Along the front / back of my house, all along the driveway I had some large flower beds built. My reasoning was that the precast wall between our house and the neighbor seemed to be taking a bit of strain seeing how he had filled in his yard with soil to cover the rocks, and his "ground level" is now about 600 mm above mine! By building the flower boxes, and filling then in I would support the wall a bit.
Anyhow, I haven't got round to filling them with soil yet, and so were a bit of an eyesore. In comes little brother! He got hold of a trailer, got some help alongside the road and fetches about 15 cubic meters of soil, and fills 3 of the 5 boxes!

Then this morning he went off to our mom's house and plundered her garden and now I have 3 pretty flower boxes full of plants! Man, if I knew it would be so easy I would have invited him to visit long ago!!

I must add that he did a damn fine job! And we are very grateful for his and his wife's efforts! I also told him anytime he gets the urge to do more gardening, he's more than welcome to come and spend some time with us!

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. Going to be a busy day here, what with all the visitors we are expecting. We're having a braai (barbeque to all you uneducated), and salads and veggies and fresh bread rolls. No doubt copious amounts of alcohol will be consumed, even though I don't partake!

Princess is doing ok, although she didn't have a good evening. Started getting dizzy spells, and has now gone back upstairs to lie on the bed. It's 9.15 pm here, so it's pretty early. But maybe it's a good thong. She will need to be well rested for tomorrow.

It's more than 2 weeks now since she had the op, and I suppose she's still got some healing to do yet. It's just not nice to see her like this.

Anyway, I have now mastered the use of the dishwasher, the clothes washer (lights & darks separate) making the bed, some cooking (my salads are to die for) and running the kids around. I also now know why grocery shopping does not feature high on the Princess’s list of fun things to do! Those women in the shopping centers are crazy! They really need to get lives away from their normal routine! I mean, how on earth can you spend hours comparing the prices of 6 varieties of canned baked beans? And who cares which brand of Cola is cheaper? There is only one! And as for the 1700 different types of shampoo / hair spray / toilet paper, man, what’s the point? They all do the same job anyway!!

And they say we don't understand them! They damn right we don’t!

Salagatle!