2011 - first assesment

Slow. Anyone out there think that we not in a recession, think again. Business is dead - completely!

So what to do? Well, I'm waiting to go on a CAD course in March, and hopefully will become self employed before the year ends. The office is expecting miracles, but truth be told, my heart is not in it anymore. I really don't want to be selling stuff, that clients know they need, but don't buy. Fuck it. Why do I care if you have a disaster and no cover for it. Fuck u moron, you explain it to your shareholders and executive staff. I don't give a fuck.
The corporation still can't get our commissions payments right, and take over 3 months to make the payment anyway. Why the fuck should I be looking for new business if you haven't even paid me for the work done last year!!!

LuckyL starts school tomorrow. And he is walking. No license, no bike! He went to the dept. today to book an appointment for it, and was told they don't do bookings in the afternoon. He must come back in the morning. THEY AT SCHOOL IN THE MORNING YOU FUCKING MORONS!!!

GMan is still hanging around. Seems he's been approached b some company to go work for them, but I don't have details. Here's hoping! He's also got involved in arranging a "Cruise Poker Tournament". Sounds great. They want to book out a whole ship and sell it off in tournament packages. It would be an international affair, and probably worth a shitload of money in prizes for the players. Will keep an eye out on this, and assist where required.

The Princess is back at work, and back to the normal, work, cook, clean, work wash, cook..... She's an angel!!!!


Got a call from a buddy earlier, to tell me that another friend of ours had been jumped by 3 guys at a local shopping center. To top it all off, his brother in law and father in law didn't come to his aid, and both were there! But the upside to his broken, and now wired up jaw is, he's a Leb. And his cousin has a debt collector / bouncer on his payroll. Tomorrow they will know who the perpetrators were, and by Saturday there will be 3 new patients in ICU!

Cars are fine (touch wood) and now the bikes are too. Just had new sprockets and chain fitted to GMan's XJR1200. Cost a couple of Rand that! (Update - GMan's car has a warning light that came on again......Oh, 4 FS!!)

So what else is going on? Queenie is getting more troublesome by the day. Typical old peoples syndrome. They full of shit, difficult, deaf, etc, etc, etc. Matriarch is much the same, but because Queenie lives with us, it's more 'in your face" on a daily basis! We got her a fridge for Xmas. Second hand (some friends emigrated, like new) and her's has been giving trouble for some time. Today I took it out of her cottage, and put it in the garage. Next week I'm selling it. Fuck it. Why should I care. In a month or two hers will pack up completely, and then she can spend ZAR1500 +++ to replace it!

Lost 5 TV's to lightining over the festive season. 3 Have been repaired, the other two are US (unserviceable), so the insurance will have to replace them. As well as the 3 x cordless phone system.....

The dogs are fine - fat, don't seem to be so naughty anymore. We have had a 'lodger" for a while, a crazy Dalmatian, pet of some friends who have emigrated to the UK. He's going too, and will probably be leaving in a day or two. Going to miss the little bugger, he's been fun to have around, and has taught my dogs a few things. He's more mature / older, so they got some good guidance from him.

Out "Captain", and Milo the Dalmatian!

Really strange dog this - but we will  miss him!!!

And, in closing, I got an email from a friend who's resident in Australia.  We were a bit concerned about the floods and stuff, so he sent out this email. I think you all will find it interesting:-

Hi all, receiving many concerned SMSs and Phone calls - just to let you know
the flooding has moved a lot closer in the last 24 hours, with what they're
calling an "inland tsunami" hitting Toowoomba yesterday. Previously the
flooding has been the equivalent of Johannesburg - Cape Town away, Toowoomba
is +- 40km inland from us. Shocking pictures and footage, an 8M wall of
water swept through the city yesterday which will probably make the news
there. Up to now the Bureau of Meteorology has been able to predict affected
towns and flood levels to within 100mm or so, with 24 - 48hrs notice as the
water makes its' way downstream. The Toowoomba event however was a totally
unexpected flash flood.

All of the water is now heading towards the Wivenhoe dam which is upstream
from Brisbane. The dam is already 100% full with sluice gates open so
there's not much in the way of protection from the dam from this and other
water inflow (it won't be a 8M wall of water any more thankfully) - the dam
was built to "...ensure the 1974 floods never happen again..." - at 14:00
tomorrow (12/01) they're expecting a 3M high tide to coincide with the water
surge (odds up there with the lottery I am sure) which will mean the CBD
will be inundated, apparently at levels higher than the 1974 level. My
office has been evacuated along with others in the area so I am working from
home for the foreseeable future.

We are +- 40km North of Brisbane and thus far have been OK other than heavy
rains. There are 30 suburbs in Brisbane which are expected to be affected,
Redcliffe is not one of them.

Animals keep lining up at our door two-by-two for some reason and we keep
chasing them away.

Tomorrow's King Tide plus water outflow into the bay will be a little
nerve-wracking, and Thursday will see the peak of water outflow from the
inland storms down the Brisbane River.

For now we're all fine and dry, and stockpiling food like it's 1994 election
time.

Regards, P,C,C,C,c

My response was as follows:-

Hi Guys,
Thank you for the update!!!! Scary stuff. Will keep u in our prayers.....

Funny thing about the animals turning up at your door. They say animals can "feel" - "sense" the disaster coming, and if they are coming to your home, it is because they know they will be safe there - so it's a good omen!!!!!

I remember with the disaster in the east (the big tsunami), all the animals had left the area at least 24 hours before disaster struck...... So it may just be a blessing message!!!
Keep safe - be blessed - shout if u need anything!!!
So good luck to them, hope the waters stay away from their home.


Ok, so that's all for today. Be back soon.

Salagatle!