Yeeeezzzz!!!!

I've been terrible at trying to blog and get back up to speed at work. Blogging and being away from the office for nearly three weeks - not good for each other. I know, a feeble excuse, but it's true - I promise...


So, this weekend I will spend some quality time with my new laptop - oh, another excuse, but I digress, and make sure I give some nice highlights from the holiday and what's happening in my neck of the woods...


One of the highlights is that we (me and TYM) are going to see District 9 this weekend. Very proud that this was shot in Jozie (Mostly Soweto to be exact) and has an all ''Souf Efriken'' cast. The cartoon plays on a very common scheme to cheat folks out of their money called 419 usually run by Nigerians - very common here in the South of Africa.


Now here's wishin' yáll a really pretty, fruitful day!


TTFN

My ears are bleeding...

It's been one of those days where the first meeting started at nine, ended at twelve thirty, next one at one till three and the next one starts at four... My ears are bleeding - and I cannot say another word.

But maybe I should just be thankful that I still have a job in this time of uncertainty and people losing jobs left right and centre. And maybe I should be thankful that I even got an increase (a rather generous one at that!) as from next month. And maybe I should be thankful that I have friends and family that have supported me always, whatever my mood is...

And I am thankful, truly. And blessed.

But now - my ears are bleeding from all the talking that's been going on all day. And I'm tired. And I want to go home to my dog's and to T.Y.M who is visiting tonight.

Two weeks to my winter holiday...

TTFN

I can honestly say that I'm suffering from 'blog-lessness' at the moment. I don't have the time to read all the folks that I read, and I don't have the time to post on my own space either... 'Tres' frustrating I might add! My life at the moment is crazy busy and it feels as if I have no real control over it.

It's up at 5 in the morning to make sure hubby has breakfast before he needs to take his first batch of tablets, then feed the dogs and make sure everything is set up for for the hubby for the day - he's still at home and still quite weak so I need to make sure that he is comfortable and has everything within easy reach before I leave for work. I might add here that I'm SO not a morning person, so this is VERY tough. Then it's getting myself ready and in the car for a two hour commute to Jozie and a full day of work ahead. Rush back home - another two hour commute, and then it's making sure dinner is ready and the evening tab's go down. Then some quality time with the children and the hubby before I collapse into bed at about 12... And work is MAYOR stress at the moment too. I'm busy with a restructuring of operations and obviously not very popular, but it's par for the course.

Sound like it's crazy and it is, but I'm really thankful that I can be here while my man recovers and gets stronger again, and I'm thankful that I can afford to appoint a housekeeper that can keep an eye on him during the day. I'm thankful that his boss has told him to take as long as he needs to recover and that his job is safe, and that they are not cutting into his earnings at all even though he's used all his sick leave due to him! Amazing! And I'm thankful for a Mom that drives to him every second day to 'check on my son'. Bless her big time!

So, long story short - I'm busy! Hope y'all are having a really pretty time now...

TTFN

A very frustrating week...

It's been one of those weeks were you wish that EVERYBODY would just piss off and go and flush themselves down the toilet. The stress at work is getting crazy - too much to do with too little time and a very sick hubby at home that needs attention all the time, stress at home getting a little too much - very sick hubby that is frustrated because I tend to be overprotective and then he gets frustrated with me, and all of this with a three hour commute every day due to the loving government that are working on every single access route into Johannesburg for the 2010 soccer world cup... At least by 2010 traffic will be a breeze - mostly 'cause everybody's dead due to road rage! (Not to mention the price of fuel!)

At least from next week I can work mostly from home as there are fewer meetings to attend and less 'in office' tasks to complete. And my PA will be more comfortable with her job description so she will not need me to be there all the time - poor thing only started this week. (Apparently I'm mean and very bombastic! Not really, just very demanding...) God bless the inventors of the Internet/broadband and telephones!

Long story short - looking forward to a weekend of doing as little as possible. Spending time indoors with my man, and just pottering around the house.

Hope y'all have a loverly weekend as well!

TTFN

An update part two.

Firstly, to everyone that has sent me notes, text messages (guys, remember the time differences OK!), phone calls etc etc - thanks a stack! Y'all are really wonderful people.

It's been a few days of up's and down's but mostly up's. Hubby is a lot better (he's starting with his fussy ways again...) and we are home - our domestic worker has offered to stay over the weekend (even thought it was a long weekend in SA) to help me and to make sure that I also get some rest. The meds etc are quite demanding and meals have to be served at certain times and with certain ingredients. Something we've never done before, so this is quite the adjustment. We used to be very happy go lucky with meals and mostly ate when and if we felt like it. Anyway, at least it a square 6 meals a day now...

On the health front - he's breathing better and sleeping better because of that. The surgery scars are still very painful but the stitches are out and the specialist says it's looking good. He's picked up another 3 kilos (and I've picked up a kilo as well - eating in sympathy!). All in all, its still not nearly easy, but it's getting better every day.

As for work - the new post is great but very demanding - but the bosses understand that my priorities lie somewhere else at the moment. They've cancelled all my travel arrangements until the end of July in order for me to be home for a bit - good guys then. And I get to work from home if I want to, as long as the results stay the same. RESULT!

Hope y'all are well and happy and none of my US friends have been fried to a frazzle in that little heat wave.

Will keep y'all posted.

TTFN

Sometimes I sit's and thinks, and sometimes I just sit's...

And today is a sits type of day, except that I've been forced to do A LOT of work - and it's financial calculations with spreadsheets as wide as the Rift Valley... My brain is a total mess and even my glasses feel that they need a pair of glasses! Braindead I tell you, braindead!

Just thought I'd share that little pearl of wisdom with y'all!

Hope everybody has a really productive day now!

TTFN

Ps: On another note -

Your Quit Date is: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 12:00:00 AM
Time Smoke-Free: 7 days, 12 hours, 45 minutes and 17 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 151
Lifetime Saved: 1 day, 3 hours
Money Saved: S24.50

The only problem is that now I'm snacking my little heart out!!! Gonna look like old David up here soon...

I just don't know...

Rather frustrated at the moment. With this whole planning thing going on to move back home, my 'dearest' company is stuffing me around and it's getting to me now. Been very patient - well, as patient as I get, but it's getting too much to handle... Well, not really, but it does feel that loyalty is a one way street, and it ain't flowin' my way honey!!!! Oh well, I've never been a fatalist, so will just climb in with a renewed effort and 'tell' them what will happen. And if they don't respond the way I want them to, I will get out and move to another place. It's not like I haven't got any offers...



On another note, trying to follow the current series of American Idols.




This boy is AMAZING! David A, if I could vote, you would get my vote every time! For somebody so young you have the most amazing clarity and maturity in your voice. I hope you go VERY far.

We only got to see the top 20 show last night, but I see from the website that he is still in, and leading... Well deserved!

Hope y'all have a really purdy day now. I'm off to start a fight with HR! *Big grin*


TTFN


Ps: Laurie, D says you're the sweetest thing!

Work is driving me nuts!

Life has a strange way of 'happening' to you, if you're not in control of your own destiny... Now, I say this with a certain amount of trepidation, as most people believe that destiny is something that happens to us, instead of each one of us being in control ourselves. Your destiny is what you decide it should be, whether that is a conscious decision or not. My life is a case in point, but that is a discussion that needs to take place over a very large plate of tappas and numerous bottles of good red wine...

As per usual, my thoughts on what I want to say, are a little all over the place, but the main thing that's bugging me at the moment, is that I do not feel in control of my destiny at the moment. I'm at the mercy of other people, people I do not necessarily trust to make the best decisions for me. The new financial year is currently being planned and laid out, and as there is a global recession looming (Thank you, Mr Bush) there is a bit of a knee yerk reaction from the 'bosses' in Cape Town. As usual, I have a rosy outlook on life (has always served me well!) and also on what should happen with the business - how it should expand, how it should be run (people orientated, not profit orientated), what should be done and what should be dropped. Obviously, they do not agree with me... Maybe I do not have the big picture in front of me, but surely I have some 'on the ground experience' that is worth something?

Sorry, just feeling a little 'dejected' at the moment... Will snap out of it soon.

Hope y'all have a really pretty day now!

TTFN

On the road again...

Was there not a song by that title a few milenia ago? Anyway, I'm on the road again this week. Flying to Johannesburg and connecting to Cape Town today, and will be away from my PC for this week. (Well, will be carrying it with me, but will be too busy to connect to Blogger...)

Not really looking forward to this trip, but at least I get to spend the weekend with the man.

If I were to calculate the amount of time I've spent on travelling in the last few years, I wonder what else I could have done in all that time? I'm sure there are people on this earth who spend more time than me in a plane, but it all get's so utterly tedious. Yes, the nurses (sorry Lewis) on the plane are always nice, and getting to see all sorts of interisting places is a bonus, but getting to airports, waiting to board in lounges, waiting for connecting flights, getting from airports to hotels, catching a taxi or getting a rental... 'Aggenee man', I'm tired of it all. Can somebody please invent a 'teleporter'!

Hope y'all have a pretty day & weekend!

TTFN

Life is funny...

I've been in two minds for quite some time now about my 'role' in Kenya, and whether this is the best thing for my relationship, my career and my life in general. Yes, hubby and I discussed the move at lenght, but there is this constant 'niggle' in the back of my mind about what this is doing to us, and whether my career was really advanced by this move, but I digress...

On Friday last week, the CEO was in the country and came into my office to speak to me. He asked me whether I would be interested in a new project that was started in Cape Town, and would I be willing to move to Cape Town to run this project for the Africa division of the business. We spoke at lenght about what it would involve and to be honest, I'm very interested. He even asked me whether my partner (hubby) would be willing to relocate to Cape Town in order for us to be together - they would endeavour to offer him employment in another division of the company... (Sound a bit like nepotism, but this would be offered to any 'straight' couple that would need to relocate to another part of the country/world.) I'm gob smacked. As all these 'concerns' are running trough my mind, this comes along...

Well, my response was that yes, I would be interested, yes, I would need to discuss relocation with hubby, yes, they should make me an offer and we can start negotiating, and yes, I would not mind all the travel involved, as long as it does not exceed certain pre-set limits...

Wow, don't really know about how this happened, just glad it did! I'll be very sad to leave Nairobi, but will still visit here quite often, so altogether not a bad thing. And, to be honest, there are worst places to live than Cape Town...

Hope y'all have your dreams come true today!

TTFN

Irritatingly Irritable!

The lack of recent activity on my blog is easily explained. Well, easily explained in my mind, so if y'all don't understand - my humblest apologies...

It's been over eight weeks since I last saw my hubby, and the pressure at work is something phenomenal. Life always seems to rush towards the end of a year, and this year, it just seems as if it's gaining momentum every single day. Every waking moment is spent just trying to get ahead of the pile of paper on my desk, and just like it looks like I'm about to gain a foothold, it overtakes me again. Now I know that we are all probably really busy, and that most of our lives we tend to run from one assignment to the other, but it really is getting me down at the moment.

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do (most of the time, at least) but I just feel completely overwhelmed. With the launch of two new products in as many months, the plans for a US$35m investment gaining momentum, and the staff compliment growing by over 200%, I honestly don't know if I coming or going. Yes, yes - do one thing at a time, and just be methodical, but even my usual 'work flow' plan is failing me at the moment. All I'm seeing is me up to my nipples in paperwork... Oh well, at least I'm having fun, right? (NOT!)

Just ranting about it makes me feel better, even if only for a little while. Thank y'all for listening to me!

Have a fruitful day now!

TTFN