{1st Week @ Work}

Though I don't have the "Monday Blues" yet, the proverbial start of the week is something I am going to have to get used to again. I only worked 4 days last week but I was tired at the end of each day and by Friday, I had caught a mild dose of the 'flu.

I am enjoying the work but there will have to be changes if the admin systems are to run efficiently. This means time management is going to have to be a priority issue. So far my task has been to organise the office for an influx of 7 social workers who will begin working on Tuesday and to open case files which we have taken over from another social department. All this data will soon have to be captured onto a new computer system when it is eventually installed. My other job task is to complete the paper work for all the babies who arrive at the safe house and those who leave.

The company I am working for handles all social services for a large part of the city and surrounding areas. They started off as a safe house for abandoned and abused children but now deal with all types of social services and work in conjunction with the government (but we get no funding from the government) and the police. All money has to be raised through donations (including our salaries) and the amount of money needed to run this organisation and keep it sustainable to be of excellent service to the community is huge. So if any of you know of anyone who would like to be a patron and raise money for us - you just let me know. Though we have our own fundraiser working fulltime and a part time fundraiser, I am also going to see whether I am able to bring funds in.

We are renting a house on a farm to create a home environment for some children - two children are in our foster care permanently and they are soooooo cute and friendly. They have house parents who care for them fulltime and the older children are put into school - all their needs are paid by the organisation. But we have to move out in 3 months time so we are raising funds to buy a large house down the road to cater for the safe house babies and the permanent foster kids.

When I arrived on Tuesday I spent the entire day moving desks and wall units, unpacking pamphlets, stationery etc. As I perspire terribly, my hair remained sopping wet the entire day. The babies were also sick - snotty noses, chest colds so maybe this is why I caught the bug. On Friday a two month old baby boy was delivered to the house so I don't think I will go into the nursery and playroom until my chest cold has cleared.

I don't want to name the organisation on this here my personal and scintillating and interesting blog *grin*, but if you would like to know it and check out the website, email me and I will let you know. Have not had a chance to take photographs but I will soon.

I am mostly office bound however on some occasions I will be allowed to go out with my friend and manager to familiarise myself with procedures and the different cases we work on. I would like to go with her to court when she discusses the removal of a child with the Magistrate - that would be rather interesting.

Other than that, T is getting rather enthusiastic and we are changing the concept of the company in order to make it much more profitable and to ensure that all excess stock is utilised fully. Her husband is considering buying a laser cutting machine in order for us to make our own embellishments which will be a huge saving for us and we can get extra creative. We are still in the discussion stage and nothing will go any further until we have everything in writing - but to put your minds at ease, I don't have a bad feeling about this change around.

So that my friends, is my roundup of last week. Now I must get back to my "other" job - finishing the tutorials for the kits. A woman's work is never done! PS - Am still looking for an ultra rich man.