Winter Chills

Before I get onto my usual run-of-the-mill blog, I want to send a special message to Steve who has been out of touch for an oh-so-very-long time. Steve, I hope you are enjoying the start of your retirement and I cannot wait for the day when you get back online and get yourself an email address now that you are "back home". I have missed your regular communications.

The ex-husband visited with his friend this week. Oh boy, was that a mistake. Firstly, he has changed - totally grey and has put on sooooo much weight. For someone who always pestered me about my weight when I weighed 50 to 55kgs at the time, he sure has changed. We had a good start to the evening, sipping wine, eating pizza and them viewing all my albums and raving about how fabulously creative I was. I liked that bit. A lot. Then we got into chatting about his family which turned to homosexuality which turned into the biggest argument between friends I have ever witnessed. I was gobsmacked at the insults his friend threw at him and the anger erupting before my eyes. I could see that even though they had been friends for 35 years, they were too emotionally immature to handle certain aspects of their relationship. Eventually my ex took his friend home and then came back to apologise. His friend phoned the next day to apologise and told me that he had made the choice to end the friendship. Oh my, like I need this like a hole in my head! My viewpoint? I am very pleased I am no longer involved with those two. We will always remain on friendly terms but being friends, I think not!

The weather has been rather cold here and we have had a lot of rain which has surprised me a bit I must say. And oh boy, do I have a problem with lack of winter clothing. I no longer have the excuse that I can go to work in my warm winter pj's but the cost of clothing is so high that I am afraid to embark on that one trip I loathe beeg time - shopping at the mall for clothes. I saw an awesome woollen coat which I would give my eye teeth to have and if I had money, the cost was not too bad but there are more important things I need and I think layers of clothing will have to do in the meantime. The economy is so bad here at the moment that it is too frightening to even put into words. The number of houses and cars being repossessed is the highest it has ever been since time in memorium and according to economists it is not getting better.

Back to the weather. It has been so chilly and wet, that Baby has been spending many hours indoors. He just hates it when I go to work and won't leave me when I get home. Pet sensors for my burglar alarm is very expensive so the only solution is to put a cat door in the back door of my garage so he can have access to the garage when it rains. I will have to speak to my brother. So when I get home in the evenings and after I have done my usual checking of emails etc, I am forced to lay on the couch with Baby on top of me. Such an inconvenience! *grin* I do admit he is a wonderful hot water bottle.

As for work - still the ups and downs and I so wished I was paid a decent salary in relation to the amount of work I do. I am still being treated as the general dog's body and managed to have my say with regard to this at a recent staff meeting. I mentioned to them that I am capable of handling anything which is handed to me and I am not afraid of hard work but I will not tolerate being treated as a 2nd rate staff member being at tht beck and call of everyone. I told them I don't need accolades for what I do as I am secure within myself that I do a job well done but respect is sorely lacking within the team and there are some staff members who think they are too good to handle some tasks - looking down on their fellow colleagues with some superiority. It was a good meeting but we'll have to wait and see whether they make a conscious effort to be more aware of their colleagues, their work loads and general situations within the office.

Before I go, have a faaaaabuuulous week.