Awards..........wow two

I was given the above award by Angel for being a friend as well as a fellow blogger thank you and right back at you!

This is the "satin" award from Martha & Baliey's blog.........The rules are: List 5 details (things, people, features) that make your life “satin” (translates also as “shiny” or “good”). Pass on to 5 other bloggers, I don't know that I have five to pass it on to, but hey grab it and do it if you dare!

1. My son, he makes my life "satin" ................................

2. My animals Abigail, Shadow, Brutus, Thomas (now and then when he is home) and my fish.

3. My family and friends (including my blog friends!).

4. My house I love my home I like to speand a lot of time there.

5. My job, not because I like it but because I have one and I am grateful for that in these trying times :-)

Rabies injection day............

Today is rabies injection day in our area, in Kwazulu Natal SA dogs have to have rabies injections once a year and they are given free of charge by the state vets. They go around to the houses or you can take them to various points to be injected.

Well when the guy dropped Brutus off at my house, he told me the dog won’t have a collar or anything around his neck, he won’t go in the car and he is just an outside “dog”. I was taken aback by this because I don’t treat my dogs like “things” but like part of the family. It was too late to say take him back because he was there already and I couldn’t bare to send him back to his old crappy life. So I put that in the back of my mind and let him into our home and family. He is walking on a leash already he has a cute collar and leash and he follows his little sisters lead and copies them, even T can walk him now. He wouldn’t even let us put a piece of material or anything on his neck at first. He takes a bath the first one was hectic but now he stands in the courtyard and I wash him with warm water and rinse him and he is fine.

He doesn’t like strangers and he is very protective over home and family, I know because two of my visitors have spoken to me over my wall and he has given a warning growl, not tried to bight or anything but just a warning “I’m on guard”, once a person is welcomed into the house and garden he is fine with them. I have also never taken him in the car. So I go home about 10.30 to take this lot to the state vet, open the back door in jumps Mister Brutus, he sat up straight like a human and looked out of the window, he was very excited, but he sat still and off we went little girls in the front seat.

Is he going to bight the poor state vet? That was on my mind all last night because of said warning growls etc. He was a star, he copied his sisters and took his jab (don’t think he even knew he got it) and off we went home, no problem. I originally asked the guy that brought him to me to go with me for this episode as Brutus knows him and I thought he could help me, he had a few dumb excuses, and then he said what time? Then I don’t know because when I brought him to you he didn’t want to get in my bakkie a whole wagon load of bullshit. So I just went ahead alone and did it. I am so proud of myself & my dogs and how much Brutus has changed since we have had him. Just goes to show that they respond to kindness and good treatment!

My one friend always says I’m a dog whisperer……………maybe she is right.

I'm ready for change.............

I have thought long and hard about the last two years and the direction my life has been taking. I was always somewhat career driven and have for most of my career been in management roles which makes this current position somewhat hard to swallow. Not that I am a snob or that I mind being an a "level" with other people I just can't think like a normal employee I think like a supervisor and it doesn't make me popular with the management or the staff. I am professional at work I work hard I find ways to improve things, I change systems etc if they need changing. All the while the managers are taking the credit.

So where to from here? I have been promised a lot of things that never happen, I guess in a way it is my own fault because I assume the roles and do the things even though I don't have the position, I do more than my job spec because I like things to rum smoothly and because I can and know how to. Basically I am being exploited and because I have never been very good at sticking up for myself or selling my strong points I have allowed it to happen.

I am on a big drive to further my career and am applying for positions all over the country I am willing to relocate if I have to in order to get back on track. I have had some really positive calls and feedback and it is boosting my confidence and making me realise that their is life after xxxxxx (my employer). I know times are tough right now but I also know no matter how long it takes this will happen for me and I will get the opportunity I am looking for.

Basically I love small town life but I am not satisfied with my job and career. If I have to give up the life style to get my career back on track I am willing to do so. I wasn't at first but I am now, maybe I can have both, maybe I can't but now I have another option and I am going for it!

More petty crime..............

It was a very wet weekend, T's school had a carnival which started on Friday night and all day Saturday. It was annoying to say the least when his bag and cell phone were stolen at the school on Friday night (eish it doesn't end). I made him take his phone because it was night time and I wanted him to be able to get hold of me if he needed too. Bad call on my part, BUT I also told him that if there was no safe place to leave his bag, phone food etc he should call me to pick it up BEFORE he gets going on the rides etc. Well being a boy and a kid he dumped said bag along with the all the other kids bags and off he went to enjoy himself. Poor kid was very upset and I didn't help by being mad at him at first. In all fairness he is only 12 and who would think your bag out of all of them will get stolen? OK so it's half my fault half his fault and totally the fault of these creeps that can't keep their hands off other peoples stuff. T needs his phone because he stays at home alone from 2 - 4.30 every afternoon and we don't have a land line. I have to go and buy him a cheap phone today and that isn't in my budget at all. I was sitting thinking about all the bad things that have happened and blaming the town etc. When I started thinking about all the times crime has touched our lives and it has been all over this country & it is no use letting it get to us. It is a fact of life here sad but true.

Once years ago I came home from holiday and my place was trashed and things stolen. My car was broken into three times before today (two different cars), I lost that money at the ATM in December, my handbag, the rock against my window. T's bag. It's been petty crime so far and thank goodness we are all fine and nobody was hurt or killed along the way. we survived the other incidents and we will survive this one too. But it sets one back somewhat and makes you so angry that it's no wonder we all begin to hate one another in this country and there is so much unrest and animosity. Times are tough and we are all suffering so when you work hard for something and somebody just "takes" it from you without paying a cent or batting an eye it seems so very unfair.

I mostly try to search for the "lesson" to be learnt in all things that happen and I sometimes succeed, like with T's bag he didn't listen to me and make sure it was in a totally safe place. He didn't listen to me and call me to fetch his phone. He actually often doesn't listen to me and I am hoping that this will open his eyes to the fact that sometimes I am right and I do know what I am talking about. He has apologised but human memories can be short hey? Regarding the other crime related incidents over the years? I cannot say that they have taught me anything at all. I am always very careful where I park my car & take care of my possessions, my cars were both broken into at home in their carports behind locked gates? Since then I have always made sure I have a lock up garage which often means you pay more rent, no lesson has been learnt because it has only made my finances worse.

It is a vicious circle. I don't feel like a victim I am just sad that the crime doesn't stop and that some people say "dam you do have bad luck" I don't want to start believing that one. It will really make me depro if I do, but at what point do you begin to think that you are indeed cursed? I have had nothing but crap for a while now and I am honestly at a lose here? What am I supposed to think? Or maybe I am not supposed to think at all? That would be easier :-). The crimes have taken place over many years except the lst few that have all taken place in the last 7 months. Is crime getting worse and worse or is it my fault in some twisted way?