I slept quite well, again, albeit alone. Not one
single feline in the bedroom and I woke up with one heck of a headache – most
likely due to the flea-spray. I’ve done
the best I could to air the room afterwards, which wasn’t much.
Ziva went for a tour outside, but came back quite soon
– since everything is wet outside, I guess. Managed to keep them all inside
while I went to work.
At work I have no internet – which means I can do
absolutely nothing. I can’t even print. I suppose that’s an opening to start
philosophizing about how dependent we’ve become on the internet, only: I’ve got
better things to do with my time.
I’ve spent the morning catching up on my bookkeeping.
I’d been letting it slide (collecting slips) since March last year, apparently.
But now I need to know just how much the cats are costing me – or rather, have
cost me so far. Why? Well, I’m down half my savings, and I haven’t been
extravagant – except for the cats.
It’s just after one and I’m feeling dizzy again, same
as Tuesday afternoon. Again, not really faint, just ... well, there’s a surreal
edge to things. Unless you’ve experienced it, it’s kind of hard to describe:
some objects just seem surreal. Not quite real, as if there’s something wrong
but I can’t put my finger on it. It feels a bit light-headed – but I can’t
think from what? I’m not taking medication (well, GrandPa powders for the
headache – two in total). I’ve eaten – good dinner last night, two big rolls
with a thick layer of cheddar today. I’m drinking real coffee – rather than
instant. Higher caffeine levels? I’m not coughing a lot, and I’m smoking far
less than last week. Even less than I smoked on Tuesday. Uitenhage is higher
above sea level than PE – could I simply be more sensitive due to my cold?
Well, I’ve caught up with my bookkeeping – yeah, I
don’t spend money very often, so it’s not really as big a task as it would be
for most people. I mean to re-design the spreadsheet from this year onward. I
want to simplify it, while at the same time getting more details out of it. In
the past, I’d scan in every receipt – so if I want to look up a detail, I just
check the receipt, but the storage space is starting to add up ... plus: I’m
lazy. I started that system when I didn’t have a life, when I had time to fill
up with something meaningful. As in: when I was newly sober, unemployed and
broke – so I needed to turn every single penny two or three times before
spending it.
My life has changed completely since then. I’m also a
decade older – and my energy levels are lower. Five, six years ago, I’d get my
second wind when I got home – shedding the dreariness of work, enjoying
puttering around at home; cleaning, cooking, or whatever. Nowadays, after a
standard work day (8-5) I just cook, fix my lunch and bath. Right now, I’m only
working till three, though, so I have time to chat with Rose, play with the
Mips, tend to Ziva, clean the litter box, prepare their treat – on top of the
dinner, lunch and bath. So, I don’t want to be ‘wasting’ my quality time with
admin!
How I’ll cope when the next project starts again, and
I may be working 7:30-18:00 again, at first? I do not know! So, I want to set
up time-savers where I can. This constant change of life-style, going from full
time, long hours to part time, short hours; from all new start up to standard,
mostly routine; from high-concentration to relaxed.
And always, always between projects the moving!
Packing up my whole life, finding a new place, then unpacking everything and
settling in to a new life, new routines. Finding out in a new town where to get
which groceries. Since March 2011, when I started this job, I’ve moved three
times – four times, if you count the move in Feb 2011. And I’ll be moving again
this year. And I have no idea just how on earth I’ll move the three cats! Never
mind how I’ll do the actual moving, the carrying everything out of the flat to
load on the truck – with the cats! And I’ve gotten more stuff since I’ve moved
in: not so much in the flat itself, there I only got the Induction Plate, the
Oven and the Vacuum – but all the garden stuff? And all the cat stuff? Ai, ai,
THAT adds up to a crap load! Oh gosh, and I forgot the desk & chairs I got
from work!
Okay, if I don’t stop fretting about all that now,
I’ll go nuts! See how I can go from a pimple to a funeral in four seconds flat?
Keep the focus on right here, right now. And that’s
simplifying my bookkeeping. I’ll have to download my statements tonight, then I
can reconcile last year’s records – though, since I’ve kept an eye on that,
there shouldn’t be any surprises. And then I can set up a new spreadsheet
tomorrow. And record my 2018 receipts. With that, I’ll then have what I need to
set up a realistic budget.
Still no internet at work, but at least someone’s been
to have a look. He reckons it’s a Hellkom issue (aka Telkom). My colleague,
however, reckons the cable was damaged – probably by a forklift. Hence all this
time to write down every step of the tangent I went off on!
Back at home, the Mips are not happy to go out alone –
so off I go, plonk myself in the garden and do some weeding. Both Mips are
fascinated by my activity and watch my every move. Well, for a while, at least.
When Rose comes home, I sit at the bottom of the stairs, she brings a chair
across the fence and her crocheting. While we sit and chat, the Mips are on the
stairs.
At one point, first Shadow then Ziva stalk some
pigeons in Rose’s garden … and the next minute: There’s Lady Jane! Right behind
Ziva! In Rose’s garden, right by the gate which is right by the road! I have no
idea how she got past the fence – probably under – but she doesn’t yet know how
to get back! After Ziva chased the the pigeons away, Lady Jane comes contritely
back to the fence … but not within reach, so poor Rose has to crawl behind the
bush to pick her up and hand her to me! She nearly stumbled and fell backwards!
Ziva climbs up on the post … and pretends to be stuck there, so I can come and ‘rescue’
her. Awww, sweet! Well, it would be, if she hadn’t first lured Lady Jane
outside her safety territory!
After six I go upstairs – Mips follow. Mewthos naps on
the other chair, Lady Jane under my chair, so after a while, I figure it’s best
to go and shut the gate. Yeah. No! I lock the gate and the Mips go out! By the
time it’s getting dark, they are still out – and not in the least interested in
coming inside! So I have to go and carry them back inside. Again! And they do
not like it one bit! They wriggle and fight me – but they don’t use claws. So,
in future, I better lock up when I get the chance – not wait until it’s getting
dark.
Ziva comes in soon after as well, but wants back out.
I’m thinking that is not a good idea. The Mips are getting to an age, where
they don’t like to be ‘babies’ any more, they don’t like to be treated
different from Ziva anymore. At the same time, I can’t exactly start treating
Ziva like a baby, either! So I have to start bribing Ziva. First with full-body
scritches – she loves that, but not always. Then with food. She ALWAYS loves
food! But not all types of food – she’s especially selective with wet food,
lately! But at least she always likes fishy sachets – whether in jelly or
gravy!
And now Mewthos demands my attention, so I better
spend some time with him!
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