Saturday

Mippies started waking me up as early as 4 am! Mini fished and pushed everything off the bed, lifted the lid on the flower fountain, took the food dispensers walkies (= pushed them around), licked my forehead, and a lot of other things. Mewthos thought it was a good idea, so he mewled, tried to pull down the curtains, sat on my bladder, and all sorts of other things! I don't know what got into them or why they suddenly decided 4 in the morning was a good time to wake me up!

By half past five I gave up, got up and chased them out. Well, no chasing involved, I just walked to the front door and opened it - they ran out faster than a speeding bullet! Finally some peace and quiet! I made myself coffee and sat down at the PC. Playing my game. In peace and quiet!

Until it started raining. And mippies came strolling inside, wet as anything, wanting me to cuddle-dry them. All, except Mewthos, whom I had to call to get out of the rain! He really isn't the brightest ...

I had some trouble falling asleep last night, something got me obsessing just before bedtime and I struggled to just let it go and get it out of my head. I had numerous cups of chamomile tea and multiple kitties enjoying the cuddle opportunities. So, getting to sleep past eleven and then woken some five hours later? Not conducive to happy times! Funnily enough, though, I felt neither tired nor drained today.

As it was cool, rather than hot, today, I decided to drink some tea! I took out my collection and started with Dandelion tea! Followed by Honeybush tea - that one's quite nice, actually. 

Mippies again needed lots of cuddle time, especially Lady Jane. It's as if she stocks up a weeks worth of cuddling! Saturdays are her cuddle-stock time! She spends up to half an hour at a time in my arms, curls up and purrs up a storm!

For lunch, I made myself a quick stroganoff. Just strips of steak, pasta and sour cream. I made the pasta from scratch, again. I used the last of the cake flour, as that was exactly 100 gram. Turns out, 125 gram would have been better for the size eggs I get. It was awfully sticky and I started with an egg whisk then by hand. Awfully sticky! Next time, I'll use the bread machine to mix the dough again. Since I had no more cake flour, I added bread flour. Brown bread flour. Then the dough got stuck in the machine everywhere, I added more flour and rolled it through, hoping the stuck dough would stick to it and clear out. No such luck, so now I'm waiting for it to dry - it should come out easily then. Sigh.

The meal was delicious, though! Tomorrow I'll make myself a bolognese. I got a pack of tomatoes on Friday, which need using up. I've also got mince, and I'll make pasta again.

And now it's time for another cup of Chamomile tea. It's not just drinking the tea, but the focused relaxing I do while I drink it. Lets hope for a better night tonight ...

WayHey! Friday!

Work is suddenly quite busy for me. Why? Well, someone woke up to some of the spreadsheets I've spent most of last year on putting into place. Yikes! What an ugly sentence that is - grammatically speaking! Let me try to re-phrase that. You know all those infrastructures I've spent so much time on last year? Well, it came up in conversation yesterday and I showed someone just what's available and he went "Yikes! We're stupid! We should use that!" As a result, I'm busy fine-tuning the data to meet specific requirements. Something I enjoy!

At home, I'm having some trouble with Mini and the Flower Fountain! She insists on taking it apart! She lifts the lid ... and everything goes SPLASH! Water on the floor ... and with it having an electric pump, there's the risk of water reaching the electrical outlet ... two days in a row I've had to switch the whole thing off in the morning! She takes it apart while I'm still sleeping, I wake up, get up, fix it ... and then she takes it apart again just before I have to leave. Giving me no choice but to switch it off to sort out when I get back. Last night she went so nuts over it, I eventually had to place the whole thing inside a basin! I'm using the little washing tub, the little grey basin. And then, just as I'm about to leave ... SPLASH! Again!

Two years I've had that fountain! Earl, Ziva, Lady Jane all had no issue with it. Not even Mewthos! Along comes one little Mini and ... SPLASH! I'm not exactly sure what her motivation is, whether she just wants attention or whether she thinks this is a fun game. Or whether its because I no longer react to her fishing my stuff off the bed in the mornings ... she's a playful, busy little bee for sure! And in the evenings, I now have to go outside, pick her up and carry her inside!

Also, since they've smashed one of my favourite cups, they have been in that shelf every day while I'm at work! I no longer leave a cup in there, but every day my coaster is on the floor, sometimes with my jar of hand creme. Today, I came home to find my keyboard on the floor, as well!

I did a quick shopping trip to the Orchards Spar today. Not a nice Spar, but it's close to work. And they had Buttermilk, which I needed and hadn't found at Ninapark Spar. They also had black grapes on special, so I took two. I also got another block of cheese, and a few bits and bobs.

I've started drinking a cup of Chamomile tea every evening before bed - I think that's helped a lot with me sleeping so much better. I've been waking up nice and early every morning this week. Okay, so Mini with her new dismantle-the-flower-fountain habit has also played a part.

When I got home, I tried a cup of that Cappuccino Melange I had ordered. OH! MY! WORD! Where have you been all my life? And: Can I keep you forever and ever? Heavenly! Absolutely heavenly!

My first thought, naturally, was to order more - and working out what it would cost me to have one cup each day and whether I could afford that. And then my brain got involved and I realised that I miss having a really good cup of filter coffee every now and then. Funny thing, though, I've never had a really good cup of filter coffee from any private source. What I mean is, the really good coffee was always prepared by professionals. Neither my mother, nor any friend or acquaintance ever made coffee that good. Even with those fancy, hyper-expensive automated coffee and cappuccino makers. You know, the ones that grind the beans for every cup.

I used to have a percolator myself, the smell of fresh coffee IS nice, but the coffee itself was never really special - that's why I switched to instant. And now? I'm re-considering! Ha Ha! I just may switch back!

Not for quite a while, though, since it would involve some purchases and the vacuum sealer is still top of the list. And with the current balance, that's not going to happen soon. If I manage to build up a balance by the end of this month, then maybe I can buy it next month. I think.

Anyway ...  

Wednesday

Another buzz-free night! I love it! Mini started her fishing expedition early this morning, so I woke up even before the alarm went off. Sadly, it's no longer light at half past five - not dark, just no longer daylight. Time is moving towards the 'drive-in-the-dark' time of year again - not looking forward to that. Not at all! Urgh!

Anyway, yesterday afternoon, I spent some time looking through all the special offers one of the shopping sites has currently: Yuppiechef! They currently have pages and pages of specials! I saw some really, really cool stuff! Best of all, I saw a robot vacuum! Oh, I've seen them on Facebook, in gifs with kitties playing with them - but they just seemed so way outside my budget, I never looked them up! As it turns out, they're not all THAT expensive!

Look for yourself! At first, I was a bit taken aback when I read 'not suitable for carpets' - I think of vacuum cleaners as being FOR CARPETS! But then I read the reviews and people raving how it takes care of pet hairs, cat litter (enthusiastically scratched to land outside the box), etc and I thought: Awesome! Apparently you charge it and then it can 'work' for about an hour. Now just think: I come home, mippies rush outside, and while I'm outside with them, robo-vac cleans a room for me! All I'd still have to do is wash the floors - on it's own, that's not too bad! It's just too much after having swept the entire place ... Plus: It can get under the bed, too, I think!

No, I'm not getting it now! Remember my budget? And how I overspent on my last trip to Spar? First thing I did last night was to update my budget - I haven't had the courage to see the damage of that last trip, yet. Well, if I add the 'unspent' from last month, it's not actually too bad. Still, before I indulge in a luxury, I really should get the vacuum sealer first! THAT will keep food fresher, especially cheese! That starts to grow mold as soon as you open it!

Well, I DID buy some things, though. First, I bought a type of measuring cup. Yes, I do have one, it works, but the 'measures' are really difficult to make out, as they are merely raised plastic, same colour as the cup. The same goes for the ones that came with the bread machine - I'm forever holding it into the light to try and read the measurements ... then fill it, then hold it up into the light again, hoping I don't pour the contents over my head! Anyway, this one is simply a glass tube with a kind of plunger. So, you first set the plunger to the correct measurement, then you fill it! Oh, and even difficult ingredients can simply be squeezed out! I think that will make my life quite a bit easier!

Then I got a butter making kit, from the same company that makes the cheese making kit. Why? Well, it comes with a recipe book and I've not had much luck with my butter making, have I? I think there's something I'm missing - which the blogs, where I got my info from, didn't include. So: ask a qualified person!

That brings us to the fact that I haven't made any cheese in ages! Why? Well, as usual, I rushed headlong into too many things at the same time! Make my own bread, grow my own vegetables, grow my own herbs, make my own cheese, make my own butter ... too much, too fast. That's all! Oh, the cheese was no failure - unlike the growing vegetable part, ha ha! But I didn't get past the simple cottage cheese type ... there's so much more!

I've taken a step back and now, first, I'm focusing on my bread making. And my approach is definitely paying off! The bread I'm baking now has come a long way from what I baked even a month ago! I'm still learning, though, for example that I shouldn't make too big a loaf when I'm rolling meat into it. Because it doesn't keep too long. Well, it SHOULD be eaten the same day, not used for packed lunches for a week! Ha Ha! Also, I should take the meat out of the fridge about the same time I start making the dough, so that it isn't cold when I roll it into the dough.

When I'm consistently making good sourdough loaves, only then will I start to tackle the next thing: either cheese or butter! And I'll take it as slowly as I'm taking the bread making, now!

Okay, so then why buy a butter making kit now? Well, it's on special now. And it'll keep. It's not too expensive, either. And then I got baking paper, which was much cheaper than what I've found at Spar and I treated myself to some Cappuccino's. Little cups, which you apparently just shake (to get froth), pour into a cup, and add hot water. I'll try that!

I'm going to have to re-budget the cat food as well. Firstly with the price increase (which I believe I can cope with) and secondly with an increase in gobbling of the Fit 32. I had budgeted 4kg every 8 weeks - but they finish 4kg in 6 weeks! It's their favourite! So, some re-calculating required.

My grocery delivery can wait till next month - which is next week. I'm already making a list, comparing prices against in-store prices (although that's not exactly fair, since online quality is by far superior! They check every single ingredient, so I really know what I'm getting - unlike the store bought items, where the ingredients read like a chemistry lab report!). I have to compromise, though. If the price is a lot higher than the store, I won't be able to afford it.

Anyway, it's five o'clock, time to go home ...

Tuesday

When I woke up this morning, for some reason I was convinced it must be either Sunday or Monday morning - naturally, I hoped for Sunday. I checked my phone and it said Tuesday? Huh? Can't be! I waited till all my faculties had come awake and then remembered that I had indeed been at work yesterday! Funny how the mind works sometimes!

Mini entertains me every morning by fishing something off my bed. She sits next to the bed, then you see her nose coming up to peek where everything is, followed by a paw fishing for the nearest item! It is really funny - albeit annoying! Every morning something has to be fished off the bed, either my glasses, my phone or my hairbrush! The worst is, when it ends up UNDER the bed - not just near the edge, but nice and far under, so I have to get on my hands and thighs (can't go on my knees), then look where it is, hope that I can reach it - if not, either go get the broom or push the bed out of the way!

Some people do morning exercises ... I have cats. They make sure I do something exercisy first thing every morning!

Last night, for some reason, they all started bouncing off the walls like total loons! It was like living inside a pinball machine - you never knew when a cat would bounce off you! Mini, of course, was the worst! She still had too much energy to work off. But Ziva and Mewthos joined her quite happily ... I just tried to stay out of the way, and picked up everything they bounced off the furniture, like the lamp, cushions, etc.

Shots were fired nearby last night. Two, at a half hour interval. It's scary, especially when you don't know what's going on - and it's not exactly smart to go outside to look, either! All I can do is sit inside and hope ...

For dinner last night, I had the last of the chicken roast - well, I had put all the potatoes, mango, carrots, etc. into a pot with the juice and just heated that Sunday and last night. Quite delicious! I'm having the chicken in the form of a bread loaf. For tonight I put out a Kotlett - poor mippies came running excitedly when I sat down with my food, smelled the plate and stalked off in disgust! No meat! Again! What is wrong with mommy?!? Ha Ha!

I got mail from the pet food supplier: prices are going up! Well, the manufacturer increases their prices, so they have to adapt. Which, yet again, got me to thinking whether there isn't some way I can earn extra income ...

But the simple fact is: I'm not passionate enough about any ONE thing to even attempt to turn it into an income. It should be the other way around: FIRST you have a hobby or interest which you are passionate about and then, maybe, there's a potential income from that. It's no good looking for a potential income and then hope you can make it.

As you know, I've had plenty of ideas. Writing this blog was a beginning ... to see if I could actually keep doing something for a prolonged period. And the answer is: sort of! Ha Ha! At times I write every day, but I've also had times where I had nothing to write for a month ... And if I want to use a blog - or something like it - as a marketing tool, then I need to be more consistent. Plus, of course, the content must always be first class - not like I sometimes write 'bleh, blah blah, bleh' Ha Ha!

And there really isn't any one thing I'm really passionate about. Consistently. I keep meandering from cats to garden to kitchen to work ... nothing consistent. And then I come up with something new and go off on a tangent ... 

Before I get lost on another tangent, let me publish and go home for the day :)

Pottering about

I was too lazy to write my blog this weekend.

Saturday I slept late, trying to catch up on lost sleep. Yeah, I know, it doesn't work like that, but it's the best I can do. It's those pesky mosquitoes! They really disturb my sleep with their constant feeding frenzies. I'm getting near my wits end what to do about them! Any 'repellent' usually contains citronella - and that's bad for cats! Well, not merely 'bad' but actually poisonous.

I've just had a look, apparently Rosemary, Mint and Chamomile are good plants to repel pests which are NOT poisonous for cats. Well, my Rosemary is coming along nicely, I guess I'll try to spread that around the garden as much as it will grow!

I managed all my chores on Saturday, and I could even wash-and-dry a load of towels! Landlord is away for a couple of days, so I can use my drier! Ha ha! 

For my lunch, I roasted a chicken. Then I used the leftover chicken and some of the veggies in my loaf of bread! As in: rolled out the dough, spread the stuff and rolled it up before baking! Quite yummy! the only problem is, predictably, that the dough tends to clump somewhat - you get wet clumps rather than dry baked bread all the way through.

Sunday I got up a little earlier, but still had quite a bad night. I'm not overworking myself, and with the rain, I didn't really work in the garden, either. I did, however, sow some pansy seeds! Oh, and some California poppy seeds, too! Remember those beautiful yellow buttercup flowers I had in PE? The ones I thought were a weed, simply because they were so prolific? Yeah! Ha Ha Ha, turns out they came from a packet of seeds I brought to the garden! Well, I've sown all seeds in the flower bed opposite my kitchen, so they are welcome to spread there!

Oh, and I've also noticed that my sunflowers all face due east. So, next year, I will plant them all along the west fence, so that the flowers face me!

Last night was the first good night in ages! I slept through the night and woke up nice and early - so lovely! I think what I'll do, is get more rosemary seeds and start putting up pots with that stuff everywhere! I'll look through my seed collection, and whatever I've got that's supposed to be repel mosquitoes and flies, I'll put into those jiffy pellets.

End of the week

We're all very happy that it's Friday! Mippies have been wanting to go out in the mornings since Wednesday and I'm also glad this week is over!

I've now taken to drinking a cup of Chamomile tea in the evenings, and I must say, I'm sleeping better. Although, I still wake up during the night - not really sure why. I guess I'm just uncomfortable, either due to itching or just plain heat.

There wasn't anything worth writing about yesterday, nor is there much to write about today. Well, I did go shopping this morning - and the 'helpful' car attendant broke my milk bottle! Sigh! And they wonder why I always refuse their 'help' so adamantly! But today, I had parked the car a bit stupidly, and couldn't get the trolley to the boot, so I thought he could help by carrying from the trolley to the boot ... until he decided to pick up the crate. Remember our gardener in PE? Who also ignored all my warnings? Yeah ... this time, there was a glass milk bottle in the 'crate' ... which, of course, dropped onto the street and shattered!

I spent far more money than I had planned! But they had butter on special, so I bought 3 kg. Then they had mutton on special - that's normally way out of my price range, but this was nearly half the normal price, so ... They didn't have any bread flour, just the standard variety - not stone milled. Nor did they have Instant yeast. Not even cake flour! They did, however, have a nice variety of fruit juices, especially of the cold pressed variety - expensive, but, well, I figure, with my low energy levels lately, that might just pick me up! And this time they had some fresh stock, not stock due to expire this weekend. Oh, sure, some of the bottles expired yesterday - that's become standard practice now, to just leave that in the shelves - but I've learned to double-check everything! Always kick myself when I don't!

I also treated myself to my monthly Sushi! Which was a treat right until a piece of soy-soaked rice got into my tooth! The one where the filling had come out, leaving the nerve exposed! Yikes! I nearly jumped through the roof with that sudden pain!

I also looked for an ice cream treat ... but they only have the chocolate-bar kind (you know: mars bar ice cream and such) or exorbitantly expensive Häagen-Dazs - possibly worth the price, I wouldn't know. It is way, way out of my range! Just like smoked salmon is now beyond my means. Which is a real pity, because I used to love a smoked salmon croissant as a breakfast treat!

Such is life ... prices go up, salary doesn't and every year my standard of living goes down ... The only reason I'm still coping, and coping well, is that I get a lot of pleasure from making things from scratch - and loose ingredients, when bought in bulk, are still cheaper than processed food. Well, not exactly, because the processed foods use a lot of 'filler', cheap chemicals to make it look and probably taste as good as the real thing, just without the nutrients - which is the whole point of eating food in the first place! So, on the whole, my 'hobby' is the reason I still live the good life!

Speaking of which, I had better get online to purchase the flour & stuff I couldn't get at the shop today! I'll have a look in my cupboard today to see just how urgently I need what - it would be good, if it could wait until after pay-day ... not really, but good on paper.

Anyway, I'm glad the week is over ...

Somewhat better

I'm feeling somewhat better today. No real reason - I'm still not sleeping well - but I just do feel better. I still had trouble going to sleep last night, even though I went and made myself a Chamomile Tea - which usually helps a lot! Mippies love it when I'm up and about throughout the night - they get lots of cuddles!

Anyway, I think I have an idea how to finally bring about change at work. I mean, I've tried all the nice ways: asking, begging, reasoning, motivating ... Nothing has changed. So, now I'm thinking of denying incompetents the authority to interact with the store! What I mean is: If you don't know how to properly book goods into the store - you don't have the authority to do it! I mean, the other day, this guy booked in goods and the only thing he got right was his own name! Not even the date was correct!

Nobody cares - why should they? It just means that I have to re-do everything before I can do my job. No skin off their nose!

So, I'm thinking of preparing a test that must be passed (nothing less than 100% - either you can do a simple job like booking goods in, or you can't! There's no in between!) to authorise booking goods into the store! Childish, eh? I'm open to suggestions! Come up with something better: I'm all ears! What also needs to be in place, though, is training for those who fail. And, I must have several tests, not the same test all the time, or they'll cheat! Sigh - yes, very, very childish. And before I 'implement' this, I'm going to get the go-ahead from my boss! So when the colleagues, who are all talk and no action try to balk - especially with those childish posturing of 'I'm too high-and-mighty to do things right' - try to block me, they find themselves pre-blocked!

Yes, I know, having to take such extreme measures just to get paid employees to do the job they are paid to do ... 

I'm also thinking of adding an incentive: Once you get something like 100x booking correctly, you get a reward. Cash would be preferred, I think. That will help two-fold: a) people will book things correctly and b) bring small quantities more frequently - which will finally solve the 100kg-plonked on the floor problem! PLUS they will look around the factory for things to book into the store - which will solve another problem: material from jobs completed months ago is still floating around the factory! Seriously!

So, that's cause for feeling better. Light at the end of the tunnel ... and not an oncoming train, ha ha! It's a lot of work for me, again - I'll also need to write the relevant procedures. But we sure could use procedures, anyway, so it's not a waste of time.

Back to fun stuff: I tried baking bread on foil last night! I folded a sheet three times, giving it a little stability, placed the loaf on top and added the cup of water! Success! The loaf is decidedly crispier on top and NO BLACK BOTTOM! Although, that might be due to the juices from the meat I had spread inside? But definitely on the right track! Which brings me one step closer to the ultimate goal: sourdough bread!

Right, discussed my idea with my boss, got the go-ahead! Now I just have to do all the ground-work, then I can present it to him and it can happen. Will happen!

Spent the afternoon working on some form of procedure(s). Man, but this flashing on and off is really annoying! I've got the fan going right next to my desk, but my back feels like it has it's own electric blanket! I hope this isn't going to continue for too long ...

One thing I finally did today: I scanned in the bread recipes from my bread machine, then printed them out on A4 - double the size it was! It's really difficult trying to see whether that's 3/4 cup or 1/8 cup or just what that teeny tiny print is supposed to be - especially since the lighting in the kitchen isn't too great. I remember my mum used to ask me to read tiny print for her - maybe I should have got myself knocked up, then I'd also have someone to help me out! Ha Ha!

It's funny, really, how people label people. The label I get for not having gotten knocked up is not a flattering one. Ditto for not having married the wrong man. At my age, I should have kids and I should be divorced - if neither, then something must be wrong with me, and I get a derogatory label. Plus, of course, not having made mistakes in either department, I'm not a fully qualified adult - I lack all the experience parents & divorcees have. Fortunately, I don't care! Feel free to label me any way you like!

Anyway, nearly time to go home, so I'm going to publish and pack up ...

I want to break free!

I was very surprised to wake up at five thirty this morning - even before my Mewlarm went off! Why? Well, because last night I just could not get to sleep! I tossed, I turned, I got up, I tickled tummies, I cuddled mippies, I scratched ears, then tickled more tummies, got up again, I tried everything. I went to bed around nine, and the last time I checked it was half past midnight! I was sure I would oversleep!

I made myself an extra flask of coffee to take to work, though. Sooner or later this lack of sleep will get to me. But at least I was wide awake when I set the bread machine and I remember not just setting it, but switching it on as well. So: dough will be ready when I get home!

I made a cardboard-covered-by-foil baking tray for the loaf of bread, last night still. It'll be interesting to see how that will work out? I am a little worried about it being a fire hazard ... I'll be close by watching ...

I've had a chat with At and he's also concerned that the cardboard might get so hot that it starts burning, even though it's not exposed to an open flame. So, to be on the safe side, I think I'll use only foil tonight.

Oh, yummy! My chocolates have arrived! I don't know what it is with me and chocolates, but at least it doesn't take much to make me happy, eh? 

I'd been feeling somewhat down yesterday and started re-reading some old posts from my blog. Like the day my mippies were born, etc. That's cheered me up a bit - but I also notice that, from about January on, I also have low energy! I guess that's a seasonal thing with me? That's depressing!

At work I'm getting somewhat disgruntled. It's one of the things that kept my mind buzzing throughout last night - how can I break this merry-go-round of nothing-changes? I've already tried such a lot of approaches, ideas, systems ... but it's like farting against thunder!

I just tried to discuss one of the issues, which had come up this morning - only to get screamed and shouted at! Yikes! And they say women are the emotional sex? He then stomped off to get our boss involved - but I know he won't get involved. I was right, ha ha! Now this guys is stomping around like a bull who's caught a glimpse of something red but can't find it again! I'm so sick and tired of these childish tantrums!

I've been feeling down in the dumps all day already, and this really didn't cheer me up! The 'down in the dumps' is probably mostly a menopausal side effect - they're such fun, aren't they? Yes, work is reason enough - every approach I've tried so far got a lot of talk 'yes, I'll organise this' and 'great idea, I'll get the ball rolling' ... but talk is all that ever happens!

Okay, I feel a little better now: the tantrum thrower has apologised for shouting at me! 

And it's almost time to go home ... only, once I'm at home, I just get down again! And then I end up unable to sleep and staying up half the night! Vicious circle! How do I break free?

Monday

Not a good night, I tried sleeping with my feet facing the fan to avoid the stiff shoulder in the morning, yet still have mozzies blown away ... useless! Those mozzies are so fat already, the fan doesn't seem to affect them. Throughout the night, my one arm felt like sand paper, never mind bubble wrap! It was absolutely covered in bites, from the shoulder all the way to the fingers! Seriously! I just don't know what to do anymore ...

I overslept, even though the Mewlarm went off at full volume even before the alarm went off! I still made my coffee, scooped the litter box and went through my morning routine as usual. Just didn't drink much of the coffee - oh, and I forgot the USB stick at home. I keep the game documents on there, so I can update those at work - time permitting.

I'm struggling with moods at the moment. Part of the fun of many paws, methinks. Hot flashes are clearly not enough to get me down, so let's add another level of fun! Well, it could be worse, of course, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier.

I'm at odds with everything today. Pretty much like yesterday, too. Everything feels like such a drag, just draining energy for no reason. Even my mind isn't able to focus on anything much, it just whirls around like a butterfly caught in a storm. Nothing interests me, I just want to couch-potato the day away ...

Which isn't a problem at work, at least. Monday-Wednesday the store is pretty quiet, everyone just hangs around in the factory, some doing production ... and then Friday after noon they start bringing in their finished goods for me to check, pack and capture for delivery. Last minute, as always. Nothing changes.

I've looked around a bit about my baking issues and learned that, for cookies, I should get a light-coloured baking sheet (we used to call them trays, but now they're called 'sheets' apparenly), since the light colour disperses the heat evenly. Dark coloured trays (yeah, I'm going back to what I know) absorb a lot of the heat which then goes into the base of whatever is on top of the tray. Hence the burnt cookies and also why my bread is always burnt (or close to burnt) at the bottom. And that's also why a roasting pan should be dark. I've shopped around and decided to save my money.

I'm going to try and experiment with foil first. See, when I put the bread on a tray, then put that tray into the oven - all the heat goes into the tray, none is circulated to the top to give it any kind of crust, or even to bake it evenly from all sides. It just bakes from the bottom up, through the tray. The tray sort of works like a cooking pot on an electric stove - first you heat the plate, then the plate has to heat the pot and then, finally does the heat reach your food. So, the oven is warm to hot under the tray, and relatively cool above the tray. So, I thought to myself: why not create my own 'tray' made of foil? It would have to be several layers (folded) to hold it's shape on the grid - but if I do it right, I should be able to re-use the foil. And bread dough isn't like cookie batter - it's not as liquid and holds its shape to some extent. And then, just for fun, I'll add a cup of water to the oven, to provide the moisture which a gas oven lacks - and give the bread some sort of crust!

Hmm ... I could always just wrap foil around cardboard? That should be stiff, and use much less foil? And since the cardboard is enclosed, there should be no risk of fire?

And then I stumbled across 'how to shape bread loaves perfectly'! Turns out, it's very simply done in a proofing basket! When it's risen for the last time, you just turn it upside down and plop the dough onto the baking tray! Since the basket should be lined with flour, that puts the finishing touch of flour on top of the perfectly shaped loaf of bread! I had been wondering how they get that swirly pattern onto the loaves - and it's so simple!

Again: I can make that myself very simply! After all, it's just round sticks glued into a swirly shape - just like my paper baskets! I just have to use thicker sticks! And, of course, use a lining, but that's just like the rattan proving (or proofing) baskets. I can get another bread bag and use that material!

Of course, first, I should finish the belt I'm still busy making! Ha Ha! I showed mippies the scratcher I made for them - they showed no interest. None! I sprinkled it with catnip, which got them interested ... in licking it! Sigh. I need to add more layers to make it more solid.

Ach, I'm just in no mood for anything today, and I don't know how to get myself out of this mood! Maybe when my chocolates arrive tomorrow, that will lift my spirits? Anyway, it's almost time to go home ... yay!

Sunday

My Mewlarm went off early, as usual. I'd heard some crockery or such falling and breaking during the night - but couldn't find anything all day. I just found it: the extra heavy granite bar holding down the mesh on the window sill! It's not so much that mippies are trying to get out, but they are clawing up the mesh to get above the curtain rail, whenever there's a gecko meandering innocently along the wall! I found out, when I followed after a tissue box stuck on a mippie head - which turned out to be Ziva's!

I didn't do much today, well, there wasn't much left to do, was there? And it was too sunny for gardening - and I wasn't really in the mood, either. I crumbed all the pork and packed it in the freezer, scooped the raw Leberkäse into bags, which also went into the freezer ... I had one crumbed pork chop for dinner - delicious, and I didn't share. I had it early, while the mippies were still outside, he he he.

I did enjoy quite a few of my cookies and gave quite a bit of thought to how I'll get them right, next time. I wrote my shopping list for Friday, ordered my chocolates and then did a bit of research about baking in a gas oven.

Basically, if I want crust to form on top, I need to add moisture - which I could do in the form of a cup of water in the oven. Or I could buy a beautiful clay dutch oven I saw online, a Römertopf (translation: roman pot). I'd love to get that - but ... well, it's expensive and it would be a real shame if I buy it, and then don't use it! Especially, since I'm already cramped with storage space in the kitchen.

But I would like something for the oven. It got me to realise that I haven't once made a roast of any kind since I've moved in here - not a chicken, not a pork, beef or roast let of lamb! I also have some fish in the freezer, which - for want of a dish to use in the oven - I haven't baked, yet! So, I think I'll have a bit more of a look around tomorrow.

In the middle of my research, the internet went off ... bit of a dampener. Ach, my mind's gone blank now ... I think I'd better go to bed.

Plodding along

My Mewlarm went off at six, so I got up and let the lot of them out. I made myself coffee and settled for a lazy morning in front of the PC ...

I did the laundry - even folded and packed it away! On the same day! Yeah, I'm wondering about myself, too ... I promise I won't make a habit of it!

Two things in this place driving me up the wall: the buzzies and cupboards! Buzzies are all those flying insects, flies, mosquitoes and the teeny tiny mini buzzies, that get sucked into your nose when you breathe in! Seriously, that is the worst! And then cupboards: How the heck are you supposed to get stuff from the back of the shelf without having to first take out everything in the front? Trying to get to the tin of baking ingredients behind the flour and things I frequently use ... frustrating!

Anyway, I baked a small wholewheat bread. I really like the texture of the wholewheat flour I'm using, it's stone ground and unsifted, so it's pretty rough rather than fine flour. The only problem is, that it has more moisture than fine flour, which I need to take into consideration when I add the other ingredients. And, of course, I don't know how! I'm no baker, just an amateur who needs to follow recipes. Well, I was a bit worried when the dough didn't seem to have risen enough. But it turned out fine.

I did go shopping yesterday and bought a raw Leberkäse. Now, what I did was to smear that raw Leberkäse onto the rolled out bread dough, then roll it up like a swiss roll, let it rise again and then baked the whole thing! Deeeelicious! Absolutely delicious! Especially with the lovely texture of that flour! I've cut it into slices and packed it into lunch boxes for the week - which I've put into the fridge! Not going to risk any of it going off!

I did, however, eat the end bits - that's how I know how delicious it turned out!

For breakfast, I had a slice of Bienenstich - a German type of cake, with a creamy center and almonds on top. Yesterday, I treated myself to a slice of a nutty, marzipan chocolate cake. Yes, I went to the Brotstube :) I also got myself 2 Brezeln there. I had one last night and one for breakfast.

While the dough for the bread was in the machine, I washed the dishes ... and then cleaned the spice-rack corner of the kitchen. It needed it, but I don't know where the energy came from. Well, I'm not really using much energy, as I'm plodding along at the speed of a snail ... just shuffling along, wiping a bit here, cleaning a bit there, pottering around.

I packed away the sausages and the cold meat I had bought yesterday. I bought sliced Leberkäse as well, sliced quite thickly, as I want to put that into rolled out bread dough, too. And then I got some cheese as well. German Emmentaler. I tasted a piece, yesterday, and it is delicious! And not too expensive, either!

I took a nap in the afternoon, but, again, didn't really manage to fall asleep. I got up again, and looked up the double-chocolate cookie recipe and decided to give that a try.

I meant to first crumb the Kotlett and Schnitzel I had bought, then put them into the freezer, crumbed - but I'll need flour for that, and I might not have enough left afterwards for the cookies. So: cookies first!

Basically, the cookies is just melted chocolate and a little bit of dough (flour, baking powder, eggs, etc.) Lots of chocolate, though. And some butter. I couldn't imagine that turning into cookies ... and I was right, ha ha! They turned out like chocolate pancakes! I mean, honestly, how is that batter supposed to hold any kind of shape? It's just going to spread on the tray, right? Well, that's what happened, anyway. Very nice, albeit a bit hard - very moist, though!

Part of the problem is, I think, that I'm baking in a gas oven. Everything I bake tends to burn at the bottom and stay raw-looking on top. All my breads and rolls as well. If it isn't burned at the bottom, then it isn't done. I've been stabbing loaves with a stick trying to avoid the burned-at-the-bottom bit ... no dice! I've read about that difference between gas & electric oven ... I still don't know how to get things to come out right, though. It's because there's heat ONLY from the bottom - no circulation. And, of course, it all goes into the tray, which gets extra hot and just crusts whatever touches the tray. Ah, well, I'm not trying to bake anything for sale - just for me! And for me, the taste is what matters most!

Well, Lady Jane is eating again, Mewthos' paw is normal sized again - but now he has a scratch across his nose, from his left eye to his right nostril! Don't ask - I have no idea! And the vomitting seems to be finally over as well! Whichever mip it was.

Oh, and my cat deliver arrived on Friday, as well! That was quick! But they're in Jo'burg, not Cape Town, so there's no flight involved.

Mewthos made me laugh last night! He came running with something he'd caught, and at the front door he put it down ... and it flew away! It was a dragonfly! Unharmed, apparently! 

Well, tomorrow, I have to wash the dishes again, crumb the pork and freeze it ... hmm, maybe I'll have one for dinner tomorrow night. With all the bread and cookies I've eaten today, I'm not really hungry tonight.

Right now I could use another two hands! I've got four mippies stretched around my bed, all loving their tummies tickled, happily purring away! 

Under the weather

I woke up yesterday morning feeling absolutely drained. I had gone to bed early, as I'd been feeling low all week - but, once again, Mini woke me up when she decided to take apart the flower fountain ... again! I don't know why, but she's been doing that every night this week; which is why I haven't been getting enough sleep!

I really don't know why she keeps taking the flower fountain apart. She hooks her claws into the top, lid part, then lifts it up. Which firstly, always spills water onto the floor - and, of course, I have to worry that she tips it over! It holds 1 1/2 liter water - I can't have that on the floor! Also, when she takes the lid off, the water, naturally, splashes - it now fountains into water, instead of through the flower onto the lid! Noisy! Wakey mommy! Mommy grumpy!

Yesterday, I thoroughly cleaned the fountain - yet, once again, last night, she tried to pull the lid off! And she always waits until I'm asleep! I suppose she thinks it's a lovely toy, and playing with that particular toy, always results in attention from mommy! And mommy, of course, can't afford to ignore the possibility of all that water ending up on the floor ... possibly reaching electrical plugs! Sigh!

I was looking around online, yesterday, for an alternative. There is a nice fountain, which I think my mippies will love! It's the Drinkwell Fountain, the 1 1/2 liter version. But fountains are not exactly cheap - plus, they need filters. I bought this little one for R500, 2 years ago - now it costs over R800! Same price as the one I'd like. My problem is, that I haven't been able to get replacement filters for the one I have, which is why I'm considering getting another ... and then, yesterday, I saw that ePetStore HAS those filters back in stock! Huh? I've been on the 'notify me' list for a year - no notification! And now you know why I've changed suppliers!

Well, that and the fact that they don't offer discount for recurring orders plus, of course, they sent me a doggie treat as a 'thank you for shopping with us'! Anyway, after much thought, I ordered 2 sets of 3 replacement filters for the fountain I have.

Back to the morning: when I woke up feeling completely drained, plus I saw that mippies had been sick on the bed during the night ... I called in sick. If I was feeling like that first thing in the morning, there was little chance I'd make it through the day - I'd probably go home before noon anyway. Might as well save me the trip.

I did very, very little. Yes, I put the duvet into the washing machine, hung it up and took it down. Ditto the bed sheets. I did the dishes. And I swept the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. Which took me almost the whole day - I was moving around like a zombie, in slow motion. In the morning I could have just turned over and gone back to sleep - but I didn't want to completely mess up my sleep cycle! I tried a nap at noon, but couldn't fall asleep. I did get a nice rest, though.

I spent most of the day in my armchair watching the Golden Girls and cutting up cardboard. I cut them into large triangles, which I then glued together and tonight I can put it up against the wall as a cat scratcher! With it propped against the wall, they can also put their back into it and get the stretching while scratching they need. They still use the one that I built when they were mini mip mips! Lady Jane came to see what I was doing throughout the day! I'd always put down the knife, then pick her up for a cuddle session.

She worried me a bit last night, as she wouldn't eat! Not sure why, but I suspect she's the one doing all that throwing up this past week. Now I'm thinking whether I need to take her to the vet! Mewthos' paw is back to normal size ...

Ai, ai, ai! They gives me grey hairs!

Rant alert!

I also thought about WHY I'm feeling so awfully drained. I mean, lack of sleep, sure, that contributes. But if that was all, then I wouldn't have any trouble falling asleep - especially not for a midday nap! And, well, there is some other stuff bothering me. At work. I'm getting more and more frustrated with the complete lack of professionalism at work. Attitudes seem to be declining - and I feel boxed in on all sides. On that project for improvements, if I don't push, nothing happens.

And then, there's my work space: it is totally inadequate! Has been since day 1! It's a store, and there are three functions of a store: Receiving, picking & packing, storing. I have no receiving nor packing space whatsoever! I'm doing both bent over, using either a trolley and / or the second desk as a work area! Neither is at an acceptable height, so I have to pick up goods in an awkward position. Then check them, and then pack them - usually into a bag on the floor!

The floor in the office was full of potholes for months! It took 'maintenance' nearly the whole year to get those fixed. I have a phone here - but it doesn't work, since it's no longer connected! So, whenever the client wants to speak to me, I'm called to the main office! And now, I even have to friggin' traipse all the way to the main office for every friggin' printout! My printer has run out of ink - which I've been requesting since October last year, when I put the last cartridge into the printer! My boss has apparently first decided that I don't need a printer ... but he hasn't had the basic decency to tell me! When I finally found out about it, I had a talk with him - and he agreed that I actually do need a printer. He's making changes to the whole printing, to be more cost effective - he wants only black-and-white and is considering renting printers. All very well, but for EFFS SAKE I've been fekkin' asking since fekkin' October! Get your fekkin' rear into gear! I'm not traipsing to the main office for every single printout! I'm beginning to feel like the friggin' soccer ball of the company - you know? The one everyone gets to kick around?

I don't have the means to do a proper job, for example: our raw material arrives in 3m long bars or rods. It gets offloaded with the forklift and placed onto the floor inside the factory. Then someone needs to unpack it, pick it off the floor and carry it into the store! Seriously! I've done it in the past, but I've had enough! Now, I have to accept that, when factory staff do it, they just toss it into the shelf any ole how! Fine. But here's another issue: it is delivered in kgs! I have no means to verify that what we actually receive what the delivery note states! I've been told what each bar and rod supposedly weighs (nobody can tell me, where that information comes from = no justification), so the best I can do is count the number of bars / rods and calculate what the total weight should be.

Of course, I write down how many bars / rods I've received - but that information is not used by anyone! What I'm saying is: we PAY whatever the supplier asks - regardless what they actually delivered! On one delivery note, they clearly under-delivered ... apparently we paid, no questions asked!

And my boss wonders WHY we're not making a profit? And he also has more important things to do than the project I'm trying to push to FIX THIS BUSINESS?

Rant over.

Well, I've decided that the most important project right now is to fix my work space! Before I lift a finger for anything else, other than the bare essentials to keep stock moving, I will design a decent work environment for myself and make that happen! And I'm also going to have a talk with my boss - when I've calmed down a little, so, not today.

As I was going to sleep last night, listening to my audiobook, Terry Pratchett's Going Postal, it suddenly hit me: I feel EXACTLY like Ponder Stibbons! Ha Ha Ha! Okay, so I'm not the youngest nor newest member of this circus, but I do seem to be the only one with a professional attitude, working hard to get things right!

Today, as I was getting frustrated again, I just told myself: Ponder Stibbons! It's working like a mantra to turn frustration into laughter! It's not really funny, considering the consequences, but it's the best I've got!

I also considered, as I was off, that I should maybe do my shopping. But I was not up to anything yesterday. I was hoping that I'd maybe have the energy to do two trips in one - that is, go to the Spar today, after I've been to the German butchery ... I'll see how I feel when I'm done at the butchery! But frankly, I'll already have quite a bit of processing to do from the butchery, so I don't think it would be a good idea to add more than I have to! Especially considering how I'm feeling - can't count on being all happy, busy and chipper!

I'm afraid that the rolls I baked with the cheese and meat ... well ... they don't keep very long! Ha ha! I'm a silly goose, ain't I? Anyway, I have this idea of buying a raw Leberkäse and spreading that inside the dough, then roll that up to make a loaf! This time, I'll freeze part of that loaf! But that should turn out well! I've also been thinking, that I might as well crumb the Kotlett and Schnitzel BEFORE freezing them - it would save me a lot, not just in time, but also the crumbing ingredients. Every time I crumb just one, I have left-overs - and there's nothing you can do with extra crumbs and flour! Plus, of course, there's the three bowls I use for that to be washed every time. Yeah, I'm lazy - so, what? Ha Ha!

Well, I do feel much better today. Let's see how much I'll get done by tonight ...

Another dish bites the dust

I'm feeling kind of down. Frustrated at work. Then I get home to find Mewthos broke one of my favourite coffee mugs! Now I have only one left! They were a gift from a family friend. Irreplacable. Sigh, by now Mewthos has broken more dishes in his short life-time than I have in the past 10 years! How can I be so sure it was Mewthos? Who else is so clumsy?

I have absolutely no energy for anything. Early night, methinks.

Muffins!

I don't know what came over me, maybe some second wind - though with my luck, it was probably just wind!

Anyway, I baked muffins! And for the first time, from scratch - not using a pre-mix.

Mewthos was driving me insane throughout! I don't know what his problem was, I think it had mostly to do with not being able to go out, rather than is paw. He mewled and mewled and kept going to the front door. I kept picking him up and holding him, again and again, but he just wouldn't stop. Next thing, he turns his rear to the passage door, tail up, and shoots a stream at the door! And that's the door between my flat and the main house! So, I ended up having to stop what I was doing to clean the floor and the door.

I guess it's my own fault - he doesn't like to piddle in the big box, and I'm afraid the piddle box is really bad! And he couldn't go outside ...

It still didn't stop his continuous mewling, though! On and on and on and on. I continued to pick him up, cuddle him, let him down, on and on and on and on! Eventually I dosed him with Metacam. Still, no change! So I tried another sachet of meat. No change.

The muffins were in the oven, I'd washed the dishes, fried my steak ... eventually sat down to eat ... and ended up having to share almost half! All four mippies were around, Mewthos at the front, Ziva right next to him, Lady a little back and Mini watching from a distance. I guess that did the trick, though, because after our shared dinner, he's now quietly snoozing on the bed! I guess it has been too many days since I've shared dinner. Apparently it is far more important to my mippies than I realised!

Well, the muffins taste okay, they're just a little dry. I'll try a different recipe next time.

I've given some thought to the litter and litter box issue and decided to cancel the order. I urgently needed some litter for the shallow box - because it is shallow, the eco fibers just end up outside too much, which is why I've been using the crystals. They don't have crystals online, so I thought I'd try the clay ... then I saw the litter box and that clinched it. But now, I'm thinking, the clay will be too heavy again, just like the sand ... so ... until I've decided what I really want, I'll stick to the crystals. So I quickly drove to the Orchards Spar and got a bag. That litter tray is really bad now, I just have to clean that tonight!

I've had a chat with At and he also 'feels' the weather, so I'm pretty sure that Mewly's swollen paw is simply the rain, not that he did any additional damage. Still ...

At home, first thing I did was change the litter box - under close supervision by Lady Jane, who rewarded my efforts by using it immediately I put it down! Ha Ha! She's my little fussy one, that's why she's called 'Lady' Jane!

And yes, Mewly's paw looks a lot better today. Still a little swollen, but not as badly as yesterday. Mippies were very happy to get out today! I also did some digging, since the ground is so lovely and soft. I turned over the flower bed and pulled out the weeds - I had been waiting for rain so I could get the whole roots out. I noticed, however, that Leon did not wait for rain - he pulled one of the weeds out a day ago, or so. I noticed the root is broken at the end, so I'm afraid it will come again. He also tossed Agapanthus seeds into MY flower bed! Nice try, deary! If they do come up, they will be moved - I have my own plans for that bed, he he he.

It was quite late when I got inside with my mippies - gardening until it was too dark to see, again. Yet, I still did make some custard to put over my muffin! Which I had after dinner - which, once again, I had to share generously, ha ha ha! Ziva came for some custard as well. Funny, they all used to come when I poured custard over a muffin or ice cream - I used to have trouble finding space for my own spoon. But I guess they were already happy with the steak we had for dinner.

Hectic Monday

Cor, what a day! Work was actually so busy, I didn't get time for much else!

But first: what a storm we had last night! The rain came down hard and fast as if someone was emptying buckets from above! At least mippies had had their time outside, so it didn't affect them. I just couldn't hear my audiobook over the rain - but that didn't bother me much.

This morning, Mini was in hyper-drive! Man, she pushed the lamp of the night stand, then switched it on, tried to pull my glasses (in their case) off the bed - and when I sat up to put a stop to it, she went and 'hid' under the night stand! Ha Ha! As if I'd be angry! Never have been, why would I now? But yeah, she was bouncing off the walls, zooming from room to room, into my wardrobe, over the bed ... 

I got up quite early, as a result - but still managed to arrive at work late: traffic! Ah, well ...

As I said, work was crazy busy today. The cat food was delivered today, but the other order, they called to let me know that they are out of stock on the litter box. Sigh. It was on special - now I need to think what I want to do. I'll have to do that at work tomorrow, though - internet at home is lousy again. The blog doesn't need much data, it sometimes works even when none of the other sites do. Sigh.

When I got home, it started raining fairly soon - poor mippies! Didn't have much time outside! I quickly showered, just in case the power won't last - with bad weather, especially a thunderstorm, chances are that it will go out. Another sigh!

I'm worried about Mewthos cripple paw - it is quite swollen today! I don't know whether he fell or jumped off somewhere ... I'm not 100% sure, but I don't think it was this swollen yesterday. I think I would have noticed? It doesn't seem to worry him, though - at least, no more than usual. I'm hoping it's just the rain - but I'll keep an eye on it. Again, if I was still in PE, I'd have bundled him into the carrier and been off to see the vet already - but here? It is such a long drive! Traumatic for him! Also, if I do take him, I'd like them to have his file from the vet in PE. Hach, my little worry baby! It breaks my heart seeing him hold his paw in the air like that ... and yet, he walks on it quite normally? I just wish I knew what I should do!

I'm being lazy tonight. I'll just fry myself a steak for dinner - share with my mippies, of course - and that's it. I'm not in the mood to wash dishes, after all. Ach ... whatever ... grin and sigh again.

Sunny Sunday

Mippies woke up early, I woke up late. I let them out just after six, again.

I still haven't got much energy, but somehow I managed to do what needed to get done. Although I made enough dough for a 900 gram loaf, I wasn't completely in the mood for experimentation. So, I just rolled the dough through the pasta machine, added a layer of mozarella and wrapped it around the Speckwurst and the spicy sausage from the German butchery. The mozarella is too soft to slice as thinly as I would have liked, and I had to make sure I'd have enough left for my Gordon Bleu.

I also took a walk through my garden and harvested what needed harvesting: some radish (which I sliced and added to one of the rolls), a few beans (ditto), and some basil and sage leaves. I added the sage to the Gordon Bleu.

I can't believe it's already five o'clock - it feels like I just got up; yet I'm as tired as if I worked hard all day. Just got no energy.

I wasn't hungry last night, so I didn't cook anything for dinner - but later I was hungry. So tonight, even though I'm not hungry, I'll make my Gordon Bleu. I did manage to wash the dishes again, though. At least the kitchen is clean for the week.

Well, there's not much more to tell ... Good night!

Rainy Saturday

Poor mippies! They were so excited this morning, knowing I'd be home and they could go out - and it rained and rained and rained! Which I love, but ... poor mippies! Mini pushed my phone off the bed even before the alarm could go off, and Mewthos joined by sirening around the bed ... I held out half an hour, but then I got up!

The bread turned out really well! A bit sweet, but I've since re-checked the recipe, I used the right amount of sugar after all! I guess with rye, the yeast needs extra sugar to do the job.

I did the washing, but only the blanket is dry. The rest is still hanging in the lounge.

I spent most of the day reading. I picked the bread book - turns out it has a lot of information and descriptions of breads around the world, but not that many recipes. And all the recipes are based on fresh yeast, not dry nor instant yeast. Ah, well. I did learn quite a bit! Time well used!

I've decided to give the same dough another try, since it turned out so well. I've taken out some sausages and the lovely, large Schnitzel for tomorrow. I want to try and add cheese into the wrap around the sausages, and maybe even make a few extra rolls. And I'll use the rest of the cheese to make Gordon Bleu with the Schnitzel.

With all that rain, mippies were bored! And what do mippies do, when they're bored? They cuddle! One after the other after the other after the other! That's why it took me most of the day just to read the Bread book! Even Ziva came for a walk across my tummy! She doesn't usually come cuddling, not like Mew & Janey who want to be held close. Oh, make no mistake, Ziva is every bit as loving as any of them - just in her own way!

Well, at least all that throwing up last night and during the week seems to be no cause for worry. They're all active and happy.

I also placed some online orders. I don't actually need much, so I didn't spend much money. I'm sticking to my budget nicely - so nicely in fact, that I'm actually adding to my savings. Just a little last month, and hopefully again this month. Unfortunately, it's not likely to add up for long, as there are some things I need to get which are not part of my budget - can't be, as I can only afford them, if I save up for them. Like reading glasses. Some basic clothes. And then I'll see if I can still get the vacuum sealer. No worries, though - I've got everything I really need, and everything for my hobbies as well!

At some point in the afternoon it looked like it might clear up, but luckily the clouds came back and we got some more rain. Mippies took full advantage of the break in the clouds! By evening, it was so lovely and cool, I actually enjoyed a hot bath before going to bed!