LS 5 4 Friday

Yesterday, Eskom notified us that we'd be in Stage 5 over the weekend (indefinitely, actually) and then this morning they announced that it would be Stage 4. Announcement at 05:30, effective immediately.

I guess we hit a 1-step ladder in the current game of snakes-and-ladders taking us through the stages ... 

Sprinklers were going again this morning, but the guy who works on them came in, and he turned off the ones that water the driveway and the one that waters the Wendy. So I could give the babies their food without getting wet, and walk to the gate dry, as well. Only the one in front of the veranda was working, when I left - because that one had been turned off the whole rest of the week ... the grass is turning yellow, already!

Not that I mind. Yellow grass doesn't grow - less work mowing. Even though I no longer need to do the work ... 

This weekend, I have less work on my 'must' list. I've given away the cherry tomatoes I harvested this week, so I don't need to make tomato paste. I'm not going to bake muffins again, just bread rolls. For my 'dinners' next week, I want to try something I've never tried before: Maultaschen! Basically, it's a type of pasta with a mince filling. Call it the German variation of lasagne. Maybe I'll even make a nice potato salad to go with it. I can make the pasta dough on Saturday, and finish them on Sunday.

Depending on how much I find myself making, I might even freeze some - they do go nicely with any stew!

Right, so, tomorrow just the standard: laundry, dishes ... and then pasta dough. Maybe I should go a bit overboard and make far more pasta dough than I'll need? I could freeze some of the dough. I could also make Tagliatelle and let it dry, use later ... or maybe even Spaghetti? I could experiment! And I don't need electricity for any of it!

According to the weather forecast, we're getting lots and lots of rain from Sunday onward ... today and tomorrow are still unpleasantly hot, likely too hot for gardening, definitely none in the sun; and once it starts raining, the ground will be too wet for me to sit on. Same as today - that's why I'm working on my tomato beds. I mostly stand up to reach the tops to tie them up, and for any ground work, I just sit on my stool.

In the news today, Jo'burg is continuing to play musical chairs with the mayor! First they ousted her - she went to court and it was ruled to have been illegal. Now they've ousted her again ... seriously, WTF?

The DA is in court against the ANC regarding cadre deployment ... 

Basically, what's happening on the political scene at the moment - in my opinion - is: everybody knows that the next elections (in 2024) will reduce the ANC's power. So right now, everyone is scrambling to snatch every last morsel off the gravy train ... while the DA is doing their utmost to return the train to the service it was built for: serving us taxpayers! And this year, they have to fight really hard to make sure there is something left when they take over next year ... so they can actually DO WORK.

Oh, I don't suppose the DA will win with the kind of majority the ANC has had - but they are absolutely going to take huge chunks out of the ANC! We are going to sit with a coalition - and at least the DA have by now gained massive experience with coalitions!

The problem in South Africa is, that the number of seats a party 'earns' is not proportional to the % votes. A one-man party, with only one voter gets a full seat. And has full authority to vote on every single decision.

So, what's happening in Jo'burg with the elected mayor being ousted, re-instated, re-ousted ... that's all because one-man parties are 'charging' for their votes. And the DA doesn't play those games - they operate strictly within the law.

Enough politics! It's depressing.

Speaking of which: power will be off from 16:00 - 18:30 tonight. Again from midnight till 02:30, then 08:00- 10:30 tomorrow morning and again 16:00- 18:30 tomorrow afternoon. Depressing, eh?

Well, maybe I should give some thought to what I want to do at home this afternoon! I think I'll keep going in the tomato bed ... some shade there.

Almost half past two. I guess I better publish ... who knows if I have internet at home tonight ...