LS 6 Friday the 13th

No, I'm not superstitious about Friday, the 13th. We're in Stage 6 load shedding - power is off 10 hours a day ... what do I have to fear?

Oh, and Electricity is going up by 18.65% from 1 April, and another 12.74% same time next year - announced yesterday evening. Unacceptable! Totally unacceptable! And our president announces that he 'deeply regrets Stage 6 load shedding' - what a feckin' joke!

This is what one energy expert had to say:

" Energy expert Tshepo Kgadima says the Nersa-approved hike is two times above inflation. 

“It has brought the electricity tariffs over the last seven years to a whopping 893%. South Africa is effectively being priced out of economic competitiveness if you take into account the high electricity tariffs that we have, with the increased stages of load shedding that we continue to experience. "

Let me rather change the subject ...

I DID make the chicken and rice dish last night! Set it all up when I got home, and when the power came on, simply pushed the button! The chicken was a bit tough, though ... 

Then I sat outside and collected Marigold seeds, followed by poppy seed pods. Mommy cat brought her kittens again - I'm always relieved when I see them. They are starting - very, very slowly - to get used to me. They watch me when I work, and run away when I move - but they now do stay to play while I'm in one place!

I overdid the 'watching an episode or two' - well, it was the first time this week I could watch anything. I ended up staying up till about ten. Overslept again, this morning - though not by much. I woke up just before six, enough time to turn off the PC before the power went off.

ePetstore STILL don't have Whiskas in stock! I've now clicked on 'Notify me', so I'll get mail when it comes back in stock. I've also started a chat asking when they expect it to be in stock! I've had a look at alternate suppliers ... do I want to try and register with Game? More and more stores are getting on the 'delivery' band wagon ... which is good for me!

Ah! Whiskas has arrived, they're just busy loading it on the system, so in an hour or so, I should be able to place my order!

Okay, after three hours, I wrote back ... they loaded 4 boxes, which I immediately ordered and paid. Should get them Monday, latest Tuesday. Good, because I'm halfway through my last box already! For the outside cats, I bought a tin of cheap cat food. They are not fussy at all! Unlike my lot!

Since I bought less than budgeted, my budget is still looking good! I've not gone over. Given how tight I budgeted ... so far, I'm somewhat impressed. I didn't think I'd be able to pull that off ... okay, so we're not even half way through the month ... I need to fill up the car today, and I'll be stopping at the butchery today ... so, let's see where I stand next week.

News are funny things ... this whole week, local news were filling space with Prince Harry's book, the Boksburg tanker explosion and the ANC meeting ... the same things they've been calling 'news' throughout December. Now all of a sudden it's flooded with the Electricity Price Increase! Everyone shouting, lamenting, warning, etc.

We have been almost continuously load shedding since JUNE last year! NO ACTION of any kind has been taken to even address any aspect of the problem! It's all been hot air - talk, talk, talk. Our Minister of Energy called the CEO of Eskom a traitor (yes, seriously!) in response to which A) Eskom CEO handed in his resignation and B) Eskom CEO was poisoned! Our president's response? Good that he resigned, if he whines about drinking cyanide with his coffee, he clearly hasn't got the balls for the job!

Look at this:

Last year was the worst year EVER since load shedding was first introduced in 2008. The ANC was warned that this would happen, ten years before! They spent 10 years doing NOTHING to prevent load shedding, and then another 14 years doing NOTHING.

Which begs the question: Why am I so upset that they're continuing their established trend?

I've just posted the following question on FaceBook:

"Where can I claim for medical expenses incurred by an injury obtained while shaking my head in utter disbelief at the news?"

Valid question, wouldn't you say?

Well, almost time to go home ... it's twenty past two. Power off till at least six, going off again at ten ... I don't know whether I'll even bother to turn on the PC tonight, and even if I do ... chances are that I won't have internet. So ... I better publish now ...