LS 6 Thursday

Aaaand we're on Stage 6 load shedding 'until further notice' ... Pffffft!

Stage 6 is bad. It means on average 10 hours a day without power, usually 2 x 4 hours + 1 x 2 hours. And power is rarely on for more than 4 hours at a time ... How TF am I going to do my baking?

Ah! I'm just checking the weekend schedule: Saturday I'll have power from 08:30 - 14:00, so I can do my laundry and clean the kitchen. Same again on Sunday - so that gives me 6 hours!

IF we STAY at Stage 6! Chances are that they push us to Stages 7 or 8 soon ...

I just watered the garden last night, then sat on the veranda until mippies were ready to come in. Showered. Ate the last of the meatloaf, settled down for the night ... 

I had an idea about a design for a window fence ... if I can fit some type of fencing into a bedroom window, that cats can't get through, I can keep a window open all night - that would help a lot with the heat at night. The tricky part is that I still need to be able to close the window, if it rains.

I could buy the mosquito guards, like the one in my kitchen window - but they cost money, of course. So I'm thinking of making something similar from cardboard. Only, I'd need to cover it in plastic, so the outside - at least - is waterproof.

I woke up to a cat fight at my bedroom window ... sometime between midnight and four, as the power was off at the time. As a result, I overslept. Sigh ... Got to work about half an hour late ...

Just went to get groceries, managed to 'activate' my new credit card; though not at Spar, only at the butchery, I'm afraid. At Spar, they had some specials, I got margarine, potatoes, and bananas.

The Gardener magazine price has increased by a huge amount! 32%! I think that I should stop buying it now ... this price? Not worth it to me! Nothing wrong with the magazine - I just don't fit their target audience, that's why I say that TO ME it isn't worth it.

They had my brand of cigarettes, so I bought my full month's budget! I still have one carton on budget ... 

At the butchery, I just bought cheese and chicken legs. I want to see if I can bully myself into making the effort to make the rice dish tonight. It's really not much effort: Just add water, rice, place the chicken on top, and press start ... it has a timer, so it goes off automatically, when the rice is done. I'll see how I cope tonight ...

Back at work, I updated my cat food delivery details - changed the 8kg to 15kg and updated my credit card details. Sent them mail, just in case - if there's a problem, they will let me know.

Oh, how cool! I posted this, earlier on FaceBook:

I think it's time that South African food producers take load shedding into account with their 'Best before' dates ... Like:

Best before - no load shedding 2 weeks

Stage 2 - 2 weeks

Stage 4 - 1 1/2 weeks

Stage 6 - 1 week

Stage 8 - buy & eat / drink ... no chance of keeping, even for a day!

It's now making the rounds, ha ha ha! Being shared far and wide!

Oh crap! Tomorrow's load shedding schedule: 06:00 - 10:30 & 14:00 -18:30 & 22:00 - 00:30! That's my morning - though I brewed a pot of coffee today, so I won't need another one tomorrow morning. That's my afternoon - I get home at three! And my night ... 

But at least I can leave the PC on tonight, for a change. First time this week, that I even turn it on! I'll be able to watch an episode or two tonight ... but, of course, I can't count on internet. So ... I had better publish from work ...