LS 4 3 4 Tuesday

Power was indeed off at home ... it finally came on around half past eight!

I fed the ferals ... that's about all I did. Packed lunch. I took the chicken - oven tray and all - and put it in the freezer. I just don't see myself picking the meat off it anytime this week, especially as we're scheduled 18:00 - 20:30 most of this week.

I flopped around in about an inch of water again - call it a bath. I ate some cheese for dinner - I just didn't have the energy to cook. Even a quick fry was too much. I harvested tomatoes, as there were red blobs all over the plants - when they're red, it's usually too late. My box is filling up fast!

This week is really tough. I'm not sleeping well, I'm up later than usual, courtesy of power outages ... it's only Tuesday, but I wish it was Friday already!

Sigh ... spent more money than budgeted, again! I ordered my monthly chocolate stash - feel free to judge me, I don't care! The chocolate was on special, but ... they also had the pens I prefer to use! I haven't found them online or anywhere for ages ... and the one I'm using, is getting low on ink.

Why am I so particular about which pen I use? Well, to be honest, my handwriting is simply awful! In fact, I don't actually HAVE a handwriting. I can look and handwriting in old school books, or old letters and not recognise it as mine. It changes, depending on WHAT I'm writing WITH. And the most legible result comes from a 0.7 ballpoint. Not gel, not hybrid, not fountain ink, not 1.0 ... 0.5 would be better, but 0.7 mm works.

So now it all comes down to my weekly grocery spending. At present I'm about 10% over budget - as in, I'm budgeting to spend 7.6% more than I earn. I think I can bring that down, though. And since I'm keeping such a close eye on every penny ... I'm not worried. By the end of the month, I'll either bring it down to 0% over income, or - I hope - even less.

I watched the DA's True State of the Nation Address, TSONA 2023, and he made two very valid points: 1) The ANC is hoping on their voters to buy whatever they're planning to promise; rather than look at their track record. Ramaphosa has been making the same promises since he took over. Instead of progress, everything has gone down the toilet.

The ANC has only mindless, blind faith going for them - they have absolutely nothing substantial to show. And 2) the 2024 elections are a simple, binary decision: continue the current downward spiral, or change. ANC or DA. Voting for any other party is STILL voting either ANC or DA; because each of those smaller parties WILL take their orders either from the ANC or the DA. In some cases it's 'take their orders from' in others 'will align themselves with'.

My personal expectation of the presidents SONA 2023, to be given on Thursday: <flushing toilet sound effect>. Period. ALL Government Services have collapsed. Eskom is simply the last straw ... the linchpin, if you will.

Well, announcement from Eskom: Stage 4-3-4 to continue 'until further notice'. Translation: get ready for Stages 5 and 6!

Load shedding tonight again 18:00 - 20:30. I'm planning on turning on the geyser, mincing the chicken livers and hearts, cooking myself dinner ... then shower after eight. Or maybe I'll see how much pressure I can get in the shower during load shedding ... So: mad rush until the power goes off ... then two hours waiting ... Sheez, this is insanity!