The good, the bad and the fugly

Good:

1. TSC starts his new job next week. He's super excited and I am so pleased for him. I think that adjusting to the new routine may take some time, but this really is a wonderful opportunity.
2. I'm really bonding with some of the women in my small group that I've been trying to get to know better for ages now... great break through! I met with one for coffee yesterday and another one today and I'm excited that they've opened up to me. It's the start of great friendship, I believe.
   
3. I ran into an ex-colleague today for the first time in almost 3 years. Things didn't end well between us and I've always wished we'd patched things up better, but there was lots of hurt and I honestly didn't think she wanted me in her life, so I let her be. But she approached me today when she could've walked away and we had a quick catch-up, which was awesome. I think about her lots and wonder how she's doing, so it was exciting to hear all the good things happening in her life. She's getting married and doing some work on her own and she looks fantastic. It made my day. I nearly cried.
   

Bad:

TSC has one really moronic lecturer at varsity - one of those childish people who would not cope out in the real world. All the students try to collect old test papers to get some idea of what their exam questions will look like and how to prepare. This is fairly normal practice and all of TSC's other lecturers encourage it. Not this man.

Anyway, last year he made the mistake of using one of his old test questions exactly as it was with no changes (which is against university policy). One of the students (let's call him T), who had the old test paper, got 100%. The lecturer made the whole class rewrite a new test, which he made much, much harder than any other test, and he hasn't let it drop. Apparently he's found some of test papers missing from his departmental file and has assumed that T stole them.

He apparently phoned T last week, swore at him, told him he's going to make sure he gets expelled and that if he sees him on campus he'll have security remove him. T phoned TSC close to tears. The lecturer then took TSC aside at class last night and asked him if he has any old test papers and where he got them. TSC said yes and that he'd got them from the department's secretary, C. The lecturer then stormed into C's office, insulted her and told her he's arranging a disciplinary hearing and that he's going to try to get her in as much trouble as possible for handing over test papers to the students. C was understandable angry and upset, even though she's done nothing wrong. She phoned TSC, who feels terrible that he's dragged her into this whole mess.

It's just such a childish, stupid situation. The lecturer should not have used the same question in the first place. Chop.

I would so desperately like to give him a slap.

Fugly

Remember awhile ago I have having issues with two of the people I work with? I thought it was all sorted out. Apparently not.

It's all so flipping complicated! I've tried to explain the situation here and erased the paragraph four times now.

Basically, the situation sucks and there's no easy way out of it. It's nobody's fault, but someone is going to get hurt and one of the relationships is going to get damaged. On the one hand, I have to try to save a three-year business relationship with someone I owe a lot to. And on the other hand I have to grow my business and relationships that will help me to do so.

The problem is that there doesn't seem to be a way to do both in this situation. And it's stressing me out to the point that I have not slept for two nights now.

*Sigh*

Anyone have a deserted island I can escape to for a bit?

Mixed bag

It was a weekend of good and bad.

Let's get the bad out of the way first. Once again, my company has not paid me my salary. So, once again, I have had to transfer money from another account into my bank account so that my debit orders don't bounce today. I can't afford to buy groceries or put petrol in my car. My colleagues (who are both younger than me and live with their parents - no rent, food or bills to pay) are complaining that they can't hit the sales at the mall. I'm stressing about paying my insurance. It's a bit different.

The newest addition to the company, let's call her Vicki (not her name, but she idolizes Victoria Beckham for some inexplicable reason), resigned this morning. It's a new record - she's only been here three weeks. Sweet girl. I'll miss her. But I'm used to this saying goodbye thing now.

I had a meeting scheduled for this afternoon for possible freelance work, but when I phoned to confirm this morning, they said they've found someone else to do it. So bleak! I desperately need to find ways of bringing in more cash every month if this morning job is going to crash and burn. I've been trawling the net for freelance and part-time work, but it's in scarce supply.

My Ella (she's my car) has to go back to Honda sometime soon for a window check-up. There's been a safety recall on all Jazz models made between 2002 and 2008.

And that's the bad news done. Now, the good bits...

On Friday we had supper with four awesome friends. The one couple we know from church and the other couple are friends that they introduced us to. We had to mission out in the mother of all storms that hit Joburg on Friday evening to get to their house (our road flooded so fast that the manhole cover popped out), but it was well worth it.

On Saturday, I hit the gym for an aqua class and then TSC and I watched a few episodes of Scrubs and ate poached eggs on toast. I had planned a big day for us, starting with a nice home-cooked brunch, but seeing I had almost no money left over after buying my mom's birthday present, that didn't happen.

I had, however, found something to do in Joburg that cost less than R50 and would keep up entertained for the afternoon - SAB World of Beer. Now I am not a beer fan, but I must recommend this tour. Seriously good value for money! It's R25 per ticket (and R20 if you have an Edgars Club card), which includes the 90-minute tour, a small souvenir glass (filled with beer) and two drinks of your choice (beer, cider, cold drinks etc) with chips and peanuts at the bar afterwards. The tour shows the history of beer, from 6000 years ago to the present, as well as how beer is brewed at SAB today.

While there are some corny bits (like the "comedy" 3D clip showed at one point), we loved it. Good fun! There's also a shop selling SAB merchandise and a pub offering lunch and snacks on site. Very kewl.

Yesterday, we met up with my mom (who tells me she's now a lurker here too. Awesome), dad and brother to celebrate my mom's birthday, which is today. We had lunch at Mythos in Design Quarter and it was divine. I have leftover Mousaka for lunch today. Can't wait!

I love my family. They make me laugh.

After lunch we all went back to our place for some of my crowd-pleaser ice-cream (must post the recipe sometime) and coffee. It was so good to sit on our veranda and look out on the sunny garden while we chatted. Happiness, I tell you.

Wish I could stretch it out into today. I feel so helpless with this whole work situation. I don't know what to do, but I can't take this anymore. Anyone know of part-time / freelance work?!

I suppose there's no point in moaning about it, so I'll get back to work. Mom, if you're lurking today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You are the best mom I could wish for and I love you more than I know how to say.