I know… sorry boys, you’re never sure what you’re going to get when you show up here… if it’s not boob stories it’s [ahem] eMOtional blog posts…
Happily, PMS is actually over… but my word… Thursday? I could have cried at the drop of a proverbial hat… Every Billy Joel song I listened to would make me mist up… Good Grief. I’d expect to mist over at Eva Cassidy… but Billy Joel? I need help.
Anyway… a client of mine walked right into the PMS minefield. HA. Bet he’s sorry now…
This is how it went…
[cue birds singing cheerily outside, a clock ticks gracefully on the mantle…]
Computer: “You’ve got Mail!” and then I read; “Hi Dee, here’s a few more bits and bobs to do on so and so’s site. We’ve a couple more things to send through, will do that early next week yada yada. etc. etc.”
[to which I replied]. Thanks, just checking, this is at my usual [rather lovely] hourly rate?
Computer: Ah, actually, I think that the client can ask for whatever little bits and bobs he needs to have done to finish the site, we’re not charging him any more… do you really think you should?”
At this point I’d like to point out that I’m talking here to a middle man, between the client who paid them for the site and me, who actually did the work at a ridiculous rate. In fact, I’ve done somewhat above the 8 hours work originally paid for. The initial job was to develop a pre-prepared design to a working site. No added extras… Actually, as they have a staff member well versed in Contribute and static site maintenance I was unprepared for them to ask me to do the content… A lesson to oneself in getting a written agreement on what gets done for the quoted price… And to date there have been rather a lot of added extras, and this last email which listed 22 final touch ups is the second email of ‘final touch-ups’. (Just in case you thought I was being unreasonable…).
I sent him a bit of a stinger email. Not something I’ve been used to doing, partly fuelled by a long history of this kind of heel digging on his part and a hearty dose of PMS…
I think the best part about it is that I’m no longer a slave to the need to keep the peace. I know my worth in this area, I don’t have an emotional investment in this relationship that I have to balance so I can speak my mind and stand my ground without fear. And if I’m perfectly honest? Sometimes it feels a little bit good to stand up and say ‘Up Yours!’
PMS or no PMS.
I’ve Been a Bit Crap Lately…
At blogging, I mean.
It isn’t as though I’ve been vastly busy really, though I’ve a new client who may be in the way of putting a bunch of work my way which is welcome busyness…
And then there’s the business of looking for a new abode which is sneaking up. I’ve not found an alternate, the smurf house was a total dive… the ‘kitchen at the end of the bed’ kind of unsuitable… not really me… so it means I may need to find more money to move to a one bed. But I’m sure the right place will… well, manifest eventually…
I have rediscovered novels, at least since I handed in my last assignment. Hurrah… so I’ve been buried in those, even at the expense of TV which is rather marvellous. I loved this one. Tannenbaum’s grasp of language and meticulous attention to character make for gripping stories. I have to say I’ve been enjoying turning the box off until there’s something on I particularly want to watch and filling the gaps with reading… I started this one last night and it’s proving compelling as well, and Australian which is always good!
Anyway, I was rather delightfully reminded this week that I haven’t posted a Mupdate, which is very remiss as we’ve had very good news.
You’ll remember Mum had a bilateral (both sides) mastectomy. Blech. It was largely a choice she made so as to avoid having to live with the fear that in spite of close care and early detection protocols and radiotherapy that in who knows how many months or years she’d be back in the hospital having to go through it all again. So, attached as she had been to her girls for 60yrs minus pre-pubescence, she had the chop.
Well, you may wonder what good news could come of it… But it transpired at her follow up cancer clinic appointment there was much rejoicing amongst the staff. Apparently, there were more cancerous nodes that had been undetected by the mammo or the ultrasound and that would have remained, perhaps unharmed after radiotherapy (had she taken the less radical course of treatment) and because she made the bold move, and because all tests indicate that there is no lymph involvement, she has been given the all clear.
Yep.
All Clear.
There’ll be ongoing meds for 5 years or so to deal with any microscopic tissue, it’s a hormone fed cancer so the meds gradually reduce whatever that hormone is. But other than that.
All
Clear.
I’m a bit grateful. I wasn’t ready to walk the terrifying road.
Not just yet.
I know you won’t get to read this Mum, being a technophobe and all… But for the record.
You’re a champion.
In the Absence Of Anything More Reportable…
1. Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?
“Honestly I wish I could, but I have pleadings in the morning and this judge is a bear. Another time, huh?
2. If you stretch out your left arm – as far as possible, what are you touching?
The Pillow
3. What's the last program you watched on tv?
I’ve just left Flick watching ‘So You Think You Can Dance..” She’s in hysterics… I seriously can’t stand it…
4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
8.10pm… hmmm, it’s 7.55
5. Except the computer, what can you hear right now?
BBQ sizzling downstairs… The TV, Traffic, The ocean… Cicadas… not a bad combo… except for the TV part, of course, Oh yeah and Flick cacking herself at the TV…
6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?
Got out of my car and came inside..
7. What are you wearing?
Fav Jeans, peach singlet shirt.
8. Did you dream last night? If you did, what about?
I never remember my dreams, unless they’ve been interrupted. So, nothing to report.
9. When was the last time you laughed?
Good proper laugh, was Saturday night listening to an early recording of my boss… singing, he was. Just for context he’s an IT manager by profession… I’ll leave the rest to your imagination… (it was his 40th Birthday… his mum supplied the tape… he was mortified!)
10. What's on the walls in the room you're in right now?
The Wall above my bed has a tapestry made for my by my sister. It’s a pic of me dressed in the outfit I wore when I sang at her wedding and across from me is a pin board of all manner of things… notable are the backstage pass for Australian Idol final, when I sang in the choir, tickets (used) to U2 and Billy Joel, Lion King… among others. Pix of my fav people, stuff I’m dreaming about (mostly computer gear) a Postcard from Secret Agent Josephine… and insecticide mats for my mozzie zapper.
11. Have you seen anything strange lately?
I saw a peculiar bird land on the sill outside my office. After some web research I found out that it was a black headed cuckoo shrike… It’s also known as a Shufflewing because when it lands it flicks its wings about… quite bizarre..
12. What do you think about this meme?
It’s a bit of a marathon…
13. What's the last film you saw?
I’m really crap at remembering what I’ve seen and what I haven’t… I suspect it might have been Mission Impossible III. That’s pretty much the last one I saw at the cinema… I haven’t counted dvds or airplane movies.
14. If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money?
Tithe it, buy a house, invest the balance and use the tithe on the interest to support Childcare International.
15. Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know.
Well, most of my life is on this blog… let me thing… I have Factor V Leiden, a blood clotting disorder which doesn’t affect my daily world, but will whenever I become pregnant or have major surgery.
16. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt – what would it be?
Ending African Poverty. God, if I could wave a magic wand and see the land abundant, the political tension erased and no more people starving the West would have its domination shattered and life would be a lot fairer.
17. Do you like dancing?
Hmmmm personally? Not to do it but I do like to watch…
18. George Bush?
Genuinely misguided.
19. What do you want your children's names to be, girl/boy?
Natalie Marian, Reuben Edward.
20. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Too Late… I already am… and have done on other continents too.
21. What do you want God to tell you, when you come to heaven?
The spa pool’s a bubbling… there’s margaritas on the bar. Enjoy!
22. Who should do this meme?
Anyone brave/stupid enough…
Munificentia
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Your Vocabulary Score: A+ |
 Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person. |