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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Photos of Ashtonvale
A scrapbook of photos... You have to click on "play" to see them... Not advised for "dial-up" lines...
Holiday Time!
Andrew and I spent our first Valentine's weekend away at a Farm in the Natal Midlands. We had both been very stressed and busy at work so we were looking forward to being away from everything. We weren't even worried whether it rained or not - if it rained we were going to hook our computers up and play DOTa... it was all planned.
We left work at lunchtime on the Friday and enjoyed our drive. As we got a bit closer to our destination it became apparent that the one patch of storm clouds that there was, was probably hovering over our destination...
Never fear though... We trundled down the bumpy sand road from the entrance of the farm to the "reception". The person there asked if we would like tea in our room and also organised for someone to help us with our luggage...
We got into our room and that was where the fun started... the toilet was pink and white, the floor was dirty, there were cobwebs over the pillow of one of the beds, thin wooden boards over what should have been glass panes in the door, a bath that was too small for even me to fit into... and then horror of horrors... the discovery that there was not a single plug point in the ENTIRE room.
This wasn't too bad for me - having brought other stuff to keep me occupied other than computer games, but for the IT one, it was the straw that broke the camels back- as we watched the rain falling outside through the non-boarded up window. After some persuading Andrew was convinced to stay for the night.
In the morning the sun came out, we played some tennis, swam, played more tennis and enjoyed not cooking or washing dishes. In the evening there was a cute Valentine's dinner with balloons, red decor and heart shaped chocolates.
In the end it was just what the doctor ordered - very relaxing and chilled (we hooked our computers up in the cute little bar that had no alcohol or drinks in it?!). We left the next morning, having had a relaxing stay, but having agreed that we weren't going to be re-visiting anytime soon...
We left work at lunchtime on the Friday and enjoyed our drive. As we got a bit closer to our destination it became apparent that the one patch of storm clouds that there was, was probably hovering over our destination...
Never fear though... We trundled down the bumpy sand road from the entrance of the farm to the "reception". The person there asked if we would like tea in our room and also organised for someone to help us with our luggage...
We got into our room and that was where the fun started... the toilet was pink and white, the floor was dirty, there were cobwebs over the pillow of one of the beds, thin wooden boards over what should have been glass panes in the door, a bath that was too small for even me to fit into... and then horror of horrors... the discovery that there was not a single plug point in the ENTIRE room.
This wasn't too bad for me - having brought other stuff to keep me occupied other than computer games, but for the IT one, it was the straw that broke the camels back- as we watched the rain falling outside through the non-boarded up window. After some persuading Andrew was convinced to stay for the night.
In the morning the sun came out, we played some tennis, swam, played more tennis and enjoyed not cooking or washing dishes. In the evening there was a cute Valentine's dinner with balloons, red decor and heart shaped chocolates.
In the end it was just what the doctor ordered - very relaxing and chilled (we hooked our computers up in the cute little bar that had no alcohol or drinks in it?!). We left the next morning, having had a relaxing stay, but having agreed that we weren't going to be re-visiting anytime soon...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Here I am...
Hmm... I find myself typing a blog again... Usually I only feel like blogging when I'm a little sad, bored, annoyed, listless - basically the slightly negative emotions... Well, I'm determined that my blog won't be negative tonight, as I have much to be grateful for...
On Sunday I experimented with some cooking - one of my January and February Resolutions - We had a Crispy Chicken dish which turned out pretty yummy - the best part is having a husband who graciously does the washing of the dishes after each meal. We also had a yummy fruit bake that turned out well - and the best part of that was having leftover dessert for Monday night and Tuesday night. It is finished now, so don't even try wangle an invitation!
I missed Cell Group last week, but we are starting to read the book "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper. We had homework to read Chapter 1 of the book before the next study and answer a couple of questions. I hope this will be the kick that we need as individuals and a group to get going in the right direction.
I generally drive half an hour each work day to take/fetch Andrew from work and I've discovered the power of MP3 players. I've downloaded two sermons of John Pipers. The one didn't really sink in for me, but the other one is literally the first sermon I've heard preached that I'd choose to listen to more than once. (4 Jan 2009 "If My Words Abide in You")
What stuck out for me was the part when he raised his voice and said something like, "Satan is so much stronger than you and he hates you, he hates your family, he hates your marriage - what are YOU doing to protect yourself from him?" Shew, you have to hear it to really get it I suppose... but it was a wake up call that I should be memorising Scripture. You have to have something in your head to "meditate on it day and night". How am I arming myself?
In Chapter 1 of "Don't Waste Your Life" what stuck out for me was that instead of seeing what is permissible for a Christian we should be finding what is essential and the main focus and living the important part instead of living the minimal life of "what is permissible".
I think my work has brought out and further highlighted a part of my personality that does not allow me to do "pointless" things for too long. So I'll do activities that seem to have a point, but in the grand scheme of things are in fact still pointless - but I'll be busy and "accomplishing" things.
Let me give an example - I've started collecting craft ideas and putting them in a file - but unless I actually make some of the things - indeed, even one thing! - then I've embarked in a pointless activity. I've been busy to no good end. And where does this activity fit in in the grand scheme of God's mission for me??
Too many questions and too few answers!
Anyway - one of the verses I'm trying to learn off by heart is in Joshua. (Learning Scripture was also highlighted in another book I was given for my birthday, interestingly enought - maybe I'm slow to get the point??!)
Joshua 1:8-9 "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
May this be true for you too...
On Sunday I experimented with some cooking - one of my January and February Resolutions - We had a Crispy Chicken dish which turned out pretty yummy - the best part is having a husband who graciously does the washing of the dishes after each meal. We also had a yummy fruit bake that turned out well - and the best part of that was having leftover dessert for Monday night and Tuesday night. It is finished now, so don't even try wangle an invitation!
I missed Cell Group last week, but we are starting to read the book "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper. We had homework to read Chapter 1 of the book before the next study and answer a couple of questions. I hope this will be the kick that we need as individuals and a group to get going in the right direction.
I generally drive half an hour each work day to take/fetch Andrew from work and I've discovered the power of MP3 players. I've downloaded two sermons of John Pipers. The one didn't really sink in for me, but the other one is literally the first sermon I've heard preached that I'd choose to listen to more than once. (4 Jan 2009 "If My Words Abide in You")
What stuck out for me was the part when he raised his voice and said something like, "Satan is so much stronger than you and he hates you, he hates your family, he hates your marriage - what are YOU doing to protect yourself from him?" Shew, you have to hear it to really get it I suppose... but it was a wake up call that I should be memorising Scripture. You have to have something in your head to "meditate on it day and night". How am I arming myself?
In Chapter 1 of "Don't Waste Your Life" what stuck out for me was that instead of seeing what is permissible for a Christian we should be finding what is essential and the main focus and living the important part instead of living the minimal life of "what is permissible".
I think my work has brought out and further highlighted a part of my personality that does not allow me to do "pointless" things for too long. So I'll do activities that seem to have a point, but in the grand scheme of things are in fact still pointless - but I'll be busy and "accomplishing" things.
Let me give an example - I've started collecting craft ideas and putting them in a file - but unless I actually make some of the things - indeed, even one thing! - then I've embarked in a pointless activity. I've been busy to no good end. And where does this activity fit in in the grand scheme of God's mission for me??
Too many questions and too few answers!
Anyway - one of the verses I'm trying to learn off by heart is in Joshua. (Learning Scripture was also highlighted in another book I was given for my birthday, interestingly enought - maybe I'm slow to get the point??!)
Joshua 1:8-9 "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
May this be true for you too...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
So you want to be a CA?
...but what do you know about being a CA?
Well... they earn lots of money, they are generally considered to be professional, people listen to them (um...cos the CA is usually the boss so they have to!),their opinion is generally sought after, they have influence and they sort out stuff...
So...let me share with you another day in the life of this CA...
I started the day at 5am with my alarm going off telling me to go to gym. I was pretty gracious about this matter and went off for my exercise (I've decided to go on Tues, Thurs and once on the weekend).
After some breakfast and a shower I proceeded to work to start knocking off my "To Do" list that was 20 points long...
During the course of the day I:- (CA's like putting things in point form)
1. I explained to the Tax Manager how to do a Finance month end (we have to learn each other's jobs)
2. logged a call to the Photocopier people as ours was jamming.
3. checked someone's leave record to ensure all was as it should be
4. dealt with the internal auditor being upset with the management accountant and vice versa
5. checked some journals that we had to send to the terminals
6. created a journal
7. posted a journal
8. played the "communicator" and linked people up so they could get the info they required
9. sent out a communication to all the terminals
10. approved a change for the IT system
11. requested a change for the IT system
12. corrected data on the IT system
13. got someone in trouble that wasn't doing their job properly
14. reminded people of work that was outstanding
15. dealt with a difficult person who was irrate and not showing respect to staff in our Finance section
16. and then proceeded to escalate where the difficult person had messed up to someone who also cared (don't mess with a CA, they have influence and have no patience with rude people)
17. authorised foreign payments and local payments
18. answered the phone
19. listened to people's problems that visited my desk
20. got my leave form signed for a half day off on the 13th Feb so we can go away for Valentine's weekend :) :) :)
21. answered the assistant's telephone (he is also a CA, so you can imagine the calls)
22. supervised the staff
23. updated my "to do" list that is now 30 items long and re-scheduled "due by" dates for all the tasks I didn't do today...
24. etc etc etc...
okay, okay, I realise you are bored now... but I didn't force you to read this...
So basically, I left work an hour later than our finishing time, exhausted, made supper and now am blogging.
Tomorrow it should be the same sort of thing (ie. the day's tasks are all going to be unique) but no gym. After work, we'll proceed to my parents to say goodbye to them before they go away to visit my brother and sis-in-law and then go to friends for dinner, Thursday there are more activities after work, Friday a prayer-meeting after work, Saturday a lunch time braai about an hours drive away, Sunday is early morning church... and then Monday comes and it is month end at work...
Phew... so you want to be a CA? - Well if you can figure out how to juggle a stressful day at work, exercise, a new marriage, devotional time, sleep, time with two families, time with friends, church and church activities, grocery shopping and all the normal household tasks then please let me know. My life as a CA is certainly not unique, You either keep up, or bail out... The point of being a CA is that you have demonstrated that you can think, and problem solve - therefore you spend the day problem solving - which is exhausting...
In spite of this all, I do in fact love my job. I just wish the "to do" list was 5 long instead of 30 and I had double the energy. I'm learning a stack of stuff everyday and learning to be assertive and deal with difficult people.
Well... they earn lots of money, they are generally considered to be professional, people listen to them (um...cos the CA is usually the boss so they have to!),their opinion is generally sought after, they have influence and they sort out stuff...
So...let me share with you another day in the life of this CA...
I started the day at 5am with my alarm going off telling me to go to gym. I was pretty gracious about this matter and went off for my exercise (I've decided to go on Tues, Thurs and once on the weekend).
After some breakfast and a shower I proceeded to work to start knocking off my "To Do" list that was 20 points long...
During the course of the day I:- (CA's like putting things in point form)
1. I explained to the Tax Manager how to do a Finance month end (we have to learn each other's jobs)
2. logged a call to the Photocopier people as ours was jamming.
3. checked someone's leave record to ensure all was as it should be
4. dealt with the internal auditor being upset with the management accountant and vice versa
5. checked some journals that we had to send to the terminals
6. created a journal
7. posted a journal
8. played the "communicator" and linked people up so they could get the info they required
9. sent out a communication to all the terminals
10. approved a change for the IT system
11. requested a change for the IT system
12. corrected data on the IT system
13. got someone in trouble that wasn't doing their job properly
14. reminded people of work that was outstanding
15. dealt with a difficult person who was irrate and not showing respect to staff in our Finance section
16. and then proceeded to escalate where the difficult person had messed up to someone who also cared (don't mess with a CA, they have influence and have no patience with rude people)
17. authorised foreign payments and local payments
18. answered the phone
19. listened to people's problems that visited my desk
20. got my leave form signed for a half day off on the 13th Feb so we can go away for Valentine's weekend :) :) :)
21. answered the assistant's telephone (he is also a CA, so you can imagine the calls)
22. supervised the staff
23. updated my "to do" list that is now 30 items long and re-scheduled "due by" dates for all the tasks I didn't do today...
24. etc etc etc...
okay, okay, I realise you are bored now... but I didn't force you to read this...
So basically, I left work an hour later than our finishing time, exhausted, made supper and now am blogging.
Tomorrow it should be the same sort of thing (ie. the day's tasks are all going to be unique) but no gym. After work, we'll proceed to my parents to say goodbye to them before they go away to visit my brother and sis-in-law and then go to friends for dinner, Thursday there are more activities after work, Friday a prayer-meeting after work, Saturday a lunch time braai about an hours drive away, Sunday is early morning church... and then Monday comes and it is month end at work...
Phew... so you want to be a CA? - Well if you can figure out how to juggle a stressful day at work, exercise, a new marriage, devotional time, sleep, time with two families, time with friends, church and church activities, grocery shopping and all the normal household tasks then please let me know. My life as a CA is certainly not unique, You either keep up, or bail out... The point of being a CA is that you have demonstrated that you can think, and problem solve - therefore you spend the day problem solving - which is exhausting...
In spite of this all, I do in fact love my job. I just wish the "to do" list was 5 long instead of 30 and I had double the energy. I'm learning a stack of stuff everyday and learning to be assertive and deal with difficult people.
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