The Real Jenty

There are a few questions I haven’t answered yet, so here goes…

Angel asked: Before you started taking pictures, did you have a hobby of some kind?

I did fabric painting (I’ll post a few photos of what my work) and decoupage and cycling… I’ve cycled the Argus twice, and the third year we were going to do it, I broke my arm by falling off my bike… and then I fell pregnant so that was the end of that.

Angel asked: How do you manage to fit in parenting, work, and your photography sideline?

With difficulty, but I seem to be managing, only just, for now.  I’m not getting enough sleep though.  And I’d like to fit in some exercise as well, but there are just not enough hours in the day. I’m actually considering getting an admin person or someone to help with editing for a few hours a week

Laura asked:  WHEN are you going to stop doing what you dont want to and start doing what makes you happy? (workwise)

Funny thing is, I like what I do during the day, so it’s not that easy   I like the people I work with, I’m learning LOADS, and my thoughts are valued (this point is the biggest point of all).  I’d like to at some stage reduce my hours at my day job, but that won’t happen this year, because I’m working on a monsterous project or two.  I’ll explain a bit about what I do in another post tomorrow.

Cat asked:  1.   What dress did you wear to the launch and show it?

I’ll take a pic the next time I wear it, but it’s a satin dress/tunic and flowered leggings

2. Are the puppies being good and did you train them?
No to both, they desperately need training.  Kimo is worse than Kitara, and still takes stuff from the house to chew… he still loves clothes and toys of any shape or form.  One of my summer tops has a new hole in it thanks to him, and I’ve only worn it twice!

3. Is Lance happy in the new job?

No, he was very very unhappy, so much so that he has yet another job and started yesterday.  Hopefully this one is better.

I got 3 questions posed about treats etc, and thought I’d answer in one post

Sharon asked: What makes you happy? Something that puts that silly grin on your face and you cannot wipe it off because it has made you happy from deep within your soul?

When someone loves something I’ve done.  Like this morning, when Beauty got her prints, and she had tears in her eyes and told me “that you know just how to shape me, and I’m not fat. I was thinking about why I bother dressing up when I come to work in the morning, but you’ve made me see myself differently”
That made me cry, and smile all the way to work this morning.

Tara asked: I dare you to share 3 guilty pleasures. Like, that chocolate you buy at the shops and then scoff before getting home (not that I do that. Much.)

1. Putting on the TV for the kids, so I can read some blogs
2. Plant shopping at Lifestyle cos it’s just so nice, and I should rather spend the money on the kids. I haven’t had much time to do that recently.
3. Buying new lingerie every few months… I just love it.
Seriously, if I buy myself a chocolate to have on the way home from the shops, I’ve normally bought some for the kids and Lance too.

Laura asked:  What is your favourite sweet?

Definitely chocolate, as long as it’s not Beacon.  I hate Beacon.  My favourite chocolates are Crunchies, and Cote d’Or Noir chocolate.  I love a good dark chocolate.  Or Caramello Bears, now those are also yummy!

Laura also asked: If you had just R150 to spend on YOU – what would you spend it on?

Only R150? That’s tricky. Probably a pedicure, summer is coming.

I needed another haircut today.  Yesterday I decided that I needed a new stylist too.

The last hairdresser I went to was ok.  OK, she was pretty good.  When I started going to her in January this year, she was based in a funky hair salon in Greenside where you got cappuccinos.  It wasn’t the busiest hair salon in the world though and the salon actually shut down and she had to move.  So the last time I went, she was based at her old salon… a place in Robindale… 2 things have made me look for another stylist

1.  The cut wasn’t as funky as I would’ve liked, and my hair looked crap quite quickly.

2.  The stylist next to her was knitting, and the certificates on the wall were from the early 80′s.  Seriously, there was nothing up to date in the place.  There were adverts for perms!  And those drying machine things on the wall.

I’m probably a snob, I’m quite happy if you tell me that in the comments but hey, to me, having a haircut is not only about the cut.  It’s about whether I feel comfortable in the place.  Whether the salon resonates with me.  That place didn’t.  I also wouldn’t refer her to anyone because she’s there. 

So, I decided to not find out how much it would cost at Jeauval in Clearwater, and I went there today. And OMG it was expensive… but I like the results.

Now that place resonated with me.  They served cappuccinos again ooh and there was wine on their drinks list!! And they asked me 3 times if I wanted some cake. And the hairstylists looked good.  Plus, the stylist I went to understood when I said spunky.  In fact, I felt comfortable enough to say yes to everything she suggested and left it completely up to her

LOL, not that Lance likes my new do he doesn’t like the hot pink streaks (it was supposed to be red but she decided after the processing that it was too dark).

Anyhoo, the moral of the story… ambience and experience in all things matters… not just your talent.  To me anyway.

Oh and if you’re wondering who took the photo? It was Bradley   he’s getting quite good.  He used my camera and the 50mm lens.

Still not a normal day, because I’m not working from the normal office, but I thought I’d do this every day this week.

5:45am – get up.  Get dogs fed.  Make Bradley’s lunch.  Make tea.

6am – wake up Bradley and take tea upstairs.  Catch up with twitter and FB via phone.

6:30am – Bradley is dressed and I help him with shoes.  Connor needs convincing about school and getting dressed. Lance leaves for work.

6:40am – get kids breakfast.  Shower and get dressed

7:20am – find my facilitation tool kit and picnic chair

7:30am – leave home to take kids to school.

8:10am – get home.  Have breakfast.  Open laptop to look for address for todays work session. Answer some emails.  Catch up on twitter and Facebook.

8:40am – leave home to go to shops for goodies to eat and Prestik (it was missing from my toolkit)

9:10am – hit the traffic… and oh my word it was insane!!While I’m in the car, try and organise Lance to find out about transport for the kids for next week.

10am – get to Johannesburg CBD

1pm – hear protest in streets. Go up to roof to take a few photos.

6pm – leave Johannesburg CBD.  Damn Garmin GPS takes me on dodgy roads out of Johannesburg… very dodgy roads… and it was too dark for me to try and figure out another route home.

6:45pm – get home to find dogs fed, and Lance getting food from MacD’s (I did buy food for him to cook but he didn’t want to).  Open Macbook and download photos from today.

7:15pm – they finally get home, and we can eat.

7:30pm – start editing photos from today.

7:45pm – kids bath time

8:30pm – kids bed time

8:45pm – blog today’s photos, and catch up on a few blogs.

10pm – start editing sessions… I’m now way behind… it’s going to be a long night.

The plan was to have an easy day working at home… reality was slightly different.

5:40am – get out of bed to make Bradley’s school lunch and tea.  Keep dogs from coming inside so that Kitara didn’t eat anything (she was Nil per mouth this morning)

6am – wake Bradley up and convince him to get dressed.  Connor wakes up and wants milk.

6:15am -Lance leaves the house and I have tea, and get the FTP’ing started for the wedding photos that were due.

6:30am – check on kids eating breakfast and check on FTP, before having shower.

7am – leave the house with boys and Kitara (while listening to Kimo howling because he’s left behind)

7:45am – get back home after dropping Kitara at the vet (she got neutered today), then Bradley at school, and prying Conno from my leg when I dropped him at school.  Check on FTP

8am – have breakfast, and set up work laptop in diningroom.  Check on FTP which is now having a problem (there were over 1000 photos to transfer). Check photo email and Facebook and Twitter for goings on.  Get hold of my mom to let her know not to pick kids up from school

9am – FTP finishes and send email re wedding to bride.  Answer 2 requests for quotes. Fiddle around with router settings for the wireless connections for the work laptop.

9:15am – have coffee and start working… my day job work… with Kimo lying at my feet.  Have a few Skype conversations with the office

12:30pm – drama at work… have to try resolve by email and Skype before leaving to pick Bradley up.  No time for lunch now.

12:50pm – leave for Bradley’s school with Kimo howling in the garden for his sister.

1:15pm – get home with Bradley.  Get him to change.  Try work a little more.

1:50pm – go to pick Connor up from school.  Take the kids to Wimpy for burgers.

2:30pm – leave Wimpy… go to Lifestyle.

2:45pm – Manage to squeeze in a eyebrow wax at Body Therapy.  Go to Chop-It to see if kids can have haircuts.  End up with 30 minutes to spare so kids play in playground, wander around the nursery and visit the pet shop for dog treats before their appointment at 3:15pm.  All the time watching Twitter and replying to emails and replying to work tweets.

4:10pm – get home again.  Kimo howling again. Check work email and see that I got an email which means that I have to redo all the work I’d done in the morning.  Also discover that I’m working late tomorrow night.  Lose my sense of humour completely.

4:30pm – Decide to take him for a quick walk around the block with the kids.

5pm – Leave the house with the kids again to pick up Kitara from the vet.

5:30pm – get home with dog.  Kimo stops howling.  Get shopping bags (I use the reusable bags) and leave the house again, after fighting with kids cos now they’re tired and want to stay at home.

5:45pm – shopping at Woolies for supper for 3 nights.  Kids performing.  Cashiers just smile.

6:15pm – get home.  Bradley starts his homework.  Lance starts supper, while I feed the dogs, and try and keep Connor out of mischief.  It doesn’t work… he uses the eraser and rubs out all of Bradley’s homework and then gets timeout.  After which Bradley reads Connor his reading book… as part of his homework.

7:15pm – Kids get bathed.

8pm – Kids having milk and milo and I try and redo finish my work.  Kids then go to sleep

9:30pm – I can finally get back to my photo stuff and blogging and have some coffee and reply to photo emails… and blog.

10:50pm – the time right now.

I’m tired… and you?

You know I work in a bank now right?  Well, this is the first time in my career that I’ve worked in a bank, although I’ve been in Financial Services for years.  And I’m learning a lot.

I’m working on a project that’s requiring a lot of detailed research… which I’m thoroughly enjoying doing. Now I’ve done this kind of research before, plenty of times, but for some reason this one has hit home personally.

This process/project is making me re-evaluate my own banking, and made me realise that change has to happen.  These are my personal realisations that I’ve come to understand in the last few days:

1.  I could be getting much better service than I am… hell, I’m paying for it, why aren’t I getting it?

2.  I’m not exactly a good person to market to.  I know the bank sent me a letter years ago telling me about my personal banker… but I actually phoned the bank today to find out who this person was… I’ve NEVER ever heard from them before.  The person on the call centre I phoned actually laughed at me when I asked. Hmmppph!

3.  In fact, I didn’t even know there was a dedicated phone number for my banking service at the bank in question until someone told me a few days ago. Maybe the bank sent me something in the reems of marketing arb blurb post I receive from them… but actually I never actually read the letters from them, unless it involves fees or my own money.

4.  I’m not using the banking service I’m paying for, to the fullest.

This whole setup that I’ve got myself into is actually a waste of my money.

In fact, this process has made me also realise that I’m not typical of my generation… I’m more typical of a generation Y person in the way that I react to companies and information… and the way I interact with people online and IRL (in real life)

It’s also made me realise one big thing… I want to interact with companies and brands in my own way… when I choose… how I choose… and on the platforms I choose… I do not want to be dictated to.  I refuse to be dictated to.

And the funny thing is that I do all that with all other areas of my life and interactions with other companies… and not with financial institutions… and that has to change.  If it changes, I will feel more in control.

And I like to feel in control.

I’m sure I lost a lot of you half way through that ramble but thankfully for you, it’s over… for me however, I think I’m going to have to find another bank that will deal with me on my terms

… I wish I did photography full time.  I got asked this morning, by a client, when I’m going to take the plunge… and the truth is I’m not ready.  It’s a scary thought, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to earn enough from it… I also think I would have to consult to top up my income.  And I don’t think I’m ready to consult until this project I’m working on is complete.  And then I’m hoping I’m not too old.

Don’t knock me for the age thing… it’s a serious worry of mine… there’s an age thing in my head about funky women photographers and I wonder how sustainable photography would be for me.

Then I got home from the shoot  this morning (which was postponed in the end anyway), and on the way I got an offer for a wedding in the middle of the week, which I had to turn down.  I had to turn down another offer for today from a corporate because I actually need to spend at least 2 hours a weekend with my kids… and I completed an invoice for a company whose function I’m doing in September only because it happens after working hours.

There’s just so much business I’m starting to turn away during the week, because it’s just not possible.  And in fact, I’m even turning away weekend work now because I need some family time too.

I hate turning things down… but I’m still not ready… not yet.  I wonder if I’m ever going to be ready.

I’m grumpy

I’m tired

I worked until 1am this morning

I’m NOT working tonight.

I’m already in my pyjamas

I need sleep

This is how my day went, and no, I’m not thinking “glass half full” today…

• At 7:15am while importing the last of the photos into an online album that I had to deliver this morning, I got a reminder about a meeting started at 7:30… in Sandton… which takes more than an hour to get to in traffic.

FABULOUS!!

• Finally get to said meeting at 8:35am and the speaker finished his presentation at 8:45

FABULOUS!!

• I looked like a slob today, and felt ugly

FABULOUS!!

• My phone is giving me hassles again.  This time it’s decided that it doesn’t want me to hear anything or let anyone hear me.

FABULOUS!!

• At the time said phone gave a problem, I had a pre-booked phone consultation with the endocrinologist as a followup about my hair issue.  So I ended up having a wonderful consultation with said doctor at my open plan desk on the landline… discussing hair loss, energy levels, acne, libido and mood swings!!  Turns out my levels haven’t really changed, and after stopping the medication 2 weeks ago, all levels have actually gone back to pre-treatment levels. So now I’m on a new 4 month treatment regime with adjusted meds.

FABULOUS!!

• Left work late… drove half way out the parking garage… and I park A LOOOONNNGGG WAY away from the entrance to the building, and realised I’d left my laptop and I’m working from home tomorrow morning.  Start again!

FABULOUS!!

• I eventually got home at 6:40pm… too late for proper 365 photos!

Maybe one day you’ll get to read something more inspirational on my blog… but that’s not gonna happen today.

That’s right… you read that right… after 37 years of existance I can positively attest to have been stuck in a lift (or elevator for my US readers).

And let me tell you, it was not a pleasant experience!

It happened about half an hour ago, and the cappucino that I’m busy drinking has managed to stop my shaking… and the fact that I’ve blasted someone at facilities (and they’re going to fix it apparently, and I spoke to the person in charge of the people who are supposed to respond to the lift bell and they’re going to sort that out too).

So now that I’m calmer, this is what happened…

I parked in the bowels of the earth, so I took a lift in a parking garage to get to the ground floor.

The lift had started moving from -2 to the Ground floor, when the lights went out and the lift stopped.

That’s right… THE LIGHTS WENT OUT!!  I was alone in the lift.  Used the light from my cell phone to find the emergency button.  Rang the bell… no answer.  Then the lift started dropping, it wasn’t fast though so I was still calm.

Then I tried to use my cell, but there’s no reception.  So I tried to tweet, but not even enough reception for that.

I’m really not sure how long I was in there in the dark… ringing the bell endlessly with no response, but couldn’t have been for longer than 10 minutes.

Suddenly the lights come on, but still the buttons wouldn’t work.  Then the lift dropped again.  Then finally the lift started working again, and I was on -3 but the door wouldn’t open… and then it let me press G again, and went to where I was supposed to go.

I think I need wine actually! This coffee isn’t really doing much.