The Real Jenty

I realised at a traffic light this morning, that I’d yet again forgotten to lock my car doors after dropping the kids off. And it got me thinking that I’m a bit strange…

I generally only realise that my car doors are unlocked when I’ve stopped at a traffic light and there are people loitering close by.

So what do I do… I wait until the hawker or beggar or whom ever walks away, before I lock the doors.

Weird hey? You would think that I would lock immediately, but no, I feel embarrassed to do it with them right there. It’s an admission that I distrust them, and I think that’s rude.

So instead, I risk a smash and grab, and I would rather watch them until they’re far enough away from the car for them not to hear the car locking.

LOL! I know… I’m strange.

… it was AK47′s afterall!
A friend sent us an email with an extract to an Afrikaans newspaper with the story
A shopping centre very close to us was held up by 20 armed men. No wonder there was a lot of shots!!
From the sounds of it, the shots we heard were those fired when the perps ran away seemingly along the river area.

Here’s a link to the article... it’s in Afrikaans only I’m afraid

… you’re waiting for a meeting to start (the guy was very late), and all you can think of is how you need to get a PDA so that you can blog…

Not sure what to do with the blog now.
Don’t know whether to use this for personal photos and stuff, and only have my client photos on my other site. Think I might do that once my photography has really got off the ground.
All I know is that I need to cut down a bit.
And this post is really just an excuse, because I don’t know what to write here anymore. The stuff that counts can’t be said… yet.
Oh well, I suppose time will tell.

Lance and I had a good giggle just now. Bradley threw a big plastic toy box in the direction of his brother (it was empty), and we scolded him, so he pipes up in a very resigned tone….
“Sorry Mommy…
sorry Daddy…
sorry God…
sorry Jesus…
sorry Father Christmas…
sorry Christmas Fairy…

… and whoever else I need to say sorry to”

LOL!
We tried very hard not to laugh out loud!

… taken my camera to work today! Damn!

We had our company year-end function, and true to form, it was fabulous! The theme was “Bling it on” and people were dressed up to the nines for the occasion.

It was quite weird not to have my camera there, and I REALLY KICKED myself when the Parlotones started playing LIVE!!  I could have got such amazing photos as the lighting was perfect!

I just thought that the camera bag was so heavy and I didn’t really feel like lugging it around… and I didn’t think I’d be able to use the photos anyway. Ha! I should know by now… REPEAT AFTER SELF… ALWAYS KEEP CAMERA IN CAR!!

As for the outfits… OMW… I think I really need to get a few Ed Hardy T-shirts for Lance and myself!! Love them!! And so many people wearing them!! And I’ve discovered that there’s a shop in Sandton!  Of course, some guys were wearing Christian Audigier… but can’t afford that!

It was very apparent which people wear the bling stuff often… they looked so comfortable in their sequinse and glitter tops etc.

Anyhoo, I came home to blog about it, while everyone else carried on partying. LOL! I’m quite old and sad hey?  There are going to be some very bleary eyes in the office in the morning

Well, I tried the Blog365 thing on this blog and I got bored.  LOL! But I reckon I can do one month! So, I’ve signed up for NaBloPoMoNo!

I know, I’m mad! LOL, but you know me, always up for some kind of challenge.  Maybe my blogging mojo will return, who knows?!
I mean, hello, I’m posting every day on my other blog anyway, I might as well make an effort for one month on this one!! Heck!

This has been on my mind for about 2 weeks.

I got told in a discussion at work 2 weeks ago, that no-one really knows how I feel about anything, and that they find me difficult to gauge.  Apparently I’m transparent on the surface, but that no-one really gets to know exactly what I’m thinking or feeling because I close people out.

Now, because someone comments about how rude that person is… LOL… it wasn’t the usual suspects that said it, those people only see the transparent side of me.  We have a team of psychology people (Organisational Development they’re called) who help with team dynamics etc… and she was the one that said it.  For some reason I find it easy to speak to her, so she ‘gets’ me more than anyone else in the company does.

And now back to my little ramble… she’s right. She’s very very right.  I think the closest people will come to understanding me is by reading this blog.  Sad that. Especially because I’m not saying everything here either because of other people’s egos now.

And I’ve been thinking about what she said since then.  It hasn’t been intentional.  I didn’t set out to do it.  It just happened, and now it has to continue.  I have to.  It’s the only way to protect me.

I used to be like this as a teenager, and then at varsity it changed, and I became more me. But since working at this place, it’s come back.  And I’m doing it more and more. And I know it’s probably not very healthy.  In fact, when I do let my guard down at work, I end up in tears, so the wall has to be rebuilt.

I’ve been trying to think of why, other than the usual things that would cause it, and I think one of the main reasons is loneliness. It’s such a lonely place to work.  Every other place I’ve worked, I’ve had connection with a small group of people.  But not here.  Maybe it’s because of the way I was brought into the company, and I’ve always had such strange roles here.  Who knows?  Whatever the reason, the fact remains… it’s a lonely place.  And so, I’ve built a wall.  And the stupid thing is, I know that with the wall, no-one will really know me, so how can it stop being lonely… and so the cycle continues… it’s a vicious circle.

OK, enough of that!!  Promise next post will be happier

Every time I’m having a bad time at work and I’m contemplating my future, I tend to dream the same dreams.  Isn’t it weird?

I dream about joining the guys that I was going to go into IT consulting with about 8 years ago.  There were 5 of us that decided to start a consulting firm specifically in the financial services industry.  And at the last minute I pulled out.  At the time it was too risky… I was the breadwinner in the house and we couldn’t afford to live on Lance’s salary if it failed.

I must sub-consciously regret not joining them in their venture.  The thing is, they’re really in a no better position ito career than I am at the moment.  The 2 gals work in IT in banks, and the 2 guys gave up IT – one runs a trucking business in Knysna, and the other guy is farming!

But… it’s clearly still on my mind.  It’s not the same dream over and over again (it used to be), but the theme is still the same. Weird.

Copied with permission from Sleepless Nights.

Ivy is beautiful and Ivy is sick. Ivy is only 2.

And yet, at age 2, Ivy has seen the inside of a hospital more times than anyone should have to. Ivy has a rare immune deficiency IgG. Because of that, she has Pemphigus which is an autoimmune response to the IgG  [please note, these are photos of Ivy's pemphigus blisters and they may be a little graphic for some people].

These are horrible conditions that no adult should have to deal with, let alone a child.

Ivy is currently on Prednisone and Mycophenolate to help control her symptoms and blistering; however, these drugs suppress her immune system, on top of the deficiency.

Ivy’s mum says “…she was never good at mounting a response to infection but the meds make it worse.”

She frequently ends up in hospital on IV antibiotics, just to help control the infection in her ears that never seems to completely disappear. She cannot be exposed to a simple virus in fear that it will land her back in hospital for days at a time.

She can’t go to the playground to play.

She can’t attend playgroup.

She can’t head to the supermarket with her mother.

She might never be able to go to regular school.

She is only 2.

However, there is a treatment that would give Ivy a good chance at normal life.

It’s called IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) and it is a transfusion of immune cells that would bolster Ivy’s own immune system and help her fight infections in a normal way.

Think about it, a chance at a normal life. A life that doesn’t involve frequent hospitalisations.

Unfortunately, the officials at the Australian National Blood Authority have denied the request for Ivy to have this treatment. This treatment that could very well keep her out of hospital. So far, all appeals have been in vain.

As Ivy’s Mum says on her website:

“My little girl is going to have a life of hospital admissions and illness, some chronic, some life threatening, because some guy in an ivory tower decided she could survive without this medication.”

How is this fair?

What if it was your child? What if it was your sister’s child? Do the rules change for daughters of the officials? How come someone with a big stamp gets to say yes or no to this little girl’s chance at a normal life?

It shouldn’t be like this.

All I am asking for is 2 minutes of your time. If you could just head over here and sign our petition, we might be able to get enough support to convince the National Blood Authority officials to change their mind.

Ivy is only 2. She deserves a chance to be normal.

Please, a minute of your time could make all the difference for Ivy.

Sign Petition

———

I just have to add, that I’ve been reading Tiff’s blog (Ivy’s mom) for months now, and the fact that there is treatment available out there, but that she’s not allowed to use it, just blows my mind.  It’s so very very unfair!