I'm writing under the influence...

of Christmas lunch and sparkling wine! We had our office Christmas lunch today and after filling myself with food and drink, I was feeling a little nauseous and decided to stop off in my office before facing the outside world on my way home.

There is an evening function tonight, held by our main division but being that the evening will be rainy I decided not to attend that function but to rather retire home to the company of my kitties (and dogs) and relax on the couch. I can only take so much scintillating conversation!

You may have guessed that I am indeed on my own as from yesterday morning. Bradley has returned with his father and brother to the house in Johannesburg and I am left behind.

I had left for work yesterday morning before the menfolk left my house and although I was invited to supper at my parents, who had returned from their short trip away, I decided to first go home to see what state my house had been left in. It was as well I did because the two dogs had been left inside the house and were frantic to get out. Lights were on. The door to the outside room was left open and the neighbours dog had been into the room and muddied up the floor and the mattress! I fed the cats and went out again, only returning at 9pm.

This morning when I woke up I carried out a good cleanup so that at least I didn't have to come home again to my house looking like a wreck.

I had a call from Bradley's teacher from primary school. Basically he didn't achieve the minimum marks in all the subjects he should have. Some of the subjects he would have had to complete work on a continuous basis through the year to have achieved the pass mark, as an exam is not set for those subjects at the end of the year i.e. Art and Technology (and he hadn't achieved the minimum of 40% for those subjects). However, because of my communication with the teacher, his achievement with Maths and English and (his class teacher's subjects) and other subjects for which he wrote exams, as well as the fact that he was on Ritalin for this last term and the difference in his attitude to school could be seen, the school has decided to condone him to move on to High School. I am just so thankful as he will be turning 14 on Christmas Day and has already completed 8 years at Primary School. I really don't think repeating Grade 7 would have benefited him. The teacher stressed that he would have to work hard from Day 1 of High School and I confirmed that he would continue to take Ritalin from the beginning of the year and ongoing. I will be meeting with the teacher on Monday to sign the relevant paperwork for the condoned pass.

I just went down to the function room to save the leftover food to take home to the hungry animals - mashed potatoes, vegetables and pasta with gravy. It would just be thrown away on Monday. I found some takeaway containers in the kitchen. No use leaving it to go to waste!

I'm off now to see if my house has succeeded in floating away with our sixth consecutive day of rain! Whatever this weekend brings, I wish you all the best.