Current happenings

A lot has happened in the last few days:-

1. Christine is with me for a few days on her mid term break! She is one happy little being, because she drove La Frog home from school in Mooi River. She coped well enough, although around Durban itself, the traffic was rather heavy, as it was around rush hour and the average South African driver has NO patience with "L" Plates on a car! As it was, a driver hurtling past in the yellow lines on the outside of the car (He HAD to get past reguardless!) actually went off the road when he ran out of emergency lane!

2. The Delivery Drivers Unions called a strike. They wanted 3 times the inflation rate as an increase, but eventually settled - after a week - for double. Kicker for them is that they have achieved a higher than inflation increase, but have:-
Given up a weeks wages to achieve the increase
Put themselves into a higher tax bracket
Allowed for a higher rate of Union Fees deductions - the more you earn, the more you pay!

The upshot is going to be that they are actually financially disadvantaged as a result of their actions. Increase in fuel costs is going to mean that the cost of living HAS to increase to cater for this! Unfortunately very few - if any - have a decent education, to be able to work this out for themselves - and they will not get paid for whilst they were on strike - the unions have no strike funds from which they can pay strikers whilst the firms dont pay them. It is a common practice that when you are not working, you dont get paid. The Delivery firms are not too upset, as their offer of 9% across the board increase has partially been funded by the workers themselves!

The school teachers (who should be able to put 2 and 2 together) are still suffering from their strike last year. They were "out" for a month, and this salary has been deducted over a 10 month period, not all at once! The effect is that their increase of 12% has for the last 9 months been eaten up by this deduction, increased taxes and higher union fees! They actually went on strike because they were paid too much? Where else in the world is this a "problem"?

The local fuel station received a delivery of fuel on Friday, but the queue of cars was very long! I managed to get La Frog with a full tank, then took Ladybug down to fill the tank with Diesel. Currently I have 2 vehicles with full tanks, and one in the repair shop with a prop shaft problem being rectified!

I had to laugh on Friday. Christine is home for her mid term, and probably the first thing she did was to wash and polish La Frog!

Her school is having a student tour to Israel in May/June. I was asked if she could go, and although it means again, that I will not see her, I think it is a tremendous opportunity for her! I would be a really poor parent if I denied her this opportunity. Her mom has to still get it into her mind that I need to sign consent as guardian, since I am Christines father! I overheard a coment made by her mother "I will sign at school - not Dad!" She had a problem with me taking back my position as head of the household, and insisted on divorce as a result! Eventually, I could not take the threat of divorce being held over my head any longer, so I put the gears of the Big D into motion. She had already moved in with a boyfriend, and I was not prapared to take her back after being discarded in this manner! I have my pride and despite what is said at Church, not all pride is a sin! Sure acting better than everyone else, is - but sometimes you have to be proud - not prideful! Is this semantics? Maybe, but that is me through and through!