Level 4 and 2

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellows,

Here in NZ, the day started on a lovely note. I called the NZ Inland Revenue to ask if I could stop paying taxes because of financial insecurity and seriously, they could NOT have been nicer!

Not only did the nice lady cancel my payments, but she told me to take care of myself and wished me well. THEN she called me back to remind me to cancel the direct debit*. 

I need to send the IRD a "thank you" email. 

Then I spent the day with work spreadsheets, although this was interrupted by Skype meetings in which people talked about anything other than work. 

Look. I know people are missing social interaction, but yeeesh.

At lunchtime I went to the store to pick up cat biscuits because Caro told me we were nearly out of the boys' favourite. It was pretty civilised, and although some shelves were empty, everyone was very polite and nice. 

I was feeling pretty good about humanity. Then I got to the counter. The nice old lady behind the till was not very reassuring. 

"It's only going to get worse you know," she whispered conspiratorially.

Now, just 30 minutes before Jacinda had made the announcement that NZ was going from a level 2 to a level 4 alert. So I thought she knew what she was talking about. But then...

"Do you know the Bible?" she said, still in hushed tones. Like she MIGHT JUST have been told to keep this shit to herself before. 

She assured me I just needed to read the Bible to find out what was going to happen next. Now, as you know, I do actually know the Bible pretty well. And I do believe the bit she was talking about involves breaking seals and blowing horns and the sky ripping open. 

So there we go. The full gamut. From a lovely tax lady reassuring the public to an idiot supermarket attendant, presumably frightening the shit out of old ladies with her fire and brimstone chat.

Jasper, as you can see, is taking the apocalypse in his stride.

S.

* Which I would have forgotten.