Under Pressure

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellow,

I had to go for a blood pressure test today. It came up ultra-ultra-high. This may be due to work pressure (there's quite a lot at the moment) or it may be due to my being an old effer (I so am) or it may have been due to having a SHOUTY WIFE sitting right next to me getting confrontational with the nurse.

"Try to think happy thoughts," said the nurse. 

It didn't really help and my medication has been increased to stop me from dying. I am in favour of this. 

I got home and despite the work pressure I feel okay about work. We have our big implementation coming up, but I feel ready for it. Plus, people recognise how much I do and I get good feedback. 

So I had a nice afternoon.

But another source of pressure is money. After the year we have had, we have debts that are still being paid off. Part of my repayment plan was working as much as possible over Xmas. Kāinga Ora shuts down for 8 days but my plan took that into account.

Then I got an email saying that yes, technically they were only closed for 8 days but as a contractor I was to stand down for TWENTY. 

I plugged these new figures into my budget which turned BRIGHT EFFING RED with unpaid bills. 

"Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts," I thought as my pulse raced. 

Fortunately I'd emailed my accountant earlier in the day. I usually get a tax rebate around this time of year so I asked if I could expect anything this year. Expecting bad news. I mean - this IS 2023 after all, and everything has been sh*t so far. 

The accountant emailed back to say that I could expect a tax rebate of $16k. 

This turns my budget back to a lovely shade of GREEEEEEEEN.

I was still thinking happy thoughts, but my pulse is still racing.

An old effer like me with a shouty wife doesn't need this sort of thing is what I am saying. 

Let's focus instead on this nice picture of Crashy washing DG and try not to die. 

S.