It was recently my first day back in the office after two weeks of glorious leave.
Well, glorious in the sense I could sleep in and watch the crime channel all day if I wanted to, no deadlines were chasing me and there were lots of delicious Christmas goodies within reach all over the house to nibble on.
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Not so glorious because housework was never-ending if we didn’t want the monster which is laundry and dirty dishes to grow so big we’d suffocate under it, and because we were home I think we spent more because we thought we deserved a treat – regularly.
There was also Christmas of course and New Year; occasions to be honoured with tables laden with food in excess of your needs and the giving of gifts you cannot afford.
This year I am learning to budget because it was one helluva long January.
My money woes aside, it is interesting being home (in town) for two weeks over December.
You get to experience people who would otherwise be quite “normal” suitably dressed professionals at work somewhere decent in “holiday mode”.
It is not always pretty. Drunk in the middle of the day, vandalising council property, urinating in public and worst of all … in slippers at the supermarket.
‘Tis the season for it I suppose. The good, the bad and the ugly of the festive season abounded in all shapes and sizes.
It is easy to focus on the bad, because that sticks in your mind more.
Yes, I am talking to the thugs who have been pushing over council boards and street signs all over Atlasville, even breaking the stems of sapling trees in the park just for fun. And, the guys who stopped on the corner of Star and Mercury in a SUV one night and laughingly, in a jolly old state, the lot of them loaded up one of the signs which had been knocked over. They roared with laughter as they sped away, thinking stealing council property is the funniest thing in the world. Maybe when they sobered up the next day they realised how moronic this behaviour is as YOU and I are the ones paying for the replacement of that sign.
Then, for the “heroes” who hurled a concrete block over our palisade fence onto my husband’s bakkie’s windscreen just for fun … the words and wishes I have for you are not printable. I would love to make you pay for it, in one way or another, but sadly, since you did this in the dead of night under the cover of darkness to get your kicks, I don’t know who you are.
There was lots of good too. Hats off to our local animal heroes who, as usual, worked tirelessly to clean up the mess humans leave behind when they’re in holiday mode – neglected pets, fireworks, abuse.
I saw a stolen dog was rescued out of Angelo informal settlement and two other dogs, which people were trying to sell on the side of the road too. Well done to everyone involved.
The rescue of a dog on the N12 on the weekend was also nothing short of #ImStaying because Benonians are awesome people who care about animals.
The ugly of the season had to be the local parks left to turn into jungles during peak season and the litter all over the show (this is not a seasonal thing though, we know it is part of life in SA, sadly, just worse when council closes for Christmas). #HelpFindAtlasvilleSpruit – it has by now totally disappeared under reeds and grass; all the money spent and beautification done overgrown and pitiful. The parkrunners don’t seem to mind though. Good for you, but it isn’t as pleasant as it should be, surely?
It’s just plain ugly – lack of service delivery that is, and humans in holiday mode at times too.
