A Dogs Life

So Charlie went to be tagged today; everything's so much more...involved, for dog owners these days.

We've always been a dog family but, back in the day, when you had a dog, it had a collar, and it's name on a dog tag...and that was about it. Now the dog has to be registered, and wear it's registration number; now everybody has pet insurance; now dogs get RFID tags inserted for identification. It's all a little bit 'Big Brother'.

Of course it's all for the greater good, but Charlie didn't like it; he's still sulking.

I worry about him, you know, in case he doesn't have the right temperement for security. He was out with Big J yesterday in one of the local country parks; just the boys and a bag of heroine. I wasn't allowed to go as I would 'complicate the training'; they're out hunting for heroine and I would complicate things.

It's not the real thing of course, there are companies that specialise in creating substances for training purposes; fake coke, fake heroine, and my favourite...l'eau de corpse. I believe you need to be registered to obtain such powders, and that's as it should be, but there are several little bags in the bottom of our freezer. I have to say, I'm dying to make somebodys pre-flight customs session more entertaining...

Budget Time

So I've finally hit a month where all the nasties came at once; my salary is going to all but evaporate on impact. Now I can beg steal and borrow, but really, it's time I learnt to just plain budget, so this is a learning curve for me; I'll train myself cheaper.

I've always been extravagant; I want it so I'll buy it; taxis rather than buses; the nicer choices of the available foodstuffs...and a tad too generous when out drinking. The other day I calculated what I would save if I ONLY caught the bus, DIDN'T have a large latte every day, MADE my lunch on weekdays, and stayed AWAY from the pub. It was significant.

So they say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit; here goes.

A Good Day

So they have been along and removed the graffiti, and it does make such a difference, so I am a happy bunny and have stopped hurling abuse at the authorities...for the most part. Actually, with summer trying so hard to reach us, I am finding many things to be appreciative of in my little chunk of the planet.

The garden is constantly themed with pretty and varied birdsong and we are regularly visited by a colourful variety of tweeters; an old church, previously the Kings School building, dominates the view over the garden; our neighbours seem quiet and polite and keen on developing their gardens; it's all quite civilised. There was only one intrusion on my bubble, an old workshop that was unsightly and snared ones attention when leaving the house; this has now been selected for conversion into a super new environmentally friendly home and looks to be almost nearing completion following a long, and seemingly complicated build.

I know it all smacks of 'Keeping Up Appearances' but hey, it is still the Meadows; I'm just making a point of demonstrating my capacity for having a good day.