Hello Brotherhood, Goodbye Aina

I didn't realise how early it was when I got up this morning. Man do I feel tired. I say that and then I think, at least I'm not at work - I shouldn't complain. I can just imagine hearing Tracy back at the office squawking at me to be grateful as she downs her third cup of coffee for the morning and a couple of nurophen before starting the day.

The kind folks at the Brotherhood of St Laurence are coming this morning to remove a whole heap of stuff. By 5pm I will be left with one arm chair and my tv.

My spare room looks like the cargo hold for a NASA space mission. I have vacuum packed everything! I've never had space bags before and they are so much fun! You just stick the vacuum cleaner hose on them and they suck the life out of everyhting and anything in the bag! It's Better than bubble wrap!

I vacuum packed the clothes for donation too.  and one of the bags has a teddy in it facing outwards like he's suffocating and he is trying to get out.  It's a little disturbing... I feel like I've killed him.  I want to open the bag and turn him around so his pleading eyes arn't looking at me, but the bag would explode and I'd have to start again...Sorry teddy. I hope the Brotherhood guys don't think I'm weird for spacebagging everything and I hope the teddy doesn't freak them out.

Over the years, I'd have to say I have either fired or made redundant at least 50 people.  It's never nice and you always have empathy for those affected.  Especially when you have to make someone redundant who has been very loyal and hardworking. It's not nice.  But it's the job and as soon as I leave the situation, I forget about it.

By far the hardest person to let go though has been my Housekeeper Aina. I  kept putting it off until finally I told her yesterday that I was going overseas. She was very understanding but man it was hard.  She's just so damned good!  I've never met someone who is so thorough, works like a demon possesed and literally leaves me with no chores to do! I'm seriously thinking about space-bagging her and putting her in the cargohold for the space mission.  Perfectly preserved for when I come back to Australia.