This week has been chaos, some things were fabulous and some were challenging. It was my last week of work on the project I have been a Data Architect on for several years. I love this team and have learned so much. I had a Data Quality report to deliver which meant developing the code to check the data and then documenting the results from my queries. In addition I was given a last minute deliverable to document the metadata and data flows for the Data Engineers to do the development of a new process. I define the table names, the field names and document the data mapping between the flows. I had only been given a very high level overview and I usually have the data to analyse but this time I was on a time constraint and managed to get it all done. The client praised how quickly I managed to understand the business requirements and get the documentation done. I left on a high and with a feeling of accomplishment. We now have a 3 day weekend and then I only have a few days before we travel for our holidays. I then go to another project in January but I will really miss my team who always respect my opinions and love my crazy sense of humour. Not everyone gets me.
I won 100 coffee capsules from Coffee Capsules Direct this week which was added to the positives. All I had to do to enter was to review their coffee. As it is my fave brand that I always order I was happy to do so! The prize is worth over R700!
The worst thing to happen this week is that my front cuspid / canine tooth cracked and the crown fell off last night. I am so dental phobic so this is my worst nightmare. I have an appointment to get it repaired at Hout Bay Dental Studio on Tuesday.
I also allowed a troll to get the best of me when he insulted me and I responded back at him with both barrels. It resulted in a warning that Facebook will take my page down if I ‘continue’ to bully people. Fragile man obviously reported me. That must be his kink, abusing women then reporting them if they respond with the same energy.
Maybe my reaction is related to the new term I have for this week, ‘Hostile Attribution Bias’. Hostile Attribution Bias (or HAB) is when people exhibit a pattern of thinking which consists of inferring that someone’s irritating or otherwise unpleasant behavior was done purposefully to them with hostile intent. For example, someone with HAB may misinterpret two people nearby who are laughing as laughing at them rather than just laughing at anything else. This behaviour is probably another reason the ND are misbranded as narcissistic, meanwhile we are trapped in the endless mental loops in our own heads. I can see many common characteristics between HAB and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) which I have written about many times. I know that I can be triggered by the most minute things and then my reaction seems completely out of place or too extreme, however when this happens I have already been unregulated by some other experience and that one was my tipping point. I am trying to say ‘please just let me sit quietly’ or to remove myself when I feel dysregulated.
This week one of our neighbour’s who live up the road’s cat died. The cat was not that old and had been fine that day, came into the house in the middle of the night and collapsed, but then wandered away so they thought maybe he was OK (and even if not, there was nothing to be done at 3am). The next day they found the cat who had gone off to die on his own. They then found a cobra in the garden and they think it bit the cat. It is scary and tragic but it is part of life in Africa.
The painters have been here all week and are maybe halfway through. The prep work is now done and they are making good progress. It is going to look fabulous once they finish and we get the new lights up. The terracotta steps will be replaced with grey tiles next year when we redo all of the downstairs flooring. The upstairs balcony already has the grey tiles.
My youngest daughter Lily and my granddaughter Amelia have been staying with us all week which is obviously the best of the good things to happen this week. I love having them here and spending time with Amelia. She loves books and you can almost always distract her from whatever she is fixated on by offering to read to her. She loves The Hungry Caterpillar and points to everything when you read the word. This page she points to the egg, the leaf and the moon.
The other distraction is music. She loves to dance and loves music. She is definitely from my gene pool as she also loves being outdoors. She is fascinated with animals and we were lucky enough to see 2 squirrels and 3 guinea fowl this morning. If you look on top of the stump right rear you may be able to see a squirrel at the bowl where I leave fruit and nuts.
She loves Finn and the cats. Blue loves her back but Lola is a bit cautious but is warming up to her.
The girls’ father is down too so Lily and Amelia have been heading over to Caitlin’s every morning. The cousins got to meet for the first time and Amelia is besotted with Bree. It will be so fun when they are both mobile and can properly interact.
Amelia has loved exploring Caitlin’s garden and Wes’ immaculate grass is the perfect carpet for her soft little feet.
I ordered groceries and Lily and I have been cooking every night. Last night was chicken sausages and mash with broccoli and cauliflower in a cheese sauce. One night was macaroni and cheese with sweet corn on the cob and sausages wrapped in bacon. Another night was pork chops in a sweet tangy sauce that Lily made, brussel sprouts, and a potato croquette and spinach bake.
I had Vanessa here to do my pedicure on Wednesday and Amelia insisted on sitting with her feet in the basin with me. It was so adorable. She watched every move Vanessa did and tried to repeat it. Since I was busy, Lily cooked dinner. We had chicken schnitzel with cheese sauce, creamy spinach, roasted butternut and crispy potato slice squares. It was all delicious.
This afternoon I went to the Protea Day Spa for a Thai massage as my upper back is very sore from carrying Millie and from bending over to hold her hand. I feel loose as a goose now and hopefully it stays loose as tonight Norm and I are going to the Artscape Theatre to see ‘My Fair Lady’ starring the Cape Town Opera. I adore this musical and I love the Cape Town Opera so it should be fabulous.
Lily will have dinner with her dad and Caitlin since Norm and I are out. Tomorrow their dad flies back to George so I have Amelia all to myself to get up to mischief while Lily takes him to the airport. It is a 3 day weekend and on Monday Lily, Millie and I are going off on an adventure in Hout Bay. We will have a wander through the local market and then go down to the harbour for a walk on the pier if Miss Amelia is up to it.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and week ahead. Until Next Time, Kisses from the Kitten xoxoxoxox
Kitten in the City 
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