http://www.picture.com/voteforme/photovote1.asp?PID=1662025

Giving this a try, apparently I could win an ipod if I get a few votes, we'll see!
So if you have a spare minute to waste, and would like to vote for my photo.......

G
xx

I will remember you.....

Yesterday was my Dad's memorial day. It has been 15 long years since we lost him so suddenly on the 29th August 1992. I sense his presence often, but it's not the same. If I write any more I may write several pages, and then some. Maybe another time.



I'm o.k. Dad - I just love you and miss you with all of my heart, as always.
I so regret all that you've missed, and that your Grandsons didn't get a chance to know you.
May peace and love stay with you. G xxx

All Is Good In The Empire...For Now!!!

A few quiet days have done me some good!
An absence of nagging emails has contributed to the peace.
Still a lot of small fiddly jobs to be completed:

SD agreements to be re-done - someone....not naming any names..ME..printed off the wrong agreements for my new starters....DOH!

Distributor agreements to be signed and posted (more of them....*sigh*)

Agenda for meeting on the 5th Sept to be planned and finalized - have some ideas, will write them here so I don't forget!..Recruitment/Team management & retention/Correct reporting of stats/Area Coverage/Ideas from SD's for JH's farewell & TW's 10 year celebration on the 26th Sept - that should be heaps, don't like to do too much at once...do a little and do it well - and keep it interesting is my motto!

Damaged stock to be checked before the Almighty comes and writes it off.....jeez I hate double handling jobs like that...but anyway....

DROP SOME BOOKS!!! Must get some books out today, I want to do MORE this week - need the exercise!!! Need the area coverage....need the sales....it all helps!

Help PK with a weekly planner to organise his new routine, he's changing from weekly product delivery to fortnightly product delivery which is different to adjust to at first.

Hmmm...all this to do...and it's Wednesday...doesn't look like much housework will get done.....!

Have a great day,

G
xxx

The Almonds Did It!!!

It wasn't me! Twas the almonds that did it!
O.K. what am I on about.......
the ranting fishwife style previous blog.....
the vile aggravated mood, crazy stomach, lethargy, headache, face feeling on the verge of exploding....
I cooked 'Chicken Tonite' Sunday night......
didn't read the jar label (didn't even occur to me actually)....
printed IN BOLD was the ingredient.....ALMONDS......
found out I was allergic to almonds last year.....
spent a lovely evening on the bathroom floor, unable to move.....
could just reach the towel rail....
and dragged a towel onto the floor to rest my head on.......
didn't think I'd be SO sensitive to them that having them in a sauce would hurt....

Apparently I was WRONG!

so no further 'Indian Butter Chicken' for this girl.......
who knows what I might say next time, or who I might say it to - he he!

G
xx

Small Man

Thinking of Small Man and his troubles again, as always, but going back to a previous train of thought.
He is a definite 'old soul'.
At around the age of three he came to me with a photo of my father and said "this is me, a very long time ago, I wasn't a boy I was a man" he insisted at the time that we call him John (my late fathers name, he died 18 months before small man was born). I remember asking him at the time - "If this is you in the photo, what is your sisters name" he responded with "Jules" which is in fact my Aunty's name - he would have no possible way of knowing that - actually at the age he was you could probably tell him and it wouldn't really mean much. I also asked him where the photo was taken, he said "Oh a very long far away from ... Town". The photo was actually taken in America, I was astounded that he could name the town Dad lived in.....I can guarantee the hairs were up!!!!
Following this he became very difficult with food, and developed an over sensitive palette - he would simply vomit if he ate something with an unusual texture, by unusual I mean anything that wasn't soft and free of lumps. He didn't eat red meat again until he was 10 years old.

Later on, at the age of about 8 he started hearing 'voices' - naturally the family got into a massive panic, assuming he was schizophrenic etc etc. Then came the anxiety, depression etc. He was given medication to try and help - I was basically torn, you wouldn't tell a psychiatrist that you thought your child was 'spiritual' or 'psychic' - they'd have locked me up for sure - also I thought it would be very negligent of me as a parent not to take the doctors advice.

The medication caused a weight gain of approx 15 kilograms in four months, but it worked at the time. I then had to make the call, is his weight/health/self esteem more important ?
We tried several other medications, none seemed to do much really.
I stuck with the anti depressants, as this was the scariest part of how he was.
He also hit puberty at 9 - maybe a good thing looking back, he has already dealt with a lot of the mood changes bought on by the massive hormone shift of puberty starting.

We are now at the stage where he has been suffering with chronic fatigue for 18 months.
It has created a vicious cycle with his anxiety and depression, one because he is unable to exercise without suffering for it, so his weight has increased slightly, not much but enough for him to feel down.
Also his doctor increased his anti depressant to 100mg per day to try and help with the anxiety - in my opinion it may be making him worse as far as energy levels go, I have revised this and am reducing it, slowly. We tried 'rescue remedy' before school yesterday, he said he felt nervous, but nowhere near as bad.

There is a new drug on the market - XENICAL - has anyone tried it - or do you know someone who has? It is unique in that it acts on the body, not on the brain, to eliminate fat from the food you eat before it is absorbed. The doc said this could be an option for small man - I'm not looking for a quick fix or trying the lazy way out - I would just like to kick start his weight loss for him, if he feels better about himself the rest would be easier too........

G
xx

Quick Update

A quick update before making myself useful - and tackling the million and one jobs I need to do today!
I have successfully appointed two new SD's to take over 2/3rds of JH's area, the other 1/3 will transfer to PB's team - both new people have impressed me recently with their self motivation and have demonstrated some initiative - also each have mastered the website, placing their own orders etc which isn't hard for most, but you need some computer skills (and a computer is jolly handy too!).

So now I have two contracts to get in, two new SD's to train - 7 distributors to organise and ensure they are happy with the change (D's hate change) - and an exit to complete for JH - also a farewell party to organise for her.
Not to mention returning stock for the other three, and a detailed reconciliation to complete for this - not something we do often but it had to be done now of all times. I will be flat out delegating!

Small Man has a GP appointment today - I will be getting a referral for him to see the pediatrician.
He had a bad week last week. His anxiety about going to school was really bad - and he's lonely.

I cried Friday, a lot.

He said 'I'm not worth losing the good things you have in your life Mum' (meaning my job I think). and 'You would be better off without the worry of me, I'm not worth it'.

For your own child to be this down and sad it's heart breaking - he's only 12 years old.

I'm scared he's giving up fighting the chronic fatigue.

It would be hard enough for an adult to persevere with, let alone a child.

I organised for a mate from school to come over for the afternoon Saturday - that seemed to lift his spirits.

Who knows what the next few days will bring.....

G
xxx