I’d like to see the manager, please…

<>December 15^th 2005, 2105B

<>It’s been a rather up & down last few days since I last typed anything up for this, and I really don’t know that the universe provided “adequate client satisfaction”, so to speak. It’s had its good moments, such the brilliant call I received from G & Shirlz on Monday, & the great chat I had with Ash yesterday. Getting hold of Noelle, quite by chance, on Saturday was also a very pleasant surprise, and on reflection I think it may well have been the longest non face-to-face chat we’ve ever had. There have been a few other things that I’ve had reason to smile about lately, but the three I mentioned above really stood out as highlights in an otherwise shitty week.

Mostly the source of my disenchanted outlook is work related, but there is also a personal aspect to it, and overall I’d have to say I’m not a happy camper right now. Not by a very long shot. I’m not going to go into it here, because it’s a number of different issues coming together all at the same time, and my sense of humour evidently isn’t up to the task. I’ve tried typing up a post for this blog a few times over the last couple of days, but I always ended up deleting them, as they all rapidly degenerated into an apparent attempt to see how frequently, and in what permutations, I could use the work “fuck” in a sentence. It turns out that I can be quite inventive & creative with my invective when suitably motivated, but it’s not something most people would care to read.

Let’s just say that I’m more than a little acid right now, with my job and concerning a few other things, and leave it at that. And the bottom falls out of my bullshit tolerance reservoir when I’m in this kind of mood, so things have been a little strained with a few of the other people here lately.

So, to quote Meatloaf, “Life’s a lemon, and I’d like my money back…”

And that, unfortunately, is about the limit of what I have to add to this thing right now, that I’m in a shitty mood. Or perhaps fortunately – I don’t know how much more of this “woe is me” crap I can stomach, never mind anyone else who reads it.

About all the other news I have is that it’s looking very likely that I’ll be coming home, and staying home, sometime between the 23^rd January and 17^th February or so. As always, this is subject to confirmation, and in all likelihood I’ll be putting up another post before long where I say that it looks like I’ll be coming back to Burundi after a few weeks at home, or staying on till fucking May or something, or that the dates have changed. In other words, “what’s new, pussycat?” I am heartily sick and fucking tired of goal posts that keep moving, let me tell you.

Anyway, I’m going to stop whining now. Chances are this’ll be the last update for awhile, as I’m off to Mwaro on Sunday, till the 31^st this time. Spending the next two weeks in Mwaro is something I’m really happy about, as I’ve always loved the place, and the uncomplicated peace & quiet you get to enjoy there. And it’s probably the best thing for me while I’m in a frame of mind like this. Unfortunately, by the look of it this is going to be my last rotation out to the field while I’m here, as the new battalion starts arriving from mid-January, before I’m due to deploy again, and will be taking over our operational responsibilities pretty much as they step off the plane.

I’ll try call as many people as I can before I leave town, & I’ll be sending sms’s to everyone on the day, but in case you don’t hear from me before then, I hope you all have a great festive season, and all the best for the year ahead.

<>Cheers for now though.