Nasty little bugger

I have managed, after much fighting and arguing, invited the flu in for a visit – as per usual the chap is going to stick around for a week (or two), then leave without so much as leaving a thank you note.

I do not normally get sick – I may get a sniffle for a day (during which time I am the worst person to be near because I am a ‘carrier’ of said sickness) the next day I am healthy and well but every other soul within a 5km radius has the full blown flu.

For me to get properly sick (as I am now) I must have completely ruined my immune system by doing something stupid, and in this case it was overworking the brain – behind the computer screen – without rest for the past 5 weeks.

Busy Worker: The Office

The office work: ACG World

A work in progress that is almost two years in the making was finally released in March this year – Two months later when the company is finally ready to go live with our system and bugs appear out of the wood work. A few stressful days later all the problems are resolved.

The office work: Investec
It has been a while since I stood in front of a bunch of people and attempted to teach them important stuff. In the case of Investec I was contracted out to train the new staff in their current Anti-Money laundering product (SIDE SafeWatch). I made way too big a mountain out of this training molehill.

Busy Worker: Freelance

Taking on website work on the side for some spare cash sounds like a great idea, until you try and do it.

Freelance: Sandbox Holdings

Originally Sandbox Technologies, this company has grown much since it put up its first website. One afternoon last year (in passing) I offered to redesign their website . A couple of interesting weeks later their website is ready – a few months later I get word to finally make it live. What do you know, a few new bugs to fix.

The Gateway Academy

A project that has been testing (and is still stretching) my PHP abilities. A real fun project that has come to fore with deadlines over the past weeks. This project is unique in that it is my first attempt at doing a job for someone I have never met (client is based in the UK).

New Freelance: Poken South Africa
Currently I am throwing together some ideas for Tim Lunn and the team at Poken South Africa. Helping them get a great and functional website for selling their wonderful Poken to the African markets.

(I own a Panda Poken for anyone that is interested)

New Freelance: Body Thrills
ExMi, the beautiful lady and author of Expensive Mistakes Cheap Thrills needs to take her ‘coming soon’ online store into the live ‘I am open for business’ state, I am lending a helping hand.

Not a lot of work / A whole bunch of work

Most of the work above falls under short term projects, smaller projects that shouldn’t take too long to complete. But when I have limited time for some (the freelance work can only be done outside of office hours), normal household work, and a small dose of emotional unrest at the home into the mix – all my wonderful, well laid out, plans go for a ball of rubbish.

All of the small projects deadlines hit at the same time, and with the already existent stress, my body failed me and flu popped in for a visit.

Some projects have passed, some are still here, and some are only just starting – Thank goodness I made all those TO DO lists last week, else this little bite of flu that I am kicking out by Friday could have been full blown bronchitis (or even that nasty Pig Flu everyone is talking about)

I am learning through experience (you know, the hard way!)

In a different way, but with the same result, I, like Blondore have learnt my lesson – Listen to your body when it tells you enough is enough.

I may not have ever avoided the flu this year, even if I did get down and re-work my time management lists and get down to business; unforeseen circumstance may still have screwed me over.

If it be lots of ‘little bits’ of work incorrectly managed – hitting you all at one, emotional stress from a particular incident, or just plain over worked and under paid, ask yourself: Am I listening to what my body is telling me? Is my body telling me to relax?