Anger Management

Ok, so what do you do if you quote on doing some design work for someone - you send them some designs and they don't come back to you for ages and then a month or two later you see their 'new' or 'changed' sign or website with a design very obviously stemming from one you've sent them. What do I have to do??? Charge up front??? Put some kind of weird watermark on everything I send them that not only prevents them from using the said file, but also miraculously erases it from any mind that sees it so that it cannot in any way be reproduced???

Why are people so ready to accept advice or designs or whatever, but so unready to acknowledge that it is in fact a service I am providing - and NO - they would not have just harped on that idea or layout on their own!!! I am quite sick of it now - it's the third time! Clearly I am missing something. Is there some clause I should be putting on all my quotations. Should my logo and address or whatever be stamped all over the designs I send to potential clients? I think I need to learn to manage my anger and then manage my freelance better. These people are taking me for a ride and I'm letting them.

And - what about websites that advertise so much work you could get - post you portfolio and we'll be sending you clients by the shipload - I got fooled by that one once and once only. Just as my husband predicted the website is no longer and the offices somewhere in Kenilworth are completely untraceable. Luckily it was still in the days when I had some cash, but still - what is one to do? Are there any reputable companies/sites where you can see what needs the good citizens of the marketing and advertising world need and actually just provide those services? No strings attached no hoopla just good design within deadline and budget and without the red tape!!!

Far too many exclamation points and question marks so I must be tired. Plus also the 4th day of not smoking. Will have to go to bed now.

Max of the Rhenosterveld

And this - is little Max as we got him in October last year, at 3 & a bit months in December and yesterday. He could literally fit into one of my hubby's size 12 slippers when he first came home with us. His mom is an English Bull Dog and his dad was a lucky bugger who jumped her when her owners were trying to mate her with another pure-bred. Needless to say they were quite disappointed with the outcome, but we are stoked! Just wish he would stop eating my shoes now.

Max decided to take a dive into the swimming pool about a week ago. He was fished out just in time huffing and puffing and finally got back to his old ways. Dogs have very strange and peculiar digestive systems. Right now both of them are on our front stoep chasing and eating moths - yum! More photos of him later, having serious trouble uploading.

The Darkness

This is Schumi doing her little dance and sleeping in her basket.

She's half short-haired Daschund and half who knows what. We got her April last year. Named after Michael Schumacher when he was still my favourite (I like Alonso now...).

Coming up roses

Ok, so third time lucky. I've just tried to upload some pics and this is my 3rd time. Once again we'll see if I succeed. Don't know if it's my internet connection or just Murphy at it again.

Anyhoo, my hubby took this pic yesterday. Was going to do a whole schpeel on how the roses in our garden just pop up every so often without much attention from us at all, but the mood is gone.

Also wanted to upload some pics of my dogs, but will see if this works first.

My very first time

Don't know if anyone will ever read this, but here goes anyway. My first entry. Feels good!

Ok, so some intro. I live somewhere out there in the country. Close enough to Cape Town to feel the beat, but far enough away to smell the fresh air and look at the lovely Lillies in our garden. My husband and I moved out here, after a longish stint in England, almost two years ago. We bought our guest house and pub on a whim while on a camping holiday after dreaming about living in the country for as long as we've known eachother.

I think we thought it would be easy - coming back and all. It's been a journey of sorts. We've learnt alot. Our small B&B is still not profitable and the pub for which we waited forever to get licensed and all has proven not to be worth it at all. We live in a quiet village which is just not ready for tourism yet. Don't know if it ever will be. The tourism associations are so useless and the truth is that people either love it or hate it out here - and you just don't know which until they get here.

Us, we can spend forever on the front stoep watching the sky change colour, the sun go down and the bright stars come up and twinkle in the sky. The season's changing now so it's a delight to see the fields turn green. Slowly, but surely life is coming back to the earth. In summer everything is sand coloured and brown. Some people call it golden, but you have to be in the right mood to accept that. Ok, so until next time...