Dark clouds, silver linings

Frankendael benches, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

We were treated to another thunder and lightning show yesterday evening, after we had eaten our very tasty dinner on the balcony. It was great watching the sky getting darker and darker as one layer of cloud moved across, each layer getting lower until, inevitably, the clouds broke and it started pouring down. Buckets and buckets. We even have a bucket to collect the water as the gutter on the roof overflows very easily. It needs fixing, so does the roof. Unfortunately, the service charges which we have been paying over the years have not been enough to build much of a reserve, which means that we are going to have to come up with some cash to re-inforce the now-drooping and, frankly, dangerous balconies as well as to repair the roof. Not that it makes much difference to us, except cash flow-wise but there have been people living in the two flats above our house who have come and gone without paying their fare share of the wear and tear on the house. Another good reason for me to be back at work and earning money again.

I have been a contractor during my first month, but the company was being ripped off by the recruitment agency, so as of Thursday I will become an employee of the company, which means being enrolled in the pension plan, the company social club (they had a weekend in Maastricht in June) and probably being expected to bring apple pie or cakes to share with my colleagues! At least the company knows officially that I have Fred as my partner (for the pension arrangement), although nothing has been said (yet)!

Almost home now and it was warm and sunny. I now have a working blackberry which I have used on this train journey to write an e-mail, write a comment under (this) photo on flickr and have been phoned by my boss. A very versatile little gadget is this blackberry! But now I am writing on my laptop. Much easier, if quite a bit heavier!