Sorry to be depressing but looks like the next thing to do is fill out my tax return.
A lot has happened this week, but then a lot hasn't happened.
I was offered another gardening job, and if I wasn't already working for Bark I would have taken it. It's even more pay...and they have separate mowing teams, so I wouldn't even have to touch a mower if I moved. But then I thought how much I would miss the real gardening with oldies rather than simply tidying up parks and reserves for a company owned by Australians. Although you never know what may happen in the future, because I have a feeling Riverpark Reserve has my name on it. That's if I'm allowed. I may get in trouble though - who planted this garden in the middle of the reserve, who??
On Tuesday we had a roadshow which I embarrassed myself by falling asleep in, but I did warn them beforehand. It's just the big boss was there and saw me nodding off. Powerpoint presentations after lunch tend to do that to me. I don't know how I made it through university even. I also found out my Permaculture Design Certificate means nothing because it's not NZQA approved. My boss said it was a gypsy degree taught by people in beards and sandals. Well actually some of the teachers were barefoot but I didn't let on.
By today (Saturday) I was fairly exhausted and ignored yet another community gardening working bee text, I don't quite understand why I keep getting them when I've been working all week anyway. I thought they were only supposed to happen once a month. And the church garden still hasn't got off the ground. We had a walk round last week but all that came of it was I was not allowed to plant anything because of some bureaucratic reason. Nobody offered any suggestions on what plants they would like, except hydrangeas, but since they got mowed over I decided I wasn't going to try them again. I'm thinking of calling the guys who used to do the Mucking In shows and ask them to come help cut through some of the red tape.
Aside from that I've planned to take two days off work to get stuck in to that and have a whole lot of mountain flax that could go on the roadside verge but I'm holding off buying any plants because it's exhausting knowing you have $350 left to spend except it's your own money that will get reimbursed later. I think the church may be worried I will buy 350 plants and ask everyone to help plant them. It's not easy being a gardener, you make more friends being a baker or morning tea helper, because everyone enjoys having a cup of tea with a biscuit and chatting more than planting plants and picking flowers.
Perhaps I shall get on the pulpit and remind everyone that 'He who sows sparingly, reaps sparingly, and he who sows generously, reaps generously'. But somehow people don't understand what that means, and some churches have got the idea that has something to do with gambling and money.
Speaking of money, since I have to fill out a tax return...and am wondering if I shall take the advice of one oldie who said why don't I ask my boss for a pay rise.
Good question, why don't I? I've never asked anyone for a pay rise before. I wonder if I am worth 50 cents more in the dollar. Certainly it would help buy more plants for this church garden....which is one of the thousand and one things I must do before I die.
