Drove past a field of alpacas in the snow this afternoon which made me wonder why no one thought to put alpaca wool extra jumpers on them.

Wouldn't they be great for an alpaca-themed garden party? Alpaca Lunch

Actually, I have registered and insured myself now with the professional body as a dog walker and pet sitter and will be tentatively trying to get some customers over the next few months, I’m working on some promo materials at the moment. This comes in the light of realising that I can only tolerate a classroom based job part time now for medical reasons so I’d like to combine this kind of work with tuition / supply teaching. ( Do I remember correctly that you do similar Iuv?!_ if so, any tips?). I’ve been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, basically all the discs in my neck have arthritis now and some osteophytes, coupled with the crumbling of my shoulders. This has come as a bit of a blow at my age and it’s made me reevaluate the amount of self help I need to be doing, ie walking, walking and more walking if I can. It’s the only thing that gives me pain relief. Guess I’d have to turn down regular walks with bull mastiffs, but I can twirl a shiz Zhou or 3 round the park and can nanny small creatures!
If anyone needs a critter sitter in the E Midlands, let me know! I’ll happily parade a llama ( you knew that).

@kat sorry to hear about your condition :(. I really hope you can get some ultra-sound therapy. The waves penetrate deep and create heat which stimulates healing. Maybe Magnesium in the morn and a Vit D/calcium supplement in evening. A tens unit may relieve some of the pain too, if you haven't already tried it. Xo

Out of interest, what is the rate for pet sitting?

To be honest I haven’t quite finalised all mine yet. The going rate for dog walking is between £12 and £15 per hour, but the pet sitting has to be negotiable to some extent depending on whether it’s literally a drop-in / toileting; is it a sit and stay to share company; how many pets are being visited in one trip; distance travelled; are there medical needs to be addressed etc etc. My rates would be extremely competitive and fair because I’m getting started and because I’m a realist!

You know, I went through this with my ex partner. She was an 8th grade English teacher and only held the position for 3 years. She just couldn't handle the politics, the stress of overcrowded classrooms and no support from her superiors. She was constantly stressed and lived for the Summer. I remember she was teaching about 'The Diary of Anne Frank' and decided to show the class some real historical footage from WWII and the concentration camps. One of her students told their parents about the footage, so the principal of the school ended up sitting in on her classes. The principal asked her not to show it, because a parent complained! It's a historical memoir for God's sake, and History must be explained. Anyway, I encouraged her to leave- it just left her miserable everyday.

@KatRobin http://6dollarshirts.com/como-se-llama