So� there�s a good chance I�ve lost everything on my work computer. Luckily for me I backed it all up last week (for the first time in months), and most of what I have done since then I can at least partially recover, but for fuck�s sake. One partially destroyed coolant system, one malfunctioning vacuum pump, one burnt computer and a stolen flash disk. Now I�m a bit afraid of touching Daniel�s new iPod in case it blows up in my hands.

Yes, a new iPod. I went halves with Brett and we gave it to him for his birthday, because a few weeks ago his old one just�stopped working. Now we can listen to music on car trips again, not that we can really afford to go anywhere at the moment.

Fuck. Just spoke to Daniel. So far he has heard a rumour from three completely independent sources that his ex boss wants to sue him for �stealing� Westfield as a customer. Whilst I really don�t see how the guy could possibly make this a case � Westfield has numerous suppliers, one of whom is now Daniel, and they have not stopped doing business with the Ex Boss, AND Daniel became a legitimate supplier by speaking to the national marketing manager (i.e. through the �front door�) � this is not what I need to hear. We are already broke. We have pulled thousands of dollars out of our home loan to finance the business, and it�s only just starting to be a viable entity on its own. We�re still not making any money out of it, but at least it can afford to pay most of its own bills now. So we�re both living off my income, and we are therefore broke. Hearing that some cranky old bastard wants to sue us is just stress we could really live without. So now Daniel has a meeting with a solicitor on Tuesday, so that they can work out whether the Ex Boss has a case and if not, whether they should instead threaten to sue him for slander (the Ex Boss has been out and about badmouthing Daniel ever since he left, despite the fact that Daniel was his most valuable staff member and was the one who always stayed back after work to make sure everything got done and that customers got what they wanted).

I don�t want this to go to court. I don�t want to sue or be sued. I was surprised at how vicious the Ex Boss turned when Daniel left, even before we started the business. We suspect that he�s been steadily losing customers, as things were already starting to go downhill before Daniel left. The guy had some good staff but never paid them enough or acknowledged their hard work, and slowly they found better jobs and left. Now he�s got his two sons working for him, and they both arrive late and have to leave at 3PM because they are swimming coaches. The other employee is a young graduate who knows that once her 12 months are up, she can get a better job for a proper design firm, not just a sign shop. So staffing-wise, not so good. As Daniel put it, �I think he�s just got sour grapes because he�s losing business, and he�s pointing them at me.�

I just don�t like this. It scares me. What if the guy does have a case? What if Daniel signed some employment contract all those years ago that actually said, �I will not start a rival printing company, ever�? What if? What if he sues us for all we�ve got? What if we go broke? What if all our hard work was for nothing? Why is there all this bitterness? Ugh.

Fuck you, Ex Boss, you�ve ruined my Friday afternoon. I hope an emu kicks your dunny door down.

Cricket is a weird sport full of weird terminology. Yesterday�s paper had the following headline on the back sports page:

HERO FALLS FOR A DUCK

� I mean, if I hadn�t recognised that as cricket jargon, I may have found myself pondering the legalities of such a union.

You know what? After that phone call I really don�t feel like writing any more.