Happy Winter, Happy Labour Day an' that....
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 30 April 2007 at 4/30/2007 03:45:00 pm.
Man did i have a good time at that baby shower. I just love my neighbour S-H., and we had loads of time to bond as I was basically the only one on time and wound up helping her cook the party food. It's just so amazing to me that ALL her friends are totally cool. I just love them. She's literally friends with the coolest women in Botswana. I dont know how she managed to find all of them, or if there's something that I'm just *not doing* that she is, but it's as if she just so happens to work at the one firm in town (BTC) where all the "cool chicks" are magnetized to. Because they were nearly all work-people.
The Mr. and I always get annoyed at this (what we call) "urban myth" about trans-culture friendships, here. Sometimes a lot of expats will tell you it's impossible to have a classic "normal friendship" with the Batswana, when you're european, just because of the (drastic) cultural differences and blahddy blahddy blah. Well, I can tell you, I could be friends with nearly all those girls from this weekend. I mean, actually, yeah, that's totally right because look, S-H. is from Cape Town and SHE's friends with them, so WTF!?
Sure the cultural differences can be major, but all these women were educated, outgoing, enthusiastic, (and I guess here's the telling point...) relatively "modern" ladies. I have thought over and over and over about this in my head ever since leaving the party, but there's just something about them all that seemed so... normal to me. Then i figured it out, they're all power-women. They have really good jobs at BTC where they have to deal with a huge range of people on a day to day basis, probably were educated overseas or lived overseas at some stage and are actually not really "traditional" Motswana women at all. Sheesh. It's scary how that urban myth really kinda keeps echoing in my head. Very interesting. Oh hell, what do i care. A cool chick is a cool chick, I dont care if she's traditional or modern or a total anomole. I just like meeting people I click with, and on sunday it was like meeting 20 of them at once.
It was glaringly obvious, though, that me and this other girl M. were the only non-moms there. Yes, S-H. isn't *technically* a mom yet, but that's all gonna change in a month.
S-H. is just so cool though. Her twins are gonna be called Zara and Aiden (spelled with a "y" in place of the "i") which are both names that I like. I like that she wants to encourage 2 seperate personalities with the twins too, none of this "Zara and Zack" naming thing and dressing them identically and so on. And I found out that Sky, the dad, is gonna have to do the naming ceremony (bc she's doing the whole traditional muslim-thing) IN ARABIC! which i think is so funny, knowing Mr. Whitey Pants Sky. She even told me that he did his wedding vows in Arabic too, because they did the whole traditional ceremony-thingy (bc he's not religious at all) for her family. I'm totally impressed. I just never would've expected it from him, on so many, many levels.
Anyway i'm gonna miss her when she's down in CT having the babies, because she's not gonna be around for a month (the baby wards here aren't very experienced in multiples and other stuff is a small bit awry) so they recommended she have them in SA) and we wont get to see the little people for quite some time, until she can fly back here with them.
I really am enjoying winter here. It's gorgeous during the day, and nice and chilly at night and morning. I'm digging on these flannel sheets we got, and the fact that soon we'll be lighting fires in the fire place. Mary told us this morning that soon the grass "will be white!" (frost, not snow) and that it's gonna be sooooooooooo cold! I laugh because I know that still means temperatures of 20degC during the day. haha
anyway, day off tomorrow - wahoo! random weekday holiday day! the best kind!
The Mr. and I always get annoyed at this (what we call) "urban myth" about trans-culture friendships, here. Sometimes a lot of expats will tell you it's impossible to have a classic "normal friendship" with the Batswana, when you're european, just because of the (drastic) cultural differences and blahddy blahddy blah. Well, I can tell you, I could be friends with nearly all those girls from this weekend. I mean, actually, yeah, that's totally right because look, S-H. is from Cape Town and SHE's friends with them, so WTF!?
Sure the cultural differences can be major, but all these women were educated, outgoing, enthusiastic, (and I guess here's the telling point...) relatively "modern" ladies. I have thought over and over and over about this in my head ever since leaving the party, but there's just something about them all that seemed so... normal to me. Then i figured it out, they're all power-women. They have really good jobs at BTC where they have to deal with a huge range of people on a day to day basis, probably were educated overseas or lived overseas at some stage and are actually not really "traditional" Motswana women at all. Sheesh. It's scary how that urban myth really kinda keeps echoing in my head. Very interesting. Oh hell, what do i care. A cool chick is a cool chick, I dont care if she's traditional or modern or a total anomole. I just like meeting people I click with, and on sunday it was like meeting 20 of them at once.
It was glaringly obvious, though, that me and this other girl M. were the only non-moms there. Yes, S-H. isn't *technically* a mom yet, but that's all gonna change in a month.
S-H. is just so cool though. Her twins are gonna be called Zara and Aiden (spelled with a "y" in place of the "i") which are both names that I like. I like that she wants to encourage 2 seperate personalities with the twins too, none of this "Zara and Zack" naming thing and dressing them identically and so on. And I found out that Sky, the dad, is gonna have to do the naming ceremony (bc she's doing the whole traditional muslim-thing) IN ARABIC! which i think is so funny, knowing Mr. Whitey Pants Sky. She even told me that he did his wedding vows in Arabic too, because they did the whole traditional ceremony-thingy (bc he's not religious at all) for her family. I'm totally impressed. I just never would've expected it from him, on so many, many levels.
Anyway i'm gonna miss her when she's down in CT having the babies, because she's not gonna be around for a month (the baby wards here aren't very experienced in multiples and other stuff is a small bit awry) so they recommended she have them in SA) and we wont get to see the little people for quite some time, until she can fly back here with them.
I really am enjoying winter here. It's gorgeous during the day, and nice and chilly at night and morning. I'm digging on these flannel sheets we got, and the fact that soon we'll be lighting fires in the fire place. Mary told us this morning that soon the grass "will be white!" (frost, not snow) and that it's gonna be sooooooooooo cold! I laugh because I know that still means temperatures of 20degC during the day. haha
anyway, day off tomorrow - wahoo! random weekday holiday day! the best kind!
That *$&% video from below...
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 27 April 2007 at 4/27/2007 03:08:00 pm.
BIG PARTY last night was really fun. And as promised, it was the locals/partners who took to the dance floor long before any of the Dutch wall flowers got moving.
I took this video at the very beginning of the boogie, before it REALLY got up and running. Actually when we left at the end of the night, they were still going in full force (dancing).
Anyway it was really fun and big thank-yous to Her Majesty Queen Beatrix for all the lovely wines and beers and uh.... pretty average (cold, stale) finger food! :D
Anyway it was really fun and big thank-yous to Her Majesty Queen Beatrix for all the lovely wines and beers and uh.... pretty average (cold, stale) finger food! :D
Some more photos
the Mr. and Alice
Here's everyone listening to the Dutch Consul's speech. When we first arrived we were introduced to Mr. Important, here, and he was actually really nice and engaging and we had a pretty cool chat. My first time ever to rub shoulders with an official "international representative".
it was a really great night in a really nice atmosphere and setting. We sat around the little fire pit with Alice and Corine for a good chunk of it, just drinking and talking, and hung out with Petra for another good while, and ended up the night with Vincent (who's getting married on Saturday to K. - see photos from the eclipse night). I really, really like Vincent. Must be something about guys named Vincent. heehee. Anyway there we were, taking to V., who then proceeded to drag this other dutch guy's spouse from Peru over to me and shoved her in my face so that I could practice my spanish. ?!?!
It was so embarassing because I was just a wee bit liquored up and half the words that came out of my mouth were dutch. oops. when i'm pissed I can't seperate my foreign languages very well. not a good scene. then SHE shoved her 80-year old Peruvian MOTHER in my face and this lady was talking some wild and crazy south american dialect of peru-spanol and I understood about 1 word in 500. ygh. how embarassing. but she JUST. KEPT. GOING. ON! and on! Mr. dutch husband and his wife had to drag her away from me and then she insisted that we do this really weird drunken-details-swap. Now my question is.... for what exactly do we need each other's phone numbers?! anyway. it was great.
There is a Scorpions cd in my car stereo. And I'm strangely enough enjoying it quite a bit.
This weekend I have She-haam's baby shower. I've never been to a baby shower for someone expecting twins. A boy and a girl. Does this mean I have to buy 2 presents? I'm excited about the shower because there's going to be champagne (YESSSSS) and new people I've never met so again I hope to meet some nice ones. If they're friends with S-h then they've gotta be nice. I'm also totally excited about the fact that its the first social engagement here to which I can actually WALK! ;-)
The best part is she's gonna start cooking for it TODAY, and that's 2 days away from the shower. She'll be serving her famous Malay curry (which I've had and I KNOW it's heaven in your mouth), potato salad, something else, something else, something something, and something else. We have to loan her a shelf or two in our fridge because hers is overflowing. So it'll be an eating exxxtravaganza. I feel like I should start fasting now.
Talking to P. last night we decided we should all get together for a big music festival in joburg sometime soon. We're all craving live music and a big concert scene and Joburg is definitely the place to get it. Slap it on the agenda.
Alter-aspiriations...
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 25 April 2007 at 4/25/2007 11:19:00 am.
I guess one good thing about my life is that I definitely found my way (with some stumbles en route, of course) onto the right career path for me... I love the environmental/landscape gig, but I have so many friends who are either frustrated, annoyed, or otherwise confused about what they want to do with their life, that a lot of times I put myself in that make-believe position and wonder about what I would do if I had to do it all over again, or if my current career just vanished into thin air with no warning....
A place like Bots is good for those kind of random ponderings. It's really a place where a middle class white kid like me can be brought down to earth in a big way and think about stuff that would never cross your mind back on "that side".
One field that really intrigues me here, and I've only just realized exists, is the whole concept of end-of-life care. I was reading a local blog written by a Dr., and it really got me interested. I suppose being Ms. Pisces, and knowing my "tendencies", it was only logical that as soon as I heard about this issue, I'd want to know more, so I've been reading like a maniac.
Living in an AIDS-rife, developing, and somewhat informal-health-care society here, a lot of the time patients come to the hospital too late and the clinics/hospitals here have very limited resources here for helping the critically ill. This one doctor had to tell two families in one day that their loved ones were dying. When I was in that hospital up in Kasane back in 2000, I was the only person in the room who wasn't terminal. It really makes you think about how important it is to include end-of-life care as a part of the health profession. People who would do it (specialize in end-of-life care) would basically help practioners, families and patients cope with death in the best possible way for everyone involved. It is inevitable anyway, and as this Dr. was saying, death does not automatically represent a medical failure. In fact, helping a family through the death of a loved one can be one of the most sucessful things someone could do. I just think it's really interesting and I'm sure it's something that wouldn't sound that appealing to a lot of people, but then again it has always seemed to be those "not for everyone" things that I always end up getting interested in.
It made me think a little bit about fostering & adoption. Go figure. So many people I know always give me grief about how supposedly "awful" it would be to foster animals "because you'd get attached and then have to give them away"... which never even occurs to me, actually. Or inter-(particularly impoverished) country adoption, which I'm strangely interested in and everyone is like "but it wouldn't *really* be a product of YOU, your husband's DNA blah blah blah" and all that rubbish. Well, what about end-of-life care? I'm not surprised it's hard to get people interested in considering it as a career, as it's got that "terminal" feel about it. But that's what interests me and makes me wonder if I'd be the type that could approach it with positive motivation and actually make it something that inspires rather than depresses?
I was just thinking, thats all. I DO love my current gig, but I never stop thinking about everything else.
A place like Bots is good for those kind of random ponderings. It's really a place where a middle class white kid like me can be brought down to earth in a big way and think about stuff that would never cross your mind back on "that side".
One field that really intrigues me here, and I've only just realized exists, is the whole concept of end-of-life care. I was reading a local blog written by a Dr., and it really got me interested. I suppose being Ms. Pisces, and knowing my "tendencies", it was only logical that as soon as I heard about this issue, I'd want to know more, so I've been reading like a maniac.
Living in an AIDS-rife, developing, and somewhat informal-health-care society here, a lot of the time patients come to the hospital too late and the clinics/hospitals here have very limited resources here for helping the critically ill. This one doctor had to tell two families in one day that their loved ones were dying. When I was in that hospital up in Kasane back in 2000, I was the only person in the room who wasn't terminal. It really makes you think about how important it is to include end-of-life care as a part of the health profession. People who would do it (specialize in end-of-life care) would basically help practioners, families and patients cope with death in the best possible way for everyone involved. It is inevitable anyway, and as this Dr. was saying, death does not automatically represent a medical failure. In fact, helping a family through the death of a loved one can be one of the most sucessful things someone could do. I just think it's really interesting and I'm sure it's something that wouldn't sound that appealing to a lot of people, but then again it has always seemed to be those "not for everyone" things that I always end up getting interested in.
It made me think a little bit about fostering & adoption. Go figure. So many people I know always give me grief about how supposedly "awful" it would be to foster animals "because you'd get attached and then have to give them away"... which never even occurs to me, actually. Or inter-(particularly impoverished) country adoption, which I'm strangely interested in and everyone is like "but it wouldn't *really* be a product of YOU, your husband's DNA blah blah blah" and all that rubbish. Well, what about end-of-life care? I'm not surprised it's hard to get people interested in considering it as a career, as it's got that "terminal" feel about it. But that's what interests me and makes me wonder if I'd be the type that could approach it with positive motivation and actually make it something that inspires rather than depresses?
I was just thinking, thats all. I DO love my current gig, but I never stop thinking about everything else.
I believe it was Willie Nelson who once sang (so sweetly):
"Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be stubborn &!£<#es...."
NEWSFLASH!!! Caught in a heinous act of "too immature to apologize", a well-known (to this blogger) 56-year old woman of the maternal persuasion was caught out cold in a not-rare act of being a total passive/agressive cow. An all-too-predictable 3-sentence email was sent, the content of which was simply: "Enjoyed reading your recent updates on the blog today but so disappointed you've chosen to get cats. I guess we won't be visiting, you know that I'm allergic and thus can not handle being in your house. "
(note: "blog" obviously referring to the "other" one ~whew~)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!
OK now let's just launch into the "busted" element of this blog. The facts are simple:
1. The kitties are FOSTER pets only.
2. They live in the shed (unless its playtime or cuddle time, obviously)
3. The "update" in said blog was clearly THIS ONE, where anyone with a 3rd grade education can clearly read the 7th paragraph where it states "foster home while they're too young for neutering and immunizations prior to going up for adoption".
I won't even get started on how wrong this is on so many, many levels for more reasons than just being COMPLETELY STUPID AND INSANE... levels, for instance, such as using allergies as a mechanism to "prove your love for me by getting rid of your pets", or classic passive/agressive email techniques such as using that oh-so cliché formula of "enjoying your.... BUT... so disappointed that..." EW!! GROSS! DIRTY!
I'll just stop there, since I just wrote that "I wont even get started..." oops.
Right, so let's just say that an equally short email was returned in response, pointing out that one should read to the end of the sentence before one sends off childish p/a emails demanding justification of another one's choice in life TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE FRIGGIN CHARITY OF THEIR CHOICE*...
*NB: neither the word "friggin" nor any other "f" words were used in said email.
Now where, I ask myself is the apology?
It's been 2 days, and apparently this issue has been sweepity-sweep-sweep'd under the rug all together. Not a word.
This is so serious to me for so many reasons. Including, yet not limited to the following:
1) I was raised a child of the "apology on demand" school of parenting. Which is a fine principal, in theory, I guess... so long as you can lead by example. I'm not saying it doesnt work and I DO think it's important, wait, MANDATORY, that kids know how to apologize. But whether I was genuinely sorry or not, I was forced to say the words "I'm sorry" when I did something bad, and I was taught that if I didn't, I would suffer reprocussions such as getting grounded, sent to the room, or spanked or whatever. So my question is:
HOW THE HELL DOES IT FEEL TO BE SUCH A HYPOCRITE?!?!
2) I learned, from falling in love with the Mr., and ONLY from falling in love with the Mr., how to really give an apology and mean it. Seriously. I was over 24 years of age before it happened. It took me THAT LONG, because the concept of all those demanded-apologies had been so scarred into my memory as an element of hate and resentment, that I never cared or bothered to explore it as a "good" relationship tool or even a thing that could be "good" in any way, shape, or form.
Why, then, if I could teach myself as a 24-year old, how to say "I'm sorry, I fecked up and I know it" can someone DOUBLE that age, with a supposed college degree in Early Childhood Edu-ma-cation not have figured it out after raising 2 kids?!!??!!?!?!
3) Stubbornness. In 31 years, I have never EVER heard the word "sorry" come out of this main character's mouth. How's that for classic stubbornness? Well, ok, put it this way: if it aint stubbornness, then the only other option is that it's a case of a perfect, infallable, faultless, veritable Virgin-bloody-Mary who managed to survive over 18 years of raising kids, without making any mistakes.
Um, maybe it's because I'm mildly retarded, but I just don't think that's possible. Am I wrong to just chalk that all up to being bull-headed? I don't want to be stubborn. I want to be flexible, dynamic, and easy to get along with. I see this example of stubbornness and it makes me freak out that yes, someday that could be ME.
Closing note to self:
I BLOG THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO REMEMBER. AND TO HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE IN THE FUTURE!
"Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be stubborn &!£<#es...."
NEWSFLASH!!! Caught in a heinous act of "too immature to apologize", a well-known (to this blogger) 56-year old woman of the maternal persuasion was caught out cold in a not-rare act of being a total passive/agressive cow. An all-too-predictable 3-sentence email was sent, the content of which was simply: "Enjoyed reading your recent updates on the blog today but so disappointed you've chosen to get cats. I guess we won't be visiting, you know that I'm allergic and thus can not handle being in your house. "
(note: "blog" obviously referring to the "other" one ~whew~)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!
OK now let's just launch into the "busted" element of this blog. The facts are simple:
1. The kitties are FOSTER pets only.
2. They live in the shed (unless its playtime or cuddle time, obviously)
3. The "update" in said blog was clearly THIS ONE, where anyone with a 3rd grade education can clearly read the 7th paragraph where it states "foster home while they're too young for neutering and immunizations prior to going up for adoption".
I won't even get started on how wrong this is on so many, many levels for more reasons than just being COMPLETELY STUPID AND INSANE... levels, for instance, such as using allergies as a mechanism to "prove your love for me by getting rid of your pets", or classic passive/agressive email techniques such as using that oh-so cliché formula of "enjoying your.... BUT... so disappointed that..." EW!! GROSS! DIRTY!
I'll just stop there, since I just wrote that "I wont even get started..." oops.
Right, so let's just say that an equally short email was returned in response, pointing out that one should read to the end of the sentence before one sends off childish p/a emails demanding justification of another one's choice in life TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE FRIGGIN CHARITY OF THEIR CHOICE*...
*NB: neither the word "friggin" nor any other "f" words were used in said email.
Now where, I ask myself is the apology?
It's been 2 days, and apparently this issue has been sweepity-sweep-sweep'd under the rug all together. Not a word.
This is so serious to me for so many reasons. Including, yet not limited to the following:
1) I was raised a child of the "apology on demand" school of parenting. Which is a fine principal, in theory, I guess... so long as you can lead by example. I'm not saying it doesnt work and I DO think it's important, wait, MANDATORY, that kids know how to apologize. But whether I was genuinely sorry or not, I was forced to say the words "I'm sorry" when I did something bad, and I was taught that if I didn't, I would suffer reprocussions such as getting grounded, sent to the room, or spanked or whatever. So my question is:
HOW THE HELL DOES IT FEEL TO BE SUCH A HYPOCRITE?!?!
2) I learned, from falling in love with the Mr., and ONLY from falling in love with the Mr., how to really give an apology and mean it. Seriously. I was over 24 years of age before it happened. It took me THAT LONG, because the concept of all those demanded-apologies had been so scarred into my memory as an element of hate and resentment, that I never cared or bothered to explore it as a "good" relationship tool or even a thing that could be "good" in any way, shape, or form.
Why, then, if I could teach myself as a 24-year old, how to say "I'm sorry, I fecked up and I know it" can someone DOUBLE that age, with a supposed college degree in Early Childhood Edu-ma-cation not have figured it out after raising 2 kids?!!??!!?!?!
3) Stubbornness. In 31 years, I have never EVER heard the word "sorry" come out of this main character's mouth. How's that for classic stubbornness? Well, ok, put it this way: if it aint stubbornness, then the only other option is that it's a case of a perfect, infallable, faultless, veritable Virgin-bloody-Mary who managed to survive over 18 years of raising kids, without making any mistakes.
Um, maybe it's because I'm mildly retarded, but I just don't think that's possible. Am I wrong to just chalk that all up to being bull-headed? I don't want to be stubborn. I want to be flexible, dynamic, and easy to get along with. I see this example of stubbornness and it makes me freak out that yes, someday that could be ME.
Closing note to self:
I BLOG THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO REMEMBER. AND TO HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE IN THE FUTURE!
Sen-bloody-sational weekend!
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 23 April 2007 at 4/23/2007 09:33:00 am.
Crikey it was a nice weekend.
Friday, the Mr. and I called a "Directors Meeting" and went out on the piss for lunch. And didn't come back. Fabulous. Being your own boss is fabulous. Beautiful autumn weather, delicious eatings at the Dros, and plenty of liquid refreshment.
Saturday was very laid back and we slept in til 10 (!!!), kicked around town, bought a groovy hall rug, took a walk in the evening around the 'hood at the nicest time of day - when everybody and I mean EVERYBODY is out milling around, conversatin' and gossiping and enjoying the sunset. I just love living in my hood.
Went to Moghul Sat. night for an incredible indian feast and got too full. MAN I hate it that my non-overeating regiment is collapsing. Too much good nosh in this country. Just too much. Avoiding food in Ireland was much, much easier. Because it was mostly crap.
The Mr. and I started a (gasp) PUZZLE! (Thanks Beth!) It is the first puzzle we've ever done in our relationship. Actually it's probably the first puzzle I've done since I was 12, when the Mominator used to force us to do it as a "family activity" and I nearly puked with disgust. So it's nice to be doing one now, totally of my own free will. It's one of the LOST series puzzles and it has Hurley and the cursed numbers on it, but they dont show you what the finished product is supposed to look like so it's a true mystery until it gets done. Beth sent it to us for no good reason, and that's the nicest kind of surprises to find in the mailbox. The best.
But sunday! SUNDAY! what a great day. Me, the Mr, Petra, Robin, and Jason walked alllllllllll the way from town out to Gabane village (about 12km?). We started around 3pm and got there around 5:30 - 6 and damn it felt good. The walk took us through bush, dusty tracks, and a few informal village settlements. And when we finally rocked up in G-village, we hit the "Mountain Liquor Restaurant" for a braai, LOUD music, and some well-deserved beers. We sunk our first beverages up on the side of the mountain, right behind the bar, where we climbed up and sat on some rocks and just watched the scene. The locals were jamming to the grooviest toonz on the frontier, and the braais were fired up cooking the most incredible steaks known to mankind. And huge, too! Non-beef eaters go home!
Ate some meat, some pap, drank more beers, and got stared at good and hard (as per usual) by the home-crowd. Di-friggin-VINE! Caught a combi taxi home and walked under the stars another 3km or so back to where we'd parked the car at Robin's place.
I love Petra. I think she could be my first dutch girl real-friend. All my NL friends are boys it seems, and even though I do have some girly acquaintances of the adoptive country, none of them have really . . . uh, "clicked" or how ever you want to say it. Put it this way, I have no Dutch BFFs.
It's just so nice to talk to someone like I normally would, and be myself, and all that cliché crap. Make jokes, say "shit", drink beers, go hiking, crap on about everything and anything, and the fact that she and the Mr. have hit it off too, is just icing on the cake. Plus she's not afraid to rock up at a village "liquor restaurant" (HA!) in a posse of whities and just feel at ease. Ok, the fact she dated a Motswana for 3 years helps that, but it *is* uncommon here in Gabs. I got the feeling R & J were a little gob-smacked by the whole THING last night too, but me & the Mr. and P. were perfectly happy to be the buttermilk in the fly-party.
It was an amazing, amazing time.
Friday, the Mr. and I called a "Directors Meeting" and went out on the piss for lunch. And didn't come back. Fabulous. Being your own boss is fabulous. Beautiful autumn weather, delicious eatings at the Dros, and plenty of liquid refreshment.
Saturday was very laid back and we slept in til 10 (!!!), kicked around town, bought a groovy hall rug, took a walk in the evening around the 'hood at the nicest time of day - when everybody and I mean EVERYBODY is out milling around, conversatin' and gossiping and enjoying the sunset. I just love living in my hood.
Went to Moghul Sat. night for an incredible indian feast and got too full. MAN I hate it that my non-overeating regiment is collapsing. Too much good nosh in this country. Just too much. Avoiding food in Ireland was much, much easier. Because it was mostly crap.
The Mr. and I started a (gasp) PUZZLE! (Thanks Beth!) It is the first puzzle we've ever done in our relationship. Actually it's probably the first puzzle I've done since I was 12, when the Mominator used to force us to do it as a "family activity" and I nearly puked with disgust. So it's nice to be doing one now, totally of my own free will. It's one of the LOST series puzzles and it has Hurley and the cursed numbers on it, but they dont show you what the finished product is supposed to look like so it's a true mystery until it gets done. Beth sent it to us for no good reason, and that's the nicest kind of surprises to find in the mailbox. The best.
But sunday! SUNDAY! what a great day. Me, the Mr, Petra, Robin, and Jason walked alllllllllll the way from town out to Gabane village (about 12km?). We started around 3pm and got there around 5:30 - 6 and damn it felt good. The walk took us through bush, dusty tracks, and a few informal village settlements. And when we finally rocked up in G-village, we hit the "Mountain Liquor Restaurant" for a braai, LOUD music, and some well-deserved beers. We sunk our first beverages up on the side of the mountain, right behind the bar, where we climbed up and sat on some rocks and just watched the scene. The locals were jamming to the grooviest toonz on the frontier, and the braais were fired up cooking the most incredible steaks known to mankind. And huge, too! Non-beef eaters go home!
Ate some meat, some pap, drank more beers, and got stared at good and hard (as per usual) by the home-crowd. Di-friggin-VINE! Caught a combi taxi home and walked under the stars another 3km or so back to where we'd parked the car at Robin's place.
I love Petra. I think she could be my first dutch girl real-friend. All my NL friends are boys it seems, and even though I do have some girly acquaintances of the adoptive country, none of them have really . . . uh, "clicked" or how ever you want to say it. Put it this way, I have no Dutch BFFs.
It's just so nice to talk to someone like I normally would, and be myself, and all that cliché crap. Make jokes, say "shit", drink beers, go hiking, crap on about everything and anything, and the fact that she and the Mr. have hit it off too, is just icing on the cake. Plus she's not afraid to rock up at a village "liquor restaurant" (HA!) in a posse of whities and just feel at ease. Ok, the fact she dated a Motswana for 3 years helps that, but it *is* uncommon here in Gabs. I got the feeling R & J were a little gob-smacked by the whole THING last night too, but me & the Mr. and P. were perfectly happy to be the buttermilk in the fly-party.
It was an amazing, amazing time.
not rocket science
2 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 20 April 2007 at 4/20/2007 08:36:00 am.
It's true I know people back home who believe that the concept of (gasp!) gun control is a terrible thing (as I forget so often, I do come from Missouri). I know libertarians who think we should be able to keep AK47s in our basement bunkers without anyone telling us we can't (Duh... went to school in Wyoming). Remember that scene in "Bowling for Columbine" where Moore says to Mr. (random redneck dude's name evades me): "The Constitution says you've got the right to bear arms. What do you think 'arms' means?" and Mr. Whatever goes:
"It means we ought to have handguns if we want to!" and Michael Moore says: "What about nuclear weapons? Should you be able to have weapons-grade plutonium?" ???? Well, I'm pretty damn sure I know people who would say "SIR, ABSO-F**KIN-LUTELY, YES SIR!"
With all the bloody brilliant things about living overseas, the thing that often becomes the most tiring is when something completely retarded and outrageous happens back in the good old U.S. of A. and then *I* have to take the rap for it, as somewhat of an "ambassador" (yeah right, as if!) for the country. There's nothing I can do about it, it's just part of what people like me sign on for when we hit the road, and most of the time it's relatively short-lived and bearable (well, with the exception of Australia - eesh. Those guys are vultures and I was there during the first Bush tenure. GAH!!!)
But I'll be honest, situations like this VA Tech thing hit the international news waves, the fallout occurrs, people want ME to tell them "why is it possible that this guy can just walk into a wal-mart and kit himself out with enough guns and ammo to take out multiple classrooms in 10 minutes? Why? Why is it that YOUR country allows this? Why do YOU let these things happen, after Columbine, after that Washington-state thing, after ALL these things?"
Ugh! Pain in the friggin HOLE, I tell you. So basically, after launching into my 30-second PSA about how I am completely AGAINST the so-called "constitutaional right to be able to walk into any walmart/pawn shop/bass pro shop and buy guns and ammo without so much as a hunting license before you're even 21" (in VA, apparently, a 12-year-old can legally buy an assault rifle, even without parental permission, every 30 days, according to the Brady Campaign), and that I actually agree with their notion that I come from a country of gun-toting-for-no-good-reason maniacs, I have to pretty much just shut up and bend over. It really is nonsense.
Sometimes, while I'm bending over, I shout out "I AM NOT THE NRA! I SWEAR!!" Because who do we get soundbytes of on all the news channels when god forbid, america has a mini, pseudo gun-control backlash moment (because it never lasts more than 5 minutes) after these Virginia Tech situations (the fifth school shooting to take place in the U.S. in the last 12 months) occur? FRIGGIN CHARLTON "turd sandwich" HESTON. NRA slogans. blah blah guns dont kill people blah blah. Oh yeah, that's representative. The news-readers basically come on and say: "This is America's voice. Here we have Mr. Heston, he represents how people in america think after the Virginia Tech massacre". sweet.
Yep, we get the Bubba-guy off the street who gets interviewed on BBC International, and starts off with: "Some would say that it is guns that cause tragedies like yesterday. Well, y'see, I would say that it is the lack of guns that allow incidents such as this one to happen! " greaaaat. Thanks and let me just pad my poop-hole one more time before I go out into public this morning.
Call me anti-american but the only 2 countries I've ever lived in or even visited for that matter, where any fool (and I don't buy the pathetic "background check" element as a sufficient fool-filter) can walk into wal-mart and walk out a potential murderer, are the USA and South Africa. And guess which 2 countries have repetitive school massacres and mass shootings? Hell you don't have to have a PhD in geography to figure that one out.
Mr. Sandwich would, at this point, raise the issue that "if one a' them thar psychos wanna kill someone, they dont need no gun to do it, y'all! Outlawin' guns aint gonna fix nuthin! Them psychos can murder summun with a dern butter knife ifn's they wanna!" (ok I know he doesnt talk like that but this is my blog and I desire to make him appear to be the obvious douche bag that he is). My only reply is "OH YEAH? HOW MANY "MASS BUTTER-KNIFING MASSACRES HAVE YOU HEARD OF RECENTLY IN GREECE?!?!? Or Botswana... or New Zealand... or...." ugh.
let 'em go at each other with butter knives. let's see how many Columbines we have in the new "butter knife" era. great.
It's times like these you just gotta revert to Michael Moore:
"Why not use Gandhi's way? He didn't have guns, and he beat the British Empire."
"It means we ought to have handguns if we want to!" and Michael Moore says: "What about nuclear weapons? Should you be able to have weapons-grade plutonium?" ???? Well, I'm pretty damn sure I know people who would say "SIR, ABSO-F**KIN-LUTELY, YES SIR!"
With all the bloody brilliant things about living overseas, the thing that often becomes the most tiring is when something completely retarded and outrageous happens back in the good old U.S. of A. and then *I* have to take the rap for it, as somewhat of an "ambassador" (yeah right, as if!) for the country. There's nothing I can do about it, it's just part of what people like me sign on for when we hit the road, and most of the time it's relatively short-lived and bearable (well, with the exception of Australia - eesh. Those guys are vultures and I was there during the first Bush tenure. GAH!!!)
But I'll be honest, situations like this VA Tech thing hit the international news waves, the fallout occurrs, people want ME to tell them "why is it possible that this guy can just walk into a wal-mart and kit himself out with enough guns and ammo to take out multiple classrooms in 10 minutes? Why? Why is it that YOUR country allows this? Why do YOU let these things happen, after Columbine, after that Washington-state thing, after ALL these things?"
Ugh! Pain in the friggin HOLE, I tell you. So basically, after launching into my 30-second PSA about how I am completely AGAINST the so-called "constitutaional right to be able to walk into any walmart/pawn shop/bass pro shop and buy guns and ammo without so much as a hunting license before you're even 21" (in VA, apparently, a 12-year-old can legally buy an assault rifle, even without parental permission, every 30 days, according to the Brady Campaign), and that I actually agree with their notion that I come from a country of gun-toting-for-no-good-reason maniacs, I have to pretty much just shut up and bend over. It really is nonsense.
Sometimes, while I'm bending over, I shout out "I AM NOT THE NRA! I SWEAR!!" Because who do we get soundbytes of on all the news channels when god forbid, america has a mini, pseudo gun-control backlash moment (because it never lasts more than 5 minutes) after these Virginia Tech situations (the fifth school shooting to take place in the U.S. in the last 12 months) occur? FRIGGIN CHARLTON "turd sandwich" HESTON. NRA slogans. blah blah guns dont kill people blah blah. Oh yeah, that's representative. The news-readers basically come on and say: "This is America's voice. Here we have Mr. Heston, he represents how people in america think after the Virginia Tech massacre". sweet.
Yep, we get the Bubba-guy off the street who gets interviewed on BBC International, and starts off with: "Some would say that it is guns that cause tragedies like yesterday. Well, y'see, I would say that it is the lack of guns that allow incidents such as this one to happen! " greaaaat. Thanks and let me just pad my poop-hole one more time before I go out into public this morning.
Call me anti-american but the only 2 countries I've ever lived in or even visited for that matter, where any fool (and I don't buy the pathetic "background check" element as a sufficient fool-filter) can walk into wal-mart and walk out a potential murderer, are the USA and South Africa. And guess which 2 countries have repetitive school massacres and mass shootings? Hell you don't have to have a PhD in geography to figure that one out.
Mr. Sandwich would, at this point, raise the issue that "if one a' them thar psychos wanna kill someone, they dont need no gun to do it, y'all! Outlawin' guns aint gonna fix nuthin! Them psychos can murder summun with a dern butter knife ifn's they wanna!" (ok I know he doesnt talk like that but this is my blog and I desire to make him appear to be the obvious douche bag that he is). My only reply is "OH YEAH? HOW MANY "MASS BUTTER-KNIFING MASSACRES HAVE YOU HEARD OF RECENTLY IN GREECE?!?!? Or Botswana... or New Zealand... or...." ugh.
let 'em go at each other with butter knives. let's see how many Columbines we have in the new "butter knife" era. great.
It's times like these you just gotta revert to Michael Moore:
"Why not use Gandhi's way? He didn't have guns, and he beat the British Empire."
Woo Hoo!
We're invited to a party-- our first major one since we got here (braaing at Bernard's doesnt count!)
It's for Koninginnedag 2007 (Queen's Day 2007) thrown by the Dutch consulate (man it's good to be married to a european! These guys know how to throw a shindig!) and it's next thursday at the Craft Gallery and Showroom... which has a big outside area and dj booth and bar and LOTS of room for the boogie.
We talked to Petra about this blessed annual hoo-ha awhile back when we climbed up the hill for the eclipse, and she says it's a HOOT! Apparently a good chunk of the dutchie imports here have married locals and in their oh-so-dutch way refuse to dance and join the git-down until they're well and truly liquored up... thereby creating a situation where all the Batswana are the stars of the boogie-down (these guys KNOW how to shake a groove thing, that's for sure) until about 10pm when all of a sudden the whitey-netherland contingent breaks out of ice-mode and joins the party.
All I can say is: GUESS WHICH CONTINGENT I'M GONNA BE WITH!!!!!
wakka chikka wakka wakka bao-baowwww
I cannot waaaiit!!!
We're invited to a party-- our first major one since we got here (braaing at Bernard's doesnt count!)
It's for Koninginnedag 2007 (Queen's Day 2007) thrown by the Dutch consulate (man it's good to be married to a european! These guys know how to throw a shindig!) and it's next thursday at the Craft Gallery and Showroom... which has a big outside area and dj booth and bar and LOTS of room for the boogie.
We talked to Petra about this blessed annual hoo-ha awhile back when we climbed up the hill for the eclipse, and she says it's a HOOT! Apparently a good chunk of the dutchie imports here have married locals and in their oh-so-dutch way refuse to dance and join the git-down until they're well and truly liquored up... thereby creating a situation where all the Batswana are the stars of the boogie-down (these guys KNOW how to shake a groove thing, that's for sure) until about 10pm when all of a sudden the whitey-netherland contingent breaks out of ice-mode and joins the party.
All I can say is: GUESS WHICH CONTINGENT I'M GONNA BE WITH!!!!!
wakka chikka wakka wakka bao-baowwww
I cannot waaaiit!!!
I swear these things are addictive and annoying
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 18 April 2007 at 4/18/2007 01:02:00 pm.
so APPARENTLY, if I was a famous world leader....
I'm not opposed to this as I'm a JFK fan, but I do find it pants-pissingly funny.
I'm not opposed to this as I'm a JFK fan, but I do find it pants-pissingly funny.
Meditation for the week
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 16 April 2007 at 4/16/2007 08:23:00 am.
Thanks to A., the first thing I read this week was the most amazing article, which puts life into perspective with just the right slant, for where we are in life right now.
If I can keep this frame of mind for the next 5 working days, I think it could actually be a really good week.
Most monday mornings, the first thing I read is a pile of work-related emails. yippee. what a friggin brilliant start to another 5 days at the grindstone. But 10 minutes later, I'm of the belief that this week could be different. I just need to start it out with one tiny change, reflecting on what I read. It's shameful, but already my first inkling when I clicked on this article was: "man! that's one damn long article! will I even bother?"
NOW WHAT KINDA ATTITUDE IS THAT, HMMM!?!?
Talk about stopping to smell the roses.... I wasnt even gonna stop to read an article about stopping to smell the roses!! Double damn!!
It also makes me miss my viola, but that's beside the point.
If I can keep this frame of mind for the next 5 working days, I think it could actually be a really good week.
Most monday mornings, the first thing I read is a pile of work-related emails. yippee. what a friggin brilliant start to another 5 days at the grindstone. But 10 minutes later, I'm of the belief that this week could be different. I just need to start it out with one tiny change, reflecting on what I read. It's shameful, but already my first inkling when I clicked on this article was: "man! that's one damn long article! will I even bother?"
NOW WHAT KINDA ATTITUDE IS THAT, HMMM!?!?
Talk about stopping to smell the roses.... I wasnt even gonna stop to read an article about stopping to smell the roses!! Double damn!!
It also makes me miss my viola, but that's beside the point.
I dont normally do these things
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 13 April 2007 at 4/13/2007 02:17:00 pm.
But I just had to know...
what WOULD my obituary say if I die this weekend?
what WOULD my obituary say if I die this weekend?
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| 'What" will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com |
.
Happiness is:
Driving down the bypass with Beastie Boys blasting at full volume on a sunny day in Gabz-city, with your sunglasses on and the windows down and all the Batswana by the roadside looking at you going "what is WRONG with that white girl?"
Yes, we finally got our car cd player/radio. The important part is the USB port which allows me to plug GOD in and listen to whatever the £($*& I want to. We get a whopping 4 BW stations, which is nice when I'm in a groovy toonz/reggae mood (which honestly, come on, is a good percentage of the time!), but we also get one South Africa station, which is also good, when I'm in the mood to hear more english and less Setswana. But really the USB port and CD player is the BEST. I didnt realize how much I missed it. I'm putting a link to the No. 1 Radio station in G-city next door, here.
Today is the best day ever because
1) it's friday
2) we had the handy-guys at the house to fix some things which meant.... COMPULSORY DAY OFF!!!
Well actually I just took the morning off. Came into work and left the Mr. at home, overseeing the fixin', and doing whatever else he wants. he needs a day off. The poor bugger works his ASS off here, and rightly deserves a day off. Have I mentioned lately how thankful I am that that engineering crowd who supposedly wants to hire him, still hasnt called him up to start yet? I really dont know where this place is gonna go once he abandons me. He's an EXCELLENT office manager, excellent accountant, excellent proposal-writer...... man I'm gonna miss him if he goes. But everyone seems to agree that it would be the "sensible" thing to do if we both aren't drawing salaries out of our company.
My question is: who the &^$£ ever said I care about SENSIBLE!?!?
But yes, I like taking nice holidays, I like buying stuff for the house, I like being able to not have to stress if we want to do something decadent like- eat out, get broadband at home, go to Pretoria for shopping whenever, etc. Also there's that whole thing about saving for the future (whatever the hell that means) which would be a lot easier if one of us has a big fat engineering income and the other has a humble environmental consultant salary and so on.
back to why today is the best:
3) Jéan is coming tomorrow! Our first over-night visitor! Woo HOO! I'm looking forward to showing off Gabz to someone, as well as doing a hike and downing some Rosé. OK, truth be told, last time J. and I were drinking rosé together, I ended up puking in Martin's kitchen sink. Fantastic memories. But! There was a good reason for that! I'll report what it was, as soon as I come up with it.
Alan sent me episodes 14 and 15 of LOST so I am completely stoked, and feel less pitiful about the fact that we just finished up the last of the box set DVDs of 24, season 2.
Finally, Prisca really wants us to come to this big gigantic jesus-fest that's on in the National Stadium this weekend. It's for her church, wich is one of THE MOST happy-clappy, faith healin', Billy Graham-in' denominations in africa. There will be lots of people falling on the floor and speaking in tounges and exorcisms and you name it. We went to her church once with her a month ago or so, and it was quite an experience FOR THREE HOURS. I'm glad we went, and as per my nature, I'll try anything once. But I *so* am not looking forward to going to this thing this weekend and I'm trying with every ethical fibre in my body, not to blame it on having J. come visit, etc. I always try to approach our friendship in a non-jill type way, because she is just SUCH a good person, such a good christian, such an amazing soul. But this is just something I'm totally backsliding on, because I already have been non-committal to her various invitations. She even said we could just come for an hour or so (she's going to be there 24 hours of all 3 days that it's on) if we could make it.... aaaaaaghhhh what to do!? what to do!? Anyone else I would blow off in a very unethical, wishy-washy, most likely based on some little-white-lie, but this is P. that we're talking about.
I would really like to take the Mr. back to the States for Thanksgiving this year. But WTF is up with flights being so OBNOXIOUSLY expensive anywhere even remotely close to the end of November?!?! WHY!?!?? Why does that have to be the most-oft-travelled part of the year for americans!? WHY!!?!? It is just TOTALLY unfair. For the price of a ticket to Kansas City from Atlanta (thats where all Joburg-USA flights transfer), I could go on a week long holiday including food, air travel, transfers, and 4-star hotel to Mauritius. SICK!
It's annoying because I'd like to fit in a "real" trip to somewhere else relatively interesting like NYC or Las Vegas or Houston or god knows where, to keep the Mr's interest in the homeland up at a reasonable level. I think he's just about Missouri'd out, given thats the only place I ever take him when we're back (now with the exception of DC, of course).
Oh well let's not forget the wilds of . . .
Omaha, NE...
Atchison, KS....
Wyoming...
Denver....
WAHOO!
Happiness is:
Driving down the bypass with Beastie Boys blasting at full volume on a sunny day in Gabz-city, with your sunglasses on and the windows down and all the Batswana by the roadside looking at you going "what is WRONG with that white girl?"
Yes, we finally got our car cd player/radio. The important part is the USB port which allows me to plug GOD in and listen to whatever the £($*& I want to. We get a whopping 4 BW stations, which is nice when I'm in a groovy toonz/reggae mood (which honestly, come on, is a good percentage of the time!), but we also get one South Africa station, which is also good, when I'm in the mood to hear more english and less Setswana. But really the USB port and CD player is the BEST. I didnt realize how much I missed it. I'm putting a link to the No. 1 Radio station in G-city next door, here.
Today is the best day ever because
1) it's friday
2) we had the handy-guys at the house to fix some things which meant.... COMPULSORY DAY OFF!!!
Well actually I just took the morning off. Came into work and left the Mr. at home, overseeing the fixin', and doing whatever else he wants. he needs a day off. The poor bugger works his ASS off here, and rightly deserves a day off. Have I mentioned lately how thankful I am that that engineering crowd who supposedly wants to hire him, still hasnt called him up to start yet? I really dont know where this place is gonna go once he abandons me. He's an EXCELLENT office manager, excellent accountant, excellent proposal-writer...... man I'm gonna miss him if he goes. But everyone seems to agree that it would be the "sensible" thing to do if we both aren't drawing salaries out of our company.
My question is: who the &^$£ ever said I care about SENSIBLE!?!?
But yes, I like taking nice holidays, I like buying stuff for the house, I like being able to not have to stress if we want to do something decadent like- eat out, get broadband at home, go to Pretoria for shopping whenever, etc. Also there's that whole thing about saving for the future (whatever the hell that means) which would be a lot easier if one of us has a big fat engineering income and the other has a humble environmental consultant salary and so on.
back to why today is the best:
3) Jéan is coming tomorrow! Our first over-night visitor! Woo HOO! I'm looking forward to showing off Gabz to someone, as well as doing a hike and downing some Rosé. OK, truth be told, last time J. and I were drinking rosé together, I ended up puking in Martin's kitchen sink. Fantastic memories. But! There was a good reason for that! I'll report what it was, as soon as I come up with it.
Alan sent me episodes 14 and 15 of LOST so I am completely stoked, and feel less pitiful about the fact that we just finished up the last of the box set DVDs of 24, season 2.
Finally, Prisca really wants us to come to this big gigantic jesus-fest that's on in the National Stadium this weekend. It's for her church, wich is one of THE MOST happy-clappy, faith healin', Billy Graham-in' denominations in africa. There will be lots of people falling on the floor and speaking in tounges and exorcisms and you name it. We went to her church once with her a month ago or so, and it was quite an experience FOR THREE HOURS. I'm glad we went, and as per my nature, I'll try anything once. But I *so* am not looking forward to going to this thing this weekend and I'm trying with every ethical fibre in my body, not to blame it on having J. come visit, etc. I always try to approach our friendship in a non-jill type way, because she is just SUCH a good person, such a good christian, such an amazing soul. But this is just something I'm totally backsliding on, because I already have been non-committal to her various invitations. She even said we could just come for an hour or so (she's going to be there 24 hours of all 3 days that it's on) if we could make it.... aaaaaaghhhh what to do!? what to do!? Anyone else I would blow off in a very unethical, wishy-washy, most likely based on some little-white-lie, but this is P. that we're talking about.
I would really like to take the Mr. back to the States for Thanksgiving this year. But WTF is up with flights being so OBNOXIOUSLY expensive anywhere even remotely close to the end of November?!?! WHY!?!?? Why does that have to be the most-oft-travelled part of the year for americans!? WHY!!?!? It is just TOTALLY unfair. For the price of a ticket to Kansas City from Atlanta (thats where all Joburg-USA flights transfer), I could go on a week long holiday including food, air travel, transfers, and 4-star hotel to Mauritius. SICK!
It's annoying because I'd like to fit in a "real" trip to somewhere else relatively interesting like NYC or Las Vegas or Houston or god knows where, to keep the Mr's interest in the homeland up at a reasonable level. I think he's just about Missouri'd out, given thats the only place I ever take him when we're back (now with the exception of DC, of course).
Oh well let's not forget the wilds of . . .
Omaha, NE...
Atchison, KS....
Wyoming...
Denver....
WAHOO!
Who me? I just wander from room to room.
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 11 April 2007 at 4/11/2007 11:24:00 am.
I feel like a FREEEAK lately. My body is all F'ed up from The Great Knee Injury of '06, making me totally unfit because my exercise regime that has been a major part of my life since .... forever has been indefinitely cancelled. APATHY! I'm a friggin BREEDING GROUND for it at present.
Meaning I'm getting FAT. I am SO annoyed.
And therefore the most unbelievable chain of knock-on events begins:
No exercise = the body gets lazy.
My body gets lazy = my mind gets lazy.
Lazy mind = It's easier to surf the net than work hard.
Lazy mind = it's easier to flip on the tv than practice banjo or read.
Lazy mind = sticking to diet is too hard.
Lazy mind = it's too hard to write emails to friends.
Friendship maintenece = low, = losing touch with important people.
Feeling lonely = bad attitude, low tolerance for people.
Bad attitude = lack of enthusiasm to work, exercise, stick to healthy eating plan, whatever.
(above) = FAT!
UGH.
It's ALL related to the damn knee. I've had it with this knee! I can see my friendship maintenence ability slipping by the wayside. Am I writing Podgey, Vincey, Tadhgy, Alan, Scott, etc, etc, etc as much as I used to? No. Am I calling my friends? Negatory. I can see the stream of emails that used to flood my inbox starting to diminish off into a petty trickle.
Friendship is pretty obvious in its mechanism. You get back what you put in, and when i'm lazy I get NUH, because I put in NUH, making me feel even more annoyed and pissy and it all just turns into a vicious cycle of piss & poo.
Well anyway I started going to Tracy for physio, and she's getting me back on an exercise regime that involves lame, easy, not-real-exercise movement. We're gonna rehab that fecker and get me back on the squash court, the running trail, the yoga studio, the playing field, etc. Okay? Damn! I need some motivation! Where's my motivation!? (It's in my bikini for next summer)
I'm annoyed about Tracy though cuz it's all RUSH RUSH RUSH. 30 minute sessions MAX and she doesnt release my muscles as well as Tim (in Ireland) did. Plus it's damn expensive. But you gotta pay to play I suppose.
I'm toying with the idea of helping coach soccer for kids. She mentioned that some Canadian girl at the Gaborone Club who used to do training for both boys and girls has recently left. And they may be looking for someone.
Hmmmm... the brain stirrs (for the first time in awhile)....
OH YES I was going to write all about the big weekend. But I ended up doing it on the granny-friendly blog. Except I forgot to add the part about kayaking and the photos thereof. Blogger really annoys me as of late with regard to posting photos, so I just couldnt bear to do it twice. OK here's a token photo. 
I seem to prefer using this blog for bitching and moaning and that one for uh, whatever.
I seem to prefer using this blog for bitching and moaning and that one for uh, whatever.Right so, the Mr. got his hair cut (so did I, actually). It's always so traumatic moving towns/countries and losing your trusted hairdresser. We both always seem to end up with like a billion chop-jobs before finding THE ONE. but it looks like we hit the jackpot on the first try this time. MAN my hair was nappy. And his receeding hairline was NOT going well with the whole jill-cut-this--herself-hairstyle-thing. So we went to the local 5-star swanky hotel where there'd be sure to be at least *someone* who can cut European hair.... sure enough, this LOVELY girl from Zim, Irene did a stellar job on mine. We talked about spinach and chicken and fruit and , and Steve (from Zambia) gave the Mr. a nice cut (albeit a wee bit short for my liking) that is definitely NOT a typical irish-butcher-style. Except it makes him look too much like his brothers. Whoops. But I assure you it would be considered "to the liking of the general public".
MAJOR power outage last night. Not only did we have to have a romantic candlelight dinner, but I had to have a romantic candlelight working-at-home session. BARF. It was out for like, 3 hours or something.
THOSE KITTENS LIVING IN MY KITCHEN ARE ON CRACK! They are hilarious. I have no more to say about that one.
Last night I dreamt that my parents were going to FORCE my dearly beloved husband to marry someone else. I think it was some rich debutant or who knows what but it was a hostage situation whereby someone would die if he did not marry this beeyotch.
I begged and pleaded with my dad and the answer was a firm NO! SHUTUP STUPID GIRL BEFORE I KILL YOU! and i cried and cried and was so devistated i nearly cried to death, and there was this one scene in the dream where I raced upstairs to the balcony of my parents church back home in Missouri (where the wedding was taking place - in a PACKED standing room only ceremony) and found this girl Liz S. I knew from High School (havent seen nor heard from her in 10 years - WTF was she doing there!?) who consoled me with hugs and a soothing voice (yeah righ, LIZ?!) and tried to comfort me, and we nearly succeeded in hatching a plot to stop the wedding - Nearly. It had something to do with me getting eye-contact with my dad who would be in the choir, and putting on a severely hurt, pouty face, like the kind of face that would make you forget your nasty blackmail hostage-related plan and change your mind for this pitiful daughter of yours.
But the plan never got carried out because I had to wake up.
And now, I'm going to finish this blog entry off with a random photo of a vulture sunning himself, from this weekend. CUZ IT'S THERE AND I CAN!
mmmmm yummy warm on a chilly autumn morning....
Actually I look over there <---------- at my husband and I can see that this haircut is pretty hot. I just have to stop associating it with the various farm boys back in Holland that we know with this similar 'do.
Man what a weekend
0 Comments Published by Oh Wayward One on 10 April 2007 at 4/10/2007 04:06:00 pm.
DOH!
I dont have much time to write as time is tight but strictly as a reminder to myself to write about later, here is what I wanted to say:
- 4 day weekend, what a concept! And what a great 4-days off it was. I actually feel refreshed for the first time in... well.... since I went to Greece last year.
- Lunch at the Bull on friday
- Scenic drive with the Mr.
- sundowners on friday evening
- sleeping late
- tracking rhinos on sunday
- picnic by the lake (with the hippos & a baby croc)
- kayaking on monday
AGH! All the many many things you can do in 4 days when you dont have to work.
On another note: We're back in the saddle again. This time it's the BSPCA saddle....
It feels great being able to volunteer again. It's been over 5 months since we've donated any of our time to a greater cause and finally we found a good outlet for that stuff here at the BW SPCA. After volunteering our services less than a week ago, already this weekend we got called in to rescue a couple of newborn kittens (this is my 1st time with cats, actually) and foster them until they're old enough to get their vaccinations and neuterizations.
They were thrown over someone's garden wall.
Here they are drinking some milk out of an asian sauce bowl/ finger-bowl:
I named the grey one Skyler and the Mr. named the red one Owen.
I don't usually like kitties but these 2 are such babies and not even old enough yet to scratch out my eyeballs and bite my face off, as per most kitties who meet me. They are actually very good boys and they just like to drink and eat and sleep and meow.
Not to mention I'm always a sucker for a welfare case, regardless of species.
I dont have much time to write as time is tight but strictly as a reminder to myself to write about later, here is what I wanted to say:
- 4 day weekend, what a concept! And what a great 4-days off it was. I actually feel refreshed for the first time in... well.... since I went to Greece last year.
- Lunch at the Bull on friday
- Scenic drive with the Mr.
- sundowners on friday evening
- sleeping late
- tracking rhinos on sunday
- picnic by the lake (with the hippos & a baby croc)
- kayaking on monday
AGH! All the many many things you can do in 4 days when you dont have to work.
On another note: We're back in the saddle again. This time it's the BSPCA saddle....
It feels great being able to volunteer again. It's been over 5 months since we've donated any of our time to a greater cause and finally we found a good outlet for that stuff here at the BW SPCA. After volunteering our services less than a week ago, already this weekend we got called in to rescue a couple of newborn kittens (this is my 1st time with cats, actually) and foster them until they're old enough to get their vaccinations and neuterizations.
They were thrown over someone's garden wall.
Here they are drinking some milk out of an asian sauce bowl/ finger-bowl:
I named the grey one Skyler and the Mr. named the red one Owen.
I don't usually like kitties but these 2 are such babies and not even old enough yet to scratch out my eyeballs and bite my face off, as per most kitties who meet me. They are actually very good boys and they just like to drink and eat and sleep and meow.
Not to mention I'm always a sucker for a welfare case, regardless of species.
