...what the hell am I counting down to now?!!?
Normally I have something MEGA AWESOME on the horizon to count down to. Now with the super-fantastical holiday of '10 down, where am I going next!?!?
Right, so, when I left off, The Mr. was up north and looking at not getting back for another day, but that night he pushed it all the way back to G-city and crawled into bed with me at midnight precisely. So that was a winner! Only 1 night apart. Plus, I am still on my winning attitude-streak because the weather is still just freakin' amazing here and I seem to have all the energy in the world! What's up with that? I'm thinking divine intervention. So perhaps a halleluja is in order. Halleluja! I know for sure that the 9:00pm bedtimes also probably have something to do with it (call it jetlag or whatever you want, but I just can NOT keep my eyes open after 8:30 and have been literally falling asleep on the couch each night this week!!). And as a bona fide night owl, while that breaks my damn heart, I have to say there are indeed benefits on the other side.
Such as, seriously I have met work this week with a surprisingly optimistic outlook. I see what's in front of me and although I have NO desire or genuine interest to do it, I'm just bashing my way forward and trying not to think of the reasons why I don't like it. For example, I had 2 airport inspections this week. One on Wednesday up in the north, and one here. Normally I dread the up-north one because of the flights and early wakeup hour and heat and sand and all. This week I realized I had nothing to dread because these 9:00 bedtimes are having me up and at 'em at 6 (if not before) with copious amounts of energy anyway. So I just told myself, hey you'll be awake anyway, so there's nothing to get all wound up about. Plus, what I often forget about those Wednesdays up north is that it means lunch at Hillary's, this cafe I love who makes great healthy lunches and good coffee. So I did what I had to do, and instead of focussing on the sand sand sand, just concentrated on the delicous sage-smell of the Okavango Delta that is always in the air. And Hillarys. And the fact I had a new book to read for the airplane flights.
Then, rather than dreading my local airport inspection yesterday, and letting it wind me up, I just thought "hell I'll use this as an excuse to drive past Cafe D. and get myself a damn flat white on the way!" And lo and behold that (along with the friendly chat with my favorite barista) was enough to make me happy in the lead-up to having to make the big trek across town and into the always-brutal inspection. And that coffee was definitely delish, that's for sure. Plus then I just took my time with their H&S Officer as if I had all the time in the world, did everything really slow, and didn't look at the time even once. I was even inspired by the fact that it gave me an idea for a job I would like to do that I will speak with his boss about when he gets back from China, which is interesting. By the time I was done I had this relaxed buzz going on that gives me hope that this whole 4-week-holiday-rejuvenation is still working!!
And then my meeting yesterday which was destined to end in confrontation between client & contractor and me, I just didn't even let myself think about until I got there. I still kicked up the stink that I needed to in the meeting due to the beligerent, smirking asshole at the end of the table, but I just didn't let myself think about it before or after the meeting. And luckily I got the support from the Project Manager that I needed, so it all ended fine anyway. See that's the thing, if I start stressing about this stuff before it happens and then nothing happens anyway... what the hell is that? That's called WASTED STRESS AND ANXIETY. And really that's just as freakin' useful as flushing cold hard cash down the shitter.
So anyway, the week has been a pretty much 100% good week. Things are going my way and I can't help but think that my restedness and post-holiday mojo have a lot to do with it. Because really nothing NEW has happened, it's just how I'm heading into everything. I'm not sure how this early-to-bed thing is going to pan out after the weekend (where we are bound and determined to drink coffee in the evening so as to at least have some sort of potential for enjoying the night again!) but we'll see.
Plans for the weekend WERE supposed to be dumping LJJ at babysitter and going to standup comedy tonight (you HAVE to take advantage of these few-and-far-between events when they're here) but now she is sick and has a really bad fever (probably her holiday catching up with her) so we will stay home instead and cook something divine and watch something hilarious. Then Saturday we have some big shopping to do and over to Jac&Mar's for socializin' (assuming the youngling is not worse) and then Sunday is the big Hash Annual K-Hill Ascent so that will be great. I am SO annoyed at our Hash for having THE NERVE to have the most coolest biggest awesomest fantastical Carolina-style Pig Pickin' BBQ while we were gone.... roast hog, zucchini bread, grits, slaw & all. AGGHHHHH!!!! I would've given my right ass for to have been at that one. But them's the breaks. Not to mention I was definitely not short on BBQ while we were back home I guess.
OH one thing I DO have to look forward to is that I booked tickets for myself & The Mr. and Uncle Alan to go to see Gary The Toothfairy's live comedy standup in Jozi on the 21st of Aug, which means a nice weekend down in civilization so that will be AWESOME. You know how I dig the live belly laughs. And his friends Daniel & Tsholo will babysit for us while we are at the show so we are in BIDNEZ.
Speaking of Bidnez, last night we were supposed to go to this party for one of our clients who has been in bidnez for 50 years or some crap like that but because of the boiling baby we stayed home. However The Mr. heard today from someone that was there that our favorite client, MS who is also a personal friend, along with his wife, E., are down in SA right now due to her being diagnosed with serious lung cancer - OMG that is probably the most tragic thing I have heard in ages because this couple is one of these ultimate-role-model couples of happiness and tranquility and love that everyone should aspire to be like in their old age (they would be my parents' age). And yet ever since they've been here in BW, he has been working like a dog and is continually stressed and overworked and under all sorts of severe pressure because he is the Director of one of the most successful consulting engineers firms in the country. They have recently bought their "retirement cottage" in a gorgeous seaside village outside CapeTown and he's talking about maybe continuing this job for another 5 years or so here and then packing it in and heading down to paradise where they'll watch birds together and eat fish and walk the dogs along the beach. This whole 10-years-in-BW thing was just supposed to be some "hardship job" that he took because it would pay really well and even though it would be living hell for the duration of the contract... it would pay really well....?.... and..... well, it would pay really well. Well. After all the 14-hour-workdays and working weekends and not taking holidays and physical stress on him and pressure on her and nights apart due to work trips and what-what-what, it doesn't look like that dream is coming true. Anyway, it doesn't look good for her now, she is on intense chemo and most people in her condition don't make it through. And while that is devistatingly sad it just goes to show that you can't put all your eggs in one basket and say "ah sure we'll relax when we retire" because guess what - you have no right to plan LIFE. It ain't ours to control, folks.
Normally I have something MEGA AWESOME on the horizon to count down to. Now with the super-fantastical holiday of '10 down, where am I going next!?!?
Right, so, when I left off, The Mr. was up north and looking at not getting back for another day, but that night he pushed it all the way back to G-city and crawled into bed with me at midnight precisely. So that was a winner! Only 1 night apart. Plus, I am still on my winning attitude-streak because the weather is still just freakin' amazing here and I seem to have all the energy in the world! What's up with that? I'm thinking divine intervention. So perhaps a halleluja is in order. Halleluja! I know for sure that the 9:00pm bedtimes also probably have something to do with it (call it jetlag or whatever you want, but I just can NOT keep my eyes open after 8:30 and have been literally falling asleep on the couch each night this week!!). And as a bona fide night owl, while that breaks my damn heart, I have to say there are indeed benefits on the other side.
Such as, seriously I have met work this week with a surprisingly optimistic outlook. I see what's in front of me and although I have NO desire or genuine interest to do it, I'm just bashing my way forward and trying not to think of the reasons why I don't like it. For example, I had 2 airport inspections this week. One on Wednesday up in the north, and one here. Normally I dread the up-north one because of the flights and early wakeup hour and heat and sand and all. This week I realized I had nothing to dread because these 9:00 bedtimes are having me up and at 'em at 6 (if not before) with copious amounts of energy anyway. So I just told myself, hey you'll be awake anyway, so there's nothing to get all wound up about. Plus, what I often forget about those Wednesdays up north is that it means lunch at Hillary's, this cafe I love who makes great healthy lunches and good coffee. So I did what I had to do, and instead of focussing on the sand sand sand, just concentrated on the delicous sage-smell of the Okavango Delta that is always in the air. And Hillarys. And the fact I had a new book to read for the airplane flights.
Then, rather than dreading my local airport inspection yesterday, and letting it wind me up, I just thought "hell I'll use this as an excuse to drive past Cafe D. and get myself a damn flat white on the way!" And lo and behold that (along with the friendly chat with my favorite barista) was enough to make me happy in the lead-up to having to make the big trek across town and into the always-brutal inspection. And that coffee was definitely delish, that's for sure. Plus then I just took my time with their H&S Officer as if I had all the time in the world, did everything really slow, and didn't look at the time even once. I was even inspired by the fact that it gave me an idea for a job I would like to do that I will speak with his boss about when he gets back from China, which is interesting. By the time I was done I had this relaxed buzz going on that gives me hope that this whole 4-week-holiday-rejuvenation is still working!!
And then my meeting yesterday which was destined to end in confrontation between client & contractor and me, I just didn't even let myself think about until I got there. I still kicked up the stink that I needed to in the meeting due to the beligerent, smirking asshole at the end of the table, but I just didn't let myself think about it before or after the meeting. And luckily I got the support from the Project Manager that I needed, so it all ended fine anyway. See that's the thing, if I start stressing about this stuff before it happens and then nothing happens anyway... what the hell is that? That's called WASTED STRESS AND ANXIETY. And really that's just as freakin' useful as flushing cold hard cash down the shitter.
So anyway, the week has been a pretty much 100% good week. Things are going my way and I can't help but think that my restedness and post-holiday mojo have a lot to do with it. Because really nothing NEW has happened, it's just how I'm heading into everything. I'm not sure how this early-to-bed thing is going to pan out after the weekend (where we are bound and determined to drink coffee in the evening so as to at least have some sort of potential for enjoying the night again!) but we'll see.
Plans for the weekend WERE supposed to be dumping LJJ at babysitter and going to standup comedy tonight (you HAVE to take advantage of these few-and-far-between events when they're here) but now she is sick and has a really bad fever (probably her holiday catching up with her) so we will stay home instead and cook something divine and watch something hilarious. Then Saturday we have some big shopping to do and over to Jac&Mar's for socializin' (assuming the youngling is not worse) and then Sunday is the big Hash Annual K-Hill Ascent so that will be great. I am SO annoyed at our Hash for having THE NERVE to have the most coolest biggest awesomest fantastical Carolina-style Pig Pickin' BBQ while we were gone.... roast hog, zucchini bread, grits, slaw & all. AGGHHHHH!!!! I would've given my right ass for to have been at that one. But them's the breaks. Not to mention I was definitely not short on BBQ while we were back home I guess.
OH one thing I DO have to look forward to is that I booked tickets for myself & The Mr. and Uncle Alan to go to see Gary The Toothfairy's live comedy standup in Jozi on the 21st of Aug, which means a nice weekend down in civilization so that will be AWESOME. You know how I dig the live belly laughs. And his friends Daniel & Tsholo will babysit for us while we are at the show so we are in BIDNEZ.
Speaking of Bidnez, last night we were supposed to go to this party for one of our clients who has been in bidnez for 50 years or some crap like that but because of the boiling baby we stayed home. However The Mr. heard today from someone that was there that our favorite client, MS who is also a personal friend, along with his wife, E., are down in SA right now due to her being diagnosed with serious lung cancer - OMG that is probably the most tragic thing I have heard in ages because this couple is one of these ultimate-role-model couples of happiness and tranquility and love that everyone should aspire to be like in their old age (they would be my parents' age). And yet ever since they've been here in BW, he has been working like a dog and is continually stressed and overworked and under all sorts of severe pressure because he is the Director of one of the most successful consulting engineers firms in the country. They have recently bought their "retirement cottage" in a gorgeous seaside village outside CapeTown and he's talking about maybe continuing this job for another 5 years or so here and then packing it in and heading down to paradise where they'll watch birds together and eat fish and walk the dogs along the beach. This whole 10-years-in-BW thing was just supposed to be some "hardship job" that he took because it would pay really well and even though it would be living hell for the duration of the contract... it would pay really well....?.... and..... well, it would pay really well. Well. After all the 14-hour-workdays and working weekends and not taking holidays and physical stress on him and pressure on her and nights apart due to work trips and what-what-what, it doesn't look like that dream is coming true. Anyway, it doesn't look good for her now, she is on intense chemo and most people in her condition don't make it through. And while that is devistatingly sad it just goes to show that you can't put all your eggs in one basket and say "ah sure we'll relax when we retire" because guess what - you have no right to plan LIFE. It ain't ours to control, folks.
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