Queen and such

Yesterday was a miz post, but today is Friday, so I'm much happier.

We went to see the show Queen, It's a Kinda Magic last night. I got media comps, a part of my job that I will miss very much!

It was AWESOME!

Ok, so the first half was completely ruined by the two twit boys in front of us who did not stop talking from the moment they walked in. Being a shorty, even if I couldn't hear them flirting from my seta, the fact that they kept leaning towards each other and obstructing my view really ticked me off. But they didn't return after the interval (probably in some dark corner of the Civic).

So the second half was distraction-free and BRILLIANT. The guy playing Freddie Mercury, Craig Pesco, has a flipping amazing voice. He's not a very good actor, though, so when he talked Freddie had a strong Irish brogue. But the band was incredible - the drummer sang WHILE he played (having played drums, I understand how much skill that requires: not only are all four limbs hitting different things at different times, but you're singing without losing the beat), and all four men were multi-talented, picking up a guitar here and playing keyboard there.

The highlight, of course, was the rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody as an encore. Beautiful!

There was also this mad couple two rows down from us who stood up and serenaded each other at the top of their lungs, arms thrashing wildly, during We are the Champions. They gave everyone around them high-fives and jumped up and down like the energiser bunny on speed. It was very cool.

All in all, I seriously recommend that all Queen fans get their bottoms (and their fat-bottomed girls) to the show ASAP.

Cheers, all. Till Monday when I have Internet again.

A small ball of stress and snot

Please excuse the graphic heading, but that's what I feel like today.

I am sick AGAIN. So tired of it. But i think it's the stress of the past few weeks finally catching up with me.

I have to laugh at myself... In 2006, I finished up my degree, graduated, got married, tavelled overseas and moved house. In 2007, we moved twice, adopted two cats, both resigned, relocated to JHB, and both started new jobs. I swore that 2008 would be my quiet year. Hah!

Man plans, God laughs. In the first half of this year, we've been to the USA, I got a new car, we've both resigned again, he's decided to study, and I'm going to freelance. We're also looking at buying a house, but that's becoming less and less likely. If that's quiet, I'd hate to see hectic.

The past few weeks have been crunch time, with deadlines on my side, his project finishing up, both handing in notice, visiting career counsellors, being sick, finding a new job, reassessing finances , him working overtime all the time and both of us generally being a bundle of nerves and worry.

I feel like I need a holiday. As Boldly Benny says, there's value in getting away. I think I should try to organise a weekend away from everything for the two of us. But, then again, that will cost money. *sigh*

I just feel like there's too much going on right now. Stop the world, I want to get off.

I've now agreed to help my current company out by working four hours for them in the afternoon for the first two months. So I'll be working solid overtime at two very concentration-intensive jobs. It's going to be mad. But I guess I can survice two months.

Sorry that this a very me-me-me post, but I'm really wondering if I'm doing the right thing. So please all chime in and tell me that of course I am.

The follow-up

So yesterday I was waiting.

For what?

Am I pregnant? Nope. Sorry, Bridget. It was also not the day hubby wrote entrance exams. And nor was it about the fact that I was freaking out about leading cell group last night. Which I was, btw.

Nope - I was waiting for confirmation on a job offer.

If you're disappointed, I'm sorry. But this is a big deal for me. I work in a three-person company, so me leaving is 33% of the staff saying cheers.

Furthermore, hubby has just resigned to start studying, so now we're both in flux.

AND... my boss is nearly eight moths pregnant.

My timing could not be worse.

Then again... I'd be working a half day and earning nearly the same salary, and would be able to use the new company's infrastructure (Internet, telephones etc) to freelance from their offices in the afternoon, giving me the scope to start my own business.

Where else would I find the opportunity to start freelancing with the security of a regular salary and full permission to win my own personal clients?

Eish. So much to think about. I hate disappointing my boss and my co-worker, whom I love dearly. But at the same time, opportunities like this don't often fall into one's lap.

So I spoke to my boss this morning. She is, obviously, not so happy. But she's been nice about it, despite her own worries, which I really appreciate. Telling her was my biggest stress - I went through almost half a bottle of Rescue Remedy before broaching the subject.

Now I feel like a big, wobbly lump of jelly.

I've suggested that I work for my current company in the afternoons for the first few months, just to give them a bit of a cushion, but none of us is really sure whether that will work.

And getting my own clients is scary. So if you know of anyone in need of the services of a freelance journo, PLEASE let me know.

Ok, I have to go shiver and shake some more now.

Waiting

I hate waiting. In fact, it's probably somewhere near the top of the list of things that can hack me off really quickly. Whether it's waiting in line at the bank or waiting behind the twit sitting at a green robot (traffic light, for foreigners), I really don't like it.

And I'm starting to realise how much of it I do in my day-to-day life. I wait in the traffic on the way to work, I wait for our temperamental server to download my emails when I get to the office, I wait for approval on stories I've written (I was once made to wait three weeks for a guy to approve the 150-word profile I wrote about him), and I wait for one or two of my more useless editors to brief me, sometimes until the day before a story is due.

I wait for people to return my phonecalls, for the telemarketers to shut up long enough for me to say, 'no, not interested', and, most of the time, for inspiration to hit. Which it doesn't.

I wait for hubby to get home in the evenings, for him to finish the next stage on his stupid computer game so that I can have my laptop back to download photos from my camera, for the rubbish oven in my flat to finish cooking the supper (I once left banana bread baking in the oven for 30 min longer than the recipe said, and, thanks to my pathetic oven, it still came out fine), and for my crazy neighbour upstairs to realise that she IS NOT Celine Dion and CANNOT actually sing.

But today is a different kind of waiting. It's that feeling of butterflies in your stomach, of nervy skittishness that makes you duck everytime you hear a loud noise. The feeling of anticipation that is made of one parts excitement to two parts fear.

Why, you ask?

I'll tell you tomorrow.

Miserable Monday

Brrrr! It is so cold here right now. My fingers are turning blue, so forgive me if there are a lot of typos today, but I can't feel the keys properly.



Mondays usually suck, but freezing cold Mondays suck even more. At least most of the weekend was good, especially yesterday, which was the first bloggirls meeting. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for the whole event :( But it was awesome to meet the lovely ladies I read every day and find a new restaurant nearby that totally rocks. Here's a rundown of who was there and what I thought. Hehehe...



phillygirl: The genius behind bloggirls and the organiser of the event, she was the only one in the restaurant when I arrived and nervously asked, 'Are you a bloggirl?' Friendly, really easy to talk to and seems really well connected in the blogging world, she's also really jacked up with the technical side of stuff, which makes me jealous. Read her blog. It has adorable pics of her bunnies on it as well as good reading.



The Jackson files: This mom blogs about her gorgeous little boy, Jackson. I'd read her blog a couple of times, but not being a parent wasn't really a regular. Having met the little tike, though, I think I'm going to be stopping by there more regularly - he is just too sweet. So is The Mom, with a charming English accent and loads of patience.



MzMozi: I hadn't read this lady guy's blog before, but I was missing out! She is so funny. Apparently she's been sparse lately, but I'd recommend checking out her blog anyway. She seems to know lots about everything, like who Blonde Blogshell really is.



Sleepyjane: This fabulous person is Afrikaans, but writes such good posts in English that I would never have guessed. The closest to my age (I think), poor Sleepyjane got lost coming to the event. I'm very glad she made it there though - such a sweetie. Oddly enough, most of her readers seem to be from the USA. Bizarre.



Sweets: I read Sweets' blog pretty much everyday. She's funny, crazy, quick and... well, sweet. And she is so beautiful in real life. Her web pics do not do her justice. She and Angel (see next) met in November last year, so they swanned in there together and didn't have to deal with the jitters the rest of us had.



Angel: I also read Angel regularly, for the same reasons I read Sweets. And she didn't disappoint, arriving with camera in hand, in true Angel style. I had to leave before everyone's food arrived (I missed out on some really interesting stuff, like Duck and Cherry Pie... Yum), so I didn't get to see if she took pics of the food. Really awesome to hear the story of how she met Glug, the love of her life and a fellow blogger.



So, in conclusion, bloggirls is a great idea. The next one is already scheduled for June, and phillygirl has plans to start similar events in Cape Town and Durban, so if you're a girl blogger in any of those towns, you need to get your bum in motion and sign up. And if you're not... well, start your own network - it's such a cool way of getting to know people (and finding new blogs to lurk around).



A pic for Monday...

Friday post

My heart is heavy today. I really believe that this xenophobia is the scariest thing that's happened in SA in a long time. This is how civil war's start. God forbid that this is the case.



Well, I'm trying to be cheery. It's not really working, but here's a pic that made me smile briefly, which is especially for Kirsten, because she likes ninjas.

Xenophobic attacks

This violence is spiralling out of control. South Africa - poster child for African economic success and home to the rainbow nation - is losing it. How can our people, in the land where apartheid supposedly gave way to democracy, acceptance and diversity, be treating foreigners so terribly?

My boss has just told me how her dinner arrangement last night was abruptly cancelled because her guests needed to go and rescue their domestic worker, who is nine months pregnant and due at any moment, after her home had been set alight. A pregnant woman is one of the most vulnerable creatures in the world. To harm her is to commit a heinous crime, and to me, this incident illustrates the inhumane nature of this entire situation.

I understand that soaring food prices and the fuel situation, coupled with South Africa's power crisis, are crushing the nation's poor, and that foreigners, who are prepared to work for a lower income, are often chosen over locals for jobs. But I can't understand how people can be capable of wrapping their neighbours in their own blankets and setting them alight to watch them die.

How is it possible that one human being can do this to another? What has happened to us? Yes, there is rage and hatred in the world, but when it is unleashed en masse like this, it really makes one wonder about the state of mankind.

And yet, I've never been starving, or in a place where I'm not sure if I'll be able to feed my family, so how can I hope to understand?

I grew up with friends of all races and nationalities in a cushy environment where we always had enough to eat and where we were never without a roof over our heads. I don't remember apartheid because the new democratic government came into power when I was just a kid. So I can't really comment on the situation. All I know is that right now, I'm ashamed to be a South African. And I hope and pray that we will never have to seek refuge in a neighbouring country and be treated the way our neighbours are being treated by us.

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go...

Taking a leaf out of Sweets' book, here's my trip to work in the mornings. It's not very long, and not very interesting, but I had fun taking the photos...



Me dashboard at the robot (traffic light, for non-Saffers)




Coming up to the traffic.




Check out the dust streaks along my passenger window as they are caught in the morning sunshine.




My secret back road shortcut along the dirt track



Arriving at destination, taking a self-portrait in the little mirror on my visor.



So that's that. Not too exciting, I'm afraid. Not all of us drive past historical monuments every day ;-)

Winter post

Winter is well and truly here. Freezing fingers on the icy steering wheel in the mornings; putting off going to the loo because the seat is sure to freeze-burn my bottom; wearing a minimum number of three layers; craving hot comfort food; and getting up in the dark.

I'm not really a fan of winter. In fact, I'm cold-blooded, I'm sure. But I'm trying to look on the bright side, so I'm writing a list of all the things I like about the chilly season:

1. Curling up with a warm blanket, my purring cats, a cup of Milo or hot chocolate and a good book. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's paradise.
2. A plate of my home-cooked lamb curry after a long, cold day. Hubby's parents are sheep farmers, so we get lamb quite often. Noice.
3. A long hot bath with a glass of wine.
4. Snuggling on the couch watching DVDs with hubby and the cats.
5. Gluwein.
6. Not needing to shave my legs as often, seeing they don't get exposed much.
7. Getting into the bed once the electric blanket has warmed it up for me.
8. Roaring fireplaces in restaurants.
9. Hot puddings. Mmmmm....
10. The crystal-like frost formations that you find on the grass in the mornings.
11. Soft leather gloves.
12. Scarves (I must have about 30).
13. The feeling of coming into a warm room out of the crisp outdoors.
14. Putting my cold hands down hubbys neck to make hi shiver. Hehehe...
15. Knowing that after winter must come spring, bringing with it beautiful blossoms and freshness.
16. Standing in front of the braai and feeling the warm in front of me and the cold behind me.
17. Soup. Especially MY soup. I may suck at baking, but I can do soup.
18. Marshmallow socks (socks that feel soft and squishy, not socks made out of marshmallows - that would be really gross).
19. Sketching winter trees.
20. Misty breath in the chilly mornings.

What are your favourite winter things?

More funnies from my inbox

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)

(1) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
- Alan, age 10

(2) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
- Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

(1) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
- Camille, age 10

(2) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.
- Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

(1) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

(1) Both don't want any more kids.
- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

(1) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)

(2) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
- Martin, age 10 (Who said boys do not have brains)

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

(1) I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

(1) When they're rich.
- Pam, age 7 (I could not have said it better myself)

(2) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
- Curt, age 7 (Good Point)

(3 ) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
- Howard, age 8 (Who made the rule?)

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

(1 ) I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out.
- Theodore, age 8 (Too much detail for his age)

(2 ) It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

(1 ) There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
- Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favourite is........ HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

(1 ) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
- Ricky, age 10 (The boy already understands)

Supplements

What do you guys think of nutritional supplements? I'd be keen to know. Yesterday I did an interview with a company that makes them for a profile I have to write, and I've never been keen on the things... All those muscle-building shakes and slimming products really gross me out. I reckon they can't be good for you.



But the dude I was interviewing was telling me about the all-natural weight-loss stuff they make that suppresses your appetite because of the juice of some or other cactus (or something else that wouldn't taste very nice if you ate it), and the multivitamins they produce and so on, and I found mysef thinking, 'Ooooh... I should try that.'



Then I remembered he's in marketing. Like me (for example, the profile I need to write), he gets paid to make things sound good. Hmmm... Cactus? Maybe not.

My cuz

Today is taking SO long! I'm editing horrible, boring content that seems neverending.

Somebody save me....

Now I'm going to have the damn Smallville song in my head for the rest of the day. Perfect. I guess it's better than the Fruit & Veg City jingle. Not much of a silver lining.

Here's a question I'd like help answering:
When I got married, except for my immediate family and remaining grandparents, none of my family came to the wedding - not my uncles, aunts or cousins. They all had excuses. We've never been particularly close, but that hurt a lot. Now my cousin is getting married to a dude I've never met, and I'm wondering if I should go. I like her and her dad, but I loathe the rest of the family.

I should probably go though, hey? Eish. Don't want to - it means I have to suffer through hours of boredom and them teasing my hubby (which means hours of placating him afterwards) and stretch my budget (what budget?!) to buy an expensive prezzie. Urgh.

Suggestions, anyone? I guess I could always stock up on rescue remedy and herbal tranquilizers beforehand...

Clever words

Someone emailed me this. Now whether you're a Zuma fan or not, yuo have to admit that this is clever:

Trevor the farmer was in the fertilised egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called 'pullets' and eight or ten roosters, whose job was to fertilise the eggs. The farmer kept records and any rooster that didn't perform went into the soup pot and was replaced.

That took an awful lot of his time so he bought a set of tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. Each bell had a different tone so Trevor could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing. Now he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report simply by listening to the bells.

The farmer's favourite rooster was old Jacob, and a very fine specimen he was too. But on this particular morning Trevor noticed old Jacob's bell hadn't rung at all! Trevor went to investigate. The other roosters were chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing. The pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover. But to farmer Trevor's amazement, Jacob had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one.

Trevor was so proud of Jacob, he entered him in the Polokwane Country Fair and Jacob became an overnight sensation among the judges. The result was the judges not only awarded Jacob the No Bell Piece Prize but they also awarded him the Pulletsurprise as well.

Clearly Jacob was a politician in the making: Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most highly coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention.

Do you know a Politician called Jacob?

Batty BAT

We hear a lot of weird and wonderful things in our office and deal with a variety of people (mainly morons or all shapes and sizes), but yesterday's overheard conversation between my colleague and the receptionist at British American Tobacco (BAT) takes the cake...

This is what I heard:

L: 'Hi, my name is L____ and I'd just like to know whether your offices are in Cape Town or Johannesburg.
*pause*
What? Yes, I'm over 18.
*pause*
No, I don't smoke.
*pause*
No, I just want to know whether your offices are in Cape Town or Jo'burg.
*pause*
Ok, let me explain: I'm a journalist from ______ and I've been commissioned to write a profile on BAT for the book ______, but I am based in Jo'burg, so if your offices are in Cape Town I will need to pass it on to another journalist. So, as I said, *adopts I'm-talking-to-a-five-year-old tone* all I need to know is: are your offices in Cape Town or in Johannesburg?
*pause; laughs hysterically.*
Ok, ok, FINE!
*Slams down the phone and bangs head repeatedly on the desk* (To me:) She's not allowed to communicate with me at all, because I'm not a smoker!

How's that for strange? I figure she should've bought a pack, smoked one and called back, saying, "All that has changed now... So can you communicate with me?"

My job is a joke. Once again, free therapy for all journos!

I thought I was past that!

I try not to blog too much about me and my insignificant little issues too often, but forgive me while I think out loud here...

I know most of you are going to laugh at me for this, but I really thought I was past making those big life choices. At 23! I know. I am laughing too.



But seriously, I chose what to study, I made the leap and got married, I moved to Jhb for the job, and thought that I had everything sorted. But then, life intervenes, and everything gets turned on its head.



Hubby resigned this morning. We thought it through and have decided that this is the best way forward, but it's still hectic. See, my parents, being the uber-cool and ultra-generous (although sometimes anal) people that they are, recognised that he's never had the opportunity to study. So they said they would give us part of our inheritance now so that he can better himself and move up in the world. Their logic is that they'd like to see us put the money to good use and not wait until they die (horrid thought), when we may not need the money anyway.



I think that's really awesome of them. On the other hand, it's a BIG step for hubby to give up his role of provider (which he takes very seriously) and depend on my folks. It's also a scary thing for me to suddenly be the main breadwinner in the family. Plus, I have to admit that I miss studying and will be a bit jealous. *Sigh*



It also makes life very difficult to predict - what if we decide to have kids in the next two years? Unlikely, but hey, anything's possible. Or so they say. It also means that I need to stay put in my job to keep the money coming in. Hmmm.



I guess my fear is just about being trapped - not being able to make the decisions that will affect my life. Then again, we've survived a lot together - an eating disorder, depression, me studying, him losing his job, moving house three times, moving to a new province, and countless other mini-crises. We'll be fine. I know that. I just wish I could FEEL that.



Sorry, I promise to be more upbeat in my next post. Here's a funny for those of you that were expecting a smile.

Funnies from my inbox...

I know most of you have probably seen these, but I just LOVE LOLcats. If you don't know what that is, click here.

And below, two memes in one - LOLcat and FAIL. Shame, poor kitty.


How cute is his mustache?


Mwahahaha... die, evil rat dog.


My desktop for many months.


My wish for the day.


Have a happy Friday, people.

The jukebox in my head

Do you have certain default tracks that you get stuck in your head on a regular basis? I do. My usual soundtrack is a weird mixture of My Fair Lady, various Disney songs, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Karen Zoid's annoyingly catchy Aeroplane Jane and lots of irritating ad jingles.

No wonder I'm nuts!

An average hour in my brain sounds something like this...

All I want is a room somewhere, far away from the cold night air... Look for the bear necessities, the simple bear necessities; forget about your worries and your strife... Hot patootie, bless my soul, I really love your rock 'n roll... Aeroplane Jane, Aeroplane Jane, Aeroplane Jane's gone insane... Fruit and Veg City your fresher food store.

I reiterate... free therapy for journos!

For more random facts about this insane author... Read my 100 things list.

Conversation with a Little Girl

A stranger was seated next to a little girl on the airplane. He turned to her and said, 'Let's talk. I've heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.' The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, 'What would you like to talk about?'
'Oh, I don't know,' said the stranger. 'How about nuclear power?' and he smiles.
'OK, ' she said. 'That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?'
The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, 'Hmmm, I have no idea.'
To which the little girl replies, 'Do you really feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don't know sh*t?'

*sigh* five-day work week ahead

After a two-day work week last week (with 3 public holidays, for those who don't live in SA), this five-day one that lies agead seems very long. Especially seeing I have gross phlegmy, achy and generally disgusting flu and have spent the past three days in bed.



What a waste of a long weekend! But at least my bed and I bonded. We spent some quality time together. Usually we don't get enough time alone, what with hubby and two hyperactive cats encroaching on our space. Seeing I'm still coughing up little bits of my lungs (well, that's what it feels like, anyway), I may just return to that dear bed and take my laptop to work from there. Hmmm... That sounds like a good idea.






I leave you with this... an oldie, but a favourite. Take good care of your cats if you live near an Asian take-away joint, people.