An Ode to Boo!

Anyone who even remotely knows mi, knows that this post was inevitable. This could be a long one but I will try not to get carried away. There are few things that I am truly crazy obsessive about and my favourite band Boo! is definitely one of them. Thankfully, I have never been the mad, "I want to have you babies" groupie. No, it has always been about the music and the whole Boo!dist ethos really. I am sure everyone has that band that makes music that bypasses all the thinking and genuinely speaks straight to your soul. (And if you don't, you just haven't found them yet, keep looking) Well, Boo! is that for mi. Even when the band broke up for a while, I always maintained they were my first, best and only favourite band. Don't get mi wrong, I still lurve other bands, and my music collection grows tremendously every year (right now, mainly in the metal genre) but honestly, if I was told that I had to pick one band's CD collection to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be Boo! and I wouldn't even feel like I needed anything else.

When I first became a fan, after listening to OO AA on the radio (which is still my favourite song to this day), I was still in Vryheid, where bands never come to visit, hell, I'm even surprised we got a cinema. So I had to be satisfied with a few radio interviews and a few magazine articles to get my Boo! fix. I was only able to really start watching them live when I moved back up to Joeys. I discovered a friend (Graham, who's favourite song was Champion) who was almost as obsessed as I was - we did have a discussion about who was number 1 fan, I believe I won that debate. So every weekend, number 1 and number 2 fans went wherever Boo! went. I remember we met Chris, Ampie and Leon and asked them to sign a poster for mi, which I proceeded to laminate to ensure it was safe from any possible damage. Sadly, that poster was lost in my last house move last year - I know it was so old you could barely see the signatures, but I knew they were there. I don't want to talk about that loss much further. (I was excited that when I won their new album this year, that they would sign the CD, sadly, they didn't so I am still without my autographs.)

Weekend, after weekend, we sought Boo! out and they never failed to deliver an amazing show. I think I even got to introduce 'Frankie' the one night. I even remember after a show at the Easter Rock Show (now I'm really giving away my age) someone asked Graham for a lift home, which he was happy to do until the poor soul declared that she 'hated' Boo!, well, for all we know, she walked home. Not very nice of us I know but you can't diss something that is so close to our hearts. And hate is such a strong word...

At the naughties launch, where we had to dress up naughty, (although Ampie thought it was naughty and nice - oops) I even got interviewed. I have no idea what it was for but I totally froze! Oh it was terrible, the only three words I could muster were 'I don't know'. Eep, I am sure that camera man was annoyed I wasted his tape. I guess it was difficult to express exactly how a band got you through just about everything in your life with a simple choon. Break ups, exams, fighting with my parents (as teenagers do), looking for a my first job (their songs calmed my nerves before one particularly gruelling interview), driving to various Woodstock festivals, Boo! was there keeping mi safe. I even remember asking Chris when he planned on recording the "Girl... I like your type" song.

Even when I met my fiance, I dragged him (I say dragged because he did not understand my obsession, although he did tolerate it) to gig after gig. Shame, we even got lost in Pretoria looking for Cool Runnings and their beach party some years back, little did we know there were actually two Cool Runnings. Thankfully, we stumbled upon the right one and I had an awesome time!!

Then came the break up... I remember reading an article in the newspaper about it. I was devastated. There was even a comment in that article that caused mi to send a very stern e-mail to the band. I don't even know how I got their mail address. Looking back, I couldn't have been mad with them, they were just doing what was best for them at the time. Chris responded, and quite graciously at that. I went to the last gig, full circle, exactly 7 years to the day since their first gig. I cried... Graham wasn't even there to share in the sadness. I don't want to get dramatic here since I am a trooper but I really felt like someone had taken a piece of mi, never to return. Roxy's was packed that night so it even felt different to previous gigs that Boo! had done.

I carried on with my life, of course, I always had my CD's, videos and tapes (yes, they released a tape, Banana Flava, although I have a sneaky suspiscion that was lost in the move too, I can't find it). Graham and I reminisced sometimes. I bought Chris Chameleon's solo albums and even managed to watch Ampie before the NOFX concert so I still had some small link to what was such a big part of my life for so long.

And then a few years later I found out they were back together, albeit without Princess Leonie (Boney Leonie to some). I was thrilled... my fiance... not so much, although he always let mi have my obsession. Ramfest was the highlight of my year! I think some girl actually tapped mi on the shoulder and asked if Boo! was my band. I simply nodded. Aaah, everything was right with the world again. Sadly, since I work and study I have not been to another gig (I know, shame on mi) but my love for everything Boo! remains.

So, enough of my rambling and to make this a true 'ode' I must thank Boo!

Thank you for getting mi through the yucky times (with songs like Come) and being there through the fun times (with songs like Stiki Choon). Even if no-one else feels the same way about you, at least you will know you have touched someone they way you intended all those years ago.Thank you for always maintaining that it is fine, if not preferred, to be different. Walk to your own beat, in fact, dance and never be apologetic for being you. Ok, now I'm just getting Soppi. Here's to catching you at another gig, hopefully soon.

From your number 1 Boo!dist.

My Cross Polo

Aah!! The wait is over! After ordering my new car in July (yep, thanks to the strikes, my car was delayed by 3 months - now is a good time to note that normal production of a vehicle is 1 week!), I finally took delivery of him on Friday. Wow! is really the only reaction I had. Since I had never test driven him or even seen a 2010 Cross Polo in real life, well, besides the time one zoomed past mi on Main Road, it was almost like getting a suprise package. Don't think I was going into this blind either, I did drive the old 1.9 TDI for a month so I knew exactly what I could expect from the newer version.

It took a while to sign all the papers, since, not only did I finance him, I got every warranty, guarantee and policy under the sun. I can officially say that I should have some worry free driving for 5 whole years!! It sort of added to the excitement though. Once I was done there, I waited while my super efficient sales manager (she truly was excellent during the whole process from the beginning) finished with another customer and took some pictures of my new addition (they even put a bow on him, how sweet!). Then it was my turn. I received the low down on every button, nob and light in my new car (his name is Spanky by the way). Seriously this car can do everything, well, except help mi pass my exams. It has all the usual things that a car comes with these days (that my previous car didn't). In addition to that it has cruise control, heated side mirrors, all round electric windows, which I can control from my side (sorry for anyone travelling with mi) and my personal favourite, the best cup holders I have seen in a car ever. While I know most people do not place much emphasis on cupholders, I need them to be functional. Some cars have rickety ones that come out of the dash (and interfere with radio usage) others are too small or too shallow. Mine are just right for mi, they are deep and sized perfectly for my purposes. And, on top of all the 'bells and whistles' there are some awesome storage compartments to hold anything I need to bring on my future journeys!

Honestly, I can certainly recommend this car, not only for girls but I think the guys will like the sporty looks and styling too. And, of course, 77Kw is nothing to sniff at for a 1.6.

Bungeeeeeee

It was Fiance's birthday this past long weekend and since I figured he would know just about any gift I could buy him, I decided to throw a little surprise into the mix. That being to take him bungee jumping. I don't think I thought this through because I am always such a wuss when it comes to these things, anyone who was at my rap jumping experience a few years ago, would testify to this. This is not to say I won't be a good sport but I tend to enjoy these things more in retrospect rather than when they are actually happening.

In order to keep this a surprise, I roped in my bestest friend to add to the experience. She managed to get fiance to keep his head down while we drove past the umpteen signs that would give away our secret. When we arrived at the site, we were directed to a scale to get weighed. It is definitely a good thing to have a scale since I am sure some people would attempt to bend the truth. That being said, while I certainly do not have weight issues, it is quite weird having your weight emblazoned on your hand for all to see.

After a not so short walk to the bridge we were finally there. This is when the scared little girl inside mi let out a little 'Eep!'. It was really happening. It was comforting to know that Fiance was scared too. Best friend had no worries, she wasn't jumping, her role was simply to moral support. And to point and laugh as we found ourselves getting more and more scared...

We watched two people go ahead of us, who were very quiet on their respective jumps. We all thought that they may have passed out from the stress. They were ok, I think we may have been projecting our own worries onto them.

Eventually the time had come. I was harnessed in and equipped with my foot braces and clipped to the bungee cords, which are quite heavy... no one tells you that. My shaky legs took mi onto the ledge and the jump instructor asked mi to lean out over the edge. you would think this would be easy. Hell to the No!! Every single cell in my body was screaming for mi to turn around and move myself to a safer spot on terra firma. Thankfully, the countdown was quick and before I knew it, I was flying through the air. For anyone who has had a dream about flying, it felt exactly like that. It was amazing! There was a split second where I thought the cord had forgotten about mi because there was no recoil. I waited and waited, and wondered if I would meet my Maker through this one decision to jump off a random bridge in Krugersdorp. Thankfully, before I could panic any further and ruin the experience, there it was. Now the recoil kinda sucks. I flopped around like a fish caught on a hook but eventually that passes and you are lowered to the ground. Aaahhh! safety.

I went first so I could enjoy Fiance's jump. He seemed to enjoy it so I can say that my idea was a certainly more of a hit than a miss. Unfortunately he has now been bitten by the bug and we have decided to locate the highest bungee in SA, which I believe is in the Eastern Cape. Hmmm, maybe I can add Zorbing to the itinerary.

Biology Practicals

I know I have been a little quiet over the past couple of weeks and this is because I have been in Potchefstroom at the North-West University doing my biology practicals. While it was extremely nice not to be chained to my desk for 12 hours a day, I have to say that these practicals were not a walk in the park either. The drive there was not the nicest (sseing as I have yet to take delivery of my brand new car) and I did see a disturbing accident on the way (eek!!).

But, once I had arrived at my cheap (and not so nasty) guesthouse I was quite excited about being a student again for the first time in many years. I made a friend the first day and proceeded to meet some way awesome people throughout the two weeks. And I had to admit it was nice to speak 'geek' with these wonderful human beings. My fiance is not so fond of my 'geek' language and normally just responds with a 'hmmm' or a similar nondescript grunt when I get excited about the inner workings of plants or animals.

It was great to have teachers for a change. Teachers with a passion for their subject too. They are all highly qualified and their passion is truly infectious. By the end of my stay I was convinced I missed out a whole lot by dropping Biology in high school. I got over that thought quickly after I realised that if I continued with the subject, more innocent animals would have died for the sole purpose of me dissecting it. That and the fact that my drawings would make Picasso turn in his grave!

My tree-hugger-ness was also tested in a big way at these pracs, we had to dissect an earthworm and a rat!! I seemed to have weathered the rat dissection better than the earthworm but I think this was due to the fact that I was coming down from an anti-histamine jab the night before the earthworm dissection, this was not exactly an unbiased response to opening animals up. Thankfully, my awesome lab partner was just as dark and twisty as I am and take the dissection in his stride. Hooray for that!! In fact, the inserted picture of mi in my trendy lab coat with Patrica, our rat, was taken by said lab partner.

One of the best parts (probably second only to R14 Black Label draught) of the whole experience was the Student's Centre. Why get excited about a Student's Centre, I hear you ask? Because it is the most amazing Student's Centre I have ever come across ever!! Now, it's no secret I love food but the sheer variety alone makes this the absolute best! You can get anything from (in no particular order) russian and chips to pies, pizza, pasta, sushi (you read right, sushi) and buffet meals. And the list goes on. The cherry on top is that at the tillpoints they have great big beautiful energy cookies. yum yum! I was only introduced to them in my last few days in Potch so I feel I missed out (although I did buy one for the road home).

But enough of my rambling. All in all it was a great two weeks and now I am glad to be home in my own (less creaky and used) bed. Roll on my next set of practicals.

Running a Great Event

Many of you, I am sure, are unaware that I was an events organiser for quite a few years. I have since branched off and moved into a different industry but it is truly remarkable how many people out there think they can run an event and simply can not. While I can't say that my way of organising events is the only way, I can say that there are a few simple rules that should be followed to ensure a great event. With my pending nuptials, I can honestly say that I am truly glad to have the background I have to ensure that my wedding day is the happy occasion it is meant to be.

Rule 1 - Budget

While having a budget is a must, many people do not include all the elements of their event in their budget and others simply do not have a budget. If you are planning on making a living from your events abilities, ensure that your budgeting is great. Whether you are planning an event for yourself or for a client, a good budget will help avoid any nasty surprises after the event. Each event is different so I would suggest that while you are getting the hang of budgeting, run through the event from start to finish. Consider what you would like to give your guests on arrival and not the gifts but what about tables to display those gifts. Consider your catering, not just for the main meal but before it. Things like welcome drinks etc.

Rule 2 - Surround yourself with great suppliers

You are only as good as your weakest supplier. Remember the time your new furniture arrived late? Who were you angry with? The delivery company or the company you ordered that furniture from? If you were mi, probably both, but at the end of the day, you probably didn't order anything from that furniture store again. On the other hand, the company that ensured your items arrived on time and in good condition, left you with a smile on your face and you probably still have a great relationship with them. Now remember, you will not be doing everything in-house so once you have have found that great delivery guy or the fantastic florist, look after them. They will always do a good job for you, and your clients, if you provide them with the right information and pay them on time. always give them a proper brief of what is required from them to avoid any confusion down the line

Rule 3 - Plan and Prepare

You can never be too prepared. 90% of your work is done before the day. Once you have gone over the entire and you think you have everything ready, do it again. There is bound to be something you have missed or something you can add to the event to ensure it runs smoothly. In the planning phase, speak to your team and/or your suppliers to double and triple-check that you haven't missed anything.

Rule 4 - Work Hard

While I know this doesn't really apply if you are doing your own event because it is a given that you put in as much effort as you can into the event. If, however, events are or will be your vocation, ensure you get your attitude to hard work right. There will be times when you will have to carry heavy boxes of brochures up three flights of stairs. I have personally given myself more than one carpet burn going around on my hands and knees putting chair covers on 100 chairs. It's the name of the game and the effort you put in will show.

Rule 5 - Attention to Detail

While I am sure you are all rolling your eyes at this one but I can not stress the importance of paying attention to the little details of your event. The details are what make the difference between any old event and a fantastic one. Something to look at would be, are all the items in your gift pack packed in a uniform way? It may sound silly but if someone can open one gift pack and it looks identical to the next and so on, this will impress them. I know I have been so specific about things that I have gone around to each of my tables ensuring the knife blades in the place setting are all facing the same way. Pedantic, I know.

Well, those are my 5 Golden Rules of Events. I am glad I could impart some wisdom on this lovely day and I hope it helps all you rocking event managers out there!

Fitness Freak or Sucker for Punishment?

So, I have been studying and working extremely hard recently (I still am really) and my mom convinced mi that it would a good idea to take part in a 10km 'walk'. My mom is completely nuts for running, she has done a number of Comrades Marathons and has a ton of medals from other races. While I certainly give her kudos for her unbelievable drive to get up at the crack of dawn and run around the block numerous times, it isn't really my bag. After a bad cross country experience in primary school, I pretty much gave up on running and focused on hockey and swimming instead. Of course, once high school was over, so was any attempt at being fit. I keep meaning to do something 'exercisey' but now that my mom had suggested this walk, I thought it would be a good idea. My sister was going, so we could keep each other company, and I was going to get a medal to start my own little collection (if I finished that is!).

At 06h30 on Sunday morning, my sister picked mi up. Bleary-eyed and nowhere near bushy-tailed, I got my race number (3339, such a cool number). We queued up at the start and people-watched until the starting gun went off. People of all shapes and sizes (not to mention fashion-sense) lined up to give it their all. The beginning was quite nice, a bit crowded, but nice. Then my sister picked up the pace...

My first goal was to reach 3kms because that is where I was told there would be some liquid. It took forever to reach the 3km mark, I swear it was really 5kms but my new running shoes were holding up quite nicely (I haven't owned a pair of running shoes since high school and I was really glad I bought them), I couldn't imagine my docs or Circa's performing quite so well. So, by 3kms I realised three things; one, running shoes are not overrated, two, I am a poor judge of distance and three, after 3kms, Coca Cola (which I don't really drink) is just delish!

There was no loitering at the 3km mark. Oh no, you keep moving... uphill!! That's another thing, there were a lot of uphills! In fact it felt like entire course was uphill. My mom told mi the grading of this particular walk was pretty easy (a 2 I think it was). I be honest, I don't think my poor out of shape body could have handled anything worse than ultra-easy. We kept powering on and, with my interest in property, I couldn't help but start looking at the lovely houses of Houghton.

6kms came and went, more coke and water to keep my body going. My sister and I then began counting down, we were past halfway - hooray, the medal was in my sights now. By the time we reached 8kms, I was ready to stop. Gees, I thought there was no way I would feel so knackered, but then 9kms came. Phew! If have learnt anything from The Biggest Loser (yes, I watch just about every reality show there is) is that you need to find your limit and push through it. Well, if I thought 8kms was my limit, I was wrong! 9kms really kicked my butt. But, reaching 9kms did give mi hope that I could push through to the 10km mark. Our conversation that was keeping us going was pretty much laid to rest at 6kms and sister and I trundled into the sports ground (and the final few hundred metres). After a few more attempts at jogging to the end, we had made it! 10kms in 1 hour 44 minutes we had done it! Medal in hand and blister under foot (I don't know if I can blame my shoes for that or if I just walk funny) I headed towards my final helping of coke.

All in all, despite not being able to walk like a human being for three days, I would definitely say the walk was worth it (and I even got a little bit of a tan!). After completing the walk my mom thrust an entry form into my hands for the next 10km walk, this Sunday. I can only guess it will be a little bit easier, I hope!

Friday the 13th

How could I let this day come and go without a special post?

Some people are secretly superstitious about Friday the 13th. Generally people don't do much and are extremely quiet, which means my days are quiet. That being said, I have been extremely busy. Hmmm, maybe people aren't aware of the date... or even a good injection of fear to bring the quiet back?

Anyway, I just wanted to share some little known facts about Friday the 13th (and the number 13 in general):

- Did you know the fear of Friday the 13th is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia. There are a number of other names for it but I have reached my daily limit of typing complicated words (i.e. one per day)
- I read a while back, in some Astrology book, that depending on the year, Friday the 13th's are either lucky, unlucky or neutral. I forget how to work it out.... STML (short term memory loss), not a good thing.
- For those with a darker side; there are 13 knots in a hangman's noose (I'm guessing this is only if he has done it right), a witch's coven generally has 13 members, a guillotine is meant to drop 13 feet and my personal favourite, Fidel Castro was born on the Friday the 13th of August, 1926

There are tons of other interesting facts out there but this is a just a short smattering of what I thought would be the most interesting...

My Fantasy Dinner Party

If you could have a dinner party with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? This is a question that I have seen quite bit over the past few years and have been giving it some thought (I don't know why).

Firstly, the numbers always vary from 5 - 10 people that you are allowed to invite, so I'll put my list somewhere in the middle. For the living, I would certainly choose Eminem and Marilyn Manson, simply because they created their careers on controversy and I would love to know what is coming next. They would probably give my next guest a run for his money!

My list is mainly made of the not so living. Let me start with Hitler. Now, before you say anything, think about it, wouldn't you want to know what kind of a person did the things he did? I have a heap of questions I would love to ask him to understand what goes on in a mind like his. Maybe it's the curious cat in mi but I'd love to understand more.

Now, for the less controversial, Einstein and Newton are definitely on my list! What great minds they had, I bet you, even today, they would be innovators and legends. Theamount of things they achieved in their lifetime is countless and inspiring. Hmmm, maybe they could help mi with my Calculus or Biochemistry...

What is a fantasy dinner party without Kurt Cobain? I would have to ask him why he felt so despondent (if he did indeed write that erm, suicide note) with a beautiful baby girl around? And I would definitely settle the one burning question everyone has for him too.

And before you think I left the girls out of this, Lori Petty and Sylvia Plath would be the last of my invitees. These two awesome personalities would complete my fantasy dinner table.

Of course, fiance would have to be there to act as witness for getting these guys all around one table and to help mi clean up, something tells mi there will be quite a few dishes!!

I wonder if the rules will allow mi to add Pauly Shore and Shakespeare to that list?

I suppose the more important question would be, I wonder what meal would satisfy all of my guests? Hmmm...

Licensing Department Blues

So, after driving my citi golf for the past 7 years and spending a small fortune replacing the clutch, fiance and I decided it was time for a little upgrade. After much umming and aaahhing and crunching the numbers, I decided on the new 2010 Cross Polo (pictures and a new post will follow once I actually get the car!). When I bought Marvin (my golf) way back in 2003, I was really bad with paperwork (I have since improved) and lost my ownership papers. I have put off replacing them because, let's face it, no one actually chooses to interact with our governmental agencies! However, because I need Marvin to be traded in, I had to make the trip to the licensing department.

I decided to get to the department at 07h00 so I could get through the process before work. Turns out it opens at 07h30, so I ended up freezing my poor little nose off (it was a little bit of a walk to go wait in the car and a queue was forming already). Now, here comes a tip, if you've lost your ownership papers, firstly you have to go yourself (no Q 4 U here), secondly, you need an affidavit stating why you need another set of your papers. i would say phone the department If you have questions but you will probably have an easier task easing Jo'burg traffic in rush hour than you would of getting through to someone who can help. Just as I thought my quest had ended before it began (seeing as I did not have an affidavit), I was informed that there were cops on site who could sign my affidavit, but I had to survive a test! The office was situated through a number of cryptic hallways. After much wandering and looking at random cleaning ladies with my best puppy dog face, I found him. Then I realised something, I had no pen! I know, rookie mistake. Nonetheless, this brings mi to my next tip, bring a pen. The staff will not let you borrow theirs (probably from years of klepto's stealing them) and your fellow adventurers won't even look at you, much less loan you their pen. Thankfully a very helpful cop, not only let mi write my affidavit with his pen, but he also let mi fill in my pink form with it. Now, I was pretty chuffed with my resourcefulness and off I went to a counter, in the main entrance this time, where I was behind just one person, fantastic! The person behind the counter expertly photocopied my ID and attached to my growing pile of documentation and sent mi to wait for someone else. That person in turn sent me back through another set of corridors to a quiet office where an extremely helpful lady took my paperwork and told mi to come back in two days with my slip (that she had issued) and R230.

Now, I thought I was onto something good here, all I had to do was get back to the same office (hopefully I would remember the way) and get my ownership papers. Considering my first excursion was only about 20 minutes (excluding the half an hour wait in the cold) I should be done with my second trip in no time! So, this time, I arrived just in time (07h25, no cold nose for mi!!) and I was super exited to get my papers, I was even wondering why I had put it off for so long. This is when things went downhill, not even two minutes later, a creepy guy walked up to mi and randomly introduced himself to mi. Nothing really wrong with that, except he started asking really weird questions, like where do you live and are you here alone?! I normally reserve my alias for creeps like this guy but in my true style, I always forget it in times like this. I must say I was somewhat dumbfounded to think this guy could actually think he could pick up anyone with this tactic. Thankfully the doors opened and i started towards them as if they were to oasis sanctuary to my desert. Did i just call the licensing department a sanctuary?

Of course, he had to offer mi his number before I managed to make it to the door. Yuck! BUT, I was determined not to let this spoil my mood so off I toddled (more like speed walked) through the mazes, keeping myself in my 'happy place'. I found my way first time. proud of my accomplishment, i turned around to see if anyone was there to witness this feat... there was one. Idiot features was right behind mi! I could hear the horror movie music in my head and began to wonder if he would pull out a cloth soaked in chloroform and cart mi off to some random abandoned industrial building. I raced into the office and sat down. While the lady was busy taking my payment and processing my paperwork, I plotted my escape route. Given there was only one door, I thought I would stop at the cop's office I visited before (now thankful for forgetting my affidavit) if he decided to follow mi. That way, I could just drop him off and get on with my life. I walked out of the office and braced myself for the onslaught, when to my surprise, he whispered something (no doubt something creepy) and walked into the office and left mi to make a dash for it. Phew, I was free!

This whole incident should come as no surprise to mi, I have attracted charmers like this my entire life. Even though I knew creepoid was in the belly of the building it didn't stop mi from racing back to Marvin as fast as I could, without looking like a complete morons running to my car. This was, after all, not a horror movie. I did use my best evasive driving tactics (who says watching action movies are good for nothing) to get back to the office. Safely back at my desk, I realised that it wasn't the department that ended up being a pain, it was my 'special' friend. He really made mi feel icky!!

Now, I have to work on my goodbyes to Marvin. At least I still have 5 weeks while I wait for my new car to be built, to work on that. For now, I think I'll have a shower... or three.

Bye Bye Soccer

To be completely honest, I do not enjoy soccer. The theatrics of the players and the amount of yellow and red cards being given out, I just don't get it. I am a steadfast rugby fan and one day I will be able to see me Sharks in the tank (yep, I have never seen a live rugby match). That being said though, I couldn't help being caught up in the World Cup and the energy of the games and the dreams of all the teams to finally lift that trophy. I even voluntarily turned over to watch some of the games in my own home!!

That aside, I have to say I am most proud of this beautiful country for doing their citizens proud during the course of this huge event! Not only were each and every individual so wonderfully welcoming but even Julius managed to keep his mouth shut for the most part. Both the opening and closing ceremonies were great to watch (even though I am so over the Waka Waka song) so I want to give our great country kudos for pulling it all off and putting our best foot forward

Hooray for us!

Lurvely Things

After my little rant yesterday, I thought it would be good to highlight the things I lurve too (just so you all don't think I am a crabby person).

I was lying in bed this morning, willing myself to get up when I thought about number one on my list of things I lurve. That being lying in bed in the morning, knowing you don't have to go anywhere or do anything. The bed is always at it's most comfy when you have just woken up, the duvet is where it's meant to be and your pillow is just perfectly soft and your cat (if you own one) is not a rock in the middle of it all! Sadly, I did have to get up so maybe tomorrow morning I can experience number one.

Number two is really long baths. It is totally awesome just lounging in the bath with a good book (right now, I am reading part 3 of the Dexter series, too good!!). Normally I don't get to do this since I always feel the need to get out of the bath and do some housework or studying. Now that I can actually get my tattoo wet again, I think I might have one of those after my lie ins tomorrow morning (damn, I'm lazy).

Number three is a particularly important one to my sanity. You see, our office has the radio going all day and it is particularly mind-numbing for mi since I rarely hear a song I actually like, yet always seem to find them stuck in my head. So, number three is getting into my car and turning on my music. There is nothing like walking away from a busy day at work (and being bombarded by inane poppy vocals) and hearing the screams of one of my favourite bands - yesterday it was Chromium. Now I know not everyone appreciates hard rock/metal (why I don't know but I am diplomatic) but I think everyone can relate to enjoying a great tune on the drive home. It is calming enough to get mi out of work-mode and into home-mode and ready to wind down for the evening.

Number four on my list is having a great party. You all know the feeling when you wake up the next morning, or afternoon, after a great jol. Whether it's a house party or, my special favourite, a little jump around at Doors, it is satisfying to know that you had a great time with your awesome friends and didn't do anything overly embarassing that you would normally curse yourself for and believe mi, I've had plenty of those too. Our last great party was an impromptu affair (as they always tend to be). We were playing pool on a Thursday night and the Friday was a public holiday (meaning no need to be responsible) and fiance, best friend and I decided to make the trek to Edenvale and hit Doors. What a party! We went on until 2am and even then, left begrudgingly because best friend was feeling horrid (she was trooper though). The best part was, since I was driving, I was sober and didn't have a horrible hangover the next day to rain my post-party parade.

Number five, and the last item my little list (although I could list tons more!) is the beach. I live very far away from the nearest beach. Even Sun City is a good 2 hours away! I have to admit I am a beach baby at heart and really do miss it when I don't get to go (and it is looking less and less likely since I am studying like it's 1999). To mi, there is nothing like the feeling of warm sand between your toes, the sun beating down on your skin and the cool of the water when you dive into it. The taste of salt when you lick your lips and the smell of suntan lotion. Yup, being at the beach is the best! My family and I having been going to the beach since I was a kid and it always has great memories of fun-filled days, lazy afternoons and bags of shells to put who knows where when we return home. I know there is no telling where you are going to end up but my absolute must is to retire to the beach one day (hopefully I will win the lotto and it'll be one day soon!). I want my life to be filled with those days. Hell, I might even take up exercise if it means I can do it with the sound of waves crashing nearby. A jog on the beach sounds so much better than a jog down our dusty, pollution-ridden road, which, at the moment has been taken over by earth-moving equipment while they re-tar it.

Yup, that is my preliminary list of 5 awesome things. I am sure I will add to it one day but for now it's back to reality and hopefully tomorrow I can indulge in number one and two, at the very least!

*Sigh* Traffic

Now, I work pretty close to home (some 8kms away) but also find myself in some of the most horrendous traffic. Normally, I am pretty patient, I just turn up Spinshank, Slipknot or any other tunes I may have playing and enjoy the fact that I don't actually have to be studying, working or cooking! BUT there are a few things that really get my goat.

Firstly, why is it that when people's cars only have one working light, they feel the need to put their one remaining light on bright? So many times, I have thought that a very inconsiderate bike rider is headed my way, when in fact, it is an idiot with one headlight! Quite frankly, it is just downright dangerous since whoever is on the receiving end of being blinded by the headlight may think it is a bike and not give the required amount of extra space a CAR deserves. I don't really want to harp on it but it truly is moronic!

Following on from that, have you noticed how the slow pokes always get ahead of you? Just yesterday I was behind a beat up old bakkie doing 30km/h. While I am no speed demon, I do certainly believe in keeping up with the traffic (or at the very least, the speed limit). This bakkie drove like they had no particular place to be, which is kind of strange considering at 17h45, everyone has somewhere to be. Of course, the cherry on top was the bumper sticker. This bumper sticker was not the normal Mickey Mouse giving you the finger, which oddly enough was on this particular vehicle, no, this sticker had an even more important message to pass on to the people behind him/her. It said 'Catch me if you can'... Really?
Surely the people selling these bumper stickers should do a quick screening to see if you are worthy of such a message? Even if the criteria was that your car was built after 1989, a number of these people would be weeded out.

Lastly, I would like to spare a thought for common courtesy. I think common courtesy's days are numbered. While I think this may be a result of having been cut off by too many taxis in the past but I don't see many people giving some poor sod sitting in a by-street (for who knows how long) a chance to join the long line of slow-moving traffic. I sit at a number of stop streets so all in all everyone is pretty good about letting cars filter in one by one. Ultimately though, there is one woman, acting super important, talking on her cellphone, ruining it for everyone. She casually cuts off the next person to filter in and continues her conversation. I can only think that she may be late for an appointment (of course, it would be a super important one) but personally, I think that is no excuse lady! We all have places to be yet we all give the next person in the line a chance to filter in.

Well, now that I have gotten that off my chest I can continue with my day. And remember... if you are in traffic and I'm around

Hooray for Hooters!

Last year, I had my birthday dinner at a quaint little restuarant in Rosebank called Cranks. With my penchant for all things weird and offbeat, Cranks was great. Good food and service and a great atmosphere (of course, the Barbies in various sexual positions added to the charm of the place). This year, I had to top Cranks, I found myself in a bit of a quandary with all the restuarants I looked up being mirror images of each other (nothing wrong with that but I always try to find something different). Thankfully, on our way out to pool one night we saw that a new addition to the Buzz shopping centre had been opened, Hooters.

Of course, I couldn't resist a little lookey-loo and it turned out to have a great vibe. So my search had ended. I sent out the invites andas unbelieveably great at her job last night we got together to watch some soccer and drink some beer (which I find to be a little unfair because I could not pick up the Big Daddy beer so I resigned myself to drinking out of little bottles). This is a definite sports bar as there are big screens everywhere so no matter how busy it is, you will always get a good view of the game.

You aren't allowed to book tables in advance so it did make it a little difficult trying to get my 20 best friends in the same place. Thankfully, some good samaritans allowed us to join them in their booth until they left when we woud take full ownership of that booth. They were reluctant at frst but thankfully I had the birthday card to pull and by the time they left we were getting along like long lost friends. Good people, I shall Facebook them...

Our waitress , 'Sam', was unbelieveably awesome at her job, which was no small feat with the amount of people demanding her attention at any given time and (sad to say) even trying to cop a feel at times. Adding to the awesome service, the food was great and I have to admit I even enjoyed the soccer (sorry, I'm a rugby girl).

So that is another birthday done and dusted and I am left with one thought... where do i go next year?

The New Eminem

So, as you know my birthday has come and gone (I will try and avoid remarks about getting wiser since the only thing that has changed over the past few birthdays is my desire to sleep a whole lot more) and I am currently enjoying the new additions to my music collection. While I do understand why everyone downloads their music online these days, I have to admit that I still like receiving a CD I can physically touch. I love opening the CD case for the first time and sliding out the book the artist has painstakingly crafted (with their team of designers) for their fans' benefit. Although, can I take a minute to ask why it is so difficult to put these books back in their rightful place? If anyone knows, please enlighten mi.

While I am all about metal and alternative music I have to admit that I have a soft spot for a number of artists that do not fall in this genre. The album I received this year was Eminem's new one called Recovery. This follows on his Relapse album from not too long ago and once again I am totally impressed with him. I may be a devoted fan and the critics may not agree with mi but I truly feel with this album he went back to the good old days (no comments about gettin old please) where it was all about really powerful lyrics and great beats. He has a number of collaboration's on this album which only add to the value of the overall finished product. Songs wth Rihanna and Lil Wayne are excellent but I have to say my personal fave is the song he did with P!nk called 'won't back down'. It might be because I love P!nk's rocker attitude and combined with Eminem's wit and controversial one-liners, I think this song is just great!!

Of course, I have only heard the album once (I have a full-time job after all) but I don't think I will bore of this easily. I am certain this album will take pride of place in my CD cabinet for years to come and won't end up in the drawer hiding with some of music's embarassments. Everyone has at least one album they do not want anyone to see and I can sadly say I have more than my fair share of music mistakes that not even Cash Crusader's will buy from mi.

I would like to end by giving Eminem props for once again delivering a great offering which I am sure will be well-received by his fans. Right, I'm off to go pop the CD in my car.

My Favourite Birthday Pressie

So it was my birthday yesterday and this past Sunday I decided it was time for mi to get my next tattoo (number 4). My fiance was expecting mi to simply book the appointment and get a price but since I am a complete baby (Yes, after all my time in the tattoo shop I am still scared of pain, I do not fall into the 'I go back because I like the pain' category), I decided not to book an appointment and stew for the next week over the pain that would be inflicted on mi, but rather to just go for it. By that I mean, sending my fiance on a quick recon mission to Clicks and commandeer some Emla 5%. This, in a nutshell, is a phenomenal numbing cream that many use on certain sensitive areas, such as the inside of the bicep, which I hear is super-painful but I was going to test it on my forearm. Of course, I was just looking for the best way to calm my nerves, whether or not the cream worked was secondary really if my brain could convince my arm that it was not feeling pain. If I wasn't feeling cowardly enough, a muscle-bound, tank top wearing, beefcake, sat down in the chair next to mi and proceeded to get, without flinching, the inside of his bicep coloured in. I consoled myself by saying that boys and girls were different with their pain tolerance - not to mention that he probably weighed three times I did and surely that was a factor?



So my fiance returned after what seemed an eternity with the (what I hoped would be my new favourite cream) Emla. The apprentice kindly put half the tube on my arm and covered it with Glad wrap. Those of you who have had a tattoo know that Glad wrap is a staple in any tattoo artist's arsenal and I was happy to have it placed around my arm to help the effectiveness of the cream - of course I would have worn a pink tutu if I thought it would have warded off the pain. I was then instructed to wait an hour until the cream worked it's magic. While I had no problem waiting the required hour (after all it was my birthday weekend and I had no intention of actually studying or doing any housework), I was amazed the hear the thoughts running around my head. The thought that seemed to bounce around and demand the most of my attention was 'What if the cream doesn't work?'. This, of course, lead mi to believe that my devoted fiance, who battled the manic pay-weekend queues to get something that may possibly fend of the pending pain, might have wasted his own time and money.



I was nearly driven to insanity with my completely inane thoughts that almost made mi get up and run all the way home to hide in a dark corner and comtemplate if this new ink was even worth it. But, being the brave soul I am, I stuck it out and my tattoo artist called mi into the back room to take my place in his chair. This was the moment of truth, Emla 5% was going to be put to the test! The Glad wrap was removed and my arm wiped clean. Much to my surprise, I could not feel it!! Of course, a wipe with a paper towel is certainly nothing like a tattoo gun. Once I was happy with the placement of the outline (by this time, he could have placed it on my forehead and I would have given him the go-ahead, just to begin and get it over with), the time had arrived. The familiar buzzing of the tattoo gun began and my artist took his position and he began. I turned away, closed my eyes and proceeded to take myself to may 'happy place'. After about 5 minutes of squishing my face into what must have been a totally unbecoming look I turned to ask my artist if he had actually begun or was just torturing mi when I saw that he had indeed started his masterpiece. The realisation finally hit mi that this would certainly not be anything like the ordeal I went through the last time I got a tattoo. I, of course, proclaimed my love to my artist, thankfully my fiance didn't mind. Sadly, my artist, although he said he loved mi too, said I shouldn't speak too soon since the Emla would wear off during the course of my hour long session. I'll be honest, normally I would be worried about when the cream would wear off and how much torture I would have to endure before my beautiful new addition would be done, but I had broken through the psychological barrier of beginning the tat, which was my whole goal in the first place. Besides, my last tat took two and half hours so even 45 minutes of pain will be nothing compared to that!



True to my artist's word, the cream's wonderful numbing power did start to wear off. Usually I do my best to not even look at what he is doing but I couldn't resist taking a peek to see how far he was and how much I had left to sit through before it was done. It seemed he was about halfway. There would be only 30 minutes left to endure, fantastic!! There were places which hurt a whole bunch more than others, I do not know if this was due to sensitive areas or areas that did not have enough Emla but all in all, this was definitely nothing like my last tat. My artist, being the perfectionist that he is, double-checked that he covered everything he was meant and proceeded to clean mi up and wrap my arm in Glad wrap. All of a sudden I felt a massive stinging sensation. I was confused, the buzzing had stopped, so I know it wasn't a needle. What was causing mi to consider chopping off my arm just to stop the pain. Little did I know that the liquid being sprayed on my arm in copious amounts would be the source of my agony. This had never hurt before and I was totally befuddled as to why this was now hurting. My artist, after I let out a little squeal that resembled the word 'ow', simply smiled and continued inflicting the torture by picking up another spray bottle with a different coloured liquid. This new liquid didn't hurt so much, so I managed a teeny smile back. All I could think was how I should really 'man up' since I had gone through worse. My only conclusion as to why the spray stang this time instead of the past three times was that it was because Emla had now worn off and my skin was attempting to gain some kind of control over itself again and possibly gain revenge on mi for putting through this torture for no reason. Whatever the reason, I was certainly grateful this was the first (and hopefully only) time I would feel this pain.



My fiance paid for my experience and I was so happy we could finally head home. I was thrilled that my artist had told mi that I 'sat very nicely' this time so I was very proud of my new-found (albeit chemically enhanced) bravery - granted I did set the bar quite low the last time I visited his chair. The drive home was a little awkward, considering I still had some areas of numbeness and opening my window to give the car guard his tip was quite a feat in itself.



My verdict after all this, is that while I certainly see the benefit to using Emla, I might forego it the next time to truly cement my bravery, BUT, I may eat my words because I do still have half a tube of Emla left... My theory, waste not, want not.