Stuff.

It's been a while since I've posted anything here a whole month in fact... I've had a lot to think about and a lot to consider, and frankly, I'm still not sure that I need to write it down here - but I need an outlet...



My poor darling husband is terminal. There, I've said it and it's killing me. The doctors have confirmed that there is not a hell of a lot more that can be done to help him except to make him as comfortable as possible. We've made the decision that it's no longer important for him to work - he's taken an extended leave of absence from his work and basically is claiming disabilty. He's very weak at the moment and on constant pain meds, but his still able to function relatively well - can go to the bathroom, clean up after himself etc. Whe've already organized with a private company for a day and night nurse to help me when he's no longer able to do 'his thing' on his own. I have to keep working for now but will also take extended leave when nessesary - it is difficult though, just started a new job...

That bit I wrote and never posted - as of today, he's in hospital and receiving treatment. I've taken as much leave a I can but need to finish a few things before I can leave and spend all my time with him. Not a very festive season in our house this year...

The worst part of this whole thing is seeing the man I love - the person who has made every living moment of my life worthwhile, melt away to nothing. His body has given up but his mind is still strong. I still get the biggest grin possible when I walk into the hospital room. He still sends me little text messages when I'm not with him to tell me how much I mean to him. I don't want to break down in front of him but this is the single hardest thing I've ever had to do and all I want to do is cry. How unfair is this - he's only 39 years young. Our friends and family are so supportive but it all feels so damn hollow. Why?

I'm absolutely broken...

Obama and Kenya.

I just spoke to a few of my dear friends in Kenya, and the feeling there is ecstatic - they've even declared tomorrow a public holiday - I kid you not! But let's be realistic for one minute and think if this makes any real difference to the country where President Obama (Boy, that sounds good!) father comes from.

The US has an economic situation that is dismal to say the least. This needs real attention and this will (or at least should) be his first focus. In the process he might make it better for emerging or third world markets, but this will not be his main focus - and rightly so. He has to ensure the well being of the people that put him in office after all!

The situation in the Middle East will surely take up an enormous amount of his time. It needs to be resolved, and soon as well - but he cannot just pull the troops and expect things to get better on it's own. It would need to be well planned and very well executed.

What I can say is that we are all part of a little piece of history that will, I'm sure, go down as a landmark in the history books. I'm sure that this will make a difference to minorities in the US if he keeps his campaign promises, and will eventually filter down to the rest of the world.

To all my readers from the US - I cannot think that one of you supported the Bush Puppet man so good for you! I hope this brings the change you have voted for!

Good Luck Mister President!

TTFN

Ps: Just 'found' this picture on the web - is that a gay flag in the background? My my, but it seems Mr. Obama has a profound influence after all...

Unpacking my life.

I think this is the last of it - we've unpacked the last box of stuff (finally) and can now just live in the new home. The one thing that shook me a bit is exactly how many bottles of 'perfume' we have. My goodness - look at it! We can start a store - and some are duplicates too! My favourite is still Farenheit by Cristian Dior thought...

I've always (well, for as long as I could start buying my own) 'worn' 'perfume' on a daily basis - not overpowering - that's just 'common', but just enough for a hint of freshness to my day. And, I've always believed that you should invest in good quality as they keep their fragrance better and last the whole day - and there's less chance of smelling like a cheap prostitute!

Basically, I've taken a few pictures of the completed 'home' and will post them after some editing.

Hope y'all are having a blast of a day!

TTFN

New week - last week...

It's been such a crazy time of late - I know I know I've said that already, but it just seems like my life is running away from itself... I will try and sort out my time better once I start at the new job next week!

Yes, I've been head hunted by an affiliate company in the group I work for and I'll start with them from the beginning of November. Should be a challenge and a new exciting prospect - very young crowd and young 'vibe' at that group, so going to have some fun. I think I'm truly blessed that in the VERY insecure economic times that I still get to grow my career (and income) - this in spite of the the fact that EVERYBODY is cutting back staff. So, this is my last week in the company I'm in at the moment and I still have a few things to complete and hand over.

We've just gone trough another series of tests with Dawie and it's mostly good - his liver function was a little shaky but that is being treated now. He's gained a total of nearly 10kg since June and he's starting to look like a human being again - less stick insect like. He still needs to gain at least 10 kilos to be back where he was, but we're getting there. I, on the other hand, need to lose some of these 'love pounds' I've gained since my return to SA. You see - I try and cook food that will help hubby gain the weight, but it also means that I gain the weight! Not so good for a person that is prone to obesity - and I quit smoking, so it's a bit of a double whammy! Oh well, it's half an hour on the stepper three times a week for me.... Hate that bloody stepper - climbing stairs to nowhere!

Have made a mental note that I should really try and 'get to' my blog more often and also try and read my 'blog reads' more often as it feels like a bit of a void in my life at the moment. Now to make the time for that...

Hope y'all are well, and hope that my US readers have 'fun' during their last few days of campaigning before your general 'erection'.

Go Barack Obama!

TTFN

TGIF!

It's been one of those weeks where Hell would have spat me out for my mood! Bless Dawie for putting up with me sometimes... I've been in a foul mood all week and have no reason other than real stress and workload. I know, it's pathetic, but hey - even this wonderful man is only human! (SNICKER!) So, this weekend I'll make up for it by treating the husband to a little bit of pampering.

Tonight we'll go to his favourite seafood restaurant for some prawns, and we'll lie in tomorrow morning while I make us breakfast in bed - eggs benedict is one of our favourites and it's not too difficult to make. (Mental note to self - stop at Woolies Foods on the way home for ingredients.) And then on Sunday it's lunch with my family - so that should be fun as well. No wonder I look like the Goodyear Blimp at the moment - just turn me on my side and trow a few lights on me and you would not be able to tell the difference!

Anyhoo, after 'writing' a whole load of hoohie - here's wishin' y'all a lovely and fun filled weekend!

TTFN

A whole month...

It's been an entire 30 days since I've last posted anything here... Boy, time flies when you're damn busy - not that I'm looking for excuses, I'm just really really busy at the moment. It always seems like, as we go towards the end of the year, life just gets more and more hectic and crazy. And every year it just seems a little bit more crazy than the year before. Maybe my age is.... No, that's not it - I'm just looking for excuses. So, what's been happening in our lives?

Summer had hit with all it's might and our daily temp is hitting the mid - thirty's (about 90 Plus Fahrenheit) again. Thank the Good Lord for AC in cars, houses and offices. We also thought that it's time for the kids to get their 'Summer Cut' and this is how they looked just after they returned from the parlour - those little bows in their hair lasts about 32 seconds before the play removes them. That pink thing lying in front of Jess is her favourite toy - a pink pig made of sheep's wool and stuffed with a 'squeaky' - she's on her second one this year already, and Dawie keeps hiding it away!

We spent a lovely weekend away in the Pilgrims Rest area - an old Gold mining town that is now a national monument/tourist trap. This was one of the first places Dawie and I visited together years ago and, even tough the place has become very commercial, we still love visiting there and just dawdling from shop to shop. And it's only 350km (about 220 Miles) one way from home, so an easy weekend drive - 3 hours.

Then this weekend we went to Bela Bela (The Tswana name for Hot Springs or Boiling Boiling) for our annual family fest that was held there. This is when the whole family gets together for a weekend once a year and just talks, eats, plays games, eats, talks, eats and catches up with each others lives. Oh, did I mention that we eat a LOT! Very typical 'Souf Efriken' tradition is to show your 'love' for someone by feeding them, and since Dawie is still in recovery and still very thin my entire family all watched his every move around meal times. (And he's not a very big eater at the best of times...) We were around 150 odd people there this year - Lot's of fun!

I'll post some pictures next time and I promise that it won't be a whole month again...

Hope y'all are well!

TTFN

Some feedback...

So, the 'big bad church' lost it's case against the evil gay man. Big up's for the South African legal system! I especially like the fact that this is a watershed moment is South African law as anybody can now take an employer to task for discrimination based on sexual orientation! Good. Still planning to go and paint their fence in pride colours...

On another note, decided on a phone. It will be a Nokia E71 so that I can still receive my mails on my mobile but at least it's less of a brick to carry around. Now just hope I don't drop it in the first week. The IT guys said I should get a little thing called a condom for it... Apparently it's a rubber 'jacket' that you pull over the phone to protect it. Well then, that's exactly the same as the condoms we keep in our bedroom drawers now, isn't it? Don't think it will work the same way though...

This weekend they are launching Mamma Mia here. (Yes, yes. SA is a bit behind the rest of the world in some things) On Saturday we're going to get dressed up in white spandex suits and going out to see the ABBA movie. I'll look like the Goodyear blimp in drag but hey, anything for a laugh, right? Should be fun though... And no - no camera's allowed!

Then we're also busy with the garden layout at the moment. Will post some pictures of that when it's done. The house is 'nearly' finished, but I'm sure Dawie will start changing things soon enough. He's never been one to keep things the same for very long.

Hope y'all have a really pretty weekend now and be good, or at least good at it...

TTFN

Choosing a new toy...

Trying to choose a new phone at the moment as mine had an 'untimely' death when it accidentally fell out of my hand at the mall this weekend. It is/was a Nokia 6680 which, frankly, gave me great service. Also have an iMate Qwerty which I use for work but that is a whole chapter on it's own - my advice to anybody - NEVER get an iMate phone! About as user friendly as a wounded buffalo! (For those of you who are not in Africa, that means pretty unfriendly...)

Back to my Ex-Nokia. Great phone, shitty memory but in general easy to use and tough, so can handle my 'rough ways' with mobile phones. This is the phone I've used the longest (just over two years) of all my previous ones as most of my cellulars seem to give up the ghost pretty early on in their lives. So, here I sit in front of my screen with a list of (I kid you not!) 508 phones that I can choose from on my contract... What the... How in the name of all things holy should one decide which phone is better that the next, which one will stay in fashion for longer that a mere nanosecond and which one will have a decent battery life based on a pretty picture with people running trough a field of daisies with Dalmatians playing in the background. Honestly - what does it have to do with the whole thing? Call me old fashioned - when did a phone become a camera/PDA/Video Machine/Vibrator/Sex slave etc etc...

So, here I go surfing the Internet and findin' myself a new phone. What fun! (NOT!)

Hope y'all are having a pretty day now,

TTFN

A little comment...

Besides the Olympics and South Africa's dismal performance being headline news right now, there is another story that is getting some attention at the moment. One of the really conservative Afrikaans Churches is being sued for wrongful dismissal by an ex employee for not only being gay, but (heaven forbid!) being in a long term relationship with a man! And now their leader said that they 'could have helped him' if he only confessed that he was a 'homosexual' person - HOW? You conceited bastard...

Lucky for him he lives in a country where his right of freedom of choice with regards to his sexual orientation is protected by the constitution and the outcome of this case will probably be that the church would have to pay up. This is discrimination, pure and simple.

This specific church is not too far from our home in Pretoria. It's a big, pompous glass and brick monstrosity on a large tract of land surrounded by miles of palisade fencing. I'm of the opinion that we should get together a team of people and go and paint their 'cherished' palisade fencing in the PRIDE colours one evening... That should keep them busy with the 'moffie' (gay) agenda for a while. Bastards...

Now I feel better - had my little rant for the morning. On a personal note, feeling more alive and well after the flu thing, Dawie is getting stronger by the day. Jessica (our Yorkie) went into 'that time' and it's quite the effort keeping her away from all the male visitors to our home at the moment - little slut! (Daddy's little slut! Dawie says she's just as randy as I am...) Jason (our male Yorkie) was 'fixed' a while ago, so he's no real threat, although he does try his luck with her. Don't want to 'make' grandchildren just yet, so we need to skip this time around.

Otherwise, just work and carrying on with life. We're planning a trip to Crystal Springs next month, and then we're also planning a trip to Cape Town for Dawie's 40th early next year... Goodness - we're older than the crypt keeper... That trip should be fun! And then still planning our trip to the US of A for late next year. Have to have dreams daaaaaahlings!

So, that's my life in a nutshell - I know I've been really quite of late, but it's been such a mad time. I need to visit all my 'bloggin' friends to see what's up in their lives and play catch-up a bit...

Hope y'all are as well as a pig in pooo!

TTFN

Under the weather...

Today I would need a little contraption like the one in the pic... The Rivers of Babylon (great song by a long forgotten band) are runnin' trough my 'dhose' and I'm feeling very sorry for myself... Typical male, no?

So, it's of to work and making sure that the nessesary is done, and then back to bed for me today. Will spend the day watching BBC Food (My favourite channel, btw) and just sipping on the Chicken Soup my dear hubby cooked for me - bless him!

So while I'm lounging around and feeling miserable, I'll make the nessesary changes to my blog that are so long overdue with the new (very fancy) broadband internet connection at our home - wireless 'nogal' I might add! The whole house is a WIFI spot! How cool is that!

Hope y'all have a really pretty day now!

TTFN

A whole half a month extra!

Yes, that's right.... Seems I've added an entire 15 days to my life so far. What will I do with all the spare time I'll have one day?

Maybe I could climb Kilimanyaro, or Kayak down the niver Nile... Or, I could just sit around and enjoy my newfound health (and WEALTH!) by being an official non - smoker....

Your Quit Date is: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 12:00:00 AM
Test Time Smoke-Free: 98 days, 12 hours, 2 minutes and 42 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 1970
Lifetime Saved: 15 days, 1 hour
Money Saved: S343.00

Now, hope y'all are having a really pretty day!

TTFN

Ps: Dawie is getting better by the day. He's picked up a whole 5 kilo's in the last two weeks and he's a lot stronger - physically and mentally. Thanks for all the good wishes etc.

Happy birthday Pappa (Daddy) Madiba.

Here's my little wish to the one single person that makes me truly proud to be 'Souf Efriken'.

'Happy 90th Madiba. In my eyes you will always be a true leader, statesman and symbol of peace.'

I hope y'all have a really BLESSED day!

TTFN