"Remember there's no such thing as a
small act of kindness. Every act
creates a ripple with no logical end."

I am a mermaid

I forgot about these photos.
This was me being fiscally disciplined.
In S.A. we pay to have our luggage wrapped, so that when your bags get boarded they are not tampered with. This process costs money.
The night in question was the night we took my brother to the airport as he was flying back to the UK , where he and his family have settled.
When he went to check the bag in, they told him he was a few kilograms over weight and they wanted an exorbitant amount of money as a "fine".
So.
As the case was already wrapped, I decided that we would unwrap it and take the offending weight out (to put into his handluggage) and then re wrap the suit case.
The only way to do this , was to unwrap the plastic, still keeping it intact.
So, i wrapped the one end around my legs, and twirled around and around the bag, wrapping the plastic around my legs.
My brother got into the case, removed a few items and I then twirled and twirled to re wrap the bag.
It was a good giggle , and the people walking around us were facinated by this mad South African woman.
Hubby kept threatening to push me over (I would not have been able to get up again on my own) and my daughter pretended she didn't know me, all the while taking photos on her phone.

Belated Monday report

Today, Wednesday, I am still suffering from Mondays exercise.
I decided that since we were going to be home alone we would spend some fun "bonding" time together.
So we took the Nintendo Wii out and went through all of the games. We played tennis, bowling, boxing, baseball and golf.
My arms and lower back are still stiff from the boxing.
The funniest was that other than the baseball and golf (I just can't hit the ball in baseball) I won every sports game.
Hubby is a good loser luckily.
We then decided that we would go and see if we could find a new battery for my bike.
The battery is completely dead. This happens apparently when you leave it standing for months on end.
Who knew?!
As it was Freedom Day, nothing was open, so we landed up at the driving range, for some more golf lessons.
This was almost as much fun, but just as much exercise, as the Wii game.

Am getting better .

I think.

I managed to hit the balls straight at least (well mostly anyway). The distance is still a problem, but Hubby has learnt that encouragement is the way to go, and any negative criticism , (even in jest) will be met with resistance to do whatever was criticised again in any foreseeable future.
Hence the clubs have been in the garage for almost a year.
This after he made a comment that perhaps I need to go to gym so that I can get some power into my swing........

I have many hobbies, which have required equipment, that is now stored all over the house.
Horse riding - I have the saddle and tack, plus all the necessary clothing.
It is stored nicely in the playroom.
Motor bike riding - all of the clothing, (on and off road) helmets, boots etc, is also stored ...somewhere in the cupboards.
And the gold clubs, with gloves etc, stand in the garage.
As soon as I am completely equipped , something happens and I lose interest.
I gave away all the paints that I used for decoupage and ceramic painting, but have kept a few of the better quality brushes.
I also have beads somewhere, from the beading phase.

Back to stiff muscles.
Even my fingers ache.
Will need to cycle again tonight to loosen up the leg and back muscles.
It was fun. Think we need to do this more often.
So good to share a little competitive gaming and hit a few balls.
Hopefully tomorrow I can get up out of bed without the groan.

Weird Crazy Day

Woke up this morning to the sound of leather on leather.
Hubby was up and dressed to ride. It was barely 7.30 and he was on his way out the door. I am no morning person but this got me riled like nothing else could.
He had mentioned the night before that his friend wanted to ride.
I wake up to him out the door.
I am not the smartest person, but I guess he did not want to discuss this.
All good and well.
His riding without me has caused more than a little friction in the past.
He tells of his expeditions at 290km an hour with great pride. Not to me of course.
I have over heard these little tit bits by accident.
Anyone wonder why I worry for every minute that he gets on that bike on a Sunday and disappears into the distance. He is usually away for around 5 excruciating hours.

I get that he loves the speed.
I get the riding bug and all of that, hell I have one of my own.
The fact that I cruise along at the speed limit kills him.
He needs to be with the boys so he can behave like he is 21 and immortal.
Well he isn't 21 and even if he was, I am not keen on being a widow right now.
He is the only thing that has made any sense in my life, and I am not too keen to give that up.

Anyway. While he was away , I went on a spending spree.
Hey, my motto, hit em where it hurts.
Then my daughter and I watched Madagscar 2. If you haven't seen it, do so.
It made me giggle through the steam pouring out my ears at my husbands continued absence. And that is saying something.
Then he arrived.
It wasn't pretty, but its over and the air is somewhat cleared.
Resolution is two point.
One , I have to start riding again so I can go with him and share his passion.
Ok - can be done.
Two, I have to find a hobby so that when he is out there with the boys behaving like an idiot, I have something else to keep my mind occupied so that I do not turn into the clock watching , paranoid wife that I have become.
Will have to work on this one.
Daughter just arrived home, so am now going to watch Saw 5....love horrors.

The House

When did the house get too big.

The last few months I have been slowly realising that this wonderful, beautiful house that I madly love is just too big for us. It started when Brian and Deids left with Keegs and Kaylyn. A house this size needs the sound of screaming children and giggling teens. There are neither here anymore.

The girls are very seldom here. They have grown and are not home much. Lately it has been a lot of hubby and I alone, and while we have lots of furry children, they don't seem to fill the rooms.

If the immigration fails then we have to sell. I think we should start talking about that. The thought drains me completely.

Big house. Big love.

Babies

Seems like yesterday that my own were babies.
My own monsters.
My own terrorists.
My own wonderful, special, funny girls.

Yesterday I counted toes and fingers and fought the urge to bite little bottoms!

Nope , not a paedophile. Just LOVE little bottoms.

Been thinking a lot lately of Beans meteoric rise to adulthood.
Last night was chilly, so spent the evening in my room under the covers with my other girl child. She's 18, but I guess she'll always be my baby. We watched a particularly sad episode of Greys and we both balled.
How cool to share this with my baby girl.
Other half was in the lounge watching MotorGP.

Don't breathe a word now, but how I would love to hold a little bundle of sweet smelling baby.

No - not mad. Don't want my own. The cycle of life is telling me its time.

Grand children time.

Now - who's grand children can I adopt, cause my girls are NOT having babies now.

Sharks and Graeme

Sharkies lost. Damn. Never mind my boys, still top of the log, and this player 23 will still be a proud shark supporter.

Graeme of Idols fame is still in the show. Made it to top 5 so far.
Tonight was a good performance from him. The girls are very strong though and my idol is going to have a rough ride going forward.

First Easter with little monsters

This will be the first Easter without any little monsters to plan and buy all that fattening chocolate for.
I have been very good in avoiding the shops and all their wonderful displays, so when I saw Pats blog, it suddenly dawned on me that it was Easter Weekend.
Have so cleverly avoided this thought.
So will spend the weekend focusing on rugby. Stay out of the shops, and will get busy in the Garden. Break a few more nails, maybe convince Andreas to donate some money to the garden pant fund, so I can play.
Will see Pat on Saturday so we can cheer on the Sharkies, who are currently top of the log. Andreas fireplace is finally in, so he will be painting the lounge out and getting rid of the excess furniture in there. Am more than tied of the pawn shop effect, and he has finally agreed to let me give away the stuff that is just not wanted. (quiet sigh) Funny how its now his idea its a good idea. I nagged for a months and nothing happened.
Will just be greatful its happening.
To those few who read the blog. Know that those of you in the UK, I love and miss you all terribly. To those here, be safe and be kind to those close to you.

Nickelback lyrics - Song that reminds me of Brian

"Burn It To The Ground"

Well it's midnight, damn right, we're wound up too tight
I've got a fist full of whiskey, the bottle just bit me
Oh
That shit makes me bat shit crazy
We've got no fear, no doubt, all in balls out

We're going off tonight
To kick out every light
To get anything that we want
To drink everything in sight
We're going till the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground tonight


We're screaming like demons, swinging from the ceiling
I got a fist full of fifties, the tequila just hit me
We got no class, no taste, no shirt, and shit faced
We got it lined up, shot down, firing back straight crown

We're going off tonight
To kick out every light
To get anything that we want
To drink everything in sight
We're going till the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground tonight


Ticking like a time bomb, drinking till the nights gone
Well get you hands off of this glass, last call my ass
Well no chain, no lock, and this train won't stop
We got no friend, no tab, all in balls out

We're going off tonight
To kick out every light
To get anything that we want
To drink everything in sight
We're going till the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground tonight

We're going off tonight
To kick out every light
To get anything that we want
To drink everything in sight
We're going till the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground tonight

We can - yes we can

For Cheryldenes 21st birthday she decided she would do something a little different, and so planned to take a selected few of her friends to none other than Tease hers.
Not being one that can resist teasing my child, I volunteered to go with.
She responded by telling me I could only come with if I did not embarrass her!

How was I supposed to take that.

I promptly invited (bullied) three like aged ladies to join us and we decided to join the girls.
At about 5 in the afternoon all the spruced up little nymphs started arriving, with their skimpy outfits and dolled up faces.
The older crowd started trickling in at around 7pm. The louder the youngsters got, the more us fogies drank, so by 9pm when my long suffering husband loaded all 9 of us (sardines in a can) into his car to take us to the club, we were all in very good spirits (loaded up with some pretty strong spirits).

We walked into the venue just in time to see the guy stripper take his last scrap of clothing off, and starting swinging charlie around (always wondered what they do once naked......after all, we all know the girls swing their boobies around with nipple tassels and such fancy luminance thingies .....now I know I'll sleep better at night!) The youngsters all covered their eyes with shock and horror written on their faces. Yeah right, like I fell for that act - peeking between their fingers to make sure they missed nothing!

Needless to say with a start like that, it got very raunchy. My baby girl (all of 18) said her worst moment was when her sister paid for a body shot for her, and as the stripper dude lay her down on the stage she looked up into my face...
now what girl doesn't dream of being in that position in from of their mother.
I still blush at the thought of her humiliation. But man it was fun.

The evening wore on, and we saw a few more actual "dances" and chatted up the young guys, and towards 2am (yes 2am and a whole load a savannas later) I got it into my head that the people in the room all needed to see my pole dancing technique.
I techniqued myself to such an extend that three days later I still could not stand up straight. Who knew you had 20 muscles in your butt, all of which could be pulled when you slid seductively up and down a dancing pole.
Lets not talk about my legs and arms, but the most surprising was my fingers.
I swear I only remember gripping the pole, I clearly had a good grip because it took my almost a week to get the full use of all my fingers back.
I am , however , very proud of me.
I can only imagine how terrible I must have looked up there, but I did manage to get a few of the party up there with me, and I triumphed in embarrassing my daughter.
Mission accomplished.
I learnt all three of the guys "normal" occupations, their names and ages and a number of other things, which horrified my husband and brother no end. Brian's retort was that when he goes to these places, he looks, but does not chat them up. They are there for a job, and that's it.
He doesn't understand.
I am old
I loved having the pleasure of these young , firm, sexy okies chatting to me, knowing full well they were not interested in anything weird, and they knew I wasn't either. It was fun.
Besides, the looks of envy from the nymphs was enough to egg me on.

At one stage in the evening Cheryldene ordered a table dance.
Only one rule

DO NOT TOUCH.

He went around the table from girl to lady and got progressively more de robed.
Luckily I was second in the seating arrangement, so he had pretty much everything on when he was writhing above me sigh).
One of the 'like aged' ladies and a few of the nymphs (what happens in teasehers, stays in teasehers - hence no names) had a really hard time with the no touch policy.

At 4am my baby girl phoned her dad, and told him to come fetch us.
4am.
I ain't seen 4am for a very long time.
Not so happily in any case.

The sardines all piled back into the car, and all of us crawled into bed as the sun came up.
Was a wonderful, funny evening. A night to remember, and while I felt my age the next day, and the day after that, I am so glad that Cheryldene now has a memory that she can treasure.
Don't think she'll be mentioning any future events within earshot of her mother again though. Not if there is the slightest chance she may be embarrassed by me.
Would never tell her so, but doubt I would survive another night like that anyway.

Before the birds

I hate early mornings, but committed to a "course" this morning in Rivonia.
So, at 4.55 this morning I opened my eyes.
By 5.45 I was out of the house and in the traffic.
Winter is coming, so the sun was not yet up, so I pointed the car in the right direction, and for the first time, did not even have one panic thought of getting lost. (conscious mind not yet stirring, so no fear of the usual fear).
Always get paniced when I drive out of my comfort zone. Hate the north of Johannesburg. Too many big roads to get forever lost in.
Arrived at destination at 6.15. A full hour and a half before I need to be here.
Guess I should go and look for coffee and maybe start waking me up.
On second thoughts, maybe let me cruise a while longer.
After all, on normal days I am only getting out of bed now. (7am).
Have a good day all.