... and I sure as hell wish somebody would make it glorious summer again. Jeez, even a sort-of-a kind-of-a summer will do for now!
I never thought I'd be one to ever say this since I have always preferred winter. But there you go: people apparently do change! I put it down to my need to dive.
Since taking up the extreme (soooo not descriptive of me!) sport of scuba diving and after a scary, not to mention embarrassing, stint of "I can't do this and why the hell am I even trying", I find myself totally addicted.
After really rather hating the pool sessions, I really loved the first shore dives we did. Mind you, the dives were regarded as below average by the instructors of my club, FBUC, but my ignorance of any better begs me to differ. And now this bad weather is just preventing me from doing my qualifying dives and I'm miffed!
Guess that's why Patience is a virgin ...
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Cousin vs. Scuzzin
Felt like a right "eejit" this morning. I called at my cousin's place to see if we could pop in, since I get on really well with his wife. My conversation with her is not worth mentioning here until I ask:
"Hey, what should I bring along!"
"Nothing really." says she.
"Maybe some cola or something?" I offer, just because I am persistently annoying about these things.
"Nah," she says "there's still plenty left from last night."
"Oh, okay. We'll see you soon then!" And we say our goodbyes.
Then I think over her pre-greeting statement while sipping the last of my morning coffee and it finally hits me ... "plenty left from last night" ... we forgot my cousin's birthday bash! In fact, we completely forgot his birthday! As the realisation hit home, I felt the need to rehearse the intro to "4 weddings and a funeral" for a bit!
We had a seriously lazy day yesterday. Late breakfast, short trudge around the mall, spoil the niece in the games arcade and take her out to dinner to what she believes to be a five-star restaurant (Spur) and off to bed soon after. Just a regular weekend, right? I thought so anyhow.
Turns out we completely blow for not pitching at a party we replied to over a week ago! I could blame it on having a lot on my mind what with having to go to JHB for most of the week or even on feeling a little run down with the cold, etc. But the truth is simply that we forgot about the party. My entire family (and, trust me, we fill a banquet hall on our own) was there and none of them thought to check in with me either. They just assumed I was tired after the scuba dive, which might have been a FABULOUS excuse ... if it actually happened!
Anyhows, beg-beg, grovel-grovel. But it seems we were forgiven before we even apologised.
G&M, when you finally get connected to the internet and happen upon my blog: You are really of the nicest people we know. That's why we hang out with you ...
... we're hoping some of it rubs off eventually!
"Hey, what should I bring along!"
"Nothing really." says she.
"Maybe some cola or something?" I offer, just because I am persistently annoying about these things.
"Nah," she says "there's still plenty left from last night."
"Oh, okay. We'll see you soon then!" And we say our goodbyes.
Then I think over her pre-greeting statement while sipping the last of my morning coffee and it finally hits me ... "plenty left from last night" ... we forgot my cousin's birthday bash! In fact, we completely forgot his birthday! As the realisation hit home, I felt the need to rehearse the intro to "4 weddings and a funeral" for a bit!
We had a seriously lazy day yesterday. Late breakfast, short trudge around the mall, spoil the niece in the games arcade and take her out to dinner to what she believes to be a five-star restaurant (Spur) and off to bed soon after. Just a regular weekend, right? I thought so anyhow.
Turns out we completely blow for not pitching at a party we replied to over a week ago! I could blame it on having a lot on my mind what with having to go to JHB for most of the week or even on feeling a little run down with the cold, etc. But the truth is simply that we forgot about the party. My entire family (and, trust me, we fill a banquet hall on our own) was there and none of them thought to check in with me either. They just assumed I was tired after the scuba dive, which might have been a FABULOUS excuse ... if it actually happened!
Anyhows, beg-beg, grovel-grovel. But it seems we were forgiven before we even apologised.
G&M, when you finally get connected to the internet and happen upon my blog: You are really of the nicest people we know. That's why we hang out with you ...
... we're hoping some of it rubs off eventually!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Take me to your dealer!
The dull throbbing in my wrist is just a gentle reminder of the pain that consumed me this morning. Short version: I got me some drugs ... I got me some GOOD drugs, man!
I am totally zonked out on some kind of pain killer/anti-inflammatory combination. No wonder they told me not to have it before having a meal! Here I am, typing away with a hand I could not brush my hair with this morning.
Which reminds me: I've discovered a couple of things today:
1) My left hand is useless ... plain useless!
2) I am unable to dress with only my left hand and need assistance with various clasps and suchlike. Super for the self-esteem.
3) One hand cannot tie long hair into a ponytail ... and neither can two perfectly good hands attached to a 40-something male, it would seem!
4) Non-prescription drugs, for all the bad publicity it gets, are undeniably useful.
So maybe, once my daze wears off, I'll even bother to read what the contra-indications are of this drug. Just wish they would translate the pamphlet into "English for idiots" too.
But for now at least, I feel gooooood!
I am totally zonked out on some kind of pain killer/anti-inflammatory combination. No wonder they told me not to have it before having a meal! Here I am, typing away with a hand I could not brush my hair with this morning.
Which reminds me: I've discovered a couple of things today:
1) My left hand is useless ... plain useless!
2) I am unable to dress with only my left hand and need assistance with various clasps and suchlike. Super for the self-esteem.
3) One hand cannot tie long hair into a ponytail ... and neither can two perfectly good hands attached to a 40-something male, it would seem!
4) Non-prescription drugs, for all the bad publicity it gets, are undeniably useful.
So maybe, once my daze wears off, I'll even bother to read what the contra-indications are of this drug. Just wish they would translate the pamphlet into "English for idiots" too.
But for now at least, I feel gooooood!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Rub-a-dub-dub, two girls in a tub!
The scene is set: a tub filled with hot water and frothy bubbles, add two girls of similar outlook on life and what are you bound to get? Well, some serious bonding time and loads of laughter, of course!
Enough of that nonsense. So, I'm back from the mine-dump known to some as Gangster's Paradise. And good bloody riddance too (says the Gautengalengers). Not only did I have to suffer the general surroundings, an attack on all my senses what with a horror of a cold, but I also went and did something to my (previously injured) hand and am biting my lip with the pain as I type. Jeez, I am seriously starting to crank up here.
But I'm home ... and my favourite bundle of energy is visiting. Hence the fun and games in the tub. Aaw, bless. Only 7 years old, but we are already like Thelma and Louise. It's important to surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Who cares if your age divided by theirs is a cool prime number (not telling). What matters is that she had fun, I had fun ... and that we have no intention of even wiping the bathroom floor, so there!
So I say to her: "Let's play a game."
"Yeah," she says, "let's play Fear Factor!"
WTF, right? She's 7 bloody years old! Isn't there an age restriction on that show?
"Okaaaaay, but I am not eating any cockroaches!" I state my case quite categorically.
"Eew! Or any gross eye-balls!" she quickly adds, pulling her face suitably in disgust.
Well! Time to quickly switch to a safe game of "I spy".
I've read somewhere that "We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing!"
Cheers to that! And cheers to good, old, gut-wrenching, hysterical fun.
Enough of that nonsense. So, I'm back from the mine-dump known to some as Gangster's Paradise. And good bloody riddance too (says the Gautengalengers). Not only did I have to suffer the general surroundings, an attack on all my senses what with a horror of a cold, but I also went and did something to my (previously injured) hand and am biting my lip with the pain as I type. Jeez, I am seriously starting to crank up here.
But I'm home ... and my favourite bundle of energy is visiting. Hence the fun and games in the tub. Aaw, bless. Only 7 years old, but we are already like Thelma and Louise. It's important to surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Who cares if your age divided by theirs is a cool prime number (not telling). What matters is that she had fun, I had fun ... and that we have no intention of even wiping the bathroom floor, so there!
So I say to her: "Let's play a game."
"Yeah," she says, "let's play Fear Factor!"
WTF, right? She's 7 bloody years old! Isn't there an age restriction on that show?
"Okaaaaay, but I am not eating any cockroaches!" I state my case quite categorically.
"Eew! Or any gross eye-balls!" she quickly adds, pulling her face suitably in disgust.
Well! Time to quickly switch to a safe game of "I spy".
I've read somewhere that "We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing!"
Cheers to that! And cheers to good, old, gut-wrenching, hysterical fun.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Join my "Cure the common cold" campaign
Why is it that everybody is looking for so many cures to so many rare illnesses, but nobody has bothered to find a cure for the common cold?
Is there already a cure, but pharmaceutical companies do not want to divulge the secret and thereby kill their highest revenue generator - non-prescription drugs to alleviate the symptons of cold and flu?
Over the years (and I've had some) I have come to realise something about the common cold: You can take a load of said non-prescription drugs and wait two weeks for your cold to clear, or you could just do nothing and wait 14 days!
And why is it that soooooo many Souf Efricans call their colds flu? A big fat excuse to stay off work, I'd say. And next time I get a cold, er, I mean the flu, I am going to do the same.
Forget the campaign ... I surrender!
Atchoooo!
Is there already a cure, but pharmaceutical companies do not want to divulge the secret and thereby kill their highest revenue generator - non-prescription drugs to alleviate the symptons of cold and flu?
Over the years (and I've had some) I have come to realise something about the common cold: You can take a load of said non-prescription drugs and wait two weeks for your cold to clear, or you could just do nothing and wait 14 days!
And why is it that soooooo many Souf Efricans call their colds flu? A big fat excuse to stay off work, I'd say. And next time I get a cold, er, I mean the flu, I am going to do the same.
Forget the campaign ... I surrender!
Atchoooo!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Just wipe your mouth ... you still have some BS stuck there!
If I were ever to meet the SOB who invented "the meeting", I refuse to take responsibility for my actions. No need to even ask if it is worth going to jail for. I would willingly become Natalie's ho for 20 to life, just for the privilege of permanently erasing the smile off that man's dial.
And yes, of course it was a man who invented this formal waste of time together with the torture chamber we lovingly refer to as the boardroom. In fact, we are probably talking about the same moron who has men worldwide donning a noose every morning and calling it formal work attire.
Case in point, the weekly project update/scheduling type of meeting: "So, lets see what we scheduled last week, what we did and/or did not do, why we did and/or did not do it and how we can do it and/or not do it again this week or even next”. Just the shuffling of what was important last week with what was clearly over-scheduled for this week is mind-numbing. We didn't get it remotely right last week, so what makes us think it's gonna work this week?
To be totally honest, I have been privy to these type of meetings for a good while now (STFU!) and in various different capacities. I have yet to see it work, even 80% of the time for 80% of the people being scheduled. I'm not saying you shouldn't plan what you ought to be working on from day to day. Just that a schedule tends to be as constant as the colour of a chameleon walking slowly over a smartie box. And it is really hard work for the poor sucker who gets to maintain it.
And then come the softer, people skills. Management want this and the business dictates that and we should all work together toward the greater good of humanity ... Rrrrrrrrrip. No wait, just a larger bottom line for the shareholders will suffice, thank you very much. Not to mention that we should all feel a sense of self-satisfaction from learning new skills and broadening our own understanding of the the business at large.
But then comes my favourite part ... talk of renumeration and/or incentives. Now, suffice it to say that I enjoy these discussions about as much as listening to what my uncle was doing about the strange rash he developed under his left armpit. Mind you, mum will still insists on telling the story. Same with incentive management ... you know about it and it's punted to you with more enthusiasm than is experienced in kindergarten around story-time. But somewhere along the line the message is lost in translation ... mostly at the part where you have to work your butt off and sell your soul to the devil (again) to achieve said incentive. Just a rough guess though, you tell me!
On the upside, these meetings make me feel like a kid again! Pinky swear!
They really make me want to cry like a two-year old!
And yes, of course it was a man who invented this formal waste of time together with the torture chamber we lovingly refer to as the boardroom. In fact, we are probably talking about the same moron who has men worldwide donning a noose every morning and calling it formal work attire.
Case in point, the weekly project update/scheduling type of meeting: "So, lets see what we scheduled last week, what we did and/or did not do, why we did and/or did not do it and how we can do it and/or not do it again this week or even next”. Just the shuffling of what was important last week with what was clearly over-scheduled for this week is mind-numbing. We didn't get it remotely right last week, so what makes us think it's gonna work this week?
To be totally honest, I have been privy to these type of meetings for a good while now (STFU!) and in various different capacities. I have yet to see it work, even 80% of the time for 80% of the people being scheduled. I'm not saying you shouldn't plan what you ought to be working on from day to day. Just that a schedule tends to be as constant as the colour of a chameleon walking slowly over a smartie box. And it is really hard work for the poor sucker who gets to maintain it.
And then come the softer, people skills. Management want this and the business dictates that and we should all work together toward the greater good of humanity ... Rrrrrrrrrip. No wait, just a larger bottom line for the shareholders will suffice, thank you very much. Not to mention that we should all feel a sense of self-satisfaction from learning new skills and broadening our own understanding of the the business at large.
But then comes my favourite part ... talk of renumeration and/or incentives. Now, suffice it to say that I enjoy these discussions about as much as listening to what my uncle was doing about the strange rash he developed under his left armpit. Mind you, mum will still insists on telling the story. Same with incentive management ... you know about it and it's punted to you with more enthusiasm than is experienced in kindergarten around story-time. But somewhere along the line the message is lost in translation ... mostly at the part where you have to work your butt off and sell your soul to the devil (again) to achieve said incentive. Just a rough guess though, you tell me!
On the upside, these meetings make me feel like a kid again! Pinky swear!
They really make me want to cry like a two-year old!
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