*Anyone* can learn to cook in 24 hours – just not me. The other evening Jessica decided she was going to cook us dinner. I know, I too almost fell off the barstool in amazement. She did a really fantastic job of it – with a teensy bit of help from our resident gourmet chef (alas not me, I’m still the thorn in Jaimie’s side).
“It’s easy Mom, you should try it” – ah, the exuberance of youth.
“Supper’s ready”
As Wouter would say…. nom.
Both Jessica and Tamsyn did Trinity Guildhall music exams for the first time this year – Jessica went for the Grade 5 Recorder and Tamsyn did Grade 1 piano. This was several weeks back and many practice sessions before that…. and the results are…. *drum roll*
Jessica – 70 %
Tamsyn = 87 % (distinction)
Talented bunch I have :)
There lived a family, a fairly typical modern day family – a mother, her two children and a Wouter. Life was plodding along at a fairly normal pace and all seemed well with the world until the mother came home one day and heard these words “Mom, I need to tell you something”. In the blink of an eye the mother’s world was turned upside down upon hearing her fourteen year old daughter had found an eighteen year old prince. Not only had she found her prince she’d also invited him over for a visit and had spent several happy hours discussing life, the universe and everything in between. To the mother’s credit she didn’t freak out, well not visibly anyway. She calmly explained the pitfalls of relationships between 18 year old perverts and sweet innocent 14 year olds. Much was said about this in a calm and rational manner befitting a mother of a daughter whose tippy toes are on the edge of the dating cliff. The mother made only one stipulation that she meet this prince before any further assignations. Said prince turned out to be just an ordinary frog when he dumped the dear sweet innocent fourteen year old upon hearing he’d have to meet the evil mother first. (Stupid little pervert)
I am so not ready for this.
Isn’t that a pretty sight? I have to say the kids were so excited when I told them we bought a new door – they thought we’d finally got around to getting a bedroom door, sorry kids…. it’s just a new front door.
And Wouter has a ruddy huge pole……
<—- long suffering wife
Last night was the arts and cultural awards ceremony at Fish Hoek High School for all grades. It was a fun evening, we were entertained by various short acts or musical performances by the students and the hospitality group made us a surprisingly tasty dinner. Have told Jessica she really needs to join them next, have visions of coming home to sumptuous suppers all week long. However the reason why I’m feeling so doggarn proud this morning is not only was Jessica one of the few performances last night, she played one of her recorder pieces she’d studied for her Trinity College grade 5 music exam, but she also won the floating trophy for music. That’s my girl!
Poor kid was so nervous – it’s tough enough playing for an examiner, but it’s worse to have to play in front of your peers and teachers!
On the cat front – we’ve treated them to a new scratching post – the old one was starting to look like it’d been through a hurricane, tsunami and tornado all rolled into one. They’re taking awhile to get used to it.
On the medical front, the wrist is getting there slowly – still have the splint on and although more movement is coming back it aches – it’s also costing a friggin fortune, thank goodness for medical aid!!!! (And a rich husband — Hah! You didn’t know I could edit these, hey? — wrm)Â Tamsyn on the other hand had to go and have an MRI taken of her foot – turns out she may well have broken it a couple of years back unbeknown to us and it’s just never healed properly. Doc may have to perform a small operation to either remove bits of bone or scrape stuff away to ensure it heals correctly. Boy am I getting value for money this year from the medical aid.
And to end off…. recipe for a restless night?
1 delinquent cat and 1 snoring husband
*sigh*
I actually don’t know where to start this story…. 2 years and 3 months ago I got married….I opted to revert back to my maiden name (not because there was anything wrong with Wouter’s surname – I hastily add – I just quite like my own). I have subsequently learnt to regret the decision not because I want to have Wouter’s surname (nothing wrong with it, remember) but because the world just CANNOT cope with a woman not taking on her husband’s name.
Latest story to add to my fast becoming a 12 volume set of “Would everyone just let me keep my own name” book.
Three days ago I find a pink slip stuck to my driver’s window….. illegible writing says something about ‘failure to display’. Now where I park one has to have a permit which is clearly visible in my window…. I assume the twit handing out fines hasn’t seen it and rant and rave about how stupid the traffic department is. Next day… same thing… pink slip… illegible writing “failure to display’. By now I’m seriously miffed and start to write a snotty letter to the traffic department listing their errors when I notice something on the slips….. oops…. aaaaaaaaah so that’s why I’m being fined…. my license has expired. I freely admit I felt a bit of a twit.. and mentally apologised to the traffic department.
[*day = week]
Where is the moment we needed the most You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost You tell me your blue skies fade to grey You tell me your passion's gone away And I don't need no carryin' on You stand in the line just to hit a new low You're faking a smile with the coffee to go You tell me your life's been way off line You're falling to pieces everytime And I don't need no carryin' on Because you had a bad day You're taking one down You sing a sad song just to turn it around You say you don't know You tell me don't lie You work at a smile and you go for a ride You had a bad day The camera don't lie You're coming back down and you really don't mind You had a bad day You had a bad day Well, you need a blue sky holiday The point is they laugh at what you say And I don't need no carryin' on You had a bad day You're taking one down You sing a sad song just to turn it around You say you don't know You tell me don't lie You work at a smile and you go for a ride You had a bad day The camera don't lie You're coming back down and you really don't mind You had a bad day (Oh.. Holiday..) Sometimes the system goes on the blink And the whole thing turns out wrong You might not make it back and you know That you could be well oh that strong And I'm not wrong (ahhh...) So where is the passion when you need it the most Oh, you and I You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost 'Cause you had a bad day You're taking one down You sing a sad song just to turn it around You say you don't know You tell me don't lie You work at a smile and you go for a ride You had a bad day You've seen what you like And how does it feel for one more time You had a bad day You had a bad day (Oh, yeah, yeaaah, yeah) Had a bad day (Oh, had a bad day) Had a bad day (Oh, yeah, yeah, yeeeeah) Had a bad day (Oh, had a bad day) Had a bad day... Had a bad day...
or as R.E.M SAYS
Bad Day
A public service announcement followed me home the other day. I paid it nevermind. Go Away. Shits so thick you could stir it with a stick-free Teflon whitewashed presidency. We're sick of being jerked around. Wear that on your sleeve. Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord, Count your blessings. We're sick of being jerked around. We all fall down. Have you ever seen the televised St. vitus subcommittee prize Investigation dance? Those ants in pants glances. Well,look behind the eyes. It's a hallowed hollow anesthetized "save my own ass, screw these guys" smoke and mirror lock down. Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord, Count your blessings. The Papers wouldn't lie! I sigh, Not one more. It's been a bad day. Please don't take a picture. It's been a bad day. Please. We're dug in deep the price is steep. The auctioneer is such a creep. The lights went out, the oil ran dry We blamed it on the other guy Sure, all men are created equal. Heres the church, heres the steeple Please stay tuned-we cut to sequel ashes, ashes, we all fall down. Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord, Count your blessings. Ignore the lower fear Ugh, this means war. It's been a bad day. Please don't take a picture. It's been a bad day. Please. Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, lord, Count your blessings. We're sick of being jerked around. We all fall down. It's been a bad day...
{you get the idea}
People are strange, well maybe not strange so much but so caught up in the constraints of polite society. Every single nurse, doctor, anesthetist that crossed my path this weekend started the conversation the same way…. “So, how you feeling?â€
Â
I just friggen broke my wrist, how do you think I feel????
Â
“Fine thanks†is what I managed. Too damned polite for our own good.
Â
For those of you who don’t read Wouter’s blog – I rather gracefully fell out of the land rover and with an almighty thud landed straight on my right wrist. I’m blaming my socks, I suspect everyone else is blaming the nectar of the gods. I did however manage to break it in grand style so much so that the doctor came in on Saturday especially to operate, put in a plate and every thing.
Â
[for the record this short post has taken me about an hour so far]
Â
The staff at Constantiaberg Mediclinic were lovely, I have no complaints other than those already mentioned in Wouter’s post (blowed if I am going to type more than I absolutely have to).
Â
And for those that haven’t yet had morphine and want to – DON’T the stuff is foul.
As most of you are aware (well all 3 of you who read this blog are) my culinary skills are somewhat challenged – and don’t get me started on baking. I’m world famous for being able to screw up an ‘anyone can learn to bake a cake from a box in 2 hours’ cake. So it wasn’t surprising when I came home yesterday and told Jessica and Tamsyn I was going to make a strawberry cheesecake – that this declaration was met with some scepticism and derision. In fact Tamsyn went as far as to say ‘this should be interesting’. She swore afterwards she wasn’t being derogatory – but I heard the tone. Undeterred by the blatantly obvious lack of confidence from my nearest and dearest I proceeded to make a strawberry cheesecake PIE.Â
Okay so it’s a little flat….. and there was rather a lot of laughter when it first came out of the pan….. but it’s a strawberry cheesecake PIE….. they’re not meant to be more than an inch high, are they?
Besides it tasted remarkably like a baked cheesecake to me, which I have to admit is gratifying – not that I’m particularly fond of baked cheesecake. Still I’m mighty chuffed with myself.
And now for something completely different…..
Gymmie managed to get himself bitten by a dog, well the vet and the rest of us are assuming it was a dog.
We’re also assuming the dog was somewhat bigger than the one in the picture. Poor stupid blimmen cat…. he’s been limping around for the past week and I’m sorely tempted to re-christen him Ilene, except of course he’s a boy. (yea I know…. crummy joke)
On the other hand…. in Bagheera’s life…. she’s as bored as anything because she can’t chase and annoy him, he just won’t co-operate… all she can do is wait it out… till he’s well again.
Gymmie’s doing much the same thing.
As for Tamsyn – she discovered toe socks and now I can’t get them off her! She’s also getting back into gymnastics, albeit only at home – we’re still not sure if her foot has completely healed, until then she’s practising in the garden.
And my personal favourite – of course she’s going to kill me for posting these – she only dressed up like this as a lark – and then spent the entire time when we went down to the shops in the car petrified someone from her class would see her. (I think she looks really cute)
If you’ve ever wondered if there’s a permanent cure for the hiccups – wonder no more. It’s simple really – use one of the old fashioned remedies.
Let me paint the scene for you…. you’re quietly sitting on the couch innocently hiccuping away not really annoying anyone when suddenly out of nowhere – the person next to you….. leans over and goes “AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” in your ear.
Not only do you have to kickstart your heart, you also have to contend with half your glass of red wine being thrown all over yourself, the couch and the idiot who gave you the fright in the first place. Said idiot is of course laughing so much that he can barely stand up let alone help with scrubbing the red wine off the cream couch.
Result….. 1 ruined shirt (mine) on the plus side – I very much doubt I’ll ever hiccup again.
