Dinner

In an attempt to ensure that I don't let yet another week go buy with out posting something... this is just a quick note to let you know that I am going to experience the Madame Zingara Theater of Dreams tonight. CAN'T WAIT. I will update you all tomorrow.

Otherwise here is a something to entertain you...


The "Middle Wife" by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second-grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that.

And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.
She holds up a snapshot of an infant. "This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday."

"First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord."

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

"Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.

"My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this." Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.

"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!" This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!

"Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there."

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another "Middle Wife" comes along.

Office Romances....

"Have you ever been approached by a colleague..." he asked. He didn't even have to finish the sentence and I realised what he was asking. This got me to thinking about office romances/flings, the pro's the con's the hook-up's and break-up's

I have always been of the opinion that they are generally a bad idea, you know the old adage "don't dip your pen in the company ink pot" OR the lovely images invoked by "don't shit where you eat" (or something like that). Maybe it is because in my previous jobs I have never worked with anyone that has made me want to change that idea, but also the thought of what the hell happens when things go horribly wrong and you still have to work closely with this person, that I have never really given this much thought. However at my current job I have found myself rethinking my position.

I have known many people over the years who have met their future partners at work and all has gone very well for them, in fact I know of at least 2 couples where I am now, so obviously it can work but then I think you must know from the onset that there is more than just a physical attraction and you must both be looking for more than just a casual fling, or you both have to be the type of people that can separate work and pleasure and be able to not let the one effect the other... easier said than done.

ANYWAY, back to why I started this post...

I have two colleagues here who have made me rethink this idea... call them Mr X and Mr Y.

Mr X is oh soo cool and confident and self assured and would be great for a fling or casual booty-call (for lack of a better way to describe it) but I know that I am as far from his 'type' as it comes. He has the type of personality that draws people to him. A great guy, a good conversationalist, fun and sexy. The more I think about it the more I know that it wouldn't work and we would simply not be right for each other on all levels. So with him I am easily able to put those thoughts to the back of my mind and get on with life/work... now if only he would get out of my dreams (yup, twice in one week.... hmmmmmm)

Mr Y couldn't be more different from Mr X in appearance. He is as down-to-earth as it comes, a huge amount of fun, caring, gentle, funny, all around NICE GUY and bloody good looking to boot. He is everything I have ever wanted or looked for in a man but he is also UNAVAILABLE (and that is a boundary I am NOT prepared to cross). And believe me, if it wasn't for that last little detail, this notion of not mixing work with pleasure would have gone straight out of the window without even so much as a seconds hesitation. Now to perfect that human cloning thing :)

Anyway, just wanted to share my thought and ramblings... now it is your turn... have you ever? would you? how did it work out? don't be shy... TELL ALL

---------UPDATE ---------

Another thought/question connected to above and at the same time not...

At what point do you tell someone how you feel about them, even if you know that nothing more will come of it other than getting it out in the open, even if you have no idea how they will react all the time hoping that it won't f-up the friendship that you DO have????

Pic of the Week

Pics from the paragliding experience...

Look carefully, I'm in the yellow canopy half way up the picture

Moments after my ever so graceful landing

The little one going on a low level flight of his own

If absence makes the heart grow fonder….

Then you must all LOVE me by now :)

Dearest blog

I have been neglecting you over the last 2 months. Thinking back on the time that has passed it has been filled with adventure, excitement and celebrations… what a 2 month’s it has been.

Not long after my last communication with you I enjoyed the culmination of my 29th year on this planet in grand style with 3 separate celebrations. The first was a picnic at Kirstenbosch gardens with my nearest and dearest friends, catered for by the fantastic Ms C… much food and drink were had by all while enjoying the glorious summer Cape Town weather. On the evening of my birthday (which happened to be on a Wednesday this year) I was treated to a sunset cruise into Table Bay where we were graced by the presence of some Southern Right Whales which appeared almost within arms reach of the sailboat. The kids both thoroughly enjoyed the adventure even though we got DRENCHED by the waves splashing over the bow. The evening was then topped off by dinner at the Cape Town Fish Market at the V&A Waterfront… I would like to say that it was the perfect ending to a perfect day but unfortunately I cannot… I have always been an eager patron of this eating establishment often frequenting their stores at other locations in and around Cape Town but unfortunately this particular one cannot be complimented. The service was SHOCKING with us waiting a full 20 min before we were served (and by this time the kids were already tired as it was past their bedtime), the waitress was more interested in the store gossip that was circulating behind the counter then on our enjoyment of the evening, the food took a further 45 minutes to arrive and when it did they had managed to place the incorrect order for my daughter and as I wasn’t prepared to wait another 30 minutes to get it corrected I merely replaced her Cajun calamari with the regular calamari that arrived on my seafood platter. Seafood platter sounds yummy right, well aside from the overcooked mussels which could have been served as biltong, the rest was palatable. Needless to say, I shall not be visiting that particular store again. The third celebration was with my family, and a braai at my parents’ house, FANTASTIC. To top all that partying off I had a belated birthday lunch with an ever entertaining fellow blogger, friend and colleague Adumski today.

Besides the sunset cruise on my birthday, more excitement was had when I was treated to a tandem paragliding afternoon. WOW, how exhilarating. We gathered at La Med overlooking the ocean and sipping on cocktails while watching the previous group of gliders hovering over us before it was my turn to head up the hill. A short drive up Lions Head followed by a 20 min hike to the jump spot and we were there. While I stood taking in the splendor of the view over Camps Bay the glider was positioned, and after a short briefing by Barry on how to position myself and what to do to get in the air we waited for the perfect gust of wind and then… WE WERE OFF. OH MY GOD what an experience… I think we managed to stay airborne for about an hour… the conditions were absolutely perfect. At one point we were hovering over the top of the peak waving down at the people that had just completed the hike up the mountain. This was definitely an experience I will NEVER forget and will hopefully repeat one day soon. Unfortunately I didn’t take a camera up with me but I had someone waiting for me back at La Med who managed to get some fantastic shots of my experience which I shall be sending on to you soon.

I have recently also rekindled my love of camping, encouraged by a friend who goes camping regularly with her man, I was asked if the kids and I would like to join them over the weekend (past). My daughter had her school sports day on Sat morning and after that we drove up to Riverside campsite just outside of Roberston, and as the name suggests… right on the river. What a great weekend, the weather was perfect and we spent almost all our time either on or in the river. Canoeing, swimming, sunbathing, braai-ing, the gorgeous starry filled night sky that you never get to see when in town. The kids loved it and I was left wondering why on earth we don’t do that more often, definitely something to add to my list of resolutions, even if a bit late.

On another positive note, the BEFH and I went away for a weekend a while back… I KNOW I KNOW that sounds like a very odd thing to be doing but it was exactly what we needed. Some quiet time without the kids on neutral territory to talk and say everything that needed to be said and sort out this very odd relationship we have ended up with. We first drove up to a quaint little spot called Maitjiesfontain, what a lovely place, a little bastion of British colonialism. The ‘town’ is owned by one man and consists of a few houses (about 5), a post office, museum, train station, hotel, pub and one or two little gift shops. I don’t know if you could spend more than 24 hours there as there is literally NOTHING to do there besides the 10 minute red-bus tour up and down the main street, but I am very happy that I got to go there at least once in my lifetime. I would definitely recommend a visit and one night stop over there to everyone. We then headed off to Franschoek for the remainder of the weekend and stayed in a glorious B&B, ate toooo much, drank toooo much and talked till we had nothing more to talk about. It was really good. We have ended up with a good understanding of what we have (and what we don’t have) and can now hopefully get on with enjoying the friendship that we DO have. Knowing ‘our’ history, maybe I am being overly optimistic but for now all is good.

I have also recently started pursuing some big new dreams but those plans are all still in their infancy and I will elaborate in a future letter.

But for now I have given you the whirlwind highlights package of the goings on in my life lately and shall leave with the promise that I shall not neglect you for so long again.

Love and hugs and sloppy wet kisses
M