Cravings

Yesterday I sat and twiddled my thumbs. I was counting the hours until the day was over so I could go home. And today - I have been soooo busy it is crazy. I'm just glad that the day is over.

The insurance have at least come through and will be honouring the claim in full. I guess it will be kind of fun going shopping. I called all the service providers and it was kind of exciting calling everyone and making arrangements to go and see them. I am getting all psyched up about this wedding. I do tend to worry and freak out at the best of times but I am confident that all will go well.

I am really craving for Lunch Bar today. On my way home there is this huge mega size billboard with a truck carrying a Man Size Lunchbar. Every day on our way home I drool over it. Fasting the whole day makes one crave for all sorts of funny stuff. Yesterday after my post about current addictions I had to have Nik Naks last night. Today I have to have a lunch bar. I am actually salivating thinking about it.....

The week is coming to an end. I have a venue and a caterer. I only now need to sort out the finer stuff like flowers, dresses for the flower girls and most importantly the invitations. This was a much better week than the last however things seem to pop up daily. Just today after thinking that finally I had reached a milestone, I was pulled back by some or other crap. I guess that is the nature of it all, because we depend on other people for service delivery we have to bear the brunt when they don't perform or deliver. It will get better - I hope.....

Current Addictions

Another Tag Victim - ME!!!! Grrrrr


I've been tagged by the lovely Caz.

I tag -
Angel
Princess Diaries
Twenty Something and Clueless
Sweets

P.s. If you have already done this please let me know. I'm a bit behind with what's been happening in Blog Land of late.

Now... the rules:
*Post at least five current addictions (with some details please)
*Mention the person who started this game of tag (Being Brazen) and also the person who just tagged you (in my case, CAZ).
*Type your post with the heading "Current addictions"
*Tag at least two people and pass on the above rules.

My Current Addictions:

Softlips ( I so can't live without this)

Creme Soda - I say Soda Creme. I am sooo loving this right now.

Gerbera Flowers - A must must at my wedding.

Niknaks. Hmmmm

Shane Ward - Damaged. I'm not sure why though!

Stresses

I have spent the last 2 weeks stressing about work, wedding venues, my cousin who decided to leave her husband after 5 days of marriage, my upcoming wedding and a whole lot of other minor little things that just seem to pop out of nowhere.

Well at least the work issue has been kind off sorted. My boss was away for 2 weeks which felt more like 2 years. The amount of crap that went on here while she was away made me very nervous and I honestly thought that when she gets back there is going to be a huge explosion to that of Pearl Harbour. We had a long discussion about everything and all she did was put me at ease and make me feel a whole lot better. I explained to her how I kept feeling like I was failing and not meeting her expectations. She very nicely told me that in no way must I feel like a failure and she is very impressed with all that I have been doing. I must admit that this week seems to be going a whole lot better.

I found a new venue and really had to grovel for them to give it to me. See there are some people from my distant past who are using the same venue on the Saturday night. Why to they have to come and get married where I live - surely there are places where they could have hosted their wedding right in there hometown. Anyway the schlep will be that the place will have to be all clean and ready for my wedding. The lady has given me her word that she will get her people to clean up the place even if they have to work through the night to make it ready for my wedding. I have booked a really cool lady to do my decor. Her ideas are mind boggling and she really is a wonderful person. I am just crossing my fingers that nothing else goes awry now. I still have to sort our my flowers and centerpieces - my mind kind of boggles just thinking about it. I'm sure she will give me some ideas.

I have to start calling all the service providers from the prize that I won in April. I have an appointment with my designer at the end of September. I have met her once and she seems really nice. I find myself getting all excited and than I start to stress. I know I shouldn't but I do - I guess it's only natural. I worry about the wedding, my new life with T, leaving my home and setting up domesticity in T and my new home. Scary scary thoughts.

My cousin S and all her antics really haven't eased up my scary thoughts. I mean she got married on the Saturday and 2 weeks later the whole thing had come to a screaming halt. She and her hubby A cut their 2 week honeymoon short and she came straight to our house all teary eyed and sad looking. We empathised with her, spent hours talking to her and listening to her and believed her every word. All we did was think A was the worst person ever and crucified him for every action that he had done. However there was a piece missing. We couldn't understand how things went so wrong. She made all sorts off accusations and we believed them. Most of their issues were bedroom related. She was adamant and refused to go back and insisted that she was repulsed by him and didn't find him attractive blah, blah, blah. And we believed it!

That is the hardest for any of us to come to grips with. She duped us into thinking that he was this asshole. He has come out with his side of the story - why he didn't do it that time is beyond me. His version is one that can make you sick to the pit of your stomach. While the 2 of them were on honeymoon, she kept on receiving calls from other guys. She was permanantly chatting to other guys using mxit, texts and phone calls. When he questioned her about it she got all angry and defensive. She claims he raped her. Ummm first off all how can there be rape in a marriage and secondly he has come out saying that it was more like the other way round. She has told every Tom, Dick and Mary everything about their sex life - things that will one blush. She has no qualms about telling everyone how crappy he is in bed.

Her colourful past is now coming to the fore and the things that she has done give the word slut a whole new meaning. I can't believe all the shit she has gotten up to. Every man was fair game to her. The things that we have heard about her have kind of made us all sick with disgust. A still wants her back regardless of what she has done. My opinion - all what is happening is her own fault.

I really hope that I can get the chance to blog more. Things have been crazy of late and I haven't had time for much lately. It's the 10th fast today. It seems to be whizzing by......

Ramadaan

Today marks the day of the beginning of Ramadaan. It is a month in which all Muslims around the globe partake in fasting from dawn till dusk. The month long obligation is filled with prayer and reflection. As Muslims we are required to sympathize with the poor and the hungry and reflect on our existence within society. The purpose of Ramadaan is to cleanse the soul, while reflecting on past sins and gaining closeness to God. Observing the fast is supposed to bring upon a sense of peace, calm and serenity.

It isn't really difficult and just when one gets used to it, it comes to an end and the month is over. I always reminisce back to when I lived in a small predominantly Muslim community. The whole community would be observing the fast and almost every evening little plates of food would be sent across to neighbours to share in whatever exciting food was made for the day. There was a special camaraderie about and the entire community was abuzz.

I haven't blogged in a while. There is so much going on at work, in my personal life and at times I begin a post only to have to stop and do something really pressing and urgent. The venue that I had booked for my wedding decided to really screw me over and gave me a quote of
R78 000.00 for the use of their venue. This does not include the food and when I questioned them about it because the initial cost was going to be
R7500.00 including tables, chairs and crockery. The rest of the decor was extra. The owner of the place insisted that she only has tables, chairs and crockery to accomodate 180 people and they will have to hire in the remainder at my cost. This was not communicated in the initial paper that was given to us when we paid the deposit. I ended up having a fight with her because in my opinion that is false advertising. I was shocked at the exhorbitant price and they have refused to budge so I spent the better part of last week searching for a another venue. I don't have many options because most of the nice places are already taken. I have a few options but the stress and misery was just too much to handle for me.

The stresses at work also did nothing for any of my personal stresses and I found myself on more than one occasion feeling very miserable and depressed. Some of my business partners are really hard to please and find fault with everything that happens. Petty little issues become really huge and get blown way out of proportion. And my boss was away so it just made things 10 times worse. She will probably hear all about it and I am stressing big time. A lot of things were out of my control and I tried damn hard to make things work but with these people its never enough. I really feel like throwing in the towel which is so unlike me. I have never felt so overwhelmed in my life and I keep thinking that I am failing. And after what my boss told me a few weeks ago I keep thinking I have failed her as well.

Hmmm and than there is my cousin. It appears that she had lied about everything that happened on her honeymoon and I have reason to believe that she is not as innocent as she looks. Really not sure what in the world has overcame her but me thinks that there is someone else involved. I just cant get over the fact that she openly lied to me and I was such a gullible fool to believe her. Her Oscar performance is one that will stay with me for a long time. Her antics and the things that she apparently got up to is another post altogether

I hope I have a better week than the last one.

Soap Opera

The past few days have been topsy turvy with enough drama to make up a day time soap opera. My cousin S is back home after her honeymoon of 2 weeks. She is back home as in never going back, as in on the verge of divorce. Yeah - that is the shocker that has got everyone in the family reeling.

S got married on the 9th of August. On Monday afternoon she left to go on honeymoon and from day one it was just one disaster after another. The issues range from him not talking to her at all, ignoring her, not making any form of conversation and last but not least rape. She cut the honeymoon short and got dropped off at our house on Thursday evening. She looked battered, sad and miserable. She stayed at our home on Thurday evening and we spoke to her for a really long time trying to make sense of all that had gone wrong. Her husband the dropped her off without a care in the world. He didn't call her or make any contact with her since he dropped her off on Thursday evening. All his family wants to do is reconcile the two but he hasn't made one positive step in that direction.

Her parents came to get her on Saturday and there was a lot of tears and anger at him. They met with him and his dad and eventually when the the meeting concluded they all decided that it was over. However I still think that they are going to continue pursuing the issue. She on the other hand wants nothing to do with him - she is repulsed by him. I am not sure exactly what he did to her but there is something and I have this feeling that it is something really terrible. I keep thinking back to that advert that Charlize Theron did a few years ago on "Real Men Don't Rape." In my opinion it all boils down to that.

I feel so sorry for her. Who gets married to get divorced 2 weeks later. I mean a honeymoon is supposed to be a really happy time and all she can say is that it was the worst 2 weeks of her life. I keep thinking I am also getting married in a few months time and the thought is just making me very scared. But in her case she didn't really know the man she was marrying. She met him in March, got engaged in April and got married in September. Too soon in my opinion to be chosing this person as one's life partner. He seemed to be a decent great guy and just turned out to be a real asshole.

Yesterday was very emotional for everyone and because we were in the thick of it - there were times when all I wanted to do was cry. I keep thinking that all these months were spent in preparing for the wedding. She was on this high and although at times she was a real bridezilla she planned everything herself. All the planning and the hive of activity has to end in such sorrow and pain. I am disgusted at him and keep thinking that if I have to see him there is no telling what I might do. For me he is the lowest of the low. Pond scum if you ask me.

In the middle of all this drama we were robbed last week Thursday. I am not sure if our domestic is involved but there are certain things pointing to her and I keep wondering if it is just pure coincidence or not. The drama of reporting it to the police and insurance is just proving to be another mission and I really hope that it isn't going to be a repetition of what happened 2 years ago when we were robbed and ended up being really short-changed regarding a claim that we had made. It's as though things are just going pear-shaped and I keep wondering what happens next. I'm crossing my fingers that nothing else happens.

Everything just seems to be a bit off kilter at the moment.

Dear Mr Con Artist

Dear Mr Con Artist

Who gave you the right to come into House No 2 yesterday afternoon, posing as some assessor or evaluator and than proceeded to steal every piece of jewellery in our home. Who or what gives you the right to rummage through our cupboards and personal items and what an audacity you have to pick and chose what items you want. You very nicely took all the gold and shiny stuff. The diamonds, the pearls and the rubies and left all the silvers and faux stuff. You took things things that do not belong to you, things that are off a great sentimental value and can never be replaced. Things that have been in my family for generations, you took it with you only to make what a couple of rands.

Dear Mr Con artist what gives you the right to go into people's homes and pretend to be doing a certain kind of day job. What makes you so special to take things that other people have worked damn hard for and what makes you think that you have a right over other people's belongings.

I don't know whether to laugh at your audacity or cry at the sheer helplessness of it all. You took my engagement ring, my gorgeous jewellery set that T bought me when we got engaged, my late grandmothers chain that glimmers and shines like a little pot of gold. These are just some off the stuff and as I look at the empty holders and cases my eyes well up with tears.

But dear Mr Con artist - you don't care. House no 2 was all in a days work for you and today you are probably conning some other home full of sentimenal valuables that can never be replaced. See Mr Con Artist why should you care. You don't need to work for what you want, you have the nicest job in the world - Affirmative Shopping in other people's homes.

That's the reality and there is absolutey nothing I can do about it -

So Guess what

You Win.

So many things - So little time

I am back in the land of the living or more like the working. I was actually back yesterday and I typed this whole long post and somehow or the other it didn't save and I couldn't post it. So much for technology. So here's me trying to play catch up and trying again.

I have so much to write about and am not really sure where to start. I wasn't in the office for the better part of last week. Our annual conference started on Tuesday evening and ended on Friday. It was long and at times highly boring and at the end of it all I was more tired than a hard week at work. The fact that the weekend before we were at my cousin S wedding didn't help a bit. Trying to function on very minimal sleep is a really downer when all you have to do is concentrate and not appear rude as each speaker presents. It was hard work I tell you.

Let me recap a little:
On Saturday 9th of August we woke up super early and made the great trek to the North West. It was sunny but cold and when we arrived there, there really wasn't much left to do. The bride looked as though she was about to kill someone and looked so miserable. I don't know if it was just nerves or was she really pissed off at someone. I kept thinking Oops here we go again - Bridezilla. I was musing whether she would be at least smile as she walked down the aisle.

I went to my hairdresser the day before and she twisted my hair with newspaper to get my very straight hair curly. I probably looked like a walking birds nest as I walked out off there and scurried on home. After a very uncomfy sleep I woke up and let one loose just to see the effect. It looked lovely but was a bit too tight so I decided to open them up, donned a beanie on my head and was on my way. The curls were made on dry hair with no mousse or hairspray so they were supposed to fall out and look all loose and flowing. As if? Luckily I took my Ghd with and ended re washing my hair and straightening it out to look all sleek and pretty. Pheew that was a disaster in the making. So much for smart and funky hair.

The wedding was lovely although her colour scheme of bright green, pink and black fell kind of flat and her minimal use of decor kind of set a very dull and drab tone. Nonetheless all went well, she looked lovely and the wedding was over. It was freezing cold and attempting to walk in killer sandals with your toes icy cold is a mission and a half.

The next morning woke up and drove back to Joburg for another function that was being held in honour of the married couple. At this point all I wanted was my bed but had to get all dressed up and sit through lunch and dessert. The function was ok and we ended up having a really good time. It's really great when everyone gets together, pity we all have such busy lives to enjoy each others company more often. The function was over way too soon and after saying all our goodbyes we made it home craving for a hot shower and a warm bed.

Last week was just horrendously busy. Monday and Tuesday I was at the office but super busy as I needed to complete everything before the conference started. Tuesday evening there was an awards function and a colleague who I used to work with in my previous department was awarded for something that I had done. I was upset about it. I didn't want to be awarded and don't get me wrong this isn't a case of sour grapes, but I worked extremely hard on the project alone with no help and she gets the credit. I was shocked and really didn't know what to say. It is unfair and I guess when you suck up to the boss than that's what happens.

The conference itself was very informative. Although it was long, I learn't a great deal and they ended it with a really great presentation by Robin Banks. The presentation was very insightful and really hit a few home truths with me. It made me realise that positive thinking is way better than being bogged down with silly negative stuff. He is way hilarious and had us in stitches for the hour and a half that he presented to us.

I went and saw my decor lady this weekend. Wow was I impressed with her goodies and her ideas just roll out from her mouth. I have decided that she is my new best friend. I am really beginning to stress about the wedding. I feel there is so much to do and there are only 4 months left. It is scary and overwhelming at the same time.

This week is proving to be kind of challenging. I feel that there is so much to do and having lost out on a practically a whole week is making me feel very overwhelmed. Also dealing with child-like customers who feel like throwing mini tantrums seems to be the order off the day. I hope it gets better.....