Random crap update and stuff

It's been a while since I blogged properly, but well I have been busy, and also not really interested in blogging much.

Now that I want to, I am again thwarted by the fabulous Telkom. What at first seemed like an issue with my wireless router is in fact, yet AGAIN, a Telkom problem. Luckily this time my fabulous ISP (Cybersmart - love them they are really good, and recently rewarded my loyalty with 2GB of bandwidth for the price of 1, just cos. Aww thanks guys! Would be great if I could actually keep my Telkom connection up long enough to actually use the 2Gb now!!) has reported the fault to Telkom on my behalf and have insisted that it be escalated immediately because of all the problems I have had with it. Let's hope they get further than I do.

Then, I changed my Telkom phone number too, because I was sick of the bill arriving in my ex's name and even though I have paid the account for over 2 years, I still had no authority to question or change anything on the line. Also because we have no contact with my ex, and as the registered owner he was the ONLY one with any power over it, I had to get an affidavit and 40-12 other forms and certified things to be able to change the account name. Half way through this exhausting and frustrating process, out of the blue dear ex phoned Quinn one day, after 7 months of zero contact at all. Quinn was rattled and unsettled for a few days after the call, and so I mailed him and firmly but politely asked for some contact guidelines to be agreed and followed, which received zero response (as expected). So the number is now changed and unlisted.

He is of course welcome to contact the children if he so wishes but it will need to be done via me and appropriately.

If anyone wants to contact me, they know my cell number and/or email address. The home phone is not something we really use. It is only for emergencies and so I can have a DSL line.

My donor baby turned 1 last month and a few weeks after I was contacted by the coordinator asking if I'd consider donating for them again as they are wanting to try for a sibling for her and had hoped for a bio-sibling. I was thrilled, mostly because that is a great sign that they are doing well and are happy. YAY. I told them that I am no longer compelled to donate again, but that I would gladly assist THEM again because of how well it all went last year and because of their wish for a bio-sibling which I can understand. However I was concerned that I may be considered too old (being over 35 now), but that I would leave it up to the doctor, them and ‘The Universe' to decide. A few days later I was told that after much deliberation the doctor had told them that their success rate would be reduced to 40% now (due to my age and that they only want to implant one embryo the second time) and so they decided to try another (younger) donor. I totally understand this and am fine with it. I truly wish that little girl and her family the very best. May they be happy and healthy and blessed with another little one soon.

My sister is pregnant too. She had a tough and fairly rocky start to her pregnancy, but is past half way now and seems to be doing well. It is confirmed that this little one seems to be a girl. She is thrilled. It will be only the second (third if you count Angelique, but no one besides me does) girl grandchild, after 7 boys. I think she is due around mid-Nov. So ANOTHER Valentine's baby. Have you noticed how many birthdays are around mid-Nov and specifically 15 Nov?? ;)

There has been a real spate of crime around our neighbourhood recently and it has got far too close to home. Last Thursday I woke up at 6am hearing a yell and a house alarm. It appeared our grumpy old neighbour was yelling as usual, at a random house alarm. I didn't think much more of it, and actually finally finished the book I was reading*, until I left for work only to find 4 police vans around the corner. Later it was confirmed that it was our back neighbours, who we are very friendly with and our respective children climb over the wall and visit each other's houses constantly. Dad had let the dog out and gone to work on his laptop. A few minutes later 3x coloured guys thre him to the ground, put a sack over his head and a gun against his head. The house was ransacked, 5x computers and laptops and TV etc stolen and they drove off in their car!

So now I am getting quotes for alarms and other security and armed response systems, because there have been 6-10 incidents in the last 2 weeks in our area where the front doors simply get forced open with a crow-bar. It is damn scary. I am not sleeping well at the moment and actually phoned the police at 23:30 the other night when I kept hearing weird noises outside. It is awful!

We have also finally sorted out our TV after a full month of it not working due to the aerial being broken and misaligned. We just couldn't get the normal braai-grid aerial to work properly, so I have finally bitten the bullet and connected up DSTV with a limited bouquet so we can at least watch normal Tv and a few limited DSTV channels. So tonight we are watching the Portugal/Spain game at home on our own TV yay.

Speaking of which it is starting now. I'll have to load this tomorrow at work. Bye! :)

*SHANTARAM. It took me 2 whole years to read it even though I read about 20 other books in between. But wow what an epic slog to get through those 940 pages of fine print! I did enjoy it though.

Quinn's ear c-toma update - new op date AUG

Just an update.

Quinn had another appointment with his ENT last week. His right ear is healing as well as can be expected, and has had no further complications, so that is very good news.

Unfortunately we have had to push his left ear surgery out to August since the Prof was unable to accommodate us before then, so it can not be done before the end of the holidays.

We went for a new audio-gram (hearing test) yesterday and his results seem pretty similar to the last round... we'll await the interpretation from the Prof when we meet him though. We have a consult booked with the Prof on 29 July. So he can have a look at the ear in question and prepare himself for the case. The surgery date will be set after this. Dr R says the Prof can also advise us on options for reconstructing the mechanics of Quinn's right ear in future.

Little miss muffet....

Here was happily lying in bed on Sunday night after a busy week-end. I was all warm and cosy and sleepy under my duvet watching a movie on my laptop ... when I glanced up to see a freaking big rain spider on the ceiling right above my bed!!!

o.O

EEEEEEEK. I briefly considered packing a bag and moving out. But then I gather my wits, steeled my nerve and put on my big girl panties and got my bin and some cardboard and caught the bugger and took it outside.

FRIK I hate this part of being single. GRIL!

Experience of a lifetime...

The boys and went to a world cup football match today.

We left home at 09:30 this morning and only got back at 18:00.

We caught a train into town from our closest station and then took a walk to the nearby fan park and had coffee etc - while waiting for the worst of the rain to pass.

Once the rain abated a little we walked the fan mile to the Greenpoint Stadium to go see the Portugal vs North Korea game live.

Although it was really cold and raining, and we were wearing enough clothing to last us a week (I had 2x pairs of pants, 3x pairs of socks, 3 shirts, scarf, gloves, hat and warm jacket and was STILL COLD!) the vibe and spirit was amazing and we had such fun. It was an absolute blast!!

Portugal annihilated N Korea 7-0 and everyone was on their feet by the end of the game, it was fantastic. The stadium is beautiful and gorgeous and the atmosphere was electric. At one point there was a massive vuvuleza chant with everyone blowing in unison it was the most incredible thing.

Man what an unforgettable experience I am so so glad we went and so glad we made a full day of it and really made it memorable. The train journey home was jam packed but also so festive and vibey with everyone jostling and joking. The unity this world cup has brought is fantastic.









We certainly felt it today. Well done Portugal. Go Ronaldo!

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN we are.

He may be deaf and blind...

But his spirit is fighting strong as always!

Quinn had his 3rd eye test on Monday, as his specs needed a minor repair and I wanted to make sure his eyesight is ok, what with all the hearing challenges he has now, and with his next op soon after which he'll be largely hearing impaired while his 'good' ear is bandaged up.

2 years ago when he got his first specs he was tested as:
-1.5 RHS & -1.5 LHS

Last year he was tested again and had deteriorated to:
-3.0 RHS & -2.5 LHS

The latest test shows another deterioration in his eye sight, he could hardly read ANY of the wall chart without his specs, even LARGE characters, his new readings are:
-3.5 RHS & -3.0 LHS

Poor guy. Thankfully he has no issue with wearing glasses and very swiftly selected a new frame which he likes and the new spaces are ordered. He joked with me about being 'deaf and blind' now.

On the way out the center he wanted me to buy him a treat and when I said no the little shit smirked and said, 'But I'm DISABLED!'

That boy has more chutzpah than pretty much anyone I know. He is incredible. I am on a Cholesteatoma support group and some of the stories of the kids freaking out after their ops is quite alarming, based on this and how amazed his ENT is at his maturity I am really astounded at how well my little guy copes (almost too well iykwim?).

His next op is going to be before the end of the month date still TBC, but the doc wants to do it before July, and the Tygerberg Prof is going to assist and advise too.

Go QUINN!

Friend ... who knows all about you, and still likes you...

"The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." - Elbert Hubbard

I have realised I have been letting the wrong kind of people into my, or rather our, lives. They seem like friends but really they aren't. They all have their angles and conditions and expectations. They are not true freinds and they do not deserve us. I try to maintain friendships with these people but some of them sure as hell are not worth it, and it's weird how the ones who seem most worth turn out to be the least worthy and those that appeared despicable sometime turn out to have more substance and character than anyone else...

I have been much more happy in the past month than in a long time. I have had more fun, more enjoyment and more laughs and smiles than for a long while before. I think it's because I have stopped caring about other people and trying to be enough for them. I am enough for me, and I really don't give a crap about anyone else and their shit anymore. My true friends and family know me and like me and accept me as who I am, and those are the ones I care about, and value and cherish. The rest can quite frankly sod off now.

"I'm selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes and I'm out of control and at times; hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe

"It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone." - Marilyn Monroe

"I believe everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they are right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And some times good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous then absolutely boring." -Marilyn Monroe

Feel it. It is here!

I have been waiting for someone to make a shirt like this....

What can I say? I have a dirty mind. ;)

One Night Stands - Seconds

One Night Stands - Seconds

Local band - awesome song.



It took seconds...

Everything suspended, nothing comprehended, just seconds...


Just seconds. Just seconds.