We had pizza!!!!!

And not just any pizza, we had oven baked pizza, baked in an oven. Our oven! With our electrics!!

yayayayayayayayayay!!!! What more can I say really, the overuse of the humble exclamation should say it all :-).

But of course, this being me and me being a bit of a blabber mouth, I couldn't possibly leave it at that so I'll let you in on a bit more detail...

Today went very well indeed. I decided to stay at home to see if it had any effect on our friend Mr Sparky. It in fact had no effect at all as he didn't turn up until around 4:30 this afternoon, but his side kick did and he worked like a trojan to get everything done. The poor guy slaved all day long and managed to complete around 95% of the work so we now have working sockets, light switches and kitchen appliances.

I set about removing a crappy cupboard in one of the bedrooms and waited for the RO to get home from work. We decided to pop out the the supermarket to stock up on a couple of things (to fill the fridge of course) and get something for tea. Pizza was already on the cards so that part was easy but it quickly became apparent that we are horribly out of practice in the grocery shopping department and we couldn't decide on any other items to bring home (although a small bag of jam donuts was included somewhere along the line). We did land up buying a few other items for the new kitchen, including a new dinner service as we felt that we had to try to do the new cupboards some justice.

The RO is now whiling away the rest of the evening playing Xbox and I'm catching up on all the blogs that I normally read during the day. Finally we're starting to see the light and feel like this 'small' project will be over soon.

Looks like we'll be spending the rest of the week-end packing our temporary kitchen up and transferring our sparse collection of preserved produce into the cupboards.

Its finally starting to feel like home :-)

VP

blah blah blah (again)..

Same shit different day...

The electricians were here today but they haven't finished the electrics. In fact there are no noticeable changes between what they did today and what was done on Monday and Tuesday. As much as I desperately want to tell them to piss of and never return, it's now reached a point where its just not realistic because we would have to find someone else to come in an finish it off at a point where we are literally days (or day if you're to believe the wanker himself) away from completion. And so we persevere....

Perhaps the most frustrating part (for today anyway) is the fact that the kitchen has been installed and is all but finished, however we can't use any of the appliances because the sockets needed for the fridge, freezer, dishwasher and oven haven't been attached!!

So here we are, still sitting in a house with only a few working sockets and lights in the half of the house that need it least!

To top this all off, I am pre-menstrual (actually post menstrual but its all running into one) and feel like I'm coming down with something which is bound to be god-awful because there is nowhere to relax.

I think I may stay at home tomorrow so that I can oversee whatever it is that the electricians claim to do and find out for myself whether they're really doing what they claim to be doing.

A small upside is that all that most of the revolting pink render has now been removed (I know that this will warm Zinnia's heart) and has been replaced with some rather ominous looking dark brown substance. I'm hoping that this will eventually land up being a nice warm creamy colour as I'm not sure I'm up for living in a prison.

In an attempt to lighten the mood of this oh so pessimistic post, I'd really like to welcome a new commenter, she's funny, articulate and more importantly, she's a fellow Gautenger! For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it simply means that she comes from the same province in South Africa as I do and you can catch up with her at this spot. Hello Red, you're welcome anytime :-)

VP

Our resident poltergeist...

Over the last few nights we have been experiencing something rather strange. Every time one of us has a shower or bath, we hear a door slamming. The weird thing is that there is only 1 door still on its hinges inside and that door (when checked) is standing open!

I think that we may have a former resident 'hanging' out in the house and I'm not sure whether its the concept of indoor bathing that annoys them or that they're just as pissed off about the lack of electrics as we are :-)

Perhaps we could strike a deal with our new friend and have them visit the sparky at his home. Nothing else seems to spur him into action so I'm willing to try anything.

Of course I'm not sure what my part of the deal would be as I'm rather attached to my soul and I don't have much else that could be of value on the other side!

Any chance one of you partakes in communications on the other side?

VP

Old part of the House

Old part of the House
Originally uploaded by Sid and the pig.

The last one for the evening, one day the house will be white instead of pink (despite the naighbours wanting it to stay as is)..

Since I..

Horrible Porch
Originally uploaded by Sid and the pig.

Can't seem to get flickr to agree with me on anything, I'll have to post the pictures seperately for the moment.

Dining Room

Dining Room
Originally uploaded by Sid and the pig.

Zinnia showed some interest in the picture of the house so I thought I'd include a few more for your viewing fun... (of course we're hoping to receive a HUGE amount of sympathy in return :-) )

Another Monday...

Yip you read that right, today felt just like another blue Monday! We are all sorts of havoc going on in the work place. The kind of stress that reminds me exactly why I enjoy doing what I do!

The day started out much like any other (except that I had read way past my bedtime thus waking up somewhat grumpier than usual) however soon took a frustrating dive when the kitchen installer informed us that there was a problem with the work tops. He was worried that if he installed the solid wood worktops in our partially finished house, that they would buckle and warp due to the cold and damp. Many minutes of aggravated huffing and puffing passed before common sense prevailed. We have acquired a few oil heaters which are now stationed in and around the kitchen to ensure that it stays warm and dry. If only we were allowed to actually wake up before being faced with such things!

Things have improved steadily though, the kitchen is almost done! Initially we thought we'd have to wait for it to be finished completely until after the fitter came back from holiday in 3 weeks, but it turns out things have run smoother than planned and he's ahead of schedule. We deserve a little bit of good news.

We also have partial electrics (clearly just enough to keep the sparky on the inside) with lights in half of the house and one rooms worth of sockets. Hence the ability to power energy sucking heat generators :-)

May I take a moment, before running off to make our yummy meal for the evening (spaghetti and toast) to thank a fellow blogger for being t'internets angel, Zinnia of Real E Fun fame. She's witty, talented and very funny and you're missing a whole bunch by not visiting her regularly.

We could do with more of her kind so take some notes!!

VP

Monday bollocks!!!

Okay so thats cussing, but its not where I come from :-)

I can hear you asking... what happened today??? Did I get to fire the electrician? Sadly, no. Mainly because he decided to send his lacky to continue with the work instead of coming himself. The poor guy was just as furious as I was and went about his work very quietly.

Apparently the wanker (excuse the french) of an electrician has promised to come back tomorrow to finish everything. The agreement is that if we have full electrics by tomorrow evening then we'll pay him what its been worth (NOT what he quoted) and leave it at that. If however he doesn't complete it then he WILL be fired and the body that he is contracted with will be informed. *sigh* it was a bit of an anticlimax.

In case you were wondering what the house looks like, this is a picture of it from the top of the property. The pink render is (as you can see) in the process of being removed. Hopefully this will be completed sometime soon as its quite sad to see the poor house in such a state of undress.

VP

Its been a long time coming...

They may have promised that the electrics would be finished by the end of today, but (and its a big but) our friends the electricians didn't arrive this week-end at all.

The RO and I have deliberated and decided that enough is enough. Tomorrow they will be fired! It's a difficult decision because it's going to mean that we have to find someone else to finish the job off and we'll probably be without electrics a while longer. The thing is that now it's a matter of principle and we simply cannot let them continue to treat us with such disdain.

The plan is as follows, tomorrow I will get in touch with the NICEIC (the body that regulates electricians in Britain) and look for someone else who covers our area. We will then ask them to evaluate the work that has been done and give us a value. Once we know the value of the work that they have done, we will be able to calculate what they have cost us in terms of delays and pay them the balance. Over and above this, I will also be writing a letter of complaint to the NICEIC in the hope that they will take some kind of action as well.

I really don't like taking this action but they really haven't left us with any other choice. They have systematically lied and deliberately dismissed all agreements that we have come to. I believe that we have been more than reasonable so I'm comfortable that we're doing the right thing.

On a more encouraging note, the kitchen starts getting installed tomorrow so by the end of next week, our lives should start getting a whole lot easier. We spent the day preparing the kitchen for the installers arrival and have painted all the (newly plastered) walls cornflower blue in keeping with the age of the house.

The RO is currently taking some before photos in preparation for a big post to come :-)

VP

By jove I think she's got it..

Today was a really good day in work terms (and other terms to but I'll start with work). Oddly over the last decade I have somehow managed to avoid ever having to do a mail merge. There has always been someone that is better at it or who's job its been to mass mail on my behalf.

Today though, I had to bite the bullet and figure out exactly how to e-mail our entire client base with some critical information. As there was nobody around to advise me on the best course of action, I decided to go where no sane person has gone before, I referred to the Microsoft Help, and you know what?? It WORKED!! Not only that, it WORKED FIRST TIME!!

I'm so excited, well done MS, for once, you ROCK!!!

(Sorry about all the shouting and !!!'s but this cannot be helped :-)

In more fabulous news, the electrics will be finished this week-end and we have bought all our new lighting.

Rain aside, this has been a great start to the week-end.

As an aside, I hope that Hurricane Rita doesn't cause anyone too much trouble. I hope that everyone in its path stays safe and sound.

VP

So when is it cussing??

I'm afraid I am foul! Not in the smelly sense but I'm foul mouthed. I can't help it. There are very few situations that don't call for some kind of colourful language. Baring this in mind, perhaps someone can help with a little difference in opinion that the RO and I are having?

Despite my cussing nature I once commented on the fact that the word 'Bitch' is not censored on British radio. The thing is, I know when my swearing is unacceptable (i.e. in front of children, the elderly and my parents-in-law) so when I hear 'Bitch' at 08:15am in the morning, I get confused - how can 'Bitch' be ok but 'Arse' be a problem? So, I asked the fountain of all knowledge, the knower of all random facts, the RO. He patiently explained that 'Bitch' is perfectly acceptable as its true definition is, 'a female dog'. Fair enough, makes sense. So where I hear you ask, does the difference of opinion come into it?

Good question, you see, this afternoon, on the way home we heard some new random track on the radio (admittedly it was pretty awful) in which the lyrics, 'my left tit' are clearly and proudly spoken in the way that only truly disturbed gangsta type people can speak them - to music-ish. The RO was surprised and a little shocked that 'Tit' was not censored. I, in my infinite ignorance proposed the idea that a 'Tit' is in fact a bird and therefore when the same logic as is used for 'Bitch' is applied to 'Tit', surely this makes it acceptable?

The RO disagrees, he thinks that they aren't the same thing because the word 'Bitch' even when used as a description for a person rather than a dog, is still defined as a female dog (I hope he never calls me one then), however a 'Tit' is really only a trendy (and slightly insulting) name for a breast.

I'm not sure, I lost concentration around the 4th time the word 'Bitch' was mentioned in the conversation but at least I've managed to incorporate both 'Bitch' and 'Tit' in a post that doesn't apply these nasty little labels to anyone specific! (sooooooo proud!)

So, any ideas? Comments? Insults? Bring them on ... I need the visitors :-)

VP

oooh oooh oooooh

One more thing, the builders seem to have pulled finger!!! We have ceilings :-)

VP

I am a serial face puller. If I'd grown up in Britain I reckon I'd have been one of those annoying young people (not necessarily my opinion but one I've heard mentioned) stage school kids. If I'd been in a country where it was viable, I'd have tried out for all the kids shows - Blue Peter seems to be the one that I'd have enjoyed the most.

Until I met the RO, I don't think anyone ever got this particularly childish sense of humour. Those who laughed were probably laughing at, but definitely not with me. The RO definitely gets it though. We have this terrible habit of choosing the most inappropriate places to let our inner children loose.

The best example is the bank. The RO and I have recently purchased a house together and we have spent a fair amount of time 'visiting' with our mortgage advisor. She's a lovely young lady however all bankers seem to be so serious about the job that they do. Don't get me wrong, there are some subjects that must be treated with tact and diplomacy but the whole process of borrowing large sums of money is scary enough without treating everyone with kid gloves.

Our way of diffusing the stoic atmosphere is to wait until the banker leaves the little room (usually to copy a document for the 20th time) before beginning the poking game. Initially all involved parties must try and restrain the giggles, allow the hysteria to build.. The appropriate time to burst out laughing is as the said banker returns..

Trust me, it makes life MUCH more interesting :-)

VP

This could get interesting..

So the builders didn't arrive again today. Surprised? I'm not, this seems to be a trend. Its getting difficult to even get angry at them anymore because it is impossible to remain angry for extended periods of time.

Everything is in a state of disrepair. The electrics hasn't been completed so 5 weeks later we're still using one socket. The plastering is only half way and the render hasn't even been completely removed yet. Despite all of this they have promised that at the end of the week after next (2.5 weeks away) we will have 2 new layers of seal on the sandstone, new windows, new lentels and completed plaster. I'm not convinced.

Instead I am now going to start deducting from the final amount that I will pay. I will take into account all the costs incurred by their not meeting their requirements. They can chose to take me to court if they feel the need - although I doubt they will, as this would involve some commitment on their part.

I do wish that someone, somewhere would take the initiative and start a company that would act as an agency to the independant building tradesman in the UK. Someone with high expectations that would provide a standard of service and some kind of control over the projects that builders take on. Given the number of tradesman in the UK, there would never be a shortage and a simple matter of no service, no work would surely sort out the problem?

I guess my frustration stems from my inability to really do anything. Sure, we could cut our losses and get someone else on the job, but would this really improve anything? Or would it simply be a matter of the devil that we don't know?

*sigh* I'm tired of ranting, and tired of living in a building site.

I really am a pretty optimistic person by nature, no really I am!

VP

It must be tiring...

to live with me sometimes. I like to rant you see, and I simple can't help it. I could blame my good old South African upbringing but that would be a terrible cop out and I'm not one for blaming the circumstances.

Take today for example, without letting too much work related stuff out (Dooce has taught us all to well) suffice to say that there is a history of apathy with one of my colleagues and today it came to a head during a discussion that I was having. Things got quite heated at one point, I can't help it, I have to get all my issues off my chest.

So that's where it started and the poor old RO got the full rendition as soon as he came out of his all important meeting. I moaned and complained for at least an hour and he was surely relieved when I eventually gave it a rest at around lunch time.

The day progressed without too many major rants until our drive home, when the RO in passing mentioned something about our proposed plans for the new building that we'll (hopefully) be moving too late next year. This spurned off a whole new rant along the lines of the general narrow minded approach that is being used.

I guess its just that I truly believe that when we graduate from our student years and enter the work place that we all have something constructive to contribute and it frustrates me when the lowly employees aren't given the opportunity to discuss/deliberate their opinions on changes that will affect their daily working lives!

Granted its early days yet and its possible that everyone will be given the chance to contribute but I like to discuss these things so that its clear to me what my opinion will be :-)

Pity the poor RO though as its not a very English trait and must be quite annoying at times.

**must work on curbing the rants occasionally**

VP

Holiday break..

So last week the RO and I made the tortured decision to put the boys (Zulu and Gamba) back into the kennels. They've been home for about 2 months now and if everything had gone according to plan we would have been in the final stages of decoration now and there would have been no problem. Unfortunately in the real world, renovations seldom follow the planned timetable and our circumstance is no different.

So, after much deliberation we decided that it wasn't fair to the boys that they have to be cooped up in the run during the day and confined to one room with us in the evenings and got in touch with the lovely kennels down the road from us. They owner very kindly juggled things around so that she could take the dogs in (its a very popular kennel), which we are extremely appreciative about.

So this morning we packed up their goodies (treats, blankets etc), loaded the boys into the car and delivered them to their holiday spot. I hate doing it and I get quite chocked up about it but I truly thing its the best thing for the moment.

This means of course that the RO and I now have no excuses not to get stuck in on the things that we can do. We'll have more time in the evenings and plenty of time over the week-ends so hopefully we can get ahead of the schedule in some areas.

today's task is to finish the bathroom up by painting the walls and installing the shaving mirror and other accessories. At least once this is done we can say that 1 room has been completed.

The aim is to have the upstairs areas ready for carpets and painting by the end of next week so that we can move into the one bedroom and bring the cats home to the spare room.

Hopefully we'll both feel much better about the whole process once we've got some control of elements of it.

Big things are coming over the next 2-3 weeks, the kitchen is being installed, the new windows are going in and the render will be replaced... YAY!!! Here's hoping that for once things will go according to schedule.

Fingers crossed!!

VP

Green wonder

Green wonder
Originally uploaded by Sid and the pig.

Last year the RO and I decided to invest in a good digital camera. Despite having taken hundreds of pictures, its clear that I still need some practice....

I'm hoping to take some pictures similar to this one that I will frame and use in some of the rooms to set the tone for the colours. I love green and I think that I may make it the accent colour in the guest bedroom.

This was one of the first pictures that took with the additional lense that we bought when we were in New York. Its incredible at picking up even the most minute detail...

On another note, my new laptop finally arrived today (hence the sudden flurry of uploading pictures etc) and it is gorgeous!!

I bought the Dell XPS which is essentially a gamers laptop so the graphics card and sound card are both awesome. Once the house is under some control, I will invest in a couple of games to keep me entertained whilst the RO plays on his xbox.

This week-end will be all about starting (and in one instance finishing) the decorating upstairs. We will be stripping wallpaper in both of the bedrooms and the landing upstairs. If we're lucky we may even get to do a single base coat of white paint on the walls.

I am hoping to finish the bathroom of this week-end as well although all that needs doing in there is a fresh coat of paint on the old walls and ceiling. At least that will be one room that is on its way to completion (it will still need lights, if the electricians ever decide to come back and finish second fix).

Hopefully the weather holds out so that we can give the dogs some quality play time in the garden ahead of their trip to the kennels.

Thats all for now, although I suspect playing on the lappie will prove irresistable meaning that I'll probably be back sooner rather than later :-)

VP

Messenger madness

For the purpose of this post, there are a couple of things that you need to know:

1) MSN Messenger is an instant message system that allows you to chat to people with
immediate response
2) BGA is my very best (gay) friend in the whole world
3) A Faghag is a gay mans female friend

So onto the fun that was my conversation with BGA yesterday....

[BGA] well less than 1 hour to go... then home, doll myself up and then off for a big snog !!!!
[Alley] aw bless
[Alley] are you taking an overnight bag this time?
[BGA] no.. I need to come home.. I have work in the morning.
[Alley] is it to far to commute in the morning?
[BGA] not at all... I just can't sleep with someone in the same bed.. last 2 times I spent the whole night laying there....
[Alley] hehehehehe well that will have to change if this starts getting more permanent
[BGA] Only problem is I can't drink...
[Alley] what you want is to invest in a King size bed
[BGA] but if I do give in, I will just leave at 6.30 or some crazy horrible hour and come home and get ready...
[Alley] and of course the BIG question is - does he know about ME?
[Alley] *grin*
[BGA] you?
[BGA] in what way?
[Alley] yeh, I'll know he's very important when you start to tell him about me - your best friend in the whole wide world
[Alley] just kidding
[BGA] Erm... I have mentioned you...
[BGA] and I spoke to you on the phone the other night from his house
[Alley] well of course YOU are always mentioned right off the bat because no Al, no nooky!
[BGA] while he was having a ciggy
[Alley] I was kidding though
[BGA] yeah
[BGA] so am I
[Alley] hehehe
[BGA] no al, no nooky...
[BGA] LOL
[Alley] hehehehehehe
[BGA] I like that...
[Alley] bwahahahahaha
[BGA] well... think of it this way...
[Alley] what can I say? I come with baggage
[BGA] you will be the first one of my friends he will meet..
[BGA] and visa versa
[BGA] LOL
[BGA] yes... big baggage..
[Alley] oh the pressure!
[BGA] Oh no... pressure is worrying about my fag hag getting on with his fag hag...
[BGA] screw the parents... LOL
[Alley] LOLOLOL!!
[Alley] the modern world
[BGA] buwuahahahahahahhaha
[BGA] that is quite funny.... laughing at my own jokes...
[BGA] I'll have to tell him that tonight...

hehehehe
VP

When they mess with genius...

So I'll admit it, I'm a CSI junkie. I love the escapism that good tv provides and I choose the hours that I spend in front of the tv very carefully. Well maybe not that carefully but I'm still pretty picky about the standards that I come to expect. CSI - Las Vegas is the best of the bunch, and CSI - New York is pretty good too but I've always had a bit of a problem with the Miami series because it always seemed to miss the point however some episodes provide good entertainment so I've persevered (even though Horatio really is a bit odd). That is, until tonight's episode...

Allow me to set the scene... Miami and there is a tsunami coming (as if that's not strange enough), and there is a bank heist. The robbers use the tsunami to carry a huge bag of gold bullion out to sea... Are you with me so far? As if this plot wasn't weak enough, you now add Horatio's latest heroic act of driving into a building that has been armed with explosives to be raised to the ground... Apparently in Miami when a building is rigged in this way, they use a timing device as a detonator - fair enough - however they have no way of overriding the explosion!!! So Horation in all his glory drives into the building to save a hostage with 2 minutes left on the clock, then drives out through the building as the explosions start going off!

Now you might find this silly but I've come to expect a certain level of plausibility for CSI and I find it annoying that Mr. Bruckheimer can't come up with something a little more believable. If this is what we should expect from the new series, then I guess I'll be watching one less series!!

And now that I have finished with this completely useless rant, I'll be going to bed - in the caravan - in the garden - of our partially renovated house *sigh* so much for escapism :-)

VP

Restoration is bad for your health..

Its true that we're going through this phase of renovation because it will benefit us in the long run but boy is it a challenge!

Builders aside (they're the obvious health risk), there are many other nasty effects that living on a building site has, not least of which building dust!!

You breath it which, lets face it, can't be good for you whichever way you look at. You touch it, and it sucks all the moisture out of your skin and it gets everywhere, so even my hair feels like kindling!

Its not that I can't handle the disruption - I can even if it does make me a bit irritable at times. But I cannot wait for the day when we come home and it looks like something has been added to the house rather than taken away. We're at that awful stage where everything that the builders have to do involves ripping something down or breaking something up, so every day we come home to yet another layer of dust and yet another gaping hole in the ceiling/wall/floor. No matter how much you sweep, it's impossible to keep on top of and eventually you just resign yourself to another day in the dust.

Hopefully this week is the last of the seriously messy jobs, the builders start plastering and (hopefully) repairing the ceilings and then we're onto the cleaner stuff - installing the kitchen being the biggest job of all.

I'm holding on for the end of the week and hopefully we'll be in for some good luck for a change.

VP

No...

news just stiff, more tomorrow hopefully!

VP

These are a few of my favourite things..

Its been a good day all round, lots of pleasant things (and only a few mildly unpleasant ones). None of them amount to one good post so I'll build one from the little bits and pieces:

• 8:30am - The electricians kept to their word and arrived early to continue with the first fix. Despite having to get up early to let them into the house, this was a good start to the day.
• 10:00am - Watched the first of the new series of Dick and Dom in the Bungalow. Call me strange but I find it very entertaining!
• 1:00pm - Horse riding lessons. This is one of my favourite times of the week, an hour and a half of riding no matter what the weather brings.
• 4:00pm - My first viewing of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - which is just lovely and I'm really glad that the RO finally convinced me to watch it.

The not so pleasant things which didn't really have much impact:

• Having to stick my hand down the outside drain to pull out all the building material that had blocked it up.
• Chasing the little rats around the neighbours yard, trying to get them to come home. Its a bit like herding cats and something I usually get very irritated about but they seemed to get the message fairly quickly.

Its normal days like this that remind me of how lucky I am. The big moments are always welcome but they shouldn't be expected and the same applies to the days when nothing seems to go right. These extremities don't make up the bulk of life so when I find that the day has passed and although tired at the end of it, I'm still perfectly content, then I know that all is well.

VP

Mama in training

I have been broody for as long as I can remember. I haven't always been keen on the idea of marriage (although within a month of meeting the RO, I was without a doubt that he was the one) but I have always been drawn to babies and children. I have spent a lot of time around kids in my 29 years, being the oldest of 4 with my younger siblings 12 and 13 years younger than me meant that nappies, bottles and colic were all part of my early teenage years.

As I've got older some of my friends have started having children and in one instance I was even at the birth. That being said, nothing really prepares you for the reality of becoming a new parent - books don't even begin to cover the true trials and tribulations of parenthood. A simple search on Amazon yields a massive amount of literature on the subject of pregnancy and motherhood but its all awfully scientific or subjective and I suspect that there are very few authors who provide any real preparation.

I had resigned myself to the fact that I would have to find it all out as I went along and I still had some romantic notions about what parenthood really is like, until that is I discovered the mummy bloggers. Its through reading the everyday experiences of all the mothers out there that I have come to have a clearer idea of what its really like. All the things that our mothers/sisters/friends don't tell us for fear of appearing out of control or of putting us off children forever is beautifully reproduced in an easy (and sometimes highly emotional) manner. I have read so many entries dedicated to the subject that I am completely hooked and although I'm now a little more aware of the ups and downs, I do feel more armed with the gritty details that will help the RO and I decide when the right time will be.

Its true that I can't wait to start a family and I love the idea of keeping a journal of events that can be read and reflected on later in life, but I'm also more aware than ever that both the RO and I are still parents in training and that we've still a way to go yet before we can seriously add to our family.

That being said however, its great fun practicing!

VP

It might be situational

But we have the funniest receptionist at our company, she really does epitomise every blonde joke around. She is however quite witty and today's situation brought it out in her.

The building that we work in is a serviced building that houses many small companies with shared air conditioning. One of the empty offices (all locked up with nobody in it) sprung a pretty serious leak in the ceiling which of course skipped everyone's notice, until that is the water started to pore through the ceiling of one of the adjacent (occupied offices). When it was opened up, several buckets (or dustbins) were placed under the deluge to try and minimise the damage while they waited for the handyman to arrive.

When we noticed that the buckets were about to overflow we went down to reception to let them know. M (the more senior of the receptionists) told Ms Blondie to upstairs and change the buckets around. As she was walking up the stairs, M jokingly asked her if she had her wellies ready and the RO added that she should probably take an umbrella along too. Ms. Blonde turned and with perfect comedy timing (aided by the look of terror on her face) said, 'But I can't swim!'. This really cracked me up and was made even funnier when we returned to find that she hadn't changed the buckets around because she said that the bucket was too full and she couldn't move it without the water overflowing. Instead she had left it overflow as this was clearly the better option!

Genius, you just can't make this stuff up!

VP

My very own heavy

Yip, that's me. (I'm thinking of hiring myself out so if you have hassles with builders, let me know).

The electricians finally decided to grace me with a phone call today, two and a half weeks later. They agreed to meet the RO and I at the house this evening to explain where they'd been and why they hadn't finished the first fix as promised 3 week-ends ago.

My intention was to do the whole shout and scream thing in the hope that it would have some impact but when both of them appeared looking very sheepish, I changed tact. Instead, I spoke calmly and firmly and explained my disappointment. I pointed out that the impression that they had left was that they had taken our money and done a runner and this was compounded by their inability to return any of the many messages that I had left.

I think it may have been the threat to report them to the NICEIC (the electricians equivalent of CORGI) that finally prompted them to get in touch and we have a result! They have made a commitment to have the first fix finished by Sunday (they will have to work through the week-end to achieve this), they will have the second fix finished by the end of next week AND they will reimburse us for all of the costs that we have incurred as a result of the delay. The total amount that we will deduct from their final fee amounts to around £500 and I hope that this will have an impact where words don't.

In more good news, the bathroom has been finished beautifully by Dolphin and is one project that we no longer have to worry about (its also one less workman to have on the property).

New rule though - no builders will be allowed to use the new bathroom, they will instead be relegated to the downstairs toilet which is starting to resemble a public urinal, both in looks and odours *yuck*! The RO and I on the other hand will languish in the luxury of a professionally installed bathroom and we will do so in style!!

YAY for good news I say :-)

VP

p.s. a big thank-you to Zinnia for being the first person to leave me a real live comment, you're the first and you're a star!!

The Queen of Unreasonable..

So its been a difficult day (surprise surprise), fraught with highly charged emotion and some hysterics. Its weird that using this blog to reflect on my days means that I am forced to acknowledge that I can be quite a difficult person. Oh well, such is the path that I have chosen *grin*.

The electricians are still MIA and I'm not to sure what to do about it. There are only so many messages that can be left on various answering machines before it all becomes a bit ridiculous. So now we have to decide, do we bite the bullet and assume that they will not be back (and we'll either have to write off the £800 they've already taken or try and get it back through some other means) or do we hire a couple of heavies to convince them that this job is important to them? hmmm tough choice, it'll have to be the heavies!

In addition to this, my attempt to buy a new laptop from Dell is proving to be very taxing. They seem to have a black hole around the point that their fax machine spouts out its offerings. Either that or they have decided that I am the lucky customer who will have to fax all the documentation through for a 4th time! Its my own fault I guess, Dell has a reputation for being pretty crap in everything other than the actual technology. They do however offer great finance options and the laptop is really cool!

I do find myself wondering whether I'm playing a lead role is some weird reality show at the moment, one where the directors decide to throw as many trying scenarios my way as they possibly can and I try mydamnedestt not to completely fall to pieces! Things will improve I'm sure and this will all form part of the 'remember when' memories that we will lovingly re-hash at every dinner party that we hold in our new home.

VP

Blogging moms

I made another delightful find today thanks to Zoe. One of the links from her blog is the lovely Mindy who has a delightful (and sometimes sad) blog almost entirely dedicated to her 3 delightful children.

The dedication that moms like Mindy, Zoe and Dooce show to their blogs is truly amazing given the amount of time that it takes to update regularly, let alone when you have some small people in tow. Dooce's monthly letter to her daughter is both delightful and poignant and often leaves me with a lump in my throat.

My mom and I have had a difficult past and although things have improved vastly as I've grown up and she has mellowed, I can't help wishing that there was some written representation of the joys and difficulties that being a parent brings. Perhaps this new type of visible journal will provide insight into the relationships that parents have with there children that can be read (with some embarrassment) and appreciated in later years.

I love reading about the everyday trials and tribulations that all of these remarkable moms (and dads) deal with and they are the blogs that I return to time and time again. Even though I have never met any of these people, I do find myself experiencing a whole range of emotions as I watch their lives develop and blossom.

When the RO and I start our family in the near future, I hope that we too will be able to put our experiences into words that our children will one day look back at - if only to provide a window into the minds of their parents as 'real people'.

VP

Family Matters

Today has been a lovely day. The RO and I decided to take advantage of the unusually lovely weather to take a drive across country with some friends to see the town that the Bronte sisters (Emily, Charlotte, Anne etc) grew up in. Its one of the lovely advantages of living in a country with such a diverse literary history.

On the way back, my grandmother called from SA but as I was driving at the time, I said that I'd call her when I got home. I've just finished with that call and as always I am frustrated by the family dramas that are common place back home in South Africa.

There have always been a large number of historical and emotional issues between my mother and her mom and it rears its ugly head from time to time. My grandmother and I have a fantastic relationship and it seems that nowadays I am the only person still capable of speaking to her without it becoming an emotional disaster.

I worry about her a great deal. My grandfather died a few years ago and I don't think that my gran has found her feet since. I feel that she is suffering from depression and, given that I am thousands of miles away, its becoming increasingly difficult to try and provide support for her.

I cannot begin to imagine what it must mean to lose your partner of so many years. I wish that she could find some inner peace so that she can start to enjoy what remains of her life. Also, I wish that the rest of the family can find a way to provide the support that she needs without it becoming a battle.

I strongly believe that we should treat our parents with love and tolerance, even if that means that we have to swallow our pride occasionally. I have tried to keep the peace between all of them and to point out that everyone's life would be a lot easier if they stopped acting like enemies. It seems to me that it takes less effort to not be drawn into petty arguments than it does to try and repair the emotional damage that occurs every time they allow their tempers to get the better of them.

Hopefully, with the help of my uncles, we will be able to find the right solution which will help my gran to get her joy for life back.

To all of you who suffer from depression, I hope that you too find the best path back to emotional peace.

VP

Body Maintenance...

**System Notice**
Plumbing will be unavailable for the next 3-4 days due to monthly maintenance. Management will take no responsibility for the actions of other body parts during this time.

Sometimes you just have to love the whole PMS thing. As I'm a pretty optimistic kind of girl most of the month, I really struggle with the whole emotional, unstable thing that comes with still having functioning plumbing. Occasional though it works in my favour and today was a perfect example of it.

Those of you in the UK will know who I'm referring to when I talk about a 'large computer store chain' but for those of you who don't know, suffice to say that they're are an extremely overpriced consumer nightmare especially as they claim to be computer experts. Unfortunately there are times when the RO and I have to bite the bullet and patronise their service as we're the impatient type and when we need a cable, we need it now.

So this morning I forced myself to cross the threshold into PC hell and rather than wandering the isles aimlessly, headed straight for the 3 'assistants' who were propping up the counter in a very unproductive manner. All I asked was for someone to show me the isles where they housed the firewires, the rest of the conversation went something like this:

Salesperson 1: "Erm ok I'll take you."
Salesperson 2: "Nah, I'll take you."
Salesperson 2 (to Salesperson 3): "Maybe you should take her, it'll give you something to do."
Me (in full PMS mode): "I don't care which one of you do it, just decide and do it!"
Salesperson 3 (to salesperson's 1 & 2): "Erm, what's a firewire?"
Me (now suitably annoyed): " Just show me where the cables are kept, I know what I'm looking for."
Salesperson 3: "Oh, I was just kidding."
Me: "that's the problem with this place, I wouldn't be able to tell as you never know what you're talking about."

Thank-you PMS for finally giving me the perfect opportunity to say what has to be said, without months of guilt!!

So those of you suffering now, rest assured that there really is a silver lining!

VP

News...

Has been grim today. RO and I have been following the online records of people still inside New Orleans as well as others who have lost everything in the disaster.

There has been excellent coverage here and a truly heartbreaking fellow blogger here. I am both in awe of their abilities to write their experiences and saddened by the circumstances that they're writing in.

I have never been a fan of Bush or his governing style, but this is one time when I don't believe politics comes into it. Why has the aid taken so long? Where are the back-up law enforcement officers? I have no sympathy for those looters who have stolen for the sole purpose of selling but what about those desperate about the lack of water, food and clothing? There are children, the elderly and the sick to think of and surely any one of us would find these things if they were needed but not being provided. I struggle to go a few hours without food and water - I can't begin to imagine what it must feel like to be forced to do so for 3-5 days! Bush is heavily religious and yet I don't see his compassion when he speaks. The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, on the other hand is clearly devastated by the devastation of the city and the people and the passion that he feels is obvious.

I'st true that pointing fingers and making judgments doesn't help the situation, but perhaps it's time people started to voice their true feelings about the state of a wealthy nation that cannot provide for its own people in a time of need.

I guess it's easy to sit across the sea and judge when I don't have to make the decisions that affect so many people. Maybe I wouldn't do a better job, maybe nobody could but like to think that I would feel the impact and that that feeling would show.

I can only hope that now that aid is finally starting to arrive, that it gets to the people and places that need it most and that the people affected by this tragedy will get the opportunity to rebuild their lives in a positive manner.

Our love and best wishes to everyone who has felt the devastation and has had to deal with the results of it.



VP

Happy Autumn Day!!

Or more importantly, happy Spring Day to my family back home (and everyone else in the Southern Hemisphere of course).

Its been an interesting day in terms of work stuff, having been party to a particularly productive meeting with RO and some other important people. Unfortunately the day was tainted by the discovery that an acquaintance who had chosen to let me in on a sordid secret a few months ago, has placed herself back in a rather tenuous position with said secret.

You see the man that she is involved with is a work colleague, a married with kids one at that! Their affair has been going for many years already and when she told me about it, I was shocked to discover that I know him too! I'm not a prude by any means but I don't believe that there is any excuse for extra marital affairs, especially when the excuse for staying in the marriage is religion! I can't get my head around this, how can one say that they are too religious to get a divorce but not religious enough to feel that an affair is wrong? Surely this is illogical even to the most simple minded individual? Part of me feels very sorry for her as she clearly loves the man dearly and dreads being parted from him, but surely after years of secrets and lies you have to realise that things will never be normal?

I guess my frustration with her stems from being around when the affair last 'ended'. She was devastated because he said that he couldn't stand the guilt any longer. Not 3 months later however, he seems to that guilt under control. They've left for a long week-end in the Lake District today and I can't help wondering what kind of lies have been spun to the wife to get time away over the week-end.

I may be over simplistic but if you can't share the love that you have for someone with anyone that you choose then what is the point? Secrets of this magnitude must surely take over every element of your life until its no longer recognisable. Perhaps this is why she chose to let me in on the secret, so that there was someone who she could share it with.

I hope that it all turns out alright, although the reality is that regardless of the outcome someone will be hurt and I doubt that it'll be pretty.

VP

Building updates:

None to speak of - builders return from holiday on Monday, more details then...