How I know it's Winter

I had to put on a light jacket and socks and boots. (new, brown, ankle, I have them in black as well. Very nice)

It was getting too dark at 4pm to wear my sunglasses. I came out of Sainsbury's and couldn't see with them on.

There is frost on the windows in the lounge. I think it's frost. Worryingly, it seems to be on the inside.

My toes are numb. Think I may need to wear slippers when at home.

And while on the subject...

How odd is this? Bloody Douglas Green in Cyprus??

Saffas in Cyprus

Can you just imagine? A Saffa in Cyprus? This house is amazing, bokkies, bones, cane bottles.. and all sorts of Saffa Stuff, is crazy. I made Darling Simon's mom stop and yelled 'Middag Meneer!' We had a big chat, he is from Pretoria,how very very odd is that? The house is like a tourist attraction in the area.

London Day

This was my day today

Got up about 11 ish...the hubby and I are not early risers.

Was not actually my turn to make coffee but I made it anyway.

Got the train from Surbiton to Wimbledon, then the tube to Sloane Square. Went to the Saatchie Gallery. Went to the market outside the gallery. Took the 19 bus through London to Tottenham. Went to Foyles. Bought Fabulous Books. Went to Soho, Gerry's, bought brandy from Cyprus , went to a gay bar (not on purpose, but I needed to pee and it was the closest bar) Travelled home in rush hour (everyone moans, but is actually quite fun!) went to Waitrose, almost best grocery shop in the world, to buy exotic stuff for the Gorgeous Son's Birthday Tapas Party tomorrow.

Came home, watched Idols.

Hubby watching movie.

Me doing blog.

Have drunk almost all Cyprus brandy

Nice day actually

Poms r us

This blog must soon be coming to an end....Xmas this year must be IT I think.

I have learned to be a Pom.

I speak the language now

I understand the weather

I have bought a poppy in a gesture of Brit solidarity

I understand the transport system (is fabulous)

I almost understand the NHS (is odd) , but who cares because I have Dr Lauren

I speak Pom (pisses me off whenever people say 'Saffa?' Thought I no longer had an accent

I can do Pom TV

I don't actually like the Poms, (apart from Stephen Fry) but am learning...

Biggest thing of all

I always thought Cape Town with the mountains and the sea, and where we lived , with the view and the garden and the whole thing...was the best ever in the whole world

There are many many places that are as wonderful as Cape Town. Better even. Much as there are many wines that are better than Saffa Wines.

My loyalties are divided, confused and totally fucked when I think of going to Venice...Greece...Switzerland...........

BRING IT ON!!!

Beware...Profound Post

Never ever think you can't learn, even when you are past 50

Never ever think you know everything.

So... here's the thing

Darling Simon's Step dad keeps a diary. And has done so for 20 years.

Just write an entry every night of your life. Yeah...sounds like a geeky thing.... think about it

I wish I had kept a diary... then I would know............

How many things have I forgotten about the children?

What was the last thing I said to my dad, when did I last speak to him before he died? What did we talk about?

Had I just made a diary entry.... chatted to dad today, he was fine, sent his love to the kids.........

Did I say " Love you, Bye?" Who knows? I don't remember.

Was my nephew Richard's birthday recently. He had a car accident, was in a coma, and then 5 weeks later, he died.

I would have liked to look back and see what i had written on the day he was born.

How I would love to read a day to day entry of the last ten years, even if it was just ONE LINE a day.

I am so going to start a diary. You never know which day is going to be an important day. And there are things that don't seem important at the time, but that you may want to remember..

Imagine....

Don't feel so well today..............

AAAAAAARRRRGHHHHHHHH

Well, you never know!!

And Food

The new bins have nothing to do with the food bins.

A good thing about the bins is that they are all very clean and nice because the food bins are a totally separate thing.

Usually fine.

Except when the bread went off, as it does , very very quickly in the UK, a whole loaf can be reduced to a poof of , well whatever that green mould stuff is called, and when I put it in the food bin (the inside food bin) all POOFFED up in my face... this cannot be good.

Spores. That's the word I'm looking for.

My lungs are now filled with spores.

Can't be worse than nicotine.

There is nothing on this EARTH worse than not smoking.

So, DR Lauren, what could be worse, me being the recycling queen and having poisonous spores in my lungs, or having the odd fag which is probably way way better for me?

Helpful Household stuff

So how Cool is this? This is the hanging up thingy to put the ironed stuff on. Previously I have tried to hang it on the stairs, doesn't work. This is good.

This is VERY good. Put it at the bottom of the stairs, fill it

up for a productive trip, reverse process at top of stairs.

I LIKE it! Looks nice too? Isn't this a lovely idea?

New inside bins. The post it notes add the other stuff to be put in the bin. So the top bin says 'paper' but the post it note says 'also cardboard'

I do still have to separate paper from cardboard once I take it outside to the outside bins.

The second bin is plastics, but the post it note says ' and landfill'

so that all not otherwise identified other rubbish can be added to this bin.

The bottom one is Glass, but also tins. The Hubby does not rinse out the tins or even interact with tins and I HAVE NOW GOT FIFTEEN BINS INCLUDING THE INSIDE STUDY BINS JESUS FUCK HOW DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME????

Celeb of the Day

Well indeed.

We (The Gorgeous Son and I , ...we are Celeb Ho's , or starfuckers if you like...)

So we arrived 2 hours early and were very surprised to see a small queue...about 20 people.

Oh yay we thought. Have had worse...Queued for 1 and a half hours for Michael MacIntyre

Turns out we were actually a whole day early and this was the beginning of the queue that would be queueing for over 36 hours.

There was a woman there who had flown in from the States...

So, basically, with Keith signing just one book per person, and only 450 people allowed in...and the tube strike tomorrow...we are pretty much screwed.

We hit Chinatown and had dim sum.

Yummy

Still bought the book...hardcover, £9.00.

Priceless.

So Funny

They are mad, these Poms!!

BOGOF

Well , now I have seen it all. If iI was ever impressed with Buy one get one free.....now, there is Buy one get TWO free. Pringles, and Radox Bath . At Tesco.

So basically, 99p for THREE Pringles?

You will be glad to know I have resisted temptation as far as the Pringles go, but I did buy the Radox .

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_159667944067805

The Gorgeous Son is running a marathon........come on blog people...it's all in a good cause.

Also, if nobody else gives money I am screwed........... will have to pay it all myself...HELP!

Law and Order

There is a programme here called British Cops, Law and Order...something like that... I can just DIE laughing

Tonight it was about this guy who was kicked out of a club because he urinated ..(and not in the loo)

so they chucked him out and he hurt his head so he called 999 and an ambulance....

So the cops come and are all...excuse me sir, come over here...please don't use that language......no no no...stop it now, off you go home, would you like us to call a taxi?

And truly...they are all like that...it's too too lovely for words.

Am now watching one where somebody called the cops because a man and his wife were having an argument and the hubby bit the wife's thumb.....as we speak, the cops are saying, 'are you ok' and she is a bit upset, but the hubby is apologising, and the cops are saying, 'now, now, kiss and make up...........and so they did...and then the cops radioed in and said basically 'problem over'

How SWEET is that?

I'm sure there is crime because there are some stabbings, but REALLY!

night time

Ok, I remember this from last year. It is dark. I am ready for bed. It is 6pm.

THIS IS DOF!

Dark does not always = night.........

I have already had supper...now what???

Anyone for a beer?

The oranges juice wasn't too bad either.....

Reading Group #2

Goodness! What a difference from the Greenwich Group.

Apart from the fact that there was a "waiting list...." , first meeting I felt like these somewhat

stuck up women did not want a new member, and especially not a FOREIGN member, came home feeling somewhat .......what? Sad? Offended? Unwanted?

Yes, all of the above.

Anyway, I went back for the second meet and they didn't seem too bad. They even spoke to me this time. And even though all we do is discuss the book to DEATH for a whole hour, with absolutely no refreshment, not even WATER, is something, I guess.

This is soooooooooooooo not like my SA book clubs. As soon as I know enough people I am starting my own proper book club.

In the meantime, any books you would like me to explain..........

And indeed, it may not be too long until I can start my own club. I have MANY friends. I have Durbanville Dorette, and I have members from Fat Club, and Dr Lauren....and lovely niece Sam.......and Dry Cleaners Michelle, HA! I am almost ready!