Wednesday 29 May 2013

movie mahem and madness

So on Friday night Nic and I and a friend of the family decided to go and see Fast & Furious 6.  We were ready, clutching our Slush Puppy and popcorn and then .... after a long and annoying booking process (we bought snacks, then tickets), during which I had to use 4 different machines to do the booking (who says technology makes our lives faster) ... I find out there were only 2 seats available .... and seperate.  

So we decided on Iron Man 3 in 3D as the guys wanted to see it.  I was not that keen but based on the fact that it is getting rave reviews and my sussie loved it, we booked.  What a surprise!!! I LOVED EVERY MINUTE!! The 3D effects were incredible and I think I now need to find Iron Man 1 and 2 to see what happened previously. Yes there was the bit when the Iron Man ran and a flippen train came out of nowhere and hit him and all bits came rushing towards us in 3D and yes I got a huge fright and yes did swing my arm out and grab my son and yes it was a badly aimed grab and yes his eyes watered and yes I was sorry. 

Less than fun was the woman sitting next to me whose laugh resembled a naying horse and who had the weird habit of laughing, randomly, in the most unfunny parts.  Then she also had brought along a packet of "slap chips" which she opened soon after sitting.  So the air around me now reeked of salt and vinegar whilst she munched through these, occasionally wiping her fingers off on the material of the seats.  Great.  The crumbling up of the packet afterwards was also fabulous.  Five mins later came the follow up packet of who knows what which she had ... looked like a large slice of cake.  More crumbling. 

At this stage person 1 and 2 sitting behind us (whose voice slurring indicated that they had had the odd guava juice prior to the movie) decided that he and she now both needed to go to the loo.  Much head kicking and seat kicking ensued from behind us both when they went out and when they returned.  They also found it necessary to tell us all how much better they felt.  Thanks, my life would have been so empty had I not known. 

Of course the movie was sold out and when we got there 5 youngsters were in our seats.  I ask to see their tickets.  They replied they don't have to produce them to me "am I the usher?" .... go figure.  Ushers in movies went out about 20 yrs before they were born.  Nothing I love more than a youngster with a slick mouth and shitty attitude.  So I ask a little less nicely, now I see the squirming and so I say "get out of our seats and go wherever you should be" .... more deafness .... I raised the volume somewhat and a guy 2 rows back gets up and shouts "move or should I help you".  They moved, to the front row, where their actual seats were. 

And then as a highlight, the guy 2 seats from me felt he had to check his phone with the big ass screen every 2 mins.  Obviously he must have been a Neurosurgeon on call, as he checked his FB regularly in case someone paged him through there for an emergency.  Jeez, sad if you can't sit through a movie without your phone. 

So now this coming Friday we off to see F & F 6, so please everyone else going ..... sit in YOUR seats, eat only snacks sold AT the movie theatre, do all your whatsapp, twitter, fb, banking, instagram etc etc BEFORE you sit down, go to the LOO as a family, eat, drink and be merry, but not around me unless it is a normal drink, popcorn or such.

And most of all .... if you want to talk ALL the time .... do me a favour ... go out for coffee instead. 


till next time
c'est la vie xxx 

Monday 20 May 2013

the suit. the battery. and the woman mechanics

So today I had one of those days which is just ridiculously perfect for a blog entry. 

My car won't start.  3rd time since Fri (when I had to be rescued by my BFF's hubby when I got stuck in Laudium after a soccer match my son played at the opposition's field, about 35kms from his school).  On Fri morning I got rescued by 3 men in the neighbourhood who left their houses and eventually "jumptowed" me when jumpstarting did not work.  #knightsinshiningarmour

Now Fri I waved the bus of the players off gaily after the match at 6pm and then all the moms who had watched and fetched their boys drove off and we jumped in car,turned key and crrrrrrrrr.  That is the noise my battery made.  It was getting dark, we were on a field quite far from the nearest road.  The only beacon of light was KFC down the road.  The groundsman could smell my fear and kindly offered to get out the tractor and jumpstart my car.  Aforementioned tractor tried gallantly but all my car gave in return was crrrrrrrrrr.  So called BFF's hubby who has a workshop not too far from there ..... He brings jumper cables the thickness of a russian sausage and starts it in about 4 seconds.  

I go to my BFF on Sat night (clutching the battery which my hubby has kindly taken out for me).  Her and I watch a movie, drink a ton of tea and put the battery on her hubby's stand alone charger.  (He was away).  Now there was a bit of confusion about the negative and positive charging points (I was right and my informant was wrong.  He shall not be identified in order to protect the innocent hahaha) and when I return to collect my battery on Sunday eve I ask her hubby, who had just arrived back, to check only to find we had the two charging clamps reversed.  He had a good laugh at us.  So I had in fact now reverse charged my battery thus making the + terminal a - and vice versa.  Stuff up.  So poor man had to attach his spot light to my battery and burn it for an hour to deplete my battery so we could recharge it correctly and reverse the polarity again.  

All that and today crrrrrr.  So BFF fetches me, takes me to his workshop, I get a new battery and we return to my car.  Only snag now is that her and I must remove the old battery and install and fit the new one.  I have on a suit.  Armed with 4 spanners.  And my BFF.  My car is in the street so having got verbal tips from her hubby and mine, we open the bonnet and set about removing the old one.  

Let me tell you this .... we fitted the new one, fitted the steels "caps" for the positive side, refitted the terminals and it started FIRST TIME.  Girl power all the way baby.  Within 10 mins.  We made a nifty team and those coming by seemed amused to see a woman in a suit deftly turning off the bolts (while telling myself Righty Tighty and Lefty Loosy so that I turn the bolt in the correct direction).  BFF proved a master in removing and refitting the caps.  

So I get going for a 2nd time this morning and 4 blocks after leaving my house  a guy rides into the back of me at the robot after his brakes failed.  I get out, look at him, look at our cars and say "what the hell dude".  He starts crying.  He is about 30.  I was lucky that I had started to pull away when he hit me so he actually just nudged me.  No damage to my car (God probably realised ENOUGH for today please).  So off I went for the 3rd time. Thank you to the guy in the 4x4 who parked his car and ran over the minute I got bumped.  He was at my side before I even got out.  #knightinshiningarmour

Then tonight coming from Witbank hubby gets a puncture.  

We are like a comedy movie crossed with how many things can go wrong on a Monday. 

The highlight was Jess got accepted at Chef's Academy to study for next 2 years .... so that outshone anything else. 

Vodka anyone?  Or would you like me to fit your battery?



till next time, what will tomorrow bring?
c'est la vie xxx

Sunday 19 May 2013

what makes you smile

What makes your heart beat a little faster.  Makes a smile creep up to your mouth when you suddenly think of it.  Makes laughter resonate around your body.  What or who in your life?

Listening to a song of the radio tonight in the car, that one line "what makes your heart beat a little faster" had me thinking most of the way during my trip. 

More importantly I found myself wonder in this fast world do we ever stop long enough to think about it, or them.  Do we place enough importance on those people?  Or do we only realise once they walk away how much of a space they had filled in our lives?

Heart beat a little faster ....... sjoe my list would be pretty varied ...... makes a smile creep up to my mouth ...... ditto ..... 

lemme see .... 

Coffee (anyone surprised) ... hot, strong cappuccino (I am smiling right now) 
Frankie .... who rescues me regularly from all over ..... battery problem, tappet problem, oh damn I put my gearlock on at wrong angle problem ..... only guy lucky enough to have a best friend whose wife always need rescuing (hubby just shakes his head)
The twins .....just too sweet for words and the most charming young gentlemen who have lent me a blackberry for 8 weeks now while i have my ongoing fight with Samsung about my Siii (you have great friends Nic)
KFC ... who make the best damn mash and gravy and coleslaw  .....  and I have been addicted since high school
My friend .... who makes sure that my caffeine intake has a daily limit before I get put onto camomile rations and who understands the complexities of having to wash all that kit (and I have not overfoamed your machine since then) 
Nic and Jessie .... who are able to mimic me to perfection (and no I am not laughing :)  )
  and the list goes on and on and one ...

So tell me ....... who or what makes you smile?  And don't leave it to late to tell them or enjoy it. 

till next time
c'est la vie xx



Tuesday 14 May 2013

butterflies and weak knees

So, here comes that hormone thing.  No not mine, my son's.  Was I ready yet? No.  Am I having fun yet?  Sometimes.  Do I laugh in my head a lot (more than normal)?  Yes.  Do I bite my tongue a lot?  Probably not as much as I should.  Do I glare at young girls hanging around my son? Not anymore.

When boys get to High School it is not just about having to shave and a whole lot of other "stuff" but it also seems to herald the all consuming awareness of the other people in the world.  Those with skirts and boobs.  Heaven help me but when your son suddenly shoots up to just on 6 foot in height with feet about the same size, has a deep voice like the Godfather and you notice that you never seem to have his attention 100 %, then you know things they are a changing.  

I have noticed that the age of the boys on the soccer team is increasing in seemingly perfect proportion to the number of girls who now come and support the games.  And look .... credit where credit is due ...... they seem to have a working knowledge of the game and are very enthusiastic.  I am sometimes not sure if the shrieks are as a result of them admiring the ball skills, or whether it is a shriek of excitement whilst staring at the thigh muscles of these ever growing super fit boys.  The latter seems more logical. 

On the other hand I have noticed that my son, who captains a sharp hockey team, also has a ever growing interest in "supporting" some of the other sports which are played with those in female sports kits.  I admire his school spirit and supportiveness.  haha.  He always supported other sports teams, since he was young, but somehow I think his motivation now is somewhat more hormone driven.  Gotta love it.  But don't tell him I said that. 




Naturally hubby uses every available moment to tease aforementioned son.  And despite me asking him hundreds of times to let up, he just cannot help himself.  Says it is a dad's job ...... while Nic rolls his eyes and reminds Eug that he has "no idea whatsoever what his dad is talking about".  But he gives his mom the twinkle eye look, coz somehow moms always know. 

So with a sports playing daughter also supporting the boys' teams and a sports playing son supporting the girls' teams ..... whattalotofsportwegot. 

Growing up ........we all did it. 

till next time 
c'est la vie xxx

Saturday 11 May 2013

can't do an hour without coffee

Hello my name is Karin and I am a coffee-holic.  I have been a coffee-holic forever. See these fun facts:


If you like your espresso coffee sweet, you should use granulated sugar, which dissolves more quickly, rather than sugar cubes; white sugar rather than brown sugar or candy; and real sugar rather than sweeteners which alter the taste of the coffee.

"Cowboy coffee"? It was said they made their coffee by putting ground coffee into a clean sock and immersing it in cold water and heating over a campfire. When ready, they would pour the coffee into tin cups and drink it. 

It takes approximately 42 coffee beans to make an average serving of espresso.

Turkish bridegrooms were once required to make a promise during their wedding ceremonies to always provide their new wives with coffee. If they failed to do so, it was grounds for divorce! (Ouch!)
I LOVE THIS ONE

Espresso has 1/3 of the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee.

In Greece and Turkey, it is the custom that the eldest is served coffee first 

Beethoven who was a coffee lover, was so particular about his coffee that he always counted 60 beans each cup when he prepared his brew.

 Cappuccino has become the popular choice of exotic coffee lovers everywhere.
I MUST BE SERIOUSLY EXOTIC

Coffee is the second largest commodity in world trade, right after oil.

And in closing I just love this one 

Decaffeinated coffee is kind of like kissing your sister.
~Bob Irwin
till next time
c'est la vie xxx



Thursday 9 May 2013

a little bit of crazy. a little bit of fun.

It has been a helluva deurmekaar week so far.  First I left my interior light on in my car which means I had to get it jumpstarted to get to work (not the first time) ... usually leave the car headlights on because my car does not do that ping ping thing if you leave the lights on when you switch car off (annoying).  

Then Samsung confirms once and for all that they will not be covering, under the 1 year guarantee, my screen on my Samsung Siii which stopped working because I "cannot prove I did not drop it".  I tend not to drop something of that price that I paid cash for 6 months ago.  I did mention that they too "cannot prove that I dropped it" (I didn't) but that seemed to have made less than nothing of an impression on telephone person.  So that little repair came with a R2000.47 price tag (cheers Samsung in future).

Then I raced on Monday to pick kids up at school at 5pm, raced home in ridiculous traffic (took an hour to do 22kms) and then planned to dress in ten mins to be back at a cocktail party at school (back 22kms) by 630pm.  #epic fail.  Got home and realised that due to having jumpstarted my car, hubby was running late and he let us out when we left.  Which meant my house key was now ..... yes, in the house.  So there we sat on the pitch dark driveway, waiting for hubby to come from Witbank.  And my jeans and sneakers were definately not "cocktail party wear", so we waited in the dark while Ebony went insane as she could not understand why we came home and did not get out the car for an hour.  (where's my food?).

And so it has gone all week so far, one comical event after another  ....... as Eug tells the children .. "with such a crazy mom it is nothing short of a miracle that you have turned out so well"....... 



till next time
c'est la vie 


Friday 3 May 2013

a colourful issue

So racism at high school level is still alive and well and functioning at a local school in Pretoria ... perhaps at more than one still (sad) but we don't always play hockey against them. 

Last year we visited this school as we played against them in an Away game for our u17 team of girls.  From the moment our girls set foot out the bus the racial slurs against certain members of our team started..... okay let us not fiddle about ...... against black players in our team .... really?  .... seriously?  We are guests at your College and this is how you behave.  Not surprising though as the parents (classy, real classy pfft) were there and they were at the forefront of the loud racial slurs.  During the game the opposition seemed to misunderstand the concept of hitting the ball and not the player, resulting in several girls getting injured and one of the opposition girls shouting to her mom next to the field *translated* "Mom this ***** keeps hitting me" ..... she wasn't, but retaliation ....... well one can only take so much.  It was upsetting and then they started (the parents) on what the letters of the acronym for our school stood for .... It was around here that I marched up to them and asked them what example they were setting and that we were guests at their school ..... The answer from the parents was not pretty at all. 

So they come and play at a Home game for us not long after. .... they no sooner off the bus then one chick is having a hissy fit because we have integrated bathrooms ... and I don't mean boys and girls together.  Hello .... 2013 ........ where have you been little girl?  

I really thought that in the 365 days since then they had grown up.  No such luck .... in the week we met them again ... this time in an u18 match on their grounds.  Now they had boys from the school sitting on the sidelines shouting out the slurs.  My daughter, despite being the captain, has a badly injured leg from hockey, and is not playing at the moment so she had the delightful honour of sitting next to the "we call people despicable names" gang. 

It is so sad.  If you have racial issues, that is your thing then.  To each his own.  But when you host a school or visit another school you can at least act as if you have some breeding.  

Or maybe they just don't ....


till next time, 
c'est la vie xxxx 

So how is your week going? Yes I wrote this blog a while ago.  I have tripped going up (yes up, not down the plethora of steps up to our hou...