What a week...

So to say that this was a helluva week is an understatement, the one great thing is that my Sweetheart is not working night shift this week but he has been working the whole week including this weekend. We are so used to exhaustion that we don't complain anymore and just carry on as this is our normality. Some more of the bad stuff then we will get to the good...

Then there was a garden wedding of one of my family members that we went to, where the sprinklers went off during the ceremony. Then it poured with rain and we all sat with umbrellas in a little garden, shivering and soaking wet having awkward conversations but persevered from the afternoon till the evening. I then tested my driving skills in driving through river like roads to work as the whole of Jo'burg experienced flooding due to the heavy rains. My little Jamba (pet name for my Nissan Juke) held its own and can luckily swim :)

It was a Kraken of a week filled with fury

The river to work, this was shallow waters still, that's why I was able to take a pic

The garden wedding

We had a watches and jewellery sale at our head office and were running up and down from our desks until I fell up the escalator - pulled the muscles around my scapula and bruised my ego as well as my arms and legs but luckily no broken bones. My boss unleashed the Kraken and went bat shit crazy as she has some personal medical procedure she is going through, and flips her lid at every turn, so it has been particularly tough! My planner has moved to another department but it was not all bad, we partied, and celebrated his time with us. At our sale we gave away a lot of hampers that made people in the office's day as they also had tough weeks. You know the world of hurt that awaits you when you don't make sales and customers are just not buying...We put on our red lips and are feeling positive for Valentine's Day sales. I got my weekly dose of Kill la Kill, and it never disappoints, the creators of this show are just awesome, the concept and story line is brilliant and the characters so interesting that you cannot stop watching! Oh and I am starting to learn Spanish on my Duolingo app, trying to get closer to that Spanish trip dream of mine.

Make the owl happy practice everyday - Si Senor lechuza!

My brother started his own carpentry business and looks like it is going well

We say farewell by partying

And being silly

We dust ourselves off and put on our red lips!

Make some happy customers

Make them winners

And then win some more!

I had a great 1 1/2 hours at the new Zumba Step launch, yes doing Zumba on a step and yes it hurts afterwards but it was a great cardio session! Everything hurts and it feels goood. We went to a family 30th in an extravagant Lebanese Bedfordview style home - an entertainment home that looks like it is out of a magazine or was maybe on an episode of Top Billing (not sure but OTT). A view of the whole Jo'burg, a designer garden, rooms upon rooms, a hotel car drop off area, maids, a cinema room. I have never seen so many business men, models, gym bunnies and I don't know what else in one area, the drink and food was a never ending river of over indulging. It felt fleeting, pretentious and dreamlike. It made me grateful for what I have, my life until thus far and that I have someone to share all experiences with, it is real not perfect but real and I would not change it for anything.

So here is to being more grateful and to a better, brighter week that is full of experiences and surprises!

Bouf
xx

A new year and past festivities

We had Christmas trees with lollipops in the office to get into the Xmas spirit! 

So Christmas has come and gone. Those awkward family gatherings spent together that is full of resentment and unpleasant moments, also thankfully done. For our Xmas we were at my Sweetheart's family's farm, and that in itself was an enlightening experience. I learnt that one should not have the feeding area of your livestock situated in a close proximity to your house, as you will have a SHITuation on your hands. The smell of cow crap and buzzing black flies is not at all what one is looking forward to for summery Christmas in the south.

Christmas cupcakes for our party

Chocolate wreaths decorations

Cheesy Xmas messages

Junk food at Xmas party

There was lots of singing, the aunts competing on their soprano skills in their rendition of Silent Night, and me cutting in with my tone deaf sing song. There were awkward, very deep, primarily inappropriate questions asked at the dinner table that you won't even ask your BFF let alone guests over a Christmas table. There was a time when I missed my dysfunctional, alcoholic family, as there are no emotional breakdowns just jovial eating and drinking at my house. There is however my dad walking around in a waaay too short and tight pants, my brothers are shirtless, my mom sweating and panting because she was cooking up a storm since 5am the morning and children running around screaming & laughing ...

Getting into the Xmas spirit

So after all the Xmas parties and being merry, I have started my exercise schedule again of zumba, zumba and yoga... Did ZenPilates but nothing zen about that, it still hurts :) As I am aiming to be healthy to build a strong immune system since I got ill first week of Jan and will not get ill again this year. I refuse to and that's that, my mind's made up. So we have come off the cheese and treats sauce and only the health boat.

Family antics at the farm

Family back home

My dad in longer than usual shorts and my mom over heating after all the cooking

Some very festive Christmas pudding

I have been really enjoying coconut water this summer and love the company's (that makes these coconut waters) new make over to their factory. They placed a plane on their factory facing the R59 highway.
Green peppercorns is also rocking my world, I use it in sauces, salads, on sarmies, omelettes, in pretty much everything.

Nature's Choice Factory

Coconut water is most refreshing drink of 2013

Green peppercorns

It is also back to school and below are my two nephews in their school uniforms. It is the eldest senior year in primary school and next year will be going to high school. Too cute!

Too cute in their uniforms and little hats

OMG I found this panda toothbrush at the pharmacy, it is so cute! If it wasn't for a 4 year old, I soooo would have bought it or if I knew a 4 year old to buy it for. It's got a light timer that's just what I need, why can't they make them for grown ups!?

Little panda toothbrush

For New Year's Eve I was ill, so it was not very exciting, we had a braai and enjoyed some trout with MCC and sparkling water on our veranda. There was a free fireworks show as the surrounding hills in the area we live in came alive with an impressive array of light displays. The neighbours were all in competition with each other to out do the previous guy's attempt. As the one guy would set off a bigger firework display than the previous guy. We enjoyed it thoroughly though...

New Years Eve trout

Well that is all from me, as it is back to the manic times with deadlines and opportunities to chase.

Have a great week :)

Bouf
x