Monday schmonday

After a particularly fantastic break, today was my first day back in the office. The less said about that, the better. Suffice to say the rainy start and stressy deadlines ensured that Day Numero Uno was somewhat of a trial by fire. 

Let's rather focus on the good things. 

Of course, being the early stages of a brand new year, it's fairly easy to feel happy and optimistic. Yeah, that's a bit of an overstatement. But having spent the last two weeks surrounded by good friends and general juvenile silliness, it was a good end to a rather bi-polar year. (Thanks 2014, don't let the door hit you on the way out.) 

As for 2015 resolutions, don't be ridiculous. I've seen that movie many times before and it never ends well. But I do have a few goals in mind that range from writing more often and getting my running back on track, to wearing red lipstick regularly (with confidence!) and squeezing in an overseas trip at the end of the year.  

Most importantly, however, is inspiration. It's so easy to get bogged down by the daily grind which is an instant slayer of creativity and inspiration. Even just one day back at work and I'm ready to curl up in my bed in the foetal position. So this is going to take a little effort. Okay, a lot of effort. Either way though, I intend making 2015 my personal bitch. Like a boss. 

Of course I mean that in the nicest possible way. 

In other completely unrelated news, SA's matric results were released today. The national pass rate: 75.8%. That's not particurlarly good, especially considering that last year the pass rate was 78.2%. Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has a lot to answer for. 

Yeah, so what happened? Oh, who can say…

From what I understand, to pass matric all you need is a 40% mark for three of your six subjects (one of them being your home language), and 30% for the remainder. Seriously. That's all. It seems that the department keeps lowering  the minimum requirements for a matric pass and yet fewer kids are getting through. Education equals empowerment, so this is a massive hurdle for the country. It does not bode well. 

Hello the future. Oh sweet Jesus

Anyway, to end off on a completely irrelevant note, this little nerd bought her first Moleskine notebook recently. Personally, I think they're offensively overpriced but I've got quite a lot of bookshop vouchers so I decided to treat myself to one. The plan was to use it at the office (I'm forever writing notes and making lists at work) but honestly, it just seems far too lovely to waste on to-do lists and the like. Especially as I bought one of the limited edition Mickey Mouse versions (god, that sounds childish, but it's actually kinda cool and retro). 

Nerd porn

So I'm thinking I'm going to use the rest of my vouchers for a second Moleskine which I'll use at the office. Is that completely self-indulgent? Should I be ashamed of myself?

Probably.

Oh well. 

Right, enough word vomiting for now. 

Deja moo

Oh sweet Jesus! This blog thing is not working out. Funny how I can always think of a million things to write about when I'm on the train… or in the car… or brushing my teeth… But of course when it comes to actually writing, I'm the world's biggest procrastinator. WTF? This must change.

So.

New blog title. For now. (Because I'm commitment-phobic like that.) With 2014 coming to a rapid close, it's also time for a little introspection, which is why I'm planning to get stuck into this (again):

Back to el blog. This time around, I'm also dropping the cloak-and-dagger approach because let's face it, when you're in your mid-thirties (as I am), you really need to own what you say and do. I won't be sharing my address or bank account number but I'm not hiding behind a cryptic profile pic and a silly pseudonym. This is me. Take it or leave it. And yes, sometimes I swear.

Under toad

So since I've been taking a train into town every day instead of facing rush hour traffic en route to the office by car, I've had the chance to catch up on a lot of reading. It's been glorious. (The reading, absolutely NOT the train.) Lately I've read The Goldfinch (fairly decent, though I don't think it's worth the hype), Doctor Sleep (Stephen King's sequel to The Shining, which I thoroughly enjoyed), and a book by one of my all-time favourite authors – We Are Water by Wally Lamb. Like She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, it's a touching and poignant read. Intricate and all-consuming. Lovely.

However, today I finished The World According to Garp and wanted to share how much I enjoyed it. What a fantastic read. Witty, touching, thoughtful and thought-provoking – it's everything a good novel should be. Published in 1978 (I think?), it's been around for a while. A good friend recommended this book to me a few years ago, though I only got round to reading it now. I wish I had read it sooner. If this novel is anything to go by, I'm looking forward to reading other books by John Irving.

If you haven't yet read it, consider adding it to your Kindle.

Word nerd anthem

I loved the original but this version is almost better. But that's because I'm a copy editor and have to deal with mangled and abused English on a daily basis.

Presenting Weird Al Yankovic's Word Crimes. You're welcome.

(Dumb mouth-breather? Brilliant!)

Well this is awkward...

Yeah, so it's been a while. For a wordsmith, this so-called blogger has sorely neglected her little blog. As in locked-up-in-a-basement. With no windows or chocolate. Josef Fritzel style.

What the hell happened? Life, that's what. It's a pathetic excuse and I won't go into detail. All that matters is that I'm back.

I've also given it a new look along with a brand spanking new title. So long Fluffy Pink Thing, hello Serendipity & Stilettos. Serendipity is my favourite word in the entire world. And I like stilettos, even though I consider them modern-day instruments of torture. Anyway, the point is, it's metaphorical. The new title has a ying/yang feel to it… polar opposites… contrast and all. Because that's what my life is like. It's what I'm like.

So yes, this blog is back in business. And by 'business' I mean it'll be updated a lot more regularly. Expect a mixed bag of tricks. Long waffly posts, snippety pieces, a little ranting, occasional raving and of course, things that I like (pics of adorable animals, firemen, adorable animals with firemen…). And with any luck, there'll be some fairly intellectual stuff here too. Food for thought and all that.

On that note, let's get this party started (high five).

Girl gone wild

Last week, when I was called into my editor's office, the inner critic that lurks inside my head pointed me to the conclusion that I must in some sort of trouble – no doubt some errant spelling or not-so-factual fact (these are the things that keep copy eds up at night). But I was pleasantly surprised when instead of a lambasting, she asked me if I'd be willing to fly to Sun City – for three (work) days. 

After careful consideration that lasted for about 1.3 nanoseconds, I said yes, without even caring what the reason for my little trip was. My mind was too busy doing a happy dance, like that weird cousin from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Fast-forward a couple of days later, and I'm at the airport – boarding a flight for Lanseria. Jet-setter. Yeah, that's me.The entrance to the Palace. Pretty, no? Sun City Girlfriend's Getaway – that's what they were calling this expedition. Basically, in celebration of Women's Day – and the ensuing month – Sun City, the PR agency and a few sponsors had thought it a good idea to round up some local female celebs and send them to Sun City for three days, where they'd be wined, dined and pampered. 

Day One: the good life

As you've no doubt guessed, I'm not quite a celeb, but I am female, local and in media – hence my invite. On arrival, we discovered that we were staying at the Palace – the grandest and most expensive of the hotels. (Cue happy dance again.) And the suite certainly lived up to the hotel's reputation – oh-so-very jouge. By the end of day one, I found myself happily fed, sufficiently tipsy and the owner of trendy looking and properly manicured nails. 

The next morning started off with a full breakfast at the hotel's impressive dining room. I had to suppress my inner kid just to stop myself from running up and down the buffet line screeching 'Whheeeeeeeeee'. (I didn't, in case you were wondering.) And then it was time for the main event around which the entire getaway had been organised. An 'Amazing Race', based on TV's Amazing Race. Bearing in mind that the female celebs in attendance were mostly diva TV presenters and beauty queens, I felt fairly confident that the race wouldn't be all that taxing. Jesus Christ was I wrong. It started off well enough – we were all presented with brand new watches and Clinique misters and suncream (yay free loot!). And then it began – three solid hours of extreme exercise that shaved about five years off my life. The race started with a memory challenge, which I'd assumed would set the tone for the remainder of the race. My team won the challenge and so we headed off first. Running. Running up the countless stairs leading back to the hotel. Running through the hotel. Running to the golf course towards the driving range. Then it was back, past the hotel, to the amphitheatre, galloping all the way. After searching for clues, it was off to a water park where, instead of floating down the entire course, we ran it. In the water. Fully clothed. On a cold Highveld morning in the middle of winter. Ice ice baby. With a newfound respect for water aerobics and weighing about 10 kg heavier thanks to my drenched gym clothes, it was back to running – all the way to the entertainment centre. Then all the way to the tennis courts. There I had a chance to catch my breath as we signed indemnity forms and received a quick crash course on how to ride a Segway – around an obstacle course. As a girl with zero ability to ice-skate/rollerblade/skateboard, I suspected this would prove challenging, but I was just so incredibly grateful not to be running that I jumped the queue and volunteered to be one of the first to try it out. It was nerve-wracking, and with TV cameras trained on my still-soggy butt, the pressure was on. But I bravely soldiered on and completed the course – albeit in record slow mo. Whatever. I felt like a winner. After my team members had also rocked the Segway, it was back to running – this time to the archery target place thingie. There's a term for it, I'm sure. Anyway, turns out yours truly doesn't entirely suck at the bow and arrow, with one of my three tries finding success. Yay! 

Chicks with balls

Then it was a little paintball, which truth be told, I didn't even get to try, which was disappointing. Then there was a touch of football scoring, which wasn't bad either.  Turns out that I'm not terrible at activities that don't involve running. Go figure. Then came the highlight of the entire event (second to it being over, that is) – jet skiing!!!!! I've always wanted to try that, and it was so much fun! If we weren't in a race, I don't think I would've ever got off. After that, it was off to the cultural village for the final challenge which, to my horror, involved eating chicken feet and drinking traditional sorghum beer. I know it could've been a lot worse and that we got off relatively lightly, but it was utterly disgusting and I really struggled to get it down. But I did – well at least, some of it. Sadly, our stoic efforts weren't quite enough and we were narrowly beaten to the finish. I remain convinced that there was cheating on the victors' part, but at the time, I was just relieved that the suffering was over. Although we had lost, I decided to reward myself with a delicious G&T, double thank you very much. It effectively calmed my nerves and took away some of the nasty greasy feet taste that lingered in my mouth. So foul. (Ha ha. Geddit?Foul? Fowl? Never mind.)

I mean, have you ever?!?!??!

The remainder of the day centred around much-needed makeup makeovers and wheezing like a chronic smoker. Sexy. Even the cocktail party that evening ended early as no one had the energy to party like it was 1999. What surprised me was the tenacity of the celebs on my team. While myself and the other two journalists plodded along at the back, the more well-known ladies were in the front the whole time, encouraging us and being supportive, albeit a little snappy at times. Specifically when I was hesitant to eat un-manicured chicken paws, at which point a certain ex-Miss SA screeched at me to "JUST EAT IT!" She was scary; I complied. 

Just like that, the getaway was over, and I was being shuttled back to Cape Town, laden with goodie bags, achy limbs and a dire need for a good night's sleep. It was quite an experience, I must say. Between running like a crazy woman to drinking Jagermeister shots at the bar of a R50 000 suite with a cute TV producer, it was all good. Plus it certainly beat being at the office. And I'm loving my new watch and fabulous Clinique skincare products but I can honestly say that if I never have to run again, it'll be too soon.

Happy happy!

 

Happy New Year, darlings! 

Can't believe it's 2011 already. Feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the end of the century and dreading the Y2K bug. Ha! So much for that. And now here we are, in 2011. Well anyway, I hope this year brings us all lots of laughter and joy blah blah blah. As for resolutions, I'm not making any. Useless things. Though if I were to make any, maybe I should start with not over-doing the bubbly, like I did last night. 

So it's been a while since the last post. Time flies when you're having fun, though I suspect that time-travel feeling is more a result of hectic deadlines and the general day to day craziness. But it's been a really nice Christmas and though I've only been able to get a week's leave, it's been fun and relaxing. Not really looking forward to the return to the office on Monday, but no use moaning about the inevitable. 

Anyway, time to wrap up - my poor abused little brain cells aren't coping that well right now and so I'm planning on spending the rest of the day on my couch with The Vampire Diaries and chocolate for company!

x o x o