March 10th...

is finally over... It's always a sad day on my calendar and one I never look forward to, always feeling "happy" when I can turn out my lights at the end of the day and know that it's over for another year.

You see, yesterday would've been my 10 year wedding anniversary.  And no matter where life takes me, it'll always be a day full of memories.  Happy memories, that make me sad.  It's unbelievable how things have changed in the last decade, how I've changed.  I am not the carefree, worry-free girl I was back then, life has moulded me into someone very different from that.

In 10 years, I have aged 10 years.  I have moved house 3 times.  I have bought a house, which we live in now, I have learnt and I am still learning, how to cope as a single parent, both financially and emotionally.  It's tough and there are a lot of decisions to be made, but Jake and I have an incredible bond and he really is the light of my life.  I don't know where I'd be today (if here at all) if I hadn't had him to force me through the difficult days.  I have become independent.  I am not scared to live alone and drive around town alone.  Jake and I travel to amazing destinations, something I have come to love doing.  I love travelling and exploring the world.  I have made a ton of really incredible friends, who are all like angels to me.  I have seen both my sisters marrying the men of their dreams.  I have become an auntie to Connor and soon to Bianca as well (I also have two gorgeous nieces, who are growing up faaaaaar too quickly). 

This time of year is always a strong reminder of the things that we've been through as a family.  March 11th marks the anniversary of my dad's transplant (in 1998), so today is another emotional one for us all.  We've ordered a special bottle of champagne and a cake for them as a surprise on the boat today.  Having them away yesterday was also tough.  My mom is so good at distracting me when I'm feeling down, but we all know that we are thinking about one another no matter the distance.

Anyway... before I have my sister's in tears again, I just wanted to say thank you to my many friends and family who helped me pass the day with phone calls, sms's and supper.  A special thanks to Rose, it was awesome having company last night, but my head is a little sore this morning and I did forget to set my alarm for my run...  You are all amazing, thank you!!

Aside from that, we have another busy weekend coming up.  Jake's doing the 10km Junior Argus tomorrow- he's very excited about it - he gets a goodie bag and medal if he finishes, which he can take to school and have handed to him during next week's assembly.  I just hope he can actually finish it, we've done very little training.  Danie does the main Argus on Sunday, which will take up most of the day for him.  Jake & I might go watch for a while from the top of Boyes Drive, but it depends largely on the weather and traffic.  If I can convince Jake, we might opt to do something a little more exciting than watching bikes whizz past...

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend with your nearest and dearest!!

Love,
Sue XXX

Wish Me Luck...

As you wave me goodbye.  What an emotional day!!  Watching a boat set sail out of Cape Town Harbour is NOT for sissies and both Jake and I were left feeling exhausted and very emotional yesterday.  Added to the emotions that go with saying goodbye, the ONLY thing I can remember from Jacques' funeral is a story about a boat getting smaller on one side, but getting bigger and closer on the other. Added to that, I have a wedding anniversary (who knew life could change so much in 10 years) coming up this week, so I am just a little over-emotional at the moment.  Seeing a boat, carrying my parents, was saaaaaaaaad...

Melody with our beautiful mountain in the background.  It was a perfect, calm day for a boat trip...

Mom and Dad had a great send off, with a few friends coming down to the harbour to say their goodbyes.  Mom had bought balloons for herself and Jake - green, white and red, the colours of the Italian flag.  The plan was that as Mom let each colour off, Jake was to follow, but we missed her white one and her green one popped, so he let all three of his off when she let go of her last one.  The last balloon was the red one, which she'd told Jake meant love.

Jake with his balloons...

Mom and Dad on the deck...

 The boat getting ready for it's big journey...

 The tug coming to fetch the boat from the quayside...

Mom and sharing a kiss with her sister, Christine.  Alongside are my Uncle Bill, Mr & Mrs Sharpe and Dad checking out his camera/phone...

Pulling up the gang plank.  Bins are full of rubbish from cleaning up after the previous voyage.  The boat only came into port on Monday morning and guests were allowed on board from 1:30pm again...

Someone should've told that guy that he'd had an accident in his pants before he bent over to let the ropes loose...

The tug in place and ready for action.  Signal Hill in the background...

The boat begins to move and the crowds cheer...

It's unbelievable how they manoeuvre that huge ship in such a small space...

Turning right around with Cape Town's CBD in the background...

Coming out of the basin...

Moving through the harbour...

Not the best photo, but if you look carefully on the top deck, you'll be able to see a red balloon - that's Mom...

Passing the harbour wall and heading out into open waters...

Turning...

Saying farewell to the tug and she's off...

Needless to say, I tried to be brave, but shed more than a few tears.  When we got home, Jake collapsed in floods of tears on the front stoep - he just wanted to speak to his Nini and Pa and was already missing them.  My poor baby...  Fortunately, they had cell phone reception till just after 6pm, so he was able to phone them.  Mom and Dad seemed very excited to finally be on the boat and ready to go. Their cabin sounds lovely with plenty of space.  I know that it is going to be a very happy time for them!!

Love,
Sue xxx

Bon Voyage...

Today my mom and dad embark on an adventure of a life time, as they board the "Melody" and set sail for ITALY!!!  They have a few friends and family members going with, including my mom's sister and her husband.  Their cruise will be 18 days long and they stop at many interesting spots along the way.  Because I am who I am, I will bore you with their itinerary: -

07-03-2011 - Depart Cape Town Harbour at 16h00
08-03-2011 - At Sea
09-03-2011 - Arrive in Walvis Bay, Namibia, at 08:00, depart at 17:00
10-03-2011 - At Sea
11-03-2011 - At Sea
12-03-2011 - Arrive in Jamestown, St Helena, at 13:00, depart at 19:00.  My uncle has a friend living on St Helena, who will pick them up at the harbour and who is going to take them on a quick tour of the island
13-03-2011 - At Sea
14-03-2011 - At Sea
15-03-2011 - At Sea
16-03-2011 - At Sea
17-03-2011 - Arrive Dakar, Senegal at 10:00, depart 18:00
18-03-2011 - At Sea
19-03-2011 - At Sea
20-03-2011 - Arrive Arrecife de Lanzarote, Canary Island/Spain, at 08:00, depart 18:00
21-03-2011 - At Sea
22-03-2011 - Arrive Cadiz, Spain, at 08:00, depart 19:00
23-03-2011 - At Sea
24-03-2011 - Arrive Barcelona, Spain, at 07:00, depart 13:00
25-03-2011 - Arrive Genoa, Italy at10:00

Once they disembark, they have another 3 nights in Italy, before flying home.  All in all, a 3 week holiday.  The first half of 2011 has been a very stressful, roller coaster type of year and I think that this trip is just what Mom and Dad need.  No cooking, no cleaning, just relaxing on the deck and being pampered from morning till night.  I'm pretty sure on 5 meals a day, including afternoon tea and midnight snacks, they're both going to come back slightly rounder than they're leaving, but that's also a sign of a great time away. 

I'm feeling quite emotional about them going, as are my sisters, but we all know that it's going to be such a happy time for Mom and Dad and we wish them everything of the very best.  What an adventure!!  We will miss having them around the corner and will miss being able to pop in for a quick swim or a chat.  Jake and I are going down to the harbour for 3:30 this afternoon, so that we can watch them getting the boat ready and wave goodbye.  I think that's the part that's choking me up the most - seeing the boat pull away and getting smaller and smaller.  Needless to say, I will have my camera with me and Jake holding my hand tightly - both of which provide some distraction.  I've also promised Jake that we can go to the aquarium afterwards for a little while and get something to eat in the Waterfront.

Mom and Dad - have an amazing time, you deserve it so much.  Probably more than anyone else we know.  Enjoy every moment and enjoy not having a care in the world.  Relax as much as possible.  We love you so much and will miss you stacks while you're away.  We already can't wait for you to come home and share your adventures with us.  Dad, take lots of photos, even if mom gets annoyed...

With lots of love,
Sue XXX

Bitch & Wine...

That's the name of our book club - don't laugh, if you knew us well enough, you'd understand that it's very apt.  Our book club's been running for 8 years this year.  We've had our differences along the way and members have come and gone. 

 From left to right: Amanda, Lauren, Becks, Christina, Lee-Anne, me, Ciska and Joanne.  Belinda's taking the picture and her sister, Wendy, is off on maternity leave after just having her first baby.

Last night, while chatting to the girls, I got thinking about the demographics of our club.  We are officially 10 members now.  Out of the 10, 3 are very single, 3 are married, 3 are divorced, 1 is widowed, 3 have kids, 2 are engaged, 2 have boyfriends, 1 is pregnant, 1 has just given birth, 1 has just gotten married, 1 just divorced 2 are foreigners (incidentally, they're the 2 that are engaged, both to South African men), 1 is just home from a long stint overseas, 1 is about to embark on a 6-week journey to Paris (lucky cow).  At nearly 34, I'm the oldest in our group and often feel like a bit of a wall flower.  Let me say, that this is a wild, crazy group of girls.  I have never lived life the way some of them do.   Not that I regret it, but it is fun seeing and hearing how the other half live. 

Over the 8 years that we've been running, we've seen each other through some pretty hectic stuff.  Breakups and makeups, deaths, divorce, babies and weddings.  For me, when I lost Jacques, hanging out with girlfriends was fabulous.  I didn't feel like the odd one out, I wasn't missing a partner, because he wouldn't have been invited anyway. We all come from very different walks of life, but that's what makes it so interesting.  We have a very strict policy of what happens in book club, stays in book club, so I can't go into more detail about what gets said and done, but it is always interesting.  There are just some things that girls get, that guys don't.  We speak to each other and listen, we empathise without trying to fix things.  It's good to get things in perspective and get other women's opinions.  Women just know women so well and it's always good spending time together. 


I really didn't feel like going out last night, I had a headache and was very tired, but, I had a really lovely evening with the girls.  Even though I got very little sleep last night, hanging out with the girls did me the world of good!!

Till next time,
Cheers! XXX

PS.  So much for book club - I forgot the books at home last night!!

Finally...

A little while ago, you might remember me writing about the Office Bitch.  Well, as of Monday, my office is officially Bitch-free!!!  Yep, our dear little misery has been dismissed and gone off to "greener pastures".  Do I feel sorry for him - heck ja!  He will never find another job where he can slack off like he has here and earn the fat salary that he had the potential to, if he'd been prepared to go out and look for clients.  I think he's a very sad, lonely, miserable person and I do feel very sorry for him for that.  I can't comment on what he's like outside the office these days, but for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, he's been like a little black cloud in the office. And it's not only me that feels this way, everybody else in the office has passed comment at some stage or another.

But, selfishly, for me, I'm ECSTATIC that I never have to be ignored by him every morning.  As much as I tried to be friendly, over the last month I caved and have just given up my politeness towards him.  I even snapped at him over not completing his one bit of work that he did incorrectly.  It was affecting my job and I can honestly say that can't and don't want "friends" who are prepared to treat others that way.  It was totally childish and uncalled for.  I can only guess that he was jealous of my relationship with my wonderful, amazing, lovely, sweet boyfriend and it was his way of getting back at me.  Tosser.  Oh, I forgot to mention, the cherry on top of the rudeness cake was that he didn't even have the courtesy to say a simple goodbye.  After 3 years of working together, he just left.  It irritates me, but I'll get over it very quickly (just hand me a glass of champagne to celebrate!!) Anyway, work is a much happier place for me right now and everyone seems more cheerful.  Danie wisely told me that I should be nicer about this, but I can't.  It's all about making choices about your mental state and the O.B. chose to be a little black rain cloud, instead of a bright yellow ray of sunshine.  I choose otherwise for myself.

Here's to many more happy days in the office...

Sue X

Today's Thought...

In life, not everything can make you happy all of the time.  And while I've always said that we are responsible for our own happiness, I'm not entirely sure that I've been completely right.  I've believed that the things that don't make us happy need to be dealt with and discarded from our minds and our lives, so that we can continue enjoying the gift of life.  But I'm learning that this isn't always possible.  That we can't take control of another person's thoughts and deeds, that some things are just totally beyond our control.   We lose friends along the way (sometimes to death, sometimes otherwise) and things happen that genuinely break our hearts at the time.  Life is hard.  It's challenging.  That said, I do believe that our outlook on life's challenges and the way we deal with them, reflect back on us as people, either negatively or positively.


So, my challenge to you today is to do a mental inventory about what makes you genuinely happy in your life.  Take stock.  Make the effort to sort out problems in your life (those that can be solved).  You'll feel better about life when you crawl between your sheets tonight.  If you have an issue with someone you love, bring it up.  Discuss it openly and honestly and hopefully, by the end of your conversation, your issues will be resolved.  The situation that was once a negative in your life will be out of the way and you can concentrate on enjoying an improved friendship.

My stock take:  I have the most wonderful, supportive family.  They are generous with their time and love and I am eternally grateful for all that they do for us.  They are the rocks in my life and I know that no matter what I say or do, they'll always be there for us.  I have an amazing boyfriend, who loves both Jake and I and I am blessed that he understands my needs.  Most of the time, anyway.  I have the most beautiful, mischievous, cheeky little boy who I adore with all my heart.  He is hard work, but I so enjoy sharing life's journey with him.  He is a real blessing to me.  Any time that life gets me down, I think about things such as these and I can't help but feel better...

Sue X

Life in general...

So, there have been things I haven't shared here.  Quite a few actually.  I'm not sure if I should even go there, but my mother always told me that a problem shared is a problem halved.  And my blog is my safe place to express my views and feelings.  So...

It's come as quite a shock to our family to learn that my dad's leukemia is back.  After having routine annual blood tests done, he was advised that his blood has about 5% leukemia in it.  We found out about 3 weeks ago and it's taking quite a bit of getting used to.  Because of the extensive treatment that he's been through over the last couple of years, they are not able to give him any more donor cells (from my uncle) as he has had his limit.  Any more and he stands a high risk of getting host/graft disease, which is basically a rejection of the health transplant cells.  Added to that, his body's also had it's limit of Chemotherapy and radiation.  When they did his transplant back in '98 they pretty much cooked him, so it's little wonder that he can't have any more.  Anyway, on the plus side of all of this, there is excellent medication available (my dad's doctor has referred to it as miracle medicine, previously) that he is going to be starting up with shortly, which slows (and possibly even halts) the cancer's growth.  It comes with a price tag of about R1,000.00 per day (approximately $130 - 140) though!!  His medical aid (insurance) has confirmed that they will be paying for this medication in full until July, when he'll need to go for further blood tests to see how effective the treatment has been.  I'm not sure what happens after July, but whether the medical aid pays for it or not, if the medicine's working, we will find the money to keep him on it.  We are just concerned about getting him going on the medication now, 'cos they're going on a 3 week sea cruise in 3 weeks time and the side effects of the medicine are many.  On the plus side, my dad is otherwise very healthy and it's still very early stages.  The type of leukemia my dad suffers from (chronic myeloid leukemia) is very slow growing, so he has a lot counting in his favour at this stage.  Please just keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

On a happy note, I had a lovely Valentine's Day and was a very spoilt girl!  Jake made Danie & I a gorgeous card at school, his Grandpa Hubie sent me red roses, his granny gave me a heart biscuit and chocolate, Rosanne made Jake & I delicious heart shaped biscuits, my parents sent chocolates for Jake, Danie & I.  Danie spoilt me with a huge bouquet of red roses too (I promise to take some pictures) and a massive box of Lindt balls, which I plan to finish this afternoon.  We had a lovely dinner with his cousin, Gareth and his girlfriend, Sharon, in the Waterfront.  The weather was incredible;  it was really a perfect evening.  We sat outside, looking out over the waterfront and our gorgeous mountain.  I ate way too much, but everything was so delicious and the weather was so perfect, I just didn't want the evening to end.  This has been the first Valentine's Day that I wasn't single for in 6 years and Danie made me feel very special.  He's gorgeous and we have lots of fun together and I'm very happy.  I'm in a love bubble. 

Aside from Valentine's day, Jake starts chess today after school (nerd) and has swimming later.  Tuesdays are our busy day and even though I didn't drink last night (I had a headache before we went out, that just won't go away), I'm suffering today.  We might be going through to Danie later, but he is waiting to hear from some friends who were either popping in to visit him tonight or on Thursday evening.  It's a guy's reunion type thing and guys suck at making plans.  It's a fact of life.

Anyway, I hope every one's well.  Photos tomorrow, I must just remember...

Sue x