... a holiday in paradise...

3 names I go by:
* Fi, Fiona, Mom

3 screen names I've had:
* Eloisemama, FionaO, Petunia_325

3 physical things I like about myself:
* My hair colour, my thin ankles, and um............ my green eyes.

3 parts of my heritage:
* Irish 2/8, Scots 5/8, English 1/8...

3 things I am wearing right now:
* Three? Haha. One: my dressing gown.

3 favorite bands/musical artists:
* Faithless, REM, Metallica.

3 favorite songs:
* "Everybody Hurts" - REM, "My Baby Just Cares For Me" - Nina Simone, "Sacrifice" - Sinead O' Connor.

3 things I want in a relationship:
* Humour, openness, consideration.

3 physical things about the preferred sex that appeal to me:
* Height, eyes, muscles...

3 favorite hobbies:
* Sewing, reading, writing.

3 Things I want:
* A fitter bod, more holidays, an unworried husband.

3 things that scare me:
* Bad driving, dentists, flying.

3 of my everyday essentials:
* Contact lenses, mascara, cash.

3 Careers you have considered or are considering:
* The only other career I consider is being a writer.

3 places you want to go on vacation:
* I'd like to go to Sweden and to Canada, and another trip to the UK.

3 kids' names you like:
* I have NO idea! Once I had El I stopped thinking of any preferences. This would need a lot of thought...

3 things you want to do before you die:
* Go on an overseas trip with Edgar with a decent amount to spend, get published, see my kids have happy families (LQTS notwithstanding).

3 celeb crushes:
* Johnny Depp, The Rock, John Travolta

3 Things I want to do badly right now:
* Nothing at this very minute, although a cup of coffee and some toast would do well...

 

Two jobs you've had in your life:
* As a teen: tote-operator at the horse-race track; sales clerk/fitting-room attendent in Truworths. (Now I just draw pictures for a living....)

Two movies you would watch over and over:
* Moonstruck and Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Two places you have lived:
* Both suburbs of Johannesburg: Kensington and Kibler Park.

Two TV shows you love to watch:
* CSI Las Vegas, ER. (I'd also watch The Weakest Link (UK, not SA version) if I was allowed to touch that remote.....)

Two places you have been on vacation:
* The UK (1997) and Cape Town.

Two websites you visit daily:
* I am not always online daily, but most frequent visits are to news.google.co.za and my webmail when I at work.

Two of your favorite foods:
* Fries and creme brulee (but not at the same time..........)

Two places you would rather be right now:
* Scottburgh beach or somewhere in the Drakensberg.

Two places you've never been to but would like to visit:
* Canada and Sweden.

Two foods/beverages you've never tried:
* Perlemoen and Bloody Mary

Two movies you've never watched:
* Just make that most horror movies.......

Two books you would recommend:
* Nelson Mandela's 'Long Walk To Freedom' and Bryce Courtenay's 'The Power Of One'.

Two personal calendar dates that are special to you:
* (I'll change 'special' to 'have impact') Apart from the obvious ones like birthdays and anniversaries, I'd say Jan 25 2003 and December 6 2005.

Two scents you dislike:
* MAGNOLIA and StaSoft blue. Both make me gag worse than dog-poop or dirty nappies.

Two moments in history that stand out to you:
* I have to make it three cos they all have equal impact: Princess Diana, Challenger and 9/11.

Two people you haven't seen in a long time that you would like to see again:
* Not really fair, but I'd like to see my gran and my dad again (they're both dead). And amongst the living I'd like to see Renee (high school friend) and Jenny-Lynne (primary school friend).

1. What did you do in 2005 that you hadn't done before?
* Started a blog, baby, started a blog...


2. Did anyone close to you give birth?
* Yep, Anna gave me two cute-imus nephews!


3. Did anyone close to you die?
* No, thank God. Although Edgar's distant-in-Austria gramma
passed on. And my uncle too, but we weren't terribly close.


4. Did you travel? Where did you go? Best holiday memory?
* Yeah, went to the seaside in March, and again in December.
First trip was our holiday Scottburgh, second trip was Hillcrest
to see ILs at Xmas. Best memory on the first was that walk to
see what was around that far-distant headland. Best memory
on the second was visiting uShaka.


5. Best thing you bought?
* Lots of yummy fabric. And I limited my 'intake' of buttons...


6. Where did most of your money go?
* On plain ol' living!


7. What do you wish you had done more of?
* Danced like a demon.


8. What do you wish you had done less of?
* Fretted


9. What kept you sane?
* My friends.


10. What drove you mad?
* Stupid people, as usual.


11. What made you celebrate?
* Births and weddings.


12. What made you sad?
* Finding out what it is that runs through our family.


13. How was your birthday this year?
* Sorta-kinda OK. Still haven't rewarded myself with anything
that would amount to a birthday gift.


14. What political issue stirred you the most this year?
* Haha. Really? Um. The lionisation of JayZee.


15. Where you in love in 2005?
* "In" implies there's an opposite effect called "out of". Rather
say "I DO ove..."


16. What would you like to have in 2006 that you didn't have
this year?
* A clear-cut solution to the whole health issue.


17. What date from 2005 will be etched in your memory and why?
* Tuesday December 6. Feeling the ground whoosh out from
under my feet as I listened to Dr Kenny tell me we're a genetic
mutation....


18. What song will remind you of 2005?
* A toss-up: Madonna's 'Hung Up' and ColdPlay's 'Speed
of Light'.


19. Compared to this time last year are you happier?
* Happier? Not really. Maybe the same? More resigned to
the things I cannot change.


20. Biggest achievement this year?
* Not going postal on some people who richly deserve it.


21. Biggest disappointment this year?
* Being shafted paywise by those mentioned in 20.


22. What is the one thing that would have made you more
satisfied?
* Being recognised on several fronts.


23. Best new person you met this year?
* Two of them: Aiden and Ryan!


24. A valuable life lesson you learnt this year?
* Just let some things be. Nothing can change them.


25. How was your health in 2005?
* OK, until I found out there was a slight misdiagnosis...


26. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you
make more for next year?
* See 46.


27. What countries did you visit?
* None. Alas.


28. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in
2005?
* More money? But I'd take a resolution to the health issue
over and above that!


29. Did you suffer hardship in 2005?
* Nope.


30. Whose behavior merited celebration?
* My kids, for just making me very proud that they are who
they are.


31. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
* Various people, but 'appalled and depressed' is a bit steep.
I'll go for 'amazed' or 'unsurprised'.


32. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
* This sounds dumb but I just can't remember. Anyone?


33. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
* Sadder in some ways
ii. thinner or fatter?
* Just the same, thank God.
iii. richer or poorer?
* About the same, I reckon.

34. How will you be spending New Year's?
* At Greg and Sam's house.. and as Gareth says, Hopefully
it's not a dustbowl...


35. How many one-night stands?
* None!


36. What was your favorite TV program?
* CSI; ER; Top Gear.


37. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time
last year?
* Hate really is a waste of energy. 'Despise' has a better
ring to it!


38. What was the best book you read?
* All the Diana Gabaldon books!


39. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
* I never lose touch with music to the degree that I have to
rediscover anything.


40. What did you want and get?
* Fabric.


41. What did you want and not get?
* A big lottery win!


42. What was your favorite film that you watched this year?
* Erm.... um... Madagascar?


43. What one experience do you never want to repeat from
this year?
* The stress of September and October. It was killing me.


44. How would you describe your personal fashion concept
in 2005?
* Bright? ;) It seems Sam envies my colourful clothes!


45. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
* Johnny Depp.


46. Who did you miss?
* My gran, as always.


40. Quote that sums up your year:
* " If you place a thing into the center of your life
That lacks the power to nourish
It will eventually poison everything that you are
And destroy you"

41. Was 2005 a good year for you?
* In some ways, yes. In other ways no. But compared to past
years, not too bad.


42. What was your favorite moment of the year?
* Hearing the babies had been born and were just fine
and perfect!


43. What was your least favorite moment of the year?
* Tuesday December 6.


44. Where were you when 2005 began?
* Watching a bonfire in our garden.


45. Who were you with?
* Edgar, Gareth and Eloise.


46. Do you have a new years resolution for 2006?
* Years ago I made a resolution never to make resolutions at
New Year. So far it's worked admirably.


47. What was your favorite month of 2005?
* January. I had no idea what would happen!


48. What was your favorite song in 2005?
* "When September Ends"


49. What was your favorite record from 2005?
* American Idiot


50. How many concerts did you see in 2005?
* One. REM. Wow.....


51. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2005?
* Probably the same as last year, but more moderately....


52. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2005?
* Ja, all that lekker heart medication and stuff...


53. How many people did you sleep with in 2005?
* One, thankfully!


54. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
* I always do things I am ashamed of, but somehow I get
past it.


55. What was the worst lie someone told you in 2005?
* "I'm not scared...." OK, so that's rather lame, but I have
learnt to be more open in recent years.


56. Did you treat somebody badly in 2005?
* I somehow always manage to do that without thinking.


57. Did somebody treat you badly in 2005?
* Not that I am really aware of.


58. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2005?
* Opening something gross on my computer at work and
having a colleague walk up behind me and guffaw at the
content. I died....


59. If you could go back in time to any moment of 2005 and
change something, what would it be?
* I'd have to go back a whole lifetime to change what I really
would like to fix.


60. What are you most looking forward to in 2006?
* The news that no one else in the family has LQTS.

I went bra-shopping on Tuesday. And anyone who knows me, will
know how I hate that! It’s worse than buying a cozzie! (Cozzie:
SA-speak for swimming-costume, a.k.a. swimsuit)

What prompted this bit of foolishness was seeing Oprah last week
where she did a show about bras. Or rather the What Not To
Wear women took the piss out of ladies who looked like poorly-
packed salami in their ill-fitting bras. Loads of good advice was
dispensed so I decided I’d better do something about this round
of annual torture. Dug out a bra-measuring chart that I’d had
for years, and which I’d never used, and hauled out the tape
measure.

Well, who’d have guessed? I am not the 36A I have always
thought I was, but instead I am a 38B. No wonder I hate the
bras I have! No wonder they are umcomfy. I’ve always gone
for very light, almost teenage bras, so.... Off to Woolies to
see if they could help.

To double-check the chart I took my usual bra size plus a few
of the new size. Tried the old size on. Salami in clingwrap....
Just a blobby sausage squished across my chest. OK...try on
the new size. Hmmm... Salami floating in clingwrap.

Something was very wrong! My boobs looked like they’d been
sliced in half, sorta. Imagine the bra-strap coming down to the
cup area, Imagine 3/4 of a boob stuck in the cup, with 1/4 of
the boob hanging out to the side, almost under my armpit.
Definitely something wrong!

Woolies only lets you take in 6 items to the change rooms so
there I went, in and out, in and out. Trying this bra and that
bra. And the next bra. Bras that made me laugh when I turned
to look. (I have this thing about keeping my back to the mirror
until I have the device...er...item in place.) I even tried on
underwire bras, and those are my worst cos they dig into places
I didn’t even know I had!

Eventually I walked over to the sports bras, wondering if they
would work. They looked desperate. Lace- and net-wrapped
bazooka covers. Sigh. I turned to look at the last resort.
Medium-control. Ack. Like I need control? The only control I
needed was self-control to stop me weeping in a heap on the
fitting-room floor!

I grabbed two double packs of medium-control and headed for
Armageddon.... Man, it was like strapping myself into a
battleship. HMS Petunia at yer service, ma’am.... Double-
superstructure. With crossover support. And not a sailor in
sight (...insight, I said insight, not inside!) Oh well. Try on the
last set.

Eh? It worked! It bloody-well worked! It fitted, like a dream.
I didn’t have a spare half-set of boobs overflowing the sides
(By this time I reckon you realise I have boobs that are not
headlights but rather the kind that like to face east and west
simultaneously.) The damn bra fitted so well I felt like I wasn’t
cut up like a mango! This medium-control business takes care
of that overflow nonsense.

I wish I’d known this years ago cos I have always walked around
discreetly shoving escaping bits back into the scaffolding!

PS. Some rules for fitting-room cubicles:
#1 — choose Cubicle 3, if at all possible
#2 — don’t allow yourself to see the mirror until the item is on
an fastened into place.
#3a — if it looks even halfway decent under that lighting then
it’s going to look fine once you’re out in the world wearing it.
#3b — even the nice outfit you were wearing when you walked
into that cubicle looks 50% more k(a)k under that lighting...

It's becoming more and more fun having a growing daughter....
We're doing that Girl Thing a lot these days.

Yesterday morning one of my fave new songs came on the
radio as we left home to go to school. The Killers' "All These
Things That I've Done" so I started singing the chorus low,
just like in the song. Next moment I hear El also singing
behind me and she knows the words!

Gareth's sitting there and asking what the song is and how
he's never heard it and how do we know the words, heehee.

Eventually -- just like on the song -- we two gals were singing
the chorus ('I got soul, but I'm not a soldier') at full blast!
Gareth just shook his head.

While I was languishing at work on Sunday, The Guys and
Eloise were at home. Guys washing and polishing my car
(I had Edgar's car) while Eloise pottered around.

Unbeknownst to The Guys, there was Evil Afoot! Eloise was
in the kitchen Innocently doing cut-outs of Cute Kitties
and Darling Doggies from an old copy of AnimalTalk so
she could put them in her Collection of Things.

Wouldn't you Just Know It but that Nasty Evil Pair of
Scissors just Jumped Up and attacked her hair? Just Like
That! Snips taken from her Fringe and Chunks taken
from the right side below her Ear.

No one can say When this happened, neither can they
Shed Any Light on the Attack! Eloise was Oblivious to
the Incident. It Did Not Happen. There is No Evidence
other than the Missing Locks.

So Mommy had to give Eloise a Drastic Haircut that night
before bed. She now has a China Girl Bob that starts at
her Cheekbones and runs around below her Ears and to
the Nape of her Neck. It is the best we could do lest she
look all Lopsided and Raggedy. Mullet Styles on Girls
are a No-No.

The Guys are So Derisive, but Mom is Defending The
Empress. She looks rather Sassy now, almost as if her
New Look matches the Inner Empress. Identifying her
on the Playing Field is going to be a Lot Easier now
when Mom fetches her from Aftercare. No longer will
Mom look, look again, and then gasp, "Eloise? Is that
My Eloise!" as Mom sees her repeatedly thumping a
Grade Two boy on the head and then Running Away
cackling with Glee.

Since last Thursday it feels like I have gotten onto a
rollercoaster and the ride hasn't stopped!

Firstly, on Thursday morning we went to the Joburg Zoo.
It was wonderful to see how it's being constantly improved,
what with the lion enclosure now being sponsored by
AngloGold and looking all natural with flowing streams
and rock 'heaps' for lions to laze on. Other enclosures like
the kudu area are also looking wonderful.

The best for me though, was the meerkats. They're utterly
fascinating and being able to watch them as close as two
metres away was a real treat. Kids were a bit grossed out
when the keeper came to give them their lunch -- dead
day-old baby chicks -- but soon that was forgotten in
watching how they eat and how they deal with the cattle
egrets who came down to steal dinner!

My only 'beef' with the Zoo was that the icecream kiosks
weren't open, except for one near the entrance and he'd
run out of icecream? Yeesh...

Friday, I had some last minute groceries to shop for and
Edgar wanted to head off to the golf-driving range. This
of course, was an ideal opportunity for Gareth to take
another road-trip on his new bike. (His early Xmas gift.)
Edgar drives slowly behind Gareth as he learns to use the
road and navigate his way through the suburbs. The
range is 4.5km away so you can imagine just how sweaty
Gareth was on his return, and those of you who have visited
our house will
know that the last stretch is a b*tch of
an uphill that does NOT let up.

During the afternoon Anna and Rainer came to visit and drop
off gifts for kids (Eloise got a Bratz doll and Gareth got money).
We yakked until about 6pm and then they had to leave cos
they were having
dinner at her folks' place. Course, cos
it was so late I was behind in what I'd planned for dinner,
but I managed to get the planned Xmas-Eve homemade
pizzas done by 8:30pm so it was OK.

MIL also called about 7pm to wish us well for Xmas, but she
seemed to be in a real unhappy mood and so I handed the
phone to the other targets so they could speak to her. Only
when Edgar got off the phone did I find out that MIL's mom
in Austria had broken her leg and now MIL is worried
and upset.

We crashed into bed at around midnight after enduring shyte
on TV (only time I miss DStv is during the festive season
cos SABC/eTV sucketh bigtime...)

Christmas morning Eloise bounced out of bed like Tigger on
speed. Then she raided Gareth's room and hounded him
out of bed to come open gifts. So we all had tea and
mince-pies at 6:30am, watching kids open gifts. They
"gave" each other a much-desired pair of shoes/sandals.
Gareth already had his bike from us (mentioned above),
and Eloise got the Italian version of the Baby Born, known
as Baby Amore. This doll thankfully doesn't do the whole
eat/pee/poo schpiel because no ways was I paying THAT
much money for something that takes a sh*t on demand.
As I said to Eloise after she asked if it poops, she's getting
two baby-boy cousins next year... then she can have a
GOOD look at what I spared her! Anyway, Baby Amore
was rechristened Baby Sarah and she is much loved by
Eloise, and much stared at by myself... who can't believe
dolls have progressed so much that their eyes close
naturally and they make breathing movements! Can't
decide if it's creepy or amazing, to be honest.

After all this I made the roast potaties for the feast at Neil's
house (middle brother). Off we went at 11:30 am and
easily found his new abode. It's very very nice and in such
a quiet area, just a few hundred metres up-slope from the
Jukskei River. We got the 12-noon guided tour. :) Soon the
house was overflowing with people and we got to meet more
of Chantel's family. I lost count of who was who, and have
to confess that I find it difficult to judge the age/generation
of Chinese people because they age so well compared to
European types like my side of the family. Everyone looked
roughly the same age as the next person except for Uncle
Kee who sat there looking a tad bemused at being
surrounded by so many strangers!

Xmas lunch looked to be capable of feeding the five
thousand, judging by the way the table groaned under the
weight of all the food! I have since found out that amongst
Chantel's family (and many Chinese families) it is common-
place to have anything up to ten
or twelve huge blow-out
food-fests every year. These are to
'celebrate'
anniversaries of the death of loved ones, and anything
from 50 to 100 people will attend each one. So catering-
schmatering, this bunch does it in their sleep! They also
make their way through the tasty stuff like locusts after a
fast! Sheez, there wasn't much left afterwards (of which,
more later).

Company was good though: my immediate family (folks,
brothers + partners, step-uncle/aunt + appendages), all of
Chantel's family and sundry single-moms with nowhere to
go on Xmas day. Lots of yakking and laughs. Neil has a
pool table as well, and I managed to remember how to play
and walloped a coupla contenders. I haven't played in about
eight or nine years but, as was remarked, you can take the
girl out the South but you can't take the South out the girl!

We hardly saw Gareth at all during the day (or my youngest
brother Warren) cos they were upstairs playing Neil's new
'Need-For-Speed Underground' game on the PC. Eloise
spent most of the day in the pool -- she should have been
born with gills. Of course the kids cleaned up on gifts from
other family members! The living room looked like a
paper explosion had taken place!

We finally left there just before midnight.

Y'day was a real chill-out day. But when Edgar and I were
talking about Xmas day itself we both found out we had the
same thought: What happened to our Xmas feast? We love
our turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but cos we'd been
at N & C's we'd sorta missed out on this, even though my
mom had brought along turkey as part of the feast. So... guess
what I am doing today? Yep, Xmas dinner re-run, Krisch-style!
We feel that Christmas has not happened to US yet!

Then, my kids are going to stay at granny's for a coupla days.
I am taking them there on Wednesday morning before I go to
work. Greg and his fiancee Sam will take them and Sam's two
kids (Matthew and Nicola) to Gold Reef City for the day. Sam
has missed her kids this Xmas cos they've been staying in
Jedda, Saudi Arabia, with their dad who works there. (Nicola
has to wear a full black burka etc when she's out in public
there, I have been told).

Wednesday evening Edgar and I are going with my folks to
see Ian Von Memerty's "A Handful of Keys" at the Tessen
theatre at the Civic. I haven't ever seen it and I need to
'civilise' Edgar somewhat with a few trips to shows in the next
few months. Greg and Sam will watch the kids that evening.
Kids are also staying over there on Thursday, so Edgar and
I are childless for a bit. He will fetch them on Friday cos I
am working into the evening (yeah, I know it's New Year's
Eve but that's newspapers for ya).

Further punishment: Saturday (New Year's Day) we've invited
everyone in the fambly around for a braai/bbq. Ribs and
trimmings. But this will just be a nice outdoor relax-by-
the-pool occasion.

And that -- I think -- is that! If I seem quiet it's cos my cup
runneth over a tad...!

Yesterday morning I let Gareth stay off school -- nothing
going on there, anyway as we head for the holidays on
Friday. Also kept Ellie out of school so we could all be
together for the day. Went to Pick 'n Pay at Northgate to
stock up on stuff for Saturday's "do" at my place.

Gareth of course gets all dressed up -- brand-name cap
over eyes, jeans falling off hips, shoes about to explode
from untied shoelaces, the usual thing. And as he likes
to do, I let him wander the store so
I am not
expected to go see shoes, bikes, shoes, CDs, shoes,
clothes, shoes, etc...

Towards the end of my trip around the store, I noticed
a family of mom, two daughters and son nearby. Teens.
Next moment Gareth appears at my elbow and starts
telling about some cool shoes/CDs/shoes/clothes he
has seen. The younger of these two girls turned to look
in our direction and next moment I just saw her start
grinning as she looked at Gareth.

'Course my first reaction was "Oh caramba, what fashion
faux pas has he committed now???" I looked at him...
he looked OK in my eyes?! I looked at her again and
she was walking away very quickly, then she turned back
to look at Gareth, holding her hand over her mouth. I
was about to give her The Stare as if to ask what the
joke was... when I saw how red she was.

And that's when I realised WHY she was looking at him...
cos I did the same sort of thing myself when I was
thirteen when I saw someone who caught my interest!

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAILLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!

GIRLS are looking at MY boy like THAT!!!!
******sob********

So, anyway, when she was out of sight and earshot I
asked Gareth if he'd noticed her. He said NO. Then Eloise
piped up, "Oh yes, that big
girl in the glasses and
black t-shirt wouldn't stop looking at you,
Gareth!"
She had a wicked glint in her eye as Gareth looked
puzzled, and I realised SHE knew the scenario but
Gareth hadn't a clue!