Please sir (universe)...can I have a break

I've realised that I really am a complete workaholic. I love what I do and I'm seriously passionate about my career, but sometimes I just don't know when to stop.

I have really been optimistic and done my best to keep my chin up, a smile on my face and to keep on at it ...it being the treadmill.

I am, however, exhausted.

It's not just about working my ass to the bone, I've had a hectic year so far.

2009 has thrown a lot at me and we're only in April. It's not a "woe-is-me" type of thing, but I do kinda feel like I'm being tested. I'm certainly not testing fate when I say: "What else do you wanna throw at me, huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Guess what, you've thrown a lot my way and I'm still standing."

I am physically exhausted, emotionally drained and just basically done.

I have decided to do something very un-Blondie like and actually take leave. Even my bosses were shocked and I'm grateful they were so obliging.

I am going down to the coast for an entire week...Knysna to be exact and I'm so excited I might just have an orgasm on the spot.

I'm switching off my phone and I'm going to recharge my batteries and become human again.

I fly down on Monday morning and get back next Saturday.

Heaven.

List

I've lost my blogging mojo. That really sucks.

So, feeling totally uninspired, I didn't want to leave another mad gap between posts.

Thank you Being Brazen...I totally owe you :-)

1. Thought for the day: I cannot wait to go away to Knysna next week. After the year I've had so far: I. need. a break.
2. Song of the week: Katy Perry's - Waking Up In Vegas
3. Word of the week: Gym... I'm back on the health wagon.
4. Drink of the moment: Kola Tonic and Soda Water
5. Currently enjoying: Twitter and my new winter coat that I can finally wear because it's f*#&ing cold
6. Currently annoyed by: the fact that my camera and wallet got stolen and I'm totally broke.
7. Goal/s for the week: make it to pay day and go to gym every day this week.
8. Last thing you bought: Popcorn

Exercising rays of sunshine

I wish I could say that I haven't blogged because I ate myself into a chocolate induced coma... well, I nearly did and have the spots ot prove it. Argh. Why does chocolate have to cause spots? It's just not fair.

Sugar and I are officially (no more excuses) back at gym. Yes we are. This is it. I was doing so well and lost a lot of weight...that should have been motivating enough but I fell off the wagon and enough is enough.
I actually forgot how much fun we have and how much I laugh at the two of us (afterwards...not during)
We always arrive in our gym attire looking at the gym doors like we're about to enter hell. We basically grunt at each other, give each a half-hearted morning hug, take a deep breath and walk in. Our gym cards are swiped and we look at the equipment like they're aliens who might and probably will hurt us.
Our spinning instructor is waaaay too cheerful in the morning.
"Gooood Moooorning Rays of Sunshine!!"
I made the mistake of once barking out: "What's good about it?"
He then decided it was his mission to "cheer me up" by winking at me, blasting the music, sending smiles of encouragement and basically annoying the crap out of me while he made us sweat on level 9 (standing on the pedals) for 12 frikken minutes - 5 times.
I also "cheerfully" curse Sugar. I tell her how much I hate her for doing this to me. I am really wonderful. In fact I could hire myself out as the "ultimate gym partner... just what you need to get you going...literally...away from me."
We do this one exercise where we lie on a bench and do stomach crunches while Sugar throws a medicine ball at, I mean, to me. I groan, grunt and cause havoc in the gym while everyone throws "shut-the-f*ck-up" looks at me. I need to get through the pain by letting everyone know just hard I am working, even if it means that the people on the opposite side of the gym hear me.

Afterwards, however, is a very different story. I feel those little endorphins buzzing through the bod. I feel exhilirated and I'm ready to face my day as a "ray of sunshine". In fact I'm so chuffed with the fact that I didn't get a hernia and I didn't pass out in a sweaty mess, that Sugar and I congratulate each other on the way out. We hi-5 each other and tell each other how fabulous we are and how we instantly look skinnier than we did when we arrived. We even celebrate across the road with a skinny cupaccino or 3.
Good times.
Good Skinnier Times.

Happy Holidays

It almost feels cruel to make you feel ridiculously jealous. Amost.


My working day officially ends in an just under and hour and a half and then it is the long weekend baby! I am so excited because I really do need a break. I want to party and chill..preferably not at the same time because that would just be weird or interesting. I do want to stuff myself with hot cross buns and chocolate...ooooh...melt chocolate ON hot cross buns. Yeees! Washed down with a glass of red wine.


The only thing that would possibly be better is indulging on a tropical beach somewhere. Next time.


I hope you have a brilliant Easter weekend.

Can't get enough of....

I really can't seem to get enough of some things right now. I have a love affair with coffee at the moment and if it was a possibility I would probably have an intravenous drip from the coffee pot into my veins.

Some of my other addictions that I really really can't seem to get enough are:

• My mates...I don't know what I would do without them and I'm really glad I don't have to ever find out. I can't wait to see them and endulge in, well, coffee... and plenty of laughter.


• Lemon meringue pie... Yes, I've only had one slice but it was so more-ish that I really want another slice or 3.



• James Patterson books. He is my favourite author and I adore his writing, his creativity and his twists and turns.




• Sleep -I really haven't been sleeping well and since my good news with my results being all good, I have been hitting my head on the pillow and passing out instantaneously. WWIII could happen and I wouldn't be any the wiser, however, I have only been managing to get four hours of sleep a night thanks to my schedule




• Prawns - European Boy and I want to see if we can outdo each other in an "All-you-can-eat" special. He doesn't believe that I am embarrassing to be around. I will eat him under the table. I have no shame. Just give me the prawns and a bucket of lemon butter and I'm good to go. I'll deal with the cholestrol later.



• Hats - it's my winter thing. I adore hats. I don't wear them as often as I'd like to, but there is nothing sexier or funkier than completing a fun outfit.




• Chocolate - I've indulged my taste buds with dark chocolate and it's been decadent and heavely





• Twitter - Yes. Who would have thought? I seem to be "getting it" finally and I'm ashamed to admit I find it fascinating following the likes of John Mayer, Ashton Kutcher and Nicole Ritchie etc...

Photography - I hardly have any printed photographs because of the fact that digitally they're all on my laptop. I can't seem to get enough of choosing my favourite ones, printing them out and placing them in interesting frames. I adore Black and White photo's too.

Hit on

I went to the pharmacy to get medicine. I hate pharmacies on Saturday mornings. It's like people only get sick on Saturdays. Long queues lined with sick people, screaming feverish children and pensioners with the worst coughs ever. I had this one little old "dear" behind me that insisted she had to be in my personal space and sniff, cough and splutter. I found myself involuntarily arching my back everytime she coughed. I don't really know why I arched my back, it was more like a mind thing that made me feel better like I had stopped her germs from spraying onto me. *Shudder*
I waited and waited and waited for the pharmacists to fill everyone elses scripts and when I finally got to the counter myself, they suddenly disappeared.
"Um...Hello?"
The one pointed at the phone she was talking on and the others looked at me as if I was interrupting something terribly important. Finally I had the one guy come over to me as if he was doing me a favour and finally (slowly) started to fill my script. I felt this burning sensation - the sensation that you're being stared at and looked up to see who was looking at me. There was a pharmacist standing there smiling at me and giving me those looks. I would have been flattered had it been some hunky McDreamy pharmacist, except that this pharmacist was a "hunky" woman. Hold the bus. She licked her lips at me, gave the "the look" and we all know "the look" and asked me if she could help me.
"Um no thanks. I'm good."
"Well you just call if you need anything...and I do mean anything at all!"

I'm throwing my perfume away. I don't know what happened this weekend, but I seemed to be hit on and hit on in the most random of places. Now being hit on is normally rather flattering and welcoming, let's be honest. However, being hit on by girls is just outright scary. I was hit on again on Sunday by another girl. Seriously. Am I putting out some vibe? How do I make it stop? If I was that way inclined, happy days, but I'm not and while I have several gay friends and I adore them, but being hit on by girls is somewhat surprising.

Sunday was awesome... I ended up going to European Boy's moms 50th at Casalinga. It was awesome! We were put at a table that was so entertaining. I definitely think that we were the loudest there and it was hilarious. We had a waiter who was a little comedian. He came to take drink orders and when EB's brother order a coke the waiter didn't miss a beat. "How many grams?"
We all stopped talking. "Wh-what?"
Hilarious!

Yesterday I was a complete lady of leisure...I had breakfast with my best guy friend The Converter, coffee with Sugar, a FIVE HOUR lunch with EB's brother and then drinks with EB's brother and Special K. Now that's the life!

April Fools Day

I got pranked. Not once, but twice. Wow. I got a message from Special K this morning (in my defence I had just woken up and didn't know the date yet, let alone what day it was) saying that she was pregnant. I called her immediately, my mind already planning her baby shower only to hear a chuckle and a hearty: "April Fools!!!"
Bugger.

I thought I was done for the day, now being completely aware, when I got a call from this woman.
"Hi, is this Miss Blogshell?"
"Yes it is."
"Hi there, I'm phoning from Vodacom. I've been calling all our Blackberry clients today. Unfortunately the monthly fee that you pay which allows you unlimited access to internet, email and BB chat/IM is no longer feasible. We are alerting all our clients to the fact that we are going to start charging you for every email, IM and minute used on internet. We're having to disconnect your services until a payment is made upfront. We've had a look at your usage and I'm afraid that you are going to need to pay R5000."
"What?? You're kidding me. R5000? I know I am on my Blackberry all the time but R5000? Is this an April Fools Joke?"
"I'm so sorry about this...I've been getting that question all day, but I'm afraid it's no joke. We'll be sending you a letter to explain everything."

I put the phone down, completely seething. What the hell is the point of having a BB then? I know that R5000 seems ridiculous, but with the amount of time I spend using those facilites, nothing would surprise me.

10 minutes later, my dad called me saying that he had just received a phone call from Vodacom. When I originally got my contract back in the day, I wasn't able to sign surety, so my dad did. He told me that they had called him asking him if he was good for R5000. I started to explain everything when he stopped me and said... "April Fools!!!"
"Wh-What?"
I just hear the office pack out laughing. His bloody naughty secretary had been the "lady from Vodacom" and they got me good and proper. Little shits!!

My Blackberry is fondly called my Crackberry because it's my addiction. I might as well superglue it to my hand. It's ridiculous, I know. I can't help it though.

Well bloody done! Dad - you got me good!!

It's the weekend baby!!

Onwards and Upwards completely. Thank you for your loving, suportive words!

I am not going to be a little pity party and life does go on... So I'm being positive and kind of ignoring it. Perhaps it's weird for some people, but it's my coping mechanism right now. I'm not sweeping anything under the carpet, but I just don't want to curl into a mess of a ball.

Today I had my make-up done for a TV shoot. I find it super relaxing having make up done. I would go as far as saying that I sometimes prefer it to a massage. Sacriledge I'm sure. I'm kinda glad the face is done because tonight I plan to have a party. Shit, why not? I need to knock back a cosmo or two and just enjoy myself with my friends Sugar, Special K and EB. I'm really looking forward to it and even bought a dress for the occasion. A dress that's not black. Another first. It's this deep purple colour and it's sexy. Yes!!

I also went underwear shopping today. I decided that the boring cotton undies and t-shirt bras are just not going to cut it anymore. I'm over being boring and being single certainly has given me something to think about. Even if no one sees it, I want to know that sexy lace is going on underneath my jeans and t-shirt. I bought a wonderbra that is so WONDERful I can't believe I never had one before. Yes. I am apparently slow. If I say so myself with the wonderful work that is Wonderbra...these puppies are swell. Excuse the pun.
Anyway, so you know it's bad when the lady at the underwear store remembers me and says: "Eish! It's been looong neh?"
Um. Great. Thanks for the update and for remembering. That isn't uncomfortable at all. WTF?
She even threw in a pair of panties with a wink. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

Have a wicked weekend xx

Mini Break

I'm thinking of taking a mini break from blogging.

There's no real reason, just need a bit of a break and need to recharge the blogging battery!

Please don't abandon me...not just yet...

While I am taking a break from actually blogging myself; I am still going to read all of your blogs...man, I'm addicted to you guys and I can't NOT read your blog posts every day...I go crazy if I don't! LOL

:-)

Grins

I am having a ball. No really. Is it possible to be having this much fun and be feeling this good?

I know you'll be reading this on a "Blue Monday" and so I may just be nauseating right now. Yes I have bad days and I'm not all rays of sunshine all the time, but right now, I am and while I feel like this, I am going with it. Work with me here.

Weekend is all a bit of a Blur. In a good way. Friday, was interesting... I was a part of a fashion show. Again, I am always quite perturbed that I get asked to do these things. It's not a fishing party right now, but I don't model. I am not a fashion hanger in any shape or form and so it is hilarious. I did this for a childrens charity with some Binnelander and Egoli stars. I wonder if all professional models run thoughts like: "Suck in your tummy! Shoulders back! Don't trip; don't trip..." through their minds. It was a high fashion, think European FTV channel fashion show with the weird make-up and hair and clothes I wouldn't wear out in public. It was fun to be a part of this experience, don't get me wrong, but I wish I could have taken a photograph of the looks I got from the models when I asked a simple question back stage. "To smile or not to smile, that is the question." I wanted to know what "look" we were supposed to be doing with high fashion, dark eyebrows and red lips. Were we supposed to smile or were we supposed to look like we were in pain or bored. I am always fascinated how these models portray their faces down the catwalk...the pained expressions are probably from not eating or shoes that are too small. I experienced this on Friday.

A little blurry, but here are two of the models...

High fashion make-up

Well, in case you were wondering, I was told not to smile from a model (striking features, mind you) who looked me up and down disdainfully, flicked her high-fashioned-teased hair and minced onto the ramp. So I didn't smile and I felt ridiculous. I have to smile. I am a smiley-person and if I can't smile when I want to, I take on a pained expression. Perhaps, that's it.

I had fun though and I got to gaze at the male models that really are quite beautiful. This one in particular looked exactly like Emile Hirsch and I embarrassed myself by staring too long and hard and then subsequently blushed furiously when he asked for my number.

Saturday was spent having breakfast at a quaint restaurant with the family and looking at cars. I have decided to get myself a new car. I felt guilty as I test drove these beautiful cars. Guilty because I felt like I was "cheating" on my car parked at home. I am still driving my very first car and she has certainly served me well for the past 7-8 years, but she's old now and so I am fickly trading her in for a new model. I'm excited.

I went to a braai that night at JB and had a blast drinking glasses of wine and playing 30 seconds...or tried to at least. My poor team mate must have been "chuffed" at being on my team. 2 bottles of wine will do that to you. I pretty much played like this:

"Um...um... It's the actress...um...shit....what's her name...oooh...ooh..ooooh...um....."

"TIME!!" Everyone yelled out, gleefully.

Normally I am a little champ at the game but with wine and shooters, I was useless at it.

I did however, see European Boy. This whole... yes, I can't believe these words came out of my mouth: "Let's just have fun and enjoy each others company with no strings attached" is very new for me and I'm certainly having fun.

I feel like a teenager again.

Today has been spent feeling sorry for myself, lying in bed catching up on all the Girls of The Playboy Mansion episodes and catching up with Sugar. She came to visit me and we giggled like school girls.

Oh and yes...here she is...looking smoking hot...man, I want a body like this and if she can go from looking how she did to looking how she does now...I have HOPE!! HOORAY!! I'm back to gym tomorrow!