Tuesday Tip

Sing in the car. It feels so good and you don't have to offend others with your bad voice. Have you noticed what firm cheeks most of the singers have? You take in more oxygen and after a few minutes feel so gosh darn good.
Once upon a time, when out driving, I'd notice how many people were singing along to the radio or (then) cassette. Things seem to have changed and now there's more talking than music on the radio and of course the awful cellphone. It seems that to some it's more fun to natter on the 'phone than it is to sing.
Not for me. Sion lent me a knock-out compilation CD and I've had a great time singing and reminiscing, can't wait to get into the car and sing my way home.

It's a Guy Thing

Men in hats. I'm intrigued by the apparent unconcern about how they look. I see "cool" young men, dressed in the latest but with what appears to be a tea cosy on the head, sometimes replete with crochet flowers (honestly I'm not joking). One of our men is currently wearing a pale blue floppy with big white daisies on it, he also favours a dusky rose floppy with a turquoise border. We once had a refuse man who sported a curly blonde wig with a shower cap on top but, teamed up with the pink nighty, I think he was making another statement.
Take a look around, good looking movie stars with silly beanies pulled down over their eyebrows. Another way to wear the beanie - pulled up at the top, resembling a teat on a babies bottle. How about the knitted baseball cap? for Arctic games perhaps? Then we have the cap back to front, the flat cap, plain or tartan, the ranger hat, the trilby (yes, still worn in Cape Town)and that unusual faux leather hat.
If I had the time and wherewithall I'd write a coffee table book about men in hats, with a short forward by David Attenborough, chronicling the rise and fall of head apparel, from the comb-over to the balaclava and all in between.
Just remember one thing - real men don't wear hoodies.

Tuesday Tip

This one is quite relevant in Cape Town today, heavy rain, blocked drains, clogged gutters etc. Do not be tempted to climb on to your roof if you are a man over a certain age, you are not as young and agile as you think. We have so many friends and acquaintances in their fifties who have had climbing accidents - at home. There's the guy who fell of his roof and luckily only broke one bone, the one who fell off and broke several and spent ages in hospital. The doctor (really you'd think he would know better) who broke his ankle cleaning out the gutters. So many accidents. My favourite is the guy who balanced a ladder from the back of his bakkie on to a tree branch, planning to walk across and cut a few branches. The wind had other ideas but I believe he was well cared for in hospital.
Please, dear loved ones, we want to enjoy your company a while longer, take care.

The Expert

We were eating dinner and listening to the TV. It was a Grand Prix programme, quite interesting in fact, they featured some old guys I'd heard of. Then on came a cute young man (I face the screen) and he was chatting away. "is Reubens Barrichello from France?" I asked, "because I thought he was from Brazil but now he sounds French" You know, silly wife chatter.
"That doesn't sound like Reubens" said he "it's Mussa (Massa??)"
Well, I think I know my Reubens, painted well endowed ladies, but my man is the expert. Up he got to look at the TV "Yes, it's Mussa, see how he keeps lifting his left arm in front of the camera"
I had noticed that and I thought it was so cute the way he kept showing his wedding ring to the ladies. "It's to show off his watch" said he.
Sigh, I know nothing about sport.

Tuesday/Thursday Tip

Do not put off until tomorrow that which you can do today.
Trust me, I know.
Tuesday was a holiday. Well, lets face it, I'm no youth so I was happily cooking, cleaning, washing, sewing the day away. I could have done the tuesday tip on the home computer but I thought "Nah, I'll do it tomorrow at work". Tut, Tut.
Yesterday arrived and the gods were in the mood for a laugh so they turned off the adsl lines in Parow and I couldn't do anything on the internet.
Serves me right.

Evolution/Devolution

Is the world become a big cry baby? It seems to me that whenever one side wins the other throws a temper tantrum and calls in it's bully boys. New busses - we'll have taxi violence. Intelligent educators - we'll go on strike, march and picket. Required to actually learn at varsity - no worries, we'll trash the place until they give us DSTV. Now, the shopkeepers are threatening violence against the Somalies because they're, guess what? better shopkeepers. But it's not just here, it's all over from sport (can one word be an oxymoron Ms G?)to reality TV to politics. The media tell us what is THE TRUTH, from Paris Hilton to unheardof despots, they are the final word and we may not question their authority. My unfavourite morning DJ was being particularly snide, rude and unpleasant today and yet gawping admirers 'phoned in to compliment his genius.
Yesterday we watched a kick-ass MotoGP, won by Rossi in the last few seconds. The guy who came second didn't call his friends to beat up Valentino, he didn't sulk and call for a re-run, he was an adult, he behaved the way everyone used to, with good grace and manners.
Please can the world forget sledging, stop ganging up against the winner, loose the whinging and whining because someone else is better and stick togather to create a better place.
I had the good fortune to spend some time with four interesting young ladies this weekend. Their interests are slightly different as are their temperaments but the one thing they shared was honesty. If you question a 13 year old, she will mostly be truthful (even if it's to tell you she lies)about basics. Not about her BFF or has she done her homework but about her outlook on life. It's very refreshing not to be treated like a fool for the sake of politeness because that in it's self is impolite. If you don't like the soup - say so, don't gild the lily with sweet words, be frank and honest. I think the GreenPoint Stadium looks like a giant ugly baby bath, a blight on the coastline. Some spoke the truth, others saw the money so there we have it. Awfulness and a whole lot more unbuilt houses.
We have to be able to accept simple facts - You won, You are a better business person - You are a better singer - I am a better cook. You don't have to give up because someone is better, you don't have to fight back, you just have to strive harder to win next time. Stop dumbing down or we'll all be on Jerry Springer.
My dear sister spoke some disturbing words last week. We were discussing meat and I pointed out that lamb and beef are both pricey and not too healthy so we eat chicken, pork and fish. She doesn't eat pork - "Why?" I foolishly asked. "Because they're more intelligent than dogs" she replied. Oh my, vegetarianism looms ever closer because I have to accept the wisdom of her words.
Love life and don't be dragged down by the fools.

Guilty Pleasures

No, nothing too naughty. Some days I just like to browse the slightly over-the-top sites, things like Engrish.com which sometimes has me in tears of laughter while at the same time feeling bad about laughing at others. I read a really good article on www.gourmet.com, written by Robert Ashley about The Gross-Food Movement, it's delightful. He mentioned a site called thisiswhyyourefat, take a look and be horrified by the things people eat while at the same time feeling smug about your own diet. See what I mean, now I feel guilty but what a pleasure.

Tuesday Tip

Beware short cuts. As I may have mentioned, I really enjoy cooking but sometimes a quicky meal is fun too. This was going to be my tuesday tip until I tasted it so, "don't try this at home". I steamed some broccoli and cauliflower and was going to make a cheese sauce topping. "But wait" I thought "Why not top this with cheese slices ? quick and easy peasy" but not tasty, wasty. It's not a good idea, even if you cheese slices left over from family night, resist the temptation and either use plain grated cheese or make that sauce.

TGIF

I'm having a geek day. You know, when you have two left hands (sorry T) and one has no thumb. I make up around 20 parcels a month but today, the packaging tape kept twisting into a self embrace, I left parts out of one, I put the wrong invoice into another and had to rip it open before the glue took hold. I can't see the (faux) wood of my desk and I really don't know what all these papers are for. It must be friday, time to wind down the spring, get ready to chill for the weekend. My daughter is taking me out to breakfast tomorrow and the love of my life is my hot date for breakfast on sunday. A lot to look forward to, I feel a little less geeky now.
Have a good one.

Tuesday Tip

Always say "Goodbye". Even if you're angry, tired, bored, whatever, treat every day with your loved ones as if it's the last.