loving the trashy faux chanel vibe

Today has been rather mild and arb, which is great – Mondays suck enough as it is, but shitty ones are the pits. I’m reaching new levels in my caffeine appreciation, and with espresso in the morning and a double Vida latte (and quattro – sigh) at lunch, I was at least vaguely awake today.

In addition to Vida fix, I also managed to find a cool new handbag at Xupa Xupa – and it’s big enough to fit in my BlackBerry and assorted goeters, bonus. Also, it has a rad leopard print lining. I was meant to get a hat, but that didn’t quite happen. Maybe next time, who knows.

In other news, I have started researching haunted hotels for some inspiration and research for my book. There are some amazing ones out there… old, gloomy, stately, trashy – each with its own story to tell. I’ve always been fascinated with urban decay, and forgotten old hotels hold a special appeal somehow. The most awesome part of this little process has been seeing pictures and somehow recognising the rooms – they’ve been there in my mind all along, but finding all these old pictures has just brought them into sharper focus and honed the images to what they need to be. I am determined to get this damn book done by the end of the year, really really have to push through and do it!

With the end of the World Cup now in sight, I’m already feeling a bit sad that all of this is going to be over at the end of this week. I’m not such a fan of The Netherlands, but I still want to see them kick some Uruguay ass (like most of Africa!). Come Wednesday however, I’ll be rooting for Spain – not sure how it’s going to go though. Really been full of surprises all round, so who knows who will end up claiming the final match.

Monday isn’t even properly finished, and already I am longing for Patron and weekend mayhem. *sigh*

*meh*

I started off this year with just one goal in mind – I was going to do my utmost to cut down on stress, and live a happy and balanced life. Almost five months in, and I’m starting to notice an ever so teeny slip back into my bad habits. I can’t remember when I last went for a run, and while this cold kinda hit me with a vengeance, I can’t entirely blame it on that. Same story with gym, and I won’t even try and find an excuse as to why I haven’t attempted any new chapters on the horror. These days I consider it an achievement if I manage to finish reading a book, so the thought of writing one is kinda abstract at this stage.

With all that said, I can at least say that there have been some healthy changes. I am finally starting to say no to more work, and am not taking on new clients at this stage as I just cannot make time anymore. Instead, I am focusing on the one or two awesome clients that I’ve built up relationships with, ensuring better work and less issues. I’m also putting in a lot of energy to my day job, and have managed to achieve some great challenges and grow in the process.

All counts for something, right?

I have also managed to finally be able to sleep properly, and don’t even use the lavender oil anymore. I try and get offline and into bed before midnight where possible, and I always ensure that I have an hour or so to chill before I start work in the evenings.

On one hand I have never felt this content and confident in who I am, and I am finally starting to understand things that I could never have really gotten in my earlier twenties. It feels like it’s all coming together, and slowly all those silly issues and concerns are melting away… leaving me with a clear idea of the path I need to take, and putting me in the right frame of mind to start kicking some serious butt.

But on the other hand…

I feel tired a lot, and I miss having the passion and energy I used to have. I miss running all the time, and I miss roundhouse kicking, and having an obsessive interest. I also find myself becoming less patient and intolerant of bull shit, and a lot of the wistfulness and whatnot also seems to have vanished. When everyone around me seems to be dreaming of white picket fences and lurve, I am vaguely wondering if I’ll see Junior the Brazilian again, and pondering world domination, ballet shoes, Victorian cottages in the city and whether I should cut my hair again or just change colour. I need to be selfish right now, and I don’t have the energy to give anything of myself away – I am only just reaching the point where I am finally starting to get past things and function at an optimal level, and I am dead set on living my thirty, flirty and thriving dream. At least for now anyway.

Tomorrow it begins… the final week of my twenties. So long, and thanks for all the baggage – but it’s time to shed my skin, throw off that baggage and step into a whole new error of Roxiliciousness!

*grins*

While I won’t deny that this has been one of the longest days, like ever, it’s still been a pretty awesome one indeed. What with being back online at home, some nice refreshing rain and a general good mood, this week is certainly going rather well.

Highlights from today include the following…

1. Will be starting something VERY exciting at work, working on a client that does shark stuff. As you can imagine, this is a big deal. We seldom get to write about stuff that really interests us in this line of work, so to be able to get a shark client is tres cool indeed.

2. The wasabi peanuts I had today cleared up this lurking cold. My glands are still up, but feeling so much better after suffering through these babies. They usually don’t get me quite this hard, but today my eyes were watering and my sinuses were burning… awesome stuff.

3. I got R2.00 free airtime from Vodacom. Ok, R2.00 is nothing really, but still. I love getting free stuff, and I didn’t do anything to get it, so it was a nice surprise.

4. I am doing some rather exciting book marketing for a freelance client. From sourcing ISBN number to organising distributors, learning how it all works in the self-publishing game is pretty interesting. Besides, organising and getting things done is something I enjoy, so actually having fun with this one.

5. The vibe in the office with no bosses around is still great. And there are still over 2 weeks left of this, the whole office is making the most of it and enjoying the peace and calm.

Tomorrow is Wednesday aka Debra Day, which means a clean and calm flat once more. Then it’s just a few more sleeps til the weekend. I have a feeling that this is going to be a good week all round.

Currently I have the attention span of an ADHD challenged gnat, and bar a few shows and movies, I am battling to get the mindless couch chillax I crave after crunching deadlines, hectic evenings. This is because I can’t sit through the crappy movies and shows that you enforce on me, they are just not cool.

This is annoying and does nothing to help my already shattered focus. I don’t have Mnet or satellite, and it’s not fair that I can’t get good shows and cool movies. The retarded family movies can stay though, for some reason I can sit through those.

And thank you SABC 1 and 2 for the B-grades, I like those too.

My brain simply doesn’t want to accept that it’s Friday today, this week has flown past at such a rapid rate I’ve lost all track of time.

Then again, that’s generally what freelancing does to you. Time means nothing anymore, it’s just hours and I’m either working on doing other stuff, night or day. No real structure, which is kinda nice once you get used to it.

Anyway, time warps aside, I’ve been having one of those days. Again. Comments not going through on my own blog, throat all sore and glands up, grumpy and tired, cats knocking stuff over… just feels like my biorhythms are a bit off kilter, and things just aren’t quite right today.

That said, a few things worth mentioning…

1. I entered the Gun Run, so next Sunday I shall be running (and walking) 10km around Greenpoint – can’t wait!
2. I am off to Picketburg tomorrow morning for the day, and I’ll get to drive my cousin’s Jeep most of the way, yay
3. On Sunday night I am going to a theater dinner thing, should be interesting
4. I spent a good few hours last night adjusting my banner… only to realise I have to FTP the damn thing to load it, great
5. I have been freezing my butt off for the last day or two – come back spring, all is forgiven!
6. I think I need to unplug my laptop and watch some Robot Chicken in bed to cheer myself up
7. I wish I hadn’t scoffed all my Rum ‘n Raisin chocolate this morning, now I don’t have any chocolate
8. My very good friend is very very close to popping out her second baba, it’s pretty thrilling stuff
9. My Winamp broke and I wanted to listen to some Bruce Springsteen, it sucks
10. I totally forgot I was busy with this post, and got carried away with work

I need more coffee, and my microwave huggy – my finger nails are turning purple.

It’s raining again, but I don’t care. I got some really awesome news on the work front, and things are progressing nicely overall.

Hard to believe that it’s coming up for my fourth month as a freelancer – and each month I enjoy it more. What you lose in security you make up for in flexibility, better time management, less stress and much more productivity, and while not everyone enjoys it, I really love it.

I really can’t stress how totally awesome it is to work in my pajamas, and as for the motivation part… it does get easier, and I have gotten into my own routine of sorts and learnt to work around my best times. The way I see it, as long as I never miss a deadline, it doesn’t matter what time I choose to work – hours are hours after all, so it doesn’t make much difference either way.

So, here’s to new adventures and exciting prospects… and most of all, to success!

Fact: it is impossible to take pictures of something new without getting a cat in the frame

The mushrooms and butterflies are all smiling

Quick cheerer-uppers today:

* I changed the light bulb in my bedroom, which is quite a feat when you get vertigo when you look UP
* My Snow, UB40 and Bob Marley mix has been slowly boosting my zen all afternoon
* It’s Debra Day and calm has descended on the flat once again
* I had such a good smile at this story on the moon bears having a tree party at the Animals Asia sanctuary
* Even though I can’t convert to mp3 to copy to disk, I have some Fun Lovin’ Criminals on my laptop – since I lost my Come Find Yourself tape back in 1996, I’ve been looking for this everywhere so was majorly stoked to find it yesterday

Yup yup, things aren’t so bad really

It’s been a funny week, my mood has been super happy mostly and I got paid earlier than expected, and got more work for the month and next. It’s Debra Day, I have wine, have been running lately, all should be good, and pretty much is… just have a bit of an emotional hurdle to get through in the next week or so. Once I get past that, then it’s all systems go, just have that slightly nasty after taste of unresolved baggage to erase.

Not fun, but I’m working on it. Anyway, here’s what’s helping my zen levels this week.

On The Tunage Front…

1. Michael Jackson – Give In To Me
2. Roxette – Dangerous, Dressed For Success
3. Rhianna – Umbrella
4. Nelly ft. Tim McGraw – Over and Over
5. N’Sync – Girlfriend

On The Wine Front…

A nice fresh Fish Hoek Sav Blanc, one of my favourites with a screw tops for lazy people like me who couldn’t be bothered to get out the bottle opener. Love those tops!

On The Retail Therapy Front…

1. 2 new awesome toight like a toiger V necks in coral and brown
2. Cruelty free Rose and Lavender sugar scrub from Wellness Centre
3. Organic rooibos day cream
4. Demure yet hot cream shift dress (to be purchased in time for the weekend)

On The Health Front…

1. Good runs in the city
2. Lentil stew lunches
3. Steamed veggies for dinner
4. Minimal bread intake
5. Totally awesome ‘fuck-the-calories’ macaroni cheese enjoyed with good mates and good TV and good movie
6. Cadbury’s new Chocolate Brownie chocolate, which is gooey, but tastes damn good
7. Feeble but determined attempts at dominating my hula hoop
8. Cal C Vitas
9. Green Tea & Jasmine with honey
10. Water

On The Box Front…

1. Isidingo (always, but always)
2. 3 lbs (the best doctor show ever, loving this show bigtime)
3. Grandma’s Boy (totally awesome, want to own this one)
4. Silk Stalking’s (the two cheese cops finally getting it on, I wanted to cry it was such a moment)
5. Clockwork Orange (on tomorrow, on SABC 3 nogal)

I think I need to get that dress and rock it bigtime on the weekend and drink away this emotion bullshit. And I really need to change the song, Britney’s Not A Girl has just come on and I need Roxette dammit.

This really made my day. It turns out the beautiful Becks will be climbing Kilimanjaro at some point in the future. The date hasn’t been set yet due to his footie schedule, but Bono has managed to talk him into doing the big climb with West Ham’s goalie, Robert Green – to raise money for Unicef nogal, pretty impressive indeed.

As long as he doesn’t fall off or die in a blizzard and get eaten by his trek party, or worse, get any frostbite on his perfect self, then I’m totally loving this. And here I was thinking he was just a pretty torso, just goes to show hey.

My sister came down from Picketburg to visit, and after a very boozy lunch we headed off to Lola’s for a beer or two, then had to come home to sober up a bit and get ready to go to our cousin’s 21st. The party was totally rocking, some very pretty emo boys, lots of free booze, good food and fun… and a shit load of laughs with the hysterically funny Mark Sampson doing a few skits, and more booze and birthday cake and a guy that I knew I know from somewhere but neither of could remember where but he’ll find me on Facebook. Ahem. A damn good party in my books!

Today, after waking up a bit hung, we made a mission to Kloof Street and also got some hangover food. Came back and made breakfast and watched a hilarious movie version of the HG Wells classic, Time Machine. Then a mate came over to drive my sister back to Picketburg, and I went along for the mission. Got to see the kittens a bit, poor Egg is sick but the others are all as mad as ever.

Now, I know I am meant to do some work, but I’m far to chilled so I am going to get some supper sorted and veg out.

Hope everyone is feeling the last remains of the weekend chill time and that Monday rocks hard!