fan guy bringing the gees

Being sick and having had one of the worst days ever, I was intent on going home to watch. Co-workers managed to persuade me otherwise luckily, and we headed across the road to Cactus where we had the best seats – outside, under the heater, directly by the window with the big screen in sight. There were some Frenchmen across from us (lord knows what they thought of the comments, but anyhoo!) and locals everywhere. Not quite as manic as Long Street, but it was perfect. One or two of us then headed down to Long, after a quick detour to feed cats. Jumped queues, packed balconies, fan guy and friends, and you get the general idea. It wasn’t a late one, and while today was rough and my poor throat was wrecked from cheering, I am glad I can say that I was there when Bafana beat France.

What a game, what an event… what a month. Eish!

Friday: Cape to Cuba Cigar Bar

Friday night was pretty epic, DT fetched me around 11h30ish or so and we headed to Neighbourhood for Patron. We had a huge giggle at this older guy playing wingman to his adorable little 18 year old friends, and after first making him buy us a round of Patron, we let them join us for a while. Cool as the vibe was at Hood though, we decided to find Blade at Cape to Cuba. He was at the Cigar Bar upstairs, which meant vanilla cigars, more Patron, shmoozing with some of the city’s up and coming comic legends and a man dressed as a nun before going on to Zula for some epic drum ‘n bass courtesy of Niskerone and I think a Jager-Bomb before they called last rounds and I eventually found a cab to head home somewhere around 4ish.

Saturday: Well Spa Aromatherapy Massage

Waking up early on Saturday morning was kinda rough, but not as bad as I had feared. I had an aromatherapy massage booked at Well Spa (you can read the full review over here), which was incredible – seriously the best thing ever! After a bit of errands on Kloof I headed home, planning to be active and get out into the sunshine, but eventually bed was proving hard to resist. Only managed a cat nap, but spent the rest of the day and night couch bound – it was awesome.

Sunday: Bare Feet and Kittens = Bad News

Sunday was pretty busy, woke up relatively early then chilled in bed with coffee and cats. A totally unsuccessful mission to Gardens Centre in search of a coat followed (and since I walked, meant I could forgo a run later without feeling too guilty) and then some grocery shopping (again, walking home with heavy bags of cat litter and such is a good workout). I was then brutally attacked when I was on a phone call sitting on my bed – kitten is getting into the ‘teenage’ phase and has moments of frantic wildness where he races across my bed… sadly my bare foot happened to be on the bed at the time, still throbbing a bit but not too bad! Had such a good nap afterwards that I couldn’t quite remember if I had even been out early – was that good, then I worked a bit… now it’s almost over.

I’ve been half watching Fast and the Furious (purely for Paul Walker, hehe), now I think I will watch a bit of Meet Joe Black until Brad gets run over (this being the best part), and then I’m going to have an awesome hot bath with my Neutrogenica Stress Relief Oil and then finally… feather duvet bliss at last.

Nothing like a good weekend to restore the zen.

I got a million ways to get it
Choose one (choose one)
Hey, bring it back (bring it back)
Now double your money and make a stack

Hold up, freeze

~ Jay-z – On To The Next One

I got hold of Blueprint 3 today (yes, only now) and I’ve been playing it to death. Being a huge fan already, I’ve loved Jay-z long time. From the So Ghetto days and the Hard Knock Life early days, this dude just brings it every single time. Of all the songs on the album, this is my favourite. Call it an anthem for the single types on the road to success and self-actualization. Call it another song about cars, chicks and money. Call it what you want.

I’m calling it awesome, and I’m claiming it as a theme song for Marvelous March.

if you like pina colada...

Calling all Cape Town blogger types, there will be a little gathering in the city on Thursday night. Just so you know.

If you’re keen for details, email or DM me.

these lights will make you feel brand new

It really was meant to be a quiet night in, and I had full intentions of staying in. But somewhere after Coyote Ugly I started getting bored, and changed my mind. So I met some of the gang at Waiting Room, where we could head up to the roof – this is one of the coolest places to be in a Cape Town heatwave, literally. Then after a bit of booty shaking on the dancefloor it was off to Dubliner, then Neighbourhood and finally to Chrome.

For some reason we decided to walk home, seeing as how I live just a hill or three away it seemed like a good idea at the time. My feet have magically recovered from all the standing, dancing and then walking, and while I am feeling somewhat fragile, I’m not feeling too bad.

Highlights and thoughts from the evening…

1. Waiting Room DJ is annoying, seriously. So much cool music, but he couldn’t finish even one song and kept changing tracks half-way through, sucked.
2. Watching all the mayhem unfold on Long from the roof at Waiting Room was seriously awesome, been living in this city for about four years now and it never stops giving me the warm fuzzies!
3. Dubliner is still the best place for a proper good time, with good cheese, good vibes and endless cute tourists.
4. Neighourhood was kinda dull and forgettable. But it’s still one of the few place on Long that always has Patron in stock.
5. Chrome is pretty cool. First time there, loved the decor and the music, crowd a bit weird but all in all, not as bad as I thought it would be.
6. We walked on dodgy Upper Buitengracht Road and didn’t die. This is quite impressive, after living in this particular ghetto for over two years and seeing everything from shot people to goats in the abandoned lots I honestly didn’t think walking down this road in the early hours was possible.
7. Going out after 11pm makes so much sense. You don’t have to wait for things to pick up, it’s like instant party all the way.

I don’t know why I’m awake, mostly I think it has something to do with the heatwave in this city. The wind is pretty heavy too, I’m guessing there will be firetrucks roaring up my road soon to douse out inevitable fires of Signal Hill at some point today. I have all my work out of the way though, and all I have on the cards for today is chillax and Anaconda at 8pm tonight on etv.

Heatwave or not, today’s going to be a good good day.

Talk about bringing the Kelp back, phew. This weekend began at 4pm on Friday with after-work drinks at Cafe Sophia, before trekking up Long Street in my beautiful killer sparkly blue shoes to meet DT. Fact of life, in the city, when you need a cab there are never any to be seen. My blister was soon forgotten after a pina colada however, which soon became another pina colada (which in typical fashion, Hood managed to stuff up so we had to send them back to fix) and then Brazen joined us. After meeting some very cool archeologists at our table, DT left and Partner in Crime arrived. Another round later and Partner in Crime and I said our goodbyes to Brazen and headed off to Salt River to a little spot whose name for the life me I can’t remember. Next up was Deco Dance for some Roxette, vodka Redbulls and mayhem. I met a cute shy guy and eventually Partner in Crime and I caught a ride back to my place.

Waking up the next morning early, Partner in Crime gave me a lift to the shops for supplies, and then she made her way back to suburbia and I made my way home to sleep. A missed call from the shy guy, a couple of sms’ and plans were made for Long Street later. Cape to Cuba, more pina coladas (nice ones this time!), hectic wind, Patron at Hood and then some Fiction fun – highlight of the night was getting asked for ID, LOVE that. I have no idea what time we left, but luckily there was no falling over involved.

At around lunchtime today shy guy and I headed to the museum, where we were lucky enough to catch the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition as well as various stuffed mammals and other stuff. Then we walked back down to Kloof Street for coffee. My blister is epic, my hangover finally diminished, my hair has been re-styled by this darn wind, my diet took a backseat and I feel like a teenager. I don’t think I’ve talked that much in ages, incredible the amount you can cover over the space of a weekend.

Tomorrow is Monday, and I have some torture at the chiropractor to look forward to as well as dinner with the girls I work with – dry needling aside, think it will be a good one.

In fact, I sense that this week is going to kick butt.

Last night I finally managed to sleep through the night, after almost a week of broken sleep it was such a relief. Getting home yesterday, tired, frazzled and in major need of wine, I was starting to think I would never get another proper sleep. The feeling of stepping into my welcoming flat, cracking open my white and relaxing my poor back was that final moment where I could release the big sigh that had been building up all day. Bliss!

Today, I woke up feeling rested and relaxed. I wore my favourite blue dress, and throughout the day small little things increased my zen, and I managed to get a lot done (nothing like crossing things off your list!) and my back has been a lot better. Only the annoying headache I developed stopped this day from being TOO great, but once I got home and ate something, it started to clear. Living on fruit and yogurt and carrots does wonders for my calorie count but if you forget to have breakfast it makes for some hectically loud tummy rumblings during meetings. After a veg sausage or two and a kickass smoothie, I am feeling way better.

I am learning more about myself every day, and it feels that each day brings another chance to get to know myself and enjoy life. In fact, I think that my recharge time has almost come to an end – I see some Kelp 2010 ahead in the not so distance future.

Hump Day tomorrow people, if that isn’t reason enough to clap and giggle, then I don’t know what is!

It seemed like it would never get here, but at last 2010 is upon us. I am feeling so optimistic and excited about the year ahead it’s insane, and with so much to look forward to, it just HAS to be a good one!

After a good few days away in Piketberg, high up on the mountains away from everything; relaxing, eating, napping, reading, missioning through forests, swimming in gorgeous jacaranda-filled pools, and spending time with friends, family and of course my relocated cats, I am feeling rested, uber chilled and ready for the year ahead. Last year, my resolution was to wing it, and mostly, I did just that. There comes a point however when you realise that you need a bit of a plan, and you need to decide what matters most to you. For me, the biggest challenge of 2009 was dealing with ever-increasing stress loads. From deadlines to job losses, heartache to cat relocations, I somehow lost the crucial work-life balance, and I paid the price with poor sleeping patterns, lapses in gym and diet, bigger lapses in my social life and all sorts of other crappy stress-related issues. It sucked, big time, and this is why this year I decided to focus on one goal… to cut down on stress as much as possible.

What does this mean exactly? Basically, I started setting things into place before the year ended, to cut down on freelance work and start focusing on myself and my zen levels. In addition to this, I plan to do things I enjoy doing – read more, reclaim weekends again, go out more, work less, worry less, eat better, run more, gym more, work on my book, work towards my personal growth goal (more on that later), get away more and generally get a life. Tres simple in theory, obviously may not be this easy when I factor in things like money, work and reality. Still, that is my goal, and I plan to work at it daily.

As for my holiday, all I can say is that five or so days of escape from the city has done me the world of good. Here are some of the highlights of my holiday, in photo format. The full set can be found over here.

Getting pulled over somewhere on the R47 for doing 103k in an apparent 80k zone

Picnics in the gum forest, which has loads of massive towering blue gums

Enjoying walks in the forest with assorted cats, dogs and people... this cat in particular is a real forest cat!

Picking divine fresh fruit from the orchards - these apricots are small, but utterly delish, as were the plums

My awesome R25 slops I picked up at the P-berg budget fashion shop - super comfy and rather cool!

Beautiful sunsets every evening, and always a cat or two around to add to the view

Braais, fires, candlelight and star-lit skies... let's not forget the marshmallows on sticks!

Chicken and the mouse on his back, very sweet!

Swimming in the best darn pool ever - cold spring water, floating jacaranda blooms and a stunning backdrop!

There were many more moments of course, click here for more pictures!

Here’s to a super awesome year ahead!

After sleeping through my alarm on Sunday morning, and waking up all of a sudden to see that it was 10am I had a brief moment of sheer panic. Then I remembered that it was still weekend. Overall, it was a pretty good one, not least because I finally put my deadline to rest after one final push on Friday.

Saturday morning was spent indulging in some much-needed retail therapy, when my aunt and I set off for an el cheapo shopping session. Access Park on the last Saturday before Christmas was something else, but despite huge crowds we managed to pick up some bargains. Then we headed out to China Town in Ottery, where I was overwhelmed by the biggest selection of dresses I’ve ever seen – almost every shop we went into had loads and loads of frocks, in gorgeous fabrics, pretty patterns, hot styles and bright colours. Despite my best efforts to find the elusive black dress, the brights and patterns proved too much to resist and I ended up finding a gorgeous black and floral handkerchief dress in satin. I also managed to find the most awesome heels ever… metallic blue strappy stilettos with sequins. Then we ventured onwards to Meltz, where I found a stunning bright coral pink dress. All in all, a rather good haul indeed!

Tea at my grans and then a mission home, and I was pretty exhausted. My back was sore and I was stuck into the Freddie Prinz Jnr. movie with my wine and would have just stayed on my couch… but then @DT twisted my rubber arm, and we decided that a Neighbourhood mission was in order. Luckily I had something to wear, hehe – so after getting into my lovely satin dress and getting dolled up, DT fetched me by cab (and we managed to survive the journey down to Long with a super inexperienced and clueless driver!) and the Patron began flowing. Hood was full of drunk tourists and JHB people, including a very annoying dude who kept hassling us. There was no doubt about it, a mission to Waiting Room was essential. We found @SolidGame there, and after a bit of a boogie on the dancefloor, we went over the road to Fiction. Apart from the good dub step, and the packed dancefloor and I think being outside on the balcony, it’s a bit of a blur. Eventually I was too tired to stand, my back was sore and it was time for me to make my exit. Luckily I had just enough cash to get a cab, and in no time I was home, asleep a few seconds after my head hit the pillow.

A few observations from the weekend…

* I just can’t wear black anymore. I can’t even buy black anymore, so much for classic and simple!
* I think I am developing a dress addiction. Just cannot resist all these stunning dresses, sigh.
* Freddie Prinz Jnr. isn’t as hot as I remembered. Why he was such a big deal, I don’t know.
* She’s All That is still the best chick flick ever. Paul Walker should have been the star though, not the baddie.
* Nothing beats that post-deadline glow. Relief, breathing again and no guilt trips – gotta love it.
* Go Girl energy drinks rock. They taste better than Red Bull, they work and they don’t make me feel weird.
* My mojo isn’t quite fully back yet. It’s getting there though, and that’s the main thing.
* Day time naps are awesome. I had almost forgotten how nice it is to be able to relax instead of work.

There are three more days left before I finish up work for the year, and they are going to be hectic beyond belief. My sister arrives on Tuesday, then it will be Christmas and then I can escape the city for a while for New Years. Can’t wait!

These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you

~ Jay-z ft. Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind

This weekend I’ve felt more part of this city than I have in ages. Something about huge surges of locals, tourists, soccer fans, party goers, poor people, rich people, black people, white people, Germans, Brits, Americans, South Africans and just about every possibly style and culture imaginable… all brought together to celebrate a big moment for our country. Even in my somewhat hazy state on Friday, the feeling was unbelievably cool – cannot wait for 2010 next year!

The city was restored to its somewhat calmer, but still manic state last night as Partner in Crime and I headed out to Neighbourhood. Cute boys everywhere, Patron and Savannas flowing nicely, some hilarious convo with Blade and his assorted crew, then DT and Blondie met up with us and it was decided that dancing was in order and we set off down the road to Dubliner. Things got a bit hazy then, besides disgusting lecherous types trying to touch me (major eew!) and more Savanna and the upstairs Kennedy’s bar, and a bit of shaking tush on the dancefloor it was pretty standard stuff. Eventually I had to fade, after a rather crazy weekend I was ready for Club Duvet.

It’s hard to explain if you don’t live in the city, but the noise and chaos are infinitely soothing somehow. There’s something in the constant lights and action that make you feel alive and glad to be a part of it all. Much as I adore my flat and my ghetto neighbourhood here in the Bo Kaap, I would love to be right in the centre of it all… considering how this place is falling apart, who knows – perhaps a move to a swanky studio apartment in the city isn’t off the cards for next year. With no pets or responsibilities, I can live anywhere now. We shall see!

For now, I’m doing a bit of work and enjoying the Basson that’s blasting on the TV. Sunday contemplation time, so much to be excited about and still one last deadline looming ahead next week. Then I will be able to relax at last and get ready for the Christmas countdown.

Sigh… six days til the next weekend. Let’s hope they go quickly!