Roxilla

…is easier said than done.

creepy ghost hotel

Today has really sucked. These antibiotics are killing me, I can’t even enjoy my espresso without heartburn ruining my caffeine mojo, and nothing seems to help. Work has been equally insufferable, and to add to my stress, have finally had to accept that I’m trying to take on too much freelance work too. Turning down a rather large project for one my my oldest clients this evening was really not easy, but I am just not coping as it is – a huge project would really throw things off balance.

Chasing deadlines again… hard to believe it’s been about six months since I was last doing this much. I have to try so hard to keep the panic down, because of course stress is *awesome* with heartburn. Meh.

Anyway, a few nice things happened today…

1. I had a divine pomegranate and cranberry scone from Well Cafe
2. There was a double rainbow over the mountain at lunchtime
3. I had Vida double latte (and damn the heartburn!)
4. I felt inspired about something on the work front for a change
5. I made smoothies for the first time in aaages

On the sucky side, I also managed to cut open my finger when making above-mentioned smoothies – stupid ass passion fruit are hard to cut when your hands are covered in juice! Still, was a good smoothie at least.

The Netherlands are in a 1:1 headlock with the asshole Uruguay cheaters, but at this point I don’t care. As long as Spain go through tomorrow and the cheaters lose at some point, whoever beats Uruguay tonight is irrelevant to me.

One step closer to the weekend, and my smile has been returned to my dial tonight.

welcome to my idea of heaven...

Well, Sunday night is here once again. It’s been a bit of a weird weekend, some awesome parts, some tragic parts and some er, hazy parts. After being off sick for most of the week, and after the utterly devastating Ghana defeat I have been especially in need of some zen boosting and a spot of shopping, lunch with my aunt, night out with my wingchick and nice work/life balance did the trick, so on that front, mission accomplished!

Here are some wicked kief happiness boosters of late…

* Rambo II (especially after *that* game on Friday)
* Hot bubble baths
* Spain kicking some Paraguay ass last night
* Sad Argentinians on Long Street
* Awesome vibe on Long Street
* Patron
* Avo and brie and gerkin
* Shoe HQ in Woodstock (seriously, like oh em gee – that place!!)
* Hot new boots
* Short dresses and tights
* New perfume
* Silly kittens
* World Cup tourist mayhem all day every day
* Old skool R ‘n B and hip hop a la Salt ‘n Pepa, Silk and Public Enemy
* Scarves (the bigger, the better)
* Feather duvet
* Fluffy slippers
* Hot chocolate
* Espresso (because caffeine is always good, always!)
* My beloved BlackBerry
* Coats
* Day dreams and distractions
* Old James Bond flicks
* Twitter community
* The Signal Hill farm horses
* The mountain
* Wardrobe on Kloof Street
* Kings of Leon (especially this song)
* Sunny winter days in Cape Town
* Flags and fans everywhere!

To round off the zen lovin’, here is one of the all time bestest songs to push us into Monday on a cheerful note… turn up the volume as high as you can and enjoy this shiz.

Beyond Pollution...

It’s been a Tupac kind of evening, where he just makes so much sense. June is almost over, and it feels like everything has turned topsy turvy this month… from all the epic excitement of the World Cup to too much sad news and so much gloom on top of the heady feeling of hope, celebration and enthusiasm. Bitter sweet stuff indeed.

I have been meaning to write about the BP spill, but it is just too heartbreaking and too catastrophic to put into words. These huge companies are slowly but surely wrecking our planet, and there doesn’t seem much we can do at all. Sue the fuckers, what difference will that make to all the birds and sea animals that have paid the real price for another fuck up?! One of the only things keeping this in any way sane is following BP Public Relations on Twitter. Taken with a bucket of salt, at least they are doing something!

On Tuesday I heard that someone who was an integral part of the old city passed away. He had been fighting his demons for a long time, and it was so much of a shock as just a feeling of sadness that society and the universe could slowly break him down. He wasn’t a close friend, but at the same time he represented a lot of what I always loved about this city… and with Lola’s changed, and so much else slowly changing, his passing was just another reminder that change is just something that happens, whether we like it or not.

It is Friday at least, and even if I’m till feeling wide awake at least when I do get to sleep, I can wake up knowing that it’s Friday for realz, and not wake up thinking for a moment that it is Friday when it is not. Hate that.

I don’t know, this week has exhausted me and with a massive deadline hanging over my head, I have a feeling that my old friends stress and exhaustion are not going to be strangers over these next few days. I need Patron, and I need boots and I need a nice dress. And a massage, but that will have to wait til after payday.

In other news, I have found a tiny glimmer of hope on the inspiration front. I’m hanging on to it, even if I lose it again.

It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned Jasper or posted any pictures of him, and at the rate he’s growing, figured now was a good time – before he goes for the chop next month, hehe.

jasper's first day

Jasper is the first cat that I have had on my own, from a small kitten. Sonic and Tiger were first living with my sister, and we only moved in together when they were a few months old already so I missed a large part of their early days. Jasper on the other hand, I got when he was seven weeks old – I’ve seen him go from the friendly but frightened little ginger thing that came out of the cat box and into my lounge on that first day (and spent much of that day behind the couch), to the loving, spoiled, beautiful cat he is becoming today… and that is quite a special bond for me. He was an only cat for the first month too, which also makes him a bit of a mommy’s boy.

hey, I said he was spoiled!

I hate seeing them grow out of that baby phase, and I wish I could keep him all cute and cuddly forever, but at the same time, seeing what a gorgeous boy he’s becoming is also cool. He’s quite a strange kitten – he loves avo, and butter – can’t keep anything out on the counters or I will come back to find him trying to eat it. He also likes to hang around to pick up scraps that fall on the floor! Then there is the water…

out of his bowl...

the basin...

in the bath...

He has fallen into the bath three times, but still loves to sit on the edge and watch the bubbles. Wet paws, clumsiness and sudden fascination with his reflection in the tiles on the opposite side of the bath don’t help. He also has a ridiculous way of sitting on his back feet, rubbing his paws together in the air when he’s trying to reach something far away.

What Jasper loves most however is epic sleeping. He can be picked up and put upside down, back to front, draped across your lap or just about anywhere when he’s asleep and does the floppy cat thing to the extreme. He also often doesn’t quite close his eyes when he sleeps…

which is hilarious yet slightly unnerving

but he so loves to snooze!

He’s slowly starting to make friends with Sonic now, and the other day they were even sleeping next to each other – no small feat considering that 90% of the time, he annoys the heck out of Sonic and jumps on him at any chance he gets.

it's taken them a while...

but they're getting there!

All in all, he’s pretty insane but one of the most loving and affectionate cats I’ve ever had – even if he is impossible to discipline and has no respect for anything much at all!

not the security gate or my precious rose lights...

or my curtains...

or my laptop...

But now can I possibly resist a face like this…

such a beautiful boy!