Happy Holidays

We're off to South Africa today, so I won't be posting for a few weeks, but expect lots of news in January...once the computer is fixed as well...it died last week.

Insignificant Blog Awards

Not sure quite what the criteria are for winning but I've entered nonetheless.....I am guessing that as I don't get much traffic there's not much point, but may be that is the whole point...who knows?

Click the link on the right hand side to vote!

Is it Spam or Post-Modernist Literature?

Just thought I'd share the most interesting piece of spam I've received in ages.....it was either that or enter it for the next orange prize, but may be I could do both? Thanks by the way to Irena Costella or kullstamwei@peachcitybeachcruise.com who ever you are for sending it to me!


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where they attack terminated in an abrupt nap said Lys. "We orthodontic may as well
escarpment as though some all value powerful hand had was a remarkable structure when they were through with it, stuck The cries came nearer, and Fred shouted in replywords of impatientenough for folks like us, waving her knife to include all present, toagainst their own house, as if by accident, and resembling in itsbe very respectable and never get ourselves talked about, for nobodys thigh broken keep on resettlement in tragic search of another refuge."
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underneath set it warn upon the surface
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It was now quite dark, and as lonely I crept aroundtheir lives nothing had happened, and here was a deliciously exciting "


There....I wonder what happens next?

Countdown has Begun

No we're not launching a rocket or testing a missile, well we're not planning to at any rate. No, we're heading to the sun for Christmas and New Year this year and just before that we have a milestone birthday to get through too. Yes my thoroughly un grown-up husband turns 30 next week....but I happen to think, compared with previous boyfriends and male acquaintances that he happens to be handling it in a very very grown-up manner. In the past I have seen all sorts of crazy "oh shit I'm about to turn 30" behaviour manifest itself. I was once the much younger girlfriend of a 29 year old reluctant to admit that he was hanging on to his late 20's by nothing more than the skin of his teeth and the hopes that if anyone saw him with me (then 19) that they might think he just looked older than he actually was, for example.But no there is almost a calm stoicism in our household when it comes to the ageing topic...no drastic new hairstyles or comical make-overs planned here...no, just a graceful passing from youth into middle age, possibly helped by uncontrollable excitement at the prospect of going on safari for two days in January when we are in South Africa. Perhaps it helps that my Dad will be exactly double his age on the very same day?

In fact what I mean by the countdown....is the very accurate and regularly reported countdown to the day next week when aged 30,my husband will be flying to South Africa for the first time. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about going to see family and friends as I haven't been back in quite some time, but its not a "first" for me...oh and I'm still panicking about what to buy him for his 30th as every single person I speak to on the subject, reliably informs me that they have in fact just bought "exactly that" for him when I float my latest idea on what to buy for him.....I am so annoyed at this in fact that I have stopped getting involved in the conversation and dropped into pre-sulk mode as I prepare to be the person who gets him book vouchers while all those around me hand over exactly what he wanted!

But we should have a fantastic time once we get to South Africa, if we haven't missed the flight in the excitement of spending the book tokens in the airport shop of course! Which reminds me I still have some more Christmas shopping to do before we fly, or people will be getting duty-free gifts...which just doesn't score highly at all, not even in the "it was the thought that counted" stakes. I was so much more organised by this time last year! So much more! At this rate I'll be packing on the way out the door!

Let there be light........please?

I know that I haven't been posting in a while but I've been busier than this time last year, and markedly less dark in my mood as well. But on the subject of darkness....we have yet to get the lighting sorted in this place. In Switzerland when you move into a place it does not come with light fittings....not even a wire with a bulb on the end. I suppose we should be grateful that there are even switches, however in two of the main rooms in this apartment they even forgot to put the wires in! So its been 6 weeks of calling the agent for the building....waiting for a "bon de commande" (a voucher) to call the electrician with and then getting through to him only to be told...."oh yeah well...we decided when we moved the wall not to bother reconnecting the cable run...you'll have to take it up with the agent."

So take it up with the agent I have, in my best sarcastic french reserved for tongue in cheek letters to swiss bureaucrats....and now we wait again. The light fittings are starting to meld with the carpet in bedroom, but I don't want to go down to see the agent and drag him up to demonstrate how dark the rooms get on a gloomy afternoon with just a couple of lamps to brighten them as I've done a thoroughly naughty thing and painted a wall in our bedroom a non-authorised colour (not white) but I'd had enough of the austere uniformity of the apartment and besides I've always liked this shade of cornflower blue!

We might get lights in the ceilings before Christmas, but at the moment I think the chances of Snow in the Sahara on Christmas Day are higher.