Update

Days since exercise programme began: 6 Current Muscular Pain Level: manageable Speed at which enthusiasm is waning: faster than a greek sprinter on drugs Weight: too SHOCKING to mention

Feeling perky after the weekend

Ok, so I may be one of a really small percentage of people that now looks forward to going back to work on a Monday. No, my weekends are not SO lame as to force me to desire the work on Monday, but since I am no longer with my former evil, suck the life right out of me job anymore, work has become kinda cool. Yeah of course it's cool because I can blog every now and then without worrying and still get all my work done, and still get paid for it. It's also because I now have decent equipment at my fingertips where email can actually get sent in HTML instead of plain text, because the company is too profit conscious to install a better email system! Ok, maybe saying decent equipment is going just a little too far, considering what happended to my desktop PC (yup I'm still on the laptop - no numeric keypad..gaaah!), but still it's little things, like being able to write to someone in RED, and know that chances are - they also have decent email and it gets there in RED, that makes me enjoy the little nuances of email again.

So AS I was saying...

I had a fabulous time last night at my first scrapbooking class, and found out that sadly, this activity is going to be extremely addictive, and like horseriding, require several thousand pieces of equipment which I am going to have to fork out for... Will I mind spending the money? HELL NO!! Whether or not I actually have the money...is another question entirely. Tonight, we (the hubby and I) are off for drinks with friends, one of whom has just landed on a flight from Sydney, Australia - (he's not going to be jet-lagged tonight!), after which we are going to another friends house for chinese dinner - YUMMY!! Tommorrow of course the hubby will disappear onto the golf course for several hours, whilst I trawl the city for scrapbooking supplies and max out the hubby's credit card. WHAT!? I hear the collective yell from all the blokes reading this...well boys, it's only fair. Do you know what golf costs these days!? I won't spend half as much on my supplies as the hubby will on his golfing, and the drinks afterwards. Besides, it's good for wives to have their own activities outside of the home ;) Which means...fellow bloggers, that I will see you all again on Monday morning first thing. Adios muchachos and have a great weekend!!

Scrapbooking!

Scrapbooking! I have recently taken up this fabulous new hobby called scrapbooking. I have always been one to take photo's and this is a great new way to store them! Although the above is not one of my creations - it is a good example of what exactly scrapbooking is. This particular one I really like because of it's play on words. Russian Revolution, referring to the breed of cat illustrated (i.e. Russian Blue) - and a bit of a blurb about the cats, along with some really beautiful design ideas. I just wish I could remember which website I found this on, so that I could give the author/designer/creator the full credit for this really cute design!

Update

Days since started exercising again: 3 Current Muscular Pain Level: Intense Weight Loss since starting: 3kg 3kg in 3 days? Yes. Oh my god...how overweight am I that I can shed 3kg a) without noticing and b)by a bout or two on the treadmill?

Anky wins again!

Best Sport! For those of you who don't know, or don't care to watch equestrian sport - you are missing something really special if you don't watch dressage. At the top level, participants compete in a freestyle routine with music, and it is to this, and to the greatest exponent of this sport of all time, to which this blog is dedicated. Anky van Grunsvern is a rider from Holland who has been at the top of this sport for at least the last 6 years. It may actually be longer, but I haven't been into it further back than that! She successfully defended her title first won in Sydney 2000. What makes this feat so special, is that this time, it was on her new relatively green 10 year old gelding 'Salinero', as her seasoned master 'Bonfire' has been retired. (No doubt piaffing somewhere in a paddock, trying to get a glimpse of himself on the schooling hall mirrors). Her performance was so beautiful and so special, that I was truly pleased that she took gold again. I wish I knew how it was that she manages to instill in each horse such an acute sense of timing and rythym - maybe they are played music in the womb!! (the horses I mean). Perhaps, the horses have their choice of Beethoven or Bach with dinner... Either way, I watch in awe and wonder.

Little more comfortable

Ok, my PC is still under the imperius curse. (Harry Potter fans will know what I am talking about). But the laptop that I am working off at the moment is getting a little more comfortable. The only annoying thing is that I am a pretty quick touch typist, and the keyboard layout is messing with my head and my fingers! Anyway, I still can't personalise much on this laptop, because ultimately I want my desktop back - so to bookmark things would just be a waste of time, as I have to start from scratch anyway.

Still mad!

Ok, I just wanted to let you all know that I am still REALLY P*SSED about my computer having crashed. I mean for crying out loud, why can't the internet be a nice safe place where all software works, and you don't have to worry about things like spam, or viruses or pop up ads, or software conflicts, or hardware compatability!! Gaaah!!! Gaaaah!! Gaaaaaah!!

Damn Computer

This is just a random test to make sure that I have at least remembered the address that I can email to blog from, and that it too has not disappeared along with half of my life, my photographs - hell, my wedding photographs were all on that friggin pc.

Can't believe it...

I can't believe what has happened to me. My computer has crashed (no, not the one that I am blogging from right now), my work computer, my friend and the extention of my brain. It is totally unresponsive. I have even had to go so far as to reformat the hard drive and try and reinstall xp, but it STILL won't work. I don't know what to do - even my husband who is a complete techie is at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Many of my work files were backed up, and thank god, the reservations of my clients are held off site - but all of those tweaky things that made my computer 'home' are lost to me.

Robbed by Bias!

Robbed by Bias This weekends Gymnastics apparatus finals were marred by an obvious sense of bias displayed by the judges. In the mens rings finals - local Greek gymnast Tampakos, delivered a good (but flawed) routine, with obvious murmurs, and shimmy's during his strength elements. The fact that he drew to go first only makes this bias that the judges showed him all the more obvious. He was followed by Jordan Jobtchev (sorry if this is spelled incorrectly Jordan) - pictured above - , performing an amazing routine. His strength elements performed without so much as a wriggle from the rings, his dismount perfect. It became obvious that something was affoot, when the judges marked him lower when his routine was so clearly better than that of Tampakos. A further routine by Yuri Chechi of Italy, was also superior to that of Tampakos, and yet he only had enough favour with the judges to secure a bronze medal spot behind Tampakos and Jordan of Bulgaria. When all the gymnasts had completed their chance at the rings and the places announced, Juri Chechi openly, wholeheartedly congratulated Jordan on his performance, and in obvious sign and body language indicated to him that in his mind, Jordan should have been 'number 1' and taken the Gold. His sentiments were echoed by several of the other gymnasts who congratulated Jordan, and barely shook hands with Tampakos. Tampakos, strutted and preened to the deafening applause of the clearly elated, albeit gymnastically ignorant Greek crowds. To the judges of that competition...'shame on you'. You allowed crowd support to overcome your duty to reward the best performance of the day, and you have tarnished the Olympic ideal. To Tampakos - although you were not at fault to accept your medal awarded by the judges, you should have been man enough to recognise that on that day, you were not the best. To Yuri Chechi of Italy- thank you for standing up to say what was right, in the face of such support for Tampakos - your example should be an indication to others of the Olympic ideal. Lastly to Jordan Jobtchev of Bulgaria, your performance was outstanding, truly one of the best ever seen, and it is YOUR performance that coaches the world over will use to inspire their young gymnasts to greater perfection. Well done, you were the best at Athens 2004.

Rah Rah...Blah

Rah Rah...blah. Finally the Springboks are back to their old dazzling form. Having been forced (more or less since we only have one TV) to watch this weekends Tri-Nations game vs Australia, I must admit to being pleased to see the boks in the same type of form that brought them world cup victory in 1995. Having said that though, perhaps it is my advancing age, that led me to be an observer of a far more interesting game than the one on television. That is, to watch, my hubby and two of his close friends watching the game... I still can't fathom exactly what it is that makes men such avid watchers of sport. The three of them seemed incapable of keeping their butts firmly planted in their chairs. Their jumping up and down, and spine chilling shrieks made me think that I was in the middle of the bloodiest battle in 'Braveheart'. Which brings me to an interesting theory. Rugby players are our modern day gladiators. I am not talking about that unbelievably stupid TV show that was screened with puffed up body builders with naff names like 'Spider' and 'Warrior'. But actual people playing for their lives on a modern day battlefield. When I say 'playing for their lives' I don't mean it literally of course - they don't actually get put to death physically for losing! (Duh). But in a sense they are playing for their live(s)lihood. A bad game, and a few silly mistakes is often enough to get them hung out to dry by the media, and end their careers - and therefore their ability to support themselves. Let's face it - even though many of our players go on to other careers, such as opening their own chain of restaurants or modelling or such like. Do they ever really earn the same type of cash that their ball catching, teeth gnashing, thigh bashing pursuits earn them? I await your comment...

One day...

One day... I will treat myself to a round trip to NYC flying Virgin Atlantic Upperclass, and enjoy comforts such as these. Why the hell would anyone want to fly economy class if they could fly like this? Gaaah! Please note that this is not a completely shameless punting of the superior benefits of service on Virgin Atlantic (although just in case Mr Branson does come across this blog - your airline is fabulous!), nor is it an attempt to promote the fact that I am a travel consultant. How many people out there actually get to see the cabins on an aircraft beyond cattle class? I don't mean those rare glimpses that you get of plush seats and actual cuttlery before the senior cabin attendent hoiks the curtain shut, after the businessman (who's travel budget is clearly too large) comes down the aisle to use YOUR economy class wc. I mean really! Who does he actually think he is?? ;)

What a great day!

I have just had the nicest day, working at a steady pace, and getting some great bookings in. After all my whinghing this morning - it just goes to show that perhaps attitude isn't everything, and that sometimes fate throws you a good curveball - and changes your outlook on life. Go Fate! Tonight we are having some good friends over for a yummy pasta dinner. The hubby has made fresh pasta nearly every night since we got back from honeymoon, clearly owing to the fact that we got a pasta machine as a wedding gift. Dang, you gotta love those bridal registries!!

All Olympic'd Out

Well, this morning I am feeling all Olympic'd out. I watched amazing performances in the Gymnastics again last night, this time the women's all around individual competition. Again it came right down to the last performance of the evening, and this time it was American Carly Harrison who stamped her authority on the evenings proceedings, with consistently great performances on all of her apparatus. The reason why I say I am feeling all Olympic'd out is just because we are seeing so much greatness in people. We are seeing the best in people, and perhaps this is because the worst isn't being shown on camera. But anyway, it just leaves me feeling like - what the hell am I doing with my life?? Maybe I feel this way, because I used to be an sports person with Olympic potential, and rebelled against the pressure, and gave up on those dreams? Maybe it's because the 2004 Olympics were the ones towards which my entire training programme was geared? Anyway, just talking about it like this is depressing me! I sound like a real wingher and now I am starting to annoy myself as well. I think that I should just continue to watch and be inspired to be a better person by watching performances such as those of Paul Hamm (see yesterday's entry) and Carly Harrison. I should get off my lazy ass, and get some exercise for a start - now THAT would make me feel better.

A Legend Is Born...

A Legend is Born... Last night, I saw such an incredible display of courage, tenacity and absolute sportsmanship that I am compelled to write about this young man this morning. I am sure that Americans across the country were on the edge of their seats last night to watch Paul Hamm in the mens individual all around mens artistic gymnastics final. Well my Yankee friends - you were not the only country glued to yourarmchairs!! For those of you who missed it, Paul Hamm had a great start to his competition, with good performances on floor, rings, and pommel horse. He then stepped up to do an impressive vault. His landing was slightly out, and caused him to step sideways, lose his balance and tumble unceremoniously almost into the arms of the judges seated at the side of the landing area. From lying in first place to about 7th...From hero to zero in as many seconds. This young man from Wisconsin...does he run away crying? No. Does he rant and rave and storm around at this robbing of what could have been the best moment of his life? No. Does he play up to the cameras and wring his hands? No. He calmly gets up, dusts himself off and walks back, and gets himself ready for the next event. His parrallel bars routine, is as near to perfect as I have ever seen, a 9.837 and suddenly everyone is watching this young guy again....he's back in the picture. This is unheard of in gymnastic competition! Coming into his final event, the high bar. Many of the contenders for medals have had smaller mishaps of their own, opening the field only very slightly. The two Koreans have had the best performances of their lives, and the gold medal is going to be decided between these two. It seems almost impossible - a score of about 9.830 is what Paul Hamm needs to win. He is the last competitor to go, everyone else in the hall is done. Everyone is watching, fans, family, tv viewers around the world, waiting to see if he can repeat his good performance from the parallel bars. He steps up. It's heartbreaking. Knowing that he has come so close. He takes control of that high bar like he owns it! Balls to the wall, and he does release move, after release move, and a third release move...every catch is solid, his giant swings are perfect, just the dismount is left. The world holds it's breath for this man, and it is exhaled in a disbelieving collective joyous yelling worldwide, for what seemed impossible only minutes ago. A perfect landing. The score... 9.837 Paul Hamm is the new Olympic Gold Medallist in the Mens All Around Individual Artistic Gymnastics Competition. God Dang, he really deserves it. He celebrates with his hands in the air, and when he comes out again to receive his medals, he has that quiet Wisconsin look on his face, pride, joy, a quick wistful look at his twin Morgan in the stands, almost like he is wishing that he were there with him to share the moment on the podium. Then the flags are raised, and the Star Spangled Banner is playing (I'm in tears and I'm not even American), he shakes the hands of the openly devastated Koreans on either side of him and invites them to stand with him for the photographs. Since these boys all have shoulders like army tanks, they barely fit next to one another, so he puts his arms around each of them and they smile together.

Whee!!

Wheee!! Oh joy, oh rapture. I have a comment on my blog (I swear it wasn't me). There is life out there!! Yeah!!! Now, if only there was some way to make money out of all this fun that I am having...

Just checked... again...

I just installed a hit counter on my site yesterday, and I was thoroughly enthralled to see that I had 5 whole visitors! Then I realised that one of them was me linking in from my profile page. Ok, so 4 visitors aint bad!! Now I am obsessively checking every few hours to see if I've had anymore visitors - and alas, I have not. But folks thos of you who do stop in - for however short a period- please say hello! Leave a comment or a criticism, I promise I won't sell your email address to nasty advertisers!! Or hack your box. I swear I couldn't hack my own computer!! Experienced bloggers - leave a tip or some advice. I am starting to get a complex that my life is so boring that people read my blog, and go go "whoah - yikes who is Captain Blah Blah over here??"

Stinking Corporate Greed

Ok, I really really really hate medical aids. You pay them blood, sweat and tears for 6 years of your life. You have a medical emergency in your family which requires the removal of one of your kin to the hospital in an AMBULANCE, and do you think that the stinking bastards will pay up ? NO. You have to fork out until you are a penniless wreck, while they laugh at you from the window in their giant monolith corporate structures, built with your spinal cord showing through the paint work.

Things which amaze me

Well, ok, there are quite a few things that amaze me, but one of them is how we discover new ways to do things everyday, and how these things become easier all the time!  I am talking of course about emailing stuff to my blog.  Never mind that my head is so stuck in the sand that I only discovered blogging like 10 days ago.  It must be because I was working for a wicked, wicked company that used to restrict our internet access to sites that were 'pertinent' to our jobs, so basically we couldn't surf at all...bastards.  It's a whole new fabulous techno world out there folks.

On the blink - Computers & Life

Well, my reservation system is on the blink - so I guess I'll blog. Just when I found this great flight for a client - thank goodness I managed to save it, so when my link is up again, I will be able to call it up and send her a copy. I might just be able to eat this month. Har Har. Well, my new husband of less than 1 month, has told me that he has been offered the possibility of a work contract in Iraq for 6 months. Back up a minute.....WHAT??????? Yes I did actually say Iraq. He is all excited like it's the best thing since sliced bread, and it is extremely lucrative. I pointed out to him that the fact that the contract is so extremely lucrative, is because IT'S IN IRAQ, and they are still kind of AT WAR!! I don't know about anyone else, but to go to a country, where the unstable militia are actively targeting foreigners, seems to me, to be, a really DUMB ASS IDEA. I'm going to try and not react to it too much, because as soon as I kick up a really big fuss, he is really going to think that this is something that he really needs to do. Gaaah! Just when I thought that my life was pretty much picture perfect - this has to happen. Oh well, perhaps it will all blow over and I won't be a widow before I'm 30.

Here is my little tribute to those boys who swam like flying fish. Guys you were awesome! 

Winners!

Then, last night, we're flipping through the Olympic channels, and get to the swimming. Man, oh man, our men's 4x100m freestyle team were incredible. Apparently during the build up to the games there was all this talk about this big show down between the USA & Australia. Not only do our boys annihilate all the opposition, but they cruise in, in world record time!! Never in my life have I sat in front of the TV cheering like a mad thing for swimming. I nearly cried my eyes out when they got their medals - in fact my vision is getting a bit blurry just thinking about it.

Sunday the hubby and I went to our bridal registry store to pick up our last 2 gifts that were purchased online and brought them home. There is something about really nice stainless steel appliances that really smartens up the kitchen. The only problem is that now we need a bigger house to fit all our gifts into. Along with a nice big garage for when we get that A4. :) 

We then watched the most amazing rugby game on television - the Springboks won against the All blacks by 40-26. It was unbelievable! For once I felt like the guys were playing with their hearts, and not busy fixing their pop star hairstyles for the cameras - and look what happens, they massacre arguably the best rugby nation in the world. After consuming far too much wine - which was probably more rainwater than wine by the end of the evening, we had fabulous spare ribs and roast potatoes for dinner!!

Ok, I'm back after a really awesome weekend. Went to a friends house on Saturday with my hubby (still not used to calling him that), and the friend and his wife have just bought the new Audi A4. Wow, in Ferrari red too. It is such a good looking car, that one is tempted to shag on the bonnet. Although I will have to wait until the hubby gets one, because I don't think that our friend is that good a friend to let us go for it in his driveway, and leave a huge dent on his bonnet. Har har.  

I forgot to mention that to download and use the software is totally free! 

Talk to people across the globe!

Skype My mate in China just emailed me about this site - if you download the software, and provided you have either a headset, or microphone and speakers attached to your pc - you can have an actual audio conversation with them. Wow - she is in Shanghai, I am in Cape Town, and you can hear each other like you are next door to each other. WOO-HOO!! My phone bill is coming down baby!!

Calm & Serene.....NOT

Ok, I have decided to remain calm about this whole affair. This reminds me of a book I once read where the psycho used this mantra which went something like, "breathe out the bile green fog of despair....and breathe in the peachy calm mist of peace and tranquility." Yeah right, ok I am annoyed about something else which I spotted this morning whilst checking out the Project Fame channel on satellite. Yeah I know that I must be a serious Loser to be watching that at all....but, back to my ramblings here....when you click OK with your remote control to access the text part of the channel, and that menu pops up along the bottom so that you can see the latest news etc....well, whoever the cretin is that is typing that can't spell. If there is one thing that really gets my goat over and over again, it is people who work in the media, be it TV, newspaper, magazines whatever... that can't spell. There is just no excuse for it. If you choose to publish main stream material for the general masses....LEARN TO SPELL, or at least use your spell checker!!!!! GAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

Really Annoyed

Ok, I'm like really annoyed this morning, I spent ages on a quote for a client yesterday afternoon, really found an amazing airfare for them, and this morning I walk in, and they tell me that they found it cheaper somewhere else. Damn that other agency that must have cancelled a cheaper seat right when she walked in to get her quote from someone else - and making it available!! Gaaaaaah!! Being a travel agent really has it's downs, it is such a cut throat industry, that I wouldn't be surprised if the other agency looked at my quote and then cut their commission off in order make it seem as if they were cheaper. Gaaaah!!

Here is another clue as to where this is...and no, it's not Mexico - for those of you who may have been lulled by the red herring of my post earlier today! 

I got back from my honeymoon last Wednesday, and have just picked up my photo's from the photo shop. (What? No digital camera?) Yes I know, but I'm a bit traditional like that. As much as I love gizmo's and gadgets and the latest techno-whizzy anything, I still like the feel of the real photograph every now and then for me to scrap into my physical collection of thoughts. (Scrapbook) Anyway, here's a pic of one of the most beautiful places in the world. Anyone know where this is? 

Want an amazing holiday? Go to: www.visitmexico.com : Mexico

www.visitmexico.com : Mexico Wow, an amazing sight to help you plan a holiday in Mexico. As a travel agent I'm always on the look out for great travel websites and this is definitely one! I await tons of feed back from all of you!

Olympics

I can't wait to watch the opening ceremonies on Friday. Each Olympics seems to offer up something better each time - and after Sydney 2000's opening scene with the typical Auzzie rider galloping in and rearing in a spotlight, followed by about 100 other Auzzie riders, thundering into the stadium, really blew my hair back. Maybe it's because I'm a huge horse fan, or because the sight of galloping horses awakens some deep spiritual memory in all of us, I don't know. Anyway, Athens as the 'birthplace' of the ancient Olympics will no doubt capture some other corner of my imagination, which I assure you is huge and complex - well anyway, here's to Friday.

First Blog Ever

Well, this is all very Bridget Jonesy. Just discovered blogging two days ago, found some great sites. For some reason this appeals to me. Like this satisfies my need to write or something. Secretly I am sure that some news agency is going to pick up on my great wit and insight and desperately try and get hold of me to write for them for copious amounts of money. Well here's hoping!! NY Times, I'm waiting for your call.