When I got home on Wednesday evening, Bradley started nagging to go to his cousin, R's house. I had just driven home in the mist and rain. I had been to the shops and I didn't feel like going out again. I started to get irritated and then I noticed how messy the house was. Now it is usually messy by the time I get home again from work. But on Wednesday night, it was worrying me. After I started nagging, Dael got cross and Dael is hormonal at the moment. Thought it was just for girl teens - wrong!! He had a major tantrum, almost threatening to throw a small table across the room and me almost threatening to throw him out the house. He is getting to the stage where he has to make his own way in the world. My house is my house and if I want to throw a tantrum, I don't want anyone (least of all my offspring) jumping on the bandwagon and staging their own tantrum, thank you! Anyway, the storm blew over and Dael went for a bath. Soon afterwards, his friend C arrived on his bike and it became apparent that arrangements for the evening had been made. They left for a special 'public holiday' evening at the local club 54 and Bradley and I were left together.

In the meantime, Bradley had given up nagging during the tantrum throwing session and I promised to get him to his cousin in the morning. So much for spending time with mom on the public holiday.

Thursday morning dawned with sunshine which was very welcome after two days of rain and although it clouded over, it remained warm. Dael had attempted to arrange a gathering of sorts with his friends who it turned out had better things to do and other friends to visit and his plans fell flat. So he tagged after me when I went to drop Bradley off at his cousin's. We ended up at The Pav shopping centre so that I could get a bit of shopping. There wasn't much happening there for him and I don't hang out in shopping centres for fun so we left and were home by lunchtime.

While I was shopping and in my ongoing quest to find potatoes that are affordable, I decided to buy a 10kg pocket of potatoes for R64.00 at the big supermarket (Checkers Hyper) at The Pav. I joked with the packer guy who was packing the more expensive R70.00 pockets that if I found a potato that was rotten in the pocket, I would return it for a refund. He agreed (in fake agreement) that of course I could. But I wasn't joking. We are talking about staple dietary items here and all are more expensive every time you have to buy them. The price fluctuates almost daily. Rice, mealie meal, potatoes - starch items that are not luxuries are becoming so expensive and I'm not even on the breadline (okay probably almost). I don't buy many luxury items but I don't go hungry! What about those on minimum wage income. Government needs to step in and subsidise otherwise people are going to starve.

While I was shopping, Dael was wandering around the centre but I got hold of him on mxit and asked him to meet me as they had deodorant on special and there was no way I was going to choose a fragrance for him. He found me, found a variety of deo that he liked and much to my dismay, stayed with me. I have a phobia people - shopping with someone else, especially someone who is impatient. I just can't do it. Maybe it stems back to my early days of marriage when I used to take a long time comparing prices and buying the right items. My ex used to mock me and tell me I took hours. I really don't but that phobia of keeping someone waiting that doesn't want to be there remains to this day. I really do my best grocery shopping on my lonesome ownsome.

Anyway I managed to accomplish what needed doing and we headed for home. I spent the afternoon doing some much needed springcleaning of the tv cabinet which entailed emptying each shelf and dusting and repacking said shelf. By the evening I had accomplished that task even climbing on a stool and tackling the top of the unit and the adjacent blades of the ceiling fan while I was about it. I felt very satisfied with my achievement and my last active task of the day was to prepare hotdogs and chips for my older son and me, just the two of us because Bradley had decided to stay over at his cousin's place.

Tonight, I must collect Bradley and his cousin, R is staying over at my place this time - oh glory! I'm still at work, boosting my sense of calm with the help of a bottle of cider on company account.

Happy weekend all!

Teenagers, Rain and the end of term holiday!

Say no more. Bradley's school closed for the end of third term break today. Tomorrow is a public holiday (Heritage day) and I could have made it a long weekend but something is preventing me from submitting that leave form... Could it be my desire to preserve whats left of my sanity!?

So I'll be off tomorrow and will return to the safe haven of my office on Friday. It has been raining for two days solid so far with no end in sight. So cats, dogs and children are confined to the house. Well the children are usually in the house, on the couch with thumbs pounding the keyboards of the cellphones but the cats and dogs and I quite often escape outside to the sun and fresh air.

I can probably put up with it for one day - I think!

I went back to the clinic this morning to fetch Bradley's Ritalin. I didn't bother to get there too early, rather adopting the approach of "However long it takes I'll wait". When I arrived I was given the number 18. I found a seat next to a lady who had 15 and she had been there from about 7.30am. It was already 8.30am. I asked her if they had started dispensing meds and she said no but the doctor had started seeing patients. I got chatting with her and what a pleasant person she is. A few years younger than me and no kids but she was natural and interested in what I was saying and by the time she was called in we had exchanged phone numbers. She came out and - called me. I was the very next number as the in-between numbers were for the doctor. I got my meds and left for work and it only took me two hours! Honestly I don't mind as I had congenial company and the time just sped by. I'll do whatever it takes to help my son. And there's nothing like being held captive in a waiting room for making new friends (or catching a nap like some were doing). Next time I'm gonna take a flask of coffee.

See you on the other side.

This is how the weekend goes..

I indulged in a couple of drinks with some of the girls from the office to celebrate Robynne's having got the job in Gauteng.

Feeling quite relaxed I was prepared to face the weekend. At home, Bradley was waiting for me expectantly because he wanted to download mxit onto his phone again. "I've got no phone time! What happened to your mxit?" C deleted it - Why? "He wanted to load his mxit account onto my phone... Well apparently C had succeeded in making his mxit work on his own phone because I saw from my own contact list that he was online. I messaged him asking him why he had deleted Bradley's mxit and left him with no airtime to replace it and received a very cocky answer that I could sort it out for him ha ha! So I deleted him after leaving him an irritated offline message. Dael came in and got a mouthful from me which he in turn passed down the line to his brother - why did you let C delete your mxit! Now C is 18 and intimidates Bradley a little as Bradley tries to fit into the older age group but he got the message! Luckily Dael had some phone time and expertise and quickly righted matters.

Saturday dawned a gorgeous day and since my washing was piling up I decided to do something about it! Oops - my washing machine all set up days earlier with a load and detergent had decided not to come on! No power! I spoke to my brother, Greg to come round and have a look at it but he hadn't arrived and I was burning sunlight! So I set myself up in the bathroom with a tub, washing powder and softener and piles of separated washing. About 2 and a half hours later, after washing enough clothes and other assorted items to fill four long lines, I'm finished and just then, Greg pulls up the driveway. After dismantling the top section of the toploader washer where the switches are, he discovers its the switch that cuts off the machine when you lift the lid and he couldn't get to the switch so he just bypassed it. Not a problem - I don't have any toddlers who are likely to get their arms twisted off by fast moving machinery!

On Sunday, after doing a bit of tidying up whilst my ears were being blasted by head banging music, I decided I needed to get outside a bit and tackle a bit more of my 'garden' while the weather was still good. I've got piles of cut greenery which needs to be pulled down off the bank to a more accessible spot so my dad can load it onto his bakki. I had hoisted myself to a position halfway up a little steep bank where I could reach the pile of sticks and leaves on the next level and was hanging onto a little branch while pulling the sticks with the other and throwing them down to the lower level and the drive, when......the stick gave way and I just rolled helplessly all the way down, until fortuitously my fall was stopped by a tall metal pole which used to hold an old pair of gates. If that had not been there I would have fallen about a metre down off the wall onto the concrete driveway and that would have been much more painful! I got up checking for blood - nothing just a few bruises, my glasses were still in one piece, no broken bones, wow - looked behind me to see if anyone was laughing and pointing - no one! What a relief. Thank goodness I'm quite flexible because a roll down the hill like that could have turned out a lot worse. After I caught my breath, I was back to work again and managed to get quite a big pile prepared for carting away.

With the weather being mild and springlike, I had a very pleasant weekend and the best being no pressure to go anywhere or do anything!

She got the job!

My daughter now has a new job in Gauteng to move up to. New beginnings and new challenges!

She arrived in Gauteng at 9.00pm on Thursday night and was met by her friend, T as well as her dad and half sisters and their mom.

After hugs and kisses all round, she was whisked away by her friend. This morning she and T first went to T's workplace and then Robynne used T's car to travel to her new place of work. After spending some time at the company being introduced to everyone, they made her lunch and then she went in for her big meeting. And she was officially offered the job.

She is extremely happy and relieved that she can now move to Gauteng as an employed person which will mean she is now closer to more of her family and will still be able to pay her bills!

Now for the arrangements to get her car and her belongings up from Cape Town. For now though she is visiting with her friend tonight and her dad and sisters tomorrow and just enjoying her time in Gauteng. She flies back to Cape Town tomorrow, Sunday at 4pm and arrives in Cape town at 6pm.

I think she is going to leave behind some sad friends in Cape Town as she has the ability to make close friends wherever she is. She is a very good friend. And I think my sister in Cape Town is going to miss her niece as well.

Congratulations my clever daughter. I know that you'll have every success in your future.

Love, Mom