Bikes and boys

So this past weekend turned out to be pretty good. I started it off at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront. Charley Boorman was doing a book signing and well, being a geeky Word Nerd, I was more than happy to stand in the rather long queue to get a book signed. Boorman is one half of the duo that (in my opinion) made travelling around the world on BMW bikes cool. If you haven't yet had the chance to watch Long Way Down or Long Way Round, do yourself a favour and check it out. The most amazing adventures! 

Since doing those series, Boorman has gone on to fly solo and write books of his own, based on his latest travels. There's no doubt about it - he's a cool guy. I'm insanely jealous of the places he's been to - certainly beats the regular nine to five. Nice! 

  

Right to the Edge: Sydney to Tokyo by Any Means chronicles Charley's latest adventure. I've just started reading it but so far so good. I guess if you can't be there yourself, armchair travelling is the next best thing.

 

Keeper of Arb Stuff

Being a serial hoarder I find it hard to throw stuff away. Even the most arb things can have sentimental value. Like this wine label.

It's off a bottle I bought when was in France a couple of years ago. Made in Chile, this bottle of GatoNegro wasn't the classiest or most expensive wine I've ever bought. Yet it brings back so many memories of France and the little Italian restaurant near Bordeaux Station where I found the wine.

I love the label. So quaint. After drinking the wine ( which was so-so) I carefully peeled off the label to add to the box of Stuff That I Will Keep Forever. Seems silly, I know. But I can't bring myself to throw it away.

Goats, ducks and pearls

Last weekend (which already feels like forever ago) I was invited to stay at Pearl Valley. Even though the Cape winter was making its presence felt, it didn't dampen our spirits as we went wine tasting and ate delicious food. 

While in the Paarl area, we had lunch at one of my favourite spots - Fairview.

The cheese here is unbelievable! We spent the afternoon eating a good range of cheeses on freshly baked bread, accompanied by delicious wine. Heaven.

Unfortunately, the service wasn't too good. We found our waitress quite sullen and unhelpful, but maybe she was just having an off day. Back to the cheeses  though - DELICIOUS!!!

Love that goat turret!

Back at Pearl Valley, this little guy was paddling around the house we were staying at in. After feeding him a substantial amount of bread he got quite brazen and came close enough for me to take a few close-ups.

Quite brave, considering the braai fire was lit, only a few metres away. Though as you can see, he didn't stay for dinner...

Through the course of the weekend, we all ate ourselves silly! Hearty breakfasts, delicious curries and a never-ending supply of wine ensured we all went home well-rested, and a little bit heavier!

Happy Women's Day

Hope you all got to do Lady things!

Desperately Seeking Mojo

The last few weeks have been somewhat lackluster and I'm really struggling to find the motivation to do, well, anything. Maybe it's just that time of year, or maybe it's a symptom of the 'World Cup hangover' they warned us about. It probably has a lot to do with spending far too many nights in, watching bad TV But more than anything, it's because I'm tired of freelancing for what basically amount to tips. Freelancers need to sell themselves and that's just not something I'm good at. It really is a vicious circle, because the more pitiful and pathetic I feel, the harder it is to get motivated. Ironically, a couple of months ago, it looked like my mojo was making a comeback. I was going out more, getting interviews for jobs I actually wanted (though not necessarily qualified for) and basically feeling confident. Now I'm back to square one. Self-confidence rock bottom and flat-lining motivation levels. 

 (From the brilliant Savage Chickens)

It's time to get my mojo back, though I'm not exactly sure how to go about that. I suspect a little exercise might help find it, as well as eating a bit better and not indulging in so many Cadbury's slabs (and those fantastic little vanilla and caramel cupcakes from Woolworths). I've also been trying to de-clutter my home which will hopefully have a domino effect my life. But above all that, it's time to get more productive. I find it so hard to write when I'm feeling this way because everything that spills out is so negative, and let's face it, pity parties are just not entertaining reads. But seeing as this funk seems to have settled in, there's not much choice but to carry on writing regardless. So please indulge my pitiful little saddo self. This too will pass. Sooner or later. 

Under-vamped

I'm not a Twilight fan. Vampires are supposed to be passionate, ruthless and deadly. They're also supposed to spontaneously combust when touched by the sun's rays - not sparkle like a glitter fairy. 

  vs

 

Sure, he's hot and all that, but in this role he's more damp than vamp. And while on the subject, Bella has to be the most annoying, sullen teenage character ever created. She makes me want to slap some happy into her! However, the Twilight movies gain one bonus point because of Peter Facinelli. He is lovely!

Anyway, perhaps if I was a teenager reading the books or watching the movies for the first time, I'd have a greater appreciation for the Twilight series. They are, after all, written for and about teenagers. But from where I'm coming from, I just can't understand the appeal. That said, there are definitely a lot of big fans out there, of all ages. So I won't rain on their parade, but let's just say I won't be rushing off to watch these movies anytime soon.

Click the strip to see a larger version of this comic which is from here

What's up?

Earlier this evening, one of the Idols contestants sang a 4 Non Blondes song in her audition. What's up! It's been ages since I heard this song and it brought back many memories. It hit the charts way back when I was about 16 years old. Feels like yesterday. Anyhoo. Good song!

"And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream at the top of my lungs
What's going on?"

So Long to the Beautiful Game

So the FIFA final was played on Sunday evening with Spain scoring one victorious goal against the Netherlands that brought an end to an AWESOME month of football. I've never been so proud of my country and home as I've been over the last few weeks. The FIFA World Cup was a success! I'm so sad it's over but after going to three live matches and watching quite a few games at pubs around Cape Town, I can safely say that I flew my flag proud and high - and I was there! So I guess now it's time to move on, which means this is the last official football-orientated post for a while - if not forever. With that in mind, I felt it only fitting to present to you the players of my fantasy Dream Team. These guys are all good players but let's be honest,  I haven't based my team on skills. At least, not football skills. And seeing as poor Beckham had to sit the tournament out because of an injury, I decided to make him the coach of my Dream Team. Because I can. Here is why I call it The Beautiful Game.

Oh to be a fly on the wall of The Dream Team change-rooms...

Slippery slope

So within mere days of turning 33, I was utterly, utterly mortified to discover my first gray hair. Since that horrible moment, I have been paralyzed with the sickening realisation that my youth may be officially over and I'm now on the downward slope to dying all alone. And then having my cold stiff fingers chewed off by my cat. Obviously I yanked out the little bastard gray hair and analysed it for a good long while. Then I had a little cry because it really was quite a tragic moment. Seriously, how can I possibly be in my thirties?!?!?! I only finished school the other day. Right? Never mind that I haven't achieved ANY of the things I thought I would've by now (successful writer, gorgeous husband, two well-behaved kids and a beautiful big home with my BMW parked in one of the garages, and a holiday house in Tuscany). No, instead I live alone with my cat and now my hair is getting old on me. Oh. My. God.

Pass me the bottle.

 

Winter Love

I'm so in love with my new winter coat that I bought with all my birthday vouchers (and some left over Christmas vouchers too).

You likey? It's soft, chic and warm - and I love the charcoal gray. I can't wait for some cold Cape Town days so I can wear this out and about with black boots and maybe a scarf for a splash of colour.