Been A While...

Yeah, I know I'm a slacker. So much has happened that I don't know where to start, so excuse todays post if it's rather lame. I was going to include photo shots of the holiday season, but am still waiting for a USB cable for my camera from an ebay seller...hold thumbs I haven't been scammed.

First things first...I leave for South Africa on Tuesday evening(17th) for a month. I have not booked my return ticket yet, but I am almost certain I will return. Although I know it's going to be a rather sad time, I am looking forward to getting some sunshine onto this lily-white body of mine and cannot wait to see all my friends! TANYA...I hope you can take some time off work!!

Mikey is not well, his phone is unplugged mostly so as not to disturb him when he's sleeping, which i think is most of the time. His sister and her husband have flown over from Germany, and his dad and mom are there with him now too. I spoke to him for about a minute last week, and although positive, he is obviously very weak. Family members are taking turns sleeping in his room, to check on him in the night time. I have such mixed emotions about seeing him again. I'm excited and afraid and happy and sad and peaceful and angry and everything all at once. All things considered, I feel i am doing the right thing going to spend some time with him.

I'm gonna be staying with my "other parents", Rob & Sheila, and looking after there guesthouse for a few days while they go galavanting on cruise ships, celebrating their 40th anniversary!! Their guesthouse, Driftsands, is only a 10 minute walk from Mikey and a 5 minute walk to the beach...AND they have a beautiful rock pool to swim in if i just want to chill at home. I am so looking forward to seeing them!!!

Hopefully Jodene and I will be heading to the Transkei for a few days, to clear our heads, catch up and relax. Jo jo goes into her second year of law...how time flies!!!

Christmas was almost as miserable as i planned for it to be, although I did cook up a wicked feast. Dave came around and we drank wine and cried watching 'The Snowman' and ate till we nearly puked, and moaned about how terrible xmas is, and laughed at ourselves, and played bad music, and didn't give any presents to anyone... it was fantastic! Actually xmas isn't THAT bad, it's just kinda shitty when everyone does the family thing, or at least chats on the phone to family the entire day....i'm just jealous!

Speaking about family, I got a letter from my mom last week, a really nice one at that...so I called her 2 nights ago. I think I made her day even though i woke her up at 6am thinking it was 8am in Aussie land! It's great when I have stuff to tell her that she won't completely frown upon, I must be such a let down to her most of the time. Poor mother. I do miss her! Apparently the family is all well, getting on with trips to the beach and such (stuff we were certainly not doing 8 years ago when I was still in the plymouth brethren!) Sounds like my niece, Zenna, is a gorgeous kid, I wonder if i'll ever get to meet her. All the other nieces and nephews are growing up at the rate of knots, I'm pretty sure Michaela must be almost as tall as me by now....scarey...she was 2 when i left! One thing I do wish, a lot, is that I could somehow reconnect and communicate with my little sister Kerri. She'll be 21 this year, and not married yet...quite unusual for a PB girl! Do you think there's hope??

Where was I? Oh, on Boxing Day I caught a bus down to Bristol to visit an old school friend of mine!! Neil is now married to a wonderful girl from Preston(n.england), Sarah. They have been out of the PB's for about a year now and Sarah's brother, Clive, is also living with them. It was so cool to chill out with people I don't need to explain my past to, I had such a wicked week and never wanted to leave Bristol. Sarah and I really hit it off too, I wish I lived closer...it was wonderful to have girly talks and laughs and dress ups and just be comfortable silly together! It was so weird to see Neil after being that naughty little shit at school to a full grown and sensible adult, with a house and a car, etc! I was very impressed! Clive is a wicked dude too, and I am sad that he needs to fight to see his own children just because he has chosen a different way of life!

I try so hard not to say bad things about the PB's, because I do believe they have some brilliant morals/values and I had a beautiful childhood in so many ways...but sometimes I just wonder how I can always say nice things when in reality they are destroying one of the most important things in life...family! How can that be right? I don't think they know or understand the heartache they cause. Shame!

On New Years Eve I had plans to meet Somayya and her housemate & his friend to watch the fireworks at the London Eye and then I wasn't sure what I was going to do with myself afterwards so when Neil phoned in the afternoon to say the 3 of them were bussing it to London...i was ecstatic!!! So we all met up to watch the fireworks, which was unreal, I have never seen a show like that! There were thousands of people and the vibe was amazing, everyone was just friendly and happy...very unlike london, and a very welcome change. Was great to see 2006 in with Somayya too. Umm...the party continued at my house for Saturday night and the most of Sunday, and we were all wrecked by the time we finally passed out. It was great fun, dancing around my lounge to the sounds of any CD's i could find(my housemates were out), listening to Neil drumming on my Djembe, and generally being crazy. The Bristolonians slept over and missioned home on Monday morning, to set Tequila free(Clive's beautiful staffie puppy). I think it was my best New Years ever.

I paid for my new years liquid diet by getting a massive kidney infection though, and I don't think ice skating with Attila on Tuesday night, helped that much...but it was lots of fun, especially when the ice skate dude shouted at us for hanging onto each and speading around...i felt like a naughty schoolkid! By wednesday afternoon I was flat on my back for the first 3 days i was supposed to be back at work.

I didn't make any new years resolution on new years eve, but since my kidney scare, I have. First and foremost, I resolve to get healthy and fit and tanned this year. I resolve to be a better person...more understanding, less judging. I resolve to live more in the moment, let the past go and not worry about the future. I resolve to be even more earthy, spiritual and hippiesh and less rat racey, superficial and materialistic. But all I really want, folks, is ...world peace....he he he! F*ck that...world domination will do! It's pinky and the brain, la la la la la la... err sorry, getting carried away!

Nishimatsu(my work) has confirmed that they'd like me to come back to work for them after my month in SA. They have been understanding and I am a really lucky bum!! You know, I am lucky in so many ways!!

What else is news...well, as sad as I am to admit it, I am an addict of Britains Celebrity Big Brother, as well as Eastenders. What has happened to me?? I had all these theories about the idiot box, but somehow it has hooked me! The ways of the devil, ha ha! I don't think i've ever seen any of the celebrities except for the baywatch babe, since i never watch TV, so really the program is wasted on me, but I still enjoy it! I even find myself flipping away from nature programs when BB is on...seriously, what has happened to me? lol!

I have just finished reading the Da Vinci Code which everyone read moons ago. I must say it is a great read, very thought provoking, and if i was feeling more philosophically minded at the moment I'd go into it, but i don't so I won't. Don't think me mama would like that book much...hah! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and if you haven't read it yet, I recommend that you do!! I've now started reading the Tax Inspector, which sounds boring, but is like porn without pictures, absolute filth, but totally captivating. Don't think me mama would like that one either!

Dave and I went to watch Chronicles of Narnia on Sunday, which was so beautiful, especially for half children, half fairies like myself. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Sneaked into King Kong afterwards (why not make the most of the rip off movie prices?). King Kong not very children or fairy like though, more hardcore boy action stuff with pretty ladies with perky breasts and of course, King Kong. VERY sad ending though! Those are my movie and book reviews for the day, i'm sure you'll feel cheated at not having been there.

I have more news but can't think of it and it's hometime, I have spent the whole afternoon blogging since i have NO work.

If I don't blog soon it's cos i'm in SA enjoying the 35 degree weather while you freeze your little butts off in the snow!! LURVE YOU GUYS!