The things we take for granted

Friday is finally here! What a week! To say Geoff and I had car troubles this week is a mild understatement. For some reason, both our Golfs decided to play up this week, each had their turn one day after the other to decide to (a) not start at all, (b) stall in the middle of a busy intersection, (c) pretend to work the night before and then not start again the next morning. Lovely. Especially when you have to pick up kids and take them to school, have a corporate company depending on you to deliver their food, have your own company's work to do, and a whole afternoon of carting kids around for extra murals. Not ideal at all. Long story short, my car is back today from a full service *big sigh of relief*, and it's made me realise a couple of things that I sometimes take for granted, but that I am SO grateful for!

1. My family. I can depend on them for anything. They are my support system and will they love me no matter what. Just knowing that in the middle of a really crappy day (like today), I can just drop in unannounced, have a cup of tea and a chat with my Mom, and feel a whole lot better by the time I leave makes everything seem ok.

2. My husband. This week really made me realise how amazing this man is. He literally dropped everything to come and help me with  my car when I was in an absolute panic. He's calm and patient; two qualities I sometimes lack in certain situations where this is really called for. There's just not enough space to type about how grateful I am to have him in my life :)

3. My health. How often are we really grateful that we have all our limbs, that we can see and hear and smell? That we can eat normally, run, sing, laugh and dance? I may not look like Cindy Crawford, I may be short, I may not be as tanned as I'd like - but I think I got a pretty good deal. I have my health, and I'm grateful for it!

4. My home. What's better than coming home at the end of a really long day to a place that's comfortable, safe and loving? Our house is small, we don't have a pool or a guest bedroom or a proper dining table yet - but it's our place to come home to, and that's what counts.

5. My pets. I can't imagine living without having a cat or a dog in the house. Growing up, we always had both. We now have two cats who love the freedom they have in the small garden. I really hope they're lapping it up, before we move to a place a bit bigger someday and can get a dog or two to join the family ;)

6. My car. This week has really made me appreciate having wheels. I forgot what it feels like to have to rely on someone for a lift, or not be able to get out and about to do the simple, everyday things that need to get done.

7. My friends. This past year has really allowed me to find out who my true friends are. I may say this a lot, but certain situations really do show people's true colours. I've found friendships in people who I thought would just be casual acquaintances, and I've lost friendships of people who I thought were my friends, but who lost interest or let me down when I really needed them. Real friends are those who stick by you through the good AND the bad times.

8. Who I am. I may be a bit reserved at times, and not quite the social butterfly at the party, but at least I know who I am and what I want. I made the decision to start my own business a while ago and went for it last year. It's tough and it's not as easy as I thought it would be. Some days I really just want to throw in the towel and call it quits, but then I remember - this is my dream, it's what I want to do and I WILL make it happen. I'm so grateful that I'm not one of those people who goes mindlessly to a job that they hate, complain and come home miserable. I'm glad I have the dreams and the will to follow them through.

I'm also grateful for coffee, the internet, the comfortable chair I'm sitting on, the sun shining through the window right now, a fridge with food in it, a TV, a proper bed, clean water, electricity and all the other normal things we (I) usually take for granted everyday.

Dear Cape Town drivers

Dear Cape Town drivers,

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all just drive properly, and get along?

• Flickers or indicators are not accessories to use when you choose to, and believe it or not you don't look cool switching lanes in your fancy car and not using them, you just look like you don't know how to drive.

• Parents! Please put seat belts on your children sitting in the front seat. What's wrong with you? Do you want them to go flying through the windshield?!

• Driving right up my tail is going to make me go even slower, not a even a little bit faster. ;)

• There is a thing known as "Sunday drivers", but is it necessary to drive under 60kph?!

• When I put my hand out the window and make little circular motions, I'm not doing a funny hand dance or waving - I'm indicating that I'm turning left as my flicker is broken.

• Woman are bad drivers? Haha! I've seen more men this week talking on their cell phones and trying to drive safely at the same time. Get a hands free!

• This is one for some the cyclists. Please stick to your side of the lane (not the middle), or cycle on the pavements where you can. I'm tired of driving halfway into oncoming traffic to pass you safely.

Thanks for reading my rant.

Time to get out there and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Safe travels if you're driving anywhere this long weekend!

Regards,
MC

My latest TV show addiction

I'm not afraid to admit it, I love my TV shows. Fortunately I have three jobs that keep me very busy, so I don't have much time during the week to blob and watch them. But, one of my favourite things to do is to block off a couple of hours when I have the time and the week's just been too much, and watch a series marathon of whatever I'm really into at that moment.

Right now, that series is Criminal Minds.  Each 40 minute episode is so gripping and well written, it's hard not to stay glued to the TV. The series is about a group of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia. The group travel around the country in attempt to crack each case, and "go inside" the mind of the killer, rapist or kidnapper. What makes this show so different to all other criminal system procedural dramas (such as CSI, etc), is that it focuses on the criminal instead of the actual crime itself.

Breakdown of the show:

In this crime series, a crack team of FBI profiles fly from Quantico to the focal point of the criminal activity of various serial killers. There they investigate the evidence from the crime scenes, compose a profile and try to prevent the next fatal strike. Top brain is academic Jason Gideon, with his more by-the-book operational right hand man Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner. The still juvenile Dr. Spencer Reid is an erudite on everything except real life, Penelope Garcia a brilliant computer whiz who gets access to any database etc. As they are mobile, cooperation with local police and FBI agents is important but often poses jurisdictional and other problems, as do some witnesses and suspects. Written by KGF Vissers

 

Based in Quantico, Virginia, the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is a subsection of the FBI. Called in by local police departments to assist in solving crimes of a serial and/or extremely violent nature where the perpetrator is unknown (referred to by the Unit as the unknown subject or unsub for short), the BAU use the controversial scientific art of profiling to track and apprehend the unsub. Profiling entails coming up with basic characteristics of the unsub and the victims (referred to as the victimology), using evidence from the case and matching that information to historic precedents and psychological analyses as a means to solve the case. Because of the nature of the work conducted by the BAU - the work being time consuming and psychologically demanding - its members are fiercely loyal to the Unit and to its other members. Also because of the work's overall demanding nature, not many members of the BAU have been able to maintain a happy or stable family life

My reasons to feel good!

• It's the beginning of my favourite time of year again - Autumn. Crisp mornings, red and orange leaves, sunny days...gorgeous!

• We had the family over yesterday for Easter lunch. Great food, good convo and laughter - there's nothing better.

• I'm finally doing what I love and enjoy, and not just something to pay the month-end bills.

• Two much anticipated movies are opening soon: "Clash of the Titans" and "Sex & the City 2"

• Geoff started his new job this month. It's great to see him happy and excited about work again.

• It's our 3 year wedding anniversary later this month. 

• I'm starting to look forward to the Soccer World Cup.

• I saw my 17 year old cat cuddle up to Geoff this weekend and my heart melted.

• I am blessed to have such great friends - those who have bothered, cared and stuck by me through the last few months when I really needed them.

• I really have the most amazing husband in the world. :)

• I've decided that I am going to lose 6-7kgs by 1 September!

• I'm happy with how far I've come over the past year and what I've accomplished.