Blog 45: Why is it?

Blog 45: Why is it?

You can always rely on a glass of wine and the sun rising and setting.

When you set yourself up, all zoned in for a day at the office and like that the power goes out! Now I know this is a bone of contention, as the area we live in, we don’t get load shedding (I know right! But dear reader, read on) I have always believed it is because we live near the government hospital. And let me tell you this is something us in this hood keep to ourselves. Oh, my word have, you ever noticed how the sweetest person you know, can change in less than the blink of any eye when you tell them your area doesn’t experience load shedding. Ok in all fairness with stage 6 now I guess perhaps I would also become a bit of a Macbeth witch if a friend casually mentioned to me, they don’t experience LS. But, but, but let me tell you – when we have a power failure, well I am damn sure our area is still in the ox wagon era. We don’t get the ‘sparkies’ (why sparkies I hear you ponder, because ours are certainly not the brightest globe in the box!) on the job – let me tell you, I reckon we get the retirees who come out of retirement bringing their old equipment, they traverse to the substation by oxen and wagons. They must have huge issues riding over the potholes and steering those oxen because we seriously don’t have power for a day or three! No, I swear dear reader no exaggeration or lie – for our sins of not experiencing LS we have no power for frikken days! Recently, so this is what happens in our area. The lights go out – depending on whether it is day or night – you blind walk to where the candles are kept, after stubbing your toe, bruising your knee or breaking your well-manicured finger nail as you stretch your hand out in the darkness ahead of you. Its then that you realise the candles are finished! So, no issue you reach for the torch, and it’s then that you realise after the last 3-day power outage you never charged the blady torch – it’s at this stage – I was going to say we go to bed – but that’s a fib! We have an inverter for our beloved TV addict in the house – yip yours truly – me! So, for a few hours you can continue watching TV until that blady beeps and if at this stage the ‘sparkies’ are still on their way to the substation, you then feel your way to bed and hope when you awaken in the morning the power is back – and let me tell you – more times than not – it isn’t back as yet!  And in the dense heat of those wonderful summer nights – the mozzies love it as the fan doesn’t blow them away as you toss and turn and make your own swimming pool in bed as you sweat the night away (I know, sorry dear reader I am also having a vision – eeeewwwweeeee☹) So I digressed there a bit – so bam the power goes out. You give it a good few minute (hours actually) and then there is a flicker as the power comes back on – we used to cheer – we no longer do – because within a millisecond – bam the power is out and this is when the Medieval era commences – it can be 1 maybe 3 days with no power. We have a neighbourhood group – a what’s app group on this group the peeps vent, the exclamation marks come out big time – but it is not worth the energy that is wasted – I swear the sparkies couldn’t give a tinkers – perhaps they do it purposely – bet they certainly don’t live in this hood – anyhow so we sit and wait and wait! Which is exactly what I am doing right now! We use our wifi – right now mine is off – so obviously I am extremely limited as to what can and cant be done.  And a BTW right here – it apparently has nothing to do with living near the government hospital and more to do with the fact that our substation is that antiquated that they can never revive the blady thing when it goes down!

Sparkies arriving at work to restore our hood’s power.

Hello, ok so that was a few days (more like weeks) back, but then dear reader last Saturday we had a “planned” power outage yip we have those too! A bit like you dears that experience Load shedding they give you a schedule so that at least you can grab that candle or charge that torch for a few secs before it goes out! But this “planned” outage was for “maintenance” – it was supposed to be 8am-9am …..erm it came back at 5pm for a brief second, then went out again, came back fifteen minutes later for a brief second, then went again – we had friends for a braai – well Nat had a good laugh because it stayed on just long enough for her to truly appreciate the lights I had set out as decorations!!! The problem here was – I had had one or two wines, so oh my word dear reader did I whine the whole blady night – in the darkness nogal! Anyhow, all good for now! It’s amazing though – I often imagine when the “Controller of the powerhouse” switches “that” switch that kills all the lights and anything else (besides Dizabeth’s TV) if he gets a sense of “power” (excuse the pun) can you imagine knowing I am about to change this whole city’s mood with the simple flick of this here switch. I can hear the three witches of Macbeth’s horrid cackle as I type this!

Right let’s not give the “power switcher” the stage any longer let’s move onto brighter subjects!

Just a quick one to close off the subject, but don’t you hate it when you know the dreaded LS is coming – you keep reminding yourself to give your cell a bit of a boost – it’s on about 20% and you only remember you didn’t when the power has gone and you reach for it to do a bit of social networking in the dark – and it’s now on about 10%.

Now doing a 360 degree turn and change of subject! Each night Rosie cuddles next to me for the night – I have even stopped using my electric blanket – which I guess is a blessing since we have so many power outages – anyhow so Rosie snuggles against me all night (yip sometimes it can get a bit much but I cannot hurt this little fur baby’s feelings, so I rather endure the sauna effect until she decides to shift positions). But the actual point of this story – it amuses and amazes me every morning without fail – every morning when I stir – doesn’t this little poppet get so excited – her eyes are bright and shiny, her tail wags wildly as her mama stirs – and then don’t I get covered in kisses and fur baby loves – the moral of this story – It truly fascinates me how she waits until I stir – how clever is that? Or is it just me? When I turn over at night, or even visit the loo – she doesn’t react.   Also, when I get dressed – she knows just by what I am wearing whether it is a work or home day – I swear on my life dear reader – she does – and if its casual clothing ah you have to see how she bounces around the room  – I am not exaggerating when I say she literally bounces around like a springbok in the open field! (swear its true!)

Ok so now that I have shared the marvels of Rosie – another “why is it moment” why is it – actually or is it just me – when I am about to join a serious ZOOM or TEAMS, the big bosses are going to be there – or you need to win the client over – why do I constantly need the loo? I go (to the loo) then I settle back in front of the computer, check the blouse (how’s that for an old fashion word!)  and scarf are in place, my hair is spit spot, I have lippy on – double check they won’t notice my pajammie bottoms – all settled – pen in hand, and whamo about to sign in – You know that bit when “Please wait for the host to start this meeting” moment and I feel I really, really need the loo (but I have literally just been!) so you race off, sit down a little drop releases itself, you rush back and now the screen is saying you in and you can see all the other members, you quickly settle and tune into the greeting session! And as Bob is my uncle – once the meeting commences that’s me – I don’t think about the loo again! In fact, a very similar occurrence happens when we travel. Oh, my word I pack one thing, everybody else is settling in the car – I use the excuse “wait let me just check in the house……” and run to the loo for that one droplet – grab “something” and race back to the car – close the car door – as we approach the gate to leave the property – “waaaaaiiiiiit a minute – erm did I check the stove?” (Yip how good is that one as no one wants the house to burn down) so you race back for – yip – noooooo droplets! Now I am in the car and thinking “shucks, shucks, shucks I didn’t go the loo so now I am going to need to go sooner than soon” – ok in this case, the traveling case – yip I do always need to stop at each garage we approach! What about when you pass the sign on the side of the road – 50km to the closest town – you desperately needing the loo – so you keep your thoughts clear of any running water, drinking water – water in any form as you get closer and closer to the town and a public toilet. You finally reach the garage and race to the toilet, and when you finally reach the end of the queue – what’s with that – why the heck can’t there be a time when there isn’t a blady queue! Seriously! But anyhow so you pinch and wait patiently till it’s your turn – your come round the corner and you see the toilet door ahead of you – finally its within your view – just a few more seconds, and then it’s your turn. The lady in front of you clears your view as she frikken removes her purse out her bag. No!No!Nooooooo you need R2.00 ….and ….yip …you guessed mine is in the blady car! Or…. The smallest I have is a R5 coin or a R10.00 note – really!!! And what about when you DO have R2.00 you slip it into the slot and the blady coin gets stuck! So now you have no R2.00 and even if you did you cannot insert it into the slot because the blady slot is jammed!

Can look as attractive as ever but if you cant get in – yikes!

On Tuesday my car went for a service, so yip I was part of the Traffic Tannies. Oh, my giddy aunt am I thankful for my chosen career. Don’t get me wrong – in fact we have chatted about this before – I don’t mind traffic – I think because I am such a sticky beak and so enjoy perusing my fellow traffic tannies. But if I am honest, to do that every morning and evening – and now with the petrol – oh my heck – rather just invest in a vespa or even cheaper (or not with the bikes they have these days!) a bike.

Lastly an update on my TEFL studies! I was incredibly bleak – I was really rocking it – until I wasn’t – the last test I did I frikken got 33%! And these unfortunately are not South African standards so 33% is a fail. A definite fail too! I know, but dear reader have, you seen this course! You know your tenses, well did you know there are 12 of them!  And that’s not all – have you any idea what a morphemes is??? (fun fact : it is the smallest linguistic unit that has meaning)Or Diphthongs! Another fun fact : They are important in pronounciation – it’s a pleasure dear reader. 😊

And that dear reader is all she wrote – hope you are all well and warm – how stunning is this winter – yip you all know me – love winter!

Thanks for loving my blog the way you do.

Remember always be kind to you.

Mwah mwah