The World According to Merlot

What a creative evening...

Finished a painting I started ages ago... here it is, as requested by loyal fan ;)

Finished a bottle of Merlot... well almost...

Received lovely compliments on writing and advice to leave day job from darling friend (aka loyal fan seeking photos of my latest painting)

Managed to bbm the word "fuckwit" so many times that my phone doesn't even try to autocorrect it... in response to another darling friend's latest dating drama. And mother darling, I'm not swearing, merely quoting my namesake from Bridget Jones ;)

Purpose of this post was mostly to show-off my latest painting... oh wait, you can get an update on my "getting to work 30 minutes early" - short answer is, I haven't, BUT I've been soooo much more focussed that last two days *chuckles to self*

Go forth and weekend dear reader, for tomorrow morning... I set forth to read to kids  in Bo-Kaap (there's more to me that wine guzzling...)

xxxx

Read Me, Don't Steal Me

I recently stayed over at my parents’ house, where my brother also lives. I went into his room and noticed that he has a copy of “Food is Better Medicine than Drugs “ by Patrick Holford. I’ve been advised to read this book by a friend who said that it really worked for another friend. Brother was quite eager for me to read it too when I commented on it. However , he was quite insistent that I am a book thief and was not allowed to remove it from the house. I was spending the night and thought it a bit heavy for bed-time reading, and picked up “Never Hit a Jellyfish with a Spade” by Guy Browning. If you have never come across this book of witty “How to…” book, you really need to hunt down a copy.

After reading a few hilarious pages, I closed the book and went to sleep. The next morning I left the book on the coffee table – as per the “do not steal” rules set out by Brother. Imagine my surprise, the following day, when my mom pops by and pulls the book out of her bag, thinking I’d left it behind! I was tempted to hold on to it at that point, but fear the wrath of Brother.

I really do need to get my copy…

A quote from “How To… Swim”

“With breaststroke you can choose to do it either with your head out of the water or dipping under. If you choose to dip and you haven't come up after the third dip, the technical name for what you're doing is drowning.”

Coach not Couch…

Yesterday I had my first session with my coach. It’s work and personal life coaching, a mentoring of sorts, if you will. This is a work initiative which we could choose to participate in. We had a few options of potential “coach” and I was very fortunately to get matched up with my first choice. I am quite sincerely fired up.

Seeing as I leave for the UK in 29 days, we set short term goals for me to achieve before my holiday – namely getting all my work admin done, which will involve me getting to work at least 30 minutes earlier and being more focussed. This should all help me to be less stressed and emotional… if that is possible?

I am feeling very positive about the whole initiate and really hope this is the beginning of some good changes in my work life, and frankly, personal life. I am always trying to improve! The point I am highlighting with my title is that this is coaching, not therapy – a more, get off your butt and DO IT approach.

Wish me luck!

White carbs covered in margarine… and wine… so proud *face palm*

So day 3 of no series… or wine… *looks around, takes a sip of wine*  SHUTTUP… it was a long weird day.  My posts will very likely be more personal from now on, because, well, I feel like it.

So wine in hand, I type (well not really, I’m typing with both hands like a grown-up, using most of my fingers) – what was my point?  My fridge is full of spinach, yes, full… as in 3 huge bunches of wild spinach have taken over my fridge (remember Monday’s F&V adventure?), so naturally I don’t make juice for dinner, but rather defrost some veggie-curry-soup-concoction, and grab white toast as an appetizer.  It is winter after all – the curry burnt slightly while I was typing stupid things and then deleting them – it’s actually delicious now!

I will leave you with this thought, a quote sent to me by my coach (I will elaborate on this in another post)

“I must learn to love the fool in me-the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbour and who would rob me of my human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my Fool.”

― Theodore I. Rubin

Dear Neglected Fans

To my dear neglected fans…

It has indeed been 4 months since my last confession… I mean blog and/ challenge. I have not kept any of my good resolutions from January...

On the plus side, I have not gained the weight I lost at the beginning of the year, although my pms bloat makes me look like the Oros man… too much said? Like I care? In some weird twist of fate and winter air, all the moisture seems to have been pulled from my face, especially my lips, and is now deposited in the sexiest boep…  My boep, combined with my red, dry and puffy lips, seems to be attracting the men of Cape Town… I’ve been receiving weird lecherous looks all day. My after-work visit to Fruit & Veg was especially… er… special… but that may have been due to my giant bag of er… large carrots?

As way of catch-up, I may ramble a bit – not to mention that the thrill of blogging is returning with every word I type

I am leaving for my big adventure holiday in 32 days. I will be spending a month in the UK visiting friends and family, and generally exploring. And I sincerely hope not to meet a man – just in case like most people, you think this is my main purpose. Focus people, I’m there to shop!!! Seeing as I wish to shop and will need to do a fair amount of walking – I best set an exercise challenge proto!

I hope to start juicing again from tomorrow - I have lots of veggies to use up after my Fruit & Veg visit. 

A side challenge that I gave myself in the last month or so, is to be more ladylike – this mostly involves wearing heels, mascara and not cussing like a bergie…  just by chance it seems to include me being more involved with church and just being a nicer young lady. It was reasonably easy once I had trained my legs to handle heels again!

This morning I set my self a 5 day challenge… no booze or series from today (Monday) until midnight on Friday. This may seem minor to you dear reader, but I’ve been hankering after a glass of wine and 5 episodes of anything. The result is, I’ve done laundry and have actually blogged… as some anonymous, yet exceptionally wise, person once said “If you don’t have enough time, stop watching tv”

And with that pearl of wisdom, I bid you adieu and pinky swear to write again soon.

xxx