My very special day

Anyone who reads my blog or who has had to spend more than 5 mins with me over the last 6 weeks has known that I was not looking forward to my birthday this year. Infact if I could have just passed it by I would have. Luckily for me I have the most amazing friends and family ever and I ended my day feeling really really special.

I was woken up by Laura and Sas. They treated me like a princess and Sas spent the whole morning giving me cuddles. After some prep for the camping trip I met up with Tagg who had lovingly taken the afternoon off so that I wouldn't have to spend the day alone. We had Sushi at our favourite joint Kulu Kulu.
The rest of the afternoon was a haze of meeting up with the campers and fetching the cars for the trip. We headed home for some thai take away. The evening ended with most of my favourite London dwellers with me, making too much noise and all sleeping one on top of the other.

Thanks so much for all the messages, cards and e-mails everyone. I felt so loved and that is more than I could have asked for. Hello 23

Eatin' in Eton

We stopped off at Windsor (or Eton depending on who you talk to) on the trip home this weekend. We had all sorts of big plans from going to Legoland to going to Windsor castle. In the end we had lunch in a pub where the service was appaling and the food even worse. We were all worse for wear after the weekend and so fed up we walked down one street in Windsor and then headed home. This is the second time I have been there and have failed to see the castle or visit legoland.....
Maybe next year for my birthday.....

Notes from a camping trip

1. I am more of a princess than I would like to admit.
I was overheard commenting on the state of my nails at one point. I moaned for England this weekend about everything from my lack of matress to the gross smell at the loo's.

2. Music is only enjoyable when it is your choice to listen to it
We (or maybe just me) were kept up till all hours of the morning listening to seriously varied music. Even when they were playing the amazing snow patrol CD I was grinding my teeth and burying my head in the sleeping bag.

3. Creation blows my mind.
We went for an awesome walk in the forest on saturday afternoon. We had an impromtu picnic by the river (and I have to say pita's have never tasted so good) and then set off for our stroll. Everything was picture perfect and I realised how much I missed going for a saturday afternoon stoll on table mountain. I am so gratefull there is so much in this world to appreciate and find joy in.

4. It's all about the peeps
This weekend would have been wasted for me if it was not for the people. Between Clare taking an involuntary jump into a river and Ian wearing his hat "Robin Hood" style, I was kept thoroughly entertained the whole weekend.


5.

Camping update

So we seem to have gotten ourselves semi organised after many weeks of me stressing. We came to the delightful decIsion not to leave on Friday night and set up our tents in the dark and rain and we are instead going to hang out at my house in the warmth and light. So I will def write again with all the goings ons but I just want to declare here and now that we WILL be having an awesome time on this trip. We are going to laugh (and maybe cry) but fun will be had by all.


YAY CAMPING

Death Cab for Cutie

My boss recently did a music video for this band, and while I knew who they were (Thanks you O.C) I wasn't a particular fan of their music.
However when Laura let me watch the new music video I realised I quite liked their melodic "folk rock" and borrowed the album for a good old listen. I have not stopped listening the their album since. They have the most amazing lyrics and the music seems to hook you in....at the heart. They are serious grown up artists with something to say that is actually worth hearing....

Sadly I have realised that I am finally growing up and have put my pop loving Britney Spears days behind me....you have served me well Top 40 but I think it is time to go explore deeper waters.

Parking off

It has taken me almost a whole week to write about this....The pain (and shame) has just been too great.

On Thursday afternoon Sas and I met Laura at the dentist for their appointment. At 5:20 (or whatever) I went out to put more money on the meeter and to my horror the car was going. Ever the South African my first thought was, was it was stolen??? (followed by is this actually where I left the car????) I went upstairs with dread to tell Laura the car had vanished....she was not impressed but was sure th car had been towed away and not stollen.
After phoning the city council and verifying that they had the car I went out and cornered the traffic warden....he obviously saw something in my eye close to rage (or desperation) and so he immediately pointed out that the sign had actually been facing the worng was and so I might have missed that this was a suspended parking bay....I promptly took down his badge number so that I could contest the fine at a later date. Sas was beside herself with worry and we had to go all the way to the pound to rescue the car (£200 later)

This is the second run in with the traffic department that I have had in as many months....I did not get out of it last time but I am hoping like hell that this time they pull their fingers out....I really can't afford to pay laura £200....keep your fingers crossed for me!!!!!!

MEN!!!!!!

I laughed out loud at this guys post on his blog.
Boys will be monkeys

Mission accomplished

I had a bad day yesterday...really bad. There is major road works going on around my area and it took me a seriously mad amount of time to go fetch Saskia last night from a friend. By the time I got home it was too late to go meet the friend I had planned to see. My frustration levels were at an all time high as this was already the second time we had tried to get together this week (and it was only Tuesday) and I had been dealing with this traffic for days now. So when Laura got home I made the split second decision to go see a movie. Got to the train staion and realised I had not brought my Oyster card so had to pay almost double the fair.....got to the movie theater and after waiting in line for 15 mins found out they don't take elctron cards.
I eventually made it into the theater and collapsed onto the seat. I had picked Mission Impossible III as it seemed it would give me the most escapism possible. And I was right. Two and a half hours later I walked out of the theater a new woman. Relaxed, happy and smiling. My faith in the world restored. Thank goodness for the cinema

I...

I AM: just a little girl

I WANT: to be happy

I WISH: I were by the sea

I HATE: traffic on the morning school run

I MISS: my friends and family who r not in London

I HEAR: awesome music

I WONDER: what I will have for lunch

I REGRET: nothing

I AM NOT: going to gripe

I DANCE: around the house

I SING: whenever there is music on

I CRY: when I am by myself (except at church)

I AM NOT ALWAYS: okay

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: a happy home

I WRITE: my blog (and to the traffic department moaning about fines)

I CONFUSE: people when I change topics mid conversation

I NEED: a hug

I SHOULD: be doing something else right now

I START: to work and then come back to the computer

I FINISH: my work eventually

I TAG: no one

I will not loose my head.... I will not loose my head...

The service at church last night was amazing. The guy (no idea what his name was) did a talk about living each day with God and storing up goodness in your heart so that you don't loose your head in pressurised situations. Needless to say that lasted about as long as I was asleep. The traffic this morning was a nightmare and I was desperately trying to get Sas to school on time. I lost my head a few times threatening poor random drivers with fates worse than death.....tomorrow morning will be better.

Musings from a train window

This weekend I escaped London and went to Norwich to visit some old friends. It was great to get out of the city and have some fun but on the train trip back I had some time for reflection and I realised a few thing

1. The Grass is not Greener on the Other Side
I love my life in London, but sometimes it gets a bit hectic and I feel like I want to run away. This weekend helped me realise I am really really happy here. Also I am blessed by the people that I do life with. I missed spending time with them this weekend and I was really excited to come home.

2. I am not a punk rock chick
We ended up at a punk rock club on Saturday night, right in the middle of a mosh pit jumping around, and while I enjoyed it I would not be able to do that every weekend. (thanks to Richard for his "performance". That alone would tempt me into going again)

3. The Grass is Literally Greener on the Other Side
London is not as green as I would like to believe. I have vehemently denied that London is grey and dreary but obviously I have been here way too long. The second we got out of London I was amazed by the green green grass....London is dull in comparison.

So those were some of my musings on the train. If I told you anymore I would have to kill you :-)

Island for Sale

I found THIS online today and thought it was pretty funny..... whatever will happen on e-bay next???

Thats Life

I went to see Sinatra at the theater last night with a friend of mine. It was a thoroughly enjoyable show but not one that required much concentration so I found my mind wondering to several thing

The Conductor
I'm not sure that he was meant to be such an integral part of the show but he did everything in his power to draw attention to himself. He was literally jumping up and down and it didn't look like the ochestra was paying the slightest bit of notice to his conducting. He had me in hysterics for most of the show

The wigs
I was fascinated with all the different hair styles and I was totally impressed by how well the wigs stayed on through various rigorous head movements. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out which was real hair and which was wig

The male dancers
Boy could these guys dance. AND I recognised one of them from Staurday Night Fever. (you know you have seen a lot of shows when you start recognising the dancers)

I do reccomend this show. Most people love Frank Sinatra's music and the dancers were very entertaining.I learnt a lot about Sinatra's life. Light entertainment for a week night.

Evangelism Linebacker

This is HYSTERICAL

Not so sure

Seriously????

Sunday therapy

I have been working this weekend as Laura is away in Romania on a job. She thoughtfully organisd for Sas to go spend sunday afternoon with her cousins so I would get an afternoon break. I took the opportunity to meet the girls in Hyde Park for a gentle stroll.
After walking for about 45 mins we made our way round to speakers corner. I have never been there before and I have always been interested in going, so I waded in and had a good old listen. For those of you who live outside London Speakers Corner is a small section of Hyde Park where people come to air their views. They bring a ladder or a podium and start shouting. The thing that surprised me was how many people were having one on one debates (some might call them arguments) and that 90% of the discussion was about religion of some kind. I was totally fascinated and enthralled. I could happily have spent an hour just wandering from group to group taking it all in. I must just point out that a lot of the views were rather dodgy and at one point I was told that I was a "scalliwag sinner". If you're in London though and you haven't checked it out....do yourself a favour and go have a peek....

A bum deal

It seem like I see a lot of strange things while going to and from school but I have to say this takes the cake. For a few days in a row now I have seen a specific cyclist round the Swiss Cottage area. Now normally I wouldn't look twice at a cyclist but this guy wears a pair of WHITE cycling shorts. And for some reason by the time I see him they have gone totally see through. So basically I can see his whole bum. In graphic detail. It makes me laugh hysterically every time and obviously Sas wants to know what I am laughing about. I can't however point out this mans rear end and destroy her innocence (depsite the fact that she moons me on a dialy basis). Maybe I should point out to this guy that his ass is on display to the whole of London!!!!!

Sassy files No.2

I stumble down my stairs at 7 this morning, seriously bleary eyed after a crap nights sleep, to see Sas energetically jumping round her room.

Bron: Sas WHAT are you doing?
Sas: Starjumps, I'm getting fit. I did push ups over there.
Bron: (hysterical laughter)

Instantly awake and cheered up. Kids are so priceless. I am so lucky to have this little innocent creature in my life.

Drowned Alive

David Blaine can safely be described as a mad man. In his quest for, I don't know, fame, the man has spent 44 days in a glass box and been frozen in an ice block for 61 hours just to name a few. Now his latest idea is to spend a week under water and then to hold his breath for a record breaking 9 minutes. He is going to use air and feeding tubes to keep himself alive. I can't understand his motivation. I think he has by far proven that the mind is a powerful instrument and that most of us have no idea what we could do if put to the test. Now it just seems slightly masochistic and wierd and I am not sure who would want to watch some man suffering away in a human aquarium.
Having said all that I really really hope everything goes well for him on this one. He is a way braver (or mader) man than me. (though of course I am a woman not a man)

So I think it is safe to say that we are going camping the last weekend in May. To be honest I can't say I met this news with lots of enthusiasm. I mean this is England and it is May.... in other words it is going to be on the chilly side of warm. Add this to the fact that not a lot of people here really go camping and so as a result there is a lot of equipment to buy, and I am feeling a little scared.

All of this has come about because Steve and Ian went Hiking this past weekend and camping fever has set in. Wish me luck people. I see many hilarious mishaps in my near future. (Fear not I will keep you closely informed of all camping goings ons)