PHEW!

At last I am back to blogging action. But, my friends – what a week or so it has been! As I mentioned last time I recently took over the creation of our company quarterly Newsletter.

The process works that I get very technical, financial articles in. I then read them and create, from the initial submission, something that is (hopefully!) understandable as well as enjoyable to the non financial reading public. Once these have been reviewed and edited - many, many times, I then look at the graphics i.e. company colours/pictures. It is all quite mentally taxing but incredibly satisfying.

Now to catch you up. We have a friend living with us at the moment, for how long I am unsure. Anyway, on the weekend of our ‘proper’ anniversary (the church day) off she flew to South Africa. Americo and I were looking forward to having the weekend to ourselves and celebrating our first year of marital bliss. Only it was not to be! A less devoted couple you could not have hoped to find. By the Saturday afternoon we were looking forward to Monday with eager anticipation! And what, I hear you ask was this all about…….. NOTHING! Yip, absolutely nothing. We were perfectly horrendous to each other for over 24 hours about embarrassingly, ridiculous subjects.

Thankfully peace was reinstalled albeit rather late on Sunday.

This brings us up to last week which went by in a blur of Newsletter articles, pictures and various work pressures.

Friday.. really it is probably better left unsaid – two words Yager Bomb… and lots of them.

Saturday.. more of the same!

Sunday passed in a haze of regrets regarding alcohol consumption and the aching head of retribution!

So, now that you are all up to speed regular posts shall resume, hopefully tomorrow.

BACK NEXT WEEK

I am sorry for my silence - it is quarterly newsletter time again and I have to admit that any creative energy I may have is currently focused elsewhere!

To catch you all up the meeting I threatened last week with MR.B regarding his father did take place with the expected outcome. Going forward Mr.B (snr) will take care of all his own travel arrangements.

Briefly, this last weekend I was a regular Betty Homemaker.. in the kitchen creating all kinds of delicacies. Our house once again resembled a hostle with bodies scattered all over the place on Sunday morning, almost out numbering the ACTUAL inhabitants!

See you when my mind returns..

ONE WHOLE YEAR

Can you believe that today is our 1 year anniversary? No doubt this has been the catalyst of my recent sappiness towards Americo!

Unfortunately the focus of my love and good wishes is not with me today having had to head off for a business training course for two days. However he did call (BRIGHT AND EARLY) to say happy anniversary. Luckily for him we have two wedding anniversaries, 1 for the registry office wedding and 1 for the big white wedding we had, which is due next weekend. In reality this is the one we will ‘properly’ celebrate.

Actually, I mustn’t forget to remind Americo of what a lucky chap he is.. I married him twice!

Anyway, my recent mood of love and good will to all mankind has been blown to smithereens today. I was feeling all loved up after my early morning call but then………………… People happened. I had a slight altercation with my boss regarding his father.

Admittedly I am an Executive Assistant, with a difference. I have the glorified title of Business Manager but in reality I am more of a resistant assistant. I don’t really ‘do’ personal things and usually if these are requested they are more in the asking of a favour than instruction. Just the way I like it, I work for a pay cheque - my life is not my job and my job is most certainly not my life. Anyway, my boss and I have a certain understanding, I don’t do tea, coffee, dry cleaning or any of the other trivial things people cannot be bothered to do for themselves – I was hired for a job. I do, on occasion however assist with booking holidays, more as a sympathy gig than anything else, as he is technologically challenged.

Now, as I have done a fair amount of travelling I am quite adept at arranging flights, looking for the best deals and, in times of desperation, have a travel agent I am on friendly terms with. My boss will only use these particular skills when the details prove too complex i.e. flights for 10, hotels in foreign countries internal and connecting carriers etc.

His father however seems to believe that I am here, purely, to attend to his personal travel requirements. Calling up and expecting me to drop everything (my actual PAYING job) to cater to his needs….

A few months ago, I freely admit, I did a fairly major F.up. I was rushed, paperwork had to be collected and dropped off on timescales and who should call. You guessed it. My mind was in a million places and I accidentally booked his flight out of one London airport, returning into another. None of us realised the mistake .. until he went to catch the returning flight. To say I was popular would be an understatement, I apologised – profusely. In truth I seldom make errors of this kind, unfortunately though, they do happen.

Now logic would dictate that due to his lack of faith he would find an alternative person? So far this has not proved to be the case, if anything these calls to arrange hotels, flights blah, blah, blah have been more frequent. Often with me spending HOURS searching hotels, sending him quotes booking everything, only to then have him decide not to go ahead. I probably wouldn’t mind but I just don’t deal very well with certain things, one of them was a snide comment suggesting that “had I worked for him I would have been fired”. All very good and well, how about following up that statement by harassing someone else??

So today, amazingly he had booked his own flight into London, but then decided that he wanted to catch the earlier connection out. Ordinarily not a problem, sadly though when you purchase cheap tickets and then reschedule they are seldom as cost efficient as initially anticipated. I call, get the quote and call back advising of the, now exorbitant, price. All this via My Lord & Master. (I think we should start referring to him as something, else like MR.B, I am not really a lord & master kinda girl!!).

I then hear his father (MR.B snr?), mumbling some derogatory statement along the lines of “this isn’t going to be like that other flight she cocked up”. All civility flew out the window. I believe my words were..

“Indeed, if that is how your father feels please advise him to arrange his own flights.” To be honest that wasn’t all I said.. I am not known to be retiring with my opinions. In fact reading this sentence back it actually sounds quite friendly. To clear up. It was not, to get the right intonation add a heavy dose of sarcasm.

“oh, no, no – that isn’t what he meant at all.. it was just a joke.” Was my boss's reply

I think you shall find we will now all be laughing as tomorrow I intend to have a little discussion regarding this….

A MOMENT IN TIME..

Life is filled with moments, snippets out of time that can take your breath away and fill your heart to capacity. I am not overly sentimental on my blog, I take it for granted that readers know my love for Americo is constant …. EVEN during those times when he is particularly exasperating! Nevertheless, this morning contained one of those silly but joyful moments that will have others scoffing at my ridiculousness…. And what was this moment, I hear you ask? Weeell, we, for the first time in AGES, left the house together and walked down the street to Americo’s car, hand in hand. A perfect start to the day!

See? I told you it was absurd.

This gooey initiation to my day has severely affected my vitriolic abilities and left me feeling generous of spirit with good wishes to all mankind. However, the day is young and I am sure, given enough time, some twit will cure me of this temporarily serendipitous moment!

I read in the newspaper today of a gentleman in Darwin, Australia who discovered a 10-Foot python in his toilet.. I must admit to having a little giggle when I read this…

“A 10-foot python wrested from the plumbing of a toilet was harmless but it still possesses a mouthful of very sharp teeth and this one had an attitude to match, so if you felt something bite you on the bottom while you were on the toilet it would give you a hell of a fright,” Mr Peberdy said.

FULL ARTICLE

Harmless or not.. I think we can all safely assume that if some critter was lurking in the toilet and bit a bottom “one hell of a fright” would be the least of our problems! Although it does conjure up quiet an hilarious image of someone bouncing off the toilet with a ten foot python attached to their rear…

Yip, it is all about simple things today!

WHAT IS THE HEIGHT OF LAZINESS??

By hippieprincess74

This morning, as I was rushing about the house attempting to get myself out the door on time, I had a major dilemma, do I wear flip flops or trainers into the office. With a glance outside my verdict is quickly determined. Grey skies = trainers!

Having chosen my trainers whilst downstairs, I realise that I am not very well prepared for the realities of my decision - No Socks. I give the staircase a resentful glare, LATE, no time to be running up two flights of stairs to grab a pair of socks. (I know, there is always time but.. lazy!) I take a moment to regroup, is there any washing in the tumble dryer? Nope, because yours truly has been the embodiment of housewifely virtue and everything is neatly packed away a la Stepford Wives.

GRRRR – seriously, no good deed goes unpunished!

At this stage I am contemplating the thought of risking wet toes in flip flops versus rushing upstairs for that pair of socks. In desperation I give the room another cursory flicker, AH HA, do mine eyes deceive me? Lo and behold what is that upon the dining room table? Could it be.. yes I believe it is.. TWO socks! Eureka!

Upon closer inspection this is not really such a great find, one sock is Americo’s (size 10 men’s) and the other is mine (size 5 ladies). Without hesitation I yank my mismatched socks onto my feet, pull on my trainers and..

Decide to start rearranging my handbag. Yes it’s true, my mind is a special place early on a Monday morning!

However, did I stop at rearranging my handbag? NO, then I decided to organise lunch for my favourite of husbands. Okay, organise is a slight exaggeration, more like grab the items, soup, chocolate cake (both special treats from Storme!) two banana’s and an apple. Put them all in a bag, write a note saying something suitably sappy, look at the time and RUN for the door.

OUR WEEKEND OF MISADVENTURES..

As I am sure you have probably guessed, this weekend … we played volleyball. What can I say, the minute the sun shines I feel it is my duty to head out to the park and utilise every last minute. And so started our weekend of misadventures…

Usually I decline to be on any side that has my most delightful of husbands on it. This is not because I am tempted to throw myself into his arms at every opportunity, nor for fear that we may distract each other. No. The reason I refuse to be on his team is simply because he is draconian, playing sports with Americo is akin to having a tyrant on your team. He bosses you about then attempts to explain the game, in simple terms. I end up feeling like a 5 year old, with coach detailing that the ball, flying at speed, requires for you to return it over the net. Really? I have always wondered about those finer details!

The problem is - everyone else knows what he’s like too! Therefore, because I love him so much and will eventually forgive his bad behaviour on court, I inevitably end up playing on his side. Americo has asked me to put in here that he is actually encouraging and uplifts moral. (hahahahahaha – what ever!)

Now, when Americo plays any ball sports he is like a fox terrier, charging for any and every ball, so much so that you eventually decide not to go for them, safe in the knowledge that back up is on its way.

Stupidly I forgot this golden rule. Picture the scene, ball coming directly at me, I leap up (looking remarkably sporty like!) to return it and win the point. Subconsciously I hear Americo pounding up behind me, but for some reason my brain does not register the danger until…. My jaw connects with his steel encased arm. OH the pain! It felt as though my jaw had been disconnected, in fact I initially wondered if it had!

Who would have thought that I, Zanna HTDS, would ever get to the stage of receiving a sporting injury? SO impressive! Others were less enthused by my war wound, suggesting that it is not a TRUE sporting injury. WHAT?? I was playing sports and got injured.. hence…? I am however happy to report that my jaw has now re-aligned itself and all is well that ends well (aside from the odd clicking when I chew!).

Unfortunately things were not so simple for Americo, who, after thumping me in the jaw with his reinforced steel arm, was bitten by some tiny, nondescript but vicious bug. The initial attack was so unexceptional that my hero did not even notice until much later in the evening when his foot resembled a balloon with toes. In true style we ignored his fat foot for the next day with expectations that the swelling would – well – just go! Come Monday morning (public holiday) unbelievably his foot was even bigger. Although we were all laughing about him having a kankle (calf/ankle) I did, in between giggles, manage to get him a doctor’s appointment.

The doctors recommended kankle treatment is a course of anti-inflammatory and antihistamine, which has left Americo feeling slightly wasted. Still he has laughed along with the rest of us about his current condition mostly, I think, because it is not actually painful! Otherwise he would have been ooohing and aaahing determined that the angels are calling his name. I promise you – there is none as sick as a male creature.