Sunday 19 April 2009

Friday night entertainment

I clearly don't have enough to think about. I've just spent the weekend reflecting on a little incident that took place on Friday evening.

My friend Chris met me when I knocked off work at 3 pm. We intended to see a movie at the Whangarei Film Society, where we occasionally go on a Friday evening for the 6 pm session. So we had three hours to kill.

I'm sure if either of us had wanted to do the dress shops the time would have flown past but neither of us had any shopping to do, apart from Chris' need for four red peppers, some fly spray and some tea light candles. Interesting shopping list, huh?

We passed some time having a very early dinner at KFC, then wandered downtown to Vinyl, a favourite little cafe, for coffee. It was while we were there that the incident unfolded.

Chris went to the toilet and I was sitting in a comfy low chair with a good view of the door. Didn't have my glasses with me, couldn't pick my a magazine to browse, so settled to some serious people watching.

A tall slim lady, mid fortyish, came in and peered around, obviously looking for someone. Went back outside, looked down the lane, then came back in.

This time I caught her eye and gave her a bit of a smile, just acknowledging that I could see that the person she was looking for hadn't arrived yet. No other meaning.

Just the sort of smile you give to someone when you can identify with their situation.

At this time I was the only female in the cafe sitting on my own and she approached me. I'm thinking that will teach me to smile at just anyone, now she is going to tell me her troubles and pour her heart out to me.

But no, she tentatively asked, "Are you Sue?" When I shook my head and said no sorry, she said, "Didn't think so. I've arranged to meet an old friend here but I haven't seen her for years and years and to be honest I can't remember what she looks like."

No sooner had she moved to the bar and ordered a drink, than another young woman entered, looked around, then approached the first lady.

"Sue!" I heard the first lady exclaim as they embraced, "So good to see you again!" I was chuckling to myself and trying to hear the rest of the conversation when Chris returned.

We left soon afterwards and as we stood to leave I told Chris to get a good look at the two women at the bar on our way out, and pay particular attention to the shorter of the two.

Sue was at least 25 years younger than me, about 4 inches shorter and 10kgs lighter. She had wildly curly hair which looked very natural and I have extremely straight hair.

In what nightmare could Sue have looked like me I wonder?

It gave us such a laugh. Quite set the mood for our evening.

Which, didn't, in the end, involve a film as there was a Rotary Convention at Forum North where the Film Society usually meets.

We did, however, briefly gatecrash the Rotary do.

Thursday 16 April 2009

There are some things ......

I have one major difficulty being a blogger. Well, more than one right now but one that will continue even when the temporary impediments to my blogging are removed. I should be back to my normal blogging activities in a few weeks but I bet impediment #1 continues.

My big problem is that when something is on my mind I can’t easily put it aside and communicate about anything else. This goes for my daily personal interactions as well as blogging. And even if that something is a little indelicate I still need to get it out in the open.

I’ve avoided blogging about losing weight because how boring is that? It’s been such a long, drawn out process anyway. Tempting as it has been to share my elation when another ounce has been shed, I haven’t felt a compulsion to do so. And wouldn’t be talking about it now except I suspect the change of diet is a contributing factor to my current situation.

I also haven’t blogged about quitting smoking because, well, because it hasn’t been much bloody fun. And it’s only been three weeks so there’s a long way to go yet.

Since I lost a bit of weight, I’ve felt more active. Since I quit smoking I can’t sit still. Every sitting activity has a smoking association to me. If I sit I have to pick up my knitting or go stir crazy. So, as I regard myself as crazy enough to begin with, I’ve been a lot more active than usual. My poor garden is being constantly messed with. Lewey, my old faithful dog, no longer gets excited every time I step outside the door expecting a walk. He just sleepily checks me out with one eye and has given up trying to understand what’s happening to his world.

And since I have actually managed to lose weight (did I mention it wasn’t easy?) I don’t want to put it all back on again by replacing my fags with food. So I’ve become a gum chewer. Me, whose children were not permitted to chew gum. Me who doesn’t even allow her grandchildren to chew gum in front of her. Yep, I’m a constant chewer.

So there are a few factors at work when it comes to my present predicament. Consider these:
Change of diet
Chewing gum
Additional exercise
And add in hereditary factors (It's always such a relief to discover hereditary factors can be blamed for something, isn't it?)

Are you guessing that the one thing on my mind which I simply can’t forget about is a flatulence problem? Guess you didn’t know that chewing gum was a factor, huh? Or that it could get to be such a problem that it outweighs all other possible subjects for discussion.

I kid you not – it is a major problem. Even for an “earthy” creature like me. I try in all matters to let nature take its course. Although my kids weren’t allowed to chew gum I never made a fuss about the odd fart. I always thought it was natural and healthy, that if you have an urge to fart you should do so. Oh boy, if only I had taught myself some anal sphincter control.

It’s got to the stage now where it is interfering with my social life. I have avoided my regular exercise class two weeks in a row. I can imagine all too clearly what would happen during indoor hockey or cricket. The slightest exertion would have a resounding result. I’ve been taking long solitary walks instead. At work I try to remember to take myself outside every half hour or so and walk around a bit to see if there is anything waiting to be released. One day I forgot and took advantage of my co-worker’s absence from the office to gain relief but she returned sooner than I expected and I had to apologise. She was so embarrassed , farting is not something she would normally discuss with me. I know, I know, it should have been me who was embarrassed!

Today I started taking charcoal tablets.


Tuesday 7 April 2009

Daylight Savings Fool

The end of daylight saving. The end of the golden weather.

Saturday night, along with all my countrymen and as instructed by all the good newscasters, I turned my clocks back. Monday morning seemed colder than usual and my thoughts were bleak. It always seems to me that the minute we start fiddling with the clocks, winter takes that as a cue to arrive.

You can play with clocks all you like but the good old body clock can't be fooled quite so easily.

This morning I awoke, checked for daylight to see if it might be nearing alarm time, saw light coming through the hallway door, so checked the clock. It will go off in five minutes I told myself, so headed for the shower.

Half an hour later I was trundling off to work. Probably still half asleep, my auto pilot is very reliable in the morning. 12 kms down the road I came to the corner with the local school on it and this woke me up. Only one car was there, no school buses, no parents dropping kids off, all was quiet.

Wondered what was going on. Our school takes care of the education of our young from when they first enter school at five, until they check out of secondary school. It's divided into a Junior School and a Senior School but basically it's a one stop shop (make that school). So even if the Junior School is away on some adventure or other, there is always activity around the school gates.

Stopped at the corner, checked my watch. You have guessed where this is going, haven't you? Yes, diddums was wending her happy way to work an hour early!















Being on the road an hour earlier has its advantages. Less traffic to start with. No rush. I even stopped to take a photo of the fog lifting from the valley.

Tomorrow I will get it right. The time, that is. I'll put my glasses on to see the little hand of the clock, not concentrate on the big hand.

Or maybe I won't, maybe I'll just leave my body clock alone.

Saturday 4 April 2009

She's a lovely girl, that one

I think everyone knows people who, when they hear their name, say something silly like "Lovely girl" or "Top bloke".

My youngest daughter has such a friend. When they were teenagers Justine just had to say Adelle's name and I would sprout, "Ahh, she such a lovely girl, that Adelle." This was repeated so often that Justine could mouth the words back at me as I sprouted them.

I also have such a friend. Well, not just one, I think nice thoughts about all my friends when I hear their names.

About five years ago a young University student needed somewhere to live while she worked over the holidays for my son on the farm at Tapora. And an unlikely friendship developed between a late 50s me and a young 20s Renee. For three months we talked (gossiped sometimes) and laughed our way through our respective lives.

Renee has one of those happy, sunny natures you don't honestly believe exist in the real world. You know, you keep waiting for the temper tantrum or bout of moodiness that will prove them real. She can talk the leg off an iron pot but in also a bit shy until she feels comfortable. And I'm a bit the same except for the shy bit.

After the sharing of my roof in Tapora, Renee went back to finish her studies and we have kept in touch in an off again, on again sort of way.

Last night Renee visited for the night. I was disappointed her boyfriend wasn't with her because I wanted to embarrass her by telling him what a lucky guy he is. (She embarrasses easily and blushes so satisfactorily!)

This morning as she was preparing to leave she remembered a time we were down at the hut at the beach and my little truck wouldn't start. Renee said, "When that happens to my father's car, he just gives it a kick like this." And guess what! Different makes and models respond in the same way to a well placed kick!

I'm so happy to have seen her again. She's a lovely girl, that Renee.