One more day

Does no one stock bloody 35mm film anymore?!!! Granted I hardly ever use it myself, but still! I should be able to find it when I need it! My lovely SLR camera has come out of the closet with its lovely long distance lens, that I unfortunately didn't realize I needed and therefore didn't buy until after my family's first safari in December/January 2002/2003. I'm so excited to use it, and I can't find the right film anywhere, grrrrrr. Boots only has 200 speed, Tesco only has 400, and I have yet to find any place else that even carries it. I would love to get 60 or 80 speed, but would settle for 100. My last options are the airport, and then South Africa itself.

Yes, it is finally here. Tomorrow night we take off for Cape Town. Finally, finally. Although first I have to get through a day packed solid with patients...I have patients right up until 4:30pm, which means I have to drag my suitcase to the hospital with me, so I can get straight on the tube as soon as I finish my last notes (which realistically is probably 5-ish). I've had 10-thousand To-Do lists floating around (slight, but only slight exaggeration), and at the moment am listening to Michael Buble for stress relief.

But everything is coming together--I packed my suitcase previously, or at least most of it, and just need to go through tonight and hopefully pull a few things out. Mom and Dad's retirement thing is settled. Oh, yes and Weight Watchers is going fabulously well, 6 pounds lost so far, three weeks in. Which means that thus far, I'm winning the little jackpot we've got going in our house (the one who loses the most by Nicole's Hen Night in June wins the money we've all contributed whenever we gain weight). However, I figure if I'm lucky and keep a close enough eye, the best I can hope for after two weeks on holiday is to stay the same. More likely I'll gain a pound or two, but I will do my best. Knock on wood, I'm the only one who hasn't gained yet, but consistently lost. Oh yes, and W and I have booked our tickets for a US trip in September. He'll be joining me at an Aveyard wedding in Denver, as well as spend some time in NYC, and meet a number of my friends, including hopefully the Burks and Heilalas. Sorry guys, I know you were really looking forward to spending some time with him in Vermont in July, and he did intend to come, but the situation is beyond his control with work permits and what not as he changes to permanent status with Deutsche Bank.

Possibly more later, but if not, I won't be online again until May 14 or 15. Apparently the internet is ridiculously expensive in SA. Weather forecast is absolutely beautiful at the moment, I'm crossing my fingers it stays that way! Much love to all, Allison :-)

"To Make You Feel My Love"

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I would offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
There's no doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rollin' sea
Down the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
But you ain't seen nothing like me yet

There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
Make you happy, make your dreams come true
To make you feel my love

Alternative Exercise

I went to my first belly-dancing class tonight. What a blast! Unfortunately, I can't seem to get my arms and hips to be doing two different things in a graceful, coordinated way. Ok, to toot my own horn, I did pretty well for a complete beginner, but I can only seem to do the arms or the hips right, not both right at the same time. But I figure after a 7-week course of classes, things are bound to fall into place. Well, 5 weeks anyway...I'll miss the first two while I'm in Cape Town (tonight was a free intro class). Now, I just need to find one of those small triangular scarves with bright coppery discs all along the edges....

Next Wednesday is coming up way too fast. I'm now making 2-3 To-Do Lists every day as I try to keep up with everything I need to take care of before I leave. Agggh.

I should be an events planner, I really should.

Whew! The planning is finished! And I'm not just referring to Cape Town here...but since I've started off there, we went back and forth this weekend, and finally settled on an itinerary we were both satisfied with. I think Wickus may be even more excited than me at this point because when he goes home, he normally stays in Cape Town, but we will be going out to the Eastern Cape, as far as Knysna! We'll be staying two nights in Tsitsikamma National Park at a romantic tree-top log cabin, two nights at a game reserve (with two game drives per day, as well as horseback riding and a cheetah experience at their breeding centre), two nights in Hermanus with W's family (a relax at the beach weekend) and the rest in Cape Town itself. I managed to talk W into hiking up Table Mountain rather than taking the cable car (hee hee), we have a day set aside for working our way through the wine farms, and we'll be going to Boulders beach to see and walk among the penguins!!! And that's maybe half of our plans. Hard to believe it's only 9 days now until we leave...

I have also finished planning (with Tressa's valuable input of course) our retirement surprise for our parents. They know some of what is happening, but I've still got several tricks up my sleeve. I'm really quite chuffed (er, patting myself on the back) with the end result, and I hope it's an amazing experience for them.

Right, it's already past bed time, and I've still got a new Scrubs episode to watch, now that the writer's strike is over and Season 7 episodes have started arriving via iTunes again, so "Th-th-th-that's all for now folks!"

Sud Afrika

So it is now only a week and a half until we leave for Cape Town! We are currently planning out our days (although of course we don't expect it to go according to plan all or necessarily even most of the time). Our current bone of contention is whether to go to Addo Elephant Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape. It was his idea initially, I found an unbelievable deal for 3 nights that is luxury accommodation, all meals and drinks plus two game drives a day, all included-- it's only available to SA residents, but I think W could get away with that ;-) But anywho, he is now balking, and I think I've figured out that the real reason is that it's a 6-hour drive. To me, totally doable. Not so much to him!

Claire and Nick's Wedding

...Was at a beautiful old converted house and barn in Coopersale Essex. The bride looked beautiful, the groom was estatic (awww) and they are now in Mauritius for 2 weeks, the lucky devils! We had a fantastic time at the reception.

Sweaty from dancing all night long, but very happy. It was a great reception-- Claire and Nick had a guy who sang Rat Pack songs for the first hour, and then it switched over to a DJ.