Monday Male

Riaan is an IT Technical Manager and a computer fundi aka geek. He also just happens to be my Boerewors and the father of my two beautiful girls. We have been married for 10 years and together for twelve. He is the love of my life and so he also deserves a Star Spot on my Monday Male.

Riaan constantly puts up with hearing stories about people he doesn’t know (my fellow Blog Friends in Bloggerville) and has had to deal with my obsession with blogging for two and a half years. He deserves a Blog Award for that one!! He helps me edit my html format from time to time, although I’ve become quite good with that too.

What’s it like being married to a 5 foot nothing Scottish redhead?


Well, what can a say, Scottish woman are feisty! Wouldn’t have it any other way though. Just as quick as her temper flairs up, just as quick it comes down. She is the love of my life and I am very lucky to have found her. She is the mother of my two beautiful daughters and she gives me everything I need.


What’s she like as a Mum?

Her kids means everything to her, she will go out her way to do anything for them, sometimes to her own demise. Kaylin has the knack of getting the better of her every now and then! She’s always cleaning up after the kids when they made a mess, with lots of complaining, but she still does it. She always thinks of the small little things that makes their life so much easier.


On Blogging


What do you think of her blog and her blogging?


At first I didn’t take much notice of it, was something to keep her busy. Now my mom, dad, sister and my brother (he’s in London) looks at her blog to see what we are up to. I guess it’s “our” little place in the interwebs to tell everybody what we doing and that we are still alive!

What’s the biggest challenge you deal with regarding this?

I sometimes have to fight for some of her time, most of the time when she gets home she plays with the kids while I cook. After we done eating she jumps on her blog to approve her comments and post her days events etc. Then it’s bath time for the kids and sleep time, by then we both are dead tired and just hit the bed to get some rest. Just so that we can repeat it all the next day!


Did you buy her a laptop so she could blog anywhere and everywhere?

She was always complaining that she wanted to sit in front of the TV or lay in bed at night to “blog”. So for her birthday I got her a laptop (and keep her from hogging my PC) so that she could blog wherever she wants. At least I got some brownie points for buying her a laptop!

On Family


What is the most important lesson you’ve learnt by becoming a dad?


I always tell people that you have never experience love until you have kids. It’s just such an unconditional love that one has for your kids, you just can’t explain it.

Oh and before we had kids, you see the dads taking the half eaten sweets from their kids and eating it and you think - “I will NEVER do that!” Well, half eaten sweets aren’t that bad to be honest!


Whats the most important lesson you can teach your children?


NEVER trust strangers! Unfortunately this is the day and age we live in, sad but true!


That they can speak to me about ANYTHING, they must be able to trust me and I won’t be angry if they did something wrong.


On Work

Have you always been a computer geek?


Yes I have, I can remember I was in Standard 5 (Grade 7) and I said to my dad, “One day I will work with computers” It’s always been my passion.


Did you trying and built computers as a child?

Since I can remember I've been “tinkering” with computers.


What is the most exciting project you’ve worked on as an IT person?


In 2000 when I was working for IBM, I was sent to North Carolina in the USA for 4 weeks to write a book with 2 other guys. It was a very nerve wrecking experience but one of the most exciting moments in my life. Having your name printed in a book!


What would be your perfect job?


Where I have to do as little as possible and get as much as possible?! I’m always trying something new to make money, who knows! Maybe one day I’ll hit the jackpot!


On women

Have you ever written a poem for your sweetheart?


My poem writing ability is not be one of my strong points.  I have stopped counting how many poems I have started and deleted cause I just couldn’t find the words I was looking for. However there has been a few poems that finally reached my sweetheart.


Does love at first sight exist?


Yes I believe in love at first sight! We are a good example of that! Gillian and I moved in together after only 3 months!


Boy shorts or g-string?


G-stings for the win, boy shorts on a woman just don’t do it for me.


What are your five non-negotiable in a woman?


Be alive?  This is a tricky question as I believe it’s the whole package that makes the woman and not just specific things.

Bum or boobs man?


Both!

On randomness


What song would you choose as the soundtrack of your life?


Butterfly Kisses - Bob Carlisle.


One thing you like about living in SA?


It’s such a beautiful country and has so much to offer, stunning weather and amazing country sides. So many people live here but never explore what SA has to offer.


Thank you, Babe for finally agreeing to do Monday Male, even though you complained bitterly that there were "too many questions". 

Childhood Friends

I recently found a Group on FB that made me smile and brought back sweet memories.

Sunnyside Primary School in Pretoria

This is the school I attended when we first arrived in South Africa from Scotland.  I was 9 years old and I arrived toward the middle of their school year.  A brand new country, a brand new school, a whole different way of living....Everything was so new and foreign to me that I honestly thought my classmates were speaking another language.  I was initimiated and confused by the accent because it was so different and I had a hard time understanding it initially but I soon got the hang of things and started making friends.

I was the new foreign red head with the funny accent.  Ironic because I was the one who thought they sounded funny.

I didn't recognise any names at first in the FB Group, except for one wee boy who had posted a picture of himself as I remembered him.  From there, I found classmates who's surnames had changed and they remembered me.  

It took me back almost thirty years and the memories came flooding back.  Playing marbles with the boys in the dig outs on the playground, playing elastics with the girls and swapping pretty writing papers.  Attending parties and having my first crushes on boys. 

The great news is that we're having a reunion brunch at the end of the month to get together, catch up and share old photos from that time.

I then took a chance and went to find classmates from my primary school in Scotland - Bellfield Primary School but I couldnt' find anyone as there is no dedicated group.  I'll be adding one soon.  I dug out my old Bellfield Primary School T-Shirt today (the only item of clothing I have kept for 35 years).  I put it on Kaylin (my four year old) and took a picture of her wearing it. 

More memories came flooding back.  This time memories of school in Scotland and the friends I had there, playing violin and drying our pokees on the radiator when it snowed....



Have you kept in contact with anyone from primary school?

Kaylin wearing my 35 year old primary school t-shirt

Equals Three - Ray William Johnson

Still love watching RWJ's stuff

Happy Fourth Birthday KK!!

You’re four today

Dynamite in a tiny package

You look like an angel

You fooled us all.

You are stubborn as a mule

Your tantrums make our ears bleed.

You terrorise our poor cat, Pickles

And pour shampoo into your shoes

You love Hannah Montana

Cupcakes and all things pink

I love you no matter what

My little tiny girl-monster




How we eat our birthday cake!

Kaylin with her Birthday Crown

Katy Perry (Galeria 1)










Fotos:
Hollywood Press

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Funky Hair Friday and Update

I sprayed our hair blue today and took some pictures....Kaylin took cupcakes to her school today for her wee friends as she's turning four tomorrow.  They got to celebrate her birthday a day early.  My baby is turning four.  Can you belive it?  Gosh, I feel old.

Today was a pretty shitey day overall. 

Riaan got his final verdict from the company that he's been employed with for seven months and they have dismissed him. 

We still can't believe it!  Its been a long 5 weeks at home for him worrying about his job.

He was out of the blue slapped with a suspension five weeks ago pending an investigation from the company's side.  It was a week and a half before he even knew was the charges were!  After he knew what the chargers were, he requested access to his emails to do his own investigation.  Then the light went on and he knew what it was all about.  He'd missed a request on the bottom an email to do something (he was pretty busy on another project).  One little mistake and he's been charged with Deregation!

BS  ....total BS!!!

Especially since he has no formal job description, has had no formal hand-over from the guy who was supposed to be assisting him settle into his new position at the company.  At no time did they call him in to discuss why he didn't follow the instruction.  No counselling was given to him.  No verbal warning, no written warning, nothing!

He had a disciplinary hearing that lasted from 9am in the morning until 4:30pm in the afternoon and he was totally shattered when he got home.  He has no company representative as he's only been there 7 months and doesn't have a strong trusting relationship with anyone there.  He's had to wait an entire week for the findings and the verdict from the Chairperson.  More waiting and worrying...

Emotionally it has taken its toll on him.  He is a broken man at the moment....he's so demotivated, so desponded and very down.  Its been exhausting for me trying to keep him in good spirits as well as trying to keep it from the girls, my dad's car accident, my mum in the hospital and all this amongst our Expo (the busiest time of my working year).

I'm drained, my Boerewors is depressed and its a tense household right now.  We don't know how we're going to get through the next month with no salary from my Boerewors.  We may have to sell our belowed Ford Focus ST to make ends meet.

He wants to contest it all.  He wants to appeal but I'm not sure he has the energy for it.  One day he has the anger in him to fight them, the next day he's like, Woteva and couldn't be bothered going through it all again... I hope he finds some fight within him and take the company to the CCMA for unfair dismissal.  I know he has a case as he clearly got the short end of the stick.  They wanted rid of him somehow for something and we don't know who has stabbed him in the back or why.  There is no closure for him.  He is the first to admit when he's done something wrong but one little mistake and you're out?  Its just doesn't seem fair.

Give a guy a break!

Freaky Friday - Episode 13 Sir Lick-a-Lot

No Theme today...just general Freak Fuckers!

Anorexic Teletubbies with a Proctologist?


Who Told this bloke that Blue Suede shoes would got with this outfit? 
It sooo clashes with that orange vest, doll!


Thorn amongst the roses 
(with clipboard, ginger beard and backpack)


WTF?  He's got better legs than she has!

 

Super Fairy Geek?


Can I nibble on your cheese?  
or do you want to be the cat and you can chase me?


Write your own caption for this one...


Has Knife, Will Stab (guess who? yip The Daft Scots Lass)



A Mexican  MacDonalds...

 

Even on oxygen this old geezer has fucking attitude!


Sir Lick-a-lot

Unspoken Communication for Girls


Calendario H para Hombres 2010













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Calendario H para Hombres 2010

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Blog Challenge - Your First Memory

What is your earliest Memory?

One of my earliest memories is camping with my family up in the Scottish Highlands and it was always so frikken cold and windy there.  We all went for a family walk up the rolling hills and we came across an old farm tractor.  Janie, my older sister ran ahead of me to sit in the driver's seat.  I was little so I obviously couldn't run as fast.  I threw a tantrum because Janie was hogging the tractor seat and steering wheel.  I must've been about 2 years old.  I eventually got my turn in the drivers seat and turning the steering wheel.  Later in the day, karma came to bite me and I fell face first into a fresh Highland Coo Patty (aka Cow Shite).

Lovely!

After that, I remember clearly being in the Bellfield (Scotland) post office standing in the queue and asking my  mum "Mum, How Old Are You?".  My mum replied "I'm 34".  So I must've been about 4 years old.  I remember the dark little cramped post office like it was yesterday, the people, the mumbling of people's chatter, the smells, the Royal Mail posters on the walls, the warmth of holding my mum's hand.  She had long strawberry blonde hair then and I thought she looked so pretty that day!

Doesn't Come Cheap

A businessman walks into a bank in San Francisco and asks for the loan officer. He says he is going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $7,000. The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for such a loan.


So the businessman hands over the keys to a Rolls Royce parked on the street in front of the bank. Everything checks out, and the bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. An employee drives the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it there.

Two weeks later, the businessman returns, repays the $7,000 and the interest, which comes to $19.67. The loan officer says, "We are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little confused. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What confuses us is why would you bother to borrow $7,000?"

The businessman replied, "Where else in San Francisco can I park my car for two weeks for $20 bucks?"

Blog Award

A Big tthanks to Green Eyed Momster for the Beautiful Blogger Award.  Its always great to receive these awards - never fails to put a smile on my face - and so does your blog~
The rules are now I have to tell you five things that I like and pass the award on to five fellow bloggers.  This is always hard for me because I follow about 150 blogs and read them daily.  If I missed you this time, there will always be a next time.

1.  I like to sit quietly with a cuppa tea, peppermint crisp and a fag.
 
2.  I like spending time with friends and family - sharing a glass of wine and a chat.  I dont know what I'd do without my friends!  You all know who you are.

3.  I like my wee blog and blogging.  It makes me feel as if my heart and soul is "out there" and I get support from the most awesome fellow readers and bloggers who have become quite close to my heart.  I heart y'all.

4.  I like the fact that I have found old school friends on Facebook and they are sharing the most amazing old photos with me.  It makes me smile, laugh and brings back good memories.

5.  I like getting into bed every night.  I love lying down on the cool linen, my head on my soft duck down pillow underneath the ceiling fan, saying my prayers, closing my eyes and drifting into blissful sleep where I have the most amazing dream adventures.

Now I have to pass this award onto five other Beautiful Bloggers.

Here they are:

Beautiful Blueviolent over at A Nut in a Nutshell



Nancy from F8hasit  

Texan Gal Fragrant Liar

I shoulda been a stripper by Chrissy Starr (her Stipper name)

Give these gorgeous gals a visit why donchya!

Bar Refaeli (Galeria 2)