This is my life and oh! How things have changed J

Rough Summary of my Routine:

Wake up around 6:30am, work out at home.  Make lunches if necessary. Get ready for work.

My work day is great, busy but not super slammed, So, I try to find time at lunch / breaks to get a lot of personal errands done. I try to maximize where possible every minute I can.

Anything from shoe repairs, Goodwill runs to post office drop offs etc.

In between working, and errands, I try to read at least one book a day. My specialty is reading Celebrity Biographies and memoirs. I read on my phone, while I am working, or taking a break outside

When I get home, I tidy up a bit and then head to Zumba.

After Zumba, I have dinner with the family, then I do the real clean up. I don’t cook, thankfully. I used to love cooking, but after living alone for a while, I got over it and just started eating out. And now, thankfully, I have someone who loves to cook. Score.

After dinner and putting the kids to bed, I get on line for a little bit to do my online counseling with the Group from 7 Cups of Tea, while I am waiting for people to chat, I study my course and read some more.

After that, I am pretty wiped out. 

I sit outside on the patio with my Boo and a glass of wine, and we catch up about our day, compare the Pokémon we caught and just have a laugh together.

I take about 30 minutes to check work emails before having a shower. Only then do I truly put my feet up and watch whatever show I am interested in at that moment.

10:30pm is about the time I am ready for bed and 11pm fast asleep.

Every day is different though. And now that the weather is cooler I take this guy for a walk every day :) we love our walks.

I try to get in some volunteer work outside of 7 cups of tea “Counseling”. I feel like my calling is to network with key people and make connections that would otherwise be impossible. 

I spend a lot of time finding ways to connect people and help people’s career paths.

First

7 Cups of Tea

Well, a couple who frequently encountered troubled youth started this website. Realizing that there are some young folk out there who will never get to a counselor chair for whatever reason. And have very little respect for Adults anyway.  But, what they will do, is Bitch online to everyone who will lend an ear. So, they decided to be the “ear” and inadvertently help them along the way. So, after you do some training online, you can become one of these people who help. Really. I use the word “Counselor” loosely.  I have come to realize that a lot of these people online are very lonely and grieving in some way or another. Mostly relationship trouble and it is nice to just have someone to talk to and vent to.  I love being able to give them advice without being preachy, and it seems to help. How far reaching it goes, I don’t know. But I figure any positive nugget you can put out in the universe must be worth something. Right?

Connecting

In addition to traditional types of philanthropy and the 7 Cups of Tea thing, I have discovered that I have a knack for connecting people with other people who will be helpful on their career path or just in life in general.

I have always kept every connection alive that I have made with people. This takes a lot of effort.  All the famous people, Government people etc, I have made it my mission to contact them regularly in a non-bothersome way. The result is that I am still great friends with people from all industries.

Through Facebook, I have also kept in touch with all my school, college and old work friends, Thus, my network became like an army of “people I know” across continents, careers and callings.

 And Like a spider spinning a web, I started introductions.  I have always remained the ‘Ghost’ though, in the back ground. I have no desire for fame or to be known. I am very political and diplomatic about how I connect people, so that the Celebs for instance, all trust me and feel confident, I would never betray them, not talk to the media or introduce them to anyone insane!

Just recently. I reconnected with a friend whom I was in College with. He had won the Nelson Mandela Scholarship to go Study at Cambridge University – can you believe that! . .  After graduating, he now runs a small school in Thailand and I connected him with 2 of my Thai friends, who now help him run the school. The two said friends are business owners and they were looking for such a long time to get something like this up and running. And Voila!

I am like the guy on “Better Call Saul” But in a good way!  When people tell me their stories.. my first response is “I know a guy”… ha ha

Another connection was more amazing; I will leave that story for its own blog as it is currently unfolding.

One of my friends have recently likened me to “Donna, from the show “Suits”.  The Assistant who has all the connections and knows all the gossip and drama!

And More

I also help people proof movie scripts, and books.  Like I don’t have my own bad book to write and proof read – I just love it! In between that I try to nurture my relationships by calling friends and my family who do not live close by, meeting with them for coffee or sending voice notes and emails.  I used to help make movies, but these days, time just does not allow me to indulge in that anymore.

I get invited to a lot of get togethers, most of which I decline. We always have so much going on and the juggle gets too much, so the social aspect with friends kinda must take a back seat.  But I do go on the occasional girl’s bender, or just go hiking.

I find time to sit in silence

I try to find time to pray and read my bible. Sometimes I will listen to sermons while I am working on my boss’s schedule. It is like listening to music. I can multitask. I use every minute in my car to either pray, make calls or something. I never just drive. Well, sometimes I use this time for the silence!

I am often writing legal letters for whatever legal war we are in or some family schedule that needs to get done. I am the family organizer and people always lean on me because I can read and write in a jiffy.

The kids have a crazy schedule. They do Fly-ball on Sundays (which I do not attend). They train therapy dogs. They have endless birthday party invites.   Most of the time we drop them off and stay for a quick chat, make sure the parents aren’t batshit crazy.. and then leave to breathe for a while, somewhere.

Then there is homework, assignments and projects. This is daily, weekly and even on the weekends.

Of course carving out time to just laugh together, play games have fun. Teaching kid’s new things is fine and exciting and also exhausting.

I go to movies every other week. It sucks to be involved with movies but not be in the know about wha

t is currently on the circuit and being talked about. I try to keep an ear on the gossip too, just in case it comes up in conversation. I like to be a person who knows a little about a lot of things. Makes for good surprised looks and huge (sometimes heated) conversations.

Part of my personality also NEEDS to constantly try something new and adventurous. I am always online looking for something for me and Robert to do together. Whether it is shooting guns, tearing through the desert or watching a Burlesque show – our dates nights are far from dinner and a movie!

Some Friday nights we go to Drag racing. Indulge the petrol head in me.

The Gemini gypsy in me MUST see and experience EVERYTHING.

So, as you can see the Supercharged life I live doesn’t always afford me the luxury to travel the world as much as before, But, if anyone knows me, they would know that nothing will ever stop me from traveling. So, I have plans in the works for next year.

My mom and brother arrive in about 2 weeks and I can hardly wait to get some South Africa back in me!

November 9th, 2016

The One with the American President

I think it is fitting since today is election day in the United States of America, to write about the one time when I met an American President.

Today is a momentous day in American History. Donald Trump was just elected President of the USA> Who would ever have imagined that? Nevertheless, Democracy reigns and the people have spoken. There is a lot of upset and rage over it, and who knows what will happen next. The market has crashed, and there are a lot of inadvertent knee-jerk reactions happening in society.

However, I am very optimistic about the future. There is so much more to what it means to have a competely new Party take over the Government, than just one face.. But I am not well versed enough to make an opinion on that, really.  Politics aside.

The last few months since my engagement. I have been SO busy. Planning a backyard wedding is no easy task, even in its pure simplicity, there are just so many details to take care of.

Then there is the matter of the baby mama drama. I have had my fill of being involved with this. However, I keep thinking back to what Pastor Luke has been teaching us about "Greater things" And being Great for God.  Doing what is right even when there is NOTHING in it for you.

Someone once told me, a Step-parent takes on all the responsibility and gets none of the reward... In the beginning, it was ok. The children's mother wasn't in the picture. While this is not ideal for the kids, it made life a little simpler.  Definitely NOT easier, since I had to pick up all the slack all the time with no break.  Now that she is back, the kids are in that awkward insecurity phase-  emotions are high at home and it is weekly damage control, since they come back all confused and hurt each week... now past feelings of emptiness by her absence are replaced by many questions, uncertainty and ofcourse, they do not know their mother..  only their distant memories of her - and getting to know her is exciting and new - like seeing the Favorite Aunt you used to love .. but also very hard on them.  But, I keep reminding myself... I am not doing this for me, or for a reward. Family is everything. I keep plowing on! I keep doing my best!~

Back to my story:

It was early 2000's - I used to travel out to the USA quite a lot before I moved here. Every trip fueled my desire to live here.  This particular trip I was in Washington DC.   I was invited to a Political Event. Politician friends who were going to this posh charity event at the time, insisted we join them.  I had nothing to wear. This was not a political Rally or something -  it was a very fancy dinner.. with the President of the United States of Freaking America! As in POTUS~

So, I took to Macy's, splashed out $500 of my holiday funds on a dress and a coat, and got all did up! (remember I was shopping in South African Currency, this this was A LOT of money)

That night, I was feeling very excited and very nervous about this event. After a few short instructions, Hors d'oeuvres and speeches, we started to mingle. Far in one corner of the crowded room of strangers, there he was. Soft, silver hair and soft blues eyes.  Smiling and nodding his head at various people POTUS~

Like I have said many times, it depends on the person or situation for me to become Star Struck.But I think being in the presence of who some people call "The most powerful man on earth" .. was just exhilarating.  I mean,  I had not yet met Madiba at that point.. so, I didn't really get to be in the presence of such an iconic political figure.

Finally, it was our turn to make small talk with POTUS... and wouldn't you know it. Hand shake and a smile. I didn't know or realize how tall he really was. Standing about 6"2 towering over me, with a very charming, polite side-ways smile, he leaned down to shake my hand.   He looked genuinely interested in people.  Maybe years of practice and he was secretly thinking about something random, but it seemed legit.

The guy we went with, started right into Political talk, while I stood there like a blitering idiot smiling, staring. Then all of a sudden, POTUS looked down at me, and said, "Hey Beautiful young lady, so you are from South Africa, what a great country".   I didn't hear any introduction about South Africa.. but I didnt really care.  Maybe I passed out. No I didnt   -  I just giggled. (i did that alot back when I was 20's, like a little kid).  I think I just said thank you. Actually,  to my total embarrassment, I am pretty sure I said: "Thank you, Your Honor". He laughed. He was looking at me still while talking with folded arms, listening to our group conversation, and just for a minute, he cracked me a very, very flirtatious smile and had a strange look in his eye. Or maybe it was indigestion. I don't know.

Again, he asked what I did for a living, I beamed as I said: "At this time, I am doing Social work" - this peaked his interest and had my political friends looking really irritated and impatient that POTUS seemed more interested in me, than in political talk  They started looking around the room restlessly to find other Politicians whose ear needed to be bent.. I just talked a little. He [POTUS] had to lean down to hear me as my accent and soft voice was hard to hear in the room buzzing with conversation.  Mid-sentence, a man's voice came on over a speak announcing some or other activity was about to begin. POTUS touched the side of my arm and said, "nice talking to you young lady.  Folks,  keep up the great work"   he said as he nodded approvingly to the rest of our group. For a brief second he turned back and left another look in my direction. Yeah - maybe I dreamed it all up - I don't know!

His security detail, who by now were keeping a much closer eye on me.. left after him like an army ensuring his safety back to his table.

I just stood there, sighing, smiling, red faced.

This was awesome.  We went to our seats, and I sat with my head leaning on one of my hands with a sheepish, crush-like grin all over my face for the rest of the night. I was in love. Well, you know what I mean!