Monday Blues

I am completely exhausted today.  With 3 hours sleep, the 6th day without any coffee in my system and 5 new students.  My day just did not start out well...
I've also felt very isolated since my blackberry broke and realised that it's quite ridiculous how attached you get to the damn thing. 
To top it all I also have to come back to work at 6 to meet a possible volunteer. 

Blue-Monday-At-It's-Best...

But I've decided to follow the advice below and stop complaining... 

I'll just add some McDonalds instead of cooking to the list as well as going to bed very early...

Hope you had a slighly less blue Monday :) 

Life without Coffee

I've decided to give up coffee for 40 days for lent.  I am not sure if this is such a  good thing.

So far:

• I have overslept
• I have snapped at more than one person more than once
• I have looked at numerous pictures of coffee
• I dream of coffee
• I smelt coffee this morning as my boss decided to bring a coffee machine to work - it's crazy!
• I have a headache
• My head actually feels like sponge
• I will kill you if you bring coffee close to me

I'm sure it will only get better from here.

It has to get better.  It just has to!

Movie Memo of the Week

Last night we went to see a movie that was so beautiful that made me experience a glimpse of the love and amazement the Love of my Life has for movies.  And with the Oscars coming up and us still getting up at 3 or something to watch it, I think it was a good choice to go and see Hugo. 

Not only was it visually beautiful, (from the big blue eyes of Hugo himself, to all the clocks and inside clockwork of the railway station, to an awesome overview shot of Paris at night), but it's also funny and sad at the same time. I also love the accents and the big words Isabelle uses..  The highlight for me was learning more about old movies and were it started and how they did it in those days; painting film to get some colour, using these old cameras that makes this wonderful sound if you wind it.  I just loved it:)

Here are some of the pictures from the film:

This movie is directed by Martin Scorsese, known for films like:  Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and The Departed. This movie is completely different than anything he has ever done before.  He said that he wanted to direct something that his grandchildren could watch.  He pays tribute in this movie to French illusionist and film maker Georgie Méliès. He was called a cinemagician as he was one of the first filmmakers to use multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves and hand-painted colour in his work (Wikipedia).  

Here are some images from his films:

Smashing Pumkins used some of his visual elements in their music video "Tonight, Tonight"



Hugo, in my opinion is definately a must see.  And you can learn a lot, while enjoying a beautiful movie. 

The Napkin Drawings

I have discovered these awesome drawings done by Marty Coleman/The Napkin Dad on flickr (where I am still suppose to upload all my photos, but haven't had a chance yet). 

It's the best thing I've discovered since Edward Monkton  and made my day. 

Here are a few of the drawings:

Random, yet very inspirational :)

Check more drawings out for yourself @:  The Napkin Drawings



Moment of Surrender

I was lucky enough to receive not one, but two Valentine's Day Mixes...

I will do a post later on the songs on theses mixes; as there are some pretty romantic (Jeff Buckley) but also some pretty random (Big Bang Theory Theme) songs on there.  Apparently random suits me.  I don't know what he means...

Anyway, I have decided on my favourite song of the two mixes and here it is:


Moment of Surrender
I tied myself with wire
To let the horses roam free
Playing with the fire
Until the fire played with me
The stone was semi-precious
We were barely conscious
Two souls too smart to be
In the realm of certainty
Even on our wedding day

We set ourselves on fire
Oh God, do not deny her
It's not if I believe in love
If love believes in me
Oh, believe in me

At the moment of surrender
I folded to my knees
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

I've been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body's now a begging bowl
That's begging to get back, begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released from control

I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me

At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me
I was speeding on the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down 'til the pain would stop

At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

Sleepy Weekend

This morning, I just could not get up.  I got my regular early morning coffee just after 6.  I drank my first sip at quarter to 7.  I drank my second sip at 7.  By my third sip I was completely late and still had to wash my hair, wash the dishes and try to look respectable and prepared for another busy day at work...

So here's to all the snoozers out there...Get some rest this weekend.  Sleep a lot!  Not that that will make you snooze less next week :)

He's so fluffy I could die

Cute art from deviantart

Sleepy Face Vase for Anybody?

There is a city called Sleepy Eye?  *WTF 

Something to read before bedtime

Here is a Sleepy Bunny Song

See the little bunnies sleeping

Till its nearly noon
Come and let us gently wake them
With a merry tune
They’re so still, Are they ill?
Wake up soon.
Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop.
Hop little bunnies hop, hop, hop.



Have a Great Weekend 

*Wow That's Fantastic

A cause worth fighting for...

Since I became an anti-rhino poaching activitist (rhino poaching-it's real), I have apparently been recognised in the world of people who try to change the world everyday.  I have literally received an email everyday:  whether it is about freeing a big blue whale that got hurt and that they wanted to keep in some or other aquarium of some sort, or helping hungry children in Ethiopia or even helping some or other Vietnamese ex-politician/minister that is in jail. I was getting very gloomy at all these problems that we are faced with all over the world.  At first I signed every petition and looked what else I could do, but soon I realised that I am going to drive myself mad.  That I am not really an activitist-tree-hugging-kind-of-person and that I probably just need to focus on the rhino-poaching business (by the way:  yesterday's newspapers reported that 52 rhino's have been poached since January 2012.  There is also some big things going on with the game rangers that have been striking in between:  read more about it here)

So, I was about to give up hope to try and make a difference in the world (especially with things happening at my work where I also couldn't make a difference for somebody even though I tried everything)... 
But then I got this email and something inside me said:  "Let's do this" 

Hi Charlene,

The Muppets was one of the year's most critically

acclaimed films, proving that the characters continue

to unite generations almost 60 years after their

creation. But now, the Muppets won't be allowed to

perform their Oscar-nominated original song at this

year's Academy Awards.


Tell The Oscars that the Muppets deserve the

spotlight just like everyone else!


http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/perez-muppet-oscars/


When he heard about the Academy's ridiculous

decision, popular blogger Perez Hilton of

PerezHilton.com decided to take action.

He writes on his petition: "Since The Muppets have

brought so much joy to the hearts of cinema enthusiasts

everywhere for decades, we are OUTRAGED they won't have

their chance to perform 'Man or Muppet!'"

 The Muppets have not only helped to spread

happiness; their recent film also promotes the

importance of environmental conservation. There is no

reason they shouldn't perform on The Oscars.


Join Perez Hilton and tell the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences to let the Muppets perform.

 Thanks for taking action!


Kathleen
ThePetitionSite


So, join me in signing the petition.  With the Oscars around the corner, we don't have much time! 

"We Want the Muppets!"

To use a slightly adapted quote from Dr Suess: "A person is a person, even if he is a muppet"

New Word of the Week

My random friend blogging over at Chronicles of a Random Mind recently started using the word darkle (especially to describe a few things I've either said or blogged about).  I thought this was an awesome make-up word ( I also thought that she invented the word doodling...I mean who says doodle?), but apparently this is a real one also and she suprised me with her amazing vocabulary as usual.  She apparently learned this word from my other random friend (Let's call him Lalasa) who has an even bigger vocubulary and he uses words like curdle and rapacious in everyday conversations.  He should start blogging.  It would be utterly delightful. But it might be difficult between being a physio, tutoring at university and oh:  being the most beautiful chocolate model man I have ever seen:)  But that might be something I can talk about in another blog.

 So here it is:

Darkle

dar·kle verb \ˈdär-kəl\


dar·kleddar·kling\-k(ə-)liŋ\


Definition of DARKLE

intransitive verb

1a : to become clouded or gloomy b : to grow dark

2: to become concealed in the dark


Origin of DARKLE

back-formation from darkling

First Known Use: 1800


Rhymes with DARKLE

sparkle


I thought it is so cute that they added what rhymes with darkle... So, I've decided to write a little poem.

"when I go to bed at night
the strangest thing happen and this might give you a fright
overnight I start to darkle

So I wake up grumpy as hell
then I look at my love and I look at the sun and I think 'oh well'
I might try to rather sparkle"

It's still a working progress :)

Have a good day full of sparkle, but with just enough darkle...

Happy Valentine's Day

On a more serious note

I was looking at the rain

I did not cry
I did not scream...

...but inside me something said
"I can't do this anymore"

"Everything okay?"  he asked

I said yes, smiled and walked away...

* photo source

Black Comedy

* Source

Grumpy Weekend

How do I know I'm grumpy:

• I've been looking for grumpy pictures all morning and not one of them says "i'm grumpy" enough
• I started following a blog called The Grumpy Goat Gallery
• I looked for words that are synonyms of "grumpy".  Here are some of my favourites:  Cantakerous, Grouchy, Peevish, Petulant...The list goes on
• My cup of coffee this morning did not give me that wonderful feeling that "everything is going to be allright"

Let's hope it is just temporary...In the mean time, may you your day be filled with peevish and cantakerous clouds of grumpiness..

I mean it...

New Word of the Week

hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

It is "the fear of long words"

Happy Weekend

When I grow up I want to be a little boy. ~Joseph Heller, Something Happened, 1974

Find the child within you and do something silly this weekend...If it doesn't make you smile, at least it will make other people giggle :)

The Protective Plover

Since I have decided to just photograph everything, I couldn't resist, driving back to home and fetching my camera to document this extraordinary event. 

At my work (Elphin Lodge on Modderfontein Road)  there are Mr and Mrs Plover (Vanellus armatus; Blacksmith lapwing; Blacksmith plover) that starts nesting once a year and for some or other reason they always decide to do it on our very busy and dangerous parking area.  Most of them survive the unpredictable movements of the cars (remember I work at an old age home), but then apparently they start moving towards the pond and get eaten by mongoose.  This is the same ritual over and over:( 

So, at the moment Mr and Mrs Plover has 4 little plovers and they are adorable.  I saw them for the first time in a very unusual way.  Mrs Plover was sitting on a parking space and looked like she couldn't move, because now matter how close anyone came, she did not get up and fly.  I thought she was maybe hurt in some way.  Then I saw some movement underneath her and soon I realised not one, but four baby plovers were underneath her tummy and she was actually protecting them.  As soon as people were a safe distance away, she would let them go for a short run, but if anyone came closer again, she would call them and they would all run for their protective space between her legs. 

Here are some of the photos of the event:

I think this is pretty amazing!  Now, I just need to find a way to keep the mongoose from killing them. Eish