queues

What is it about standing in queues that stresses a person out?
Just the thought of going to Constantia Village Pick n Pay makes me let out an exasperated sigh.
There are never more than 3 tills open and the cashier has been dead about 3 weeks with as much enthusiasm as a cement paver. If you hate your job, then DONT do it......
You are only making yourself more miserable and the people you are supposed to be serving, by taking longer than you need to and making them impatient.
And what is with these people that wait until all their groceries has been rung up to now decide to look for their money/debit card. Seriously.......
You knew when you set off on your journey you would have to PAY for the groceries. There is no magical check-out faery that is going to magically appear and say "surprise!! this shop is for free!!"
That ISNT going to happen, so keep your wallet handy and don't bury it at the bottom of your carry-on luggage that you call a handbag.

Next is the managers of stores........
When you see there are queues going DOWN THE ISLES, I think its time to open more tills!
3 tills open at month end is NOT appropriate, I mean seriously. Pick n Pay @ Canal Walk has about 20 tills but I've only ever seen maybe 7 tills open. What is the point of all those vacant tills? Illusions of grandeur much??

Oh oh oh ..... Parking Pay Points
How many times do you get stuck behind someone who puts the ticket in, then is 'surprised' they have to pay for parking. They must be the same people in the Shops thinking the groceries faery is going to appear.... now they are hoping for the parking pay point faery!!!
Then they need to pay R8.00....... well now we first need to FIND our hand bag in the trolley. 1 hour later the hand luggage is located, now for the Gucci purse.... mind we don't chip a nail opening the coin zip.... and what's that, oh dear you don't have coins.... standing there looking around in despair is not going to make coins rain out of the sky. We've already established there is NO groceries faery, and now we have found out there is NO parking pay point faery, so honey, there is NO Coin Faery going to make it rain some coins for your parking.
then out comes the note. Oh dear we only have R100.00. Again standing looking with despair is not going to change anything!!! Its at this point that I want to scream!! So then they decide to put the note into the machine after you point out that the machine does give change, that the note keeps on spitting out!!!! AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH
I want to throw myself under the first trolley I see!!!
Have a bit of sense people!! You know you have to pay for parking EVERYWHERE, be PREPARED!!!!

Maybe I need to carry a hip flask in my handbag to keep me calm in our ever-growing-more-frustrating-queues!!!

Time

Time..........
Time is the one thing we never really have enough of, and so much of it is wasted and can never be replaced!
If you look at my posts... YEARS have passed since I have even considered posting on here!
I am guilty of wasting time, and there is nothing I can do to get that time back.
But instead of living in regret, its time to make up for the lost time by making the most of the time I have!!
We live such a pressured lifestyle, where we drive in horrific traffic to work, spend the day under pressure and get stressed out, then go back to sitting in traffic again. We are more angry, stressed and worried about where we will find the time to get everything done.
When you sit in traffic have you ever noticed that some people are sleeping while other people are raging because they have to be somewhere. In our hectic lives we need to find the time to do things that make us happy. We NEED more happiness in our lives.

I have started offroad mountain biking, and like scuba diving, I am thinking why have I not done this sooner!
I spend time outside, with some great people, having fun! (although my moaning may make you believe otherwise!!!!!)
But the most important thing is that I am spending time doing something that I can look back on and smile.
Too often we get stuck in mundane ruts and time flies by, and when you look back you can't say what you have done because its all just a blur of stressing and rushing and pressure.
We can never get that time back and there is nothing worse than regret.
I think, as a mission, we should attempt in doing at least one good thing a day that makes me smile and I can look back on and say that I didn't waste another day!
Look I don't mean I am going to go out and save the world, but we can try one step at a time!
Too many friends have been lost because we are too busy, too many hours are lost being furious in traffic, too many exaggerated sighs have been exhaled in shopping lines that never seem to move!
 
Lets take 1 minute to send that message to say: "Hello"
 
My weekends, I try and cram in everything possible, scuba diving, cycling, walking, visiting friends, and I tend to over do it, but I have created some epic memories!!

Time to stop wasting time, and time to start making some more treasured memories people!!

My life

Ok, so I told you that I was going to publish a post about Juan, Well I am just busy with the pics for it. Then I had another post, about what happened..... but I kinda deleted that. It was just a tad to sombre, and well very very very angry. So I think I may have said a few things a bit too harshly for some!!
So I will summarise it for you, in English!!

You know how people are always saying "you never know what tomorrow brings..."
Well its TRUE. You don't. You really don't.
I went to sleep one night, only to wake up to one of the most deafening silences of my life, and one of the coldest touches I think I have ever experienced.
But not only that, it was also my biggest fear in life. And it happened to me.
I woke up next to a dead person. I woke up next to my fiance and he was dead.
Yes it was and still is a shock. I was angry, I was shattered, I was in pain.
I mean Why me, why Juan?
Just like that my life changed. All my, well our plans we made. Everything we were going to do together. My life changed over night.
Life hit me down to the ground, and for a while after was jumping up and down on me. Gosh, Karma took a few bites out of my ass too. Wait did I say was. Stupid Ass life is still using me as a trampoline.
Life is a bitch, it is grossly unfair, and doesn't seem to be letting up.
So what am I doing about it?
I am fighting back.
Yes, it is a lot tougher than I thought, but I know I can get there.
I think I have gotten used to life trying to surprise me, so now I kind just go through life on the defense, just waiting for life to try its shit. May, June and July were write offs, so lets just see what the rest of the year has to offer!!!

more pics

Stupid blogger only lets me add 4 at a time...... the nerve!!!

The dive........

"..... I can do this, nothing to it....... easy peasy...."

Mike

Terence..........

Charl, our instructor.

We were only 4 in the class, but Philip couldn't make it......

His loss!!

Pool training session

In this picture, you will notice my stylin yellow fins :)

No comment, we all know scuba isn't about us looking good!!

Saturday....... pool dive

Well alrighty then, no drinking Friday night... nice one!!
Early to bed, and wake up all bright eyed and bushy tailed... riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!!
I looked out the window and it was misty...... gawd, that is just typical.
So I had a nice chat with my appendages, apologised profusely for what I was about to do to them. Had coffee and put my shorts on. hey I was gonna freeze later so I may as well climatise.
Well at the pool..... there were other people swimming. Yes swimming out of their own free will. Yes you read right, own free will. What on gods green earth possesses these people to do something that insane. now 1 or 2 had wet suits, but the rest had speedos on. OMG speedos
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK - Fashion Crime... my eyes...... my eyes...............!
So then I just recover from the fashion crime of the century and Charl says: "into the pool, 200m swim"
right with no wet suit, sure everyday of the week and twice on Sundays..!!
All I can say about this water.......... FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG
It was so cold my muscles decided to stop working!!
Ok maybe not stop, but eish!!
Then out of the fire into the frying pan. Into the deep pool for water treading.
That wasn't so bad, except for Terrence saying he found a warm spot...eeeeeeeuuuuuwwwww!!
Then into the wet suits.
uhm
ya
no frieken comment!!!
Being wet & freezing fucking cold is not a good combo in getting your suit on.
But on it went
and into the pool we went for some snorkeling. It was fun, except for retard here who cannot, not put her mask on her head..........
for most of the day all you heard Charl saying was: " thats another bottle Belinda"
Gawd, if Charl wasn't an Alchy now, he would be after consuming the volumes that I owe him!!!
Ok so its out of the small pool and into the big pool again.........
Time for some skin diving.
uhm easy peasy
NOT
not without a weight belt that is
Theres Belinda trying to swim to the bottom....... next joke!
All I resembled was a friekin duck, ass up and legs kicking.
Now I felt like a right idiot, so I can only imagine what I looked like.
Add a weight belt and I'm sorted!!!
Next up.... the cylinders!!!
Whoo hoo.
Couldn't wait
It was make it or break it time.......
And we all made it.
Awesome Awesome Awesome.
You have to be there to know what I mean.
I just can't explain it to you.
Towing your buddy up and down the pool was fun, at least I knew that mine wasn't the only backward sense of direction that was off. Michael also towed me kak skew!!!
hee hee hee hee hee
Then when we did our little swim along the bottom.... coooooooooooooooooooooool
only thing is
I have no friekin idea what half that shit was on the bottom of the pool, and I don't want to know either.
Ok so we mastered the little pool.... Off to the big pool!!!!
I tell you if it hadn't been for the cylinder and weight belt, we would have all bounced to that pool. But vrek getting out of the water with all that kit ....... heavy!!!!
Right, now its the big pool time.......... ok lets see
put your fins on without falling on your head....... check
walk like a retard backwards to the side of the pool without falling........ check
turn around.... check
one hand on weight belt... check
other hand on mask and DV......cheeeeeeeeck
Stop grinning like a frieken idiot.............. riiiiiggghhhhttttt stop grinning!!
big step forward and splash.......... check
inflate BC, and group ..... check
Next up................. going down
I swear as you drop my grin got bigger.
What a rush!!
Wow what fun.
Then when ascending... what happens! My stupid bright-yellow-can't-miss-me-fin falls off.
It could only happen to me!!
so back down we go and retard over here has to put her fin on under water...... oh hello I so need to get used to fins!!!
But ya, much fun was definitely had by all.
Terrance like myself had a grin on his face, and so did Mike (Michael)
But that was it for the day, we got out, I ran to the shower and hugged the hot tap!!!!
Astrid took some pics, so as soon as I get them from her, I will post them and then, and then, and then will post about my first sea dive!!

This is a still grinning Belle, saying night night :)

Exam time....

Gulp
Well I tried to study, but as luck would have it, something always has to go pear shaped.
I got a call from Karen, saying that Jacques had been rushed to hospital with chest pains, numbness in his arm and lips.
My mind just went blank…. All I could think was…..” no, no, no,no,no… enough is enough” I had just about had it with shitty luck and then was totally enjoying this scuba course, and now something had to go. Here we go again”
I wrote the exam, making the dumbest mistakes possible. But in any event, I kicked guys ass!
So my mean ass chat with life earlier this week, bearing teeth and giving a slight growl sort of paid off.
Then came the fitting of the wet suits….. eeek
No comment.
As usual Terrence provided the necessary entertainment, by declaring he wasn’t wearing any underpants. I shit you not!!! He really wasn’t!!
And then putting the suit on the wrong way around.
By the end of the night my non existent abs hurt, my cheeks hurt and my nose wasn’t too happy about the coffee that nearly made a hasty exit through it (note to self: never try and drink coffee and laugh at the same time!!)
Then came the fins, masks, etc….
I bought my booties, fins, mask and snorkel and then the excitement started building.
Jokes were on me when I bought a lovely pair of yellow fins.
Now not only is this the first yellow fashionable accessory I have ever owned…….
Sharks just love yellow!!
Hee hee hee hee, here sharky sharkies!!
All I can say is bring it on….!
So I came home with all my gear, a smile on my face, but still a nagging worry about Juan’s cousin. But as it turns out all is Ok. So luckily for me, I could look forward to a Saturday pool session with nothing else whizzing through my head!!

Cherios
A very tired Belle

Scuba - Lecture 3

Dive Tables.........

Easy peasy!!!

The lecture was really cool. Understand the dive tables and how they work and how what it all means so I reckon I am Ok!! Well as Ok as I can be.
You know you only learn by doing, its all about experience.
Haven't really go too much to say about it, it was pretty straight forward.
This is the last lecture and then its exam time.... and all going well, this weekend its dive time!

Anyways gotta run, my head is gonna hit the table, will post this later in the week...

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Scuba - Lecture 2

Lecture 2 was a bit more intense tonight, with all the diving science. Pressure, how it affects you, how to handle this that and the other!!
Can't really say my head was there tonight, it was off somewhere else entirely.... dunno if that was such a good thing. I understood everything basic science really, so lets just hope that I can nail it!!
I am sure by now everyone just thinks that diving is falling off the back of a boat and you fart ass around in the water. But it isn't. There is so much more to it.....
What I can't wait for is just being down there, in that peace.
I used to love just sitting in my swing and listening and looking.
That whole feeling of tranquility. You can't understand it until you have felt it...
In your own time with no pressure, no nagging, no fear, no anxiety no stress, no nothing. Its just you and this calm.
Under the water there are perils, I mean that should be obvious, but that is expected.
If you take note of your training, what you should know, look for, adhere to, I don't see why it can't be the most enjoyable experience of your life.

There are no dangerous animals, only dangerous situations. So if you " shoot Nemo in the eye with a spear gun, you can expect kak" but if you don't threaten anything, you won't be in any danger.
Tonights lesson. Don't be a dumbass. If you don't want to do a dive don't, be aware of your buddy, see how he is whether he can or can't.
In any situation, stay calm and breathe normally. Never ever hold your breathe.

Ok lights out for me, these early mornings and having to concentrate is killing me, among other things!

Scuba Course - Lecture 1

Ok admittedly winter is probably not the best time to do a scuba course... but come on, you should all know me by now....
Do I ever do anything normally!!
Well after a lot of debating and hesitation I thought, its now or never, and granted what has happened to me over the last few weeks, its about dam time I did something for myself.
So after a few phone calls and surfing the net, I decided where I wanted to go.
Paid the course and started tonight.
All I can say is........
"This is gonna be brilliant!"
Ok there are only 4 of us....... 3 guys and myself.
Which is cool, because it is a very relaxed atmosphere. Great group of people, and our instructor is not a stiff!!
And trust me to have the biggest mouth.... but you should all have known that by now!!
I just have to haul ass to the doctor, get declared medically fit ( physically and mentally - and no snide comments about the mentally bit ok) :)
We went through equipment tonight.....
What is what, how the BC works, about your tank, fins... not flippers, fins. (Flipper was a dolphin!!) and masks, not goggles, masks!!
And way to much to go into detail over, but all so exciting and new!!
The whole idea of going under water and being able to observe everything there and then is what is so fascinating.
The sea......... it is the home to millions of things, a mother, and also dangerous and fierce enough to take your life.
Yes, obviously there are dangers, but you are in danger every second of your life, and it is how you approach it that matters.
If you are reckless and take chances.... shit happens.
Speaking from experience here!! If you climb a tree you and probably will fall and hurt yourself and get a new scar. The same as riding a bicycle, horse or a car. You have to know what you are doing, not fuck around and then you should be fine!!
So for tonight I learnt a lot, and my trip into the blue is 1 step closer.
When I decided that I was going to do the predator tank dive, Juan and my friends already joked.... in the Tank Belinda would be the one trying to pet the sharks and give them kisses or be riding them!! Juan was already waiting for me to tell him we would be getting a fish tank!

Those great whites better beware, cos I am coming!!! Move over Chris Fallows!!

Time to get some sleep now and dream about cylinders, fins, masks and BC vests!!!