Mineska

What can I say about Mineska? She is one of those girls you just can't help but be totally comfortable with. When she picked me up I was so excited to see her and she was so excited to see me. It was raining, and she had brought me an extra jacket because it was pretty cold out, but I was warm from the flight and so I didn't use it. We have been talking like old friends the entire time so far. She is full of energy and loves to sing and dance while watching MTV. She also asked if she could give me a massage because she's in school and needs practice. I said I had to think about it. Just kidding.

We had some coffee at a shop and hit a grocery store. She told me that the toilets in America flush opposite the toilets in S. Africa (I had heard this strange fact about Australia, and so I believed her immediately.) Well, I had gone to the bathroom at the airport, but didn't know I should be looking. So, I tried to check it out at the coffee shop but they had one of those toilets that just flush straight down.

Same with the house we're staying at. It's in Hout Bay. Look it up on the internet. The view from the windows of this fabulous house is breathtaking. Mountains out every window. There is a pool and a trampoline and a fireplace. The house is kind of loft-y. There are little living spaces suspended from the ceiling.

So today we're going to hang out in Hout Bay, and I'll take photos. I forgot the cable to put my photos into the computer, but I'll bring it next time and upload some photos onto the blog.

I love the accent here. I could listen to it all day. Like, when Mineska asked me if I wanted a massage, she asked if I wanted a MASS-ajzh.

Oh, and I left my umbrella in the car and she goes, "Is this your 'brelly?"

I love it.

She said the other day that somebody broke into her car and stole the towels she had on the seat. She didn't think to put them in the trunk, because well, who would steal towels? But they broke her window and stole the towels anyway, and so we're careful not to leave anything in the car when we go into stores and stuff.

Oh, at the grocery store the eggs are right out on the shelves. Not in the fridge.

What else...people here just walk right down the freeway. Beata told me about it, and it's actually true. People just saunter down the freeway with their dogs and you just have to not hit them and that's how it is.

Sorry for the 'stream of thought' type journaling...I'm just trying to fit a bunch of information in a small amount of time.

I'll try to post as often as I can, and get photos up here.

LOVE to all!

I'm here and I'm safe!

What a gorgeous GORGEOUS country! I feel so lucky to be here. You can't believe this place. It's just simply gorgeous. Beautiful. Wonderful.

I'm staying in a place called Hout Bay. Mineska is house sitting a freaking MANSION and we have the whole 4 bedroom place to ourselves. The view from the balcony is incredible. I'm looking right out at table mountain.

Ok...I need to start at the beginning.
In Minneapolis when I was waiting for the flight, a very southern lady was talking very loud about her nose job and so I couldn't help but eavesdrop. Then she was telling this story about church (you have to say this in a southern accent or it won't work.) "I brought my husband to church the other day. It was his first time...and this woman, you know she was speaking in tongues...well, my husband hadn't seen anything like that before. When she fell down, he started to get up to help her, because you know he thought she was having a heart attack...Well, I dug my fingernails so deep into his knee! I said, 'you SIT your butt DOWN! She's got the spirit!!!' "

I got to fly first class to New York City and to Cape Town. It was so so so so so nice to have such space to stretch out. My chair reclined completely. They put a drink in your hand before you even take off. How can anybody go back to coach after experiencing first class? I guess technically it was "business class" but who's counting?
Also, they gave me a whole actual blanket and pillow. Not a crappy tiny thing but an actual pillow. I was very anxious about it touching anything gross on the plane and stuff but it went OK.
From NYC to Cape town it is a 17 hour flight. 8 hours into it, we stopped in Dakar, Senegal to gas up. There was a guy on the first leg of that part who's dad had just died and he was flying home to see his family. His name was Chekh. Super nice guy. He couldn't eat until 6:45 though because he was observing Ramadan. I tried to convince him to eat something at 5:45 because technically we were crossing time zones and traveling into the future, but he wouldn't bite. Pun intended. I don't want to be rude, because Chekh was super nice and everything, but I think he farted about 637 times on the flight. In his sleep and everything. Let me tell you it was kind of weird because when we were both reclined out, it was like we're sleeping together in this big bed. Anyway, Farty McFarterson got off in Dakar and then I had the area to myself the rest of the flight to Cape Town.
So when you stop in Dakar, people get on the flight to clean up and to search you and stuff. Well it's 91 degrees there at 4:30 in the morning, so these guys were RIPE. Stinky stinky stinky. It was bad. Oh, and I got off the plane even though you're not supposed to because I had to be able to say that I had been to Senegal. Duh.
Oh, my TV on the plane had episodes from TV, from HBO, and all kinds of movies. I watched an episode of the Office, and episode of Flight of the Choncords and three movies. And I read my book. But the rest of the time I slept.

Saturday night

Leaving in 7 hours!!!

Saturday

Well here I am NOT packing again.
I went for coffee with Alason...vacuumed the floors...did the dishes from last night...cleaned up in general...all important tasks, but mainly just a diversion from the most important one: Pack.

Why am I so overwhelmed by the idea? I only wear about 5 outfits in my life anyway. Why not just throw those 5 outfits into my suitcase and call it a day? To be fair to myself, and I am all about being fair to myself, I only have 6 items left on my to do list:

1. Buy an adapter and converter for all my electronics.
2. Go to Target and load up on travel sized stuff, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, etc.
3. Make a list for the house sitter (how the TV works, how the fireplace works, emergency nubmers, etc.
4. Clean bedroom.
5. Wash sheets for house sitter.
6. Pack.

And that's down from 24 items! To be fair again, some of the 24 were junk items like:
item 8 (Monday): "9pm movie"
item 12 (Tuesday): "what suitcases?"
item 10 (Wednesday): "10pm Project Runway"

If confronted by an angry shark, I will...

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&vid=678fa8db-8d04-4592-9d9d-c3cc2105f406&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:3c9ee863-9156-4d4c-a929-d3f20baefd8b%2C9ae512b4-8780-4631-83eb-8ea2ebcbb83b&from=MSNHP&tab=m1189615355930&GT1=42003


probably die.

If confronted by an angry elephant, I will...

http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&vid=678fa8db-8d04-4592-9d9d-c3cc2105f406&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:3c9ee863-9156-4d4c-a929-d3f20baefd8b%2C9ae512b4-8780-4631-83eb-8ea2ebcbb83b&from=MSNHP&tab=m1189615355930&GT1=42003


SCREAM AND YELL.

Seriously, guys

If I die on this trip, I would really appreciate it if everybody were to be EXTREMELY SAD. The following songs must be played at my funeral:


Treasure -- The Cure





Rainbow Connection -- Willie Nelson






Keep me in Your Heart -- Warren Zevon





 Hallelujah -- Leonard Cohen





 Revival -- Soul Savers





I Promise you I Will -- When in Rome

 


Hilarious!

p.s. Please please please make me a photo montage just like Blanca's!!

Progress!

Tonight I went shopping for a few essentials. I bought two rolls of black & white film. I had to go to two Camera stores who each only had one roll in stock and so now I have two rolls. Apparently there is something called a "digital camera", that doesn't even need any film at all! The contraption has caught on so much so that it's nearly impossible to find ordinary film to purchase. Seriously, there used to be isles of film at Target and now there are two choices. Crazy kids.

I also bought two more hats. when I threw them into the PILE, now named "Cape Town Crap" I noticed that there were already a few in there:

Do I really think I need SIX hats on this trip? Hmmm...I also saw two pairs of nearly identical running shoes.



I decided against bringing this one: (According to Melissa Kasprowicz, it's a little too "touristy".) Despite her protests, I wore it the entire time we were in Mexico.

Procrastination

Instead of packing right now, I'm updating my blog and watching Project Runway out of the corner of my eye.
I leave very early on Sunday morning. I'm having a party at my house on Friday night and so that leaves Thursday night to set up and clean for the party, and Saturday to clean up after the party and shop and pack for a two-and-a-half week trip. I have been throwing trip "maybe's" into a pile in my room. This pile includes my backpack, a pair of tennis shoes, my passport, a chap stick and my book about Cape Town. I guess those are the trip "have-to-have's" my "maybe's" are more like this shirt, that skirt, etc. The pile is HUGE. I will definitely have to edit, which is a Project Runway term which I think means to remove the extra ruffles you put on the sleeves of your dress because they are UGLY.

OMG Leann just stole Suede's model. What a backstabber! But, I cannot STAND Suede and his talking in third person. It's one of my worst pet peeves, and I only do it when ABSOLUTELY necessary, which is very very very rarely. Kady does not like third person speaking. Period.

I met these guys at the Powderhorn Art Fair

I love their show.  Check them out on Public Access Television.  You know, the channel you can't avoid when skipping through with the remote?

I could survive for 32 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Mineska

I talked to Mineska today! She is the girl who I'll be staying with in Cape Town. For a mere $1.69 per minute from my cell phone, she explained to me that she is excited that I'm coming to Cape Town and that she has already planned a welcome party, and that she wants to take me out Salsa dancing. Current mood: EXCITED.

Apparently we can "hire a car" (say this in your best South Eff'rican accent) and go on our own Safari if we want to! Not sure how I feel about that. I'm picturing the car stalling, and Mineska trying to start it, and it not starting, probably because the steering wheel is on the wrong side, and then the lion clawing and clawing and clawing at the windows until finally he satisfies his insatiable hunger by eating blonde girl blood.

Oh, and Beata tells me that Mineska is an amazing cook and is planning on cooking for me the whole time. YAY! I like eating!

Funniest picture ever

This isn't so much a blog as a nephew-picture posting sight, but come on, this is funny right here.

As funny as this though?

I don't know, man.  I can't decide.

It's the crook of my arm, pervert!

Pome-grateful

My new favorite drink. Pomegranate Martini. Thank you Alason!

They have mixers at the grocery store called "Stirrings", click on the above photo for more information...they are all SO GOOD.  And so easy.

Murphy

This tooth had been too loose for too long.

Miles

Miles is in 3rd grade. He came home from school the first day and told his mom that he had an "arch nemesis" named Carter (a girl) but now Kasey thinks they are totally boyfriend/girlfriend. Also, the other day Kasey heard Miles yelling for her from the bed he shares with Murphy. She went in their room and was like, "WHAT?" and then Miles said, "Mom! Murphy's actin' like 8 monkeys with 7 bananas!"

Miyo

Miyo is a hag! The other day, she said, "I want chips." Kasey said, "I don't have any chips." To which Miyo replied, "YES. YOU. DO."

South Africa

This is my first blog attempt...wanted to get it started before I leave for my trip. Testing...testing...test, hello?