Simply Red

This post has been lurking in my head for a few days now but I just couldn't bring myself to type a complete sentence as I have been mentally and physically exhausted lately. (Bub must be undergoing a super mega huge growth-spurt.)

Firstly, I just want to write about my 2 dollar shoes that have kept me going for close to a year now. I got them from a Brotherhood of St Laurence Op Shop. It wasn't love at first sight but my hubby had come along with me that day and he convinced me that the shoes totally suited me. So I got them because I figured that 2 dollars was a very pocket friendly price and that if I didn't like them after 2 weeks I could always take them back . Well, thing is, after a few wears I was totally hooked to these shoes.

No other pair of shoe I've ever worn has fitted me perfectly (Please note: I have an extremely big toe and I always find it tricky getting the perfect fit of shoe as I lie between a size 6 and a 7), and none ever suited my everyday needs like my simply red flat- heeled shoes .

Unfortunately, all things come to an end. After months and days of walking, running and dancing in my shoes the soles are giving in to the wear and tear. I thought about getting the soles replaced but that would be far more expensive than I purchased them for. I don't think it will be worth the effort. I can only liken the whole experience to this: Once you lose your virginity, there is no taking it back…

So here is an ode to my simply red shoes.

You have been with me through thick and thin.

I will always have a place in my heart (and blog) for you.
Thanks for the memories and the comfort!

I forgot what else I wanted to write about.(Please excuse my scantiness…It's called having a baby brain.)

Song in my head: Whitney Houston - My Own Strength

( I love that Whitney is back. Kudos!)

Mood: Tired and sick of the weather(but thankful for the rain!-Our rainwater tank is finally brimful.)

Pregnancy so far: 14 weeks and 2days.

This is how I feel...

12 week ultrasound

I am 13 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Today, I had my 12 week ultrasound and a blood test to check for DS (Down Syndrome) albeit a week later than it is recommended.

My relationship with my GP is pretty much non-existent. This is the first time

I ever needed to see a GP here in Australia to assess my health on a frequent basis.

My family doctor, whom I have a good rapport with, is back in Kenya. Anyway, it's been really difficult for me to build a good doctor- patient relationship with the GP I am currently seeing for a number of reasons;

1, He is a male doctor- it would be much easier to interact with a female doctor.

2, I have only seen him two times before , mainly for referrals for blood tests and ultrasounds- nothing major.

3, He is a nice guy, but I have a feeling from my experiences with him that only an iota of pregnant women grace his door.

Therefore, due to the reasons above, whenever I visit him, he never recommends the ideal tests that I need to do. I never get any extra information from him apart from the stuff I am reading from pregnancy books like Kaz Cooke's Up The Duff (Which I must say has been immensely helpful so far.)

So anyway, today I went with my hubby to see the ultrasound technician for my late 12 week scan. She asked me if I had also done the recommended blood test (at 10 weeks) for the DS check, to which I replied , ' No! '

She informed me that it was absolutely urgent that I get a referral letter from my GP for the blood test( as soon as yesterday), as the blood test and scan assessments go hand in hand in checking for DS and giving a 90% assessment. So immediately after she completed the scan( all things were in place and very normal according to her) we headed to my GP's office(a minute away) to get the referral letter for pathology but we encountered one little hurdle: My GP's Receptionist.

The Bitch is from hell and cold as ice. I have never met an inflexible, narrow-minded, thick-skinned individual like her. Despite the fact that there was hardly anyone waiting to see the doctor at the time, she absolutely refused to let us see the doctor for just a minute of his time to scribble down a quick referral. We tried to explain the urgency of the matter and also pointed out the fact that it was in fact the GP's over site not to recommend the blood test together with the ultrasound. Anyway, it soon became apparent that there was no way in hell that we were going to get past the bitch. She even showed us the appointment book just to emphasis how totally busy the doctor was. So in the end, I caved in for an appointment slotted very early (9.45am!) the next morning.I was in no mood to get upset. I was still giddy from seeing my baby scans minutes before and this bitch wasn't gonna take that happy feeling away from me.

It was already lunch time when we parted ways with hubby because he still had loads of office work to do. He decided he would try a last attempt at getting through to the doctor when he got back to the office and would let me know the result.

I took a tram to Qv and roamed the food court there, not particularly interested in eating anything specific but I was hungry. So I ended up at Breadtop and picked a sausage roll, a bacon croissant and some green iced tea. I went halfway through the bacon croissant then decided I didn't like it. So I finished the sausage roll and was sipping on some green tea when hubby called me on my cell to inform me that he had managed to get hold of my GP and that my referral letter was ready for pick up. All I had to do was get from his receptionist. Some how that didn't faze me a bit coz I decided that she treated everyone the same(like trash) and I wasn't any different.

Anyway, I finished my tucker, headed back to my GP's , picked up the letter and got my blood drawn at St. Vincent's Pathology. All in a span of 15 minutes. Viola! Very easy, despite 'someone' wanting to make things very difficult.

So,in the end I can only look forward to get transferred soon to an Obstetric at the public hospital. Yesterday, I sent my other referral letter to the pregnancy booking clinic at the Royal Women's - this was also a late booking due to my GP's apparent clueless-ness. Hey, I thought I was the one with the baby brain? Jeez, c'mon! Hello???!!! I am a first time mother-to be. I shouldn't be having half the answers to everything.(But thank God for those baby books I have been reading, otherwise I'd be swarmped CLUELESS.)

I can't wait to get to see the specialists. At least they will know how to do their job without any prompting. Anywaaaaaaayyyyyy! I'm outta here, but before I go here are some baby pics from the scan I had today.

3D image of baby showing where it lies in my womb.

The Hand!

Finally a post...in starts and stops...

Its been ages since I last blogged here such that I cant exactly say I am picking off where I left .

I don't even think that will be possible for me to continue in the same continuum or even in the same frame of mind because a lot has happened in between posts. This year has been a very eventful one for me.

I got hitched in May to my partner of two years. Yay!

And now am proud to say that I am 3 months expectant with my first child!Big yay!

This is the first time I am putting the big news out there for the rest of the world, and I've told a few friends and my immediate family only last week. I have come to the end of my first trimester and can only hope that things get easier from now on (in terms of controlling raging hormones and maintaining a semblance of sanity!)

While I can positively say I have not experienced any nasty morning sickness , I have had a few days when the nausea just decides to kick in and stay.Being pregnant is no camping holiday but I must appreciate the fact that my body seems to be handling it pretty well.I am coping by drinking lots of ginger and sucking on eucalyptus lollies.This baby is gonna come out smelling like either or both!

Apart from that I am in great anticipation of the next few months.Pregnancy is already a huge learning curve for me and I expect that motherhood will also teach me a thing or two ! I have to book for my second (12 week)ultrasound tomorrow, which I think I have left a little too late to do.I went solo for my first ultrasound during week 9 but this time I plan on having hubby present.The lady technician who did the scan last time said that everything looked normal.The baby measured 2.56cm from head to rump and looked like a small grey blob on the monitor.I couldn't exactly relate to the image on the monitor, never the less it was the first time that it actually hit home that I had something growing (and moving) inside of me!The baby's heart-beat was was normal too …

Here is an image of the baby at 9 weeks.

I am also looking forward to the coming weekend as I am planning a BBQ at our place, so that I have a chance to share the news with the rest of my friends.I know a few of my friends have seen this coming for a while now so it won't be a major surprise for them.It's just important for me to make an official baby announcement , so that no one is surprised 6 months from now when they see me in the streets pramming a baby who may or may not look like me!
 

Oh God, I hope she looks like me…(I desperately want a baby girl!) I even have the prefect name in store for her although I have to give the husband credit for wanting this particular name for our baby.Left to me,I would have probably selected a boring name for her.My best friend almost puked when I once suggested Lavinia for a baby name. I don’t know why,but I thought it was a good choice at the time :( 

Anyway, if this baby happens to be a boy, oh boy! He shall be raised like a girl!He will be raised in a similar manner to that of a last-born Samoan boy in a family of 5 boys!He will be raised with female etiquette and sensitivity!On the other hand,knowing myself, he may very well end up being a spoiled mama's boy.Hmm! In the meantime, we will cross those bridges when we come to them.

I REALLY WANT A GIRL!

Hubby and I did everything to maximize our chances of having a girl.If I get a baby girl, I will be sure to blog with unequivocal conviction and in scientifically proven manner of tone about "How to successfully conceive a baby girl." 

For now, I can only hope that everything we did to get a girl won't be in vain.

An Ode to the Earth Son: Obama

WITH THE WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS,

CAN THIS MAN SAVE THE PLANET EARTH?

Lately, I have been musing over fact that one individual can have such an enormous effect on the lives of so many. Whether the effect be good or bad is subject to another post of its own merit but in that same note, I have wanted to do post on Obama for so long and today after seeing this image of him from this website, I got inspired to write something small. Call it an ode’ to Obama: The most powerful man on earth today.

I didn’t want to regurgitate the sentiments of other people. After percolating for a while about my own feelings towards Obama, I can sum him up to be : The Earth Son.

For me, he represents a new dawn and makes me elated to be in a generation where anyone can soar to great heights in spite of their background.

I am amazed at how President Obama, a man with black roots has become a symbol of hope not only for many Americans but for many people in the world. His rise to power is steep but I’m sure for a person of colour, he had to work twice or even thrice as hard as his white counterparts to get to where he is.

Of course, behind every successful man is a woman, and Michelle Obama has truly been “his rock”.

When I look at Obama, I see a Leader but I also see a Servant. Sometimes, I can’t help but be overcome with emotion whenever they air him on TV. I don’t think no one person in the world has ever had so much goodwill behind him like President Obama has and I do pray that his time in that revered seat will truly make a difference the world-over.

Click here for President Barrack Obama's Inaugural Speech.

Hello 2009!

I am finally back and ready as I will ever be to resume my blogging escapades.

I was actually perplexed when I saw that I had made only one blog entry in the past year. 2008 was pretty heavy and I seem to be hit by a mild form of amnesia because I cannot for the life of me remember half the events that happened last year, and thanks to my not blogging about it: yester year shall forever be a mystery to me!

My last chance at retrieving some memory of 2008 lies in my PC’s CPU, which, at the moment, lies at the heart of a very humongous pile of boxes in my new spare room.

I moved house over the weekend. Strike that, the actual moving started last Thursday and went on through Sunday. It was like a never ending story but with lots of perseverance, a lot of hauling, pushing and shoving, my partner and I completed the nightmarish task of moving.

Goodbye neurotic neighbours, hello new humble abode!

Our new house is actually an old house. It has been part-way renovated and you can tell by just looking at it that it was much loved and taken care of by the previous owners. I am actually excited by the fact that adjacent to it on the west side is a kids park and huge gum trees that provide shade to that side of our house. Additional features that endear me to the new place is its high ceilings (3m high) and a brick feature wall which I shall avoid touching right now coz its crumbling! All it needs is a sealant and velour! It will be good as new!

Its been 35 degrees today, but because our house is well orientated to the north and is moderately thermally insulated, it was pretty comfortable inside today, which is a reprieve for me because I was doing some heavy work today and could do without the extra sweat.

The rest of the week is gonna be pretty much extreme weather with a top of 40 degrees on some days. I shall safely hibernate under my new roof.

On the flip side, not everything is that rosy about my new place. Well we do have a beautiful rose garden but that’s beside the point. While placing one of my desks, we found out that the floor is not level and my desk was precariously slanting towards the corner. I guess there had to be a catch...seems that one or two stumps have slumped due to settling of the house. O...o...we overlooked that minor detail...but for now I shall enjoy my new space with its little surprises as I remain aware that there are myriads of people out there who are not so lucky to have a roof above their head.

Below is just some of the things that are left to unpack.The spare room is not so spare right now.I don't even wanna look at it right now.

The Kidnapped Music Tour

From the, The Adventures of Late Bloomer.

It was 4 Minutes to the start of The St. Kilda Beach Front Music Tour featuring a plethora of musicians from both sides of the hemisphere. Madonna and Justin Timberlake were to kick off the event with their current number one hit and were also to co-Emcee the event but they were nowhere to be seen!

Speculation was doing rounds within the crowd already gathered there, regarding the whereabouts of the two music icons, when perturbing images came up simultaneously on the casting screens all over the venue showing the pale, gagged faces of the dynamic duo.They were wriggling on a dirt floor. Gob-smacked terror tattooed on their faces. A masked felon, with a gun, held a placard with these words on it:

MADONNA AND JUSTIN KIDNAPPED.

RANSOM WANTED: 50 MILLION EUROS

BY MIDNITE 2MRW OR ELSE…

DETAILS TO BE POSTED L8R.

A few screams of protest were belted out and pandemonium quickly built up when ardent fans began to realize the implications of the kidnapping.

“Damn it! No show?” Some obviously self-centered fan moaned, “ I just bought last-minute tickets on ebay for an arm and leg! Nigga this suxxxs!”

Marge’s and JT’s publicists and managers were the ones hardest hit by the implications of the kidnapping. This was their ultimate nightmare, two times over. What a bloody catastrophe!

The Police (Not Sting and his band), I mean, the real boys and girls in blue were called to investigate the serious flaws that enabled the kidnapping. In less than an hour, news of the kidnapping had blown over and made international.

I was sucking hard at my Lollipop while reliving the events of the last few hours when my good mate Mika, who was visiting from Britain, burst into my living room with a Big Girl in tow. It was clear that Mika was in the dark about the kidnapping when I saw his jaw drop as he digested the news bulletin that was airing on the tube. I quickly filled him in on the happenings. He looked whitewashed and perplexed as my words sank in. I reassured him using his own mantra: to Relax and Take it Easy as I was certain that there would be a Happy Ending to all of this.We decided to call it a night but I hardly had a wink of sleep.Tossing and turning I started to compiled a list of likely suspects in my head.

Well, for one, the Androids (whate’va happened to them?), had always wanted to Do It With Madonna. It made huge sense that they had a palpable motive to kidnap her and shower her with some groupie love, but what would they want with JT? Maybe for him it was a case of being at the right place at the wrong time. Was JT a victim of circumstance?

My next suspect was MJ, as he was a self-confessed Smooth Criminal. The question was: Would he risk such a public stunt just to regain some of the fame that he had once enjoyed?

Knowing what a weirdo he has turned out to be…he would probably not need to wear a mask to hide his face(sic). He would have wanted and in fact he would have savored the public recognition. So, it was highly unlikely that he was the culprit but I would still keep him on the list just because JT had stolen some of his dance moves!Well there you go now! MJ had two pure unadulterated(sic) motives. One: He had a personal vendetta against the dude that stole his moves and, two: He loathed the madonna that stole his spotlight!

Then there was Kylie…She was my number three suspect, not mainly because of motive but because of opportunity. I mean here we were in Australia, where the kidnapping had taken place and it is a fact that Kylie is Australian born and bred so she had the connections and geographic knowledge of the place. She could have used those two resources to organise a kidnapping. In addition, everyone knows she has been arch-rivals with Madonna for yonks. Maybe her sister Danni was in on it too as a part time gig? I was starting to sound delirious…but, “Kylie...,” Now speaking loudly to myself, “... I just Can’t Get You Out of My Head!” But I still had 2 hearts about my suspicions of her.I mean she had just battled cancer and succeed, so needless to say, I had a soft-spot for her…

Suddenly I couldn’t think! I live next door to the kids from Operator Please who were always creating a racket any time of day and now, 3 a.m in the ef***g morning, there was heavy pounding coming from their apartment. It sounded like someone there was playing ping pong (again!!!) Now we know what inspired their “Just A Song About Ping Pong”. A lot has to be said about popular music these days but the long and short of it is : anything goes…

So I nearly asphyxiatemyself using my pillow as I fought a losing battle to sleep.I simply had no peace of mind to afford me some 40 winks.

xox

The next day, a myriad of musicians who were involved in the now dubbed, “Kidnapped Music Tour: Save Marge and JT ”, had gathered at the Transit Hotel in Federation Square in order to give morale support to Marge and JT and to condemn the "act of terrorism". Others were just there to be seen...

By the time I arrived at the venue there was tight security all around and I was let in only because the bouncers recognized my pal Mika who indicated that I was with him.

50 Cent, Jay-z and P. Diddy were the designated spokesmen for the music industry in the matter, not only because they had the Bad Boy image going for them, but also because they were apt business men and they had been appropriated the responsibility to raise the ransom money that would enable the release of Marge and JT. For once in their life they were going to put some of their bodacious lyrics and lame acting skills into practice. The laid back Fi’ddy was currently facing a vicious media who were coming for him left, right and center with 21 questions. P.Diddy, who was notorious for his one liners bailed 50 cent out by drawling out, “Ya’ll know, Mo Money, Mo Problems! No comment.”

Soon, a closed meeting was called for by Madonna’s and JT’s managers and publicists. It was only open for celebrity musicians and their entourage. Mika managed to sneak me in without much drama.Discussions were abuzz with speculation and to make matters more edgy, no word had been heard from the kidnapper(s) yet after the previous day's video of the kidnapping. I overheard Mariah Carey saying to a bunch of other musicians clustered around her that what we really needed was a Hero. Chad Kroger seemed to concur with her as he was nodding his head but Tina (Turner), who by the way was still in great form, retracted, “ C’mon ya'll, We don’t need another hero!”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Watch this space as the saga unravels and also for a revised version of this post as it is currently being updated.)

Disclaimer: All scenarios and characters are depicted in a fictional manner for the purposes of fantasy entertainment.Various assumptions have been made and should be overlooked for the pure enjoyment of this article.