and boom .... i am a penshioner

It is winter.  My office is freezing.  Outside it is freezing.  And my head of very short hair .... is freezing.  So beanies or whatever else they get called by youngsters, are my thing ... and in typical Karin style mine has bling (yes blah blah blah I like bling get over it).  

However, it is clear that when your hair is a silvery platinum colour like mine (by choice - it was black before and red before that) and you wear a beanie (although my son says the small one that I wear is called a doek) that there could be some misperceptions about you as I learnt at the Spar this week, much to the amusement of all who have heard the tale. 

I went to the Superspar with my son, to get a few things for the office, and his lunch .... when we had paid and were walking to the car, I noticed that I had a pensioner's discount on one of the items.  I giggled.  However it changed to hysteria when I noticed that I had a pensioner's discount listed below every item they had scanned.  At the top of the slip it appears I was logged in as a pensioner. 

Really?  REALLY?  Now there is my son ... simply abandons the trolley in the middle of the mall, lies against his arms on one of the pillars and howls.  I come back to work and tell my friend Makomo and she lies on her arms on the kitchen counter and cries with laughter. My friend Justin then sees that the Spur has a pensioner's special on certain days and cannot wait to tell me and my son reminds me that I can now watch movies at Ster Kinekor way cheaper and ride the bus for free. My husband now calls me Penshi and yes, my friends are a great source of amusement ..... and support as you can see. 

Now the silver hair, I get that.  The knitted doek ... I get that as well.  But my face.  Do I have the face of a 60 year old.  Below is a pic taken about 3 weeks ago.  Now imagine a beanie on that ....... do I look like a pensioner?  And yes, I can hear you laughing .... all of you. 

But when I take my free bus ride to see my discounted movie whilst eating my cheaper chocolate from Spar, I will have the last laugh whahahahaha 

Till soon 

K xxxx

the mystery of the tomato sauce bottle & the cutlery

The family tomato sauce bottle.  Firstly there is never ever only 1 bottle in the fridge. Usually there is a sealed one, a half full one and then my all time favourite, the one with 1 tsp worth of tomato sauce left in it.  Now understand ... no-one is ever responsible for opening a new one before the old one is finished ... the bottles just mysteriously move from pantry to fridge.  And no-one ever thinks to finish the other 2 first ... no we just march forward with the fullest one.   And the lid ... why can salad dressing, chutney, tabasco and a myriad of other sauce friends make it cleanly out the bottle, but the tomato sauce always has to be in full presence around the bottle top and cap.  

Knives and Forks .... I am pretty sure that I buy them in pairs.  Like socks.  But over time I also buy other sets.  But we use them in pairs.  Matching pairs.  So how is it possible that I now have set # 1 made up of 6 forks and 2 knives, set # 2 having 5 forks and 7 knives and set # 3 having only the knives.  The damn things must be eloping with the socks!!!!!!  And that sorter thing in the drawer ... it has 3 divisions ... why can the knives, forks and spoons not just lie in their divisions instead of this continual co-habitation. I would be more tolerant if it at least produced more knives and forks. 

Then the loo paper.  The rule is simple ... I don't care if you want it to roll over or under.  If I get to the loo and you have it under I will simply turn it around .... I am OCD like that .... but when I made the rule in our house "if you finish the loo paper then fetch 2 more rolls and put it in there" I should have thought it through.  Because now I have unleashed the *we go to the loo but then we ensure we leave only one block which technically means we have not finished the loo paper and are thus exempt from fetching more* monster.  Give me strength!!!!! 

And what is it with data usage alerts from Cellular companies?  When you start running out of fuel, you get a light that tells you that it is going to happen ... within a reasonable amount of time .... but somehow with data .... 8pm you are on social media ..... 8.01pm you get a sms "you only have 4mb of data left" and then 8.01pm and 9 seconds later ..... BOOM.  

...... on the subject of petrol and petrol lights ...... mmmmmm ....... that is going to be a story you will really enjoy!!! 

Till soon 

K xxx

malls. maniac face cream sellers & dodging techniques

If you live in SA you must recognize the following scenario ... 

You are walking in a mall ... no matter whether it has 5 or 305 shops in it ... and suddenly there is a blur of movement next to you and a young person jumps out in front of you brandishing either a strip of cardboard with a scent on it, or a tiny jar containing a sample of eye/lip/cheek/face/knee/thigh/arm cream which will change your life.  At the same price as a bond payment.

With all due respect, they have a definite profile when employing their staff - the ladies must have long black hair, good figures and the tenacity of a pitbull.  The men must be slim, look good in black pants and have black hair.  Also here the tenacity of a pitbull is mandatory. 

The jump in front of you comes with the words "try this cream to change your face, you have beautiful skin this will make it better" or my all time favourite slung at me in Menlyn "this will make you look younger" ... that is always a brilliant sales pitch to a 49 year old.  

The problem is that if you say "no thanks", as most do, they then go into full jawlock mode and start following you for a few steps.  This is where it gets awkward.  I have now found the following to be slightly effective: 

• Do NOT make eye contact ... at all.  Whether this means you must burrow in your handbag, adjust your pants zip, walk sucked up against the store windows, get hiccups or vomit ... do not engage them in any way. 
• Put your cellphone against your ear ..... you will become the master of speaking to yourself. Just ensure it does not ring whilst you are doing this. Have an animated conversation ... wave your arms, shout if necessary. 

I remember in December (sounds like lyrics) when Jess, Nic and I were in the mall somewhere.  We spotted aforementioned salespersons (always be vigilant!!!) and Jess and I immediately did the phone to the ear thing.  Nic did not have his with him and started to look around panic stricken.  "Just leave a guy hanging", he muttered before grabbing onto his sister's arm and developing what appeared to be temporary blindness - also meant with great respect. 

So imagine my horror when I was at OR Tambo at the end of May, and whilst walking from Fournos above the arrivals hall, I saw that blur (too late) and ta da "would you like to improve your skin" jumped out of nowhere.  This is an airport, an international one at that.  There are stores, yes, which people CHOOSE to go into.  There are plenty of other vendors in that strip, yes, but they wait for you to approach them.   So I was disappointed to find this there.  Also international visitors, made skittish by the media, may think they are about to be mugged. 

And I tried to be nice, really, but I did tell her where to put that damn cream.  And followed a few steps ....

Till soon 

K xxx