Parties and Announcements
One or two announcements before I get onto a description of my sister’s 21st party and all the associated activities.
First of all, as of April, GEAR is going to be a stand alone magazine. No longer will it be included with PC Format and T3 magazines in their sealed packets. That’s great news for people (like me) who have not been consistent buyers of the other magazines. Hopefully, once the magazine is independent, I can ask to start being paid.
Second, I’m going to be a cousin. Now that may not sound like any great announcement to many of you reading this, but I have no cousins. Until a few years back, I only had two bachelor uncles. Then my mother’s brother got married, and now he and my aunt Manuella are around 18 weeks into their first pregnancy. Of course I’m going to be more like an aunt than a cousin (with a 24 year age gap), but it’s still very exciting. So congratulations to Uncle Kevin and Manuella.
Otherwise it’s been a social week. On Wednesday evening Paul and I attended Denbeigh’s birthday celebrations at Mo’s Noodles on Florida Road. Apart from a group of Denbeigh’s friends, Mark, Matt, Natasha, and G and Shirley were all there. In terms of eating at Mo’s Noodles, which is a Thai restaurant, while the food was delicious and the portions more than filling, the limited menu as well as the fact that meals started at R52 mean that it’s not a place that I would choose to go to again.
So, another Florida Road restaurant more about image than anything else.
After dinner, while most people headed to 80’s, Mark, Natasha, Matt and Paul and myself had über creamy and sweet hot chocolate at a recently revamped coffee shop / restaurant (I’ve forgotten its name) also on Florida Road, just next to Spiggo’s and under The Roman Lounge. Once again, the place just screamed ‘Trendy’, but we added some geek quotient by mostly discussing Far Cry and suitable real time strategy games to play at the next LAN.
Thursday evening was bowling at the Pavilion with Warren, Kirsten, Kate and Greg. The combination of a tight top that kept creeping up, as well as nerves over a business meeting the next day, must have distracted me because I played one of my most mediocre games in a good long while.
As it turns out, the nerves over the business meeting weren’t really warranted, as the guys at the company were expecting me to be clueless about the product, and want their technical information simplified for municipal technicians and township home owners who will be using / exposed to their water meter regulator products. Basically they’re wanting manuals / pages of instructions to be included with the products- and they’ll eventually be translated into 10+ local and other African languages. Parts of the work is pretty exciting, while others I’m not so keen on, largely because I know I’ll be floundering around for a while until I feel more informed, and confident, about what I’m talking about
I’ll certainly be liaising with Shirley on this, as the requested manuals have to be image heavy (I’m thinking of those simple line drawing illustrations you see in the manuals that come with new digital cameras etc), and share the same styling as the brochures she’s working on.
That reminds me, I hope they don’t think my work is included in the price of whatever Shirley’s former company was charging them for the work associated with them. I think I do need to bring up quotes during my next meeting, once I’ve done the first draft.
Anyway, Friday night, Warren, Paul and I myself headed to Kingsmead for 20 overs cricket. Gareth, Denbeigh and 2 of Denbeigh’s relatives (I think that’s what they were) joined us. Basically Paul, myself and Warren were determined to see one full match- every time we’ve been to cricket in something like the last 2 years, it has always been rained out. True to form, it did rain, but fortunately the one shower was during the players’ dinner break, and the second shower was pretty short. But despite Natal doing really well in terms of their batting (achieving a score of around 200), their bowling and fielding was lazy and uncommitted. I think Warren, Paul and I need to set a new goal of watching Natal actually WIN a match.
Otherwise, pretty much the whole weekend was consumed with my sister’s 21st,
which took place at the hall of the primary school where my mother teaches. Actually, and this is an aside, thinking about it now, the school hall may be the perfect place for the big LAN that we all want to have when Ian gets back from Burundi. There’s so much space, plug points all over the show, as well as tables and chairs to use.
Anyway, my main 21st responsibility was transporting my PC to the school and making sure (with Paul’s help) that we could attach the projector for the speeches, and amp and speakers for the evening’s music. I was also filling urns, blowing up and hanging balloons (I blew up 20 on my own), taking photographs and sorting out the videoing of speeches.
I’ve included a few pictures here of the party, which was a Cocktail themed dress-up. My sister, the birthday girl, was Champagne, Paul was Kinky Sex and I was Captain Morgan. Other drink inspirations included Johnny Walker, Cosmopolitan, Martini, Cane, Pink Lady, Castle, Between the Sheets, and Absinthe.
The evening went pretty smoothly, and the video tribute seemed to go down very well, as did the speeches by my sister’s friends. The food was also great, and it was nice to see a lot of my sister’s Pietermaritzburg friends who used to pop in to visit her at the YWCA, and who I haven’t seen since third year university. Although I was pretty peeved by my sister leaving me, as the DJ, responsible for selecting songs from her approved playlist, and then, increasingly drunk, coming to the PC to select the oddest tracks that often had people evacuating the dance floor.
Paul was also clearly not much in the party mood. He’s working on a programming job at the moment, and when he’s stressed, he is unbearable to be around. Part of his stress is due to the fact that both Warren and Robin are busy with other work this year, pretty much leaving Paul with the day-to-day running of their company. I can understand his feeling of being trapped, unable to earn any income beyond his +/-R3000 a month Mainport tech support, because he’s doing much of his company’s admin work.
Now of course Paul is one of those managerial figures who likes to be in control and do everything himself. I think he needs to get over that. My suggestion was that he draw up a list of monthly admin duties and then split them after negotiation with Warren and Robin. That, or starting to draw a monthly salary from the company to compensate him for the company work he does.
Paul needs to start looking after himself financially. His father is retired as of May so, unlike his sister, who still receives financial support of around R4000 a month as she pays off her farm, he’s likely going to have to support himself. I doubt anyone will be in the position to help him buy a flat or new car.
One other thing, I have finally realised something about my father. He’s another Richard (from EvilCorp) in the sense that he isn’t content if anyone isn’t as stressed as he is. All day long today, he was on people’s cases as we tidied up the hall. No one was allowed to do things at their own pace. Man, it’s a pain sometimes living at home still at 24.
Oh, I forgot to say that Paul and I bought my sister a Kenwood smoothie-maker (the blender with the tap) for her birthday. Now for an early night to recover from going to bed last night at 3am.
First of all, as of April, GEAR is going to be a stand alone magazine. No longer will it be included with PC Format and T3 magazines in their sealed packets. That’s great news for people (like me) who have not been consistent buyers of the other magazines. Hopefully, once the magazine is independent, I can ask to start being paid.
Second, I’m going to be a cousin. Now that may not sound like any great announcement to many of you reading this, but I have no cousins. Until a few years back, I only had two bachelor uncles. Then my mother’s brother got married, and now he and my aunt Manuella are around 18 weeks into their first pregnancy. Of course I’m going to be more like an aunt than a cousin (with a 24 year age gap), but it’s still very exciting. So congratulations to Uncle Kevin and Manuella.
Otherwise it’s been a social week. On Wednesday evening Paul and I attended Denbeigh’s birthday celebrations at Mo’s Noodles on Florida Road. Apart from a group of Denbeigh’s friends, Mark, Matt, Natasha, and G and Shirley were all there. In terms of eating at Mo’s Noodles, which is a Thai restaurant, while the food was delicious and the portions more than filling, the limited menu as well as the fact that meals started at R52 mean that it’s not a place that I would choose to go to again.
So, another Florida Road restaurant more about image than anything else.
After dinner, while most people headed to 80’s, Mark, Natasha, Matt and Paul and myself had über creamy and sweet hot chocolate at a recently revamped coffee shop / restaurant (I’ve forgotten its name) also on Florida Road, just next to Spiggo’s and under The Roman Lounge. Once again, the place just screamed ‘Trendy’, but we added some geek quotient by mostly discussing Far Cry and suitable real time strategy games to play at the next LAN.
Thursday evening was bowling at the Pavilion with Warren, Kirsten, Kate and Greg. The combination of a tight top that kept creeping up, as well as nerves over a business meeting the next day, must have distracted me because I played one of my most mediocre games in a good long while.
As it turns out, the nerves over the business meeting weren’t really warranted, as the guys at the company were expecting me to be clueless about the product, and want their technical information simplified for municipal technicians and township home owners who will be using / exposed to their water meter regulator products. Basically they’re wanting manuals / pages of instructions to be included with the products- and they’ll eventually be translated into 10+ local and other African languages. Parts of the work is pretty exciting, while others I’m not so keen on, largely because I know I’ll be floundering around for a while until I feel more informed, and confident, about what I’m talking about
I’ll certainly be liaising with Shirley on this, as the requested manuals have to be image heavy (I’m thinking of those simple line drawing illustrations you see in the manuals that come with new digital cameras etc), and share the same styling as the brochures she’s working on.
That reminds me, I hope they don’t think my work is included in the price of whatever Shirley’s former company was charging them for the work associated with them. I think I do need to bring up quotes during my next meeting, once I’ve done the first draft.
Anyway, Friday night, Warren, Paul and I myself headed to Kingsmead for 20 overs cricket. Gareth, Denbeigh and 2 of Denbeigh’s relatives (I think that’s what they were) joined us. Basically Paul, myself and Warren were determined to see one full match- every time we’ve been to cricket in something like the last 2 years, it has always been rained out. True to form, it did rain, but fortunately the one shower was during the players’ dinner break, and the second shower was pretty short. But despite Natal doing really well in terms of their batting (achieving a score of around 200), their bowling and fielding was lazy and uncommitted. I think Warren, Paul and I need to set a new goal of watching Natal actually WIN a match.
Otherwise, pretty much the whole weekend was consumed with my sister’s 21st,
which took place at the hall of the primary school where my mother teaches. Actually, and this is an aside, thinking about it now, the school hall may be the perfect place for the big LAN that we all want to have when Ian gets back from Burundi. There’s so much space, plug points all over the show, as well as tables and chairs to use.
Anyway, my main 21st responsibility was transporting my PC to the school and making sure (with Paul’s help) that we could attach the projector for the speeches, and amp and speakers for the evening’s music. I was also filling urns, blowing up and hanging balloons (I blew up 20 on my own), taking photographs and sorting out the videoing of speeches.
I’ve included a few pictures here of the party, which was a Cocktail themed dress-up. My sister, the birthday girl, was Champagne, Paul was Kinky Sex and I was Captain Morgan. Other drink inspirations included Johnny Walker, Cosmopolitan, Martini, Cane, Pink Lady, Castle, Between the Sheets, and Absinthe.
The evening went pretty smoothly, and the video tribute seemed to go down very well, as did the speeches by my sister’s friends. The food was also great, and it was nice to see a lot of my sister’s Pietermaritzburg friends who used to pop in to visit her at the YWCA, and who I haven’t seen since third year university. Although I was pretty peeved by my sister leaving me, as the DJ, responsible for selecting songs from her approved playlist, and then, increasingly drunk, coming to the PC to select the oddest tracks that often had people evacuating the dance floor.
Paul was also clearly not much in the party mood. He’s working on a programming job at the moment, and when he’s stressed, he is unbearable to be around. Part of his stress is due to the fact that both Warren and Robin are busy with other work this year, pretty much leaving Paul with the day-to-day running of their company. I can understand his feeling of being trapped, unable to earn any income beyond his +/-R3000 a month Mainport tech support, because he’s doing much of his company’s admin work.
Now of course Paul is one of those managerial figures who likes to be in control and do everything himself. I think he needs to get over that. My suggestion was that he draw up a list of monthly admin duties and then split them after negotiation with Warren and Robin. That, or starting to draw a monthly salary from the company to compensate him for the company work he does.
Paul needs to start looking after himself financially. His father is retired as of May so, unlike his sister, who still receives financial support of around R4000 a month as she pays off her farm, he’s likely going to have to support himself. I doubt anyone will be in the position to help him buy a flat or new car.
One other thing, I have finally realised something about my father. He’s another Richard (from EvilCorp) in the sense that he isn’t content if anyone isn’t as stressed as he is. All day long today, he was on people’s cases as we tidied up the hall. No one was allowed to do things at their own pace. Man, it’s a pain sometimes living at home still at 24.
Oh, I forgot to say that Paul and I bought my sister a Kenwood smoothie-maker (the blender with the tap) for her birthday. Now for an early night to recover from going to bed last night at 3am.
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