# News for the Southern Hemisphere



## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Well there's always something to do around the house isn't there? And doesn't it all come at once? Since my return to the southern hemisphere I've had one thing after another to deal with, spend time on and fork out for. :frown2:

I had to buy and have installed a new (electric) oven and hob. (I was lucky to get a well-priced AEG in my local appliance discounter). But of course the 'hole' in the granite wasn't the same size, so add on generous hand-out to the guy who came to cut a cm off down one edge. Then on Friday afternoon of the Christmas weekend, the springs of the (double) garage door broke. Tried lifting a 150kg door? My gardener - thankfully a strong young man managed to lift it so I could get my car out. A repairman came out, but the spares supplier was closed until 8 Jan (when it was repaired).

Then had a leak in the roof. Man came, waterproofed and repaired ridge and round chimney, made good small ceiling damage.

My previous employer turned "blesser"* and gave me the wherewithal to contemplate some interior painting, one bedroom done, now working on the lounge/study/dining room and entrance hall which is double height so quite a big job. My share of the exercise was moving all the stuff out of the area, cleaning the curtain rails and light fittings, and washing the curtains, upon which event the linings promptly shredded from age . Now I have 22 new linings to make, so need to haunt some factory shops to buy a roll of cotton lining.

One more thing to organise - steam cleaning the lounge suite, dining room chairs and carpets. Then the great 'restore' to order which will be a major opus. I made one resolution - only a third of the stuff that came out is going back! Then I'll sit back and look smug.

Cricket (India vs SA) is in full swing on the telly, so that keeps his nibs out of the way, and provides a commentarial backdrop to keep me entertained while I'm slaving away.

One thing about being away so many months is that (almost) everyone is pleased to see me again so lots of natter-natter with family and friends. Then there's a slew of birthdays, including mine (which I celebrate several times over) and then Christmas. And now the piece de resistance - tax season! (Major Ugggh!)

It looks like I can't return as early as usual as I have a 'work' appointment in Cape Town at the end of May. Hope it has rained by then. The situation is DIRE right now. Zero Day, when the taps WILL RUN DRY is early April. 

The good news, in contrast, is the talks about talks about talks when our new ANC president will take over as the State President. It's not hard to be the tallest dwarf, so everyone including the international community is optimistic about improvement. Our gang of imported criminals seems to have departed and their house of cards is falling around the feet of those who are now referred to as 'tainted'. What a euphemism! Ah well, that's Africa for you!

When I flump into a chair at the end of the day, it's good to touch bases with the forumites and envy those having a less hectic lifestyle on the costa's. But I'm already getting a bit thin-lipped about the amount of touring time I'm going to miss out on this year. Oh well, c'est la vie!

PS.*Blesser is a 'local' expression for a guy who is well-off and shells out for the favours and attention of a young, impecunious, upwardly mobile, wannabee side chick.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Oooh Viv! Where does one find a "blesser" please?


You do sound busy my dear. And there was I thinking that I was the only one chasing my tail choosing appliances and carpets and curtains. Where have all the curtain shops gone? Used to be on every high street. 


Yesterday we managed to source the two shower enclosures and shower heads for our refurbishment. Being determined not buy cheap and buy twice it was pretty difficult to press the "go" button. Today we have to pay UK Power Networks a King's Ransom to shorten a wire outside the house so that it affixes to the new outside electricity meter at ground level rather than in my daughter's bedroom. No one else is allowed to touch it, not even a qualified electrician! Chris says even he could do it with the right tools 


Are you jet lagged?


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## xgx (Oct 14, 2005)

you now where i am if you come across any female Blessers looking to grab a Grindad ...preferable under 30, under 16 (!)
(first is age, second is weight (!)

It's not a spelling mistake... if I find one I'll def. be a Grin-dad


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Do you need us to send you out a bottle of water or three? The main thing we have hear apart from the ANC is that Cape Town is virtually dry and will run out by April 12th not sure how they know the specific date...) so would it help if we sent out a bottle or three?

Or pehaps run a hose out as the Monster Raving Loony Party suggested for the SW when there was the horrible drought in 1976?

Just thinking like.....


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Carry on Viv. I'm almost feeling sorry for you but when we return there will probably be a similar pile of jobs awaiting us.

Ray.


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Penquin said:


> Do you need us to send you out a bottle of water or three? The main thing we have hear apart from the ANC is that Cape Town is virtually dry and will run out by April 12th not sure how they know the specific date...) so would it help if we sent out a bottle or three?
> 
> Or pehaps run a hose out as the Monster Raving Loony Party suggested for the SW when there was the horrible drought in 1976?
> 
> Just thinking like.....


Well I'm in (near) Durban and here it rains often, so although there have been a couple of drought years in parts of the province and the dams are still very low, we're not on rationing right now. Cape Town as you are probably aware has winter rainfall, but the rains won't arrive by zero day. Guess they'll just have to eat cake (i.e. drink wine). Not good for laundry and washing though. Heard they have desalination plants for the beachfront tourist hotels so hope no-one is deterred from visiting. We need the foreign currency! I also heard there's a huge aquifer across the southern part of the country and there's talk of boreholes to access it. Hope it works! Hose would have to be about 1500km from KZN to Cape Town


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Is a blesser what they used to call a sugar daddy? (and 'daddy' came up in predictive text right after typing 'sugar'!)


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