Oh my hat…what have I done???

Have I mentioned yet that my natural hair colour is blond? And yes I do tint it (that’s the right phrase according to my stylist), bright red. My dad sometimes refers to me as a “blond under cover” and I have to agree, normally I deserve this term. I realised just now, today I really deserve it.

I’ve been really good in doing my new thing a day, I have been really bad writing about it (as I’m sure you have seen). The other problem is, I can hardly remember if I fed my cat this morning, what’s the chances I’m going to remember what I did a week ago… pretty much, 100% ZERO.

Typical, now that I’ve decided to update and catch-up on the lost writing, there’s a few open days (insert crass and horrible sailor language here).

Back to the rules I suppose;

Rule 5.1.2.3 Should I forget what I’ve done, the xperience is null and void and a new xprerience should be added to the day. (I think it said).

So here’s the lowdown on what’s happened.

Xperience 20 (29 April to (help you count))

Royal Wedding!!! Unless you’re a complete freak and anti-social,  you could not miss this one. All I wanted was a nice place with a good view and cushy seat to watch it in peace. As I drove into Montagu, I made my way to the information office and the friendly lady referred me to The Vic Hotel, just down Bath Street.

It was perfect, a big screen, good sound, bubbly (of course darling) and buffet lunch. And the rest of the guests was at least 40 years me senior, but I had a blast. With some minute by minute commentary from my sister in Johannesburg via sms I was geared for this xperience. I had a Royal View, Royal Service and a Royal Xperience.

Xperience 21 (30 April)

I was back in town after my Lonesome Road Trip and in dire need to see some friends. I heard there was a UV party at one of the local digs, but my friend Marianne suggested an alternative.

Our friend Jos was playing at a small party just outside Durbanville, a venue called Hok 11 (translate Cage 11, I know, I know…just bear with me). Marianne kind of remembered where it is, so the two of us are off. First in the wrong direction, but after a call and 2 u-turns we found the venue. Jos was great (no surprise), the bar was horrendous (they didn’t have enough change an hour after the party started and tried to work on an IOU basis, yeah right buddy!) and the rest of the peeps only left primary school last year. Not our scene. We blew Hok 11 (xperience epic fail) as soon as Jos was finished and made our way to the UV party… much better thank you.

Xperience 22 (1 May)

Bien Donne Baby!! was the cheer a few years in a row, when our friends made our way to the SA Cheese Festival near Franschoek. This year they were at a new venue.

Strictly speaking this is not a new xperience, but the new venue and the fact that my mom’s cousin had their first stall there, makes this a winner.

Unfortunately I was a bit fragile from the night before and Marianne and I first had to have a big GREASY breakfast to get us going. I found my family member’s stall (I’ll have to find out the name from my mom again, oops. Told you I’m a blond) and by George had the best Pistachio Goats Gouda ever. I have a thing for Goats milk Gouda and was a bit apprehensive, what if it’s crap? How on earth will I lie and say Yumm, when it’s yuck (like that dairy free cheese stuff). Lucky it was amazing yummm, enough to buy a stash for the month.

Xperience 23 (2 May)

I know there’s a few holes in my education. Not my parents fault, as one takes over your own education after the age of 16.

Monday, week 2 of my holiday, was time to go to the movies. Also the day I found a huge hole in my education. I’ve never been to a 3D movie! And I was really impressed…it might have been the really gorgeous 3D Thor, who know’s…

Xperience … (3 May)

I have no freaking clue what I did, carry over then.

Xperience 23 (should be 24) (4 May, this is getting confusing, keep up)

Girls night with the fairies in Obs. I got spoiled rotten with seared tuna, a salad I almost dove into and my contribution, a bottle of bubbly. For later we decided to go to Trinity, the new Super Club (or newish, I should say) in Cape Town. We dressed, got a lift (by this time we were way over the legal limit) and made our way to the club.

The club is nice, the barmen a bit slow (can you tell I work in a bar part-time?), but the worst is the Play Station Generation kids who hang out there. Never have I seen someone look you straight in the eye and then walk right into you, not twice, or thrice, no… every time! What the…!? This is not a Play Station game, you will not get 150 gold coins when you bump me twice…walk around me! Give me a nice outdoor venue…pleeeaaaase??

 

Dairy Free?? Why, I ask, why??

Xperience 8

I’m going to get fat. This is not paranoia speaking, it’s a simple truth. I will explain.

It seems everytime I have a shortage of inspiration for a new xperience, I end up eating something I haven’t tried yet.

Sunday was no different, after seeing some clients, my coffee craving got the best of me, so I head down Somerset Rd to my normal dig. Giovanni’s is more than just the best espresso, they also have a seriously impressive deli and fresh made foods like mama’s.
I’m a big fan of their schnitzels and meat balls (gosh, I just had dinner and my mouth is watering again), but their vegetables will make any vegetarian giddy.
I opted for the Balhi Chicken (or something like that, when I went back to get the name it was gone) with almonds and green beans with fennel. I still have to try something there I did not like.
I admit it’s going to be difficult, but I’m game to give it a go.

Xperience 9 & 10 & 10.1

Yesterday went by in a bit of a blur, like Mondays normally do. I still wish there is a real cure for Monday Blues, seriously, no matter what you did over the weekend, Mondays are still crap.
So yesterday I didn’t try anything new and only realised that around 2 this morning.

I felt so bad about it, I obsessed almost the whole of today about what to do. Like always, when one over-think something, it goes down the drain.
By 5 I had NO idea what to do. So I fell back to…food. I’m saying it again, I will get fat.

Off to the Wellness Warehouse I went, tra-la-la-la, with isles and isles of strange “healthy” stuff I haven’t tried yet.

Most of my friends know of my battle with dairy. I love milk based products and used to consume litres of the stuff. Nature is cruel and I seem to have a bit of an intolerance for it now. I’ve forsaken milk for soy/rice milk (heavens help me), can’t really remember what yogurt taste like, but do not touch my cheese. I’ve cut down considerably, a block of cheese now lasts around a week, previously maybe 2 days.

So I’m strolling around the warehouse when I see the most outrageous thing ever… Dairy Free Cheese. I’m sorry, but this is blasphemous, is has to be.

So this Dairy Free stuff is also soya, wheat, gluten, sugar and cholesterol free. What’s left? Olive oil, baby marrows and Agar Agar. Yes, I know it sounds like some kind of grain from the middle east, I’m still trying to find out what that is. There was only chive flavour left, not a bad one when buying real cream cheese, in the basket it went.

My eyes drifted up the shelves and fell on the yoghurt. It’s just fair, I’m giving up dairy in one product, now I’m just balancing everything. Rhubarb flavour caught my attention, I’ve never eaten rhubarb flavour anything, the closest is the actual fresh thing when I grew up, in the basket it went.

I added some vermicelli and pac choi to my basket, to go with the prawn thai green curry I planned for dinner.

The dairy free cheese is an abomination, they should be sued for using the term, disgusting, yuck, yuck, yuck. Just in case I didn’t make myself clear, YUCK.
The yoghurt was how I remember Rhubarb, sour.

Xperience 10.1, cooking with soy milk is getting there. Dinner was awesome and there is leftovers, bargain I think.