TGIF!! Happy days are here again. We rolled out the red carpet as our dishwasher was returned home, and look forward to doing our usual once a day load of soon to be sparkling dishes. Honestly, I was just about to resort to our old tried and trusted camping trick of washing them with sand to save water, but the new generation of Suzy Q's wouldn't hear a word of it. Thanks to all of you who even offered to come lend a hand with the dishes, not sure if it was the lure of Mr SQ's fine cuisine or the picture of the push-up bra which elicited such offers, but don't worry, it's safe to come visit again without having to don sudsy rubber gloves.
We have just had our winter solstice, and the Cape Town weather seems to have been colder than usual, we all agree. Or is it just that we forget each year? Even the pool water has been below 12' which is colder than I can recall. I made a few sorties to the gym on really wet days, trying to forget the horror of last year's invasion from members of a nearby gym whilst their's was being renovated. Instead of behaving like gracious guests, they took over and displayed some remarkably bad collective manners. This is not only my opinion, by the way, but was noted by all my Pilates pals, and we are a force to be reckoned with!
There is a simple rule of etiquette at the gym, whereby anybody wishing to share a lane with a swimmer makes some form of contact and informs the swimmer that there will be another person in the lane. Not so the crowds of late. Many's the time I was head butted by a new swimmer of whom I was totally unaware, and once, whilst getting rope burns from swimming so close to the edge as a considerate swimmer, an incredibly ugly hulk of a guy brushed my arm and then stopped to swear the "F" word at me. Poor old shrinking, sensitive Suzy Q beat a hasty retreat from the stressful scenario which did more to raise her blood pressure than lower it. Hence I brave the chilly pool at home to do my laps, looking up at the mountain and sky rather than having to tolerate such ignorant behaviour. It's obviously not as good as doing lengths in the gym, but the peace and privacy and sheer enjoyment are preferable to being berated by a buffoon.
However, my pals tell me that peace has been restored and the pool at the gym is still good for a rainy day swim. I went a few times and started feeling really fit and virtuous, until I bumped into a woman, nay a walrus, who gave me an aquatic lecture on sharing when I had been swimming happily in my own lane unaware that she had taken it upon herself to hijack it. Your little peace loving mouse actually roared that day, but still left the pool, as who would want to continue such an enjoyable form of exercise with a sea cow in such close proximity?
Aah, that 27' water was too warm for me anyway, and in my absence the local Egyptian Geese have started swimming in our pool. Time to reclaim my own space before they have goslings and declare it a public avian latrine, so back to brrrr. Not to mention, there's a little devil in me wants to do a weekend midwinter swim in the tidal pool. Anyone want to join us there at high tide tomorrow as Mr SQ seems to think there is some important rugby to watch. You have NO idea what you'll be missing!
Till Monday, if I survive, have your dear selves a wonderful weekend.
Love,
Frozen Suzy Q in the
Hello again dear readers and music lovers. As promised, I popped over to Hout Bay on a beautiful winter's day to check out Republic Radio at it's source to find out all about the little Internet station playing cool music 24 hours a day. Now where were they back in the days of long night duties? Not that there was time to listen to the radio with so much work to do, but on sleepless nights off, it would have been great to have a constant musical companion. Come to think of it, my babies might have benefitted more from having a few classic hits played to them in the early hours of the morning during their feeds, rather than my rather tired, tuneless lullabies. Music I adore, but any sort of musical abilitity I sadly lack. Still, I love to listen...
The studio is situated in the modern Mainstream Mall in Princess Street, a stone's throw from the harbour and Mariner's Wharf. It's cute and cozy, tucked away between a few coffee bars, pizza parlours and an amphitheater. Tom Purcell has just finished his regular 9-12 slot and is chatting to his designer when I arrive. The logo is a cheeky Rolls Royce lookalike - not sure how they get away with this one, considering all the trouble the owner of the local Dolce and Banana shop got into with the original D&G guys, but good luck to them, it's crisp and catchy.
Republic Radio is Tom's baby and brainchild. Borne out of frustration at not having a station he could listen to or identify with after his arrival from the UK on our shores 13 years ago, he and his buddy Paul Tomes decided to set up their own station over a few beers last year. After an initial outlay, he says his monthly overheads are not all that steep, as the occasional presenters are volunteers and he keeps a keen eye on costs. Having set up originally in a garage, this expansion to the Mainstream Mall with an ample passing parade of curious people is a sure sign of the success of this fledgling local station.
Having chanced on Republic Radio on the Internet, and enjoying the music from the "seventies, eighties, nineties and occasionally noughties" my first question was how I could listen to RR in my car. The station broadcasts to Hout Bay locals on 97.4 and has applied for an FM license. However, you can listen on your PC, laptop, mac, cellphone or iPad. Go to www.republicradio.co.za and join the growing band of 8500 plus listeners. Not bad going in under a year.
Why does Tom do it? Well, he's adamant that he's not in it for the money, as it is a non profit organization and does it for the love of music, people and the Hout Bay community. It must also be great fun to be your own boss, fulfill a dream, and play just the kind of music you really fancy. He has a plan in place to get more involved with local tourism and NGO's like DARG for community training and upliftment. The station also hosts live performances in the adjacent amphitheatre, and does special tribute shows, like the one for the recently departed Queen of Disco, Donna Summer. Their target audience is anyone from 35 - 80, so if like me you enjoy the tunes of yesteryear and the memories which accompany them without too much advertising and banal banter in between, tune in to Republic Radio and go back in musical time...long live the Goldy Oldy (like me)
Love to you all,
Suzy Q
Further to my recent posting on hands, which many of you dear readers seem to have enjoyed, and here I thank you for your positive feedback, I simply must fill you in on what my own, once lily white little hands have been up to. Nothing wildly exciting unfortunately, like getting behind the wheel of a Boxter. Oh no my dears, my hands have been doing dishes. Poor, poor old Suzy Q!
Our trusty-not-so-old-dishwasher hasn't been cleaning our dishes all that well for a while, so I finally took the plunge and called in the appliance experts to take it in for a service. To date they've done nothing much with it, apart from telling me that it appears to be working well for them on a test cycle. Do they have a set of specially soiled family dishes for this specific purpose I wonder? And for this bit of non-information I am no doubt going to have to pay handsomely, as well as having the HUGE inconvenience of being without my most useful household appliance. Do you know that many women rate a dishwasher as being more useful than a husband? Not me naturally, but now that I'm without one, hmmm...!?
Now that I have googled the problem, I am rather sorry that I've sent the machine away, as it seems there are a number of simple solutions using everyday household products which might just rectify things. Or even simpler, it seems that running the hot tap before each cycle might do the trick. Double damn!
LIAR!
Not to mention that I literally feel tied to the kitchen sink. On a normal day we place all used crockery and cups into the dishwasher, and run it when it's full. Voila, at the mere flick of a switch, out comes a pile of clean stuff, and who cares if they have of late needed an occasional extra wipe? Nowadays, it's rubber gloves, Fairy Liquid, greasy washing up water, and me! Press the repeat button. And again. Is it any wonder that I'm phoning the service centre hourly, like that other petulant Desperate Housewife, Gabi, to find out when my baby is coming home to me.
If we could, it would be takeouts all the way. Miss SQ No 1 reckons that having to wash one's own dishes is the best diet aid, and guarantees instant weight loss. Wish I could agree, desperation and frustration are propelling me towards the cookie jar. Although I was only fortunate enough to acquire a dishwasher in my later adult years (yeah right, probably weren't invented when Suzy Q was a kid) I can't believe that so many women were subjected for so long to such repetitive tedium. That and the sluicing and washing of nappies. Ok, so I've done that too, but with the benefit of an automatic washing machine. Women washed, and washed, and washed. Full stop. Sadly, as I speak from my fortunate suburban spot, there are still many, many local women without running water who struggle to wash anything and everything from communal taps which are often without water. I should complain? Wonder if the President's many wives suffer the same problems?
But back to the things which have most revolutionized or improved women's lives. A poll conducted earlier this year rated the contraceptive pill as the No 1 product. I guess we can all see why. Fewer nappies and dishes to wash, surely? No 2 was the push up bra, proving that we are all really and truly animal creatures at heart. This was followed at No 3 by the washing machine. Ok, practicalities will eventually slot into place after all that hot passion has dampened down a bit. Funnily enough, my esteemed dishwasher didn't crack the Top Ten, can't think why. Maybe the mating ritual centered more on the wining and dining of women, leaving them guessing about the mountains of washing and dishes which accompany domestic bliss?
(Couldn't resist this old one of me in my push up bra modelling days sigh...)
Sadly, gotta fly, got dishes to wash AND dry...
With love to you, elbow deep in soap suds,
Suzy Q