Hectic, hectic, hectic!

Where has the time gone?  It's hard to believe that I've been back at work for nearly three weeks already.  I arrived back longing for Cape Town, but had to jump straight into the hectic end-of-term madness that occurs in every school.  Tempers are short, everybody is stressed and the Easter holiday is all that keeps one going. 
Somehow or other, my editor and I managed the final edits and Defective is now available on Amazon Kindle.  The print copy is still a way away.  This frees me up to work on How to Say NO to Sex and other Survival Tips for the Suddenly Single.  I've decided to take a short break from novels and compile some of the articles I wrote for Hubpages into a fun, easy-to-read self-help book which will be a combination of practical advice and general whackiness.  I'll be expanding on many of the articles and adding more material.  At the same time I'm working on a more serious self-help book called Redesigning Yourself for the Multi-tasking Generation, which I am co-writing with Jeremy Sherr, a world-renowned and highly-regarded homeopath who's dabbled into all kinds of alternative disciplines.
School for this quarter ends on Wednesday 6th April, and I'm already counting sleeps.  Besides a quick safari and a few nights at Turtle Bay at Waitamu in Kenya, I just want to chill at home and do some serious writing.  Well, that's my aim anyhow!  It all depends on if the power holds out.
Since I've been back the power has been worse than terrible going out either during the day, at night, or both.  And to make matters worse, my house seems to have an added problem which causes my power to go out every time the wind blows or it rains, while everybody else still has power.  Apparently, as the school electrician told me before he repaired my power problem by hitting the sparking box at the top of the pole with a long stick, the aluminium has a problem when it meets the copper and it causes a carbon build-up which he has to shake off either by wobbling the wires or hitting the box with a long stick.  Now as I said, I'm not an electrician, but this does not sound like a permanent solution to the problem, especially as its the rainy season.  Also, sparks, flames and smoke periodically coming from the box on the 4 metre pole outside my kitchen door is surely not normal and probably a danger.  But, the elctrician didn't seemed too fussed so maybe I shouldn't be as well.  Unfortunately, it does worry me, but luckily his stick waving got the power going so that I could watch my Stormers Rugby team chalk up another win!
Have a great week as we count down to the holidays!
luv
Cindy

Relaxing and recuperating

It's amazing how you can get used to pain.  This has now been over two weeks of constant pain, and all I can think about are the poor people who experience constant pain on a daily basis year in and year out.  Pain is wearying and slows you down.  I don't know how those poor people do it.  It can definitely get you down, that's for sure.  But, I am still determined not to take painkillers and just let my body do its thing by itself.  My last mastectomy I remember being completely zonked out on painkillers and I took so long to recover and eventually ended up being sent off for respite care and being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.  So this time I'm leaving it up to my mind and my body, and throwing away the drugs.  Hopefully, this little experiment will work.
At least it gives me a clear mind to work on my different book projects!  I wouldn't be able to do that if I was zonked out on drugs!


The backyard at the Hermanus house at dusk.

 After the U2 concert, I decided I needed to retreat to a quiet place to let my mind and body do their work.  Although I love my Mom to death, she is a little manic, racing here and there and when you stay with her you get caught up in her jetstream.  I swear she has more energy and life in her than someone in their twenties.  It can be exhausting being around her.  So as my folks were staying in their Cape Town flat while my Mom organised the redecorating and renovating of my sister's house, their beautiful house in Hermanus was unoccupied.  Kerri, my eldest daughter, and I decided to flee there and just relax.
The good thing, is when the pain gets too much or I get tired, I can lie on the couch and just read a book or watch TV.  I don't have to rush off anywhere at any particular time.  I haven't been able to do this for a very long time.  There are always things that need to be done and deadlines which have to be met.  Life can be hectic.

View from the lounge in the morning.

Despite all the relaxing I have managed to get a lot of work done.  I've completed the first draft of my novel Defective; completed the research for How to say NO to sex and other survival tips for the suddenly single; and worked on the Diet chapter of Redesigning Yourself for the Multitasking Generation, the book I'm writing with the esteemed and reknowned homeopath, Jeremy Sherr.  The good thing, is I can just work on them throughout the day when I feel like it.  I wish everyday of my life could be like this and I can work full-time on my books.  However, with a child still at school and a son at Hotel School I have to keep on working.
Kerri and I leave Hermanus on Thursday, and head back to Cape Town.  I plan on taking Tony and his girlfriend to watch the Stormers play rugby at Newlands on Saturday.  Kerri is not interested in seeing buffed men run around in tight shorts.  Poor girl doesn't know what she's missing!  Then a week of spending time visiting family and friends in Cape Town and then heading back to Tanzania.  So in effect I have four more days to get as much work done on these books as possible.  So what am I updating this blog for?  Got to go!
love
Cindy