Thursday 3 July 2008

Flying solo....

Yes guys, I am flying solo - at home AND at work. Both my "husbands" are on holiday. I am often asked how it works being in a partnership at work with a male partner, much older than me. Well, it's a bit like having a second marriage going - with teenagers as kids. One have to look after their work and listen to their personal problems. But you also get helpers - I like to think of my secretary (great girl, bless her soul) as my nanny at work.

My partner left last night for a two and a half week trip to Spain and Portugal - I am so jealous ( a one day trip to a local spa sounds like heaven to me at the moment). And H is busy with the single most popular winter activity of the South African male - hunting. Ok, maybe watching rugby or soccer is more popular, but you get the idea. He is meeting his buddies from waaaaay back (some from kindergarten) for a hunt halfway (Bethulie in the Free state) where some of them stay (Port Elizabeth) and Pretoria, where we stay. The idea is to spend some quality time together, hunt for meat and biltong and if the opportunity presents itself, for a trophy animal. Sorry to the bunny huggers (I am to an extend also one) - but this is just the most healthy and tasty meat ever and the biltong* is great. By last night he had already shot a blesbok .

This obviously means I am really having my hands full at home and at work. Hardly slept last night (although the nanny helped out with The Boys) as The Little Miss woke up 3 times - eventually I just brought her to our bed. This is the very first time that she can remember that Daddy's been away for a night and I think that is the problem - in general she is an excellent sleeper - has been her whole life. The weekend will probably be a bit tough (understatement) but I will be ok. To an extend this is a test for me that I want to pass - being on my own with all 3 kids. Wish my mom could be more of a help sometimes.

*Biltong is meat, pickled in salt, herbs etc and air dried. Venison (game) biltong has no fat and is the ideal teething material for babies. People often say that it is the same as beef jerky - I have tasted jerky and it is not. It is probably the South African national snack if something like that exists.

2 comments:

  1. I loved this post -- a little window view into life in S. Africa. Thanks for the Biltong explanation too.

    Good luck with this weekend. Keep 'em busy, busy, busy and put all housework to one side. It can wait. Relish and roll around in the grass, jump in the puddles and be a kid again. This strategy seems to work for me anyways -- probably why my house so often falls apart ;-)

    Good luck -- can't wait to hear all about it later.

    K

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  2. Mmmm biltong! A dear friend of mine has a sister in Ghanzi whose husband makes the best biltong I've ever tasted -- he calls them spicy bites. And yes, it's nothing like beef jerky.

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