Shoes on in the kitchen please.

My humblest apologies for the two week drought here on 'Sam-In-A-Can', and what's worse is that I don’t even have a good excuse for my readers, for this I am sorry…again. So here’s the important stuff for you.

 -Yes I am still happily unemployed but actively seeking employment – a lot of positive words in that last sentence hey.

-I have started having the feeling of wanting to work, which I am trying to suppress but I think it might be time.

-Yes I am still in Antibes France, in our diamond in the rough penthouse loft over looking… well…the Cote D’azur.

-And no, Green isn’t a very good colour on you.

-No my French hasn’t improved with this extended period of time I'll call “me time” for the purpose of this post, but never the less I am still trying. I even cooked a packet dessert over here. Hang on a minute; I don’t think you quite understand the magnitude of this achievement. The instructions were in French…genius I know. So perhaps in this three-month job search I have improved my French somewhat. Brilliant!

-I have taken a liking to cooking while unemployed, which has kept me rather busy, and I have to say, I’m pretty darn good at it too. With some help from chef friends for a few fab recipes here and there I made my first pie, my first lasagne, a curry or two, spring rolls and even hummus just to name a few. All of which done without the luxuries of things like blenders, measurers and adequate equipment. So a big pat on the back from myself to myself.

-I have been very conscientious about wearing shoes in the kitchen, as I do not want to be considered a “barefoot in the kitchen-stay at home wife” (fiancé at the moment – but you can see my concern). So not to worry, my shoes are on at all times!!!

-Have had an interview or two but after the weed-train incident we are avoiding trains as transport to get to and from interviews. Will keep you updated with how that is going.

-Have watched some cracker movies - source unknown :)

-Have even read a book on my new Kindle. Which I might add is a fantastic little thing, even for non-readers such as myself. It’s unbelievably easy to use and download books, you can download Lonely Planet books for new places your visiting so you can avoid looking like a tourist with your post-it riddled Lonely Planet. If you don’t have one, I suggest get one, its cheap enough to be a spoil yourself prezzie. Permission granted – now go buy one.

-Kindle product placement income is paying for my meal tonight – grand.

-Have been Googling and investigating weddings (for my wedding – surprise!) and WOW, they sure aren’t cheap are they. If I didn’t want the timeless photos and the opportunity to wear a fabulously over-priced dress I would take the money and …take another six months off. Well deserved some would say.

My advice to other bride-to-be’s, is don’t do it. Get married sure (ha ha, got a little worried there didn’t you), but I say take the money and run, stage a cute little wedding, have a braai where everyone brings their own food and their own booze and crank the iPod and pass out on the couch.

That brings me to another point I need help clarifying. Inviting your friends and family to your wedding where you're paying for them to eat a fabulous creation created by a fabulous chef at a fabulously large cost (lots of created fabulous-ness here to devoid you from the cost). Wonderful. Then you’re forking out a large amount of cash-money-dollar-bills for everyone to have a drink or two. Wonderful. Then you're paying some man, who thought being a DJ after school was a RAD idea instead of law school, sees “wedding function” on the email and the price triples for the sweet sounds of a CD and him pressing the ‘next’ button. Wonderful. Now correct me if I’m wrong here, but is that not…

Dinner and a show?

I believe it is, and for that you should pay, right? Why on earth am I the one dishing out “favours” (why are they called favours anyway)? So I have two choices here; one being, your gift size and value should double, or you buy tickets to the wedding? 270 per person and we’ll even do a deal for couples at 500 a couple. A 3-course dinner, soothing sounds of a swing vocalist in the gardens, under the sun, while you dance the night away with rose in hand, shot on the bar and a good night all round – It’s a steal and well worth it I’d say.

With that in mind, tickets go on sale January the 20^th – Don’t miss out!

Ticket sales office Stu - signing out!!!

Don't worry, be happy.

I find an endless amount of entertainment when looking at what good comes from something bad and the bad that comes from the good. Life is an endless source of entertainment and giggles for me. Take this as a simple example; I spent the entire day searching Nice for a blouse for an interview. Firstly let it be known that I am proud not to have ever owned a blouse and now that I have I do feel somewhat changed, not entirely sure how, but changed never the less. So on a beautiful day around Nice (the Good) which is a great little town, the best mixture of traditional French and high street market, I then found a blouse (the Bad).  We then head off home to get all tarted up for this interview, which I am going to say, is the good in this scenario (as much as unemployed is a good colour on me, id like to have an income one day). Looking our dapper best, hopped onto a train looking extremely over dressed for it, not only to sit in the same cabin as the epitome of ‘Frash’. This will be my contribution to the English Oxford dictionary (tick):

Frashy: Adj,

1)   Resembling or wearing full Adidas track suit, tucked into their socks.

2)   Greasy, slicked back hair, excess cheap gold jewellery – not to be confused with a Greek kebab shop owner.

3)    Out right rude, blatant disregard for morals, the law and most other things.

4)   Started smoking in the womb

5)   Tend to be a bit scary and intimidating

6)   NB – must be French.

So yes French Trash – Frash, sat next to us on the train and not only decided to smoke a cigarette in the clearly marked “non smoking” train where ventilation is at a minimum, but he lights up a joint. Now I’m no prude and hey when in Amsterdam… but REALLY?!?!?!?!?! Before we are about to sit down in an interview trying to sell ourselves as competent, respectful, AWESOME, candidates, we would now smell like we hot boxed our way there. So how’s that for a bit of the bad with the good. Luckily we saw the funnier side as soon as we left the train and did some serious brisk walking to air out.

Another fabulous example is since we have been on holiday and now having to call it “unemployed” we have a serious case of lack of income going on (the bad). But while living in Antibes (Which is one of the most wonderful places in the world, if you haven’t been I suggest it goes onto your bucket list immediately), partying and mingling is a key ingredient to finding work (the good). However it is an extremely costly part of networking, so we decided to start something whereby we can still buy our €1.45 rose (yes I found cheaper and wow, life has never been better) and still invite people around to party. Onesie Weekends – sounds obscure and it is, we wear our great onesies, and everyone comes over in dribs and drabs to party at our flat. Saving us serious coin  (the good), having dress up parties every weekend (Onesies) while still meeting with friends (more good). If you ever get invited to a “Onesie weekend” party, know it started from something good coming out of something bad

A slight spin off one could say from the cheap rose (the goooood oh so gooood) is that the hangovers have been rather disastrous (bad, bad, bad). I had my all time worst one last weekend in fact, a personal best in the number of baths I had (its my way of feeling better, I listen to water rush over my body, ears, face and whole head then I’m out lying in bed with a wet towel over my head). And a personal best in the amount of junk I ate, bottles of wine consumed- 17, woke up the day after the hangover…still hung over… but 3 kilo’s down! THE GOOD really makes the 48 hours of toilet hugging, bathing, semi coma I experienced so worth it, I would even do it again.

Even from something more serious than a bad hang over or frashy trains, my car was stolen a few years back and at the time it felt like the worst thing in the world (the bad). But thanks to my mom’s determination and fighting spirit with the insurance thieves and the actual thief that took my cute little silver bullet I wouldn’t be here today, in France, engaged, travelling the med by yacht and the rest of the world with the ones I love, meeting crazy fabulous people and filling my life to the absolute brim with awesome memories!

There is always the good with the bad and the bad with the good, but if it lends itself toward a great story, a tearful tummy hurting laugh its worth it over and over again.

Signing out --- Unemployed (bad) but happy (good) Stu!