A hard-knock life

Despite my immune system being bludgeoned by a particularly vicious cold, I refused to be KO’d, and managed to have a downright decent weekend (today was another story, however…).

On Friday afternoon, after almost falling asleep during my own presentation on what I have (or more accurately, haven’t) been doing during my Pretoria (Tshwane, sorry) assignment, I rushed to Sandton to check out whether le venue for my 25th par-tay was still a good idea (still in two minds, though the manager has agreed to bring down some of his outrageous prices for me), then headed to a farewell/birthday party for 2 colleagues. Was pissed that the boyf had left me in the lurch, preferring to have a shindig with his own mates, until I laid eyes on a cocky, upstart-ish lip-smackingly gorgeous Canadian who proceeded to entertain me for the whole evening. He even offered to keep me company in my bed that night, but given: a) my morality issues around the aforementioned abandoning boyfriend, to whom I am a devoted, caring, considerate girlfriend; and b) that the lasting memory I would leave with this sultry stranger was one bad-ass cold; - and not necessarily in that order – I decided I would have no company in my bed that night, other than the pleasant thoughts rushing around my head at the time.

Saturday went like this: haircut, 1 hour maths lesson with spoilt fat lazy girl in grade 6 – for which I charged a fat premium, of course - drag so-hungover-she’s-still-drunk friend from her misery and force her to drive me around Joburg in her new ultracool Beetle (accompanied by de rigeur Carpenters/Annie soundtrack/Nelly muzaq combo), jewellery shopping spree at cheap bead place, tea in Melville, beer in a pub over the last two minutes of the rugga, home-cooked meal with the boyf, Carfax in painful heels, Earl Grey on sofa talking shit for hours with friend who exposed her boob to my father.

Sunday went like this: sort out admin shit that accumulates in life – including a 2-hour long survey I completed for the Human Sciences Research Council out of pity (and which I hope they call me back for an interview over, I’d like to crap all over them about their questionnaire bias), frantically wrap two-month late birthday gift for boob-exposing friend, drag boyf and sis to antiques fair and reward them for their pain with overpriced mocha-choco-latte-frappe-cappu-spresso thingies, race around Joburg CBD taking photos of new architectural/cosmetic features for a little project of mine, rent dvd based on recommendations of crazy so-hungover-she’s-still-drunk friend (in retrospect, what the fuck was I thinking listening to her? Peas, that’s the damn shittest movie ever. Watch it again? You must be drayming!), attempt to pass cold on to boyfriend during bed company time.

And in five short days, I leave for Vancouver – to quote Annie/Jay Z, “It’s a hard-knock life”, eh?