washing ‘the straight’ out of my hair

I went to the hairdressers yesterday (I left work a little early so I would beat the hordes); I spoilt myself and totally enjoyed their massage chairs *bliss* and got my hair cut (just trimmed with some new layers put into it), colored (not as red as I thought it would be so I will need to do it again soon as I now have an image in mind of what I want – finally and will be steadily working towards that!) and blow-dried out so that I now have a side-swept fringe and slightly wavy on the bottom.

So I went to see Mr A after; his only stipulation about going to the hairdresser was to not get it cut; to trim by all means but not to cut the length out of my hair. I seriously do no understand why he gets all worried at the thought of me having short hair… its madness I tell you! its so funny because now that I have the courage and gusto to want to cut it off he’s telling me that he knows that I don’t want short hair for the wedding… damn him for knowing that that would stop me for going anywhere near my hair with scissors! As I was saying; I went to go see Mr A and he didn’t like it L

He liked the colour (thankfully) and he liked that I kept the length but he didn’t like how it was dried straight and NOT curly…poor guy wanted to know if I would be washing it out that night! I was like “I just paid $130 for this… I am not washing it out tonight…”

Apparently he dislikes my ‘straight’ hair so much that he is more than happy to give me $130 to wash it out tonight… bless him; I told him that if he dislikes it that much that I will wash it out tonight after work (and that I don’t want his money clearly the hair colorant has gone to my brain) – I’m not too sure if I really like it myself (the straightness of it) so am not particularly phased about washing it out… that and the fact of having to take a (hair) straightener to it every morning for the next few days fills me with dread (not to mention the fact that I will be walking in fear of rain ‘kinking’ my hair into a frizz-ball when I go to lunch); what can I say – I am not as high maintenance as you imagine!

Meanwhile if I did cut my hair I would want it to sort of look like this;

I like the way it looks curly!

SO low maintenance!

But I would not have a ringlet dangling from the middke like that – that would totally annoy me!

What do you think?

Move over ordinary/regular Snuggie

I have found something online that has to be seen to be believed…

Introducing the baby snuggie:

Behold the baby snuggie!

Called the “Peekaru” this thing costs $80…

Really – what on earth can I say?

Meanwhile I have found an odd website called Snuggie Sightings (http://snuggiesightings.com/snuggie/) you have to see it to believe it…

The websites slogan is about making the world warmer; one Snuggie at a time; stories include the designer snuggie (I have a slight penchant for leopard print and hate to admit that I actually like the leopard printed looking snuggie (I know – I am hanging my head in shame right now), video’s of people wearing Snuggies, personalised Snuggie’s (where you can have a logo printed on the front of your snuggie) where you have the option of either pre-printed logos (I was most perturbed that they have a bride & groom snuggie) like “world’s best mother/father/grandfather” or your own personalised Snuggie…

The Designer Snuggie

Like the college team snuggie:

what are your college colors?

Anyway – seriously peeps; have a look! There’s a photo gallery that has to be seen to be believed! There is even a section on Snuggie Sightings; including one group of people who wear snuggies on thier pub crawl – i mean really… WTF??

the snuggie pub crawl crew

PS> I am trying to talk my team (at work) into a Snuggie Themed Happy hour… I fear that I am losing the battle… but if I win imagine the photo opportunities!!!

hehe

Very David Thorne

Snugg(ie) as a bug in a rug!

Mr A sent me this funny, funny forward about snuggie’s – eat your heart out….

Very David Thorne indeed!

—–Original Message—–

From: Charles [mailto:CXXXY@nsw.gadens.com.au < mailto:CXXXY@nsw.gadens.com.au> ]

Sent: Monday, 25 May 2009 4:59 PM

To: Global Shop

Subject: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies

This is an enquiry e-mail via https://globalshopdirect.com.au < https://globalshopdirect.com.au/> from:

Charles  <CXXXY@nsw.gadens.com.au> < mailto:CXXXY@nsw.gadens.com.au>

Good afternoon

I am writing to express my disappointment that despite today being the 28th day of the ‘28 day delivery period’, my order for 2 Snuggie blankets (order no. 05045777) is still ‘processing’.

Your promise of lowered heating bills remains unfulfilled and I may be developing a minor swine flu, but the worst part is that my housemate and I remain un-Snuggled.

If you find this state of affairs satisfactory, then kindly credit the money back to my account.

Alternatively, if you are remorseful about taking away from my quality of life with your tardiness, I would be willing to accept an extra Snuggie as an apology (I would like one for the office).

Think about it

Charlie.

---

—–Original Message—–

From: GSD ContactUs [mailto:GSDContactUs@mmlogistics.com.au < mailto:GSDContactUs@mmlogistics.com.au> ]

Sent: Tuesday, 26 May 2009 9:21 AM

To: Charles

Subject: RE: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies

Hi Charles,

Thank you for your email.

I am sorry for the delay. Due to unprecedented demand, the Snuggie is out of stock until 06/06. Once they arrive back in stock and we are to debit at least postage and handling from your account, the product is dispatched the next day via Australia Post Parcel Post which has a national delivery period of up to 7-10 working days.

If you have any further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Kindest regards,

Annie | Customer Service Representative | GLOBAL SHOP DIRECT

T: 1300 137 598| F: (02) 9768 6388| gsdcontactus@mmlogistics.com.au < mailto:gsdcontactus@mmlogistics.com.au>

---

From: Charles [mailto:CXXXY@nsw.gadens.com.au < mailto:CXXXY@nsw.gadens.com.au> ]

Sent: Tuesday, 26 May 2009 11:41 AM

To: GSD ContactUs

Subject: RE: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies

Dear Annie

Thankyou for your email and your generous offer to waive the postage fee. 

If it is not too much trouble, could you please re-address the package to ‘The Estate of the Late Charles Thomas’, as by 16 June my housemate and I will have long since frozen in our beanbags. I hope you don’t require a signature on delivery.

So to further clarify my request from my previous email, I’ve decided to re-state it in list form.

 Could you please either:

1. confirm that by 16 June we will be the proud recipients of 3 Snuggie blankets (if you want to keep the booklight in exchange for the free Snuggie that’s fine);

or 2. return the money that you so punctually took from my card.

I hope that makes sense, I always find a good list helps focus the psyche.

Should you prefer a table or pie chart, please don’t hesitate to ask.

A particularly toasty friend of mine was fortunate enough to go with the Doona Suit this winter.

I have been deeply embarrassed to have to admit that after hyping up the Snuggie about the office, I am yet to receive one.

Please let me know whether I will be able to bring my extra Snuggie to work to prove them wrong, or whether I should take my money and invest in a Doona Suit.

I look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Charlie 

---

From: GSD ContactUs [mailto:GSDContactUs@mmlogistics.com.au < mailto:GSDContactUs@mmlogistics.com.au> ]

Sent: Tuesday, 26 May 2009 11:55 AM

To: Charles

Subject: RE: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies Hi Charlie,

Honestly if I could waive the postage fee, if I was allowed to, I?d have no problems doing so due to the delay and your humourous emails but Head Office does not allow this.

As for the money, we have not debited your account, we have only pre-authorised it. This pre-authorisation was released as soon as the system realised that we had no stock to fulfil the order. (I wish I could be as funny as you, but you can imagine why I struggle to while at work)

In summation, we have no Snuggies to send out. Because you have been so nice, I will keep an eye on your order and send out yours priority as soon as they come back into stock (06 June).

I wish I could do more but I am just a pawn. J

Thank you again for brightening up our days here!

Kindest regards,

Annie | Customer Service Representative | GLOBAL SHOP DIRECT

---

From: Charles  [mailto:CXXXY@nsw.gadens.com.au < mailto:CXXXY@nsw.gadens.com.au> ]

Sent: Tuesday, 26 May 2009 12:14 PM

To: GSD ContactUs

Subject: RE: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies

Hi Annie

It sounds like the HO (head office) might have you down and I hate to hear it.

Today they’re being postage Nazis, tomorrow they might stop paying you.

What then? Will you sit there and take that? Who are you, Rihanna?

Revolution starts with pawns like you and I think now is the time to take a stand.

Get up and stick it to them by sending me a free Snuggie when they arrive.

Burn your bra too if that helps, who knows.

You can do it

Charlie. 

---

From: GSD ContactUs [mailto:GSDContactUs@mmlogistics.com.au < mailto:GSDContactUs@mmlogistics.com.au> ]

Sent: Wednesday, 27 May 2009 11:55 AM

To: Charles

Subject: RE: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies Hi Charles,

Currently flying the flag for you at Head Office regarding postage. Will let you know. J

If you have any further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Kindest regards,

Annie | Customer Service Representative | GLOBAL SHOP DIRECT

---

From: Charles  [mailto:CXXX@nsw.gadens.com.au < mailto:CXXX@nsw.gadens.com.au> ]

Sent: Wednesday, 27 May 2009 1:57 PM

To: GSD ContactUs

Subject: RE: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies

Dear Annie

Please by all means call me Charlie!

I’m so happy to hear that you’re standing up to Head Office. I’m guessing from the way that you capitalise the name they’re pretty scary.

Unfortunately though, I’m not done with you yet.

You see what I really want is a FREE SNUGGIE. Not the second one I’m getting for paying twice the real cost of the first one, but a whole new third one.

Now I could tell that you wanted the graph I offered earlier, but were too polite to ask, so I’ve made you one anyway.

So that’s pretty much how I would like this to work.

I hope you’re well today with this nasty weather. What am I saying? You’re probably wearing a Snuggie…

Looking forward to hearing from you soon 

Charlie

---

From: GSD ContactUs [mailto:GSDContactUs@mmlogistics.com.au < mailto:GSDContactUs@mmlogistics.com.au> ]

Sent: Friday, 29 May 2009 3:10 PM

To: Charles

Subject: RE: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies

Hi Charlie,

Sorry for the late reply, jousting on your behalf gets tiring.

Unfortunately, we can only waive the postage fees for you, which is $19.95. Again, I am caught in the net of bureaucracy. I sincerely apologise for not being able to provide a free Snuggie, especially since your graph was just…well… I?m speechless.

Again, I am sorry that I couldn?t exactly accomodate your request. But you gotta give me points for trying, right? J

Have a great weekend, the Snuggies are not far! J

Kindest regards,

Annie | Customer Service Representative | GLOBAL SHOP DIRECT

---

From: Charles [mailto:CXXX@nsw.gadens.com.au < mailto:CXXX@nsw.gadens.com.au> ]

Sent: Friday, 29 May 2009 3:45 PM

To: GSD ContactUs

Subject: RE: Global Shop Direct: Missing Snuggies Hi Annie

You are correct; I do have to give you points. Please accept the following dot-points (the best kind).

You are possibly the slowest replier of emails I’ve ever encountered in my week long career of trying to get free things in exchange for mildly amusing emails. Don’t you do this for a living? For two nights I cried myself to sleep, which is a waste of energy when you’re fighting for survival in the cold of a Snuggie-less night.

You and your organisation have ruined yet another good day because tonight I’m going to a Mexican party and have successfully found the biggest sombrero this side of Mexico, which sounds like fun, until someone pointed out that I could have worn my Snuggie as a Mexican poncho. Now I’m just going to spend the night feeling like some incomplete hombre. Massive downer.

I KNOW that I am awesome at making graphs. One time I made this graph and it was so lip-smacking good that they asked me to meet to meet the Pope who was like ’sweet graph son’. So trust me when I say I’m aware and your flattery will get you nowhere.

In summation (my new favourite saying – thankyou), I am going to find it most difficult to have a good weekend without a Snuggie. Predominately because my housemate is understandably displeased at the way I’ve allocated our heating budget this winter. Sometimes she beats me.

If only I could show her that I’m not stupid by showing her that I got 3 Snuggies for the price of one. Maybe then she’d stop.

I hope you have a good weekend in your net of bureaucracy. That doesn’t sound as warm as a Snuggie but I guess its something… 

Charlie.

P.S. How do you make those smiley faces? They’re wicked.

Momentary elation…

Today after I had lunch I went for a little walk and stumbled across all these stores I had never gone into. I was so excited – like a child in a candy store I went up the stairs with the feeling that I was about to stumble across something secretive. The store was nothing special; in fact saying that the décor was beyond boring was a touch of an understatement…. But the stock –oh behold! It was as though a light had descended from the heavens and cast a pure white glow around me…. the items and pricing was beyond the colour pink (pink is my happy colour). I was all ready to wind myself up into a buying frenzy when the lady approached me…

And told me that in order to purchase from them I would need an ABN (Australian Business Number) AND own a retail store…

Oh the deflated balloon that was my joy…

I wonder if there is a way I can pretend to own a store???

PS> you know that I am seriously looking into this now right???

Look what I made on Saturday night:

I made a beef rendang… from SCRATCH! The large pot was filled with coconut milk, chilli’s desiccated coconut + the mass of ingredients slow simmering for hours… I kid you not! I commenced cooking before 6pm and only just finished at a smidge over 9.40pm… that’s right – the whole time I spent standing in the kitchen either watching over this/giving it a stir or cleaning up after cooking it! It was well worth it though; I made it for Mr A and his folks and I they loved it! I had Mr A actually attack the last bits of it with a spoon from the serving bowl!

The only bad thing about cooking this is that it is SO good that it goes quicker than it is to cook… Mr A was like “oh you should make more next time” I shot me a not so nice look and asked if next time I should perhaps use 6 or 7 tins of coconut milk instead?? Oh my god – could you imagine how long it would be simmering on the stove for!

In the midst of my simmering (it down)…

The beef was SO tender that you didn’t need a knife; you got your fork close to it and it fell apart it was that tender… hmmm

 

it was SO good!

But then I decided to prove myself a brilliant wife in the making and make a chocolate, coconut and cherry slice with chocolate frosting!   

Hmmm; chocolate frosting!!!

It was delicious! Mr A is in fear that when we have our own place that there will be a high probability that he get fat from my cooking!

His mum and dad loved the slice!

And I totally enjoyed cooking for them and having them rave about it and fill up their tummies on my delicious rendang!!! I know it sounds strange but there is something beyond joyful that overcomes me when I see Mr A devour my food with such happy gusto… it is like I have somehow won this wonderful prize… lame huh?

Sweet spending…

Last night Denise and I went shopping… and I must admit aside from some cute underwear I was pretty damn proud of myself for not buying anything else (especially when Denise bought quite a few items!). I mean; the fact that at lunch I went off to the ZU (shoe store) and bought a pair of shoes are beside the point… I mean, they were on sale for 70% off so it would have been a crime to not buy them! Plus I have been going on about needing a new pair of black closed (pointy) toe high heels for work (as my black pumps died at the end of last winter after a bit over 18 months worth of service (bloody good effort if you ask me!). Alas I feared that this winter I would be forced to always wear my black leather mid-calf stiletto heeled boots at a high rotation but then I stumbled across these beauties that actually (amazingly) came in a size 5 (I have little feet; that’s a European 36) and were the exact heel height needed so that I would not need to have my pants altered! I mean how could I say no???

Then whilst paying for them I saw a handbag that I had actually already seen and thought was pretty funky before… on sale! Oh be still my heart… the price was brilliantly placed so that I was left reeling at the prospect of purchasing both a pair of shoes AND a handbag! But I attempted to practice restraint and told myself that I will not buy them and left the store with just these shoes.

my new shoes

And then today when helping Claire pick out some boots at Betts I tell her to have a look at ZU (since they were having a sale) and see what boots they had… and there was the bag – looking at me… and I showed it to Claire and she thought it was really nice… I called Mr A to see what he thought; should I or should I not get a new handbag? I told him how much it was and how much it had been reduced to and you know what he told me? “If you like it, buy it… if you really like it and don’t have the money I’ll buy it for you…” well – I bloody had the money didn’t I? So I bought it…

Here is my new handbag (I took the pic on my phone as soon as I got back to work)

The new bag

What do you think?

Wednesday Dinner

So normally since I’ve moved out from mum’s place I will go to her house for dinner on the Wednesday. On this night I will be forced to eat til busting capacity, contend with menial tasks that my mum has saved for me to do (which I admit in the grand scheme of things I seriously cannot be bothered with), have to hear consistent lamentations about a distinct constant ‘lack’ of money coupled with the ever mounting bills along with how much I am being “driven” away from her by ‘that man’.

Last night when I was dealing with the chaotic mayhem involved with dark, rainy and windy rain + peak hour traffic + the maddening inability people seem to have to merge lanes properly I was on the phone with mum (with my hands-free of course). So there I was; up until that call all calm and serene, happy with the fact that I was going to have a gloriously cooked dinner at Mr A’s place (his mum slow cooked lamb shanks – yum) then go to the movies to watch The Year One movie (starring Jack Black). So I’m on the phone to mum asking her how her day went and I must admit that I cannot remember the whole conversation but I began to get pained, frustrated by what she was saying; even more so that I have been silenced into not responding to her ‘claims’ – I looked at the silver Toyota Kluger in front of me and for some morose sickening reason I desperately felt an overwhelming urge to drive into it… fast… HARD!

I was listening to what she was saying; how when I tried to interject how she had misinterpreted things I was told to listen to what she had to say – that she didn’t want to argue with me but that I was being driven away from her by Mr A; that he had made me leave her and that I was being taken away from her.

Ugh – there was a few other things but with each word was getting more and more frustrated at the futility of this all – they way my mum will not talk to family members about my engagement as its “none of their business” but tis more than happy to rain hail guilt at me but if I attempt to respond I made to feel like a worse daughter than I already am.

I told her ‘goodnight’ – I said to her that I was busy (I was – I was driving). I wasn’t going to talk to someone who doesn’t let me talk at all (and then when I do talk refuses to listen) and that I was tired of going over the same old ground without making any progress.

I got off the phone feeling TIRED. And ANNOYED… with myself for letting her get to me! for allowing her behaviour to make me feel tired and drained and frustrated and terrible and making me feel like I did want to drive over the narrows bridge.

But I didn’t (obviously).

ALL night I felt like I seriously would rather do anything else instead of having dinner/go see mum the following night (Wednesday/tonight). the missed calls from her at 8pm, then 10.30pm and then again at 1.45am and 4.45am did nothing to quell my feelings. I woke up this morning and although the feeling had slightly subsided (so that thoughts of driving off a bridge were no longer at the forefront of my mind) the thought of spending Wednesday night with my mum filled me with a heavy sigh…

Then I went to work and got a missed from her… and another missed call. I called her back;

It was about a water bill – why were they sending her a letter? What is it about? Let me read it to you so you can call them and fix it. I cannot do this – I have too many bills. My phone bill too high. I am stressed.

Yep – because I have no bills, and I am totally stress free. And why don’t you sit down and relax and then read the letter? Why do you assume the worst? Maybe if you stopped calling overseas so much then your phone bill wouldn’t be so high? Umm – do you know that this is not categorically thought of as an emergency and therefore does not warrant you calling me at work…

*HUGE deep sigh* So I take the number for the water corp. and her reference number and sort it out… for her and tell her I’ll call her back. And I discover that she did not pay the bill and that it’s a notice as it’s a bit late.

Yet another thing for me to do.

Yet another thing that she will not be thankful for because it will be assumed that doing these things are my responsibilities. That I am here to fix and pay for this stuff and that heaven help me if I bring it up to her that essentially she’s the parent and it is her responsibility but to her its not because she gave birth to me and that therefore everything that happens since that and her raising me is what I should be doing (sorry; I’m ranting).

So I call her and tell her that I am not coming tonight for dinner because I am not the happiest person to be around at the moment; that I am tired of the way she assumes the worst about Mr A (when really a major factor I keep trying to reconcile with her is because Mr A tells me to because if I had my way I’d have lied and told her I’ve moved to the UK or something) and that although she says she won’t mentions anything I am still tired of it all and that I will call her later on that night… oh AND that I’ll be paying this bill (too) along with the insurance for the house I don’t reside in anymore.

Then 2 hours later she calls me… and calls again.

So I call her back as it could be an emergency – but its not. its her telling me that she’s stuck in front of the supermarket as she decided to walk there and that now its pelting down with rain and that she was calling me to tell me not that she expected me to pick her up. And when I tell her that I wouldn’t be able to pick her up anyway (because I’m at work) she said that she knew that and that she was just telling me because she was all alone and that it was wet. *sigh*

And even as I write this I see one missed call that I just got from her…

And even though I am filled with this feeling that knows that going to see her tonight is a terrible idea based on my mood I still feel like I am a terrible shit of a daughter who is killing her mother.

Guilt is a strange creature…

Guilt is sadly my shadow…

How to make friends & influence people

I find it interesting how people react so differently to the same situation.

I find it all the more interesting how Mr A and I seem to react very differently to the same situation!

Friday I finished work a little early and was lucky enough to have Mr A come and pick me up. I got down towards the little corner from where he sometimes picks me up and saw his car patiently waiting for me (with him in it)…. And a parking inspector nearby… printing out a ticket!

I picked up my pace so I was walking/jogging as fast as my high heels would allow (which I must admit I have a knack for running in heels!) and got to the car – I saw the inspector putting the ticket under Mr ‘s windscreen wiper and saw Mr A switch on his wipers so the ticket flew off and saw him clearly lamenting at the parking inspector. Anyway I picked it up (the ticket) and get into the car; at which point I hear him (Mr A) ‘going off’ at how parking inspectors are the scum of the earth etc and saw that he was reaching for his golf ball (he had played golf a few days before and a few balls were rolling around at my feet).

Me: what are you doing?

Mr A: I am going to throw a golf ball at that idiot! I’m sitting in my car – he can’t give me a bloody ticket!

Me: you cannot throw a golf ball at him – that’s assault… listen, I’ll talk to him (as he was still outside about to write a ticket out to a car behind us)

Mr A: You won’t be able to do anything – that’s $100 I have to pay for nothing! Its crap – its just because I’m a guy & I have a car with a turbo.

Me: *internally rolling my eyes*

Meanwhile during this ‘conversation’ (read: Mr A getting more and more frustrated by the millisecond and me trying to soothe him) Mr A is watching the inspector, at which point the owner of said car behind him has returned to her car (it’s a woman) and is talking to the inspector. We then both see that he lets her off! Mr A is now inconsolably livid! I tell him to calm down and that I will ‘fix’ the situation.

Me: hi – umm… you just gave us a parking ticket but he was actually still in the car and was just waiting for me. He would have only been there a few minutes.

Inspector: I saw his car from across the road and he was there for more than a few minutes… in all honesty I didn’t even see him in his car because of the tinting.

*Mr A is now storming out of the car*

Mr A: (*in a rather loud voice*) What the hell is going on? I was sitting in my bloody car waiting for my fiancé; I was there for bloody 2 minutes…

Inspector: Listen mate – you were there for bloody longer than 2 minutes and based on your attitude you deserve the ticket!

Mr A: You can’t give me a ticket – you let that woman off but you’re giving me a ticket? What do I have to do; show a bit of boob or whip my d*#k out so you can cancel it?

*I am cringing at this point… wishing him to be quiet as this is NOT helping the situation*

Inspector: Mate… you’d better step off!

(Can I just say – who says ‘step off’ if your white/Caucasian? Seriously – all credibility is now gone! I mean who does he think he is? Jack Black?)

Mr A: What are you talking about ‘step off’?

Me: (*now sort of positioning myself in front of Mr A a little*) Listen, I’m trying to be the nice one here – it’s clearly not fair that you let that woman off and not us when she was actually parked here and we weren’t. It’s not really fair to any parties involved; seriously you can’t just let her off because she’s a woman… I mean – I’m a woman (*I looked at him and gave him a smile*). I’m sorry about Mr A but I’m trying to do the right thing here – you should either give that woman a ticket or cancel ours…

 The inspector looks from me to Mr A….

Inspector: ok – I’ll let you off this time. But it’s because of your fiancé mate – not you! (*that was aimed at Mr A*)

Me: thank you so much… have a good weekend…

Mr A: *walks towards car and is grumbling lord knows what under his breath*

In the car I try to explain that really you do get further by being nice. That you get more bees with honey rather than vinegar; Mr A is silently driving on the freeway. When he can clearly take it no longer he comments; “He only let you off because you’re a girl!”

I don’t want to tell him that I hate to admit it but he’s probably right!

The (not so) single, (not so) white female

About the possible single white female… I have spent the weekend somewhat frustrated (execpt for Sunday) at how I feel about this ’situation’. In all honesty I have had a few other “things” happen over the course of the weekend that probably haven’t helped the situation so I don’t quite know if perhaps I am being a little bit of a bitch!

This girl that I know – nay; that I am more than good friends with has done a few things that; on their own don’t actually account to much. In essence, a few of them combined don’t actually upset or frustrate me but ALL together there is something about this last ‘occurrence’ that doesn’t quite sit right…. And I have no idea why – call it gut instinct but SOMETHING is odd about this picture:

So there’s this girl right? And I’ve known her for agggeeesss! And although there was a 3 year gap where we didn’t talk or anything I still knew what was happening in her life (she was with her ex husband then and I was friends with her brother – her husband told her she was not allowed to have any non-married friends… apparently something about them/us single gals would ‘ruin’ their relationship! But that’s a whole other story!) Then when she and her hubby separated we bumped into each other (what can I say – Perth is small) and got to chatting… we swapped numbers and got pretty close. When Susi was holidaying it up in El Salvador (you know, eating beans and taco’s and wearing a sombrero while dancing the salsa, sipping on corona and trafficking Mexicans across the boarder…  – hehe) me and this chick saw HEAPS of each other.

Now, besides the common ground of (at that time) being single, being Muslim (and having gone to the same school) and being friends the 2 of us share a many number of other similarities:

We have similar sounding names that rhyme – we once went to a comedy act where the comedian asked random people in the room what they’re name was and what they did for employment. When he asked my name and then her name and that we both work for government agencies (different departments though) the comedian instantly quipped; “And then some material just writes itself!”

We both have similar facial features – we’ve gone out and people have mistaken us for sisters, cousins… you catch the drift. We both have olive skin, dark hair, same body types (although she’s taller) and similar styles in clothing. Often we have realised that we’ve bought the same thing or that I buy something and that she owns the same thing in another colou

I could go on (as there are a few others) with the similarities but seriously I cannot be bothered. What I will say is that in the last few months things have gotten a little ‘odd’ to say the least.

This guy that has been infatuated with her for years (who she has admitted to ‘jerking’ around and the way he is always at her ‘beck & call’) has suddenly ‘caught her eye’. Very odd when he is not her type at all completely her type – her type of man is either rich, tall and good looking, buff and a white-boy babe… or all of the above! I remember telling her that what she needed was a nice man; a decent guy who cared – not to be someone’s trophy as they wouldn’t appreciate her nor for her to have merely a hunky younger trophy (without much substance) because then she won’t appreciate him… suddenly this guy seemed like the one to be with.

And I helped her ‘get him’ – copious amounts of relationship advice was dished out. She analysed everything to the point of my frustration. She would say “I just want to be where you and Mr A are at now” to which I would say that getting to this point hardly happened overnight! She’d ask ‘what should i do if he says XX?’ or ‘what happens if he says YY?’ She’d call me whenever she needed help with an issue (which i had no problem with – i am more than happy to help my friends!), a conversation dissected, etc but if I called her it would go to her message bank first and then when I got the call back eventually she would have been busy with ‘her man’ or something.

So here are the abbreviated situations that have occurred:

A)    I asked her for help in relation to finding an imam for my Nikah (as all the ones I know also know my mum) – well she found one and promptly got her nikah organised and then completely forgot to get me the details – it took ages for me to get it! Oh and she completely forgot to talk to him about what i wanted!

B)     Oh – did I mention that her man is also a convert and that essentially they’ve been ‘together’ a total of about 4ish months????

C)     I told her details about the price of my dress for my nikah (when it actually happens; I got it from overseas) and conveniently hers (had to) cost more

D)    I mentioned that when I change my car (I was thinking about doing it soon) that I wanted to get a Mazda3 – well well, she now drives a Mazda 3

E)    She asked to borrow a few clothes from me – I had to drop it off to her work and it took about 6 months before I got it back – I had to ask and ask and ask – and even then I was requested to do so at her convenience and that she couldn’t do it any other time. I finally got a dress back (did I mention that I leant her 3 items but only got back 1?) which she claimed to have never worn (I don’t car even if she did) but when I took it out of the bag it seriously reeked of her perfume – seriously; it was like she’d doused the dress in her fragrance (why would you do that if you hadn’t of worn it?)! I was going to wear it on Friday night and had even popped it on (after a spin in the washer and dryer) – I didn’t even end up wearing the dress because Mr A was like “you smell like her… I don’t want you to wear that dress!”

F)     She keeps claiming that she and her man want to take Mr A and I out for dinner and each time I see her or hear from her she will lament that I am too busy to see her BUT she has never attempted to organise said elusive dinner.

But even those things on their own don’t bother me… she has told me (almost incessantly) that she admires my relationship with Mr A and how she loves the way he is with me and how much she lovesmy ring and how come her man hasn’t gotten her a ring yet when they’ve already had their nikah? And how she doesn’t know what to do because she NEEDS a ring and should she just buy the ring herself and then get him to pay her back (when she told me this I nearly dropped my phone in the sheer shock that she would even think this is an option)! She has asked HEAPS of questions about how much Mr A would have spent on my ring and what is the ‘bare minimum’ she will wear on her finger as she can’t believe that some people only spent $1500 on an engagement ring (I told her that a ring is, at the end of the day, just a ring! Would she rather be with an asshole who got her a nice gorgeous ring or a decent guy who adored her with an ‘average’ size/style ring?)

So on Friday I go to her work to pick up my dress; she’s all apologetic at how she’s an ‘terrible’ friend because I did drop it off to her and was so accommodating to her when she needed my clothes and that she was sorry. Then she asks if I want to see the ring that he had finally gotten her. She asks me if I like it.

I am BEYOND floored!

I do not know if I should laugh at the lunacy of it all or keep silent.

I am at odds with what I am feeling…

She asks me if I like it – if I think it’s pretty? I tell her I think it’s beautiful! And it is!

And why wouldn’t I?

IT LOOKS LIKE MY RING HAS BEEN CLONED!

My only solace is that my diamonds have more carats – but I can’t say anything about that without looking like a complete bitch! So I smile when she tells me that her’s are 2 carats (internally trying to calm myself). I can’t resist and tell her that of course I like it – it looks so much like mine! She tells me that her man did such a good job at designing the ring and picked out all the diamonds (wait a minute – that’s what I told her Mr A did… that he had helped design it and picked out all the diamonds with the jeweller; he actually did do that because I remember him taking half a day off and I wondered why he wasn’t at work and his dad would not tell me). She told me that it’s not the same at all as her band is slightly thicker and her outside setting and middle diamond setting are actually ‘stuck’ together like a bezel cut. I looked at her with that “who the frig are you kidding” look on my face and actually told her that Mr A should sue her man for breach of copyright! I mean he saw it before he bought her hers – what on earth is he thinking?

Listen – its not that I care if someone has a similar ring as me. Seriously – if Susi wanted a similar engagement ring one day I wouldn’t flinch – its all the other stuff coupled with this… it’s the fact that we both travel in the same circles – that people will look at my ring and think that I’m replicating HER ring. That she’s with a convert and I’m with a convert and that her ring and my ring look the same and that since she’s older I MUST be trying to be like her. 

I am actually amazed at how annoyed, hurt and dismayed I am at her behaviour.

Am I wrong?

Thanks Sunshine!

I went to a friend’s little girl’s birthday party on Sunday…

 

Happy Birthday Kookai!

It was a Madagascar (the movie) theme…. It was all so cute; all these little kiddies dressed up; there was a little batman and a Darth Vader…very cute indeed – and let’s not even get me started on all the babies! Ooohhh, its enough to almost make me clucky and have a baby all my own! ALMOST… not quite though – ‘chicken before the egg’ and all that stuff my dear… its strange how sometimes I will completely be ‘in the moment’ and be totally enjoying myself and then I will get this thought/feeling wash over me and it’ll feel like a ice cold bucket of water has been thrown on me; I sat there watching all the kids and Sunshine and her family and I couldn’t help but wonder how my mum would be when my children have their birthdays?

Sunshine – thanks for inviting me honey! The food was delicious and I hope that the birthday girl had as good a time as we all did… thanks honey!