Quick hello!

Ok so I havent blogged in AGES! I'm feeling withdrawl symptoms haha A quick update as to whats been happening in my life...did a photoshoot a few weeks ago which I'm still editing. I'm actually very happy with the results, so I'm taking my time editing so I can do it properly. Normally I rush through them cos I'm so excited to show them off haha. The next bit of news is that I'm right in the middle of moving flats! It all happened fairly quickly, when a neighbour moved out unexpectedly one weekend. I happened to see the owner of the apartment and chatted to her, and then next thing I know, the bf is asking to view the place and the next thing we're moving! We should be done with it by Monday and then I can continue editing the last photos of the shoot. I'm really keen to do another wedding, so if anyone reading this is getting married, or knows someone who's getting married (in CT), give me a shout if you need a wedding photographer!] Thats about it, I'm so tired and off to have a bath (one of my last baths, since the new apartment only has a shower :/). Thanks for being patient with my lack of posts! Night!

Random Updates

Havent blogged in a while, so here at work I sit, blogging, instead of working hehe. Ok ok I'm doing a data backup which runs on its own, so I'm free until its done. Not much has been happening, I think the last I wrote was that the new babies arrived a week or so ago. Things have been going great with them thus far. They give me so many laughs its great! And they're so teeny and squishy! Only 70 grams each! Ramoth (husky) had a bit of breathing troubles, but after a short treatment of Doxy, she's sounding fine again. The problem was, however, Orlith. She just wasnt having any of the babies! I've never had problems introducing female rats to one another but Orlith is completely different! She foofs, huffs, pounces, sidles up, puffs up, and pulls fur out of the babies' rumps. Its been rather scary with all the shrieking that happens all too frequently. Of course, they're only together under supervision. Though last night it was weird...Orlith was uber tolerant and didnt actually fight with the babies nor huff and puff. I see it as a show of good things to come. Though she did hang around underneath the hammock that the babies were sleeping in, looking like a boogie-monster haha! I used my cookie cutters the other day :D The "G", "M", heart, star, and bone. Yes, you can easily guess what I made: dog biscuits!! They were actually rather good, but a little too dough-like for me. I keep feeling that the dogs' stomachs arent going to handle the soft biscuits very well. So they only get them sparingly. I'm also planning on redoing my tank. My betta and pleco are doing well, found a bubblenest of Littlebettabutta's the other day and I was so proud! Its been ages since he made a bubblenest, which I put down to him being rather old, but he made one and I was so happy! I'm redoing my tank because its overrun with horrible snails! I cant keep plants because the snails eat them all up (except the Elodea of course *rolls eyes*). So I'm going to move out the fish, bleach the tank, plants, new plants, filter, stones, and decorations. Then I'm going to put everything back together and keep fingers crossed. I shouldnt have any snails thereafter!! Thats about it for now. Thanks for reading! PS: New poll! Dont forget to vote!

Gingerbread Cookies 101

So during my phase of baking, I decided for Christmas I wanted to make Gingerbread Cookies (as I've probably mentioned before). So I set out to find the cliche gingerbread man shape. Not the one with a fat body and tiny head, not the one with spindley arms, not the one with hands and feet...just your typical American 3"x3" gingerbread shape.

I searched high and low through all the shops in my area...and then the ones outside of my area...and I even went so far as to ask an online friend to source one for me from America (thanks, Christy :))...and then I found it!!! Hidden in an obscure location was a catalog on a baking website....the Wilton's 101 Piece Cookie Cutter Set!! {cue Hallelujah choir singers)

Only one problem...its in Pretoria. I'm in Cape Town. To make a long story short, eventually after a lot of thinking, I managed to find someone who was willing to collect it for me, and post it to me :)

They arrived today!!!! I hastely unpacked the 101 pieces, found the gingerbread man (right at the bottom!) and sighed in relief. This Christmas shall be complete with Gingerbread Man. Of course now I have 100 extra cookie cutters hahaha. Not to worry, with extras like dog bones, I plan on making doggie biscuits (for dogs), with the pumpkin/ghost/bat/scaredy cat cutters I can make halloween cookies, with the snowman/Christmas trees/stocking/candy cane/gingerbread men (there are actually 4: two small, two large - male and female of each) I can make Christmas cookies, and then there are some random themed ones like footballs and helmets (American Superbowl...not really our thing here though), hands and feet (for baby shower), transport (I assume for a bon voyage gift), animals like ducks, eggs, dinosaurs, etc for random cookies, and then the numbers and letters of the alphabet (and a question mark...hahaha I'll wait for the "Will you marry me?" baking expedition from my bf....LOL)

Then I had to rush off to a Canon EOS Roadshow talk (very entertaining and believe it or not, R-18 what with the vaginal flatulance jokes and all! Dont ask haha). Came back, went through the cutters more slowly to check they were all there, and then......I couldnt pack them back into the bucket they came in. Whoops!

But, no fear, I'll survive with my 101 cookie cutters haha.

My Gingerbread Man - the perfect shape!!

The entire set laid out on the kitchen counter (taken with my cellphone)

Introducing: Ramoth & Wirenth!

So finally the day of my new babies' arrival dawned upon us, and after a short wait this morning, they arrived at around 10:30!! After chatting to Ang of Wheatfields Rattery (now online!!), their breeder, I settled them into their temporary cage to wait out the day until they could come home with me (they were delivered to my office). Of course, after spoiling them with morsels of almond and apple pieces, I took some photos!

Wirenth (aka Worms)

Ramoth (aka Rams and "Creepy")

Ratty hands!!

*LICK* :D

And then for my mother's gym halloween party, I made some "Spooky Witch Fingers" which tasted and looked great!! Just a basic butter cookie recipe, molded into fingers with almonds for the fingernails (with some red icing under the fingernails for "blood"). Apparently they were the hit of the party and people even took them home for their families!

Apple Pie

I finally got around to making my Apple Pie that I've been talking about for ages! I must admit, I cheated and bought the dough to use for the pie, but then when I thawed it and rolled it out, there wasnt enough for both top and bottom crust :( So I decided to make it without a base...*gulp* I mixed and matched a few recipes so I was very worried about how it would turn out. I also wasnt sure if I should put foil around the edges to prevent the edges of the crust from burning, but I decided not to in the end. So, after preparing it, and baking it for an hour and 10 minutes, it was done! I was like a kid on Christmas morning, running to peek into the oven-glass every 20 minutes or so and I even squealed with glee when I set it down on the table :D I've yet to taste it (the bf is keen!) as I'm waiting for my mom and sister to come and taste it with us :)

The pie filling

Ready for the oven

The finished Apple Pie!

In other news, my new babies arrive on Monday, and I finally worked up the courage to go officially get permission to keep my rats in my apartment block! When most people hear "rats" they think smelly, diseased, sewer creatures, which of course could not be farther from the truth, so I was very worried they'd say NO RATS ALLOWED! But, they didnt! She seemed a bit put off by the thought, but after assuring her that I dont breed, and my girls are kept in a cage, she said fine. So yay for us!! Now I can bring my rats from my car to my flat (and vise versa) without worry!

Chocolate Brownies

Yummy Chocolate Fudge Brownies

So the other day I decided to make Chocolate Fudge Brownies. It was my first attempt and I was pretty impressed with the results.

The recipe will stay a secret, because I'm going to work on it a little more and make it fully mine! It was fairly simple to make, and I enjoyed every minute of it, including watching it bake haha.

My new ratties are arriving on Monday, and I'm so excited! Poor Orlith is incredibly bored, since Xeon is rather old and just wants to sleep and cuddle. She's going to be so relieved to have friends to tumble about with, but I'm not sure what to do while they're still growing. The new bubs will be too small for the large cage, and if they're anything as sneaky as Orlith was, they'll soon find they can fit through the bars...thats if Orlith doesnt show them herself! LOL!

I took a few photos of my babies, so here are a few of the ones I liked:

Orlith

Xeon

"Mommy watcha doin'?!?" (blurry Orlith-nose)

More photos can be seen under "Recent Pics" slideshow...

Plans, plans and more plans

Ok, so its been difficult for me to accept and even moreso to blog about this, but back in my first post, I said the following:

Welcome to my blog! I've been meaning to start this blog for a while now, but wanted to wait until I had a certain bit of news under my belt. After much thought (and a little procrastination), I decided to start it earlier (watch this space for my News :P).

Well, the news was...*takes a deep breath* I was applying for a job on a cruise ship as a photographer. In a daring moment, I applied to a recruiter and the very next day I had a reply asking for an interview! I was so thrown, as I didnt actually expect it would be that quick...or easy. So I went for my interview, and things rolled smoothly along. Basically I needed a passport (yes, yes I dont have a passport yet), a medical clearance, and a police clearance. Since I already purchased plane tickets to PE for Christmas time (R1k+) I didnt want to apply before Jan for the boat just in case I had to leave before I was ready. I also had to apply and wait for my passport. Costs involved were camera equipment (Nikon D80 or better), uniform, deposit (refunded at end of contract) and flight back home at the end of my contract. Overall about roughly $2000. Time went on, and while I was waiting for my passport, I emailed the recruiter to let them know my progress (couldnt get my police/medical clearance too far in advance)...it was then that I got the dreaded email. *another deep breath* Apparently their policy changed, and instead of the company training me up for a week in Miami, I now have to do a training course in Stellenbosch for R10,400! That course is 3 weeks, but according to my recruiter I'd only have to do the 2 week course for R7400. I simply cannot afford that. Even if I could (bf so generously offered to pay), it wouldnt be worth the trip after spending all that money beforehand. Even if I could afford the R7400, the petrol driving back and forth to Stellenbosch (+-45min drive) for two weeks would be even more money!! With all I'd have to pay back, the money I'd be able to save on the contract wouldnt be worth uprouting my life for 8 mths. After I got that email, I cried and cried. I didnt realise how much I was mentally and emotionally preparing myself for leaving. I still keep looking at things and thinking, "oh I must get that sorted out before I leave" and then I remember its not happening anymore. My heart felt so heavy for days. I'm not giving up so easily though, and I'm still working on leaving. I'll keep you all updated, so please keep fingers crossed for me. Trying to pick myself up, I've been thinking up stuff I want to do. I've decided I'm going to take dancing classes (with my bf) :D Then belly dancing classes (by myself). I'm starting Pilates as well, to tone up my body. I'm starting my cross-stitching again, and am looking through patterns for a new project. I also want to make Apple Pie, Gingerbread Men, and a Jack o' Lantern. I also found out the SA Lipizzaners are performing at Grand West, and I bought tickets!! My mom, dad, sister, sister's bf, my bf, and my Viia are all coming with :D I picked up the tickets today! YAY! Photo at the top, courtesy of caryn, a friend of mine who saw the Lipizzaners in KZN :) So, I have lots of plans for the remainder of this year and the year ahead, its great!