Tiah Beautement's Blog, page 180

Debating Kindle

Lately the buzz around the Kindle has reached rather noisy heights. For those that don't know - and Kindle is an electronic reading device. In very rude electronic terms, just as you can download music onto a device like an ipod, now you can download books, for a price. The Kindle is far from the only device out there, but it is the one supported by Amazon. I've been reading a lot on the debate lately about Sony vs Kindle vs...and while I am happy to be proven wrong, I think the Kindle will win

Update on typing injurty

I have a confession to make...that post about typing injury on Friday...I had eeked that out on Thursday evening, but delayed posting it due to not wanting to clutter blog with double posts. In fact this too is now being done on Friday evening but shouldn't pop up till Sunday. Point being, by the time I woke up on Friday I knew things had dramatically gone down hill. It does surprise me how quickly it came on - or maybe I've been ignoring it for so long it has only recently become too much to ig

1 year on...

A year ago today I stepped off a plane and into my mother-in-law's open arms. We finally made it. We were in Cape Town. The whole hell that was trying to move to South Africa was over. Then, as I stood next to the baggage trolley, with baby girl on my back and my son whining, it hit me: we were only half way through this craziness. Moving to South Africa is the hardest thing I've ever done. There are numerous reasons for this, some we could have prevented, others Husband's company should have pr

The blog broke it

Nothing is broken...yet. But it is becoming impossible to ignore that I am getting an increased tingling sensation from right thumb down to forearm, along with part of the palm. I have done this before waaaaaay back in late 2002 and ended up in some sort of wrist brace thing - told to use mouse with left hand - use other thumb / finger for space bar... oh...and rest. Argh. Annoying. I can type about as fast as I can talk and I like it that way - who wants to slow down? While I can't claim the bl

Signs that I've been better

Wednesday morning I woke up and took one look at my son and knew he wasn't going to school. Took another look at myself and knew I've been better. It isn't that I'm not getting enough sleep...although this is true, too - I've caught some sort of bug. Lovely. Phoned school, cancelled ball-skills and told myself all I had to do was hang on till 10. Why 10? Because with some foresight (and Husband's suggestion) we had asked my once-a-week set of spare set of hands to come by three times this week.

Your writing friends and enemies

There are many reasons why I have never blogged before. It is a long list, but for now I'll stick to one: I am writing un-edited. Okay, I do re-read what I've written, and still go back and fiddle with past posts. But it isn't the same as getting outside input. I may be well aware that my spelling stinks, that my grammar is only marginally better and that my day-to-day life is typo prone. However, just because I know I make mistakes doesn't equate to being good at spotting them. All of which mak

Sindiwe Magona

Given my rant last week regarding short stories, I thought it may be best to recommend some: Living, Loving, and Lying Awake at Night, by Sindiwe Magona US, UK, SA I had difficulty with the links this time. I know the book exists because I bought it in Cape Town during a mad dash to a birthday party involving over 20 children, of course. Regardless, the SA link is to books written by the author, but does not show availability of this book. The UK link is to Abe books, which links you up with sma

Toilet humour

While taking a shower yesterday I found myself pondering my shampoo. Nowhere on the bottle does it appear to claim to clean my hair. But that is okay because it "intensely nourishes and replenishes elasticity for bouncy, silky hair." So I have dirty, but bouncy hair - wonderful. How does it do this? With Royal Jelly - or so it claims. Is it just me, or does that come across as a bit kinky for a shampoo? I came to own said kinky shampoo via a hairdresser who said it would do wonders for my dry ha

How can I miss you when you are still here?

*Warning, slight pity-party post. Back before children, husband and I frequently travelled during bank holidays to other countries on shoe-string budget methods. On one such visit to Germany we stayed with a friend of his and she popped in a popular French CD during dinner. Roughly translated the refrain goes, "How can I miss you when you are still here?" This line always comes to mind when I've been around my children too much. Love them? Of course. But that cliche, "Absence makes the heart gro

WOW - A Melktert Day is already out! (Ie Published)

Clearly I need to go to the Post Office a bit more regularly. I haven't been there in awhile. I already paid the few bills that go through the post, thus it had not been a pressing errand for...well...awhile. Open my box just before noon today and happily noted that the next issue of New Contrast Magazine was out. Which is rather nice. I do enjoy reading it. But there were two copies in the envelope. ? So I sighed, stuck them in my handbag and made a mental note to email the editor and tell him