Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Uninspired and a little overheated

So does anyone in this area know why we had no electricity for a good portion of last night?

I was taking a stroll on my treadmill when WACK. Everything stopped dead & went DARK. The sprinter next to me went flying a mile and slammed into the girl on the stepper ahead of him. No. Not really. I don’t know how far he went flying. It was too dark.

I just heard the THUD.

Amusingly the spinning class kept going at full pace, the instructor completely undeterred by the lack of hyper-energetic music usually accompanying his screaming. Do you spinners ever give up?!?!?

It was all quite amusing. All the suburbs of my daily life in complete darkness. It made me realise that I can live a completely normal life in the dark. Even get home, make my way through my dangerous parking lot & up 3 flights of stairs (new mace purchase in hand), shower and change, and eat dinner.

Well, I can survive as long as my Kung-Fu Kitchen down the road is still allowed to run at full pace. And if this heat keeps up, cause the geyers can be damned. I’d even have been able to keep gyming my body gorgeous if some guy hadn't stopped me from heading up the stairs to the electricity-free apparatus, claiming I’d hurt something in the dark. Night vision babes, it’s called ‘I’ve-munched-enough-carrots-night-vision’!


I think the heat has completely uninspired me. Excuse me while I take a short break to go lie on the office’s kitchen tiles in the dark and try to equalise my body heat to something relatively normal. My colleagues might be a bit perturbed by this, especially as I am wearing a skirt today, so hardly meant for floor lolling, but what can you do.

………………………………………………………………………….So after my cooling snooze….

Mygod, I admire and feel for miners. In this country a job is a job, and that is one job I would HATE. Let alone the HEAT & claustrophobia and overall crap working conditions, but with the recent incident of five miners trapped underground for a third day now, and reports saying that their discovery looking more and more unlikely….you can only but feel for these guys.

Apparently back in the day (TwoFlower, my little historian, where are you?) there were massive protests overseas for mining in SA to stop as the working conditions were so hard. The miners protested back, telling the foreigners to stop trying to destroy their livelihoods while not giving them other job option in replacement.

Mining continues at full pace.

[Feel free to go hunting and inform me of the proper facts of this situation].

Another fascinating article I came across is about a UK woman wearing a niqab for a day around London as a “social experiment”.

I am getting quite serious these days. I think I will go and read The Onion in a tub of ice now.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi CH. I hear you in heated frustration.

Anywho, have a look at stories on chinese mining conditions. I don't have the story on hand, but I think the figure was as many as 6,000 miners dying (or are injured?) in mining accidents every year. And attempts to shut unsafe mines down are met with resistance or just ignored. Global.

Revolving Credit said...

If it's too hot in the office, pop out to the shop and get a really cold can of coke or something similar.

While sitting at your desk, just stick the really cold can between you thighs. Seeing as you're wearing a skirt today it makes it easier as you can actually get skin contact. While working, clutch the can as firmly as possible and as long as possible. If the can in really cold, you'll need to remove it after a while.
Cold skin contact will reduce you body temp quite fast and make you feel cooler.

It may also numb your thighs.

PS. Be careful the can doesn't leave a wet spot on your skirt in a vital area.

Champagne Heathen said...

Wow. I'll definitely hunt those stories down Koekie. At least we can always rest assured that there is a country more screwed up than ours!
(I'll have to look it up after my boss leaves the office for another business trip & stops doing dumb things like giving me work!!)

Rev - can't I just put the cold can on my neck?? Or on my stomach?? When such a suggestion comes out of your mouth, it makes me think it the beginning to some dodgy story from a penthouse mag or something!

Revolving Credit said...

Hey, when last did you have 3inch thick cylinder between your thighs that would probably make you wet??

HAHAHA

and in the office, at your desk.

(actually, best you plead the 5th on that one)

Champagne Heathen said...

HA HA HA HA!!!!!

AND I don't even need to plead the 5th. It was in Jan 2005, when I went skiing for the 1st time, and I had to sit on those crazy ski T-lifts.

Wait...was that the last time?? Hmmm....

Revolving Credit said...

Well, if its a can of Coke, you know what they say:

"You can beat the feeling"

Anonymous said...

found out what its like to be blind last week champs - mate was howling with laughter though - i came back home and turned on all the lights just automatically as i passed em. you know when you can walk through your entire flat unaided and blind and not bump into everything and turn all the lights on as you pass - too much routine!

Champagne Heathen said...

Rev - now I finally understand why he wanted to buy the world a coke, and why it would make them happier!!!

Chews - Impressive!! I bump into things even when I can see!! I blame it on my height though. Furniture is height-discriminating!

Anonymous said...

rev - the bottle is so much more interesting than the can. that trademark shape....

champs - get taller furniture then. But you're short for your height anyways.

Champagne Heathen said...

What about the trademark coke bottle shape Chews?!?!?

Anonymous said...

it is uh.... interestingly curved... um.... aesthetically pleasing....

Anonymous said...

rev- actually the back of the neck is a better place...
champs - that niqab thing is really weird. i would hate to wander around all covered up like that. especially in this heat.
i once didn't have electricity for three days 'cause the power station blew up. i loved it. it felt like camping. i got my kadak out and stuff.

Champagne Heathen said...

Thanks for the support on the can/bottle Jam!! And, Chews, I reckon its signature curves of the bottle would also suit the shape of one's neck better!

I was surprised to read that the journo felt hot in the niqab. I realise their fundamental aim, but you would've thought some engineering would've gone into them being bearable to wear in deserts!

Great - next power outage and I am coming to have dinner at your place!

Anonymous said...

Looks like you're getting the Cape Town experience at no extra charge! Enjoy.

Champagne Heathen said...

I know Kyk, what is this?!?! We take all the dodgy elements from you - we take your weather, your Voortrekkers, and now your electricty cuts!
When will we learn to stop being so benevolvent. ...or to stop trying to follow the trend.

Revolving Credit said...

Hey, it appears that lately, we may have taken some of your hijackers.

I'll swop you back again. The weather for the hijackers.

Anonymous said...

Heatwave plus powercuts - thank god for air-conditioning at work and a gas braai at home is alls i'm gonna say.

Champagne Heathen said...

Rev - no, no. Not a chance on the weather. Lately you have been fairly decent & I am quite taking to this current heat. It means I can loll about on the floor while at work.
I'll give you back the Voortrekkers.

Chews - and our great water masses so we can cool off. Excuse me while I go & take a dip in Zoo Lake.

Anonymous said...

The zoo has some of our relatives as well.

Revolving Credit said...

'Lately you have been fairly decent' *huh??*

Not sure what you're implying.

OK, we'll take the voortrekkers as long as you load their wagons with melktert and biltong.

Champagne Heathen said...

Chews - what are you going on about zoos for now??

Dave - I guess it's what keeps them going & surviving it. That overly male mentality of "I'm tough. I'm so tough I can handle anything. Bring it on!!". Did you go down into those mines?? That would freak me out.

Rev - you Cape Townians have sent us decent weather in the past week. Not your usual windy raining rubbish.

I'll make them trek back, and by the time they pass Beaufort West on the N1 they should have created enough supplies to you guys happy!

Anonymous said...

last time i went pretty sure the zoo had polar bears. I think it has seals, not sure about manatees though. oh yeah, it has hippos too.

Champagne Heathen said...

Chews - you've gone mad!!

Dave - and how did you feel everytime you went underground?? Did you ever stress about there being some earth tremor & you being trapped under all that rock protected by only a small hardhat?

My body just clenches in stress thinking about it. Thanks but no thanks!

Champagne Heathen said...

Cause it's f*cking scary!!!

And it doesn't help saying there are many more scary things that are within your control. That just freaks me out more.

I was definitely made to live on top of the land & just get pleasure from minerals when they've reach the end of the manufacturing line and are lying all pretty in a small gold topped box.