Herbert Baker and Bunnies

Sho, what a weekend. Just the right balance of sociability and relaxing do-nothingness :) On Friday evening, Varen had to work late so I mostly stayed home, hung out with my boons and watched Series. I did pop out so that we could at least have dinner together in Sandton. Nothing too exciting, we just grabbed a burger at Nando's. But, it was at least nice to see him for a short while ... especially in light of Friday afternoon's news. Yes, if you haven't already read it on my rare mid-weekend post or on my twitter stream, Varen signed the offer and resigned from his current position :) He'll be starting on the 6th April!

On Saturday, Varen was supposed to be working, but it didn't work out quite like that and I think after two seriously late nights in a row he needed the down time. So we had a very relaxing day at home. In the evening we went to a 1920s themed birthday party ... in a Herbert Baker house, nogal. It was one of our blind-date friend's birthdays and this is where they're now living. Sheesh, must be nice having pounds to back you up over here! The party was a little weird, I certainly felt out of my depth. Other than our surroundings (along with the hired band, barmen and caterers), it was also because we only actually knew our blind-date friends there. Not another soul. Yes we met new people, but we were definitely part of the younger crowd. So, it was interesting and fun :) Hopefully we'll get organised and make a plan to see them again soon. Is hard to catch up with people at a party like that!

Anyhoo, we didn't stay that late and on Sunday after I'd done the week's shop and Varen had done some more work (from home this time luckily), we headed out to visit the baby bunnies. Aw, I love bunnies! I could NOT believe how many bunnies these people had seriously, maybe 60? But their are all caged. And boy do they have some huge ones. I got quite a fright when I saw how big Coaly might get - eep. And so many adorable little babies. And such variety. Never before have I seen so many types of rabbits. But, here's the thing. On Sunday our girls had their first fight. I missed it, it was while I was out shopping earlier. But fur flew and I could see it all over the lawn when I got home. Lily tried to mount Coal and Coal wasn't especially impressed. They are getting to that age (Lily is 3 months now). But anyway, I digress. We saw the non-siamese babies. Apparently they might turn out to be a Sable Siamese. Which is basically a very dark siamese breed, but since their adult fur will only have grown in by the time they're 6 months old, it's really hard to tell right now. But they were quite small :) Varen is crazy about these little ones. Me, I think it's just because they're so little right now, they were cute tho. But then I saw their standard New Zealand Reds (Henna's breed) and their Rex Rabbits. The Rex's are lovely. They have short fur and feel like velvet! Sadly because of it, this poor bunny breed is used most in bunny-fur clothing! They don't have dwarf Rex's but they do have a little runt in one litter who shouldn't grow as big as the others. I'm definitely thinking about it. They're a lovely brown / black combo (dad was a pure black Rex). We also saw 3 day old bunnies too who's eyes hadn't even opened yet! Varen & I are torn. Option a) stick with the lovely two we've got or b) (in my mind) get the runty Rex or c) (in Varen's mind) get the runty Rex and a Sable Siamese dwarf. I'm not a fan of getting 2 new bunnies, but Varen seems keen. I am worried about space in the hutch - although our hutch is double the size of the cages the bunnies were being kept in there (due to it's double-storey-ness) and ours do get to run free for at least 2 hours or so every day (and more on weekends). So I have no idea what we'll end up doing. Damn, I wish I'd taken my camera along!

After that, Varen dropped me at the airport to meet an old friend up from George for a wedding en route home while he had lunch with his family. It was great. I have been spoilt in the last 2 weeks, being able to catch up with 3 old Cape Town friends. It really doesn't happen often enough :(

After that we went home and while Varen worked, I went to see Changeling.

Los Angeles, 1928: On a Saturday morning in a working-class suburb, Christine Collins (Jolie) said goodbye to her son, Walter, and left for work. When she came home, she discovered he had vanished.

A fruitless search ensued, and months later, a boy claiming to be the nine-year-old was returned. Dazed by the swirl of cops, reporters and her conflicted emotions, Christine allows him to stay overnight. But in her heart, she knows he is not Walter.

As she pushes authorities to keep looking, she learns that in Prohibition-era L.A. women don't challenge the system and live to tell their story. Slandered as delusional and painted as an unfit mother by the authorities, Christine finds an ally in activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich), who helps her fight the city to look for her missing boy.

Wow, I thought this was quite a hectic movie. Angelina is very un-Jolie in this performance, which she did well. John Malkovich is surreal - I found it bizarre that a reverend / head-of-church was so involved in the politics of the police in those days. None the less it was a fantastic story, a hectic story, but fantastic to watch. I was enthralled and horrified at the matter-of-fact the way the women were treated. Is frightening how that was still in my grandmother's lifetime. Makes one realise how far we've really come and again it makes me wonder how I might've survived then. Somehow it's harder to imagine in such a more recent time. Am definitely now off to Wikipedia to read up on the true story.