Progress!

Shew, what a lovely weekend. I actually feel quite refreshed this morning. Although I am typing it from the Honda Service lounge, where they have wifi! Finally. Am very happy to have got my car back on Friday after it's hail damage repair ... and now it's in for a service. After this, it better just function as normal for at least another year o_0 Haha.

So, the weekend. First a few things I forgot last week ... I had my 6 month check-up after my operation. All good and scars are healing well :) Also, I started taking the vitamins recommended by my gynae (part of Project Get Pregnant 2014) which have Folic Acid. Eep, getting real here folks!

Shew, before I'd even finished typing those 2 paragraphs, my driver took me to work. I can not stress just how much more impressed I am with Honda's service over my previous experience with Citroen. Free Wifi in there waiting lounge and a personal driver who will leave when I'm ready, not wait till 8am (min) and take 5 or 6 people to different places. And not only that, they will be collecting me later too! I mean, these are people who understand that me not having a car all day because you're servicing it, means it's damn difficult to get back to wherever to collect it too! Colour me impressed.

Anyhoo, the weekend. We had dinner with DJMike and his wife on Friday night. Tried a new Mexican spot. I'd had Mama Mexicana on my To Try list for a while now ... so I'm glad the opportunity finally came up. They were a bit nervous about going into town, so it was nice to introduce them to the Maboneng Precinct (a little).

So, I'd heard that Mama Mexicana was also supposed to be "authentic" mexican cuisine. But that's not how I'd describe it. They don't even have margaritas on the menu! But the food was delish and very very well priced (Mains are like R40 - R50!) But, when they arrive you may think you probably should've ordered more than one ... we thought so. But we decided to see how we felt after before we ordered 2nds, and we didn't end up needing them. Kinda gets a thumbs up from me for not serving oversized American-style portions that people don't need but will end up eating anyway. We started with their chili poppers. Not the normal ones, they looked kinda like spring-rolls? But they tasted yummy nonetheless. For mains I had their Chicken Quesadilla. Very tasty, I liked it. But I definitely had order envy because DJMike's wife ordered the Big Mama Bowl (Bowl of chili with minced beef, served with cornbread). Yip, I'd definitely have that next time instead. Reminded me of my Ostrich Chili Soup, actually. The Trucker had the bacon nacho's. Never enough guacamole or sour cream ...

Anyway, the experience was good, but it fails solidly between Cafe Mexicho and Mexican Fresh for me ... so I doubt I'd end up going all the way back there unless someone else arranged / invited me. Cafe Mexicho is still in the top spot as my Best Joburg Mexican Restaurant.

On Saturday we were up early in the quest for our new kitchen. We have the go-ahead to start on renovations as soon as the lawyers lodge with the Deeds Office. Which I am expecting anytime from Thursday! We started with Timbercity in Strydom Park (because our next option was H&S Timbers in Benoni!) and we should be getting a final quote today. I think we'll probably go with them. We've picked our final colours (harder than you might think!). Then we went to actually buy the tiles (we'd found out that the ones we picked were only in stock at the Stydom Park and Southgate CTM o_0) They are now waiting patiently in our garage! So exciting.

We went to get a price estimate for our (bedroom) carpets and ended up changing our mind about the wood flooring colour for the lounge and got pricing for that too (same as the previous one we'd picked luckily).

Then we were exhausted and headed home. It was a pretty uneventful afternoon. Although when it cooled I tried a new technique for bonding the bunnies, clearly driving wasn't working for them. They have been getting better, being allowed out a little together each day, till Lily gets too irritating chasing Smudge.

We went the Neutral Territory route and put them in the alleyway down the side of our house ... which usually they can't get to. I sat with them and kept an eye on them. Eventually Lily was fine with the little guy. So we let them into the garden together. All good.

But I still was too nervous to put them in the hutch together when we headed out for dinner so we separated them again. Which wasn't a great idea ... when we let them into the garden together again on Sunday morning, Lily was back to chasing and nipping him. So I sat with them in the alley again. Vast improvement. She let him groom her! Back into the garden for a bit and then I tried them in the same hutch for a bit. She did not handle it well. Although she would happily eat rose petals I gave them right next to him! So I separated them again before I went out.

On Sunday afternoon we put them in the alley again till they were friendly and then let them run around the garden for a while before trying them back in the new hutch again. They were much better than before. She was still nipping him a little, but he was standing his own ground. But still, we separated them before we headed out for dinner again.

I see a whole week of evenings of trying them little more and a little more ... I think part of the problem may be that the new hutch has an easily blocked entrance to the 2nd level which Lily sits in front of, guarding. And nips him as he tries to run up past her to the food and water. They'll get there ... but we are so much cuter and my heart was positively melting seeing them be friendly together this weekend!



On Saturday evening we used another of our The Entertainer vouchers and went to Angelo's Kitchen for dinner. We shared a very nice Melanzane and then each had a pizza for dinner. I had their Vincenzo's: Bacon. Chicken strips, danish feta, pumpkin seeds and avocado. It was yummy.

When we got home, we watched About Time. It has been a while since both The Trucker & I enjoyed a movie and this hit the spot! It's light and funny with some real laugh out loud moments. Seriously, I think you should watch this one :)

On Sunday, The Trucker headed to Cricket and I headed to Aura Skincare Clinic in Parkhurst with @bronwyngale for a pamper morning to make use of a few more of my The Entertainer vouchers! This book is amazeballs. Not only am I trying places I'd never heard of, I am now on a mission to spoil myself & a girl friend every month with a mani/pedi/combo ... so much better than meeting for coffee - haha! It's actually so important and if I don't make the effort, I forget completely for years at a time!

It was superb. Seriously. We each had a Champagne Pedicure (yip, it comes with a glass of champagne! Regular price: R300) and a Shellac Manicure (R250). I am keen to see how the Shellac works out after my dismal Gellish experience. Plus, we got to sit in fabulous massage chairs the whole time (I did ask The Trucker if I could have one for the lounge ... he said no :( Haha). And with the vouchers, the whole day cost us each only R275. OMG how freaking cool is that. The book only cost R295 (cause Daddio got an early-bird discount, definitely already used more than his money's worth and it's not even February yet!). We chatted and caught up and I left feeling fabulously relaxed with pretty finger and toe nails. Best way to spend a Sunday!

On Sunday evening, The Trucker had a craving for sushi and The Mariner has a half-price sushi Sunday special. Cheap meals all round here this weekend - haha.

It was a superb weekend.