Last Sunday we were so lazy, probably because it was preceding a public holiday. Last Monday was Workers Day so we had the day off and my friend Retha and I decided to try and get in for lunch at Green Vine Eatery at Silvermist Vineyards. We did not have a booking but thought why not risk it.

 We enjoyed the amazing view. 

   
 
We were greeted by the resident pig.

   
  
The staff were running round full on busy but the hostess told us to just wait a sec and she would make a plan. We waited patiently as I’ve been many times and knew it worth the wait. We were seated in no time.

  
I had a glass of their Sauvignon blanc and Retha the red.

  
For lunch we decided to share the Caesar salad with bacon.

  
I was ever so pleased to see real anchovies! 

We shared the platter as well. 

  
It had charcuterie, cheeses, bread, pickled baby onions, olives, grapes, and a few bits of salad.

They were both divine.

 
  
We both had the lemon tart for dessert. It was light, creamy and not too sour. Perfection. 

I love the rustic tablecloths.

  

Tuesday we were back at work and I was so tired. 

Walking across the foreshore to my car after work I noticed 2 rather scruffy looking men lurking in the shadows and I tried to navigate around them, but I could see one of them was already racing over to me. As I have my laptop and my handbag with me I don’t want to let anyone near me who can grab either and leg it. The man started waving a piece of cardboard at me and I saw it said ‘I cannot talk. I am homeless and need money for the shelter.’ I kept walking but I read the card and told him firmly ‘no, sorry’. He then started shouting at me ‘Did you read the card???’. Um, would that be the card that says you cannot speak, despite you shouting at me? He didn’t get the irony. I shudder to think of whom he took that sign off of. 

He then got very agitated as many junkies tend to do when their appeals do not work. I’m certainly not opening my handbag in front of a junky while meandering down an alley.

He started shouting and showing me his tattoo and telling me he had been a bad boy but he has changed. I think the badly defined jailhouse style tat was something religious or Jesus related. Little did he know that would hold no sway for me. 

I’ve known enough addicts to recognize one, he had lost his teeth. He twitched and jerked. His eyes were not present. He started shouting that he would defend me and keep me safe, the funny thing was that he was the only person who was making me feel threatened. I kept him distracted and walking until we got to the car park entrance where I knew a security guard is stationed and I ducked into that entrance, leaving him waiting at the top.

I arrived at my car with my heart racing.

Never a dull moment in Cape Town.

This week the news was full of a story which blew up on social media. Rhodes Must Fall activist Ntokozo Qwabe was rude to a white waitress and then bragged about it on Facebook. I reported his post for hate speech and it was removed. But some guy went and made a page for donations to this waitress. I feel that there is no question that Ntokozo behaved atrociously but people treat black staff terribly all the time. I think the need to raise funds for her missing one tip was extreme, it is other people cleaning up Ntokozo’s mess. He learns nothing from this.

I read that the waitress’ mom is ill so maybe that cash helps the family cope with that burden at least. 

I think that the scholarship should be removed from Ntokozo. He doesn’t deserve to be allowed to both protest the existence of Rhodes and benefit from his legacy in my opinion. 

Driving in early on Thursday the weather was so windy. The sunrise was stunning.

  After arming my car I was walking in to my office when the wind blew a giant metal sign loose which whizzed by my head missing me by inches!

I was away from my desk in the afternoon on Thursday and when I came back the client looked at me and said “You are disappearing” and I assumed she was complaining I wasn’t at my desk and started to stutter. 

Then she asked if I was dieting. Haha! She wasn’t noticing my absence she was noticing my weight loss! 

Funny.

Locally a lot is going on.

Stupid humans are again interfering with nature here in the bay, trying to move sand to places more convenient. They’ll never learn.

  
The horrid story about poor Francesca the girl murdered in the forest nearby has been in the headlines again as her murderers were granted bail and are roaming the streets.

It’s so frustrating.

Friday when I got home from work I sat on the balcony. It was windy but still stunning.

   
 
For dinner I baked pork chops and stir fried some mixed veggies and some cabbage. Norm and I had a relaxed evening in as Lily is in George for Josh’s birthday and Caitlin was out with her friends.

There was an event at the local school we were going to attend on Saturday morning, but the wind was still howling so we didn’t fancy hanging around outside. Instead we went to Allegria Cafe for brunch. 
  
We both had 2 eggs with bacon and mushrooms. 

The wind was howling still but it was so busy we had to sit outside. It was well positioned and we didn’t struggle too much.

  
After brunch we did a shop at Woolies and picked up my weekly ice cream supply then headed home to give Mzudumo the quarter chicken and sausage roll we got for his lunch.

The dogs all got bones which made them very happy! They kept swapping ownership.

     
 
When I got home I realized I had been wearing my shirt inside out all day. Oops.

Saturday was also the Cannabis March to march for support of the legalization and decriminalization of personal use of marijuana.

  
We gave that a miss too. We stayed in and had the chili con carne I made the night before.

  
It was very hot and full of so much flavor. I did include a few tins of the red list forbidden kidney beans but I had such a chili craving, it had to be done. At least I didn’t have tortilla chips with! 

I topped the chilli with grated sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of fromage frais. Delicious! 

We rented Star Wars: The Force Awakens to watch that evening which was lots of fun. 

Today was Mothers Day. Lily made a lovely collage for me and drove back from George.

  
Norm brought me a milky coffee in bed, I love that new coffee machine! We were booked to go for lunch but the girls were having scheduling issues as Lily wasn’t back from George quite yet and Caitlin was very hungover from a party the night before. Instead the girls booked us in for dinner at Ragafellows. However Norm and I decided to still use the lunch booking and to go to The Riverway Cafe anyway. It then worked out that both girls still joined us!

  
Caitlin and I were starving so we ordered some piggy poppers to start while we waited for Lily to arrive. 

  
Then when Lily got there I ordered the Pint of Prawns.

  
Lily ordered the chicken baguette with fries.

  
Norm had the chicken salad.

  
And Caitlin the toasted cheese, mushroom and tomato sandwich with chips.

  
We love their lemonade.

 We ended with sharing a Banting brownie and Banting cheesecake. 

  

They had amazing afternoons tea stands being created in the kitchen and loads of them were being served.

  

When we got home the girls gave me a gorgeous silver gravy boat and a set of coffee cups with drawings of some of my favorite old school actors.

  

 We went home to relax for a bit and at 730pm we got ready to head out to Ragafellows for dinner.

  
We shared the calamari and prawns to start for just for a wee nibble.

   
 We all had burgers except Lily who had the salad.

We had a lovely evening! 

  
I feel very blessed.

   
 
I hope you have celebrated today with someone you love even if it’s an animal baby!