....Escape continued

By popular demand and a lot of begging (hehehe)..here's the continuation of Escape, hope you guys will enjoy reading it. You can find the beginning of the short story here
It's a long one cos i didn't want to break it and risk the likes of LG begging me to update and conclude the story...Have a nice read

My performances in front of the mirror were judged by myself, I couldn't trust anyone to come into my sanctuary. The only person I informed about the audition in my family was my older brother who advised me to be careful. I was a bit disappointed because I expected more from him. A week to the audition, I checked myself in the mirror and the only thing missing was the hairstyle. I had cornrows and was
sure no artist wore them except the old fashioned ones. I begged Sikira to buy me a wig out of the savings I had in my kolo, she almost refused but I gave her a tip. She asked what I needed it for; my response was that she should not bother. She gave me a quizzical look and shrugged. It was none of her business!
I went for the audition under the pretext that I was visiting a friend. When I saw the calibre of people that came for the audition, I knew I stood no chance. Some of them were at least twice my age and really beautiful. They exuded confidence and I felt tiny, I felt lost.
I decided then I should have come with my brother for some encouragement. I sat alone trying to keep my confidence and pretending to read a book I was holding. The
only problem was I had been reading the same line for about an hour and still could not remember what I read. At least, it was better than staring at the experienced ladies.
When I heard my name, my heart jumped out of my chest and I walked to the podium with legs that almost seemed replaced with lead. I was shaking uncontrollably and one of the judges told me to calm down. I took a deep breath, accepted the microphone that was offered and in a few minutes I was pretending to be one of the popular artists that sang on TV. I transported myself to my sanctuary at home where there were no judges but me and sang my song. I noticed as I closed that the judges and my fellow contestants were on their feet clapping for me. I remember one of the judges saying ‘young lady, your voice is bigger than you!’ I smiled as I left the podium knowing I had given my best. Ola was one of the judges and he flashed me a smile as I left, my heart skipped a beat. I saw him whispering to the other judges and I became confident that I would hear my name when the winners were announced.
Two hours later, winners were announced and I heard my name. Three of us were going to join Ola’s group as back up singers. I was ecstatic. My only problem remained how to convince my parents it was a right move but I was determined not to miss the opportunity. This was my chance to become a successful singer and nothing was going to stop me. I headed home and the only thought that ran through my head was how I would tell my parents.
My parents had a habit of listening to the 9pm news on NTA so I sat with them pretending to listen to the news. Immediately the broadcaster finished, it was my turn. I broke the news to my parents and I saw my father’s face go ashen. My mother immediately shouted ‘lailai, over our dead bodies’. My dad’s only words were ‘no daughter of mine will join a music group and that is final’. I went on my knees begging my parents to understand how this was a dream of a lifetime and telling them how much it meant to me. I watched as my father got up and went into their room; my mother also got up and followed him not forgetting to tell me ‘see what you have caused’.
For several days, I woke up everyday to kneel before my father and explain what it meant to me to join the group and promised I would not let him down. I saw my mother soften and try to talk to my father but he had a wall around him that could not be penetrated. After several attempts, I devised a plan to run away from home. I told my brother who advised me against it but he cooperated with me when he found out that my mind was made up.
The day I left home, both my parents were out and my brother escorted me to the hotel where Ola was staying. It was the day he would leave with those of us that were lucky to be chosen. I couldn’t make his performances as I was not allowed. His face broadened into a smile as I entered his hotel room. He looked at me and said ‘I was beginning to think the best of the lot would not show up, what took you so long?’ I was flattered and could not find my voice. After a few minutes and smiling politely, I introduced my brother to him. They chatted for a while and I heard Femi; my brother say: “please take care of my little sister”. Tears rushed to my eyes, what was I doing running away from home? Was I making a mistake? Should I pick up my bag and go back home with my brother? It was not late yet, my parents were not aware and I could go back home and pretend nothing had happened. But on the other hand, this was my opportunity of a lifetime, my claim to fame. I refused to give in to my childish thoughts.
I walked my brother out of the hotel and we embraced. He told me: “Tope, you know it’s not too late for you to change your mind. Are you sure this is right for you?” I held on to him sobbing and told him I would definitely keep in touch when I reached my destination. He knew my mind was made up and told me he would expect to hear from me waving once and not turning back. I watched him leave till I could see no more trace of him, then I walked into my future.
Joining Ola’s band was initially a lot of fun; we travelled a lot, met people, slept in hotels and bought nice things. I sometimes missed my family but I was learning a lot about my career that I pushed it to the back of my mind. Once I settled down, I had called my parents to apologise for disappointing them and that I loved them. My father told me it was ok, I had chosen my own path. My mother said she loved me and if I ever wanted to come home, they would be there waiting for me. Of course there was no going back; this was my claim to fame.
Ola started to pay me more attention than he did the other ladies. After performances, he would ask me to come and sit at the same table with him, telling me how beautiful I looked and how I was the best singer he had. I was flattered. A lot of times I saw the other ladies look at me with jealousy. They would give arms and legs to be his girlfriends and here was I not even trying at all. I was indeed flattered.
Ola wooed me gradually, and the day he asked me to be his wife was a very memorable one. We had been into the relationship almost a year, he treated me with respect, opened the car door for me, bought me nice and expensive gifts and I was the envy of all ladies. He asked me for sex several times but I told him no I wanted us to wait and do it properly on our wedding night, he obliged.
I informed my parents I was getting married and my mother tried to reason with me that I was too young and should give myself time to become more matured. I was nineteen at the time. It was two years after I left home. My father was very displeased with the news but they were at the wedding ceremony all the same. It was a quiet ceremony at a registry with a small reception. Later in the evening though, Ola entertained a lot of his friends in our new home, they made noise and drank too much. I didn’t like it but I couldn’t complain. I knew Ola himself drank a lot but I was head over heels in love.
We went on honeymoon for only a few days as we had performances lined up. When we got back, I prepared myself for the trip and was packing when I heard him say: “what are you doing?” I told him I was getting ready for the trip and he said he wouldn’t want his new bride on the road. I needed to get used to life as a married woman so I should stay behind. He would be back soon he promised. I was sad but I thought he had my interest at heart.
Ola was gone for two whole weeks and boredom became my best companion, my only saving grace were the few novels I bought. I devoured them quickly and watched a lot of Television feeling useless. The past two years of my life had been spent on the road and when we were not performing, we were rehearsing for the next performance. The rest of the time, I was with Ola.
I was ecstatic when he came back. He bought me many gifts and gave me all the attention for the first day. On his second night back, he said he had been invited to a friend’s party, I asked to be taken along and he said no; “a woman’s place is at home”. This shocked me, before we got married, we went everywhere together. I waited for him for several hours and about 12 midnight, he called the house, sounding very incoherent. All I could gather was he was not coming home anymore that night and I could go to bed.
It occurred to me I had made a mistake in marrying him and that I should have stayed with my parents and gone to the University after all. I was not going to tell them we were having any problems though and whenever I spoke to them on the phone, I always lied that things were very fine.
Gradually I found out that Ola did not want me to accompany him on his tours anymore. I was relegated to the home front now, and I could not even go out anymore without seeking his permission. This was not the life I dreamt of; I was supposed to be living in pure bliss with my knight in shining armour and making waves as a singer. When I tried to talk to him about the issues we were having, he told me I was only being stubborn and that if I would just be a dutiful wife and not make complaints, life would be good for us.
I spent many lonely nights, crying into my pillow and begging God to show me a way of escape. Tales of Ola’s randy lifestyle came back to me but I chose not to dwell on them. My whole life since I left home was one big mistake and I was waiting for the day I would be able to make a break and start all over. I was too proud though to ask my parents for help. On the one occasion when they visited, my mum called me aside and tried to find out how things were and I gave her a very fake smile. “Ola is such a good husband”, I lied through my teeth.
I had very few friends who were not allowed to visit, except Ola was not around and we had to make it secret, I was not sure if he had people watching me or not. Out of boredom, I registered for a media course online and whenever he was not around I would settle down to do my assignments. The shipping address I used to get my materials was my friend’s house address and she delivered them to me when I told her it was ok to. The books were kept very safely in the store, hidden in different parts so he would not see them. This was the second year of our marriage and I could count the number of times we had been under the same roof together. My marriage was a prison.
In the third year of our marriage, I got pregnant but miscarried the baby. He was away on a trip and I had to cope with the loss by myself. When he came back, he pampered me a bit and told me we would definitely have another one.
‘Don’t worry yourself my dear, is that why you’re acting like a widow? These things happen. You will have another one. My three sisters, you know the story, they all lost their first pregnancies, look at them now breeding like rats....’’ I tuned my mind off not wanting to listen to his insensitive ramblings.
He made to hug me after delivering his speech but even that felt very cold and he ended up patting me on the back instead. I lost a baby; our fist baby when my husband was away and that was all he could say to me. It made me sad that I wasn’t wise enough to see this side of him before I foolishly gave in to his advances.
It felt as if a part of me died all over’ it died when the baby died but my husband helped to kill it again.
To him, life seemed to be a big joke and nothing apart from keeping me for himself seemed to matter to him. He treated the matter so casually that I wondered for a while if he ever wanted the baby, although I later found out, he only did that to mask his feelings. He wanted the baby more than I did. I found out one night he was drunk.
‘My silly wife, just a child, the only thing I thought she would be good for was baby making and look what happened. She lost the baby. That baby would have been the most important thing to me’. I was shocked at his words because as the Yoruba adage says ‘nkan toti ba ba ninu eyan lo n pa’yan ba’. That was what my husband thought of me. I made up my mind not to get pregnant anymore until I was sure of the direction my life would take. With the help of my friend, I got some birth control pills that I kept safe in my wardrobe.
This was the 5th year of our marriage and I had completed my online media course. There were a few occasions where I was almost found out but providence was on my side and he never was so inquisitive, he only made reference to the fact that my computer was at least a good enough companion when he was not around. I remember on one occasion he snooped behind me and the next thing I knew he was staring into my computer, I was so sure I had been found out and instinctively, my hand found its way to the hibernate button. I was shocked when he treated the matter with such levity. I’m sure he never thought I was capable of doing anything phenomenal.
‘Why are you closing your computer? I wonder what you’re doing on it but it’s ok, you don’t want me to see what it is right?’ Just as soon as he said that, he moved on to another conversation and for once I was very grateful that he was a flighty person.
The idea that I could escape this prison began to brood in my mind and I began to devise the plan. So it was on this day that I called my brother and opened up to him, he told me I should have called earlier and didn’t need to suffer in silence. I told him I needed to be sure the direction my life was taking and that now I was armed for the future with a degree and a will to stand on my own. We agreed he would inform my parents that I was leaving my husband; the jailor and the home I had known for five years. I got a call from my parents the evening I called my brother and I can still remember the conversation.
‘Tope, why did you not tell us all this time? Why? I somehow knew things weren’t right between you and that husband of yours’
By now, I could hear her sniffing, my mother was crying and I was ashamed. Remorse washed over me. I should have listened to my parents and obeyed them. We were both crying now
‘‘I will speak to your brother, we will arrange where you’ll stay once you leave that prison, and we will all stand by you. My mother declared with authority in her voice. Your father is here and he said I should tell you he is not angry with you'’
That made me cry the more; the prodigal daughter was going home to her parents
‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry’, was all I could manage to say on the phone.
For several minutes after I finished making the call, I just sat down there and wept, for the lost years and for what my disobedience had made me go through.
I waited till he went on his next trip; I was more than happy to see him leave. He told me he was going to be away for two weeks and I pretended to be the loving wife who hated to see her husband go. I told him leaving me at home all the time wasn’t fair
‘Ola, you know it’s not fair to just leave me at home all by myself all the time. We’re trying to have a baby, yet you won’t even stay at home, all you do is get on the road and you won’t even take me with you’
He looked at me and didn’t respond to what I said which was typical. I decided to make things hard for him so I sulked for hours. I knew the right card to play was the pregnancy one. I knew how much he longed to have his own children so it was only a matter of time before he responded to me.
‘Ok Tope dear, I know it’s hard to be home alone by yourself all the time, I promise we will go together on my next trip. Even if we’re unable to spend all the time together, we can spend the evenings in our bed’. He winked at me. I felt like grabbing a knife to castrate him. That was the only thing I was good for to him; the idiot! Well, I had achieved my aim; he would never suspect what I was up to.
The evening he travelled, I called my brother and all I told him was ‘it’s time’’ and he understood.
‘‘I’ll meet you in half an hour’’, he said and disconnected the call. My brother had come to town the previous day and was staying in a hotel not too far from our house. We had agreed he would not visit so as not to arouse any form of suspicion. My family members did not visit often. I set to work and finished packing my bags, a routine I had gotten used to in all my married years, I had done it on countless occasions, the only difference this time was that I was actually going through with the plan,.
I sat down watching the clock and hoping my brother would arrive earlier than he said. I was very anxious. What if Ola showed up and said his trip had been cancelled. What if he had sent a spy to me? My mind was in turmoil. Five minutes before my brother said he would arrive; I heard the door bell and ran to the door. God had answered my prayer and my brother was early.
What I saw when I opened the door made my heart skip several beats. Standing at our doorstep was not my brother but Ola’s friend; Joseph. His friends usually came over when he was away but not the next day. I knew he sent them as spies to check on meI but I wasn’t expecting one this early, that was part of the reason, I had planned my escape for the day after his departure.
I greeted Joseph with the best smile I could put up and refused to step aside for him to come into the house. I didn’t like Joseph, he was a very lousy young man and all he did at our place was eat and drink, then drink some more. A lot of times, he and Ola would get drunk together and I would have to clean up after them. We both knew there was no love lost between us.
‘I am sorry Joseph but I can’t entertain a guest now. I’m getting ready to go out’
He gave me a quizzical look
‘Is that the way to welcome your husband’s friend? You want to turn me back at the door?’
I was determined not to let him in as that would only jeopardise my escape. My boxes were already in the living room and it would be obvious to any idiot that I wasn’t taking a vacation, I was leaving for good.
‘What are you doing in the house that you won’t let me in? Oh you are entertaining a boyfriend and you’re afraid I will tell Ola? Well everyday is for the thief, today is for the owner. You will let me in and I will call your husband immediately’
‘No you cannot come in and if you try to touch me, I will scream at the top of my voice’. I knew that would not help much because our house was fenced all around.
I was silently praying that he would leave and that my brother would not come while we were there.
Joseph was not going to budge easily because he stayed rooted there and shouted to his driver to park the car properly. I saw my brother’s car in the driveway and I removed the key from the lock, stepped outside and closed the door. I suppose I was too fast for him to comprehend what was happening.
‘Well the reason I told you I could not entertain you is here; it’s my brother and we plan to go somewhere together’. I was not going to let my brother meet us at the door. I left him at the door shouting at the top of his voice
‘Ola must hear this, you shameless woman, you prostitute’. I got to my brother’s car as he parked and as I stepped in, I commanded him to move the car.
‘What’s going on Tope? Where is your luggage?’ I didn’t answer and he asked no further questions. He just drove.
I explained what happened to him once we got out of the compound. We agreed to stay together all day and delay our plans by a day. My brother checked out of his hotel and we took a room under false names in another part of town since we were not sure if Joseph had carried out his threat and if we were being followed.
Later that night when it was dark, my brother went alone, we agreed it was safer to move my things. I paced the room up and down till I heard his knock on the door. We had agreed he would knock thrice before I opened the door. I hugged him in broke down, tears of joy and relief flowing from my eyes.
We talked into the night about the fateful day he helped me to leave home, the last 5 years of my life and my plans for the future. By 5 am the next morning, we were ready to leave; I stepped into the car, armed with a degree in Media studies and into my real future. My brother drove away and I did not look back.

* kolo – A traditional form of piggy bank for kids
*‘nkan toti ba ba ninu eyan lo n pa’yan ba’- a drunk man’s ramblings will be inspired by the thoughts he has had before


I hope you guys liked the story...please feel free to let me know what you think. Have a fantastic week!

....Escape continued

Back to the Treadmill

Earlier in the year, i made a resolve to join a gym and go thrice a week, i had moved from a size 8 to a 10 and didn't want to go any further than that, some flabs were beginning to appear in the wrong places..i had to keep in shape so i registered, even got hubby to go with me a few times, trust me that was a huge achievement, lol. This was about the time i left my job so i had no reason not to go, i started out with a lot of enthusiasm, i loved working out so much i would never drop out!
My gym instructor was very impressed with me, i was very consistent and even lost 2kg, dropping from 65 to 63 kg in less than two weeks, i was happy with my achievement, my target was to go back to 60kg and stay there and keep fit..then i started a training program and it became hard to go to the gym although i finished in the early afternoons. I had sound excuses not to go and workout.
For a while, i maintained a lazy routine at home and kept promising myself i would go to the gym tomorrow or the day after, good thing is tomorrow never ends...se, all you procrastinators (i have a right to form my own English words seeing that Soyinka is one of my mentors) in the house, please nod your heads with me!
Then i got an assignment somewhere on the Island and stayed out till like 7pm most days..there went my gym resolve, out of the window! No more gym, it was a nice plan, it just wasn't convenient anymore, being busy helped my wwight remain constant but i had reneged on my resolve even on weekends...then gradually i let go of my routine at home and i was no longer exercising...i was back to my 65kg!
A few days ago, here i am months after leaving my last assignment and working from home, i took a look at my tummy and i didn't really like what i saw, looked like the onset of a bump, now that would be fantastic if i was pregnant but as my normal tummy, it's not really allowed so i started doing sit ups at home and hubby laughed at me asking me what happened to my plans to go to the gym. He reminded me of how he complimented me when i was going religiously and how i looked trim. I felt bad and took it as a challenge and i took the car keys, put on my trainers and off i went to they gym.
I hope i can keep it up...will maybe give you the details of the gym escapades later, though nothing interesting really there except for miss i'm sexy, i wear make up to the gym and i call the instructor every two minutes!
How many times have we started out on something that seems to be a very good plan, starting with a lot of zeal and passion and then weeks or months down the line, we get tired, or we meet some obstacles and we throw in the towel. Good intentions are never enough, what you do with the good intentions or what you keep doing with the good intentions is what matters. I'l throw this question to you, what will you do with what you know to do in the face of contrary circumstances? Would you just let go of your belief or would you press on and consistently do what you believe?

Anyway, enough about my gyming experience and philosophising...i'm working on a short story and want to give you guys a sneak peek into it, let's title it Escape...
Curtains open..reveal characters...

ESCAPE
I woke up to plan my escape from a prison, not a typical kind of jail but a prison all the same. My husband or whoever he is to me went on a music tour and didn’t take me along. He is a musician, and I joined him as a back up singer out of admiration. He took a special liking to me out of all his singers and I felt privileged. I was too naive to differentiate between love and lust or the desire of a man to acquire a woman as his personal belonging.
I come from a very conservative home. My father was a director in the civil service while my mother was a primary school teacher. They had great plans for me; I was going to the higher institution to study Economics or Accounting after which I would graduate and do them proud.
Ola came to Ilu tuntun, the small city where we lived, on a performance tour and the organisation that brought him to our city called for auditions of young talents. He had given them the mandate to do so. I went to audition without my parents’ knowledge. I was only seventeen but I was wiser than my parents or so I thought. I knew if they found out, they would be disappointed that I did not mention it to them but I was also sure that they would frown at the idea. I registered for the audition and began preparing myself for my debut performance. I had a dress I wanted to wear in mind; the one that mother bought for me last Christmas. Everyone complimented me when I wore it and all the young boys around my area wanted to court me.
I would lock the door, dress up, and sing in front of the mirror, trying to imitate the artists I so much admired and watched on the TV all the time. Most days I would watch them and imagine myself on the stage instead of them. I was enchanted. Mother never allowed me to watch them until I turned sixteen and finished my Secondary education.
I had a secret admiration for them and a few times when I attempted to tell Mother how I would love to be like them. She would shake her head and say 'Tope, you will not become a harlot, not while your father and I are alive. No child of mine will be a singer, God forbid!’ She would snap her fingers over her head in the usual Yoruba fashion.
I decided not to talk to her about it anymore. She was too old fashioned anyway and I was convinced all artists could not be women of easy virtue. Sikira, our house maid suffered for it though as I perpetually bore her with tales of how I would one day become a star and sing all over the world and how I would then tell my mother not all musicians were loose people..... (to be continued maybe..hehehe)

All I'll Ever Need- Point of Grace

I got tagged by Taureen minx, i take it to mean i was tagged because she tagged anyone that wants to do this. Lol, it’s fun, and i think i cheated on one, i don’t have to tell you which one o
MEME Rules

1. Put Your iTunes/ music player on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT!!!

After you’ve answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and then let them know they’ve been tagged to do the meme themselves!

Here we go

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?

Beautiful Saviour- Darlene Zcech
I let the saviour lead me...so things are ok

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Silent Night-Yolanda Adams

I don’t know how to interprete this jo!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL
Be Without You- Mary J Blige
Erm ok, i cant be without the man in my life!

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
I Need You- Marc Anthony
I need the Lord, i need my hubby...erm yah

WHAT IS YOUR LIFES PURPOSE?
Breath of God- Point of Grace
My life’s purpose is for the breath of God to fill my life, every one of my moves and steps

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
See mi So- 2 Face
I'm sure they think that God has blessed me and blessed them with me! Hehehe...how conceited!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
You Are My All in All- Point of Grace
My parents are my treasure...after God and hubby , they’re all in all...there was a point in my life that they were my all in all sef, like when i was a baby..lol

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN
Careless Whisper- Dave Coz
Loyalty to the people i love!

WHAT IS 2+2?
Gringo – Akon
I don’t even know the song o, 2+2 is 4 jare..or ..i don’t know

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BESTFRIEND?
Happy People- R Kelly.
When i think of my best friends, i am happy and thoughts of them sometimes...mark the word sometimes..want to make me dance..

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Promise of Prayers- Point of Grace
I always have my hubby covered, i’m sure he can count on me. I will always be a friend

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Nothing For You- Lagbaja
Before hubby, there was nothing for any of the guys that came my way

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
When U Cry- TOK
This song i don’t even know. Am i allowed to cheat and go to the next song. Yes i will, who made the rules sef? Oh ok, it’s saying Lord help me, when you cry i cry...i know the song o...Ok,,i want to be a pillar of support to people who are close to me, smiling when they smile and crying with them when they need me to. I want people to be able to look up to me. And i want the father to always help me

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
My heart is set on you- Point of Grace
Of course he knows my heart always belongs to him, no space for anyone else...no other love will do!

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Give Thanks- Don Moen
I think my parents will always give thanks when they remember me. And oh yes my name even testifies to that!

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
If Love Is A Crime- 2Face Idibia
I don’t know if this can be a wedding song, I definitely din’t dance to this on my wedding day but still everytime that i look into his eyes.....fill in the gap

WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Shout to the Lord- Darlene Zschech
Yes o there is none like the Lord, i will be with him so they can as well worship Him on my behalf after i have lived a good, godly and full life

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
More Love More Power- Michael W Smith
Hmmm i always want to show someone love anyways

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Promise- Darlene Zschech
My biggest secret...running into God arms when i think i have fallen out of grace, weeping my eyes out in His presence and telling Him to meet my needs

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Spirit- R Kelly
The Spirit leads us and brings us together...He guides us together

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
All I’ll Ever Need- Point of Grace
Yes o God is all I’ll ever need!

I had a lot of fun doing this!
I’m not tagging anyone because i think almost everyone has done it! Except me of course!

A real post will follow this soon..feeling lazy at the moment and i think i am battling with flu...will soon go sleep my eyes out! Cheers

Unwanted Attention!

She was going to meet her hubby for a night out, he was on the Island, they were going to see a movie, it was about 7pm, she was looking very good that evening after taking special care to make herself look beautiful that evening.

She waited for a cab, looked like most of them didn't want to go to the Island and she was beginning to wonder if she would find one, it looked like all the cab drivers had sworn off the Island. Then a brand new Honda drove past, the guy took a look, drove forward a bit and parked his car. Then he walked back towards her and said 'hey, how you doing?' She gave him a killer look then he said 'sorry i have seen your wedding ring, just admiring you', a cab came along and she walked off briskly to negogiate with the cab driver.

Some days later she was walking on her street, a few guys who looked like they were in their early twenties stood outside a boutique doing the usual jobless guy thingy, probably passing comments about any lady walking on the road. One walked towards her and sad hello, she raised her eyebrows and said hello with a question mark. He said 'i just...'She didn't let him finish, all the while she was walking, she turned back, gave him another look that said 'back off' and waslked off wondering what it was with her and these randon guys.

She got to the filling station where she was going to buy fuel and the filling station attendant was stepping to her. He said 'omoge bawo ni' (young lady, how're you?). 'This rubbish will not end', she thought, 'do i carry a mark on my head that says 'guys step to me'? She decided to pretend not to understand Yoruba. Some riff raffs, that's what she'll call them also atttempted to say hi and she pretended she could not hear them. Seething she carried her fuel and left the filling station. She has been negotiating with a cab guy in the station and the guys were trying to butt in, when the cab guy decided to go her way, the guys were shouting 'omoge, ma bo' (young lady,come back), She didn't turn back afterall at the moment, she didn't understand Yoruba. She walked to the junction with her keg of fuel and the cab driver came there to meet her.

A boy in the market grinding pepper was very rude. The pepper seller gave the pepper to him to grind for her and when she asked him for it, he told her 'lo gba nylon wa' (go and collect nylon for me). She wanted to be sure he was addressing her and she asked him. He shouted back and said 'en iwo ni mo n ba wi, se oo gbo ni'(i am talking you, yes, can't you hear me). She was so upset, she gave him a piece of her mind not minding she was in the market..'oo ri pe o baje, i de go, iwo alaileko omo yi, se mo jo egbe e ni' (You are very rude and have no training, do i look like your mate?). She stormed off and told the pepper seller to go and pick up the pepper or give her money back to her. The woman was very apologetic and all the women around apologised for the guy's obvious rudeness. She was still seething. Someone advised her to go and add some weight so she could look her weight or dress a in a more matured manner. What is wrong with wearing jeans and a nice top?

She has several other tales...she wonders if it's a commong thing with all ladies or is it that she just doesn't look her age. She is a young woman who is closer to 30 than 25...she just wonders..It is said to be a good thing though and she should be flattered that guys always look her way...maybe she's a little bit flattered...

And yes you guessed right, it's moi!I am a married woman- very happily so if i may add, guys back off!

9JA Parties & Money Spraying

I don't really like attending parties but had to attend two this weekend. I just don't like sitting down at a party and eating and drinking, seems like a waste of time to me…I guess that's strange for a Nigerian. Naija!!! We love parties!!! Every opportunity to get together and make merry and wine and dine is welcome. It's not like I don't attend parties but I just want to make sure it's important I am there...I guess they can be time wasters! But sa, I still love the way people party, have fun and laugh...we have a rich culture i must say! Anyway my digression is too much. The post is not about me and whether I like parties or not...who am i out of at least 50 million Nigerians who love to party! Lol

So a friend of mine from Uni days got married this last weekend and I went to perform my friendly duty. Thursday was the engagement; I drove over two hours to get there...thanks to the useless traffic in Lagos. They were just starting when I got there and I could see a live band already set up. It reminded me of my own wedding, we had a live band too and the guy just wouldn't stop playing even after the engagement had long finished and all the dancing groups had left the dance floor. The guy was out for blood...lo...he had to make money from spraying!

That brings me to my point...i thought the Federal Government had banned the spraying of money at parties! This weekend changed my mind though and made me wonder if we can ever lose this culture that is so ingrained in our system! It's like a part of our make up...you think parties, you think lots of food and drinks, dancing, you think spraying the celebrant money...and so on.

So I went for my friend's wedding on Saturday and it was time for the couple to dance, a lot of people had been abiding by the rule not to spray money at parties or so I thought and assumed it would be the same here. I didn't go with mint...lol

Some people had improvised at other parties I attended where they placed a tray in front of the dancing couple or celebrant for the money to be dropped but to tell you the truth, that doesn't have the feel of spraying money at least to me. So here we were at my firend's wedding and people were spraying money, no one was stopping them! And me sef i went and sprayed some money...lol...(got someone to change money for me)

Yesterday also, my neighbour (Mrs Neighbour) was celebrating the birth of her son...this son was born almost 3 months ago o! You see when I say any opportunity to have a party is welcome in Naija..she invited hubby and I, We really didn't want to go but she made a big point of it and even her husband invited us. They started like 4 pm and from our flat, we could hear the loud music being played, she lives opposite my house o...anyway, we went there like past 7pm and stayed for about 30 minutes. Aproko that we are, we were wondering like how much money they would have spent...there were beer and wine bottles on all the tables, people were still drinking, they had Asun (barbeque goat...hope i'm right..lol)...in short enough to eat.

Mrs Neighbour and a few of her friends were dancing to an Obey record when we got there..and yes, they were spraying money!!! And no, you're wrong; I didn't get up to spray this time. Me and hubby even looked like misfits there with everyone dressed in native attires and us wearing jeans and Tshirts and not taking any of the drinks offered except water and juice. Sure they thought we were aliens...hehehe

Anyway, so they were spraying money and it made me wonder if the law would ever hold water in Naija! Or if it will go like the way of most policies that are implemented for a short while and soon after they're forgotten.

What do you thing guys, can we ever stop spraying money at our parties? Is it a good law or is it unimportant? Does spraying money mean we don't value our currency??? I really don't know where I stand, to be honest...but I can live with any!

I have a testimony, PHCN has finally decided to give us a routine and for the past one and half weeks, we have power supply between 12 midnight and 12 noon...praise the Lord!

Have a great week y'all!

Nephew's Antics!

My sister in law has a 20 month old son and i love him to bits! He's my pal (as most kids are) and i have taught him a lot of antics but the boy is getting beyond me o...help! I have Yahoozee on my phone and sometimes play it for him, now when he sees me, he brings the phone to me and says ''Yahoo'' so i play it for him and believe me, the boy knows a few of the yahoozee steps...sometimes i wonder, have i been a good influence? lol. He knows how to peck when you say give me a peck, he holds your neck and gives you one on both cheeks, he's adorable when he does it! He knows how to chop knuckle and high five...and he sometimes tranlates some of his words into yoruba language, incase you didn't hear him in English.

For example
Nephew: Jimme gasses (meaning Give me glasses). He loves wearing glasses, he's fascinated with them. When i am wearing fashion glasses i can allow him but not my prescription ones
Me: What? (Pretending not to know what he has said)
Nephew: Jimme gasses
Me: No
Nephew: (Now raising his voice) Funmi gasses..

I just burst out laughing because i didn't expect him to get so creative and no he didn't get the glasses...lol

He knows where to take off the TV if you're watching something he doesn't want. He takes it off, stands triumphant in front of the TV and shouts Bayin! (Barney). The first time i saw him do it, i was amazed...now he just shouts Bayin all over the house, i wonder what is with kids and that Barney sef!

He has taken to sometimes calling his mum 'Honey' because his father calls her that...lol
For a long time, my husband and i had the same name to him, he just decided one day to call us both the same name and i had to answer by force, now when i see him, he calls Aunty like 50 times, thank God for school in his life...

Now to what baffles me, a few days ago...since i work from home now and he had an eye accident at home, i said his mum should send him over instead of sending him to the school with his black eye...so he came over to my house and spent the whole day. I was dressing up, then he came into the room, i didn't see any need to send him out...then he looked at me and said ''See your best (breast)''. I was so shocked i asked what he said and he raised his voice this time and shouted ''See your byest''. How can a twenty month old say something like that??? I promptly sent him out of the room and found him a toy in the living room. God have mercy!

A few weeks ago, his mum had mentioned that he was begging her for byest as she fed his sister. He demanded water and when they brought it, he shook his head and pointed to her chest as she breast fed the baby. She told him no, it's for baby and the next thing he was saying ''pyis, jimme some''...she refused but i guess his fasination with breasts started sometime around then...

So when i read a blog last week and the topic was whether to bath with our kids, i say NO, i shall not be bathing with my kids, thank you! These days they say amazing things!!!

Do you have any kids antics? Please share! Lol

He loves me even as I'm a year older!!!

Recently i got discouraged, disappointed and depressed about some things that have happened in my life (some i might share later) and i was wondering if God really loved me but when i sat down and thought about a few events that took place also, i can't doubt that He loves me. And don't i always say He never promised us a trouble free life? He just said he will be with us even in the fire...it means the fire might come!

These two events remind me of God's love for me and i want to share them...

Several weeks back, i was driving from Victoria Island through Kingsway road in Ikoyi and was going to pick hubby up from work. There was a bit of traffic, i was giving a colleague of mine a lift...we were the last in line, picture all these things as i say them. The car had given me some signs i didn't like earlier so i decided to wind down. I was feeling very good, chic driving a nice car, chatting with colleague listening to music...it was getting dark, like i said we were the last in line....traffic stopped moving, the street light was red for us...next thing, i saw a hand stretch into the car and my first thought was this beggar is very brave sa!

Then he was saying something,my music was too loud, i couldn't hear him, then i heard ...''sisters, your phone, now!''...
I thought oh am i being robbed, silly i know, wasn't it obvious i was going to be robbed. When i got my present phone, a Nokia N73 music edition, (i had just had a Nokia N73 that was my birthday gift last year stolen from me in less than a month that he gave me...so this one was a replacement), i prayed over it and told God this one must not be stolen....why should i keep losing things when i pay my tithe...it's worked because on several occasions i'd have lost it but i digress. It was in my pocket, usually i would put it in the cup holder but as i was leaving the office, i had the urge to put it in my pocket which i obeyed...it wasn't in view...one problem though, my colleague was holding hers and was too frozen to do anything...the robber was right beside her! It was dark, the phone was black so i guess he didn't really see.

My brain switched into action mode and i quickly did the central lock waiting for my opportunity to do wind up...thank God for automatics these days...well he found me out so he said..''don't do anything funny, this is acid...'', he pushed a bottle forward.. ''and i've got a gun''..., he showed us. Who wants to find out if it's real acid or a toy gun...I was muttering Jesus and was determined not to give him my phone...risky i know! But i felt very bold at the time...

My handbag was on the backseat so i told him, 'you'll have to hold on, my bag is at the back and it has my phone in it. I'm driving so i can't reach for the bag, i'll need to pack to give it to you''...I was waiting for my opportunity, my hand was on the window control, i saw his hand move from my window to adjust something on him and i quickly wound up...wow, one hurdle crossed, he was going to pound on the window or something...and right in front of me, i saw the traffic move, that very minute!

I pressed on the accelerator and the car refused to move, guess it was my panic, my colleague shouted ''move the car'' and i shouted back ''i am trying to move''...Well the car accelerated and i sped like i haven't done before, taking the next available turn...it was then my brain realised what had just happened and i was shaking...I immediately placed a call to hubby and told him...''i just acted in a home video...and was saved miraculously''. He was probably more shaken than i was...lol

I've heard of people being robbed in traffic, it was my first experience, and God saved me. I'll never be robbed!!! God loves me

The second incident was last week, i'd just gotten some unexpected news, seemed like bad news at the time and hubby came to pick me from work...i needed to get to the publishers so he dropped off in his office and gave me the car. It was a bit of a stretch from Ikoyi to Onika..the car acted funny twice like it was going to stop but continued moving and i was wondering what could be wrong. It was only serviced a few days before then...i was now on Awolowo road, then i got almost to the end and it stopped.

A Total filling station was just a few metres ahead...then i remembered the fuel guage wasn't working...we usually fill it up once a week over the weekend..i called hubby to find out if he filled the tank over the weekend...it was a tuesday and he said oh no, he forgot. So i thought, it must be fuel and right in front of me was a filling station. How would i get the fuel? Some guy selling stuff along the road waslked up to me, found a jerry can, took money and went to buy the fuel, got a funnel and filled the car. I started it and my suspicion was confirmed, it was fuel!

I asked myself loads of questions...what if the car had stopped very far away from a fillign station? It could have, it had given me the signs but God worked it out in my favour...

Oh i said two things but i shouldn't forget to add that it was my birthday on Tuesday the 17th, i'm glad He added another year to my life. Unlike most of my birthdays, this one was mostly quiet till the evening when hubby and i with a few family members went for dinner at a Chinese restaurant..i got a nice set of Swarovski jewellery from him and a new frame for my glasses! yippee! Thank you Lord for keeping me!

We might feel unloved by God, circumstances might seem not to be in our favour but when we look deep enough, we find reasons to be joyful and thankful...

He loves me and He loves you!

Quirky Stuff About Me + Quick Update!

I got tagged ages ago by aloted and sagacite but i've been too busy to update my blog...

The rules are:
1. Link the person who tagged you to this post
2. Mention the rules in your blog
3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged

This meme is about any particular mannerism you have, ok?

I did something a while back like this, hope i can still find six things i haven't said...how quirky can a human being get?

1. I tend to forget things everywhere i go. It's so bad that when something is out of place in the office, like a glass of water by the workstation, someone is calling my name. Last week i left my phone in a cab, i got it back though...

2. My first real boyfriend is my husband...(is that quirky?) and he was the one that taught me to kiss...OMG, did i just say that?

3. I would rather write my deepest feelings than say them. I write better than i speak. When hubby and i first started dating, i would write him letters to say how i felt. I just could not bring myself to say i love you in words or tell my friends how much i mean to them. I could write two full pages though...is that weird? Think i've outgrown that a bit but i think i still write better than i speak. Reminds me of an issue i had to thrash with someone at work, so i could express myself well, i had to send an email...lol

4. I have very very few friends but loads of acquaintances...I choose my friends like you would choose a lover..maybe i don't choose but we have to have a deep connection..like a spark..am i weird?

5. I don't drink coffee anymore...i cannot stand the smell.I used to like it but now even the smell makes my stomach churn...i move away once i see you holding a cup of coffee

6. I hate taking orders from anyone! Is that a problem? I'd rather just do my own thing...

Ok i think i have tried with the quirky stuff, though i wonder if they're really quirky..i am tagging favoured girl..everyone else seems to have done this!

On Me..

I have been so busy recently i have not even been able to do my blog rounds..TV production is a lot of work! But it's fun all the same..I finally finished my episodes and i had my first baptism into the world of being a producer...already thinking of greater things...open my eyes oh Lord!

It's my birth month, my birthday is in less than two weeks and i'm wondering how it'll be this year...second one as a Mrs..hubby made sure i enjoyed the last one, see my post on my last brithday here

Now that i'm taking my writing more seriously, doors are starting to open...there's so much to do, so much i can do...it brings me to the conclusion...i am a writer at heart and for real!

Will try to stay here more often, thanks for looking for me aijay and afrobabe...I'm here!

Mrs Neighbour and other Women!

So i was having a discussion with a few of my colleagues today and someone out of the blues asked a question; if your hubby happened to have a mistress, how would you deal with it? I was the only married person around, so i took it personal...lol...i said my hubby cannot have a mistress, so i cannot come up with how i would react...she goes what if? I said no, there is no what if! And i am right, hubby is God fearing, never been randy and more importantly, i pray for God to keep him and He does! I know he won't!

Anyway, i digress, the gist is not really about hubby and i...apparently my colleague was reading some stuff online and most women responded that it is not a new thing for their men to cheat and so long as they have their place, it's OK.

We went on to discuss how it is actually more of a norm for women to think that way and that the women who think their men would not cheat or do not have a right to cheat are in a minority like me! Ladies, what do you think? Then i go back memory lane, i was in 200 level in OAU and my roommates are having a discussion and they come up with one conclusion,

their husbands have to slap them around at least once so they can respect him!

I was in the minority, i was like what? God forbid, if a man slaps me, i would find it hard to get over it. In fact i thought what would i have to do for the guy to get to that point?? Haba! I digress again but my point is actually that it buttresses to me that some women actually have this mindset...

So fast forward to eight years, i meet a neighbour at a salon, we never knew we were neighbours (not like next door, her house is adjacent mine)...you know how conversations go in salons, so we got talking! For the purpose of this post and subsequent ones if i get to do them, i shall call her Mrs neighbour. My own thought was God have mercy, this woman can talk. In the one hour we spent together, i could summarise her love life story! She had been married to a young guy and somehow they had family interference and after their first kid, they got a divorce. She is now married to a much older man who was a divorcee...and although she's had some issues with the family, everything is ok and she is even pregnant with their first child together...Congratulations! lol

So we walked to our street together, actually that's how we knew we were neighbours and we exchanged numbers after we found out we were even from the same state...maybe i shouldn't have but for now, I'll save that gist...so we start to keep in touch once in a while, me mainly by text messages. She made the first move to visit me...will save that gist too for now, cos i am digressing too much now! Mrs neighbour starts talking about different things and i only nod or laugh and she mentions she knows her husband has girlfriends but that once they don't come near her house, and her position is secure, she has no problem with it. She goes on to mention a few of her friends who know about their husbands' affairs and how they don't seem to mind...She mentioned a few who reacted and how things turned out badly.

By now, i was telling myself, writefreak, what have you gotten yourself into? Who is this woman? Yours truly just sat down there smiling a foolish smile and thinking, this woman and i are worlds apart.

So i got myself a friend who thinks it's ok, her husband can cheat on her so long as she has her place in his home, she has friends who believe the same thing, she is married to a man who can almost be my father, the list continues...and i am trying my best to keep her at bay and get her off my back...

Guess i will continue with Mrs Neighbour part 2. Will love to hear what you have to say. Do you think it's right for a lady to expect her hubby/man to cheat on her? Do men have to beat women to earn respect? It annoys me even as i type the question!

Wanted!

Hi people, do you know any lady who has helped another lady achieve something great, maybe to start a business, go to school or was there for the person in a trying time, i need examples of such people as i am working on something that is meant to showcase ladies who have been there for each other

Also do you know anyone who used to be a member of Reverend Kings' church and has now left? I am working on a feature on him and i need such people to be interviewed...

Do you know anyone who has a very good relationship with their father...a daughter or son, a relationship that is a model one, it could be a biological or foster father, also need such people for a feature i am working on

Good people, i hope to hear from you soon...

Please note that these people should be resident in Nigeria so it would be easy to get through to them.

Thank you

Right Direction!

Oh my it's been almost a month since i updated! Men i have been so busy, just three weeks after i did my last post, i got a call to attend an interview, i applied to be a writer somewhere...it's amazing how you see opportunities when you decide to! I had always told myself there were limited writing roles...until i decided i was going to do things in line with my gift!

So i went for the interview, and like 25 people were there, i was shocked because i didn't expect that many people! Well i knew i could do it! Lemme not bore you with the details, i was eventually 5 out of the 25 people that made the list! To think i wasn't considering a job anymore, infact i had to think hard about it! But it was an opportunity in the very right direction, i get to write and some good exposure to TV...might give the job details later, for now, let's leave it at that.

Truth is the money isn't the motivation, infact, if that was it then i shouldn't have taken the job but to tell you the truth, i have decided money does not necessarily have to come from work, there are different ways of making money, i love my new job and i am so enjoying it! And i am meeting loads of people! It's fun.

On the book side, i have sent it to some publishers and i am getting some feedbac, not bad ones, i'm praying it is accepted! So join me in praying for a quick acceptance...that book's gotta be published real soon!

God has been good to me, there are still things i am believing Him for, of course we always have to believe, and i know He will do exceedingly abundantly more than i could ever ask or think in His time! What do you think guys maybe i should write something on God's time....

Hope not to stay away too long this time...just been very very busy!

I'm Coming Out!

As i write i sing this song, only i have forgotten the artist who sang it...doesn't matter though...at least not to me! It captures the essence of how i feel

I'm coming
I'm coming out
I want the world to know...

Where have i been? I haven't even visited my own blog in weeks! See, my people so much has been happening!

This update is not about any inspiring topic, it's about moi and things that have been happening in my life in the past few weeks that i've been awol, nah it's not another Ghana trip, this time it's a journey of my life.

Ok so i finally quit! I stepped out in faith, after much deliberation and prayer between hubby and i, we decided it was time to move out of the comfort zone and launch my net into the deep! After several months of dissatisfaction and asking myself shall i, shall i not, I acted on my own message, sat at my computer and sacked my boss! Yes i mean i fired my boss! I had typed a sample of my resignation about 6 months earlier, just did not have enough guts to do it but i guess the time is right now!

To a lot of colleagues and friends, i took a very wrong decision, why would you leave a job you have at hand for something you do not have yet? So many tried to dissuade me. So are you going to become a housewife now? A bird in hand is better than two in the bush! No! I beg to disagree...the bird in your hand might be dead already, why not go look for something fresh? Why cling to something that is dying or not meeting your needs!

No man would ever excel without taking risks. If i do not pursue my dreams now or fulfill the nudges in my heart, when will i get to do these things? Life is not about getting a job and just doing it. For me, it's about doing something i love and contributing my quota to my society...i have been able to sit down and come up with a few things i love to do and after 6 years of graduation, i am reinventing myself and on the path to becoming the best that i can be! I am still thinking and working on it and oh yes i will get there!

And of course! Thanks to my wondeful hubby who sees the best in me all the time and encourages me to acknowledge the good things in me!

Lesson from an ATM Machine- Just One More Push!

I slotted my card into the ATM machine, and heard 'please enter your secret number', i did this and punched in the amount i wanted. I waited, and all of a sudden it flashed, 'financial institution not available'. I removed my card, pissed at my bank, 'damn! that always happens when you need money desperately'. I had been through this same road so many times, it was like dejavu, this always happens! There was a particular day i tried my card in several machines throughout the whole day and i got no cash, i mean ZILCH.

I turned back and was going to leave the bank, then it occured to me to try the card again, it was immediately, i argued with myself that the financial institution would still be unavailable but decided to give it the benfit of doubt, i slotted it in, and repeated the procedure i knew too well, i heard the sound of the macine bringing out money and almost couldn't believe it. It gave me CASH! Thank God, i whispered as i retrieved my cash and card.

I walked out of the bank feeling good and then i heard within me, 'hope you learnt a lesson there' and i thought what lesson. It then occured to me there have been several times i've given up too soon on things i should have done because they were not working out the way i thought they should. I would try and once i thought whatever it was i was doing wasn't working, subconsciously i dropped it.

I had memories of times i had tried to do things and it looked like i failed and i had allowed such memories to hinder me sometimes in persevering in other things till i got what i wanted. As i saw the message 'financial institution not available', i remembered the so many times i had inserted my atm card and got that message over and over all day and that almost stopped me from trying one more time. Sometimes, it's just the one more time that's needed to get us to our desire or goal but we give up too soon.

It occured to me i had to wipe out of my brain or choose not to remember the different times things have not worked out. I have to be willing to persevere for whatever i want and always try the one more push which sometimes makes a difference between a woman giving birth through CS and a woman doing natural birth. Sometimes, it's just the willingness to push one more time that makes the difference!

Can i Walk on Water???

Step on the water, you can do it, walk towards me, yes you can walk on the water...as you see me do it, you also can...

He stepped on the water in response,he was actually walking on it! doing the impossible! He could do it, he was ecstatic! And then he looked around, he looked at the water, he looked at the rest of the people in the boat, they're not doing the same thing he's doing...no, he definitely can't be doing this! He was defying natural laws, it was impossible, how could he? Then he noticed he was losing his stand, gradually he began to sink...he couldn't do what he did just a few minutes ago anymore, he had considered the outward circumstances and all the false evidences appearing real...so he started to sink

Then he called to Him and He stretched forth his hand and caught him saying 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' His name is Jesus and his name is Peter. Jesus told Peter he began to sink because he allowed circumstances around him to dictate his response.

I'm so sure most of us are familiar with this story, yeah it's from the bible and when i think deeply about it, it applies to my daily life and that of most of us. I want the circumstances to be right before doing anything, i know what to do inside me but i want to wait for the signs, i don't want to step out on a limbo...i don't want to walk in blind faith but He says that's the way to go...

Without faith it is impossible to please God, without faith one cannot reach the great heights of life, without faith, we can not step out and achieve all that God has destined us to achieve, without faith we'll cling to dead dreams and visions and refuse to see new horizons...without faith, we will live life on a mediocre level...

How many times have we known the right thing to do but allowed the circumstances around to dictate our reaction or hinder us from doing what we need to do. How many times have we chosen to stay in our comfort zones and refused to step out in faith knowing when we start to sink in case we doubt, He'll stretch forth His hands to catch us.

Daily i'm learning it's very easy to live a mediocre life, make no sacrifices, take no risks, have no faith, just do the average that is required to get by in life and in the end look around and envy the people doing great things and allowing Him to take the lead. I have decided i am going to step on the water, and if i start to sink, He'll stretch forth His hand to carry me. And i will renew my faith again!

Selah!

Happy New year my peeps

It's a new year and i'm very excited becuase it will definitely be a good year!
Hope you all had fun over the Xmas and New year breaks. I did although i worked some of it.

My Christmas was spent with my family back home in our 'village', it's a once in a year event my dad instilled in us as kids but i haven't been there for the celebration for the past 7 years so when hubby agreed we should go, i was really looking forward to it. It's usually a time of reunion not only with my immediate family but also the extended one; usually a time of much eating and visitation! Well we went and had fun but it was so so cold, i was sneezing and blowing my nose throughout christmas day. It was fun all the same

I meant to type a longer post and fill y'all in on what went down at Xmas and new year but don't have the energy, i've been under the weather, not been at work this week at all. Just wanted to update at least so all the people leaving me messages to update would know that it's not deliberate...lol...i have things to write, stuff to pour out but don't have the energy

I forgot to mention in my previous posts that i met favouredgirl in real life and we hit it off. We had been chatting several hours before then so it was like a continuation. I thank blogville for giving me an extra friend. We're kindred spirits! Was at a bloggers event last Saturday and it was nice to put faces to some of the blogs i visit often, we had fun and hope we can do it again.

Well, i'll leave you with a food for thought. Do you have goals for this year or did you just make resolutions? Resolultions to me are wishful thinking, things you'd love to do but goals are targets you set for yourself with ways on how to achieve them. My pastor encourages us all to write our goals forthe new year, every December 31st, that takes me through a thinking process and makes me reach deep into myself. I hardly sit down to think, dunno if it's good or bad. I have goals for this year and i'm giving God something to work with and i know i will achieve more than those set goal. I hope you have your goals for the year written down.

I wish you well in the new year, i wish you lots of happiness, i wish you loads of blessings and i'll say this prayer for you:

'May God keep you and yours and may His face shine upon you'

Have a happy year everyone and blog soon!

7 Randon/Weird Facts about me- Tagged by Arewa and Aloted

It took me over three weeks to come up with these facts, yes three whole weeks!....thanks arewa for picking my brain and making me think deeply o, pay day is coming believe me! and aloted for making me finally do this! I definitely didn't think it would be this hard..i finally came up with a list and it's even longer than seven..lol

I remember that as a kid, i would not allow a boy's body to touch mine. That probably stemmed from attending a girls' only school for a good while. I would rub and rub and try to clean off the touch if a boy's body mistakenly touched mine..silly i know.:)

I am a clean freak! The first thing i do once i get into my house is to get to the sink and wash my hands..if i don't, i'd feel like something's missing or wrong..lol. If i washed my plates and left them on the rack for a few minutes, i would still go ahead and rinse them if i wanted to eat something immediately..are you beginning to wonder if i'm ok?

I can't stand looking at the back of anyone's shoes even mine! Looking at them gives me a funny feeling so i always turn shoes over. I've done this since i was a kid! Even for guests' shoes! Lol

I always rub my feet together when sitting down especially if i have carpet under my feet. I'm doing that right now infact and it drives my hubby mad..hehehe. I think i inherited it from my mum i think!

I have very few girl friends who are close to me and with most of them it was 'love at first sight'. I just have to 'click' with my friends the first time we talk and i treat my friendships like i'm in a love relationship. Maybe that's why i don't have so many, maybe i scare them off.:-)lol..ask aloted!

My hubby is the first 'real' boyfriend i had. He was the first guy i allowed to hold my hands who didn't irritate me.. etc and my first kiss was also with him.:) i'm shy and covering my face right now

Most people who aren't tall love heels..i beg to differ..not like i'm really short, not talk either but i hate heels. You see this sister loves her comfort and would rather wear flats.:). I only wear heels when there are special occasions. Sister just can't be bothered with all that cat walking.:)

I sit in the most uncomfortable positions like folding my knees behind me and sitting on them. I carry my plate on my chest while eating and would almost always get stained while eating especially at home. I wonder how i achieve such feat! Hubby always asks how i do it!

I used to be a food hater when i was in uni..i would cook but could go days without food. There was a time a group of friends had to take me out to eat and forced me to eat the food after three days of starvation, i really don't know what was wrong with me then ..

Can you imagine that i thought i couldn't write this list..now i've added an extra and could really go on and on! Thanks for helping me reach within ladies! Now i'm tagging aijay(not sure if you've done yours), favoured girl and allied...

I hope i won't be begged to update again..life just gets so busy sometimes

Very Important Note
My blogville family, help me thank God. Sunday Dec 9, i could finally say Mr and i have celebrated a wedding anniversary together..it was our first..it's been a great year..the best ever for me! I hear couple fights are common place..for us, we're yet to have any fight or real argument(we disagree to agree later sometimes) in this one year and i pray the bliss continues. Someone told me..ha you're still on honeymoon..wait till real life starts but i'm proud to say for us..we're determined to have the honeymoon forever..so help us God! Help me thank God for giving me THE RIGHT MAN!

Mind Your Own Business/ Leave me Alone

Hi peeps..it's been some days since i last posted or snooped around blogs..ko le da na ni(it's so that things might be well):-) . I am now able to say confidently that i'm the proud owner of a manuscript of over 200 pages and over 83,000 words! I guess that's the easy part, now i have to start editing and talking to publishers . Hope things go real smooth and pretty fast, can't wait to start seeing my books on the shelves and people buying them.
I wonder if i'd have been able to write the book if i wasn't married to my dear hubby (he's my inspiration) and i'll say no..marriage has added so many blessings to my life! Soppy me..hehehe. Earlier this year or late last year, he took me to a book store, showed me the nigerian fiction shelf and said 'sweet, when am i going to see your book here..you have it in you..you're a beautiful writer, don't waste your talent'. That spurred me on and along the line when i've taken a rest to drink water and it looks like i'm camping there, he reminds me we have a target to finish before the year runs out..when i told him i finished the first draft..i could see the joy on his face and the look of accomplishment and it just makes me feel oh i married the right man. He delights in my accomplishment. Even if the book doesn't become a best seller or isn't very popular (i'm hoping for the two.:)), there's a sense of purpose here, i'm not burying my talent. There's so much more i have in here..not even scratching the surface yet but i know this year has been a complete turn around for me :)my life can't ever remain the same again.
To my blogville fans who keep encouraging me although they have no clue what i'm writing, thanks for your blind faith and kind words, means a lot to me. I'm blessed beyond measure. So guys watch out for me on the book shelves next year hopefully..

Now to the issue on my mind at the moment, it's bugging me a bit that people are finding it hard to mind their business, so if you're in that category, please be warned!
This might end up being a rant post, so please bear with me, just need to get some stuff off my chest.

Yours truly went for an old time friend's wedding and saw an old neighbour who also happens to be my mum's friend there and decided to be a nice girl..greeting the woman with as much enthusiasm as i felt and she motioned to me to come sit by her a while. Hubby had stepped out of the church service which was dragging so i thought there could be no harm. She hugged me and asked general 'i care' questions. Next thing this woman looked at my flat belly and said 'ki lo se e? (what's wrong with you)'. I had a bewildered look on my face and told her i'm fine ma. She said 'no o, so the story i heard is true. That you're waiting to buy a car before having kids! I had said i would come and meet you in lagos and talk some sense into your head. What kind of thinking is that?'' . All the while, the church service is still going on and she's ranting in yoruba trying to keep her voice low. Another old neighbour was seated to her right who was probably enjoying the free gist. I was so upset, i just plastered a stupid smile on my face and calmly told her i'm fine and she shouldn't worry about me and thinking 'my mum must hear this. Please where's hubby to save me from this witch of a woman'. I used hubby as excuse..told her i'll see her again and went to my seat fuming inside. Please tell me, what's her business? Even if it's true i'm saving up for a car(which isn't), does it concern her? I pity her sons' wives! We're not even related in any way o.

A friend who was at our wedding last year called me yesterday and asked how i'm doing. I haven't heard from her since then by the way, didn't even know she still has my number. She exchanged the usual pleasantries, how's your husband? How's your work? I told her fine and then she goes 'do you have a baby now?' and i said no. She said are you pregnant? I humour her and say no, then she says i hope everything's alright. I just wanted to check with you since i've not heard anything. And that another friend of hers who got married at the same time has a baby now, i couldn't wait for her to land anymore, had to cut her short. I told her congrats to your friends, we're not the same people though and we have different plans for our lives so does God. Thanks for checking up on me. It's highly appreciated. She promptly ended the call. Maybe she was expecting to hear tales of how i'm praying day and night and getting depressed. God forbid!

Those are just two instances out of so many and i'm wondering why people are so nosy and insensitive. Family will ask questions, friends will ask, neighbours will poke their noses. If something is going on in my life that you don't know, it means we're just not that close..get the message and don't ask me dumb questions. Does one need to ask a pregnant woman? My answer now is when it happens, you'll know..or maybe silence is even the best answer, what'd you guys think?

Why do people around here act like once you get married, a baby must show up in the next mine months??? What if i don't want my life that way? Does it never occur to them? Kids will make my life fuller and richer but while they're not yet there, i'll enjoy my life on the way to where i'm going. They should stop acting like i have problems. No thank you, my hubby and i are fine and enjoying life the way it is and looking forward to the future.

So do you guys think i have a right to be upset or not? I'm holding my head up and refusing to question what i know was a wise decision and looking forward to the blessing of a child. Should i kill myself because someone thinks i am not wise? Should i become a nut case because i am thought to be nonchallant? I don't want to, i refuse to, i'll be strong and keep my head up. But the society makes it so hard. There's pressure all around..to which i refuse to cave in though. I keep reminding myself of what my hubby says..'whatever is going on in our family is strictly OUR business!'. They should help us leave it as such.
Rant over now, how're you guys doing?

30 Days of Thankfulness- Day 21

So i got tagged by Aijay in this wonderful chain...Arewa, you tagged me, yes i know, still compiling my list of weird stuff and you'll get to see it soon. It's just a bit harder to do than this...apologies hun

Join me in the Thankfulness Chain....if you've been tagged, please complete the tag on the assigned day example... if you're tagged for November 21... that is day 21 and you should title your post 30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 21 provide a link to the person that tagged you previously Also provide a link to the two people that you're tagging for the next day so we can all follow the chain... Do let them know they're being tagged.. why they're being tagged, and how to grow the chain if you're unable to do the tag on your assigned day... still choose the day to reflect the date you do it (if you're choosing not to back date it) ...example... if you're tagged for November 25 but dont get to do it till November 27... and you're not back dating.. it's okay to do it as Day 27 you can post these rules or something to this effect to help it along.. :-)

For these reasons i am thankful o Lord:

I thank you o Lord for redeeming me from the jaws of hell and putting me on the right path..i have been redeemed by grace and because of this you call me no longer a sinner but a righteous daughter of yours....only you can do this Lord!

I'm grateful for my soul mate! You gave me a man who is crazy about me, a man who is always willing to stand up for me, protect and cherish me, a man who always makes me laugh and for this Lord i want to say i'll always be grateful and i'll always love this man; this man who, you have given me.

I thank you for my marriage, it's been blissful, it's almost a year now and we're yet to have our first fight, for this Lord i'm thankful, may our home always continue to be peaceful and full of your love...thank you father

For my unborn children, i am grateful because i know they will walk in your ways and fulfill your destiny for their lives. I know you're shaping their futures already. For being the beginning and the end, father be praised!

Lord i thank you for your protection and provision on myself and my family, for holding up your word that says only shouts of joy shall be heard in the habitations of the righteous! I praise you o Lord

My heavenly father, i am grateful for the challenges i face, they mould me, they shape me into who you want me to be. What would life be without its lessons? Meaningless! Challenges are the ways by which you teach me and i am so grateful for them! For the ones to come that i haven't faced, i say bring them on! God pass them!

Lord i'm grateful for friends you've given me, they're not many but they're wonderful and make my life beautiful, we share so many joys and laughters and when it's time to cry together, well...we let the tears flow...for this Lord i want to say thank you so much.

I am grateful for my potentials and the wonderful gifts you've given me father. You keep unfolding thwem to me one after the other. I am a bundle of potentials! Thank you Lord

I thank you for health, the gift of life, provision, my eyes, my legs and every part of my body, for every single promise in your Word, i praise you. I remember you said not a jot will go away without being fulfilled, oh i'm still going to see the fulfillment of many more wonderful things in my life and so for this Lord, i'm in awe of you

I'm thankful for Christmas, oh i love christmas, it reminds me that Jesus Christ was born for me and i really love the food and festivities :-)....thank you Lord because it's no longer far away.....

I also thank you for blogsville and for the wonderful people you connected me to through it. I laugh and cry while reading their posts and it's made my life richer. Thank you fatehr

These words are mine Lord, i thank you for who you are

Thank you Aijay for helping me to reflect on God's faithfulness, it's been a wonderful experience. I almost could go on and on and on because i'm remembering a lot of things God has taken me through this year, i have tears in my eyes, they are tears of joy for God's faithfulness and i celebrate them.

If you see your name on this list, then you've been tagged!
aloted,
omoalagbede,
solomonsydelle ,
olamild
and allied

Hope to read your thanksgiving letters, let's raise the roof with our praise!

Classics from work

Customer: Please my phone is saying 'fertility problem' and i can't make calls
Me: Did you say your phone is saying fertility problem?
Customer: Yes i did. That's what it is telling me

I needed to be sure i was hearing right and not my mind playing tricks, i was!I had been talking to so many people about babies and stuff, so it could have been my mind. This guy confirmed to me again that's what he said.
Ok, so i had to laugh, how does your phone have a fertility problem? Please does anyone know? I asked him to hold on and checked his line, what this guy was calling a fertility problem was a barring on his outgoing calls which he activated himself by the way? What do you do with this kind of person? Well, you look the other way at their seeming 'stupidity' and offer the help you can in your nicest voice. Tough,huh? Not really, can sometimes be fun

Customer 2: Network is refusing to be present in my area
Me: (Can't help being sarcastic)Excuse me, i'd like to confirm if you said network is not present in your area?
Who is taking attendance that network is not present...lol..If you don't have network, tell me there's no network in my area. Some of these guys in a bid to speal big English sound really idiotic

Customer 3 is Mr i'm feeling big who calls to say 'i work in so and so or i run my own business, been using my line for 5 years and i always recharge with huge amounts of money. When i bought this line it, was so many thousands, not now that every one can walk up and pick up a line'. This guy goes on and on about his status and i'm wondering 'oh please, get to the point'
Then he goes i'm finding it difficult to recharge my line (i'm like thank you Jesus, we finally get there) and then he goes on 'so i can't call my business partner'...bla bla and there we go again....Here i am feeling like telling this guy, can we cut out the crap and let's just deal with the issue? But work ethics command i have to find a way to be respectful and helpt his guy get to the point...Arrrrrggghhhhhhhhhh...that can be sometimes frustrating....

Let me spare you guys the rest or you want to hear more? Well, i'll determine if there'll be a part 2 from your responses...lol

Oh one more: I finish talking to this guy and then he says please may i have your name again, i tell him 'writefreak (of course not!), then he goes, from telecoms (mentions the name of my company) abi? Please isn't that dumb? Which number did he dial and what company was he calling?

On the personal end, been busy working on my book, i've missed my deadline of October end again (and my dear hubby is really upset with me, i wonder how he would be as a publisher. I so appreciate the push though, or else i would have packed up th book since, he's been a great encouragement) but good news i'm working on the final three chapters now, wish it could just end there. Nah, have to edit from the beginning, then start the publishing runs...i'll get there...

Ok peeps...later, i'm out, work calls!

My Learning Experience

I'm sorry for my absence, i am back. Alot has happened to me in the past week and i just haven't been able to blog or do a lot of other things for that matter and i'll share them now.So solomonsydelle and afrobabe, here's the update

Learning is a different experience for different people. This week, i have had some experiences which i'm trying to come to terms with or i've just gotten to accept. I started learning to drive properly in recent times since i have been very lazy about it. I used to leave the car at home and go out in cabs but has proved very inconvenient in recent times, i just hate the haggling and so on so i summoned courage and got hubby's permission to start taking the car. I arranged with one of my colleagues to be riding with me,and voila we were good to go. I had driven round my area for a while so i was gettng confident.

First day i drove to work, the car told me 'check coolant', meaning there was no water in the radiator, we put water and it started leaking, so i called the mechanic to meet me at home, only for us to drive a few metres and the car stopped. We waited there for over an hour, the guy came, attended to it and the car started. I was like so upset, considering i wanted to speand the rest of my afternoon writing after resting a bit. I closed from work at 1:30 and didn't get to my house till like past 4:00. It's only about 20 minutes journey. Hubby and i talked on the phone and we joked about it as part of driving experience, i felt better

The following day, i drove to work and back and there was no issue, so i begged my colleague that i needed fuel for our generator and also some for the car. We drove to the filling station and bought the fuel. I dropped my friend at his place, our houses are just about 5 minutes apart, was driving home jejelly (gently) and was entering a corner, when this car suddenly appeared in front of me, i didn't know what to do, i panicked, next thing our cars had kissed and then i remembered the brake...it was too late! Next thing i know i'm out of my car and shaking like a leaf! I called hubby and said, i have wrecked the front of the car and he was like 'oh my god!'. He wasn't around so he told me to call the mechanic. I called my colleague, i was on autopilot, i gave my car key to a guy i didn't know to help me move it off the road until some lady nudged me to enter the car, the guy could have been a thief! I got into it!

The guy in the car came to meet me asking what he would do now, apparently, he was a driver. i didn't even fully understand yet, my colleague came, the guy said his oga said we should come and meet him in his hospital since he's a doctor. We drove there. The owner of the car refused to come out to talk to use, he sent for his mechanic. We went back to the accident venue, the mechanic exclaimed hwen he saw the car. The left fender was damaged and the headlight was broken etc etc. He was able to drive it, then the owner came out to examine it, he was an Indian, he didn't even acknowledge my presence. He sent for his panel beater and then i was hearing i would need to buy him a new windscreen, new headlamps, new bumper, etc, i was like what? Was this guy waiting for someone to solve all the problems on his car? I'm not a racially prejudiced person but i've heard Indians are very harsh people, it was being confirmed to me live by this guy who was not even willing to hear that i had the L plate on and his driver was not smart enough to swerve for me, only stopped in front making me panic.

The banter went on with my two friends negotiating with them on what i would fix and not fix, and then he wanted me to use his panel beater, it was all getting too much so i decided to go have a talk to him and see if we could reach an agreement. I had spent almost 2 hours with him and i had not even started solving the problem of our own car with its expensive parts. I tried reasoning with him then he told me he treats his car like his patient and if there's a minor damage somewhere, then i would replace it. I flipped, here i was, three hours after leaving work, and tackling unexpected issues, the guy was not even willing to compromise, i could have gone to my house, but out of being a nice person i followed his malo (hausa) driver to meet him. I flipped and started raking for the guy who just entered into his office. i told him if he wanted his panel beater, then he should be prepared to solve the problem himself. I was raking like a mad woman, it was suddenly too much....

We took his car to the panel beater's and my mechanic took our away...i forgot the house keys in the car, the mechanic had to come back with it. Once i entered my house, i broke down, tears that i didn't know were there rose to the surface. It had been a really horibble day, hubby was not around to cry on his shoulders...Everyone kept telling me it was part of learning the ropes. Well hubby wasn't upset about it, he was trying his best to comfort me and even told me i have becoem an international driver. He's such a sweet guy. I cried and felt better

I thought about the whole situation and i decided i'm not buying any windscreen, i paid for the panel beating and will buy the lights, that's all i'm going to do. Thank God he doesn't have my phone number or house address, the guy was just too mean. Or what do you guys think i should do? Will appreciate your suggestions.

Car is being fixed now and life is going on, so that's what i've been up to my peeps!

Tripping in Ghana

One week has gone by since i ended my vacation and i've once again settled into the my normal life, it's not so bad afterall...lol. Part of the dividends of too much 'igbadun' (enjoyment) is the 4kg i added which i'm trying my best to lose...exercises and cutting down on night eating, i guess that should work. I don't want to be carrying any excess luggage around

I went to Ghana for a blissful week (i'm sure you guys have been wondering where i went, well, there, it's out). I've always wanted to visit that country btu somehow it never happened till this year, so close to Nigeria, yet so far...It's just about 45 minutes by air!

Well so hubby and i got to do this together. Yay! I didn't want to travel anywhere alone so i was really glad.Our flight was delayed for over an hour, although we had thought we were late. Very short flight, before i knew it, we were touching down in Accra. My lovely friend (aloted's) friend, Belinda (who is now my friend by the way) was waiting for us at the airport and she took us to the hotel she had booked for us...we were in transit, our main destination was a beach resort somewhere about 3 hours outside Accra.

Accra is a nice city but definitely less of the Lagos hustle and bustle, anyway, how many people live there?Twas a nice night, hubby had a swim, i couldn't i was too tired. We went to the Oxford Street and men, was night life thriving! This was a Tuesday evening and so many young people were out, i was like shocked! Or maybe it's because i don't really do night crawling in Lagos, we walked part of the street length listening to Naija music blaring on the sound systems, PSquared to be precise...I was really feeling it!

We arrived at the beach resort in the afternoon of the following day, this was definitely a very quiet area, well we wanted peace and somewhere out of the hustle and bustle and we got it! From our room, we could hear the ocean rumbling and hitting against the rocks, it was a wonderful sound.I can never tire of watching the ocean, it just gives me this sense of peace and assurance of God's promises. They're never ending like the water!

We visited the Slave castle on Thursday morning, we had a lot of company, a group of white guys were also visiting. The tour guide did a wonderful job, taking us through the different history of the castle and how the slave trade began. If not for God, i was starting to develop a hatred for whites. Ha! that was a real injustice, the dungeons were like hell holes, very tiny rooms where they would accommodate over 150 people with no ventilation, those people were wicked sa! The door of no return where the slaves were gone forever to the new world was so tiny and to imagine they were tied in chains! I'm so glad the slave trade was abolished long long before i was born...aren't you?

To more pleasant gist, we went to the Kankum National Park where we went on the trail above the canopy, it was like 280 feet above sea level or more...it was the most adventurous thing i've ever done in my life! On that canopy, i experienced several emotions, fear, joy, anxiety etc...you can't fall but the walkway is so narrow and one continues to sway..twas so much fun and then it rained while we were on the walkway and it was like God was giving us showers of blessing...
i took some pictures to congratulate myself on completing the walk on the trail.

The white guys wanted to see the crocodile fan, that held no fascination for me,i', an African, i don't need to be looking at crocodiles..we left them at the dam and we went back to our hotel...i was like so tired that evening...i had done enough for a day, the rest of the day was spent in bed:-)..did i hear some questions? Sure didn't

Following day, we went to buy our tickets to travel back to Accra, then we went to the University which reminded us pretty much of our own Uni. Then, we went to see the Cape Coast Slave castle, pretty much the same story as the first slave castle we saw. I fell in love with a ghanaian sauce called Shitor and i jep eating it with everything i could think of..Addiction! It was late, we went back to our hotel room...we wanted to swim but me, i was too tired!

Saturday, we left for Accra and went back to the hotel we stayed before...we spent some time cruising round the city in a friend's car and then bought quite an amount of wooden materials for ourselves and family...

Sunday come too soon, it was the day to leave. I woke up to a disappointment (don't wanna go into details) but hubby and i were determined not to have the day end like that. So what if i was hoping for something? More opportunities are ahead. We went to the beach and walked the length with our friend...then we went to one of the beach hotels, had a few drinks and spent some time talking and laughing...My friend introduced me to a Ghanaian guy who grew up in Naija and we spoke plenty Yoruba to each other, i'm sure she thought we were speaking in tongues.

Time to go, it was really had to say goodbye not only because i would miss my friends but because it was the end of the vacation. It was so much fun while it lasted and here i am adjusted to normal life again looking forward to my next vacation!

MIA

Did anyone knock on my door when i was away? Or did i hear someone say i missed you? For those that stopped by when i was away, thanks so much, i was on some remote island fulfilling a mission...lol

So i'm back and real life starts today, i wish i didn't really have to go back to work, i have so enjoyed my "faffing" life that i wish the end would not come. Every good book has an end i guess so i'm singing 'back to life, back to reality!' I had fun, lots of it, i really enjoyed myself and i have the excess 4kg that i added which i have to lose by all means in the next few weeks (since some of my clothes seem to be feeling tight now). I refuse to believe they're tight! Lol

I haven't written in a week, i continue today and hope to finish real soon, pray for me o! that i will be able to resist every temptation of chatting and reading blogs when i should be working.

Anyway, work starts today, need to prapare, will try and put up a post on my trip soon when i can get myself to sit down and do it,

Till then, enjoy y'all!