Catching up with (old) AGE?

My birthday is coming up soon, and with its impending arrival, all those philosphical thoughts firmly forced to the back of my mind are beginning insist that I pay them mind. Thoughts like where have the years gone by? I cannot believe I am this old and what have I achieved? And so on and so forth.

I am horrified by the realisation that if these were the bad old days, I would be a grandmother (that is if I had a daughter at 14, and she did the same of course). I have become a "nyakinywa", a matriach to the rest of the world, and consequently, I am becoming more like the boys on "Grumpy Old Men" as can be seen on BBC Two. I was shaken to find my head nodding in agreement with the likes of (Oh Dear God help me!!) Bob Geldof and his posse of middle-aged men as they complained about mobile phones, thongs, fast foods and the way the world is being ran.

So like the Nyakinywa I have become, I listing warning signs for all you bright young things to bear in mind when your times comes so that you can age gracefully (or not). It is not just the usual eyes going or aching back and knees, take that for granted, but things like fashions you wore a few decades ago that are now "dead trendy" say like miniskirts, bell-bottomed trousers and platform shoes (which contributed to the knee and back problem no doubt)

The list runs like this:
You know you are old if:

1. Instead of planning how you will "pull" that right tasty bloke, you start matching him up with your niece or next door neighbour's daughter (an "African niece" of course).
2. You see a young girl wearing a very short skirt and you are having to force yourself not to go and pull it down.
3. You do not have a date on Friday or Saturday. To be truthful you'd perfer not to go out on the weekends since you would rather rest up.
4. You want to leave the party early - because you want (yes you guessed it)to rest up.
5.Those children you carried on your back and whose diapers you changed have become your colleagues and confidantes
6. You start forecasting the weather through the various pains and aches in your knees
7. You are stuck on the last millenum's dance steps (who remembers the bump, the funky chicken or the hustle)?
8. The music you danced to back in the day (and is still fresh in your mind) is what is nowadays referred to as "Golden Oldies" or "Wazee Wakumbuka"
9. Like Tom Selleck in "Friends" who thought he was hanging with the guys but the guys thought he was the "most fun dad"!!
10. You start getting the names of your nieces and nephews mixed up and end up shouting all the names in the hopes that the one you want will answer you
11. The eyes are going, the ears and the knees
12. Horrors of horrors you have become your mother (or father)

The Lizard and the Iroko Tree

This morning my roomie must have thought she would have to call the nice men who drive the padded waggon to come for me. I bust into her room dancing and saying (I do not believe I was shouting) "It fits!! It fits!! It fits!!!" Yes, that pair of black jeans I had not been able to wear for over 4 years finally fits me - and with room to spare. I have not felt this trim for a very long time.

No it is not Atkins or some other exotic diet. Would you believe it is because of a few weeks in the Middlesex Hospital? While I do not advocate it, there seems to be a benefit to spending time in a hospital.

Roomie told me about that one of lizard and the Iroko tree when I told her that I was feeling like a peacock. Or else like the cock who says "If I do not praise myself who will praise me?"

Invaded by Jerry (of Tom & Jerry)

For over two years we have been sharing our living space with a family of mice. Yeech!!!!! You understand it is not our choice. Jerry did not ask to flatshare. One morning we woke up - and there he was. Ugh!! Yeech!!! How I loath the things.

Visualise my roomie and I, both Jerry phobic, ridding our flat of Jerry. What to do? Neither of us want to physically touch or see Jerry mouse, so nothing like mousetrap or rat poison. In year one, we got gizmos that emit a supersonic sound and was supposed to chase them away. It seemed to work because that winter, we did not see them. We lifted up glasses of cheer because I had got rid of the critters bila matata. Wapi!!! Kumbe Jerry was hidding next door, getting aclimatised to the supersonic sound because the following spring he wanted to share the flat with us more fully.

Come spring and they start reproducing and getting bolder. Can you imagine Jerry mouse staring at me as I eat, jumping all over cables, my feet and waiting for me to leave the kitchen so that they can go 'eat their dinner'. How I wished I was in Kenya. All I needed was a tabby cat and the problem was over.

Finally in frustration we bought stickly paper and this fearless hunter managed to trap FOUR - 4 - of the beasts. Of course I had to get the building supervisor to come and remove Jerry from the kitchen - which is their favourite place.

For about two months we have not seen Jerry - I believe that my fame as the fearless mouse killer has spread far and wide in the mouse kingdom and that they will stay away from my flat.

London united

At 12.00 noon (or thereabouts) everyone in London, including buses and taxis came to a halt to remember last week's event.

I was visiting someone when the hour came, and I joined her and all the people who live and work in that area (close to Warren street). It was a very moving event, and was a good idea. I pray that all who were affected in anyway will be healed.

It finally happened

So the bombing of London finally happened. Like all Londoners, I am still reeling from yesterday's bombing. I can't help feeling that the bombers failed in achieving their objective since they bombed ordinary people going about their daily business, not people with economic and political clout.

I was very proud to Londoners yesterday. The atmosphere of calm despite the weather (it was raining of course - in the summer but that is another story), the anxiety and tension in the air. None of this seemed to faze Londoners, we all walked home and stayed optimistic.

All I can say to the bombers is SHAME ON you are not looking for sympathy but to cause as much damamge as possible. I mean what sympathy will you ever get from the people of Kenya and Tanzania?

I am back!!!!

Hey everyone, friends and family.

I am back and ready to blog.

I have been taking a break - starting with a visit to the Middlesex Hospital in Camden over the Easter Holiday. But I believe that I am now all mended.

Thank you to everyone who sent me cards and flowers. All those who visited and who called my family. Thank you for your prayers and good wishes.

Uarida