Dear Mrs Reindeer

Today my heart is still lying around me in pieces. Generally I cope well with stressful and emotional situations, being an overly rational person, but, unfortunately, death does not fall into this category.

On Sunday afternoon my dearest dad phoned. I knew something was up the moment he said hi. His voice was strained and his generally upbeat mood was noticeably dark. He's usually the strong one, so he had to deliver the news, Mrs Reindeer died about an hour ago in the hospital......I hardly heard the rest.

Apparently you had been in hospital for two weeks, slowly fading away to the full 25kg you weighed at the time of your death. The parentals didn't want to tell me before as they knew the result was inevitable and I'd only have been distracted and unable to do anything about it. Ironic isn't it, how the only thing we never agreed on was the one thing that finally caused your sad and painful death.

You have been a part of my life for 18 years. You were always there to motivate me along the way. You saw potential and helped me to develop it, giving me a gentle push in the general direction of success and encouraging me to fly. During your lifetime you've touched so many young people's lives, showing them what they can accomplish if they only believe and taking little credit for the end result.

You were always quick to laugh, quick to love and quick to share a tear. The influence of your work can be seen everywhere in our little home town, and I pray that this is how you will be remembered. Proud, hard working, loving, caring, strong and full of life, not as a suffering ghost of yourself in hospital.

In a way I'm grateful I didn't have the opportunity to visit you in hospital. My memory of you will forever be of the wonderful and strong woman I discovered during the years I was fortunate enough to share with you.

I will pray for your husband, daughter and grandchildren. That they may experience peace and comfort in what will surely be a very trying time. Rest in peace Mrs Reindeer, the world will certainly be a whole lot poorer without you.

Love

Ruby

Dear Chamber

Sunday was your birthday, so Happy Birthday!!! Yes yes, i realise that the letter is a whole two days late, but considering that I spent most of your birthday with you I don't think you'll mind:)

On Saturday, as i was sitting down to think and to write something profound and interesting in your birthday card, I realised with a bit of a shock that we've been friends for 8 years....8 YEARS!!!! I suppose it doesn't sound like a hell of a long time to other people, but considering that we only met in our first year at uni...well, it's a long time. Then again, deep in my heart it feels as if I've known you my whole life.

Apart from my family, I don't think there is another human being on the face of this earth who understands me like you do. You are quick to share my humor, understand my need for both a wild social life and much alone time, to gently tease my weaknesses in ways only you could get away with, to cry with me when my heart breaks and to share loud laughter at every chance. You are the one person who reads me like a book, knowing every look, every smile, every gesture. The one who can spot my doubts a mile away and will set my mind and nerves at ease in such a way that nobody else will even notice.

We lived together for 4 years, and then we had to head off and face the grown up world, each in our own way, and yet we weren't alone. Each being there for the other, still sharing love, hurt, happiness, fears and experience regardless of the thousands of miles that separated us.

In a way, the last couple of months have been a little hard for me. I've been dreading losing you and at the same time I'm thrilled to see you so incredibly happy and in love. I think I was scared that it would be the end of an era for us. You being engaged and all. But as I was sitting there on Sunday with you and your fiance, I realised that rather than losing you our friendship has become ever so much deeper. And ultimately I've gained your husband to be as a new friend. He's not trying to steal you away from me. In fact, he's still trying to impress me and to let me know that his intentions are pure. He's a sweet, sweet man, and I'm eternally grateful that he is a part of your life. He makes you happy, any fool can see that.

So here's to you, my bestest best friend in the whole wide world. I hope that you had an absolutely fantastic day on Sunday, and that the year ahead will simply be amazing! That you will be blessed beyond belief and that this year, which includes your wedding, will be one of the most memorable ones. I love you my chamber and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

Love

Ruby
xxxxxxx


The chambers in action

Dear Being Brazen

These posts will always be addressed to you, as you were the one to inspire the "Current addictions" post. So here follows my current addictions

1. Chris ChameleonSeriously...I love this dude. He is a South African artist who has developed quite a following for both his Afrikaans and English albums. He has a way with words that I can only describe as delectable. I heart Chris Chameleon:)

2. Granny Smith ApplesOK, now i realize that you're probably sitting there shaking you head. Insane right?? How on earth can anyone be addicted to Apples?? I've always loved Granny Smith Apples, but in recent weeks it's escalated to a new level.

3. Kings of LeonNo comment needed me thinks:)

4. PilatesOnce again this is probably a really really strange addiction. I discovered pilates some time during last year, and I've been hooked ever since. Currently it helps to improve my mood in leaps and bounds and brings a welcome relief from jumping between work and assignments.

5. House hunting!!!Ok, so despite our current economic climate I'm looking to buy a townhouse. I've developed quite the passion for looking through the property section in newspapers and hopping around excitedly whenever I see a "For Sale" sign:)

Well Being Brazen, I hope that this give you a little bit more insight into the life and times of Ruby:)

Love

Ruby
xxxxx

Dear JMPD

Not usually being one to complain about the police, I hope you realize just how shocking, disturbing and sobering this experience must have been for me to be writing this letter.

On Wednesday morning, on my way to work, a JMPD vehicle almost rear ended me because the JMPD officer behind the wheel was on his cellphone and therefor not paying attention to what was going around him. Correct me if I'm wrong, but talking on your cellphone while driving is illegal in this country, isn't it?

Anyway, this wasn't nearly as disturbing as what happened next. Please note that the vehicle did not have it's sirens or flashing lights on, and was obviously not on it's way to some kind of an emergency. The vehicle proceeded to push me of the road, causing me to nearly roll my car, and then drove past throwing me a zap sign.....what the hell????? I was unable to take the vehicle's registration number as I was trying my best not to write off my own precious little car in the process.

Needless to say I was disturbed, upset and just a tad hysterical. I ended up crying all the way to work, ruining my make-up and developing an absolutely awful headache. After getting some tea from my precious Hilda(tea lady), to calm the nerves, I tried phoning the police department to lodge a complaint....no joy!

First of all I was informed that this was impossible, no police officer would push another car off the road and proceed to be rude about it. But when they finally agreed to take the complaint, I was informed that without a registration number I can't even lodge a complaint, or at least not one that would be taken seriously at all. I'm sorry, I couldn't take down the registration number because I was trying NOT TO GET KILLED!!!!!!

This is the second time in as many months that I've had a major problem with JMPD. One evening last month, a DRUNK police officer, actually tried to pull me over, after I instinctively hooted at him when he cut me off. He was swerving across the highway, drunk as a skunk, causing more than one person to have to veer off the highway in an attempt not to be hit.

Due to this I've lost all respect for our so-called law enforcers. I've always tried to remain positive and supportive wherever I can...but this is absolutely ridiculous.

Regards

A very upset Ruby

Dear Blue eyes

I have so many emotions and thoughts running around in my head that I have no idea how to put them down on paper, much less blurt them out in a conversation. I realise that I’m famous for my extreme and incurable case of Foot in Mouth disease, but there are times when even I struggle to grasp words, any words to express what’s going on in my little world.

We’ve been friends for a very long time the two of us. I was there when your whole world collapsed, I was there during the period that you rebuilt it...doing more than my fair share to help. I saw you meet the love of your life, and I made an effort to get to know her and to be her friend, initially for your sake, but later, for hers. She’s an amazing lady....full of love and charm and although she is in many ways the exact opposite of me, we get along like a house on fire. The only thing to ever mar our friendship was.....well...you. Even though she knows she has nothing to fear, she can’t help but feel insecure about our friendship. So we decided to bridge the gap for her.....we stopped sharing long standing private jokes, we ensured that we never spent time alone, always including her in everything...and it worked. Until now.

The other night you phoned me at about 9. Please could you come for coffee. I was under the impression that she would be joining us, and being the little night owl that I am, I didn’t mind. Great was my surprise when you showed up on your own. I was really glad to see you, but the first thing that jumped out of my mouth the second you got out of the car was:”Where is she??” You became slightly evasive and told me that she went on holiday with her folks.....leaving you behind for a week. I’ve never been good at keeping my mouth shut, so I just jumped right in and wanted to know why on earth she would go on holiday without you, considering that it would have been completely possible for you to join her....You didn’t have an answer.

It’s no secret between us that there was a stage, a couple of months before you got engaged, that you were in love with me...and passionately so. I didn’t feel the same, and after long talks you accepted it, you even managed to talk to you wife to be about it, telling her about your silliness and the realisation that it wasn’t real. I was relieved and happy that it was all out in the open, crisis averted.

I’ll be honest....I’m worried, really worried. The fact that you came to see me alone, hardly answered any of my questions about the two of you, and then proceeded to tell me that you didn’t tell her that you were coming to see me and would appreciate it if I didn’t tell her either......I’m actually feeling kind of sick with worry. You never seem to smile any more, yet when the two of you are together you act as if everything is just peachy, and maybe it is, I’m just not convinced.

I’ve given you an ultimatum. Tell her you came to visit me while she was away or I will. Maybe i’m making a mountain from a molehill. But considering the current situation, and the history, I don’t want anybody pointing fingers at me saying that I was the cause of a failed marriage. I didn’t do anything wrong, I know that much....but I need you to tell her that you were at my house...even if it’s only for the sake of my sanity.

You’re like my brother, and I would do almost anything to see you happy and excited about life. But I refuse to be part of something that makes me feel dirty, even though i didn’t do anything wrong. Am I just being paranoid? Do I have reason to be worried? Why does everything always have to be so complicated...*sigh*

Love

Ruby

Yay me!!!!!!

Ok, so as you've probably noticed, today's post aint a letter:) There is a reason for this, I swear and if you'll give me just a second of your time I'll get to it.

Today is my 100th post.....YAY ME!!!!! Despite numerous issues with Internet, periods of neurotic behaviour, cruises, 2 month breaks and scary stalker I finally made it! whoooop!

I've been over thinking this whole 100th post thing for waay too long...trying to figure out a way to make it interesting and memorable, and to my absolute horror I came up with.....well, nothing. Amid the tax deadline, which is today by the way, creativity seems to be lacking. Sorry:(

I thought about doing a post about interesting facts about me that you guys don't already know, but then decided to keep that in case somebody tags me for a meme....you never know with these bloggers. After much deliberation and weighing the pros and cons I finally decided to face one of my fears head on. I decided to post a couple of pictures me, Ruby, in real life. Now granted, I have posted pics with me in them in the last couple of weeks, but never have i specified that it's me and never of well....just me. The reason I have been so incredibly paranoid about this is because I've had my fair share of stalkers. The last one in fact turned out to be plain scary and perverted. All the readers out there who knew about this and how incredibly scary the last couple of months have been will be glad to know that I managed to get rid of him....and no, I'm not planning on divulging those details on my blog.

Please note that these pictures will only be on the blog for about 24hours, if you miss the window of opportunity to find out what I look like.....well....sorry for you!

This is like our "for giggles" signature pose or something......


At Hershey's chocolate world in Hershey, Pennsylvania......best hot choc ever!!!!!


In Mosselbay....Santos beach to be exact.

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Cocktail bar fun..whooop!


At AK's wedding actually

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OK, so I realise the post isn't exactly WOW material or anything, but this is me in all my glory.....well, almost anyway. And it took a lot of guts, being the paranoid person I am, so say nice things OK!

Kisses!

Dear ....ag man, everybody reading this

Now i realise that i told you guys that I wouldn't be doing one of these for some time to come. But I've had the most awesome news....so I have to share it. And since I'm super excited I'm having trouble being all creative and stuff.......so here goes......Little miss Ruby received her acceptance letter today:)

I'm doing my Masters in Forensic auditing y'all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love

Ruby
xxxx