BACK FROM PRETORIA - brrrrrr....

I went to Pretoria as planned to visit my parents who had been burgled. It was wonderful to see them and my parents laptop has a camera at the top which enables her to speak to my sisters overseas. (I sound ignorant hey?). It was a real treat to speak to and see my sister who lives in Dubai, it is many years since we have seen one another but she seems to have changed not one bit!

The security of my parents house has been greatly improved, and there are "eyes" in the garden now too so anyone walking around on the premises is seen and reported in the house via a machine that can be taken to the bedroom, garage etc. My father calls it the "sqwak box", very descriptive!

The weather was another story however, coming from Durban we are not even wearing jerseys most of the time. However, for the past week it has, for us anyway, been FREEZING and the winter woollies and gymies have been haulled out of mothballs. However, at lease when it is cold we can dress for warmth, but in Durban in summer, especially February, you don't want to be here, neither do I. SO, I shall enjoy this wonder cold weather ........

INTRUDERS

INTRUDERS




INTRUDERS

Something happened a short while ago that I did believe could happen to anyone, not with the security of passwords etc.

I opened my blog which may not be very glorious to others but the posts I have here have been of occasions and incidents that mean something to and I hope to my family. If others enjoy them then that pleases me.

Can you imagine m y HORROR when I saw a post in MY space entitled "I WANT WHITE WIFE' and went on to say that, whoever this person was, he was Angolan, an accountant, loved a white woman and left an email address.

Hours of stressing as to how anyone could have logically managed to achieve what I thought would have been the impossible, left me stumped. My daughter Kerry who is a computer boffin, managed to delete it, and she then changed the password.

However, I use an internet cafe and a theory came to me, I may or may not be right, but I am sharing this with you so you too may be aware of what can happen on public computers.

I use the same internetcafe and to use the computers I have to buy time, am given a slip of paper with a password on it. The password has to be entered at the top of the screen, then next to it I must click "log on". This clears the wallpaper and I can now get into the computer, start and choose where I want to go.

What I had not realised (maybe, what do you think?) is that I had simply logged out without closing off all my files first. The next person to use the computer would have clicked on contined after entering their password and guess what, they would have been in step by step, and they would have had access to all the other sites I had visited, thus endangering others.

I now make very sure that I close everything and sign off before logging off.

I have often found myself in another persons emails and have had to sign off for them before I can access my mail.

It was a lesson I will not forget.

Family

IN ANTICIPATION OF NEXT WEEK

Since my parents were attacked in their home last week I have worried about them, but I shall be visiting them next week to see for myself that they are fine, and as they have a digital camera, I will post some photos for everyone.

CHILDREN VS PETS

EMPTY NEST SYNDROME/ ..... get a bird

..... or adopt 3 more kids, that' a lot easier.

We inherited a parrot from friends 3 years ago, a parrot, always wanted one, very intelligent and lots of fun to have around! Yeah right ........

Todate I am lucky to have all my fingers and toes, and the scars, well, they eventually fade.

She took over the moment she arrived and then went on to fall in love with my husband, and barely tolerate me. She and I, we have a long standing love/hate relationship. She uses me. If I am eating anything, she sucks up because, despite her less attractive qualities, she knows I have a soft spot for her and will give her some of what I am eating. If I drink anything, more of the same. Parrots have this habit of dunking crusts, buscuits, anything hardish into their water to soften it, but if my coffee is on hand that is even better. As a result, when I get to the end of my coffee I find all sorts of saturated disintegrated food stuffs in the bottom of my cup.

She is very possessive, my husband is hers, my bed is hers, my clothes and make up are all hers. Everything is hers, and I have had to literally fight her off if I get too close to that which is hers. If I try to iron my husband' s clothes whilst she is around, she lands in the middle of it and I have to shut her out of the room to complete my task.

The radio, tv, phone and anyone who wants to speak are all competition for her, and she screams over it all, she will out scream, out damage and out destroy any child. She saves the best for my husband. She fluffs herself up, making the most amazing clicking sound while she flattens her body and puts her wings out. This is the mating call. Then she sees me and becomes quite menopausal and irrational.

This love she has for him even extends to bathing with him. If he forgets to fill a large jug with water and set it down beside him, she lands in his bath with him.

I have to "parrot proof" the flat as even in the bird world idle minds are the devils workshop. There will be the contents of the dressing table, make up, tablets and even the contents of the rubbish bin strewn on the floor. No, she does not have a cage, only a parrot stand. I know, stupid hey.

The best time of the day, why, exactly the same for anyone who has spent an exhausing day with an active toddler, bedtime! She is put firmly on her perch, a sheet is thrown over the stand, and blanket over that.

So, read this when empty nest syndrome comes your way and you are considering alternatives, things are not always what they seem, and sheep definitely come in wolves clothing!