A heartfelt retraction.

Yesterday when visiting my uncle I got in trouble. I wasn’t even inside the house when I was told he had a bone to pick with me. Immediately I realized what it was: I had forgotten to give him proper credit for having jumper cables in my car in Monday’s post. And as he then added, without him I wouldn’t even know what they are called. That might be true, but to be fair I got my driver’s license in Germany so would have only learned the German word. Starterkabel in case you wonder and should ever get stuck with an empty battery in Germany.
Though he declared that it was all too late and I just had to patiently sit in my dog box, I promised him I would print a retraction*. So here it goes: My wonderful uncle is not only responsible for my pretty decent driving skills as he taught me in Lesotho…

It's quite hard to find little me in this BIG car, but yup, there I am.

…he also taught me how to fish (not sure how that fits in with the cable part of the story, but I thought it noteworthy enough to mention and I really like the picture of me and the trout)...

…and he fetched me one night after a yoga class in Constantia and jump started my car as silly me had left the lights on and did not at the time have my own jumping cables. Before he grudgingly helped me out, he made me promise I get some cables immediately. Which I did two days later. Though Mark gets credit for actually buying them for me, because I wouldn’t even know where to look (Clicks maybe?) and he knew, if left to my own devices, I would never be able to fulfil my promise. 

Girls, I am telling you, if you don’t have a boyfriend/husband, an uncle like this really comes in handy and I love him dearly for it. Thank you, uncle, for making sure I have my own jumper cables!!

My favorite two men: Uncle left, my Dad right. Aren't they cute?

*Yes, I am aware that this is in fact not a proper retraction, more of an addition and an apology, but I just really like the word. It's makes it all sound like very important newspaper business and All the President's Men and such...

The almost perfect score.

The past weekend had 3 highlights. One I told you about already. The second one was the meal on Friday evening. Let me elaborate…

My uncle has recently become the master of the Spanish Tortilla. And Gazpacho, but this is not a story about cold soup (Sorry Dirk, I like your Gazpacho, I just don’t think soup is worthwhile writing about…). We have been the happy receivers of his newest cooking endeavour for the past few Sundays over lovely, lazy family lunches and except for Bob have now officially given him the 10.0 for his Tortilla 2 weeks ago. Though he totally deserves this score, I think Bob was quite smart as he only gave him a 5.5 in order to poke his ambition and make him try again and again and again thus getting us more lovely lunches out of it.

I, instead of insulting him, thought I’d rather try it myself. So on Friday, it being the end of the month, me being somewhat broke, I thought a little dish of potatoes and eggs would be the perfectly frugal end to the week.
Off I went to the kitchen with a boyfriend eying me dubiously from the couch. Though I was cut off halfway through phone directions from my uncle, I was confident and had promised him a piece if I deemed it above a 5.5. Though this picture of the little Tortilla in the pan is somewhat scary looking, I was quite proud of my end result.

Not so yummy looking yet...

... much better!

Ian, good boyfriend he is, said it was the best Tortilla he ever ate, mentioning only much later it was the only Tortilla he ever ate. I still decided it was in fact good enough to show to the master of creation. Mind you, I don’t think I would have gotten in the house without bringing him the goods when Saturday morning dawned.

There he was with a scrutinizing look on his face while he dove into the Tupperware with two fingers breaking off a large chunk. Now I was scared. Had I committed the cardinal sin of Tortilla making? Had I overcooked and overdone it?
“Mmh. Mh. Mh. Chuckle. Chuckle.” My uncle is the only person I know who actually chuckles and these chuckles translated to the fact that I became a proud owner of a 7.0 for my first Tortilla ever.

Busy bee.

That's me and now I'm off to drink wine. Quickly sharing some random thoughts, which have been popping into my head over the course of the day.
1. I think this is why my uncle calls my boots cowboy boots though they are not:

image by uncle in question: dirk schwager

 

Can anyone tell how absolutely terrified I am on this horse?


2. I immediately want to go back to &Union and eat their steak prego again. I am afraid though they may not let me in. Conversation at 11pm was er, lets just call it 'not for other ears' and I think there may have been other ears around.

3. Alphabetical from The Foodie is super yummy (don't you love how sophisticated I am describing it?). My uncle - the one with the Spanglish swear words - would not approve of the label, but I like it. Now I'm excited to go home to the bottle I sneaked out there last night.*
4. I get to see guys half naked tomorrow for a body painting promotion at my office. One of them promised to bring his superman suit. I'm excited, I love superman.

5. Irises are beautiful, but kak flowers who last only about a day.
6. Last but not least: my wonderful friend danger mouse Ruth is coming to CPT next week. I believe we have L&J to thank, so thank you guys!


*Okay, that is a lie. I paid for it. I would be too terrified to steal. Especially since after some time has passed and they won't recognize me anymore, I will go back for steak prego.