Brands, zaps & conversations with friends on Facebook.

It really kills me that I don’t have green fingers.  If having green fingers were dependent on enthusiasm alone, I’d be the greenest person out there.  See latest evidence of this dilemma above.  What a fail.  Can you guess what that is was?  A cactus, people.  It is was a cactus.

So now it is not only my orchids dying faster than a fart, but it’s every other non-plastic plant living in my house barring the herbs ExMi gave me for my birthday* including my office cactus.  I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you something very serious:

WHO KILLS A CACTUS?!  NOT EVEN THE DESERT, THAT’S WHO!

Moving swiftly along, I have to thank DSTV Box Office team.

They provided a morantic date night for Jon and I on Saturday night, complete with candle lit dinner, sexy sweet things and a boat load of credit to our Box Office account so we could sit and gaze deeply into the TV and watch the latest movies on offer whilst holding hands and feeling in love and stuff.

Despite the controversy and conflicting opinions I’ve seen floating around online, Jon and I are super impressed with DSTV’s Box Office service so far.  It’s instantaneous, super easy to set up and really pushes DSTV to a whole new level.  For only R25 a movie, I’d take this service over having to go to a DVD shop any day!  The only criticism I have is that the selection is quite small at 15 movies to choose from, but I’m hoping that as the service gets used more and more they’ll start buying more movies to add to the list so we have a bigger selection.

While we’re on the subject, I’m giving them a 10 out of 10 for their Twitter customer care too.  I’ve had two incidences where I needed help and the guys behind their account had a solution for me in under 5 minutes.  Top notch, guys, it makes me excited to be part of the social media industry when I see brands using it properly.

Speaking of brands, this box of tomatoes right above was delivered to my office this morning.  ’WTF, a box of tomatoes?  Whyyyyyyyyyyyy?’ was the immediate thought that came to mind.  And then I opened up the envelope to free Nando’s vouchers and a little press release telling me all about the new Tangy Tomato flavour they’ve got going now.  It’s about frigging time, okay?  I can’t handle heat in the spice variety, and even their Lemon & Herb flavours have a bit of a bite, so I’m stoked they’ve added this to their variety outside of peri-peri.

Admittedly, they knew what they were doing when sending a gigantic box of tomatoes, I have had people stopping at my desk all day asking me what it’s all about.  I sound like a rehearsed Nando’s ambassador now, I swear.  Either way, I’m super keen to try this flavour out.  Has anyone out there tasted it yet?  What did you think?

All that’s left for me to do now is decide what to do with all these effing tomatoes.  I wonder if I offer them to Gloria, she’ll let me throw all the soft ones at her first?

One last thing before I go…

Cath & ExMi have been giving me shit all week after I uploaded this photo to Facebook (without the blue censorship, that’s for ExMi’s privacy here):

And the following conversation took place:

Exmi that picture is GHEY.
Sheena Gates Check out Jon’s photobomb though. LOLLLLLL!
Exmi i know. i am DYING.
Cath I’m not worried about the photobomb, I’m more worried about his pants! Sheena, are you influencing your boyfriend’s wardrobe?
Sheena Gates Hahahaha, shut up Cath.
Sheena Gates And, yes.
Sheena Gates WHEN I MET HIM HE WOULD ONLY WEAR BEIGE!!!
Exmi i thought so, i just didn’t want to say anything….
Cath Sheena. Please send Jon to me and I’ll get his wardrobe sorted out. I can’t have you doing this to him. He’s too nice and lovely for you to ruin like this. The poor man’s wearing freaking tartan.
Sheena Gates You are such bitches.
Cath No, we just genuinely care for the lovely man who has to live with you. I mean, next you’ll have him wearing mustard breeches or something.
Sheena Gates Those breeches were awesome. Fuck you for never liking them.
Cath Oh come the taboo on…those breeches were about as awesome as a haemorrhoid.

So, to that, Jon and I would just like to express one thing.  And that is this:

* (those things grow like cavities).

Did you see the competition I posted?

It’s right here.  1 times Goodfellas subscription up for grabs.  All you need to do is comment here.

Protected: Private post. For me only.

[Competition!] No Regret Friday = No Regret Prizes!

Remember a while back I told you all about the No Regret Friday campaign?

SAB’s “No Regret Friday” campaign allows you to show your support and encourage your friends to be responsible with their drinking. You can get involved in a number of ways:

1. Tweet about it and using the hash tag #noregretfriday
2. Log onto http://www.noregretfriday.co.za to see personal accounts by people who have been affected by drunk driving (not pretty)
3. Tell your mates about it. Friends don’t let friends drive drunk. I personally have a spare room made up always for friends who shouldn’t be driving home drunk.

My life in pictures…

I’ve really gotten into Instagram lately.  It’s become my first social network to check out daily. Although I’ve been a member for ages, I only recently started seeing the fun once Tumi showed me how to add and follow more friends.  Dumbass I am, not like I head up a social media team or anything

Anyway, I thought I’d show you what I’ve been up to lately by using photographs taken through Instagram.

Jon and I are really addicted to Supernatural at the moment.  Despite both of us having long hours at the office, we rush home to cook together and then veg in front of the TV at least 3 nights a week to see what Sam and Dean are hunting.  The story line is so whack that we can’t help but follow it religiously.  I think half the reason I love it so much is that this is the first series Jon and I have watched together from the beginning.  We have very different tastes in entertainment usually, Jon loves Stargate Universe something something, and well, I love Jersey Shore.  So that says it all!

With the exception of Snowgoose, all the girls got together this weekend for some quality time to laugh, scream, insult and love each other.  We baked scones, ordered in KFC, made Shath pasta, stuffed ourselves on The Cupcake Lady goodies and generally acted like we were at a bulimia convention.  It was awesome.

A while back I did a training course on teaching a big corporate client’s marketing team how social media works.  It was loads of fun and I’ve realised more and more how much I love lecturing.  As a thank you, I received this autographed copy of the Springbok Kitchen cook book.  How awesome!

Speaking of work, it’s been crunch time here at aqua lately.  With impending deadlines everywhere I look, and my team working like absolute little legends, I decided we needed a few extra smiles.  This is a photo of all the free smileys we’re offering people who visit us in the social media department.  No negativity will be tolerated in our happy zone!

When it comes to my mother’s driving skills, it never ceases to amaze me just how bad her sense of direction is.  On the way back from OR Tambo airport on Sunday, we ended up in Pretoria.  Even after a phone call to Jon for some GPS assistance, we managed to stray off the N1 and landed up in Diepsloot.  Joburg’s version of gangsta paradise.  It was not fun.

I miss Winter.  Not only do I now have to sleep with a fan on, kick off the duvet and sleep in a shirt and undies, but our cats have remembered how to hunt again.  A few days ago I narrowly avoided crushing a dead bird with my foot, it had been lovingly placed right outside my cupboard door.    The day before yesterday morning at sparrows fart I heard the guttural sounds of Pixel after a successful hunt.  Before my eyes had even opened I jumped out of bed to chase him outside.  I fell asleep immediately thereafter, and woke up a while later remembering the sounds.  It’s been over 48 hours since and I’ve yet to find the kill.  Which usually means I’ll smell it sooner or later.  I’m convinced Pixel does this to show me who the master of the house is.  It’s revenge for my taking over his rightful place beside Jon’s head on the pillow.  FML.

Last night I went to the psuedo-parents-in-law for dinner & celebrated the Jewish New Year known as Rosh Hashanah.  I use the term ‘celebrated’ lightly, because although there were mini glasses of very sweet wine on the table, I was told that it’s more of a last-ditch attempt at Jews begging for forgiveness of their sins.  Jon put on his yarmulke* and I had to swear blind that I would not publish a photo.  He was in full-on Jew mode and did all the phlegm prayers that go with a Jewish dinner.  His mom was giggling through three glasses of wine (about three more than she’s used to!) and telling me about all the different traditions she had to learn when she converted many years ago.  She’s so cool, she has a sense of humour about everything!  Here’s her latest favourite joke (she has a new one everytime I visit): An elephant says to a camel “What’s with the boobs on your back, bro?”.  The camel turns around and replies: “Dude, at least I don’t wear a prick on my face like you!”.

So that’s about it for now.  Hope all the Steri winners received their prizes safely.  Check back in tomorrow for a brand new and really cool competition/giveaway thinger!

* AKA his Jewish skull cap.  I’ve only ever seen him wear this two or three times.  So whenever he does I naturally tease him relentlessly.  He looks so formal and different!

20q on Mondays

I once had a brilliant brainwave and started Monday 20Q with my choice of people in online media interviews.  This took place on a Monday for a few weeks running.

I have bunched them all together here for your reading convenience.  You’re welcome:

• Jeremy Nell, Editorial Cartoonist for the Times, Trash Media blogger & general all round whackhead from Cape Town with an offside and dry sense of humour.  Monday, 21st Jan 08
• Living Bridget, a fellow female blogger from Jozi who happens to have disappeared into the big blue yonder known as real life.  Tuesday, 22nd Jan 08
• Tertia Albertyn, an infertile mother who inspired me to start my blog & confront my inner demons.  Monday, 29th Jan 08
• Nic Haralambous, 20 something greek adonis media guru working for the Mail & Guardian.  04th Feb, 08
• I interviewed myself, Tuesday 08th April, 08
• The IT dude I work with was interviewed too, Thursday 26th June, 08

All future 20q entries have been placed on hold for a while until I solve the mystery of where all my time and energy goes to.

Brand new Steri ad – just for you guys <3

Just because I know you all love Steri as much as I do, I’ve decided to show you their brand new ad.  Not even airing yet, so it’s completely exclusive.  You saw it here first!

Click here to view.  It’s Steriffic!         On that note, your steri hampers will be on their way to you soon. xx

Cath squared, coming up!

I really am ridiculously excited.  I get to see the two Cath’s in my life this weekend, plus one small person named Cam.  I haven’t seen Cam since I moved out of the Shath at least three years ago – can you believe it?   Other Cath, I haven’t seen in months and have spoken to even less.  I think she’s busier than I am these days, so having her over at the same time will be amazeballs, we rarely ever get to spend time together.

In order for Other Cath to have a nice smelling bed replacement, Gloria has her work cut out for her this week.  Not only will she need to actually dust something, I’m about to ask her to wash the covers of our big fluffy sofas too.  Which makes me nervous because the last time I asked her to wash anything other than our daily clothing, my blue bathroom mat turned all of my undies purple.

So I did some online research for a possible Plan B and found this awesome website with fabric sofas that made me turn green with envy!  Of course, now all I want to do is redo the upstairs lounge sofas.  And possibly renovate the balcony into a bigger chill room.  With an indoor pool.  And a jacuzzi.  And palm trees with hammocks.  Do you think my ever loving boyfriend will let me?*

Also, I wonder if I can do all of this before Saturday morning…

Although Cath and I chat almost daily, I’ve also only seen her for a collective three hours over three occasions in the last three years.  I suppose that’s the beauty of online friendships though – we lived together for a year and managed to not kill each other, yet since I moved out we’ve not physically spent much time together.  Yet we know exactly what’s going on in each other’s lives.

Jon has been warned, there will be emotions.  There will be squeals, there will be loud volumes of girl noises and giggles.  I cannot WAIT!

*Noooooooooooooooooooooooo.  Keep practicing the art of persuasion dreaming, Sheena.

Protected: Make way for Emotional Bear!