Just as things start going better.  Tommie went out drinking last night.  I'm in so much pain - the blood is pouring out of my ear, but he goes out drinking.  What I hate the most is when he asks me if he can go. I'm NOT his mother!!  I'm not his conscience.  HE shouldn't want to go.  He should want to be home to help me!

I had my ear operation the day before last.  My eardrum and the bones in my ear had calsified.  Dr Nel het to cut away a big part of my eardrum.  Also some of the bone and rebuilt it.  He had to cut at the back of my ear.  From the top to the bottom of my ear.  I thought that it would be a "normal" operation, where he works through the ear canal.  It was extremely sore.

Tommie was so nice.  He was with me almost all the time.  Poor Jason got such a fright when he saw me the first time.  My head was covered with bandages and some blood had worked it's way through to the top layer of the bandage.  Can't blame the poor little thing.

It is still very sore and swollen.  Blood keeps on running out of my ear.  I'm wearing a beanie though (thankfully it is winter!)  I got discharged yesterday, and started working the same day.  Tax time.  My mom asked if I could go help my dad out, and just stayed almost all day.  Thank heavens for pain medication.

They are back home, safe.  From the sounds of it, they had a great time.  Also got to know each other much better.  I'm really glad about that.  I think that my dad got to see some of the Tommie that I know.

I was at a Moms get-together on Friday night.  It was so nice.  It was the first time that I met Heather (she lives in Durban) and we had so much fun!  We were like school kids LOL. 

Saturday the boys and I went to Goblin's Cove with Sarah, Robin and their kids.  It is one of the most beautiful tea gardens I've ever been too.  It has a fairy and goblin theme.  It looks like an enchanted forest.  Just stunning.  It also gave me some chance to get to know Robin better.  He is awesome with Sarah's kids.  It is just amazing.

I hope this week will be calmer.  Also that my operation will go well.  I'm very nervous about it, but also hopeful that I won't be in constant pain anymore and hear better.

My dad shared some stuff with me, that has helped me to understand Tommie better.  How absolutely strict and unfair Tommie's dad has been with him as a child and even now (maybe even more so).  I hope that I will be able to help him not to be like his dad. To work through the pain that his dad has caused him.

Tommie went hunting today in Namibia.  It's the first time he's gone hunting since we got married.  (I hate hunting)  My dad went with.  Not to hunt though :)  Just to go bird-watching.  The only way my mom would allow him to go, was if we (me and the boys) stayed with her.  It is such a schlep, riding up and down between my house and my folks.  I wish my mom would rather come stay with us.  But I do understand that as one gets older, you don't want to sleep out any more.

Then I'm all alone in the office during tax time too!  But my dad deserves this time off. I hope he has a great time.

Saturday night Tommie went out with his cousin JC and would have stayed over on the farm.  But he decided to come home (under the influence) and continued drinking here.

I'm upset because he drove under the influence.  Also because he drove back and decided to go drinking even more, when he should have (could have) come home.  It is time for him to grow up.  When I spoke to him about it yesterday, he thought it was one big joke and couldn't see why I was so upset.  He arrived at work with some flowers today.  He said that he is sorry, that he loves me and that he hates it when I'm upset with him.  It's the first time ever that he has apologized like that.

Christel asked us all to do a treasure list last week.  It is where you only say good things about the other people on the group.  What you admire about them.  We got the list back today.  I will always treasure this list. It made me feel so special.  I'm honoured to have such a great group of friends.