Farewell 2012

2013 IS fast approaching and I'm preparing to bid farewell to the year that was 2012. What a year - we survived the end of the world! What a relief!

WHAT OTHER awesome things happened this year? Well it was my first year as an official employee which is pretty cool at 23. I tried my luck at being a blond (considering it again as a future hair colour) and then had blue hair which I loved. I won some pretty incredible competitions this year - one of which was the adult version of Reggies Rush but at Exclusive Books. Happiness for days! Rascals are back on the market. I got to watch Linkin Park live in Cape Town. I've blogged more. And I saw a red panda get surprised.

AND WHAT does next year bring? More responsibility at work which I'm amped for. Hopefully moving out of home into a place of my own. Big travels - a short weekend trip to Mabula Game Reserve in Joburg and a 10 day Thailand trip (I'm already counting down the days)! Then there's also Red Hot Chilli Peppers live in Feb and I'm sure many more bands to follow in SA. So bring on the good times I say!

It's a Race! I'm Winning, I'm Winning!

THREE WEEKS back I saw a Facebook post by Exclusive Books on winning a Summer Sale One Minute Dash. Of course I entered. And I WON! I couldn't contain my excitement.

BASICALLY THEY gave me a minute to get as many books as I could from their Summer Sale tables, six tables altogether. Visions of me preparing like Rocky that night flooded my mind. The advice my dad gave me, "Make like an octopus and grab as many books as you can", ran through my head as I made my game plan. Some girls came with me from the office and actually got to help me by holding open the plastic bags (which EB gave to us for FREE... um, okay). As I scanned the tables, seeing what books I wanted to grab first, thoughts of Reggies Rush ran through me. Do you remember Reggies Rush? If you don't, what kind of childhood did you have?!? I always thought what toys I would get and if I would get anything for my brother, depending how many times he had beaten me up that week.

My Haul

 WHEN THE time started, apparently I was really calm, strategically going from table to table, getting the books I wanted. When I look back, after going through the books I got, I really should have got more than one copy of some of them. That would have made great presents, and not cuz they were free. But mostly... It was an experience to remember! Knowing the books are yours and not having to pay for them, it's fun and incredible. When the time was done, and the books being counted by the staff (who were amazing and so helpful), I couldn't believe what had just happened. All in all, I got 67 books. I did truly feel like I was stealing from them!

I KEPT 27 of the books. My two standout favourites had to be The Cocktail and Dita von Teese's Burlesque/Fetish book. Some went to my office mates, and all the kids books went to a school. I really wanted to get kids' books if I had the time; let's not be so selfish shall we? I truly love the books I kept... now if only I could take a month off work to read them all. That would be the cherry on top!

The incredible artwork in The Cocktail.

Illustrations by Kat Macleod.