My vreugdes en frustrasies

A - Z (2018)

#AtoZchallenge (2018) Z is for feeling Zonked

My theme for this challenge is “feelings” of a sexagenarian and the influence of social media.

My tema vir hierdie uitdaging is “gevoelens” van ‘n sestig-plusser en die invloed van sosiale media.

English (Afrikaans below):

Zonked: exhausted; tired out. This is exactly how I feel after one month of participating in the #AtoZchallenge 2018. Totally zonked. But also triumphantly exalted to have successfully completed another challenge, at all odds.

I started out with my preparations early and by the end of March I had already written and scheduled two-thirds of the required number of posts for publication. April dawned and things started heating up. I still had a number of posts to write, but our weather unexpectedly changed for the better, far better than anything we have experienced the whole summer season. Holidaymakers, friends and family were camping out on the beach and there was just no way that I was not going to join in.

Early in April, my laptop died, unexpectedly and woefully. I moved heaven and earth to buy a new one and spent three days downloading all the required programs. Then my son arrived for a long awaited holiday and we tried to spend as much quality family time as possible. Still, I kept up with writing my own posts and reading as many entries as possible by other bloggers. I made it, by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin.

To our kind AtoZ hosts and all the bloggers who participated in and completed the challenge – well done! and thank you for an enjoyable time.

The role of social media: Mmmm???  What has this got to do with anything?

PS. Zonked can also mean under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I’m neither. I am just tired, but should any of the sexagenarians need a little boost after completion of the challenge: sit down and have a shot of tequila while watching the video below. I was introduced to this on the blog The Sound of One Hand Typing by author John Holton, one of the members of the AtoZ team. Watch till the end; don’t miss out on the best part.

Afrikaans:

Uitgeput: moeg, moertoe. Dit is presies hoe ek voel na een maand se deelname aan die #AtoZchallenge 2018. Heeltemal moertoe. Maar ook triomfantlik jubelend omdat ek ten spyte van alles wat skeefgeloop het nog ‘n uitdaging suksesvol voltooi het.

Ek het vroeg begin met my voorbereidings en teen die einde van Maart het ek reeds twee derdes van die vereiste aantal poste geskryf en geskeduleer vir publikasie. April het aangebreek en dinge het begin warm word vir my. Ek het nog steeds ‘n aantal poste gehad om te skryf, maar ons weer het onverwags ten goede verander, baie beter as wat ons die hele somerseisoen ervaar het. Vakansiegangers, vriende en familie het op die strand kampeer en daar was net geen manier waarop ek nie ook sou gaan meedoen nie.

Vroeg in April het my skootrekenaar onverwags en smartlik gesterf. Ek het hemel en aarde beweeg om ‘n nuwe een te koop en het drie dae lank gesweet om al die nodige programme afgelaai. Toe het my seun vir ‘n langverwagte vakansie opgegedaag en ons het probeer om soveel kwaliteit familie-tyd as moontlik te spandeer. Tussen dit alles deur het ek volgehou om my eie poste te skryf en soveel inskrywings as moontlik deur ander bloggers te lees. Ek het dit gemaak, by die hare op my tande.

Aan ons vriendelike gasheerspan en al die bloggers wat aan die uitdaging deelgeneem en die uitdaging voltooi het – welgedaan! en dankie vir ‘n aangename tyd.

Die rol van sosiale media: Mmmm??? Wat het dit met enigiets te doen?

PS. “Zonked” kan ook beteken “onder die invloed van dwelms of alkohol”. Ek is nie een van die twee nie. Ek is net moeg, maar indien enige van die sestig-plussers ‘n hupstootjie nodig het na die voltooiing van die uitdaging, gaan sit en drink ‘n glasie tequila terwyl jy na die video hierbo kyk. Ek het met hierdie een kennis gemaak op die blog The Sound of One Hand Typing deur outeur John Holton, een van die lede van die AtoZ-span. Kyk tot die einde toe; moenie die beste deel mis nie.

Read all my entries for the #AtoZchallenge (April 2018) here.

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45 Comments

  1. My tipe sestig-plusser! Jy het dit gamaak, pasop nou net vir die tequila nè.😄

  2. Gemaak…

  3. Well done! Loved the ending!!!

  4. Hester. Wel gedaan. A-Z afgestof, soos net jy kan.

  5. Mooi so! Het jou inskrywings terdeë geniet.

  6. Baie geluk met die Z. Mmm het jy n swembad? En tequila?

    • Comment by post author

      HesterLeyNel

      Dankie Seegogga 😊 Nee, hier rond “doen” ons nie swembaddens nie, ons het iets beter – die hele see en getypoele oral 😄 Jy kan groot paartie hou hier.

  7. Kan dink jy is moeg maar tevrede na jou uitklim teen hierdie A-Z berg 😩 Welgedaan!!! Daar is ‘n beter woord as tevrede… maar dit het soos mis voor die son verdwyn. Een van die vele frustasies in ‘n sestig plusser se lewe 😕

  8. We’re all a bit zonked at the end of the challenge! Well done on overcoming all the obstacles and making it to the end, enjoy the rest!
    https://iainkellywriting.com/2018/04/30/z-is-for-zaragoza-spain/

  9. He he.. that was a meaningful end. 🙂

    Congratulations from A to Z.. 🙂

  10. Wonderful job! I enjoyed your A to Z posts.

  11. 🙂 Can I say well done Hester! I really enjoyed reading your April Challenge, social media is a big part of all our lives but more sharing you life experiences from an older person’s point of view was a brilliant idea……. and yes you were right to spend time with your friends and family.

    • Comment by post author

      HesterLeyNel

      Thank you for taking the time to read and comment Andrew, it is much appreciated. I’m pleased that you enjoyed the posts.

  12. Jy is ‘n inspirasie! Welgedaan met die vasbyt en deurdruk.

  13. Donna B. McNicol [@dbmcnicol]

    I’m still impressed that you did this in two languages!! Wow! I’ve enjoyed your posts and plan to stick around. Congrats!

    Donna B McNicol, author & traveler
    Romance & Mystery…writing my life
    A-Z Flash Fiction Tales: http://dbmcnicol.blogspot.com
    A-Z of Goldendoodles: http://ourprimeyears.blogspot.com

    • Comment by post author

      HesterLeyNel

      Thank you Donna, these two languages date back from my youth. Do you know that South Africa has eleven official languages? Thank you for visiting and I also look forward to reading your future posts. During the challenge, I always try to read as many blogs as possible and it has to be at a fast pace. Now I can read at my leisure.

  14. Ek sal nooit 60 kan word nie Hester – ek is te skaam om ‘n SEXagenerian genoem te word😱

  15. Nilanjana Bose

    Congrats Hester! Extra kudos for overcoming all the hurdles and still managing to reach the finish line. Family should, of course, come first!

    I really enjoyed reading your perspectives on life and social media, and so nifty that you did it in two different languages. Bravo! So glad we connected.

  16. Yes! I do want to continue writing regularly, I’m glad that this craziness will allow me to relax a bit.

    • Comment by post author

      HesterLeyNel

      Writing is good therapy, but a month long marathon of daily writing, while reading as many blogs as possible, gets a bit hairy in the end.

  17. Moertoe, jy se… ai Hester… al die moertoe(s) wat ons soms so onwetend oor onsself bring….
    Nogal baie aan jou gedink die laaste tyd, was net so dol aan my kant, tyd vir inloer was min.

  18. Well done, Hester! Excellent AtoZ (although I’m reading from newest as per email so I haven’t read a few before Z)! I can imagine how zonked you must feel. I hope the holiday-makers are leaving you in peace and the new laptop is giving you lots of writing and reading joy. 🙂

    • Comment by post author

      HesterLeyNel

      Thank you, Anne. Yes, life is back to normal (or what goes through for normal around here) and I feel energised after a happy day in the Mpenjati Nature Reserve.

      • You’re most welcome. A happy day in a nature reserve sounds marvelous. I read that being in nature is energizing. Or even just hugging a tree. 🙂

        • Comment by post author

          HesterLeyNel

          I wouldn’t go as far as hugging a tree – there are usually ants and mite present in that scene 😄 😃 😀

        • Haha! That’s true. I will take note and pay attention. 😁 Much love and hugs. ❤🤗

  19. When I finished the challenge, I was totally zonked, too (no, not the drug-kind lol)! But luckily, my invisible creative side took over and helped me finish. 😉

    • Comment by post author

      HesterLeyNel

      Hi Jen, please forgive me for not replying sooner. My internet connection went missing in action at the beginning of June and even now we are getting by on a temporary line only. sigh third world service in a wannabe first world country. I’m just happy that I was able to complete the A-Z challenge without problems. It was fun and I also met a few new bloggers but after one month of constant blogging, my nerves were a bit frazzled. I have your site bookmarked and I will be back to visit just as soon as we have full connectivity restored.