Bonus Pergolas

What’s in a name? My children have two fathers. Some folk say, single mothers are just out there to get pregnant and have babies with hundreds of unsuspecting, innocent men… you know the rot that goes around. Anyway, I tell people that both my ex husbands have the same name so none of that counts for me.

Let’s just through example call them both 'John'. When Mip’s dad and I got together everyone thought it was their place to put in their two cents worth just in case I might have overlooked the ‘name thing’. Even my mother thought let’s have a great laugh at my daughter’s expense. ‘At least you won’t forget yourself’ she chuckled. Ha ha… ha

But I got over it. And I’ve mentioned before last year I went out with another guy called ‘John’. When he handed me his details on a piece of paper, I looked at his name and nearly feel off the bus he was driving.

Well now that’s all fine but I think the universe is having its own little joke on me now – I met this guy last week at a picnic. Really nice guy but… yep, there are just not enough Johns in the world, are there?

And I’m not even looking. I’m quite happy with my life/no life thanks all the same (there’s a pun in there somewhere I guess). It’s all very disturbing.

I guess names are your first impressions sometimes.

I went searching for a house to rent once and found an add which read, ‘bonus pergola’. I wish I had my camera that day. Two posts and a bit of ripped netting hanging between it and a garden shed. I love potential but that wasn’t potential - it was comedy. For me, it has been a benchmark for the quality of real estate advertisements ever since.

I love the way real estate adds show a picture of something in the area if your house doesn’t cut it in the ‘enticement’ department. It’s a statement louder than, ‘renovator’s dream’.

Once, I went to a real estate agent and told her I love a house that’s a bit quirky. The agent seemed a bit moody while I applied to rent this particular house. When I left she handed me her business card – her name assured me I didn’t get the house.

My four-year-old nephew thinks I live in a holiday house because I live next to the beach and I have a small kitchen.

Christmas decorations have been packed away now. It’s nice to have them up but great to have some space again in my ‘holiday house style’ lounge room.