Morning everyone! Thus dawns another Monday.... Though I've renamed the days of the week - Friday, Saturday, Ty-day (in honour of the only TV programme I'm watching these days, Extreme Makeover Home Edition :) ).
So... a couple random thoughts for this rainy and very cold Monday morning.
* We're on a capped bandwidth thing for our internet access here. I COMPLETELY blew my limit yesterday for the first time - and discovered just how easy it is to do so in the process. Those podcasts I mentioned yesterday? Well, I had to come in to do some work for a promotional drive - and while here I thought I'd have a few tunes. I started downloading podcasts... and just as I finished all I'd come to accomplish, the bandwidth ran out! Eish... OK, I've learnt my lesson. No more random downloading, not unless I want no internet access for the rest of the day.
* As cold as it is outside, there are signs of Spring all around. The almond and peach trees are starting to bloom, sunny weather brings out masses of pink flowers on every patch of grass. There's an occasional breath of warmth in the day and the sun's definitely getting up earlier - though we still don't always see it in the day. My arums are blooming en mass - a beautiful sight indeed. One of these days we'll be hankering back for the cool nights of winter, just to get some sleep in the heat of summer - but for now, we eagerly look for every little sign of Spring.
* This is my last week of work before 4 weeks of holiday! Boy, do I have a lot to get done.... While on leave I'm always tended to indulge my over-inflated sense of duty and Work, but I'm going to avoid that as much as I can this time.
* The timing is perfect for Olivia's arrival too - she's being roadworthied this week, and then we can finally start the hand-over process. Her adventurous owner is, however, currently somewhere in the Alps doing earth-friendly stuff for a week, so things will move along at the pace they're meant to.
* I've ordered two marvellous books - The Teenage Liberation Handbook and Manhood. Both are aimed at giving my son a better future (once I've read them myself). I've heard great things about both, and hope they live up to their reputations!
Well, the day needs doing. Later, peeps...
New Music
I don't commute, and even if I did my radio in the car is on the dodgy side. As a result I don't have much opportunity to hear new artists, discover new bands I like and such via whatever's playing on the radio.
But lately I've been taking note of the background tracks playing in whatever movie or series I'm watching - and then Googling them to find out who/what they are.
This weekend, while watching "The 4400", I found this. It's Thirteen Senses, with their song "Into the Fire". I really, really like!
::update::
And then I discovered these podcasts.....
But lately I've been taking note of the background tracks playing in whatever movie or series I'm watching - and then Googling them to find out who/what they are.
This weekend, while watching "The 4400", I found this. It's Thirteen Senses, with their song "Into the Fire". I really, really like!
::update::
And then I discovered these podcasts.....
SysAdmin Day!
It's SysAdmin Appreciation Day! You know, those guys who do things to fix your computers when you stuff them up, who make sure your internet doesn't fail at a crucial stage, who install things and get rid of viruses, who swear most flamboyantly at Microsoft (and sometimes Linux too), and who seldom get the recognition they deserve.
Our IT guys have been given a large load of their fave beverage, Coke. We've stuck up signs all over the place to show them some love. We're thanking them liberally for being the AllPowerfulBeings here.
Go forth and do likewise!
Our IT guys have been given a large load of their fave beverage, Coke. We've stuck up signs all over the place to show them some love. We're thanking them liberally for being the AllPowerfulBeings here.
Go forth and do likewise!
Just my luck...!
I had an eye appointment today, to replace my contact lenses for another year. I like my annual appointments, because I have a gorgeous optometrist called Tyrone (I seem to have this thing for Ty's...).
So I happily turned up at Specsavers. Only to find Ty gone. He's moved to Nelspruit (darn) with his wife (DARN) and kids (Extra Darn!). Sigh.... :)
His replacement is excellent though. Not in the good-looking and available way, but in that he really knows his job. He did a thorough examination, gave me a lot of helpful suggestions, even listened to me go on about eye exercises (which may not work for me - it may not be a muscle problem!). He had stock of a lens solution I thought had gone off the market too. All in all, a very good appointment.
I had to drive home sans lenses (how exhilirating! wonder if the other traffic knew they were in danger) thanks to a yellow dye used to check the moisture of my cornea. But now I'm sporting a test pair of extra-juicy lenses and will check the script back with them next week for a final diagnosis.
Would have been nicer if Ty was there though... :)
So I happily turned up at Specsavers. Only to find Ty gone. He's moved to Nelspruit (darn) with his wife (DARN) and kids (Extra Darn!). Sigh.... :)
His replacement is excellent though. Not in the good-looking and available way, but in that he really knows his job. He did a thorough examination, gave me a lot of helpful suggestions, even listened to me go on about eye exercises (which may not work for me - it may not be a muscle problem!). He had stock of a lens solution I thought had gone off the market too. All in all, a very good appointment.
I had to drive home sans lenses (how exhilirating! wonder if the other traffic knew they were in danger) thanks to a yellow dye used to check the moisture of my cornea. But now I'm sporting a test pair of extra-juicy lenses and will check the script back with them next week for a final diagnosis.
Would have been nicer if Ty was there though... :)
I dream of..
...Olivia!In fact, I dreamt of Olivia for most of last night. It's the strangest thing - it was a long, complicated dream with so many elements involved, and I can remember most of it in vivid detail.
Yup, that's Olivia in the pic. My Landy-in-waiting (with her current owner, somewhere in Africa). And perhaps that's why I'm dreaming of her. I'm waiting as everything is being processed, and eager to have her, to take her out to play. I'm also weighing up what will need fixing or tweaking, what I'll have to learn about how she works and drives. All these things fidgeting below the surface of my thoughts, popping up now and then for air.
So I dream of Olivia - nearly every night. I wonder if the dreams will stop when she arrives.
Religious ID
Did a quiz on a whim, and was hardly suprised at the results - and as there hasn't been much religion around here lately, I thought I'd post them. :)
What amuses me is that I was brought up in a rather Fundamentalist environment. Look where that ended up on the list! Interesting...
You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.
What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com |
What amuses me is that I was brought up in a rather Fundamentalist environment. Look where that ended up on the list! Interesting...
Blog at Night
Woah, this has been some day! I used to have loads of time to blog (between tasks or as an exercise in multi-tasking), but suddenly the days fly by and before I know it the sun's gone down again.
With a mere 2 weeks left before my holiday, and inspiration having struck at a rather inopportune time, I have a list as long as my arm of things to do at work. BIG things that take time and concentration.
But I haven't had a chance to get to any of them! It's very frustrating.
Thing is, our organization is in a bit of crisis mode. Finances are running on the low side, and it's been a wake-up call. Many of us have been brainstorming ideas to make things better, get things moving, work for positive change. So today I asked the mega-boss's permission to get something official going, where we could contribute our ideas, our energies and our help. He's very happy to let us - but not more than half an hour later, I was back in his office. He's got another big job for me to do in a similar vein - out of my official area of expertise, but one of the stepping stones we need for change.
Today has been spent literally running. Up and down the stairs (and we live on a considerable mountain!), between offices and meetings, sorting this, finding that, improving another thing.
It's energizing, this sense of purpose - but it don't leave that much time to blog! :)
So it seems this Blog at Night thing may have to become the norm. Provided I don't collapse at the end of each day.
With a mere 2 weeks left before my holiday, and inspiration having struck at a rather inopportune time, I have a list as long as my arm of things to do at work. BIG things that take time and concentration.
But I haven't had a chance to get to any of them! It's very frustrating.
Thing is, our organization is in a bit of crisis mode. Finances are running on the low side, and it's been a wake-up call. Many of us have been brainstorming ideas to make things better, get things moving, work for positive change. So today I asked the mega-boss's permission to get something official going, where we could contribute our ideas, our energies and our help. He's very happy to let us - but not more than half an hour later, I was back in his office. He's got another big job for me to do in a similar vein - out of my official area of expertise, but one of the stepping stones we need for change.
Today has been spent literally running. Up and down the stairs (and we live on a considerable mountain!), between offices and meetings, sorting this, finding that, improving another thing.
It's energizing, this sense of purpose - but it don't leave that much time to blog! :)
So it seems this Blog at Night thing may have to become the norm. Provided I don't collapse at the end of each day.
As good as a holiday
That's what they say change is. I hope they're right...
I've been feeling the need for change lately, in a number of areas of my life. Not just job-wise, but in little and big things around me. It may be those first signs of Spring urging me on to take a deep breath and purge what I've tolerated for too long.
I look around me at home and realize I could do with less clutter. I don't have a lot, I've been clearing out stuff for ages and getting rid of it. But there are neglected corners that need an overhaul, thing you live with so long that you no longer see.
Take my bedroom, for example. I'd love it to be a "boudoir" - a retreat of comfort and peace where I can feel good, rest up, and just enjoy being. Filled with textures, colours, scents and objects that I love. At the moment it's just about none of these. It's a multi-function space that doubles as home-work desk, laptop table, extra tv, book storage, everything-else storage, and dog sleeping place. There are times-tables charts on the wall instead of feel-good artwork. Shelves in the dressing table are packed with things - some of which I haven't needed or looked at in years. The bookshelf doubles as computer disk/equipment storage space, in an old paper-box lid. The chair at the homework desk is one retrieved from a school building - with a cover and cushion it could look a whole lot better.
And that's just this one room. But it's a room I feel should feed my soul. So it needs change.
As does the rest of the house. There are things I've wanted to do for years, but simply haven't.
My surroundings aren't the only things that need change. My insides do too. There's stuff in my head that I'm struggling with, that needs cleaning out, purging, getting rid of or resolving. There are things I've been hanging on to, holding off deciding to change or do. They're eating into the focus I want to maintain on my dreams. I'm distracted by trying to figure out some really huge issues, and not getting anywhere.
So change - yes. Needed. Holiday - yes. Coming up in 2 weeks! And lasting for 4! Yay!!!
I'm going to try combine both a change and a holiday - and see what I can accomplish.
I've been feeling the need for change lately, in a number of areas of my life. Not just job-wise, but in little and big things around me. It may be those first signs of Spring urging me on to take a deep breath and purge what I've tolerated for too long.
I look around me at home and realize I could do with less clutter. I don't have a lot, I've been clearing out stuff for ages and getting rid of it. But there are neglected corners that need an overhaul, thing you live with so long that you no longer see.
Take my bedroom, for example. I'd love it to be a "boudoir" - a retreat of comfort and peace where I can feel good, rest up, and just enjoy being. Filled with textures, colours, scents and objects that I love. At the moment it's just about none of these. It's a multi-function space that doubles as home-work desk, laptop table, extra tv, book storage, everything-else storage, and dog sleeping place. There are times-tables charts on the wall instead of feel-good artwork. Shelves in the dressing table are packed with things - some of which I haven't needed or looked at in years. The bookshelf doubles as computer disk/equipment storage space, in an old paper-box lid. The chair at the homework desk is one retrieved from a school building - with a cover and cushion it could look a whole lot better.
And that's just this one room. But it's a room I feel should feed my soul. So it needs change.
As does the rest of the house. There are things I've wanted to do for years, but simply haven't.
My surroundings aren't the only things that need change. My insides do too. There's stuff in my head that I'm struggling with, that needs cleaning out, purging, getting rid of or resolving. There are things I've been hanging on to, holding off deciding to change or do. They're eating into the focus I want to maintain on my dreams. I'm distracted by trying to figure out some really huge issues, and not getting anywhere.
So change - yes. Needed. Holiday - yes. Coming up in 2 weeks! And lasting for 4! Yay!!!
I'm going to try combine both a change and a holiday - and see what I can accomplish.
Breathe in... breathe out..
Hell, it's been busy! Yes, I know I'm also online at home, and thus could just as easily blog at any hour of the day out of the allotted 24, but life sometimes seems like a total whirlwind, and the past 2 days have been just that.
I went to work with great expectations this morning, plans to do this, update that, organize the next thing. Which I did none of. As soon as I arrived, the universe threw things I hadn't planned at me - an hour at switchboard, an afternoon meeting, an ex-colleague dropping by to both catch up and talk business, a few emergencies.
Home at last, and all I feel like is a hot bath (cold front - no, FREEZING front - is moving in rapidly) and a very, very early night.
The sun sets at about 6... think I can get away with it? :) It's officially night then, isn't it!?
Regular blogging resumes when life leaves me the heck alone again.
I went to work with great expectations this morning, plans to do this, update that, organize the next thing. Which I did none of. As soon as I arrived, the universe threw things I hadn't planned at me - an hour at switchboard, an afternoon meeting, an ex-colleague dropping by to both catch up and talk business, a few emergencies.
Home at last, and all I feel like is a hot bath (cold front - no, FREEZING front - is moving in rapidly) and a very, very early night.
The sun sets at about 6... think I can get away with it? :) It's officially night then, isn't it!?
Regular blogging resumes when life leaves me the heck alone again.
Eye-related Newsflash
I had an appointment to see the eye doctor this Friday afternoon. He was going to dilate my pupils and check whether I was a candidate for surgery. I was also not going to be allowed to wear contact lenses for 2 days beforehand (how am I supposed to see my computer screen?!) and had to find someone to take me there and back.
I've cancelled the appointment.
WHY? Because I'm going to try something else first. I found this article online this morning, and it happened to mention a "natural" method to strengthen distance sight. Before I go all drastic and get lasers stuck into my eyeballs, I'm going to see if this works instead.
I had a friend in high school who cured his short-sightedness by simply refusing to wear his glasses, and spending loads of time outdoors where he was forced to look at far horizons. If it worked for him, it could work for me. Or at least be improved.
So here's to a great big (much cheaper) experiment! Let's see what happens...
I've cancelled the appointment.
WHY? Because I'm going to try something else first. I found this article online this morning, and it happened to mention a "natural" method to strengthen distance sight. Before I go all drastic and get lasers stuck into my eyeballs, I'm going to see if this works instead.
I had a friend in high school who cured his short-sightedness by simply refusing to wear his glasses, and spending loads of time outdoors where he was forced to look at far horizons. If it worked for him, it could work for me. Or at least be improved.
So here's to a great big (much cheaper) experiment! Let's see what happens...
Cool Tool
Today's cool tool is Rasterbator. I'm an occasionally-enthusiastic photographer of things that catch my eye (I go into slumps now and then during which the digcam languishes unused and the battery charger gathers dust), and Rasterbator is going to come in handy.
So just what is it? Well, take a photo or image, even your kid's random scribblings, and Rasterbator will blow it up into something you can print off (in many-page format) to fill a wall with!
I'm thinking my office has too many blank walls - time to take a pic or two, print it to the colour printer down the hall - and display!
Go forth and create.
::update::
Here's mine! :)
View from outside into the office (not too clear....)
View from as far away inside the office as I could get
Original
So just what is it? Well, take a photo or image, even your kid's random scribblings, and Rasterbator will blow it up into something you can print off (in many-page format) to fill a wall with!
I'm thinking my office has too many blank walls - time to take a pic or two, print it to the colour printer down the hall - and display!
Go forth and create.
::update::
Here's mine! :)
View from outside into the office (not too clear....)
View from as far away inside the office as I could get
Original
Morning Glory!
I'm so not a morning person - especially in winter. (I'm not a night owl either - so perhaps I just need more sleep than most)
This week we're back to having to get the kid to school by 7:30. Which, in the middle of the year, is still in the cold dark of winter! It's a mission to get up when the alarm goes off - I lie in bed an extra few minutes, then a few more.. until I have to jump up and rush around before it's too late. When weekends come you'll find me sleeping at least until 8 or 9 - later if it's nice and rainy outside.
Wouldn't it be cool if we actually allowed the seasons to determine our sleeping and waking? If in summer we were all up early, at work early, and put in an extra hour or two while the sunlight lasted late into the evening. And then in winter, we could follow the sun to work around 9, leave around 4 as it dips, and hibernate overnight.
If you're working from home, it's more than possible to do. I know some who have adjusted their body rhythms very successfully, and found themselves more productive as a result.
But the rest of the planet is bound by the clock (and most don't give a fig about daylight savings - South Africa included). If the clock says it's 8, then you start work. Dark or not.
With electricity to light up our buildings and aircon to cool or heat us, the years have evened out into a single, comfortable season. (Seth Godin goes so far as to say it's even affected the world's economy and the way we relate to markets and marketing) We've lost out on feeling the seasons.
And we're definitely getting up too early in winter.
This week we're back to having to get the kid to school by 7:30. Which, in the middle of the year, is still in the cold dark of winter! It's a mission to get up when the alarm goes off - I lie in bed an extra few minutes, then a few more.. until I have to jump up and rush around before it's too late. When weekends come you'll find me sleeping at least until 8 or 9 - later if it's nice and rainy outside.
Wouldn't it be cool if we actually allowed the seasons to determine our sleeping and waking? If in summer we were all up early, at work early, and put in an extra hour or two while the sunlight lasted late into the evening. And then in winter, we could follow the sun to work around 9, leave around 4 as it dips, and hibernate overnight.
If you're working from home, it's more than possible to do. I know some who have adjusted their body rhythms very successfully, and found themselves more productive as a result.
But the rest of the planet is bound by the clock (and most don't give a fig about daylight savings - South Africa included). If the clock says it's 8, then you start work. Dark or not.
With electricity to light up our buildings and aircon to cool or heat us, the years have evened out into a single, comfortable season. (Seth Godin goes so far as to say it's even affected the world's economy and the way we relate to markets and marketing) We've lost out on feeling the seasons.
And we're definitely getting up too early in winter.
I'm BAack!
Robert has (somewhat) kindly reminded me that it's time to suck it up, get better and start blogging again. Not one to wimp for more than few days (though I did indeed enjoy my wallowing while it lasted), I'm up and at it again. In a manner of speaking...
Today work stepped up a notch as all our students arrived back at the institution I work for - and I did my usual "run around and find lost sheep" (the noobs), "check on the disorganized" (the usual staff), "figure out technology" (why the hell is there no Windows Media Player on this machine, after years of being required to play media files?), "find keys" (if you've advertised you're holding an event in a room, for goodness sake make sure it's open on the day!), etc etc etc. In other words, the usual first day of the new semester.
But in between all that I had a few laughs and deep thinks to ward off the last of the headache. I hung out a bit at Office Pirates and found the Office Guns site (the next staff meeting may be an interesting one...). I found out sex/gender may not be what you assume. I did a BBC test to see whether I was male or female anyway - and am just an average female after all. I even started an online argument with my IT bloke over whether the internet only works when he's gone or not (it does - he has to be fiddling with something!). I took some photos of people in skimpy attire (a cycling team, for promotional purposes - and it was blerry cold outside!). And then tonight I dropped in at a friend's after work and gave her a back/neck massage to try cure a first-day-of-school teaching-related headache. It's been a while since I did that - my hands are kinda shaky after a half-hour's effort. I hope I did more good than harm... :)
However I didn't enter to win a date with Kyknoord (I'd love to, but am somewhat intimidated by the idea). I also didn't eat more than 4 squares of dark chocolate (the little ones within the block, not the big block-size squares). I didn't drink more than 1 cup of filter coffee, nor did I drink the litre of water I had hoped to. I forgot to water the office plant (more like a tree - it's obviously in the right spot!). And I did have a triple-decker cheese and pickled onions warmed-up sandwich for lunch, with a leftover cream donut for dessert - but didn't have any other veggies today.
I also blogged. But not here. :)
All in all, I'm back! Like it or not.
Today work stepped up a notch as all our students arrived back at the institution I work for - and I did my usual "run around and find lost sheep" (the noobs), "check on the disorganized" (the usual staff), "figure out technology" (why the hell is there no Windows Media Player on this machine, after years of being required to play media files?), "find keys" (if you've advertised you're holding an event in a room, for goodness sake make sure it's open on the day!), etc etc etc. In other words, the usual first day of the new semester.
But in between all that I had a few laughs and deep thinks to ward off the last of the headache. I hung out a bit at Office Pirates and found the Office Guns site (the next staff meeting may be an interesting one...). I found out sex/gender may not be what you assume. I did a BBC test to see whether I was male or female anyway - and am just an average female after all. I even started an online argument with my IT bloke over whether the internet only works when he's gone or not (it does - he has to be fiddling with something!). I took some photos of people in skimpy attire (a cycling team, for promotional purposes - and it was blerry cold outside!). And then tonight I dropped in at a friend's after work and gave her a back/neck massage to try cure a first-day-of-school teaching-related headache. It's been a while since I did that - my hands are kinda shaky after a half-hour's effort. I hope I did more good than harm... :)
However I didn't enter to win a date with Kyknoord (I'd love to, but am somewhat intimidated by the idea). I also didn't eat more than 4 squares of dark chocolate (the little ones within the block, not the big block-size squares). I didn't drink more than 1 cup of filter coffee, nor did I drink the litre of water I had hoped to. I forgot to water the office plant (more like a tree - it's obviously in the right spot!). And I did have a triple-decker cheese and pickled onions warmed-up sandwich for lunch, with a leftover cream donut for dessert - but didn't have any other veggies today.
I also blogged. But not here. :)
All in all, I'm back! Like it or not.
Single....
Single parenting when you're sick, sucks. And sick I am indeed! I hope it's not the "dangerous flu" going around - but it feels like tonsilitis (got no tonsils, can't be) and flu all rolled into one. I don't want to eat or drink, but am forcing food and water down.
I've spent much of the day in bed sleeping solidly - and am still planning on doing some more.
Unfortunately - single parenting never stops. I still have to get up to cook meals for the kid, sort out this and that... but thankfully he's old enough to spread his own bread, and keep himself reasonably busy on the computer. He's watching a DVD right now, leaving me to sit in bed with the laptop and entertain myself. In previous years it was a lot worse.... had to keep him busy too!
Still, this is one of the times where it sucks to be a single parent. I'd love nothing more than to be left in peace to wallow in feeling off-colour. But I can't.
That's just how life goes.
I've spent much of the day in bed sleeping solidly - and am still planning on doing some more.
Unfortunately - single parenting never stops. I still have to get up to cook meals for the kid, sort out this and that... but thankfully he's old enough to spread his own bread, and keep himself reasonably busy on the computer. He's watching a DVD right now, leaving me to sit in bed with the laptop and entertain myself. In previous years it was a lot worse.... had to keep him busy too!
Still, this is one of the times where it sucks to be a single parent. I'd love nothing more than to be left in peace to wallow in feeling off-colour. But I can't.
That's just how life goes.
Win a Date!
I'm by no means witty enough nor interesting enough to win a date with Kyknoord, but I sure can advertise! :)It doesn't seem that he's specified gender - so if you're in the Cape area and would like to meet this most awesome of bloggers, by all means enter. Then tell us all about it once you've been wined and dined.
13th
Strange how some days everything seems to hit you at once. I've had issue after issue crop up this morning, some of them very sticky ones. Visas expiring, new students (with no English capability) being searched and x-rayed at the airport on arrival (welcome to South Africa!), other people panicking over this or that.... Things have just kinda snowballed today.
I had to notice the date - the 13th - and although I'm not suspicious, I could be so inclined if things continue in this way. Friday's close enough to make it an inauspicious day! :)
I'm not feeling too great today (flu?), but the only thing that's going to help now is chocolate. Even if it kills me.
I had to notice the date - the 13th - and although I'm not suspicious, I could be so inclined if things continue in this way. Friday's close enough to make it an inauspicious day! :)
I'm not feeling too great today (flu?), but the only thing that's going to help now is chocolate. Even if it kills me.
Time-Eaters
Have you ever sat with a blank mind before a game of Solitaire, simply clicking away while the brain idles? Some folk need concentration to play - I found it a good way to clear the head!
BUT, having said that - there is one game I love online, which takes concentration, quick thinking and (preferably) a good internet speed. InkLink at Shockwave - online pictionary! With a good vocabulary, mouse-drawing skills and decent typing speed, you can come out tops. Once you start, expect to spend a few hours at it too.
At the same site is Bejeweled2, which is fun in a mindless sort of way - and hilarious when the Big Voice kicks in at the start of levels. My son and I got on it (on seperate computers) last night - but couldn't get beyond Level 8.
Bored? Go give them a try.
BUT, having said that - there is one game I love online, which takes concentration, quick thinking and (preferably) a good internet speed. InkLink at Shockwave - online pictionary! With a good vocabulary, mouse-drawing skills and decent typing speed, you can come out tops. Once you start, expect to spend a few hours at it too.
At the same site is Bejeweled2, which is fun in a mindless sort of way - and hilarious when the Big Voice kicks in at the start of levels. My son and I got on it (on seperate computers) last night - but couldn't get beyond Level 8.
Bored? Go give them a try.
Landy Update
I've just heard from Olivia's owner. WE'VE GOT HER! Woohoo! Our first (and definitely not last) Land Rover!
Gotta go jump around the room and yell a bit more now.... :)
Gotta go jump around the room and yell a bit more now.... :)
Road-Trip
It's hard to live in the Southern Hemisphere, drudging through winter, while half the Northern Hemisphere is on a summer road-trip! That's the downside of the internet - whatever season one is in, someone is in the opposite. And the opposite sometimes looks way too attractive for one to enjoy what one has... It also doesn't help when one watches movies like Elizabethtown.
But back to the road trips. A friend is currently on a mini-one, brave bloke that he is. Buzzing along on his little Gomoto for 300km or so, sleeping in a tent - and this in the middle of winter as a cold front approaches!
As I type this, some foodie types are driving across the USA, and if you do a blog search you'll find many others are going here and there too. It is SO not fair!
You see, I love road trips. I love the sense of adventure and discovery, of finding new things in unexpected places. I love the long road, the sudden views, the secret glimpses in passing. I love finding a perfect place, an interesting shop, a cluster of cool buildings, or that one quirky character. If the price of petrol hadn't recently hit the R6.50/litre mark.... well, let's just say you'd find me out and about on a whole lot more road trips, at every opportunity.
I guess that's why I've dreamt of an extra-big road trip, that trek through Africa. There's something about stretching my horizons both literally and figuratively that gets my feet itching horribly.
Today the itching is almost unbearable. I can't wait for summer, for the heat and the open windows, the open road and packed lunches. The adventure. Yes - I could do this in winter, but somehow it's just not the same. Summer, road trip - those go together perfectly.
We have done a few small ones - a trip through the Cape Peninsula, and another circular route in the Overberg. But there are so many other places left to explore - the R62, the entire Northern Cape, the Langeberg, Agulhas.... and beyond.
It doesn't even matter how you do it - by car, by bicycle, by motorbike, by horse-drawn wagon if you must. It's the journey that matters. It's what you see and experience. It's all in the detours and the road less travelled, the whim to go here or do that. Sometimes it's the photos you take, or the mementos you pick up, or the memories you make. Sometimes it's just a feeling, a smell, an image that makes your soul sing.
Where will you go this summer? Where have you been?
But back to the road trips. A friend is currently on a mini-one, brave bloke that he is. Buzzing along on his little Gomoto for 300km or so, sleeping in a tent - and this in the middle of winter as a cold front approaches!
As I type this, some foodie types are driving across the USA, and if you do a blog search you'll find many others are going here and there too. It is SO not fair!
You see, I love road trips. I love the sense of adventure and discovery, of finding new things in unexpected places. I love the long road, the sudden views, the secret glimpses in passing. I love finding a perfect place, an interesting shop, a cluster of cool buildings, or that one quirky character. If the price of petrol hadn't recently hit the R6.50/litre mark.... well, let's just say you'd find me out and about on a whole lot more road trips, at every opportunity.
I guess that's why I've dreamt of an extra-big road trip, that trek through Africa. There's something about stretching my horizons both literally and figuratively that gets my feet itching horribly.
Today the itching is almost unbearable. I can't wait for summer, for the heat and the open windows, the open road and packed lunches. The adventure. Yes - I could do this in winter, but somehow it's just not the same. Summer, road trip - those go together perfectly.
We have done a few small ones - a trip through the Cape Peninsula, and another circular route in the Overberg. But there are so many other places left to explore - the R62, the entire Northern Cape, the Langeberg, Agulhas.... and beyond.
It doesn't even matter how you do it - by car, by bicycle, by motorbike, by horse-drawn wagon if you must. It's the journey that matters. It's what you see and experience. It's all in the detours and the road less travelled, the whim to go here or do that. Sometimes it's the photos you take, or the mementos you pick up, or the memories you make. Sometimes it's just a feeling, a smell, an image that makes your soul sing.
Where will you go this summer? Where have you been?
Lapping it up
I acquired a laptop this weekend - an old one with a very small hard drive, granted, but a laptop nevertheless. It needed a partition wipe and re-install, a couple of upgrades (48 security updates for WinXP!) and a few installations to get going.
But what a difference it makes to have one!
I can now sit in my bed and type. Or blog at midnight without waking the kid (our desktop is right near his bed, and has a rather noisy processor). Or watch movies in my room (it has a DVD drive) - movies the kid wouldn't enjoy, but which I would (and he can watch something else in the other room). I can even surf the net without first having to chuck the kid off the computer! I haven't yet checked if the battery will continue to function when it's not plugged in, but the portability is wonderful. I can sit out in the sun, and still be online.
This morning I had an email to send to a colleague that they needed to get before I would arrive at work. No problem - no lengthy wait for the other machine to start up. The laptop did it quickly. Email sent, computer off again, no problem.
A new age has dawned in our abode. The age of the Laptop.
But what a difference it makes to have one!
I can now sit in my bed and type. Or blog at midnight without waking the kid (our desktop is right near his bed, and has a rather noisy processor). Or watch movies in my room (it has a DVD drive) - movies the kid wouldn't enjoy, but which I would (and he can watch something else in the other room). I can even surf the net without first having to chuck the kid off the computer! I haven't yet checked if the battery will continue to function when it's not plugged in, but the portability is wonderful. I can sit out in the sun, and still be online.
This morning I had an email to send to a colleague that they needed to get before I would arrive at work. No problem - no lengthy wait for the other machine to start up. The laptop did it quickly. Email sent, computer off again, no problem.
A new age has dawned in our abode. The age of the Laptop.
Kindness, Integrity and Stories
The Winter of the Dance. Read all about it here and here. A winter spent dancing on street corners, with freedom and inhibition. Amazing.
These same two cycled a very long way a while back. They're living lives Extraordinary. The kind of life I aspire to.
But there's a single phrase that completely stuck out for me as Jeff and Mike spoke about their experience. Mike says: "As an old man one day, I don't necessarily want to have wealth - but I do want to have Kindess, Integrity and Stories".
Really - is there anything more we could aspire to?
Crazy Fowl...
Remember jackie hanger, the "begging" bird I blogged about a week or so back?
At lunchtime today I walked into my room, and the darn thing flew right up to the window again, begging for food. I thought I'd be kind, and went to get a crust of bread to put on the outside windowsill. When I got back it had come inside the window! Sitting there, looking at me, right in the middle of the sill - but decided it should rather be on the other side of the glass as I approached. That, of course, led to a flurry of flapping against the glass as it tried to get out and couldn't. Eventually it headed toward a window that was open a crack - at which point the Curious Dog jumped onto the nearby table and attempted to eat it! Between dog jaws, fluttering wings and a window that struggled to open, I finally got it out.
Geez. Birds!
Fearless too. A few minutes later it was back outside, begging. Gave it a piece of cooked macaroni, which it chewed on, and that seems to have kept it happy.
Until next time....
At lunchtime today I walked into my room, and the darn thing flew right up to the window again, begging for food. I thought I'd be kind, and went to get a crust of bread to put on the outside windowsill. When I got back it had come inside the window! Sitting there, looking at me, right in the middle of the sill - but decided it should rather be on the other side of the glass as I approached. That, of course, led to a flurry of flapping against the glass as it tried to get out and couldn't. Eventually it headed toward a window that was open a crack - at which point the Curious Dog jumped onto the nearby table and attempted to eat it! Between dog jaws, fluttering wings and a window that struggled to open, I finally got it out.
Geez. Birds!
Fearless too. A few minutes later it was back outside, begging. Gave it a piece of cooked macaroni, which it chewed on, and that seems to have kept it happy.
Until next time....
Landy Spotting
A curious thing has been happening lately. Everywhere I go, I'm seeing Land Rovers!
It's a given that if you notice one blue car, you're suddenly going to notice how many blue cars are around you. Your eye simply picks them out more easily. And with my current obsession with Landys, I see them everywhere! If I drive to the mall, I'll find 6 or more between here and there, and spot them in the parking lot too. If they have a rooftop tent and evidence of overlanding (stickers, scratches, a non-parking lot look to them), all the better!
It's become a bit of a game with my son and I (who tends to roll his eyes when I go on about the beasts) to see who can spot the most or spot them first.
Yesterday I dashed out to grab a few groceries, and came across a strange looking vehicle. Very square, but with darkened windows moulded right up to roof level and almost wrap-around on the back. What could it be? Turns out it's a Discovery 3 - a model I hadn't seen before, or perhaps hadn't noticed, because it sure as heck doesn't look like your average Landy...
You know, I'd be scared to take one of those off-road. They look way too fancy to be bundu-bashing, the paintwork too painstakingly even, the windows too flimsy. I'm sure they're not, knowing Landy standards - but this is such a city vehicle. It's and "image" car, that says "hey, I'm tough" without having to prove it. :)
My brother owns a Freelander. I'm not sure he's ever been offroad with it, nor will he. It's another city car - simply taking him here and there on business. It doesn't get muddy, it doesn't have its limits tested, it doesn't go play in ditches like a "normal" Landy. It's a bother to own and fix and he's been trying to sell it for a while. Four-wheel-drive is simply not needed for trundling around town, nor for transporting the family here and there.
But me? Well, my Ford Sierra has already gone where no Ford should go, tackling extreme corrugations and mud roads at my grandparent's farm, getting stuck next to the N1 near Bloemfontein in an horrendous storm (and getting out again), being chased by a hailstorm at speed through the countryside (and surviving some rather extreme hailstones when we didn't quite make it). When I took the doors apart to fix the locks, I found half of Gauteng's dust inside them still, a few years later.
I suspect that a tough, rough Landy will be well used in my household! And the poor Ford rested for a bit.
In the meantime though, we're spotting Landys. And apparently there are a few thousand around here. Or they're following us around.
It's a given that if you notice one blue car, you're suddenly going to notice how many blue cars are around you. Your eye simply picks them out more easily. And with my current obsession with Landys, I see them everywhere! If I drive to the mall, I'll find 6 or more between here and there, and spot them in the parking lot too. If they have a rooftop tent and evidence of overlanding (stickers, scratches, a non-parking lot look to them), all the better!
It's become a bit of a game with my son and I (who tends to roll his eyes when I go on about the beasts) to see who can spot the most or spot them first.
Yesterday I dashed out to grab a few groceries, and came across a strange looking vehicle. Very square, but with darkened windows moulded right up to roof level and almost wrap-around on the back. What could it be? Turns out it's a Discovery 3 - a model I hadn't seen before, or perhaps hadn't noticed, because it sure as heck doesn't look like your average Landy...
You know, I'd be scared to take one of those off-road. They look way too fancy to be bundu-bashing, the paintwork too painstakingly even, the windows too flimsy. I'm sure they're not, knowing Landy standards - but this is such a city vehicle. It's and "image" car, that says "hey, I'm tough" without having to prove it. :)
My brother owns a Freelander. I'm not sure he's ever been offroad with it, nor will he. It's another city car - simply taking him here and there on business. It doesn't get muddy, it doesn't have its limits tested, it doesn't go play in ditches like a "normal" Landy. It's a bother to own and fix and he's been trying to sell it for a while. Four-wheel-drive is simply not needed for trundling around town, nor for transporting the family here and there.
But me? Well, my Ford Sierra has already gone where no Ford should go, tackling extreme corrugations and mud roads at my grandparent's farm, getting stuck next to the N1 near Bloemfontein in an horrendous storm (and getting out again), being chased by a hailstorm at speed through the countryside (and surviving some rather extreme hailstones when we didn't quite make it). When I took the doors apart to fix the locks, I found half of Gauteng's dust inside them still, a few years later.
I suspect that a tough, rough Landy will be well used in my household! And the poor Ford rested for a bit.
In the meantime though, we're spotting Landys. And apparently there are a few thousand around here. Or they're following us around.
Fear
I sometimes find myself paralyzed with fear - not the "scared of the dark" variety, but fear that I'm wrong.
Am I headed in the wrong direction in life? Can I really survive out there on my own as a self-employed person? Am I doing the right thing when I dream big, or am I in reality doomed to plod a mundane path, never fulfilling my ambitions? On some days the thought "What the hell am I doing?!" runs through my head on endless-repeat.
It's not only the self-employment thing, it's also my dreams of travel and adventure. I fear that I'm just creating a disaster by drooling over 4x4's and endless horizons. What, in reality, do I know about such things? The amount I have to learn still is sufficiently daunting to terrify me!
But I've found a cure for fear. It's Inspiration.
When I fear I cannot be self-employed, I read up on those who have made a success of it. Those who have found a way to fulfill their dreams - with hard work, creativity and a willingness to give it a go, come what may.
When I fear the inside workings of a Landy and my lack of knowledge thereof, I read up on those who were once were I am, but who have gone on to do most excellent things and have awesome adventures.
I look to support communities too - clubs for the 4x4 folk, groups of go-it-alone workers, and even the odd-man-out type church. :)
I find if I muddle along in self-pity, my fear grows to insane proportions, crippling me and holding me back from the path I want to follow. I know that if I take a deep breath, push past the fear and just do it - the rewards are going to be amazing. Focus on the goal - fear is merely a stepping stone, the adrenaline rush that propels me along the path my heart has worn.
Am I headed in the wrong direction in life? Can I really survive out there on my own as a self-employed person? Am I doing the right thing when I dream big, or am I in reality doomed to plod a mundane path, never fulfilling my ambitions? On some days the thought "What the hell am I doing?!" runs through my head on endless-repeat.
It's not only the self-employment thing, it's also my dreams of travel and adventure. I fear that I'm just creating a disaster by drooling over 4x4's and endless horizons. What, in reality, do I know about such things? The amount I have to learn still is sufficiently daunting to terrify me!
But I've found a cure for fear. It's Inspiration.
When I fear I cannot be self-employed, I read up on those who have made a success of it. Those who have found a way to fulfill their dreams - with hard work, creativity and a willingness to give it a go, come what may.
When I fear the inside workings of a Landy and my lack of knowledge thereof, I read up on those who were once were I am, but who have gone on to do most excellent things and have awesome adventures.
I look to support communities too - clubs for the 4x4 folk, groups of go-it-alone workers, and even the odd-man-out type church. :)
I find if I muddle along in self-pity, my fear grows to insane proportions, crippling me and holding me back from the path I want to follow. I know that if I take a deep breath, push past the fear and just do it - the rewards are going to be amazing. Focus on the goal - fear is merely a stepping stone, the adrenaline rush that propels me along the path my heart has worn.
Cars and Me
I seem to have a penchant for owning crappy cars. Or at least ones that require rather more care than they give great service...
My first car was a 1978 Mini. About the same blue as the one in the picture, it came with a vinyl sunroof (which collected water in the winter rain, then streamed it down your neck when you turned left, and caused mushrooms to grow under the seats). It came with regularly-disintegrating bush on the gears (leaving the lever in your hand and the car stuck in 4th), with a single strut left unrusted in the boot on which the spare balanced, and with a mostly-not-working fuel guage. To test the fuel level, we employed a short length of hosepipe - stick it in the tank, swing it around - if it goes "splash" there's fuel, if it goes "clonk", fill it up! We had many adventures in that car - once fitting 8 people and their surf/body-boards in for a trip to the nearby beach! Riding extremely low...
My next car was a 1988 Honda Ballade - same shape as this, but black. Bought from a dealer, who cheated us by replacing the tyres with worn ones before we drove off, it also had its fair share of problems. I became very good friends with my mechanic during the years I owned it.. :) The final straw though was when an axle snapped. It was towed to the mechanic, who then phoned me up to say he was selling it and getting me something else. He was literally fed up with having to fix it, parts being both hard to come by and expensive.
Arrive the Ford. A 1987 2 litre Ford Sierra to be precise (same colour as the pic!). The Friggin'Ford which has featured prominently in various posts on this blog. It's also had its fair share of problems - from brakes, to a bonnet that didn't want to open, to locks that wouldn't work, and leaks that let in the rain. The Ford is my current car, and will probably be for a while.
But now I'm aiming for a 1976 Series III Land Rover! Yet another car that will need love, attention, and a sense of humour to deal with whatever issues it throws my way.
One thing can be said for crappy cars though. (Well, a couple of things... and most of them not repeatable) I've learnt a lot about how they work - more than I would have had they run along smoothly with absolutely no problems. I've been able to get my hands dirty and figure out their innards, make a plan for things that break (like having to replace a battery in the mall parking lot, on my own, this past Friday - not a single offer of help from anyone who walked past!), and find out just how far I can drive with whatever issue is currently at the fore.
It's also given me a confidence to go further, learn more, and try things I never have. In fact, later today I'll be delving into the engine of the Ford to find a funny noise (although the mechanic sees it tomorrow for a service - probably a good thing, he can sort out whatever I may break), diving under the chassis to see what is making a noise against the wheels, and looking for the issue with the diff that seems to be leaking. I've started to like getting my hands greasy, and particularly enjoy knowing that I can (almost) fix anything! I've even gained enough confidence to give servicing my own car (next time) a try.
You see, I tend to think like this: if someone else can do it, there's a good chance I can too. Though it may take me a bit longer, and be a rather steep learning curve, I'll get it eventually.
So here's to crappy cars and the adventure, knowledge and fun they bring! :)
My first car was a 1978 Mini. About the same blue as the one in the picture, it came with a vinyl sunroof (which collected water in the winter rain, then streamed it down your neck when you turned left, and caused mushrooms to grow under the seats). It came with regularly-disintegrating bush on the gears (leaving the lever in your hand and the car stuck in 4th), with a single strut left unrusted in the boot on which the spare balanced, and with a mostly-not-working fuel guage. To test the fuel level, we employed a short length of hosepipe - stick it in the tank, swing it around - if it goes "splash" there's fuel, if it goes "clonk", fill it up! We had many adventures in that car - once fitting 8 people and their surf/body-boards in for a trip to the nearby beach! Riding extremely low...
My next car was a 1988 Honda Ballade - same shape as this, but black. Bought from a dealer, who cheated us by replacing the tyres with worn ones before we drove off, it also had its fair share of problems. I became very good friends with my mechanic during the years I owned it.. :) The final straw though was when an axle snapped. It was towed to the mechanic, who then phoned me up to say he was selling it and getting me something else. He was literally fed up with having to fix it, parts being both hard to come by and expensive.
Arrive the Ford. A 1987 2 litre Ford Sierra to be precise (same colour as the pic!). The Friggin'Ford which has featured prominently in various posts on this blog. It's also had its fair share of problems - from brakes, to a bonnet that didn't want to open, to locks that wouldn't work, and leaks that let in the rain. The Ford is my current car, and will probably be for a while.
But now I'm aiming for a 1976 Series III Land Rover! Yet another car that will need love, attention, and a sense of humour to deal with whatever issues it throws my way.
One thing can be said for crappy cars though. (Well, a couple of things... and most of them not repeatable) I've learnt a lot about how they work - more than I would have had they run along smoothly with absolutely no problems. I've been able to get my hands dirty and figure out their innards, make a plan for things that break (like having to replace a battery in the mall parking lot, on my own, this past Friday - not a single offer of help from anyone who walked past!), and find out just how far I can drive with whatever issue is currently at the fore.
It's also given me a confidence to go further, learn more, and try things I never have. In fact, later today I'll be delving into the engine of the Ford to find a funny noise (although the mechanic sees it tomorrow for a service - probably a good thing, he can sort out whatever I may break), diving under the chassis to see what is making a noise against the wheels, and looking for the issue with the diff that seems to be leaking. I've started to like getting my hands greasy, and particularly enjoy knowing that I can (almost) fix anything! I've even gained enough confidence to give servicing my own car (next time) a try.
You see, I tend to think like this: if someone else can do it, there's a good chance I can too. Though it may take me a bit longer, and be a rather steep learning curve, I'll get it eventually.
So here's to crappy cars and the adventure, knowledge and fun they bring! :)
Google and Virgin
I caught the tail-end of an interview with Sir Richard Branson last night on TV, and was struck by how thinking outside the conventional box has become the norm these days.
Virgin's success seems to hinge on the fact that it's willing to boldly go - to try new things and offer great service, to develop brand customers who like your product so much that they'll spread the word for you. Virgin Money is just the latest in a wide range of business involvement that South Africa has seen. They're undercutting what more conventional and traditional banks are offering in terms of fees and service, making life easier for customers. I have this mental image of a bunch of staid old men in suits (the established banks) sitting up in outrage at the doings of the wild kid (Virgin and Branson), and then hastily meeting to see how they will deal with this threat to the way their business is run. You see, the banks here have been ruling with an iron fist in a way. We're charged for everything, and more, with no say in the matter. If they're going to keep their customers, they're going to have to take a long hard look at how they do business.
But banking isn't the only area in which Virgin is stepping up and shaking their fists up the noses of convention. They've infiltrated gyms, aircraft, cellphones... A very diverse business indeed! And they're getting into new things all the time. Not in a plodding forward in a single line way, but with fun, energy, enthusiasm, and a willingness to take chances. Of course, it helps to have a crazy billionaire at the helm.
Which brings me to Google. What started out as a mere search engine now has its fingers in more and more goodies. Rather cool goodies. The words "world domination" may have been thrown around a bit, but they are slowly and steadily winning more and more customers to their side. Make it free, make it fun, make it useful (make people wonder how they lived without it...), and whatever new gadget you bring out, folk will be happy to try it - and tweak it. Take Google Earth for instance - as soon as it was released, Google Earth Hacks sprung up, with the users making it their own. They initiated "wars", added 3D buildings, layers, paths. Bit of a cult following, in a way. Which is probably the best thing a business can have.
All this to say - business is changing. Everywhere you look, models, ideas and strategies are being turned on their heads. What worked for years no longer does. Boundaries are pushed into unknown territory, ideas come out into the open and take flight, and the guys at the top in their suits are getting nervous.
Which, in my opinion, is a very good thing.
Virgin's success seems to hinge on the fact that it's willing to boldly go - to try new things and offer great service, to develop brand customers who like your product so much that they'll spread the word for you. Virgin Money is just the latest in a wide range of business involvement that South Africa has seen. They're undercutting what more conventional and traditional banks are offering in terms of fees and service, making life easier for customers. I have this mental image of a bunch of staid old men in suits (the established banks) sitting up in outrage at the doings of the wild kid (Virgin and Branson), and then hastily meeting to see how they will deal with this threat to the way their business is run. You see, the banks here have been ruling with an iron fist in a way. We're charged for everything, and more, with no say in the matter. If they're going to keep their customers, they're going to have to take a long hard look at how they do business.
But banking isn't the only area in which Virgin is stepping up and shaking their fists up the noses of convention. They've infiltrated gyms, aircraft, cellphones... A very diverse business indeed! And they're getting into new things all the time. Not in a plodding forward in a single line way, but with fun, energy, enthusiasm, and a willingness to take chances. Of course, it helps to have a crazy billionaire at the helm.
Which brings me to Google. What started out as a mere search engine now has its fingers in more and more goodies. Rather cool goodies. The words "world domination" may have been thrown around a bit, but they are slowly and steadily winning more and more customers to their side. Make it free, make it fun, make it useful (make people wonder how they lived without it...), and whatever new gadget you bring out, folk will be happy to try it - and tweak it. Take Google Earth for instance - as soon as it was released, Google Earth Hacks sprung up, with the users making it their own. They initiated "wars", added 3D buildings, layers, paths. Bit of a cult following, in a way. Which is probably the best thing a business can have.
All this to say - business is changing. Everywhere you look, models, ideas and strategies are being turned on their heads. What worked for years no longer does. Boundaries are pushed into unknown territory, ideas come out into the open and take flight, and the guys at the top in their suits are getting nervous.
Which, in my opinion, is a very good thing.
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