Well Summer is here with a vengeance - we have had a week of crazy hot temperatures (33 degrees Celsius measured at 4:30pm while on the way home). I work in an air conditioned office and have no idea what is going on outside until I get home and out the car. I don't know how Ruby does it with the boys during the heat of the day, I think I would really struggle. Just having the boys all ratty and whining for a little while in the evening is enough to get me done. I take my hat off to my good wife! (incoming brownie points hopefully)
The last month or so has been busy with studies and a whole bunch of other things and we have had two weeks of real fun with the stomach bug doing the rounds. Jesse started the whole thing but everyone had a chance at it with some being worse (or better) at it than others. Poor Jesse had the vomiting and diarrhea for two weeks and Orin was not much better. Ruby struggled for a little while and during this I ended up getting two abscesses on the same side of my mouth (same tooth on top and bottom) which was really fun. it seems that most of the people we know have had a chance with this bug with some only having it for a few days and others like us, for weeks.
Ruby has been doing really well with her photography and is going to be doing a couple of family portraits for some people as well as some baby photo shoots which she is really excited about. hopefully this will translate into something "bigger & better" as things go so that I can become a "kept" man and leave my place of employment : ) become a man of leisure - that is the way....
Ruby is actually doing well but needs to get the confidence in herself before actually doing this thing properly. I think she is the only one holding her back. (take note Ruby)
Well, before I am in too much trouble I better move onto a different subject.
I am in the market for a farm! Just dreaming at the moment I think but am looking around anyway. I want to be able to get the family into an area where the children can be children and not be too worried. I want to be able to get to the point that we will become totally self sufficient on the place and be able to provide for ourselves. I know there are a lot of problems that come with this sort of thing but I also think there are a lot of benefits. I am constantly feeling guilty that we do not do that much as a family and that we never spend much time away from the distractions in our home and environment - we are too "connected" to the technology and not connected to each other.
Don't get me wrong either, I love my gadgets and all of the luxuries that modernity has to offer, but I do think that we sometimes just get too involved and separated and it is too easy to stay put and have the computer or TV take care of things.
Ok, got that off my chest, now I can quit the writing and go sit on the couch under the fan and watch a movie.....
Friday, November 11, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Good to be alive!
I know Ruby has been hoping for one of these for a long while now so maybe it is time to make some sort of contribution to my wife's happiness....
As everyone around me keeps on about, "Spring has sprung" and we have a lot of blossoms and greenery starting everywhere. This is great and comes with the gradual warming up of the evenings and mornings so that it is pleasant to sit outside and chat or eat a meal. Sometimes I think that the seasons need to freeze for a while as this sort of weather is perfect.
I love the fact that I can run around barefoot (inside or out) in shorts and t-shirt and still have feeling in my feet after a few minutes!
It is nice to hear the birds in the mornings and evenings (although saying that - we had a dove staying in a tree just a few metres from our bedroom window this winter who thought that 10pm was the time to "sing his song" to the world which was funny at first but a little irritating when tired and trying to sleep). I enjoy the fact that in the evening and morning at the moment it is still cool enough to cuddle in bed and just enjoy a few minutes to talk about whatever we feel like at the time. The children are happy to be outside and playing and are even (on occasion) allowed by their mother to play with water or sprays!
I think this is one of my favorite times in the year!
This morning is our turn to do the clean up of the chapel and Ruby is having to go alone because I am not around today. After the cleanup there is also a "free market" which will be held in the parking lot of the chapel. A free market is like a flea market but everything is, you guessed it, free! everyone is encouraged to bring their old, unwanted goods to the chapel instead of having them clutter the home up then have them on a table for anyone else to take away if they want. The whole thing of "one man's garbage is another man's treasure" really is true and can be seen when attending one of these things.
The only negative here is that while Ruby and I will usually get rid of things (where does it all come from? We have given literally piles and piles of large dustbin bags full of assorted things away and yet we are still overcrowded at home) the boys are in heaven and want to bring a whole lot of new things home. Ruby usually will set some sort of a limit such as only allowing two items per child etc. It is funny to see the children negotiating as to who gets what and bargaining with the other children in the ward.
Anyway, I think I have rambled on enough here. Let it be known that I like Spring, I love my wife and children and am happy to be alive!
As everyone around me keeps on about, "Spring has sprung" and we have a lot of blossoms and greenery starting everywhere. This is great and comes with the gradual warming up of the evenings and mornings so that it is pleasant to sit outside and chat or eat a meal. Sometimes I think that the seasons need to freeze for a while as this sort of weather is perfect.
I love the fact that I can run around barefoot (inside or out) in shorts and t-shirt and still have feeling in my feet after a few minutes!
It is nice to hear the birds in the mornings and evenings (although saying that - we had a dove staying in a tree just a few metres from our bedroom window this winter who thought that 10pm was the time to "sing his song" to the world which was funny at first but a little irritating when tired and trying to sleep). I enjoy the fact that in the evening and morning at the moment it is still cool enough to cuddle in bed and just enjoy a few minutes to talk about whatever we feel like at the time. The children are happy to be outside and playing and are even (on occasion) allowed by their mother to play with water or sprays!
I think this is one of my favorite times in the year!
This morning is our turn to do the clean up of the chapel and Ruby is having to go alone because I am not around today. After the cleanup there is also a "free market" which will be held in the parking lot of the chapel. A free market is like a flea market but everything is, you guessed it, free! everyone is encouraged to bring their old, unwanted goods to the chapel instead of having them clutter the home up then have them on a table for anyone else to take away if they want. The whole thing of "one man's garbage is another man's treasure" really is true and can be seen when attending one of these things.
The only negative here is that while Ruby and I will usually get rid of things (where does it all come from? We have given literally piles and piles of large dustbin bags full of assorted things away and yet we are still overcrowded at home) the boys are in heaven and want to bring a whole lot of new things home. Ruby usually will set some sort of a limit such as only allowing two items per child etc. It is funny to see the children negotiating as to who gets what and bargaining with the other children in the ward.
Anyway, I think I have rambled on enough here. Let it be known that I like Spring, I love my wife and children and am happy to be alive!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Winter Blues Are Here!
We had the Doller boys sleep over last night and I played a little rugby with them in the evening before it got dark. It was COLD! I came in with a cough and suffered with it the whole night because my throat was so raw from all of the heavy breathing in the cold. I suppose the lack of fitness plays a part also.... It has gotten to the pint that i just sort of wonder around the house looking for things to do because I am cold and sitting around does not help. I suppose that Last night I was just sitting for the majority of the night though because I started rereading the last two twilight books this week and finished the last one in the lounge last night. Sometimes I hate finishing a book or series of books I enjoy because there is no continuation of the story I am reading - I need the authors to write a whole bunch of them for me to continue all of the stories that spin off of the originals. I need to satisfy my craving for completion / more (not sure I want the good stories finished....). Not sure if this makes any sense at all?
I am at the point where I have been waiting for the next book in the Twilight series for ages now and it is not forthcoming (I have even read the copy of the leaked manuscript available on The official page a couple of times. I am thinking of writing my own continuation just to get something out there, kind of pathetic.
A huge amount has changed and happened since I last wrote anything here, Ruby has a new camera and has become quite the photographer and photoshopper (spelling right?), producing many really good photos. All of our married life Ruby has always given the camera to me saying "you take much better photos than me..." and we now have a 180 degree turn around! When I ask for the camera it is not always willingly / happily given! I suppose that is what happens when someone has something they really enjoy though. Ruby really does take some really great photos though (refer to the photo above if there are any doubts) and this one is one of my favorites.
Anyway, time to close this up and go get something warm to put my hands on.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
It is Wednesday night and I am sitting in front of the TV trying to fix our BYU satellite while waiting for Ruby who is on a "girls night out" with my sisters. I have just finished getting all of the boys to bed and reading to them and now have some quiet time alone (quite a rare occasion in this house). Today I had a tooth pulled or rather a crown removed and the tooth and root area cleaned out with a return appointment for Friday to re-drill and replace the crown. Not my most comfortable day today.
Monday night we had our Family Home Evening and discussed the troubles the people in Japan are having and what we need to do to prepare for emergency situations. It was really quite sobering to see the level of destruction wrought by a wave caused by a "small" shift in the crust of the earth. I can just imagine the kind of mayhem that will occur if and when there is a really big movement in the crust, something that will last for hours instead of seconds... scary stuff.
After our FHE finished, Ruby and I were in the office / study after getting the children bathed and dressed discussing options with regard to my salary changes (our structures in the office are changing) and planning our way forward. Ruby had told Kyle to make sure the little guys didn't go outside after the bath because it was really wet after a heavy downpour. As Ruby and I were talking, Jesse comes walking in literally dripping wet so Ruby calls out to Kyle (just before this Kyle is heard asking his brothers why there are wet patches on the floor - he thought Jesse had taken off his nappy and left a puddle) and asks why his little brother is wet. Kyle's reply was that he had no idea. Ruby asked if Jesse had been outside and Kyle again replies that he has no idea. When he eventually decides to get up he sees a trail from the door to the study and says that yes his brother was outside....
Jesse literally walked past Kyle and slid out under the security door! Really alert son we have here.
I suppose we sometimes expect too much from Kyle because he is just so grown up and mature in so many ways. It is easy to forget that he is still a thirteen year old who "zones out" and is selfish on occasion because he is mostly not like your typical garden variety teenager at all.
Just another reason to be grateful for what we have in our lives.
Monday night we had our Family Home Evening and discussed the troubles the people in Japan are having and what we need to do to prepare for emergency situations. It was really quite sobering to see the level of destruction wrought by a wave caused by a "small" shift in the crust of the earth. I can just imagine the kind of mayhem that will occur if and when there is a really big movement in the crust, something that will last for hours instead of seconds... scary stuff.
After our FHE finished, Ruby and I were in the office / study after getting the children bathed and dressed discussing options with regard to my salary changes (our structures in the office are changing) and planning our way forward. Ruby had told Kyle to make sure the little guys didn't go outside after the bath because it was really wet after a heavy downpour. As Ruby and I were talking, Jesse comes walking in literally dripping wet so Ruby calls out to Kyle (just before this Kyle is heard asking his brothers why there are wet patches on the floor - he thought Jesse had taken off his nappy and left a puddle) and asks why his little brother is wet. Kyle's reply was that he had no idea. Ruby asked if Jesse had been outside and Kyle again replies that he has no idea. When he eventually decides to get up he sees a trail from the door to the study and says that yes his brother was outside....
Jesse literally walked past Kyle and slid out under the security door! Really alert son we have here.
I suppose we sometimes expect too much from Kyle because he is just so grown up and mature in so many ways. It is easy to forget that he is still a thirteen year old who "zones out" and is selfish on occasion because he is mostly not like your typical garden variety teenager at all.
Just another reason to be grateful for what we have in our lives.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday Evening
Well it is that sort of time again and as I wait here for two of my boys to finish eating bread-rolls I will type a little...
The past little while has been really busy at work and I am struggling to keep up. I definitely need to be more organised and keep to the plans made so that I can increase my effectiveness. It seems that at the end of the day I do not have much to show for my time spent in the office. I have had a couple of ideas but it probably all comes back to concentrating on one task, completing it and only then moving to the next, something I am finding difficult to do. My manager is really helpful with this and is always trying to assist with the planning thing so I guess I should just practice and keep practicing until I am competent.
I just had a short break to read to my boys (Aidan and Orin) for bedtime but am now back at the keyboard - I can't believe how long it takes to read a chapter of Harry Potter! I started here at 8pm and now continue at 8:48 which means I was reading for at least a half hour. Aidan in particular really seems to enjoy it though and will go to just about any lengths to insure he gets a chapter every night. We have gone through the first two books in the series and are now into the third which is relatively dark so it is interesting seeing the reactions to things as we go along. He really gobbles this stuff up and can give me a rundown of the previous chapter when I ask so there is definitely stuff going in. It is nice to be able to spend some time with them doing this sort of thing and to see the passion for books and stories grow (both Ruby and I have a thing for reading which has been passed to Kyle but we were a little concerned that Aidan would not take to the "book thing" very well). Now when it is bedtime, Aidan and Orin will climb happily into bed if I am going to read and Orin will even take his own book to hold while we read but he inevitable passes out after the first few paragraphs. Jesse has taken to carrying a book around with him and crying out "book, book" until someone sits with him and reads for a while. He also wants one (a book) when he goes to bed now and will happily "read" for a little while before sleeping or deciding that someone needs to rescue him from the cot.
I guess I have a pretty great family here and I am really thankful for all that I am blessed with. This is in no small measure due to the efforts of an amazing woman who has sacrificed many hours of sleep, possessions and comfort to raise a herd of wild animals in her home. Thanks for the great family we enjoy Ruby!
No I am not in trouble with my wife or trying to score brownie points. Just a little "shout out" to the best mommy and wife out there!
The past little while has been really busy at work and I am struggling to keep up. I definitely need to be more organised and keep to the plans made so that I can increase my effectiveness. It seems that at the end of the day I do not have much to show for my time spent in the office. I have had a couple of ideas but it probably all comes back to concentrating on one task, completing it and only then moving to the next, something I am finding difficult to do. My manager is really helpful with this and is always trying to assist with the planning thing so I guess I should just practice and keep practicing until I am competent.
I just had a short break to read to my boys (Aidan and Orin) for bedtime but am now back at the keyboard - I can't believe how long it takes to read a chapter of Harry Potter! I started here at 8pm and now continue at 8:48 which means I was reading for at least a half hour. Aidan in particular really seems to enjoy it though and will go to just about any lengths to insure he gets a chapter every night. We have gone through the first two books in the series and are now into the third which is relatively dark so it is interesting seeing the reactions to things as we go along. He really gobbles this stuff up and can give me a rundown of the previous chapter when I ask so there is definitely stuff going in. It is nice to be able to spend some time with them doing this sort of thing and to see the passion for books and stories grow (both Ruby and I have a thing for reading which has been passed to Kyle but we were a little concerned that Aidan would not take to the "book thing" very well). Now when it is bedtime, Aidan and Orin will climb happily into bed if I am going to read and Orin will even take his own book to hold while we read but he inevitable passes out after the first few paragraphs. Jesse has taken to carrying a book around with him and crying out "book, book" until someone sits with him and reads for a while. He also wants one (a book) when he goes to bed now and will happily "read" for a little while before sleeping or deciding that someone needs to rescue him from the cot.
I guess I have a pretty great family here and I am really thankful for all that I am blessed with. This is in no small measure due to the efforts of an amazing woman who has sacrificed many hours of sleep, possessions and comfort to raise a herd of wild animals in her home. Thanks for the great family we enjoy Ruby!
No I am not in trouble with my wife or trying to score brownie points. Just a little "shout out" to the best mommy and wife out there!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Mthatha Travellling
What a week! I have been really busy this week with trying to get all of the new years purchases "online" as well as tying up the last remainders of the carry overs from last years efforts. I found out on Wednesday that I needed a rush visit to Mthatha (Umtata for the old school) to see a piece of land we may want to purchase. I had everything arranged for me by one of the secretaries in our department and left for the airport at 7am on Thursday morning. Everything was going well (I have a kind of routine when travelling) right up until we were touching down at the airport. The plane was very "twitchy" and the pilot had come into the runway a little high but was still going for the landing. As the right rear touched down, the engines started screaming and the plane accelerated up and off of the runway into the sky again. I wish I had a camera out to catch the looks on the faces around me!
There was a little bit of joking in the cabin when we lined up for the second try and the feeling of tension was palpable. The pilot got us down just fine and some people even clapped (for conservative South Africans this is a big thing). We heard the Hostess announce that there was a big gust of wind which upset things on the first attempt hence the need for a second. I got to the door of the plane to disembark all the while thinking the pilot messed up on the approach. As the gut in front of me stepped through the door and I got into the doorway, I was almost blown over! Walking to the terminal building was not the easiest thing to do so I had to take back all of my thoughts about the pilot and replace them with some admiration. That guy could really fly!
I went right away to collect a rental car for the drive from East London to Mthatha. Let the games begin!
The rental company we usually use is very good and will bend over backwards to help (it does help that I have a preferred customer card through the company...) if at all possible. This is usually not required though because everything is arranged beforehand by the ladies in the office. Thursday though, was the day that I found out these ladies are not infallible. I arrived at the desk of the car rental company and handed over my card as usual only for the guy to get a funny look on his face and spend a while punching keys on his keyboard. He looked up at me after a while and said "We don't have a booking for you." which got me on the phone to the office immediately. While dialing out he told me there was absolutely nothing available for rent for the next three days. The office confirmed that I had no booking and there I was, in East London with no transport from the airport to Mthatha which is a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from where I was. I was supposed to meet the sellers of the property and walk around with them but I was beginning to wonder If I was going to get there.
As I said earlier, I have a kind of routine when I travel but this kind of blew that right out of the water. I had to now think for myself what needed to be done - how terrible! I went to every other car rental counter in the airport looking for a car, any car, but was turned away by everyone. OK, before I was kind of thinking the situation was a little funny but now I am wondering if this trip has just been wasted because no cars are available. I came back to one of the counters I had been to before (they had been busy helping someone else) and was told they had a little car with no air con or power steering available (didn't know manufacturers made cars without power steering nowadays). I took it.
After paying and signing my life away, I went and go into the car and started my trip an hour later than planned. I enjoy driving and usually have a good time on the road but this little car was going wherever the wind told it to go, my input was somewhat of a hindrance as it was trying to drive across lanes every time there was a gust outside. Once out of East London the wind seemed to die down a lot and it was easier to keep the right wheels on my side of the line. As I started thinking I could possibly get to Mthatha on time, I stopped. There are a bunch of "stop and go" areas on the road between Mthatha and East London!
I stopped the car and ended up sitting there for ten minutes or so in the heat, wishing the wind would blow! I never seem to be happy with what I am given lately do I? After we got moving again, we had a couple of slow moving trucks in the queue ahead of us and my little tchorrie was not in a hurry to overtake when the situation presented itself and would only cooperate on downhills or, if I had given it a run up, gradual inclines or again short steep ones. I would get to overtake a truck and end up stopping again at the next stop and go with another truck ahead in the queue. By the time I got to my destination I was wet with perspiration.
The sellers couldn't make it to the property to show me around so I went in and did a recce alone. The place had been vandalised really badly and was totally overgrown with weeds and grass as tall as me. My timing was not very good either as a lot of people were now knocking off of work and walking through the area. I get to spend some time in the townships around the country with my job and have never felt threatened at all. Thursday was the first time I had ever felt a little uncomfortable. I needed to measure the property so I walked around the borders and marked everything on the GPS.The grass was longer than I am tall and really thick so fighting my way through it was not really fun (never mind not knowing what is one meter in front of you). I made it through the grass around the border of the property and went to have a look in side only to find someone sitting there just in front of me holding a metal rod in his hands. Being Mr cool, I just greeted him and continued doing my thing while he grabbed his goods and left. My heart nearly stopped! There were a couple of guys who walked past while I was doing my measuring and photographing who looked like tsotsi types but the worst I had was a couple of speculative looks.
I drove home once done and thank goodness the road closures had been removed so I got back to East London without too much hassle and got to see a pretty good sunset while driving. The photos never do justice to the real thing but here is one anyway (taken through the window while driving).
The colours were amazing!
What a beautiful world we live in.
There was a little bit of joking in the cabin when we lined up for the second try and the feeling of tension was palpable. The pilot got us down just fine and some people even clapped (for conservative South Africans this is a big thing). We heard the Hostess announce that there was a big gust of wind which upset things on the first attempt hence the need for a second. I got to the door of the plane to disembark all the while thinking the pilot messed up on the approach. As the gut in front of me stepped through the door and I got into the doorway, I was almost blown over! Walking to the terminal building was not the easiest thing to do so I had to take back all of my thoughts about the pilot and replace them with some admiration. That guy could really fly!
I went right away to collect a rental car for the drive from East London to Mthatha. Let the games begin!
The rental company we usually use is very good and will bend over backwards to help (it does help that I have a preferred customer card through the company...) if at all possible. This is usually not required though because everything is arranged beforehand by the ladies in the office. Thursday though, was the day that I found out these ladies are not infallible. I arrived at the desk of the car rental company and handed over my card as usual only for the guy to get a funny look on his face and spend a while punching keys on his keyboard. He looked up at me after a while and said "We don't have a booking for you." which got me on the phone to the office immediately. While dialing out he told me there was absolutely nothing available for rent for the next three days. The office confirmed that I had no booking and there I was, in East London with no transport from the airport to Mthatha which is a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from where I was. I was supposed to meet the sellers of the property and walk around with them but I was beginning to wonder If I was going to get there.
As I said earlier, I have a kind of routine when I travel but this kind of blew that right out of the water. I had to now think for myself what needed to be done - how terrible! I went to every other car rental counter in the airport looking for a car, any car, but was turned away by everyone. OK, before I was kind of thinking the situation was a little funny but now I am wondering if this trip has just been wasted because no cars are available. I came back to one of the counters I had been to before (they had been busy helping someone else) and was told they had a little car with no air con or power steering available (didn't know manufacturers made cars without power steering nowadays). I took it.
After paying and signing my life away, I went and go into the car and started my trip an hour later than planned. I enjoy driving and usually have a good time on the road but this little car was going wherever the wind told it to go, my input was somewhat of a hindrance as it was trying to drive across lanes every time there was a gust outside. Once out of East London the wind seemed to die down a lot and it was easier to keep the right wheels on my side of the line. As I started thinking I could possibly get to Mthatha on time, I stopped. There are a bunch of "stop and go" areas on the road between Mthatha and East London!
I stopped the car and ended up sitting there for ten minutes or so in the heat, wishing the wind would blow! I never seem to be happy with what I am given lately do I? After we got moving again, we had a couple of slow moving trucks in the queue ahead of us and my little tchorrie was not in a hurry to overtake when the situation presented itself and would only cooperate on downhills or, if I had given it a run up, gradual inclines or again short steep ones. I would get to overtake a truck and end up stopping again at the next stop and go with another truck ahead in the queue. By the time I got to my destination I was wet with perspiration.
The sellers couldn't make it to the property to show me around so I went in and did a recce alone. The place had been vandalised really badly and was totally overgrown with weeds and grass as tall as me. My timing was not very good either as a lot of people were now knocking off of work and walking through the area. I get to spend some time in the townships around the country with my job and have never felt threatened at all. Thursday was the first time I had ever felt a little uncomfortable. I needed to measure the property so I walked around the borders and marked everything on the GPS.The grass was longer than I am tall and really thick so fighting my way through it was not really fun (never mind not knowing what is one meter in front of you). I made it through the grass around the border of the property and went to have a look in side only to find someone sitting there just in front of me holding a metal rod in his hands. Being Mr cool, I just greeted him and continued doing my thing while he grabbed his goods and left. My heart nearly stopped! There were a couple of guys who walked past while I was doing my measuring and photographing who looked like tsotsi types but the worst I had was a couple of speculative looks.
I drove home once done and thank goodness the road closures had been removed so I got back to East London without too much hassle and got to see a pretty good sunset while driving. The photos never do justice to the real thing but here is one anyway (taken through the window while driving).
What a beautiful world we live in.
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