last day of work before my leave kicks in. still a bit nervous. i have made a paradigm shift. thinking about it lead me to realise that the main reason behind me being nervous is the fact hat i do not know what to expect. but how would i get an adventure knowing what to expect. so my worst fear would make this a jol. what i do know is that i will have loads of time without anything to do, it won't cost me a cent, and i am not at work.

i have compiled my list.

can't wait to see those majestic mountains again. for someone who stands in awe of the 380m mountain at hartbees, the 3300m peaks of the drakensberg is really something that gets me back to my fetus stage.

-----

just spoke to rob to check if i should pack my tent. he informed me that after five in the afternoons it is freezingly cold... i needed this call, i am motivated and ready to go now. for ten days i will be giving it all i've got, going head first. speak again soon!

had loads of fun last night. even someone as unpatriotic as me was feeling like i am going to choke to death laughing. really glad i tagged along. barry seemed like a nice guy, he did come across a bit lonely though. with mr hilton being friends with tania, we were able to have a few drinks with him, if one can call it that. was nice to see someone like that from a bit of a dfferent perspective.


i got the pics from the airshow from armand last nite. wanted to add them to monday's blog, but decided against it. i got them last night, and thought that monday already had too many pics for the amount of text it has. i changed the text justification, i am a bit more pleased with the template now. still think that the main column is a bit thin.


my jumping castle injury still hurts. karen phoned me this morning and informed me that she would be picking me up at my place friday morning round about 4:30. we are leaving from robs place at 6:00, but would prefer to be there a bit earlier. i am still rowing through mixed expectations about the whole thing, but to sum it up, i really can't wait to go!! i just have that feeling in the back of my mind that i would be forgetting something. something i should take along that i know i am going to forget about. i thought about compiling a list of things to take along, extra's include stretchies, to tie my equipment onto the quad, extra water container, and pen and paper so that i can keep on blogging. i discovered that my headlamp is still in armands car. i have organised with him to go drop it off at tania's office, as it is close by his place. speaking of which, i remembered to ask tania if i could borrow her inflatable pillow. oh well, i guess whatever stays behind will stay behind now. maybe it is just because tania is not going along that i get that feeling. she really looked different last night. felt funny.

i am golfing this afternoon with neels, my sis and her bf. i don't know who would play the worst but i certainly know who is going to be enjoying it the most. i suck at golf, it is just one of those things i know i can't do, and doubt that i would ever be able to. i also think that it is a way to expensive for a sport that won't ever get your heart racing as often as anything else i like to do.

i still have to go swop my thermals for a large this afternoon, ag, i on't have time, i would have to do it tomorrow. i think i should compile that list now.

i am so broke. i hate money. i more than that hate the absence of money which brings me to the weird conclusion that i have an unhealthy love for money, and suffer in the lack there of. it is truely one of the few topics that really beat me up. i do realize that i never would have enough, not by half.

the usual arguments are flowing through the office now. discussing all the mistakes made by management, how everything should have been done, and how much more we could all get at other companies. these discussions always comes to a very depressing end, reminding us of how utter useless everyting we spend so much time on really is.

i have often wondered if it would not be worth my while to just pack up and leave. go live in some small country by the sea, and retire at 24. this would mean that i might never be able to fly my own aircraft, or watch movies on my plasma, but it would also mean that i do not have to work my butt of just to get depressed when paying the bills again.

there are a few things in life that i really enjoy, and that makes me feel that life was worthwhile up to now. very few of these things involved city life, or a large amount of money. the fact of the matter is that the two things topping the list includes large amounts of green paper, only available after lots of agony. i seriously don't understand how my employers think i should be able to survive with my current salary, and this really makes me feel like i sohuld provide the same quality of service as quality of salary they give me.

still having doubts of what to expect during the next few days i am getting more and more excited. it would have been fun taking someone along that i know, but still i am sure i would enjoy spending some time alone out there. camping on my own, living without contact with other people for a while, it would do me good. and still every now and then a few team members would come running past me, with pain and agony pumping through them.

i am so hungry now!!

one of the best saturdays of my life. took off early next to my little friend, not just the airplane. had a wonderful flight to fapi, perfect weather, 'cept for some bad vis. watched the typical sa airshow line-up, like parrots trying to learn a new word. same manouvers over and over, same aircraft over and over. then the usual veri impotant perswon had to say a few words, and dumb as soil they are, always have to do it in the middle of a display, which then has to be stopped, put somewhere on hold, and restart after the maggot has finished his broken english speach, coloured in with words and phrases like "poverty" or "fom grass roots level" and my all time favourite "due to a legacy of apartheid". i also fell of the wing infront f the crowd, and got a jumping castle injury. but as decided the idea was to fly somewhere, not to watch an airshow. i saw my happy place little wellingtons dome in the distance, as magnificent from above as from below. although from above the experince seem a lot less overwhelming, and a lot less sweaty.



with mixed feelings of doubt, excitement and happiness, bundled together with a tint of nervousness the adventure quest africa lies ahead. just for more days to argueably one of the coldest spots in africa. the feeling of going so deep into the unknown, with people i have only seen once in my life, for ten days, sounds somewhat... ...i can't really find a word to describe it. let's say daunting. i still have doubts about having all the gear, even what gear to take along, or where exactly to meet my lift. i have decided to keep blogging during my time there, as i am sure i would have more than enough spare time sitting at checkpoints waiting for teams to come by.




daunting - discouraging through fear

what a crappy day.

i have not seen the duo lately. i did imagine catching a glimpse of hayfever yesterday, but it was my imagination. another culprit has shown his face yesterday. i have been following his operations closely, and actually heard him chowing away at my wooden mask last night. i tried my best to kill the little pest, but he is just too fast. i bagged the mask this morning, and filled the bag with a few good sprays of doom. hopefully this would be pinochio's last. i left the bag knotted on the kitchen table. the results would only be known in a few days time anyway. he creates little vents all over the face, once every 5 or 6 days. he is a couragous little bugger. i must give him that.

i was so proud of my new acronym spic and now i can't remember what it stood for. oh well

contemplating doing my c1 prac saturday nite. will see how things turn out.

oh yeah, the section that i started yesterday before succumbing to lazyness. i do not know how this should be described, so i will postpone again.

yesterday my boss walks in and the control freak need a hand in the pie guy he is asks me to change a few things on the site. i thought it nice, as i need to know about some content. no, no, he wants me to change the menu items to have init caps. i told him that i made it that way cause that seems to look funky, and that it is what most websites do these days. no, but the three that he went to did not have it like that. turned out that at least one of them did. i only saw it this morning though. oh well... just felt like ranting a bit.

was speaking to alex just now, travelling tru venice. i really think we should import women from italy, then export them again before they turn 28.

i am golfing again with my sister on friday, that was the thing i forgot about....someone else asked me what i was doing friday as well, can't even remember who it was. i think i used to be able to remember things quite well.

just decided to let go of the idea of having a suspended pot or vase in my garden, at least for now. this weekend i would hopefully lift the ball and stones a bit, and get the electricity done for the pump.

today just seems to pass way to slow. i have had this idea of hosting my blog on the webspace still available on my company server. they would be moving it here sometime, but i don't know when. io, i don't want to be moving it back on forth the whole time. i would speak to anita, she seem to have done it quite a few times

just received good news that my spic wants to fly of to pietersburg for the airshow and wants to take me along...yipeee. actually i received that news yesterday already, but for all practical purposes this does not matter. i found the required info, phoned the aerodrome and thought about lunch. i am really someone that you can depend on hehehehehhhe...

i remembered a warm jacket today.

found another pci card!!!! it did not work either :( i am starting to loose my mind about this, and might have to abandon the whole project before it is too late. being able to fly with 2 screens would just make everything soooo much easier. no, there would be no giving up - i will go on until i get it done

had a chat with an old friend today. she made me realise that i .... ag, let's leave tihs for another blog, i am to tired now

just as i thought the two were finally done for, i saw both of them sitting on the neighbours balcony this again this morning. grinning with their you so can't touch us whiskers. i found more cat excretion in my zen sand this morning, they must only operate at nite now. i am planning a stake out, but with current weather i doubt this would happen soon. i heard news that the owners might be moving in a month or two. i can't wait that long.

i went looking for some thermal underwear, this would be one of the very few times i buy underwear for myself. i prefer buying them in large quantities, well, enough about my underwear.

freezing my tail off here. forgot to bring a jacket and now it is raining in winter - this only happens in fairy tales told by people from overseas.

the website is uploaded, yet not active. i still need some info, but content is not my devision, as my boss might as well close shop if he wanted me to write content. i still have not even published the savas article, and that is something i am interested in.

had the lovliest lunch at spur today. perfect bacon, soft egg, with a nice rough slice of toast. this is something out of the ordinary as i go to spur almost as often as buying underwear.

on saturday that online seminar thing happened at fask, was really nice to actully meet some of the people i have become friends with, and also the ones i have had fights with. the other we more fun. i did however meet the little wise-ass (refer to blog somewhere in april) and found him to be an unconfident little maggot. slightly over-weight, bad taste in clothing and a pimple covered face. no-wonder he is so mucho online. it showed him in a whole different perspective, and now would give me pleasure to annoy him. i am already planning some instructions to throw at him and see just how bright he really is. wayne turned out to be a really nice guy, and i had lots of please controlling with him saturday nite, which i would probably regard as my best atc nite ever.

i did not blog today

before i get to today, let's pick up the story so far...

at about 14:00 yesterday this e-mail comes by about the adventure quest africa 2004. it states that 3 of the marshalls cancelled and new volunteers are required. so i send a reply not knowing what to expect, as a 9 day vacation, all expenses paid to one of them ost beautifull parts of the country sounds a bit unrealistic. almost immediately a reply comes through, and there i am, on my way to the eastern cape drakensberg. that is the section just below tiffendale, and with the race being 500km's long could easily encapsulate the only snow-ski resort in africa. now it is just to be the first guy that gets leave. i am phoning my boss now.

leave has been approved, mail sent to hano, aqa2k4 here i come!

i also managed to get my drivers licence back yesterday, now i just have to get my car licence renewed and then i am legal again for the first time in months.

i watched the video clip of the american getting beheaded by the iraques, it is really horrible. the poor guy screams for his life while they literally saw through his throat. those people, even the amrican soldiers that tortured the prisoners can't be human. there must be some other voices chatting inside. either that, or they are just really hurt, and do not know how to deal with their rage and anger.

happy thoughts happy thoughts

i eventually found the damn rasmus song that my neighbours were so wonderfully advertising while i was trying to sleep a few nites ago. very happy now me is

hayfever and sarumon was nowhere to be seen yesterday, but admittedly my recon operation was not thoroughly executed yesterday. i have a meeting in midrand at 19:00 tonight, so i would only be able to do a proper search again tomorrow.

40 minutes to work today. i had to take road through town. was out of gas. traffic was worse that thurday. i have never been able to add more than 52l to my tank, and started to think that it was actually 55l tank and not the 60l that i thought. i had to fill up 55.6l today, so that rules out the rumour.

i had the best dream last night. about rockclimbing, wonderboom, and this one guys wife, was truly amazing. i would attempt to do the sequel tonight. i am still sure one can perform a premeditated dream. it has worked quite a few times before, and is based on the current thought when in passing through the hypnosis stage, the beta waves, before falling asleep, and loosing control over your thought. this works especially well when waking up in the mornings. think about what you want to dream about, keep the thought in your head, start the story, and keep thinking about it until you fall asleep. viola

now i saw this mtb yesterday, i want it, i do not have the money. i have just realized that i do not have money for a lot of things. that makes me poor. this morning i read about people stealing the VOR at waterkloof airbase, at that moment it was the most bizarre thing for me, now it is starting to make sense.

seems hayfever is back from animal hospital with a buddy. he has not been in my yard again, and shudders everytime i look at him, the garden tap, and my foot. he however has this stare that he gives me. sitting on the neighbours balcony, looking into my little piece of land. tempted to enter and try me. i know he sneaks in during the nite. i can see it in his eyes. in that grin. it is like he wants to tell me that he is unstoppable. and now has a sidekick sarumon the grey. i could do him the honor of gandalf. i keep the spade hidden behind the wall when i am around, don't want the enemy to see my arsenal before it is too late. the rest of this paragraph is classified, and would require the decoder ring available from monolith burgerstand at the spacebar. 2234 425 4 5645 45 45 6. 64564 3 78. 34 3453 453 4 3 53 6 4567 567!!

i wish could change the world.

if i could, i would.

i could change mad world...so i did...not to sure wether i like it though

cat - feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and being unable to roar

the blogger interface has been changed somtime this weekend. i don't like it this way

i eventually did my article for savas. i spiced it up a lot and told the story waaay different than it actually happened. lied just like a journalist would. at least that load is of my shoulders now, and i can conitune life as usual.

good news, jako wants to go to the cycle shop next to varsity bakery in lunch. varsity bakery on the way to anywhere in the universe, but much more on the way to the cycle shop.

a great weekend ended by the immediate start of a monday morning is never good. the degree of "dislikeness" it generates greatly depends on the greateness of the weekend. as it is always mondays that end them, and thus we get used to it. kind of used to it. it is still no excuse to start liking mondays though. this weekend, unlike most weekends ended by a monday, was a very productive weekend and allowed me to get most of the items on my to-do list ticked off. regarding the garden anyway. i have however added a phase 3. better known as the suspended vase operation. phase 1 (the zen garden operation) has been completed, at least 95% completed. the fountain ball of eternal youth project, was brought to completion this weekend, or also at 95%. now the last phase, 3rd operation if the garden initiation phase does not count, involves the suspended vase. a pot, with nothing in particular inside, will be suspended from chains in the corner of the garden, next to the gate. this is a pipeline idea, and would remain there until further notice.

apart from the fountain ball of eternal youth that has been 95% finished, i also did some other minor rearrangements in the garden. this included a phase 2.1 rock garden that has been 100% completed. progress indeed.

work so far has been good. working my butt of, copying and pasting (mindless - still entertaining).

during the last few days i have started to feel a certain motivation. the thought often comes when i am hungry (which i am pretty much all of the time). i need to cook or bake something different. i can imagine the taste already, but can't really put my finger on what exactly it is that i need to do in order to get that taste. i have so far decided that it wold be worked in to a kind of bread, but now, i am also not sure what bread to bake to get the currently unknown ingredients to create the required taste together with the specific kind of bread. i will start experimenting tonight. another spice has just sprung to mind, not to sure what, but it would require some black pepper, and some seasoning salt...not sure what seasoning though...hmmm.... i will see after tonights kitchen experience, maybe i will get some more ideas as to what i really want to taste, or make. i just want something out of the ordaniry for a change

traffic was bad this morning

what an awfull day of nothingness did not happen yesterday. a day cut out for no-one to do just that. nothing for the first two hours followed by a different nothing for the rest of the day. today unfortunately turned out the same, and surprisingly enough i do not like it. i have liked very little things the last few days, and struggle to enjoy life. last nites survivor was enjoyable and made me realise a lot of things i can't remember now. which makes it hardly seem worth it, it is however a nice thought to picture sandra with all that money all of a sudden. i did not want her to win though, but out of the last three she is the best.

i have always believed myself never to get sick. since i have started blogging i have been sick quite a few times, not dying, but not lekker. i doubt it is the website that does this to me. i am tired, and quite incidently need another vacation. more than just a weekend, and yes, i am contemplating going back to the kloof, as well as going climbing in potgietersrus...speaking of climbing, i need to phone mr mallory about this weekends proceedings. i want to do a long rope solo. i think it could be quite an experience. just a single day route. potgietersrus would great, as i usually take about 2 hours to get to the top climbing as a pair, alone would be just above double that i guess.

the power has been on and off as if it was connected to the turn indicator on an old vw beetle. just as i get myself going the power flops up. it gets me really frustrated, not in the same way as claire forlani though. i swear i could fall in love with her just by a photo. kind of like that brown haired nivea girl. everytime i see that add i end up depressed as hell. i have to stop watching television.

my previous electricity company still owes me money. i phoned earlier and marlize, the woman who would supposedly solve all my problems, seemed to be out of her office, and i should phone back in half an hour. they really cared, and my call was important to them. i liked that company and woul have preferred to stay with them, rather than moving to this new place. they are still on the paper system.

i will post and publish now, as i don't believe the power would be on for too long anymore now. she is about to turn again.

as usual the prediction came true, and monday did arrive. monday's arrive once a week, and causes chaos all over town. it is referred to the day that starts the week, and thus is not very popular, as it not only starts the week, but also ends the weekend.

i had a good weekend at the airport and almost got locked up a few times - good fun. the sun tried it's best to evaporate us all, but during this time of year does not have the muscle. which was good.

i feel slightly terrible today. will blog again later