Cape Town weekend

I had a great time in CT, with SistaSue - check out some of the pics in my flickr album, and watch this space for a more detailed report...

2 Lil Puppies left

Over the last few weeks, we managed to sell off all our pups except for the 2 we wanted to keep - Sofia and Hannah...once I advertised in the Home Ads and the local newspaper, the calls came thick and fast.

Violet went to a lovely old couple who had to bid farewell to their 12 yr old GSD last year.

Leiea went while I was in CT.

The twins (Mulan and Xena) went to a family who have just moved into the area (Richards Bay) and have always had German Shepherds. Their yard is big, and they are going to spoil the girls rotten.

Overall, we were sad to part with the pups, but are happy with the people they went to.

Things in the yard are a lot less hectic now, and after their last booster shots due this week, I will start walking them on a leash...

First to go !

Violet (named after the daughter in Incredibles) was the first pup from Lois' litter to be adopted, when Derek and his wife came to pick one out yesterday....

We were saddened, but it is a necessary step to take - the young uns are getting so big now, it's becoming too much to handle !

Then there were 5 :
2. Sofia
3. Leiea
4. Hannah (Montana)
5. Mulan
6. Pup whose name I cant remember !

Always look on the bright side of life !

Dillo and I went to watch this show ON BROADWAY (!!!) last weekend ! Didn't WE feel priveleged !

This didn't stop us from nodding off (?) intermittently during the show, being exhausted after a long day of sight-seeing, and Dillo probably suffering the after-effects of a pre-show tiramisu....

Ma does the Big Apple

Lon had to go to NYC all of a sudden (!) for a 2 week trip, and Ma got thrown in....I haven't been able to contact them yet (must be having too much of a good time !), but I will keep trying.

I am SOOO envious, since New York is one of my MUST-SEE places. Still, I can live vicariously through the experiences of others....

I found some cool city guides that could provide loads of fun activities in the city that never sleeps :

Things to do that are free

30 free things to do in Manhattan (do these REALLY exist ?!)

Big Apple Greeters - This one rocks ! Volunteer NYC residents give free tours of their city, anytime of year

New York City's Top attractions

I wanna see photos !

Snake on a Plane

The Python is at it again ! This time, he's back in KL on ANOTHER business trip !

Follow the Adventures of the Python (aka Snake on a plane !) through his online photo album (Mom, click on the highlighted text)...

Population of 1 Reading Place increases drastically !

Young Lois has given birth to 8 lil pups who are squealing, and busy lil fellas, last night between the hours of 23h00 and 05h00.

She is healthy, and her motherly instinct has kicked in immediately.

Excuse me while I rush home to check on her....watch this space for some cute photos...

Lois is gonna be a momma !

10 times over !

After thinking she was ill, noticing a behaviour change and a swelling tummy area, we took her to the vet last Friday......a scan showed 10 lil pups waiting to emerge !!!

If we thought life was hectic enough, it wasn't !

More news

So, The Python returned (finally) from his sojourn down in Rio - we all await the Fables from the Land of Milk and Honey....nudge nudge wink wink....I actually hope he DOES have some stories to tell, else I will be officially worried !!!

16th September will herald Adam's 2nd birthday, and we're planning a Monsters Inc party, since that's his all-time favourite movie ! (Zi is still partial to Jurassic Park)

23rd Sept will see us make another road trip, this time to Jozi, to attend Mireille's wedding !!!

And, speaking of weddings, I just got off the phone with Sunita, out in 'Frisco - she is planning her marriage for September 07, and we're planning to attend !!!

Home renovations are almost about to start - plan is to complete in time for Adam's party....with Boss Heidi at the helm, I'm pretty sure we'll finish in time .... !

Lastly, I finally finished the campaign mode of Dawn Of War !!! Just in time for the sequel that was released last month ! Hows THAT for timing ! While I wait to get my hands on a copy of the follow-up game, I am plodding along through Lord of the Rings, Battle for Middle Earth ~ am getting closer and closer to pitching up at the Black Gate with the Riders of the Riddermark in tow....

It's SNO good !

Check out the photos from our ski holiday at Tiffindell (see flickr banner to the left....)- was a real blast !

The travel bug has really bitten us, and we're going to start going places, again....

Watch this space !

Best foods for men ?

In my research on nutrition for the vertically- challenged, I came across an article on the 100 Best Foods for Men run on the Men's Health website....

Use it, don't use it....

Mione Cari Eames

Hey there !

Give it up for Mione Cari Eames

She arrived on 23 May, at the Bay Hospital in Richards Bay, but we have yet to meet her in person. With such a creative and unusual name, and such great parents, she's really set to make her mark on this world....

Welcome Mione Cari, and we look forward to meeting you soon !

Another Durban weekend !

Hey all ! (ie. the 5 people who actually read my blog !)

We had another weekend in Durban - got to see The Python fighting in a Brazilian Jujitsu event at Gateway, and celebrate SistaSue's birthday....

In addition, we purchased a portable DVD playa + screens for use in the car on long trips, to keep the monstas occupied....works like a charm ! That trip to Tiffendell next month is going to be a breeze !

We plan to spend the next coupla weekends at home, just pottering, and visiting (local) friends....

Historical note on Brazilian/Gracie Jujitsu - Gracie was a Scottish seaman who went to Brazil. In 1910 the Japanese Maeda came to the Uk and then Portugal and on to Brazil - he taught the Gracie brothers what was at the time JuJutsu - which could be described as the generic form of martial art from which Kodokan Judo and the modern forms of Ju Juitsu originated. Gracie style concentrates a great deal on Newaza style techniques but is fundamentally 'Judo' (historical comment from Dickie Bowen)

Weekend antics

It's been a great, busy weekend :

H&I went to the launch of a new hangar for the Red Cross Air Mercy service (AMS), at Durban International Airport, leaving the boys with the granmas for the night....

We caught a late movie (when last did we do THAT ?!) - X-men 3 : was very entertaining !!! While waiting for the movie, we shopped at the Pavillion, buying Arno Carstens' first album, and that holy grail of animated movies : Buzz Lightyear of Star Command !!!

On Saturday, after I took a short early drive with the RS2 (see below), we spent the morning at the Essenwood craft market...
After a bit of rest in the afternoon, we took a trip to Gateway, where the boys ran riot at the Science center. We saw a great PC setup for kids, and decided to try and do the same at home...

After putting the family to bed in the evening, I went out with some buds, to TACO ZULU, a new Afro-Mexican eatery in Florida Road.

Sunday saw the Quattro shootout, and a wedding - pictures on flickr....

Returning home by 3pm, we looked back at a most enjoyable weekend.

SNOW dot coza

A Holiday update ! Eurotrip 06 is off ! We are replacing this with a short ski-trip, at Tiffendell....

We have been there once before, but this time we're checking into the resort, and taking the boys along....promises to be loads of fun !

A Tale of 2 Quattros !

The highlight of my weekend was driving my buddy TC's two silver Quattros !

He is the proud owner of a 2005 Audi A3 Sportback 3.2 V6 DSG quattro and a 1995 Audi RS2 quattro !!!

The RS2 is an absolute beast - it's 260+ kw of power under the hood just wants to give more, in all gears !

The A3 3.2 V6 is a modern, sophisticated pocket rocket that delivers it's 180kw in the smoothest, slickest way possible...I'm convinced there's no quicker way to change gears than the DSG gearbox !

We'll be looking to take these two beauties to the race track soon, as well as on a few Audi club breakfast runs...I am SOOO keen to find one in SA...there were only 20 brought into the country, so I need all the luck I can get !

Shakaland

Two weekends ago, we visited Shakaland for a couple of nights, and had a GREAT time !!!

Will post some photos soon, but check out the link to have a preview....

Updates

Family went to Durban last weekend, and spent lots of money - got a replacement digital camera (happy now!) and other goodies...

Work has been stressful and exhausting, leaving little energy or time for family over the last few weeks - looking forward to a quiet Easter long weekend - possible that the Momz will be visiting.

Our patio renovation has been finished, and though it's a bit rough (untidy), it really is a big change - having the dogs away makes quite a difference ~ Adam uses the area as a play area during the days, and we have had a lovely Sunday lunch there already, without fear of being bothered by the mutts !!!

Dawn of War

It's official ! I am addicted to Dawn of War ! The campaign mode has got me staying up nights trying to defeat the Orks and Eldar, and patiently waiting to see what the Chaos guys have been up to...am up to mission 7 of 11 thus far, and am looking for the next expansion - hint hint (word to my travelling boet....look out for Winter Assault, the add-in pack)

As one of my multiplayer buddies puts it : the game is ...."immersive"!

Magic has died down a little, but it'll pick up again, just as my weight tends to do, when I get inactive as I have done over the past three weeks - work and home life and have not offered the opportunities to visit the local Virgin Active....must be sure not to default on my vitality membership for a THIRD time !

More later, with Zi back to school and Adam a little under the weather with his molars all cutting at the same time, and a bit of 'flu to boot....

Eurotrip 2006

Just a note to mention that we are plotting a Eurotrip in July, to celebrate our 10th anniversary !

Plan so far is to take 3 weeks, and spend it on Paris, including Eurodisney, and Italy, and maybe Scotland....

More as this develops

Dad, Interrupted

I had a brainwave today ! I want a bike !

First thought was a BMW F-series....

Second thought was : Have I reached my mid-life crisis point already ?



I've been enjoying loads of alone time with the boyz lately - H had a working weekend away in Durban, and I stayed in Kwambo, and had great fun ! It was a full-time job though, and not for the faint-hearted, at times...

Am still missing my digital camera, and am almost at the point of buying another one, but it doesn't feel right ! I've gotto try and get it fixed ~ maybe next time we're in Durban; prolly not anytime soon !

Further update

Heidi took a new job, with the KZN Dept of Health's Emergency Medical Services, which started very excitedly last week...and, even though it has meant time away from her boyz, it has already seen her fly in a helicopter and a small fixed-wing plane, and prospects are good that she gets her own Advanced Life Support (ALS) vehicle sometime.

This week is orientation week for her out in PMB, so I borrowed the complete Macross saga series of Robotech to keep myself company at nights...but first, I must take a shower !
Our Xmas present to ourselves this holiday was to build an outdoor shower near our pool - it's wonderful to have ! Another terrific addition to the garden was a nicely-sized trampoline that keeps all of us bouncing around all day long...some photos to follow as soon as I fix my camera or get another one !

More later, must go watch some Robotech - it's got to be returned by next week...

2006 Resolutions

Resolutions :
read more
spend more time keeping in contact with family
excercise more - compete in the open water swim season next summer
focus more on making a success in my job
go out alone with Heidi more
blog more

Last year I did manage to read more, but not much else on my resolutions list got done...even though I did try to take kite-surfing lessons before the year was up....

Update (partial)

Well the Xmas break was quiet, spent mostly at home with visiting family and friends - more about what we got up to, later.

The big news is that H got the job she applied for, and has started last Monday ! She is quite excited, even though it's going to keep her busy, and away from the boys in her life for longer than she had anticipated - we'll have to make the weekends count....

I hadn't gotten around to penning my resolutions, but will do so during the week - one of them is to blog more ;)

Am going to help plan my high school reunion this year, which should be a highlight - more to come on that as well....

Bad news is that my digital camera is on the blink, and is causing me depression !