I was astounded today when the fuel pump at the Service Station, when I asked for the fuel tank to be filled. Anyway, R 990 later the fuel pump would pump no more into the tank, unless they switched off and restarted! This was the first time I had this problem, and what stunned me was that the tank was still 1/5 full before I even started.
As it was, the tank is all but full. The radio station has threatened that the refinery in Durban has to undergo upgrading - so will shut down for a month, and this could cause problems with fuel supply in the next month! Beats me how a company can SUDDENLY run into problems that will affect fuel supply. You think that they would carry out mainenance to ensure that all run smoothly. Instead the officials feel that it is more practical not to maintain the refinery, and to have it closed for a month!
I must remember to top up when the tank gets lower than 1/3 full. Luckily a full tank gives 1 000 - 1 100 kilometers between needs to stop and refuel. I know that there are jealous people out there who think it is a gas guzzler, ruining the environment, but I get better mileage from the 4 litre motor (the 3.9 litre motor was recently bored out to a 4 litre motor!) than I got from my 1.4 litre car.
My previous Opel used to be a 1.4 litre motor, and I had to refuel twice a month - every 500 kilometers and a tank cost me R 500 to fill. Now I have a motor 3 times larger - automatic, airconditioned and 4 wheel drive if I need it to be - and it uses no more fuel. True the tank is ENORMOUS, but I dont drive so far. It has to "run in" for 1 000 kilometers, so I have been running it in for a month and it has done 577 kilometrers - in a month!
The dealer who originally sold it to me, is of the opinion that - once the cylinders have loosened up - it is likely to be slighhtly more economical than it was - not that I really care! It is BIG and no-one pushes it around in the traffic! I think they are scared that if they peeve me off, all I need do is slip it into 4x4 mode and just go over the top of them with NO qualms!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Keep up with technology
I was happy with Nokia cellphones, but my contract recently was upgraded. I NEED to be able to use a cell phone whenever I run into trouble with one of my cars, and am stuck on the side of the road!
I upgraded my contract recently and changed from Nokia to Blackberry - at a slightly lower monthly cost. My Nokia handsets all had the keyboard where the first key was an "A", or a "B" or a "C" depending on how the phone decided it wanted to spell a word. My Blackberry has a QWERTY keyboard, and even though the keys are small, they are easily used. I like where if you select an "A" ir remains an "A" in either upper or lower case, depending on how long you depress the key!
When I was in the army, the year before Zimbabwe came into existance, there were maybe 3 computers in the whole country, and the army one was on the 10th and 11th floors of the Earl Grey building in downtown Salisbury as it was then!
If the wind blew strongly and raised a dust storm, the computer could not add 2 and 2 and come up with the right answer. Now I have a tiny computer that fits easily in my pocket, that is:-
A radio
A GPS
A recording device
A camera
A computer - access to Google
and, by the way, also a phone!
I used to marvel at how user friendly my laptop is, and am amazed that my Blackberry is likewise incredibly user friendly. As time has gone by in the last 2 weeks, hardly a day has gone past when I have not learned something new on my Blackberry. I do have a seperate Garmin GPS that I can charge with my cigarette lighter in the dashboard. Being LDS, this is the most that I will use the cigarette lighter! Even if I were not LDS, I would in all likelihood, not smoke!
I saw an after market attachment this week where you can plug it into the lighter socket and it makes 1 socket into 3! This may be handy if I need to charge my Blackberry whilst on the move, using my Garmin at the same time.
30 years ago, a computer was ONLY a glorified adding machine, that only worked in a sterile dust free environment, but now you can get, relatively cheaply, a computer/digital camera/phone and so much more - that fits easily in your pocket!
I LOVE my Garmin GPS - an aftermarket unit that sticks to my windscreen. It squalks when I need to turn, or even if I am speeding! I have enen found that it can even tell you the elevation of where you are! I was stunned that the satellite can pinpoint where I am on the globe to within 6 meters, and even what my elecvation is!
I often know instictively where to go - inbuilt GPS in every male - but it is great that the handset can direct you, confirming your instincts. This would have been handy when I was on honeymoon, in areas that I had virtually never been! Those were the first arguements that my ex and I ever had! She had a map (what are those?) but I had my male inbuilt GPS. We were never really lost, except my brand new wife was telling me to "turn here!" when I knew full well that we needed to go straight! Turns out, we always got where we were going.
I have also found that my Garmin can be set up to direct you walking! This would be great somewhere like Cape Town, where I spent a few days walking before my accident. There was so much to see in easy walking distance of the hotel that I was staying in, since I had flown in! Those were the glorious BC days - Before Crash! Cape Town has so much in easy walking distange in the city surrounds - nassuming that you can easily walk!
I upgraded my contract recently and changed from Nokia to Blackberry - at a slightly lower monthly cost. My Nokia handsets all had the keyboard where the first key was an "A", or a "B" or a "C" depending on how the phone decided it wanted to spell a word. My Blackberry has a QWERTY keyboard, and even though the keys are small, they are easily used. I like where if you select an "A" ir remains an "A" in either upper or lower case, depending on how long you depress the key!
When I was in the army, the year before Zimbabwe came into existance, there were maybe 3 computers in the whole country, and the army one was on the 10th and 11th floors of the Earl Grey building in downtown Salisbury as it was then!
If the wind blew strongly and raised a dust storm, the computer could not add 2 and 2 and come up with the right answer. Now I have a tiny computer that fits easily in my pocket, that is:-
A radio
A GPS
A recording device
A camera
A computer - access to Google
and, by the way, also a phone!
I used to marvel at how user friendly my laptop is, and am amazed that my Blackberry is likewise incredibly user friendly. As time has gone by in the last 2 weeks, hardly a day has gone past when I have not learned something new on my Blackberry. I do have a seperate Garmin GPS that I can charge with my cigarette lighter in the dashboard. Being LDS, this is the most that I will use the cigarette lighter! Even if I were not LDS, I would in all likelihood, not smoke!
I saw an after market attachment this week where you can plug it into the lighter socket and it makes 1 socket into 3! This may be handy if I need to charge my Blackberry whilst on the move, using my Garmin at the same time.
30 years ago, a computer was ONLY a glorified adding machine, that only worked in a sterile dust free environment, but now you can get, relatively cheaply, a computer/digital camera/phone and so much more - that fits easily in your pocket!
I LOVE my Garmin GPS - an aftermarket unit that sticks to my windscreen. It squalks when I need to turn, or even if I am speeding! I have enen found that it can even tell you the elevation of where you are! I was stunned that the satellite can pinpoint where I am on the globe to within 6 meters, and even what my elecvation is!
I often know instictively where to go - inbuilt GPS in every male - but it is great that the handset can direct you, confirming your instincts. This would have been handy when I was on honeymoon, in areas that I had virtually never been! Those were the first arguements that my ex and I ever had! She had a map (what are those?) but I had my male inbuilt GPS. We were never really lost, except my brand new wife was telling me to "turn here!" when I knew full well that we needed to go straight! Turns out, we always got where we were going.
I have also found that my Garmin can be set up to direct you walking! This would be great somewhere like Cape Town, where I spent a few days walking before my accident. There was so much to see in easy walking distance of the hotel that I was staying in, since I had flown in! Those were the glorious BC days - Before Crash! Cape Town has so much in easy walking distange in the city surrounds - nassuming that you can easily walk!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Life in the fast lane
I grew very tired of living in the "fast lane" as a project manager at an international computer firm. That was then sited in downtown Sandton with various subsidiaries widespread around Johannesburg. Since I was leading a team introducing a new computerised accounting system, I had to often visit these subsidiaries. It was only after I was retired on ill health pension that the firm acquired land in Rivonia and relocated everyone to a central point!
I was getting into the swing of the job, when I took a few days off (I had worked plenty of time beforehand - after hours!) That is when I and my then wife were sealed for Eternity in the Temple of the LDS Church in Parktown, Johannesburg!
We were sealed on a Friday, and went away to a lodge in Mpumulanga (that was then called Eastern Transvaal) for a second honeymoon. This lodge was very close to the Kruger Park. We were on our way to the park when 7 kilometers away, a bread delivery truck went out of control and smashed into my car that had suffered a smashed mag wheel. My car smashed into me - changeing the wheel - leaving me in a coma for 4 months, then in hospital as a full time patient fr another 5 or so months, and then as a daily outpatient for a number more months!
I survived, but I had suffered minor brain damage (to my motor skills, not my mental capacity) and that lead my employers to decide to offer me ill-health retirement. I get a pension for the rest of my lifre, and dont have to actually work for it! At work (BC - Before Crash) life was not easy, but hard work meant that they appreciated it enough to place me on ill-health pension.
I have a major hangup with traffic and where I live, if 2 cars a day go past:-
It is busy OR
Both cars live in my garage and I have driven them - not at the same time!
Yesterday, I bought 4 new tyres for "Ladybug" - ny Freelander - and driving it now, it really feels like driving a new vehicle. Amazing how much more stable it is on the road - not that it was unsafe before!
I have started a new employment opportunity for myself where I offer to drive visitors to the Game Reserve and do a private tour for them! I love the game reserve and driving visitors is a passion of mine, rather than work!
I was getting into the swing of the job, when I took a few days off (I had worked plenty of time beforehand - after hours!) That is when I and my then wife were sealed for Eternity in the Temple of the LDS Church in Parktown, Johannesburg!
We were sealed on a Friday, and went away to a lodge in Mpumulanga (that was then called Eastern Transvaal) for a second honeymoon. This lodge was very close to the Kruger Park. We were on our way to the park when 7 kilometers away, a bread delivery truck went out of control and smashed into my car that had suffered a smashed mag wheel. My car smashed into me - changeing the wheel - leaving me in a coma for 4 months, then in hospital as a full time patient fr another 5 or so months, and then as a daily outpatient for a number more months!
I survived, but I had suffered minor brain damage (to my motor skills, not my mental capacity) and that lead my employers to decide to offer me ill-health retirement. I get a pension for the rest of my lifre, and dont have to actually work for it! At work (BC - Before Crash) life was not easy, but hard work meant that they appreciated it enough to place me on ill-health pension.
I have a major hangup with traffic and where I live, if 2 cars a day go past:-
It is busy OR
Both cars live in my garage and I have driven them - not at the same time!
Yesterday, I bought 4 new tyres for "Ladybug" - ny Freelander - and driving it now, it really feels like driving a new vehicle. Amazing how much more stable it is on the road - not that it was unsafe before!
I have started a new employment opportunity for myself where I offer to drive visitors to the Game Reserve and do a private tour for them! I love the game reserve and driving visitors is a passion of mine, rather than work!
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