WWoW (Wicked Witch of the West - my ex!) has announced that she is getting the wheels in motion to get our sealing annulled. She hoped that this news would not sress me. She has found out from her Bishop, that our daughter has been sealed to me and if she breaks our sealing it will not affect this sealing to my daughter!
The way this was explained to me 2 decades ago, is:-
I am sealed directly to my children
Michele was then sealed only for as long as she was sealed to me
The only way this link with Christine is for me to institute these proceedings.
That is just the way things work!
I have developed an eye infection (conjunctivitis) - it really bugs me that I am so seldom ill, that when I am, it is really annoying! I have been to get eye drops, and they seem to be working!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Being retired
In the heat of Zululand, it is not always easy to get fired up about anything. I do however enjoy the relaive cool of Mtunzini. I was in Empangeni yesterday to get my head examined - again - and it was like I remember Zululand summers - not so hot, but VERY humid.
Mtunzini is so much more cool - both literally and figuratively. Just about the only downside is that there are only a few supermarket type stores, with the main one being the Spar store. Typically Spar is the most epensice chain of stores. What would be ideal is for a Pick and Pay to be built here, but that WILL happen sooner or later. I was in Mtubatuba last monday, and they have opened a Pick and Pay there - on the site of the old hotel, that served the BEST Flat Chickens. It was worth a 130 kilometer round trip to get a Flattie for supper!
If a backwater like Mtubatuba can qualify for a P&P, it is not inconceivable that the local Spar in Mtunzini will have to plan in the short term for some competition. Apart from Spar, there are a few Greek type corner cafe operations, open later than Spar, but they load the prices accordingly!
For me it is cheaper to shop in a relatively large centre - Empangeni - where there are some competing chain stores - Pick and Pay, Checkers, OK and a very nice new Spar. I am generally in Empangeni once a week, to make sure I am not getting to mentally messed up! I do my large grocery shopping then, although I DO like to shop in the local Woolworths - not a cheap option, but the quality of food there is worth the extra cost.
Our local Spar is part of a chain - one in Mtunzini, one in Gingindlovu and one in Eshowe. Apparently there is a divine butchery in Ging, where my folks buy their meat - at wholesale price!
The new Spar in Empangeni is an amazement. The owner started off with a tiny Spar where a mysterious fire destroyed the building! With the insurance payout, this guy built a new Spar, that was obviously really profitable, so he built a much more impressive centre. To look at this guy, he looks as if he could not rub 2 coins together in his pocket, but he lives in a really impressive house, directly overlooking the Golf Course. He works hard, and has not much private downtime, but it has paid hansome dividends. One is forced to wonder if a huge bank balance is worth not having much private life! I dont think he even drives much of a car - a close neighbor was killed in his Ferrari. If you have a huge bank account, that must be one of the best ways of being taken out - driving a really fast imported sports car!
Sure if I worked, I would probably be in a senior well paid position by now, but since I was retired on ill-health grounds, I have found that I receive plenty of cash for my needs and wants - I do not need 2 Landrover Automatics, but I WANT them! (what is wrong with that?) I sense a member in Richards Bay resents that I own 4 cars - my Dicovery Landrover, my smaller Freelander, a Porsche and a Renault - although my daughter has commandeered this car - in truth, bought for her, since a teen does not need a 4x4 Landrver, or a Porsche! I sense that this member resents that I do not just give my cars away to the black members, but little does she realise that none of them are easily affordable for repairs. New tyres on my Freelander recently cost me R 6 grand, and so too did the 2 rear tyres on my Porsche. If I gave a black member one of these cars, they could not afford to run it, and they pretty soon would be on the Branch Presidents doorstep begging for Church assistance! I know that the government is keen on wealth creation, but if I gave a "needy member" one of my cars, I would be promoting poverty! The Church promotes self reliance but I could not give a member a car to get them to Church - that would impoverish them!
Mtunzini is so much more cool - both literally and figuratively. Just about the only downside is that there are only a few supermarket type stores, with the main one being the Spar store. Typically Spar is the most epensice chain of stores. What would be ideal is for a Pick and Pay to be built here, but that WILL happen sooner or later. I was in Mtubatuba last monday, and they have opened a Pick and Pay there - on the site of the old hotel, that served the BEST Flat Chickens. It was worth a 130 kilometer round trip to get a Flattie for supper!
If a backwater like Mtubatuba can qualify for a P&P, it is not inconceivable that the local Spar in Mtunzini will have to plan in the short term for some competition. Apart from Spar, there are a few Greek type corner cafe operations, open later than Spar, but they load the prices accordingly!
For me it is cheaper to shop in a relatively large centre - Empangeni - where there are some competing chain stores - Pick and Pay, Checkers, OK and a very nice new Spar. I am generally in Empangeni once a week, to make sure I am not getting to mentally messed up! I do my large grocery shopping then, although I DO like to shop in the local Woolworths - not a cheap option, but the quality of food there is worth the extra cost.
Our local Spar is part of a chain - one in Mtunzini, one in Gingindlovu and one in Eshowe. Apparently there is a divine butchery in Ging, where my folks buy their meat - at wholesale price!
The new Spar in Empangeni is an amazement. The owner started off with a tiny Spar where a mysterious fire destroyed the building! With the insurance payout, this guy built a new Spar, that was obviously really profitable, so he built a much more impressive centre. To look at this guy, he looks as if he could not rub 2 coins together in his pocket, but he lives in a really impressive house, directly overlooking the Golf Course. He works hard, and has not much private downtime, but it has paid hansome dividends. One is forced to wonder if a huge bank balance is worth not having much private life! I dont think he even drives much of a car - a close neighbor was killed in his Ferrari. If you have a huge bank account, that must be one of the best ways of being taken out - driving a really fast imported sports car!
Sure if I worked, I would probably be in a senior well paid position by now, but since I was retired on ill-health grounds, I have found that I receive plenty of cash for my needs and wants - I do not need 2 Landrover Automatics, but I WANT them! (what is wrong with that?) I sense a member in Richards Bay resents that I own 4 cars - my Dicovery Landrover, my smaller Freelander, a Porsche and a Renault - although my daughter has commandeered this car - in truth, bought for her, since a teen does not need a 4x4 Landrver, or a Porsche! I sense that this member resents that I do not just give my cars away to the black members, but little does she realise that none of them are easily affordable for repairs. New tyres on my Freelander recently cost me R 6 grand, and so too did the 2 rear tyres on my Porsche. If I gave a black member one of these cars, they could not afford to run it, and they pretty soon would be on the Branch Presidents doorstep begging for Church assistance! I know that the government is keen on wealth creation, but if I gave a "needy member" one of my cars, I would be promoting poverty! The Church promotes self reliance but I could not give a member a car to get them to Church - that would impoverish them!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Designer poop
In upmarket Sandton, Johannesburg SA, the most common vehicle is just about any offroader - even though the furthest off road they venture is into the parking bays at the local mall. So that their 4x4's look the part, they sell "designer mud" to apply to the door sills, to prove that they are rugged vehicles.
Here in Mtunzini, I have gone one better - in my recent game reserve visit, I drove through some fresh game poop, and it has splashed over the sides of my 4x4 - designer poop!
Our Richards Bay Church District motto for this year is a quote from someone, himself quoting the Prophet (Thomas S Monson) - "It is better to look up!" Sure if you look down, you might not drive through the rhino, elephant or buffalo poop, but if you look up, you get to see the actual animals who have messed on the dirt roads!
I am amazed that - watching programs like "Trabant Trek", even the worst condition the dirt roads in the far reaches of Darkest Africa get, they are in way better condition to international highways like the Pamir Highway - Kurgistan-ish way (Asia)! The drive south through the Gobi Desert from Mongolia to China, was not even on roads, and they had to follow the train tracks through the desert. Even on "Long Way Down" there are roads - albeit not all tarred - the entire length of Africa! Who really is "Third World" then?
Here in Mtunzini, I have gone one better - in my recent game reserve visit, I drove through some fresh game poop, and it has splashed over the sides of my 4x4 - designer poop!
Our Richards Bay Church District motto for this year is a quote from someone, himself quoting the Prophet (Thomas S Monson) - "It is better to look up!" Sure if you look down, you might not drive through the rhino, elephant or buffalo poop, but if you look up, you get to see the actual animals who have messed on the dirt roads!
I am amazed that - watching programs like "Trabant Trek", even the worst condition the dirt roads in the far reaches of Darkest Africa get, they are in way better condition to international highways like the Pamir Highway - Kurgistan-ish way (Asia)! The drive south through the Gobi Desert from Mongolia to China, was not even on roads, and they had to follow the train tracks through the desert. Even on "Long Way Down" there are roads - albeit not all tarred - the entire length of Africa! Who really is "Third World" then?
Luck
Am I lucky or what?
Last week I took the Elders from Richards Bay and from Esihawini up to the Game Reserve. sometimes we go up and dont see any Elephant - or Rhino - or Giraffe (we are pretty sure that we see at least one of these every time) - but at virtually every turn thee were herds of them. The Elder from Richards Bay pointed out that a group of Rhino is a crash of rhino, not necessarily a herd!
My Discovery Landrover was reconditioned about 2 months ago, but it was taking time to log up the first thousand kilometers - whilst the motor loosens up. Anyway a month and a half and I managed 1 500 kilometers. In the Reserve, I managed to log up 500 kilometers, and the service at 1 000 kms is being done today!
The motor was bored out, so is now more like a 4 litre motor than a 3.9. It is SO MUCH quieter amd smoother than it used to be, and I have been assured that - even with a slightly bigger bore, it is likely to be more economical than before. I have been stunned that a big V8 auto, with aircon on ALL of the time (thanks to Zululand summer!) it is no more fuel hungry than was my Opel Corsa 1 4 litre motor, that was NOT airconditioned. So much for the eco freaks who view a large V8 as worse for the environment than the average small car!
I rather like my V8 in the Game Reserve as it is a seriously tall vehicle - looking down on everyone else - and no-one pushes it around in traffic. I think they fear that I will slip it into 4x4 and just go over the top of them - no sweat!
I was also stunned when I put new tyres on my Freelander. The set that came off were not worn much, but new shoes have made SUCH a difference - like a new vehicle. I have also discovered that in Drive, I can change between Normal and Sport modes, What difference this makes is a mystery.When you slide the gearlever into Normal, from Sport, it seems to make no difference whatsoever!
Since I got my body art over the scar on my arm, I have made a new friend! Roland worked at the tattoo parlour, and since he met me in December, he has decided to book himself into a drug rehab in Hillcrest! I know that he has made some poor life choices, but I feel that he is a great being. I feel for him that he is a recovering drug addict! Call me crazy, but I am grateful that we met! There was a reason that I was inspired to look into an alternative to plastic surgery over the unsightly scars, and it seems that there is a hand in my reasoning. Sure he has/had a drug problem, but he for sure has not had the easy life that I have had!
I have a friend who has married recently and he and his wife live in Kloof, just down the road from Hillcrest. I BBM'd Theunis to see if he is able to visit Roland in rehab, and he will. If my history is anything to go by, his pregnant wife is going to give him reason to be grateful to get out of the firing line on occasion! I cannot work out which is worse - a hormonal pregnant wife, or a vengeful ex wife?
Last week I took the Elders from Richards Bay and from Esihawini up to the Game Reserve. sometimes we go up and dont see any Elephant - or Rhino - or Giraffe (we are pretty sure that we see at least one of these every time) - but at virtually every turn thee were herds of them. The Elder from Richards Bay pointed out that a group of Rhino is a crash of rhino, not necessarily a herd!
My Discovery Landrover was reconditioned about 2 months ago, but it was taking time to log up the first thousand kilometers - whilst the motor loosens up. Anyway a month and a half and I managed 1 500 kilometers. In the Reserve, I managed to log up 500 kilometers, and the service at 1 000 kms is being done today!
The motor was bored out, so is now more like a 4 litre motor than a 3.9. It is SO MUCH quieter amd smoother than it used to be, and I have been assured that - even with a slightly bigger bore, it is likely to be more economical than before. I have been stunned that a big V8 auto, with aircon on ALL of the time (thanks to Zululand summer!) it is no more fuel hungry than was my Opel Corsa 1 4 litre motor, that was NOT airconditioned. So much for the eco freaks who view a large V8 as worse for the environment than the average small car!
I rather like my V8 in the Game Reserve as it is a seriously tall vehicle - looking down on everyone else - and no-one pushes it around in traffic. I think they fear that I will slip it into 4x4 and just go over the top of them - no sweat!
I was also stunned when I put new tyres on my Freelander. The set that came off were not worn much, but new shoes have made SUCH a difference - like a new vehicle. I have also discovered that in Drive, I can change between Normal and Sport modes, What difference this makes is a mystery.When you slide the gearlever into Normal, from Sport, it seems to make no difference whatsoever!
Since I got my body art over the scar on my arm, I have made a new friend! Roland worked at the tattoo parlour, and since he met me in December, he has decided to book himself into a drug rehab in Hillcrest! I know that he has made some poor life choices, but I feel that he is a great being. I feel for him that he is a recovering drug addict! Call me crazy, but I am grateful that we met! There was a reason that I was inspired to look into an alternative to plastic surgery over the unsightly scars, and it seems that there is a hand in my reasoning. Sure he has/had a drug problem, but he for sure has not had the easy life that I have had!
I have a friend who has married recently and he and his wife live in Kloof, just down the road from Hillcrest. I BBM'd Theunis to see if he is able to visit Roland in rehab, and he will. If my history is anything to go by, his pregnant wife is going to give him reason to be grateful to get out of the firing line on occasion! I cannot work out which is worse - a hormonal pregnant wife, or a vengeful ex wife?
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