Power?

Not so very long ago, it was reported that a swarm of bees had taken up residence in the chapel out at Esikhawini. This is not usually a problem, since the bees usually move off on their own - but not this time. The problem that arises is that in the coming heat, bees get somewhat angered and ignore their instinct that to sting means death - to them and to people like me! Sure I carry adrenelin ampoules and a syringe in case I get stung by even one bee, but I realise that if I get stung, I have maybe half an hour of consciousness before I die! The adrenelin gives me maybe an hours extra consciosness.

Last timed I was stung, I spent 4 days in the Intensive Care Unit at the local hospital. ICU costs way more than a simple bed in a ward, and I never saw the bill for the stay. It must have been somewhere in the region of R 100 000 - way more than it costs in a suite in a 5 Star hotel, and is not nearly as pleasant. First is all the noise around ICU. No matter how quiet they move, you hear it - and the food is frankly terrible! The only bright point was the Icecream and Jelly for desert - that the doctor freaked over. The bee venom in my system read as if I were suddenly seriously diabetic, and he refused to allow me to eat any sugar! I have monitored my blood sugar level since then, and it is regularly, too low!

I cannot even plan on driving to the nearest hospital, since the first thing that goes is my control over muscles - I cannot breathe properly, I cannot see properly, cannot stand and certainly cannot drive a vehicle - if I get stung. If I dont get relatively urgent medical assistance, I die!

Until I get assurance that the bees are GONE I cannot risk speaking on assignment out there!

I posted a note for discussion at our next District Council meeting, and received a prompt Email response from the District President that he had sent an Email to the Physical Facilities guy in Durban, pointing out that it needs to be attended to. We have to wait to see what transpires!

I would never have considered that I was powerful enough as to influence the Church in KZN to do something for the members out at Esikhawini - that by the way benefits my personal security! Summer IS coming - sometime - and heat drives bees crazy (I know this!) and I would hate for any of the members out there to go through even a part of what I suffered! Bee stings are not meant to be painless.

Where is the heat?

Late November and we are having an unseasonal period of cold weather. Usually it is steaming hot and very humid. The "experts" claim that this is because of the Pacific Ocean is cooling down. How then can they claim Global Warming in the same breath. Makes no sense that if we are globally warming, how is the weather in Africa affected by an ocean the other side of the globe COOLING?

I believe that "they" dont know which to actually believe in, so are covering their rears, claiming we are warming on one hand and cooling on the other. Meet them in the middle and we have no effect from driving V8 Automatic Landrovers!

This morning the local branch of the LDS Church held a branch braai with a difference - breakfast on the beach at Richards Bay! For a week we have had LOTS of rain, but today it was cloudy in Durban, but briliant clear blue sky in Richards Bay. It was predicted last week that we could expect 20 people to attend, but in the end there were between 45 and 50 people there!

You have no idea how delicious Bacon, Egg and Boerewors (translation - "Farmers Sausage" - steak instead of pork!) cooked on an open fire with a view of the ships wanting to enter the harbour, actually is! Truly magical!

It was a reasonable exchange for getting up at 5:30, to get the 55 kilometers to the beach - at Alkantstrand - "strand" = beach, and "Alkant" = "on every side" This is because to the east is the Indian Ocean and to the west is the harbour at Richards Bay - therefore "beach on every side!"

From the picnic site, you are right on the beach with clear views of the ships waiting to enter the harbour. What is amazing is that the pilots to assist getting the ships into the harbour, used to be taken out to the ships by Rubber Ducks (inflateable boats) but are now taken out by helicopter.

Being from the coastal area, most members were astounded. Being so close to the beach, we never go down there - kind of like spoilt for choice. I remember coming down from Salisbury and spending most of the day on the beach, much as most "Vaalies" (Johannesburg is in what used to be called Transvaal) do now. Living so close we never go to the actual beach - the sand gets EVERYWHERE. If you need to get cool, go for a refreshing swim where you are not caked with salt! The breakfast was really worth planning, and a really good way to promote branch unity.

My Life

I view my 51 years of existance (so far) as having 2 portions:-

BC - Before Crash AND

AD - After Damage

BC is kind of fuzzy in my memories and AD is all too omnipresent!

I know that tattoes are not encouraged by the LDS Church, as they are near impossible to change or Ctrl-Alt-Del - make vanish. The current problem that I am wrestling with is that on my left upper arm is a scar from the accident. In the sun, it shines up white, then goes really red, then does not tan and fades very fast to white again. I believe that if I get a tattoe on my arm, it will kind of disguise this scar. That assumes that the scar tissue can even take the ink from a tattoe. Under normal circumstances, the ink will be hidden beneath my sleeve, but when I an swinning - or showering - it will (hopefully) look better than an ugly scar!

I know that certain members of the Church branch that I attend, have actively voiced their opinions that plastic surgery is wrong, They dont know that I have had plastic surgery to my throat, to remove the horrible scar left by the trachae that I had whilst I was in a coma. Sure, the plastic surgery was not to repair a life threatening problem, but maybe fgor vanity.

I will say that since I had the surgery, I feel way better about myself and even speak better.

Dangerous thoughts?

I have recently been captivated by the idea that it is possible to drive - by land mostly - from Cape Point to Cape Horn. This is not an unusual idea, since someone else HAS attempted the journey - in a Landrover Defender.

I would think twice about such a trip, since I am:-
Disabled - by the MVA accident that ran me down in 1992 and left me with severe disabilities.
Deathly allergic to bee stings - IF I get stung by even one bee, the anti venoms created by my body after "several thousand" bee stings will swing into action just as if another swarm has stung me!
After I was stung, I was diagnosed as diabetic, but I have closely monitored my blood sugar since and "normal" is 6.9 and I am consistently under 5.5. When I was stung, the reading was in the region of 16 or 17, for days without any sugar!
Being LDS (Mormon) I do not drink alcohol, and several programs indicate that tribes in Siberia insist that you share a drink with them!

This is kind of means that the heart is willing, but the body is weak! I guarantee that I would be in the outer reaches of Siberia - far from anyone who can speak or even read English - and I would be stung. My Medic Alert bracelet that tells of my medical problems, will not do what it was intended. One sting and I am likely to either die or spend another 4 days in Intensive Care in hospital.

After I suffered brain damage, I have a problem where my muscles either dont communicate with my brain, or instructions are misdirected. I wish I could, but I CANNOT catch a tennis ball thrown at me! They bounce off of my palm before I get to close my fingers!

I cannot breathe smoothly (enough to cope with normal life!) and definitely walk wierdly. I am convinced that even a wierd walk is better than not being able to walk!

I found a site on the Internet that taught me several things:-

A bridge between Russia and Alaska, over the Bering Straits is approved, but the road infrastructure in Russia and to a lesser extent in Alaska is not at all good.

There have been recorded successful attempts at surface crossings of the Straits, one with Inflateable outriggers and several over the ice floes!

The Russian Government is VERY sticky about permits to go between continents, although this looks as if it will improve after the planned bridge is constructed (2030)

I am aware that the BBC show "Top Gear" had one of their special editions where the 3 presenters drove to the North Pole. If out of condition presenters can do this (and they did!) then it is very possible for many others to likewise do so.

Africa Killer Bees terrify me. Even driving home from Church yesterday, the screen was at one stage, peppered with the fluid from bee bodies from a swarm that expired on the windscreen. Sure as nuts, I would run into a swarm in the middle of Kenya or somewhere equally as far from medical assistance! The ones in the swarm that stung me were not your average cute black and yellow bodied insects, but were far darker in hue!

One thing that does encourage me (a bit) is that the bees realise that to sting something means death for them. Are they willing to commit suicide just to give someone discomfort - or in my case - death or a stay in ICU! Do they even have ICU in Ethiopia?

Trials

I am currently experiencing a few trials:-

My fancy wristwatch (Fossil) is not keeping time at all like it should. I bought it because it is a fairly fancy watch, and on Sunday it stopped so yesterday I replaced the battery. In half an hour, it still had lost 15 minutes. So today, it goes back to the jewellers and they either fix it fast, or I walk out with a new watch.

Last week, my 4x4 shed a broken V belt. On a Freelander, this belt controls everything - including:-
The alternator (so the battery would not chage)
The power steering (so it steered badly)
The water pump (so the water would not circulate)

I limped home and the belt was replaced on Monday and now it runs like a dream.

I honestly believe that the forces of evil are testing me because he feels that I am due for trials. Great is what the Bible promises - that Satan can try you but cannot kill you (that has not stopped him trying though!) I sense that I can cope with trials, and that I need to learn from them!

Realisation - philosiphacal?

I know how I feel about Christine growing up, and know a bit of the pain - and joy - that Heavenly Father must feel about his creations - namely us as humans! I know that it is not fashionable to believe in a supreme being, but I feel that His existance is a surety. Why else do we have our own paradise that we live in - even if we choose to live in concrete jungles with millions of others, or to live in the quiet next to the ocean, where hours go past and no cars go past my home! It is plain that we all have agency to live where we choose to, but that this agency does not change the consequences of our choices! Some want the wealth of large cities, but then complain that there is too much smog and noise. That is some of the consequences that we cannot avoid in excercising our agency!

I know that sometimes we look back on our choices and feel remourse, but in choosing a course, we are bound in accepting the consequences - as unpleasant as they may be! I would rather live where I cannot hear traffic above the noise of the waves on the beach, and it kind of suits me! Is this too simple? Maybe - but I feel deep inside my soul that it is right!

I know now a bit more of the pain - and joy - of what my parents felt about my growing up. I let Christinec drive up to school in "Mme Chloe La Frog Killick" - big name for a tiny car, on Sunday. Sure I was apprehensive - especially as she was driving up the freeway between Durban and Johannesburg. The traffic on this route is quite heavy in places, and I wanted to protect Christine, but she called later that she had made the trip without hassles. I truly believe strongly that this was no accident (pun intended) because I was able to give her a Priesthood blessing of safety and comfort. Millions out there disclaim a supreme creator, but I feel in my soul that one is in control of our ultimate destiny!

Time she does fly!

Last week, Christine passed her drivers test. She is now proud to be a licensed driver. It is somewhat great as she can now drive up to Mooi River herself!

She has taken over "La Frog" the french car in my collection of a French car, 2 British cars and 1 German car!

Yesterday she drove from Mtunzini to Richards Bay - a distance of 50 kilometers one way. She claimed to need to go shopping for beauty products. My ex was amazed as Richards Bay is 2 towns over - and can be busy!

I let Christine drive from school to Ballito. I kind of figure if I have to trust her to get to Mooi River on Sunday, I have to trust her with:-
My Landrover - in the mist and rain
La Frog on Sunday.

I am certain that if I get to give her a fathers Priesthood Blessing- as is my responsibility as a holder of the Higher Priesthood in the LDS Church, she can travel with heavenly protection. I know that many out there think that I am crazy to place my trust in a supreme being, but what is the alternative? Curl up and die? I was once a newly licensed driver, so I survived, Christine has a better than average chance of survival. Besides, I taught her to drive first - hopefully my concerns are less than if I had left it up to strangers - or even a worried ex wife! :-)

It honestly feels like yesterday when I held her for the very first time. I remember thinking then, "Sure she is cute but where is the Instruction Manual?" It is a case of directing a human life, on instinct and hoping to Heaven that you dont mess up royally. The way she drives, makes me think that I must have done something right! I freely put my hand up to trusting her more with Ladybug (my diesel 4x4) than I would trust my ex with my car!