May the 4th

Gary's birthday is only tomorrow but since he is such a Star Wars' fan, his birthday party was arranged for May the Fourth. So a small group of friends arrived at his house for some burgers and board games. Necia arrived with this awesome Chewbacca cake, yummy. 

Opening with a Bang

It is exactly a year since the last Opening Ceremony at Belgium Campus when my Ford pickup caught on fire on the way there and this evening another traumatic incident happened this time on the way home afterwards.

It was great being with Matthew and friends at the Belgium Campus' Opening Ceremony 2019 and we enjoyed the company of Hans, Theresa, Jaen-Jurie, Anika, Gary, and Brendan. But it was the drive home that was the problem.

A huge storm was threatening as we bundled into Lynda's car and squeezed out of the parking. We headed on the most direct route out towards the N14 as possible and as we stopped at a traffic light still in Pretoria, there was a large BANG. My first thought a gunshot and a hijacking was in progress. Our hijacking, as I turned towards Lynda, I saw a man hitting the window for the 2nd and then 3rd time trying to smash the passenger window where Lynda was sitting. I had put the car in 1st gear as a man dived through the window, pushing the side window which was protected by smash and grab film onto Lynda's lap pinning her handbag and cellphone. 

With this person half through the window, grouping for the phone but battling to get through the side glass window pane on a screaming Lynda's lap, I was accelerating forward through the red traffic lights. This person was eventually dragged back out of the gaping window with complete piece of side window pane in his hands.

It happened so fast. Next I knew we were racing home. It was pouring with rain. Adrenalin was pumping and we were just so thankful that we weren't seriously hurt other than some cuts on Lynda's forearm from the glass pane pining her down and that nothing was taken other than the side window.

I am worried what next year is going to be like. First the car on fire, now a smash and attempted grab but God is in control and we are in His hands.

Timeless Saturday

Matthew has never been to a Timeless Board Games' Saturday and to get our minds off the stress of the University finances, I decided to take him to Matthew to his first Timeless. Matthew loves board games and was so excited to go that he was ready early. Since we did not hearing any news from 1 of the banks that we were expecting, so off we went early.

The rest of my "Geeks wif boards & card" group that I am loosely associated with only arrive after lunch, by that time Matthew and I had some fun.

Breakfast Meeting

We have this solar geyser on the roof above our bedroom. Now this model has this temperature release valve that allowed water to drip out when the temperature got close to freezing and last night it did. In the morning the dripping got a little too fast and we were very concerned that water was wasting so in first light I went out to check and came straight back in.

"There is water everywhere", I said to Lynda, "what, where is it coming from", queried Lynda in a shocked tone with her mind rushing on possibilities of how to claim from insurance. "From the sky", answered I. It was raining and we weren't even the wiser.

The rain was making me just wanting to stay in bed. Ahhhh a duvet day is all I need now but I was needed at BankservAfrica. Due the cold rain, I couldn't use the Vespa to beat the traffic into downtown Jozi, I had to use the pickup to fight the rush hour traffic.

I arrived at Bankserv Africa, a little late, with Gary and Madelyn eagerly waiting me and what way to start the week with a breakfast meeting with these 2. 

Same Old #@#

Every month, my friends hold a boardgame afternoon, and since I missed the last Timeless Board Games Day of the year when I went down to Durban recently, I wasn’t about to give this one hosted by Gary and Anika even if Craig decided to wear the same old kak t-shirt.

Gary made some, stinging chilli, Mexican style as he called it plus some beer bread made on a solar oven. Thankfully Anika in her wisdom made a milder version for the likes of Matthew and I. Then it was down to some serious board games and of course killer dessert.

Vacillating

Oh wow, Gary taught me a new word today, vacillating. Never heard of such a word, does it actually exist or is it another made up word? Gary had to use some of his little toys on his desk to help teach me this new word that felt strange to my tongue. I love languages but am useless in speaking them. Take English for example. England has been invaded by mainly 3 groups of people the Germanic speaking tribes such as the Vikings, the French, and the Romans, each bringing their flavour of languages to the existing mix. I like using the word kingly as an example, origin from the Germanic koniglich, then there is a similar word for the same thing from French royal, and then the Latin version brought in by the Romans regal.

Ahhh and there it is, vacillating /ˈvasɪleɪtɪŋ/ an adjective which means wavering between different opions or actions in other words irresolute. Blame the Romans as the origin is from the Latin word vacillate which means sway unsteadily. I have heard of oscillating between states but vacillating was like standing still yet unsteady.

So could I say it would be doubtful that the ship stay upright as it preciously vacillated on the oscillating waves blown by the foul tempest.

Oh my Hat

Oh my hat, look what the cat just walked in at, Gary in his Singaporean hat. Now Gary did say no more posts about cats, how about a cat in a hat? Maybe that is why it raining cats and dogs today.

The sun did not shine
It was too wet to play
So we sat
And sat
At our desks
Gary in his hat
All that cold
Cold wet today

But not all is lost
The cat in the hat knows a lot about that!

Timeless Board Games

Yay, it is that time of month again for the Board Game Party hosted by Timeless Board Games. Yesterday I felt a cold coming along but I overdosed with medication and vitamins and took the day off. Shoje, thank goodness I didn’t need a doctor’s note for yesterday’s duvet day.

Today, armed with a slight headache, that only boards games can cure, it was off to Bedfordview for the day of board games with my geeky friends, Jonathan, Robynne, Gary, Anika, Brandon, Craig, Necia, and Layne. I must say that at the end of the day I was exhausted but I thoroughly enjoyed the day except that part when the only food truck catering for us geeks ran out of food.

Part of the Furniture

Both Keegan and Gary have been with BankservAfrica for yonks. Today it is Keegan’s 35th birthday and he joined this company 12 years ago at a young age of 23. He joins Gary in being now part of the furniture. Okay Gary stills holds the record as he signed up when he was 21 years old back in 1993, 24 jaw dropping years ago. As you can see, Gary still likes photobombing Keegan on his birthday photo.

Make Some Noise

I have been working a portal for a product which went from test to production on Friday after 3 years in development. Today a “Make Some Noise” launch to the company was initiated. With all the fanfare everyone in marketing were all rushing around getting ready to make some noise. Here is Gary who has been with this company for yonks, helping with setting up a display monitor in the foyer.

Gary at Work

I don’t see Gary much at the office as he is out a lot running to this meeting and then to the next one. Even when he is back in his corner cubicle, trying to focus and get some work done is not easy especially with me there. Take today for example, Gary had to eat his breakfast on the fly, too much work to do and so little time before the next meeting.

Another Goodbye

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu Tracy and Gary. Ahhh too many goodbyes this month, and this year already that I am starting to feel the pain.

Now it is Tracy and Gary’s turn although this time it is not too far as Tracy and Gary leave our home circle of friends to start and lead another home community church. Au revoir.

Primitive Thanksgiving

There is something primitive about sitting around a fire in each one of us. I can only imagine this deep down warm fuzzy feeling stems from a time when our ancestors sat around a fire pit in a cave under an enormous starry sky for safety and warmth.

So on this cool summer’s evening, a group of friends gathered around a brazier for warmth and to give thanks to the Lord our God for a hard year that was full of ups and downs, but a year that God was in control.

This year has surely flown past, as we once again find ourselves at our year end dinner. For me this year was a hard one and I give thanks that deep down I can lean on the knowledge that God is in control even when my life seems out of control and heading for that crash test wall with dummy me strapped inside. My second thanks is for my son Matthew. It is his birthday today and I thank God that he has turned out to be a wonderful young man.

After our primitive yet very important giving thanks around the fire, we sat down at a well decorated table for our year end meal. Breaking bread with friends and family is a highlight in the year for me, knowing that I belong.

Sick Party

Gary shown here had a birthday just the other day and had organised a Sunday afternoon lunch at his place which he called Getting Ancient. I was feeling slightly better although not ancient after some bed rest and I didn’t want to let the old people down so we went.

Getting ancient with Gary turned out to be a sick party. No not the slang sick which means awesome but the sick as in sick sick because majority of party goers were not well. Being all sick didn’t stop us friends and family having a good lunch party. It was an awesome getting ancient lunch and sick party we had.

Kiss My Bass

Matthew and I went over to Gary and Anika's home to pick up a "Dying Light" poster and t-shirt for Matthew and at the same time admire the new gas stove that they installed. Well Gary's dad Derek, shown here with Gary had to do some kitchen remodelling just to fit this monster in. As you can see Oom Derek is wearing his "Kiss My Bass" t-shirt whereas logic leads us to believe that Gary is still in mourning as he refuses to remove his "Enter the Vulcan" t-shirt since Spock exited planet earth last Friday.

Now they will be cooking with gas and no Eskom incompetency will stop them having a warm meal every night. While getting my cellphone out to take this photo of a rare sighting of two men standing in a kitchen, I accidently triggered the camera to speed fire. Although most were blurry, this one below stood out above the rest. I'll think I should call it "Vulcan in Motion".

Big Fat Geek Wedding

Yes this is how the big fat geeks get married, a beach style wedding with a beach so near that you could smell the ocean. Necia and Craig tied the knot at St Henry’s Marist Brother’ College overlooking the harbour of Durban.

A group of friends and family witnessed Craig and Necia walk down the path and stand before the marriage officer where they said their vows to each other. Craig said an extra vow to Emma, promising to be a good father to her and husband to her mommy, nice touch. Then it was party time with Mr and Mrs Nicholson. The food was good and then it was dance the night away with good friends. Friends like Gary shown below.

And I will end this series of memories with a photo taken by Anika, shown below in the red dress, of me and Lynda well behind my hat.

The Crazy Ones

Ah the first day of the Year 2015 and what better time to spend it chilling with friends and family. The day started with rain and more rain, so much so that I was wondering how we all going to fit into Anika and Gary’s lounge. It wasn’t just the 10 adults shown above as there were another 3 teenagers and a child. But thankfully the sun got brave and dried up all the rain as suns are supposed to do.

As South Africans, the meat was on the braai, with the young ones all occupied playing either in the pool or on the game consoles, the adults aka the Crazy Ones could chill in peace under the lapa next to the pool. Okay from left to right are the Crazy Ones, Sandy and Derrick, Lynda and Jerome, Megan and Bruce, Necia and Craig, Anika and Gary.

As always everything that exciting happened in the year came up in topic, Dr Who; ostrich meat; X-Box games; Ingress; programming; work; bandwidth; beer bread; merits of school and school fees; The Resistance; being splashed by the young ones in the pool and Craig that needed to be thrown in; some muscle car that Bruce owned in the states that he left his iPod in; Dropping DVDs of the film The Interview over North Korea via helium balloons, Apple vs Android; so called home made Turkish delight; various re-modelling projects from bathrooms to this very lapa; some movie about a women who has a sex change, goes back in time, marries herself and has a child, very confusing even to me; and not to forget the chat about cats and more cats. If I did leave anything out, other than the cats, I am so sorry but I can't remember everything. Oh yes talking about remembering we also chatted about how we get round remembering a face but not a name.It looks like this might be a usual problem with us Crazy Ones.

This blog also did an appearance in the discussion. Gary still likes the longer posts whereas Craig wants shorter more factual posts. Oh and I mustn’t forget we found out that Bruce is a fan of my blog and could be a serial blog stalker.

One of the suggestions, Gary’s I think, was maybe add more photos which will get the blog to feel longer. So let me give it a bash, here is the cat Robbie all bored and had enough of this small talk. He had this thing where he sucked his paw and when he had finished with his paw while sitting on his mommy’s lap, he put his head down on the table, relaxed.

Geek Fest

It is that time of year again, the Geek Fest. This year it is held just down the road from us, so it was a perfect opportunity to load Matthew, Maxy, and Jade onto the Vespa and head down to the place where anything and everyone geeky meet.

What a contrast, last year it was very cold and this year very hot. The poor cosplayers must have been sweating in their costumes. Luckily no one came dressed as a wookiee although a few Darth Vaders were melting away in their all black attire. Here is Gary, his son Brendon, Matthew, Maxy, and Jade enjoying the festivities.

Transforming Lives

Transforming lives is what BBC is about. Here is Rob, Tracy and Gary, together after the service at BBC. These three along with others do a lot in transforming lives of those who are struggling in life to that what is pleasing in God' sight. I must clarify that they are not perfect but their hearts are in the right place.

Pre New Years Social

Gary and Anika invited us to a Pre New Years Social at their home in Kempton Park. Now Gary and Anika are known to throw a good party so off we trekked east.

On the way I picked up Matthew as Gary's son Brenden and Matthew get on well together. And as expected, Gary and Anika, put on a good pre New Year’s Social. Good food, good company that makes for a good time.