the adlards

Monday was an anniversary day chez nous. Eleven years ago on a breezy hilltop MGW and I got hitched. She had a different three-letter-acronym then of course and was far less beautiful than she’s grown over the years. We tried to get back there over the holiday weekend but it seems that other people get married there too and they had weddings scheduled every day Friday through Monday which, unlike ours, weren’t open to all comers.

Stymied on that front we went one better and spent the weekend painting and hanging pictures as previously alluded to. We have fixed the Turnbull Trading Store sign to our lounge wall and hung a collection of Michelle’s pictures that we’d had in store in Durban. Very homely it’s becoming.

Eleven years seems a long time when it’s before you; looking back it passes in a flash. Leaving aside for a moment the fact that the Universe is now governed by a pair of semi (in the sense of part time) angelic little girls, we’re still very much the same after eleven years. We waffle along, break-neck speed seeming leisurely and intense by turns, making spur-of-the-moment adjustments now and then along the way and reaching our way points seemingly by accident. Over the next eleven years I think we’ll invest in some good story tapes to listen to on the way.

The gallery‘s been updated.

Before the pinata was battered, before the eggs were et, before the lunch was roasted, we were hanging paintings. Click above for the movie of the book (or right click and save – just about 6Meg).

Some days the pink fluffy clouds in the morning are made of flocks of little birds caught in jet engines.

Fortunately this isn’t one of those days.

The Three came to visit me at the new office today. They had visited the old offices in January – I like them to know where I am, it somehow feels less inhuman that way.

Josie: Dad, when this office gets old maybe your next one could be at home.

Maybe, my girl. Maybe.

I’ve fixed whatever was wrong with the gallery. I know some people didn’t have any trouble viewing it but I did in IE7 and Opera. Now working anyway …

I guess I’ll have to put some recent pics up.

Being short has its advantages. Can’t think of any just now, but I’m sure it does. I’ve been reading Blink and discovered that 60% of US CEOs are over 6’4″. That’s a dangerous thing to write. If I’d dreams of being anything at all like 60% of US CEOs I would be crushed. No really.

I have a new office and a new iPod. The new office is on the second floor and has a picture window at least a hundred square feet in size looking out onto mountains, beach and sea. Plug me into the iPod and I could be anywhere. Well, anywhere with sunshine, mountains and ocean anyway. It is a little difficult to focus on email so I concentrate on that during my breaks. Breaks for coffee. Breaks for lunch. Breaks to refill the iPod. Breaks to polish my platform boots …

My office is a mezzanine and behind me is a glass wall looking over a drop. When I turn around I feel like I’m looking into a squash court. It won’t be long before we invent a game that works.

Actually my breaks at the moment are taken up avoiding the noise of drilling as a fire escape is retrofitted through concrete floors, apparently between my frontal and temporal lobes. Aah, it’s refreshing to have a few days back in the office. I shall enjoy it while I can.

Having exhausted most avenues and visited DARG on numerous occassions to view “staffies” we were wondering whether we would ever love a staffie again. Michelle decided she would get a Yellow Pages and phone all the vets in the area to see if anyone was moving abroad and advertising a staffie on their boards. On about the fifth call she struck gold and was the first to call a delightful guy who’ll be moving to the Netherlands shortly. He wanted to come and check that we’d be good carers and after a short visit agreed to leave Ruby with us immediately.

She has fully explored our property, dashed about manically getting to know us, and stretched out and fallen asleep in the sunshine. She’s a wonderfully good-natured little dog and we couldn’t be happier. She’s snoozing in the lounge now.

Josie’s taken her for a walk twice today. Accompanied.

Sophie’s right as rain. They never did find the problem, but she’s completely back to her little old self.

It’s hard to believe we’ve been in our new house for six whole weeks today; time has flown by. We’ve had visitors for four weeks of the six and I’ve been travelling around the country far more than I should like.

It was wonderful to have the Coxes to stay. We had great fun – we did loads of stuff (they did more) and lots of catching up. Highlights were going up Table Mountain on the cablecar on a spectacularly beautiful day and eating at Fairview in 40-something degree heat. I think they had a good break – certainly enough of a break to make Sunday’s hail and sleet on their way home a shock to the system 🙂

The roster of visitors is filling up with Hayley around sometime in June/July and the Schonkens planning for late July. I spent a great evening with Tim and Claudia and the boys in Durban on Monday and we’re looking forward to seeing them in Cape Town in June.

Now that we’re home alone the “things to do” list is growing at an alarming rate: a sure indicator that it’s starting to really feel like home. I’ve installed my first Gate Automation System, which was fun. I’ve learned how to look after a swimming pool (sort of). Still to come are gardening, painting, flooring, grey- and rainwater systems and, eventually, some solar heating. Michelle will fill you in on the things that have slipped my mind …

I am looking around for opportunities to employ my modest experience around carbon issues gleaned over the past few years. Focus in South Africa is growing, although it’s got a very long way to go. So far all my knowledge is working on is my conscience as my air-travel averages 13 hours per week year-to-date. On a slightly more positive note I have found that good journalism is alive and well in South Africa despite the impression given by the daily papers that all that’s on offer are learner-writers with a reasonable grasp of sensationalism but very little else. There are one or two cracking weeklies and monthlies full of excellent writing. And more importantly full of hope.

The misty and damp and still weather has begun in Cape Town. My other favourite kind of weather.

Sophie was released this afternoon and is asleep in her own bed now. We have a range of medication for her – some to apply regularly and some to apply in case of change but the important thing is that she’s home and happy to see everyone.

Everyone’s happy to see her too.