Saturday, August 14, 2021

My Covid Diary...

 ...or How I Beat The Dreaded Lurgy...


For those of you that read my Bataan Death March post (it's right before this one, so you shouldn't have missed it), you would know that I was infected by the Covid-19 virus while on the march.


Let me tell you straight off the bat. This is not a "fun little virus", like herpes or something (I believe), to get. In fact, you should do what you can to avoid it, even if it means hijacking a little island somewhere in the centre of the Pacific Ocean for yourself and wiping out the rare pygmy tribe inhabitants to keep yourself safe.


Since the "hype" started around the virus, and through a little bit of research (Google actually CAN BE your friend when it comes to finding things out), I made up my mind not to get the vaccinations. My immune system is sound and I do not have any of the "co-morbidities" that deceased victims were suffering from. Even after my illness, I stand by my assertion of not getting vaccinated. Anybody else that wants to get their vaccinations is welcome to them. It is your choice.


But, let me give you a bit of insider information on this infection and the symptoms you may experience if you get it. I have heard that there are some basic, shared symptoms (cough, fever, etc), but your experience may be very different to what mine has been.


I started taking little text notes on my phone while I was lying in bed, already somewhere around Day 10, so what you see here is an extrapolation of those notes. 


Firstly, I estimate my infection was already underway while on the Death March, so I have worked the estimates back to there.


Tuesday 27th May - Day 1 to 3 - Short, dry coughs, increasing in regularity as the days went on. I put this down to over-exertion on the march, but if I had known better, possibly would have pulled out of the march at the next escape route.

Friday Day 4 - Evening - Continued coughs, fever and shivers for about 2hrs

Saturday Day 5 - Continued coughs, slight shivers in the evening only

Sunday Day 6 - Violent coughing, severe nausea

Monday Day 7 - As above

Tuesday Day 8 - As above

Wednesday Day 9 - As above

Thursday Day 10 - As above, took Covid test and was found positive (variant not mentioned on the results). Began meds treatment (more below)

Friday Day 11 - As above, puked once after taking meds. Took more straight away

Saturday Day 12 - As above, with lots of dry retching during the day. At night, heavy puking after meds. Heavy sweats and fever

Sunday Day 13 - Woke up okay. Can taste coffee. Ate muesli

Monday Day 14 - Night sweats again. Back sore from pulled muscles due to dry retching. Coughing hurts like fuck. Eating not an issue now

Tuesday Day 15 - Didn't take the MyPaid tablets...no night sweat as a result. Slept well. Good appetite today

Wednesday Day 16 - Had a good sleep, no night sweat, still slight wet cough. Can smell the coffee from the kitchen

Thursday Day 17 - Slept well, even though taking pain meds for the sore back. Appetite back to normal. Ate half a bag of Liquorice Allsorts

Friday Day 18 - Slept well. Still hurts like fuck to cough. Ate a whole bag of Liquorice Allsorts while watching TV

Saturday Day 19 - Back pain easing a bit. Still taking only one pain tab for the backache. All other medication is finished


According to the Covid test results, I don't have to re-test myself after ten days of self-isolation. Fine by me. I actually do feel like the virus has left, but will still give it a couple of days before I start doing little things around the house again. and then I will also give myself another week or two before getting back on my bicycle. I still feel a little short of breath, even after climbing down just 15 steps to the ground floor of the house and back.


My doctor, whom I met for the first time when I went for my test, saw all the indications that I was positive and, without waiting for the result, put me on a course of drugs:

- Ivermectin - 3 tabs daily - actually a treatment for roundworm, but has shown great results against Covid

- Ecotrin - pain and inflammation (basically, Aspirin, so beware of this one if you are allergic)

- Prednisone - cortisone base for other meds

- Alcophyllex cough syrup

- Azithromycin - antibiotic used to treat chest infections

- MyPaid pain meds


On the medication, as stated I am a firm believer in Ivermectin as the drug treatment of choice for anyone that gets the virus. All the literature on the drug is positive and results of tests are published. There are no "secret agendas" with the drug as it has been around long enough for us to understand any and all side effects, of which there appear to be remarkably few. And the results are obvious within about four days of beginning treatment.


Initially, I assumed that the fevers I was getting were as a result of the virus. It wasn't until a couple of days later that I realised I was getting them shortly after taking the MyPaid capsules, even during the day. These things were supposed to be countering the fevers, and yet I was getting them FROM the capsules. Once I stopped those, the fevers stopped.


According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) - yeah, I know, can you actually believe them? - Covid does not respond to treatment by antibiotics, so why would I be given the Azithromycin?


Also, why give me two types of pain meds (Ecotrin and MyPaid)?


As for the Alcophyllex cough syrup...that stuff is 18% ABV, higher than a glass of wine and half as strong in alcohol content as a tot of whisky. It actually takes your breath away when you try and gargle with it. Again, why? There are many other non-alcohol-based cough syrups, one of which I highly recommend and typically the only one I take.


At the time, I was just thinking "give me medication...get rid of this virus", but now I would seriously re-think the list of medication before taking the above list again. If it were up to me and, in the end it is, this is all I would take:

- Ivermectin for the virus

- Lennons Borsdruppels for the cough and post-nasal drip

- Disprin for fever and pain


There is only one person that I would ever wish Covid on, and that would be Jacob Zuma. That prick deserves every bad thing that is coming his way, including the HIV-positive jailmate called Bubba.


For the rest of you, I truly hope you never get the virus. If, however, you are like me and in the wrong place at the wrong time and get it, I hope you come through it with as little impact and physical suffering as possible. Think about your meds, research them and ask the doctor why he/she is prescribing them. The virus is beatable.


Be safe...


Monday, August 09, 2021

The Bataan Death March, or...

 ...How I survived the Otter Trail Hike.


For those who may either not have heard, or know very little about the Bataan Death March, a quick history lesson...The Bataan Death March (BDM) took place in 1942 and entailed the forced march of up to 80,000 American and Filipino POW's by the invading Japanese forces in the Philippines between Mariveles, Bataan, to Camp O'Donnell, Tarlac, a distance of between 96 and 112km. Prisoners were forced to march until they dropped dead. They were beaten when they stopped, often run over by trucks passing the column if they did not move out of the road in time. Japanese soldiers brutalised the POW's, even stealing gold teeth from their mouths when they were still alive. Very few of the Japanese soldiers were tried for what is a crime against humanity, that resulted in the deaths of up to 26,000 POW's.


My point is this: the BDM was a forced march, pretty much like the Otter Trail hike. You start at one end, and you have no option but to push on to the other end, which is five days away (coincidentally the same duration as the original BDM was). Neither of these marches were pleasant. Hiking is supposed to be a pleasant experience.


Day 1 (4.8km): Spirits were high as we left Sedgefield to be dropped off at the Storm's River departure point. The six of us had our packs packed to the gills, hoping we had everything we needed, knowing that if we didn't have it when the bakkie left us, we technically "didn't need it". A quick group photo, and off we went into the forest, heading for the ocean and our first hike over ocean-rounded boulders and rocks.



Although it was a short hike on the first day, the terrain was tricky and still took us a few hours to complete due to an obligatory stop at the point where a waterfall falls almost directly into the ocean. Incidentally, there are only two such places like this in SA, and I have now been to both of them. The other is in the old Transkei, near Coffee Bay. There are only 19 of these type of sites worldwide.

It is going to be very tricky to show the route that we took, seeing as photos cannot really do justice to elevations and angles of terrain. Let it suffice to say that, in five days of hiking, there was perhaps an area the size of a snooker table that was flat. The rest of the trail is constantly up and down steep hills. Pathways are mostly steps placed in the form of a log pole anchored across the pathway to make sure hikers have a firm foothold, and to reduce soil movement and erosion.


Our evening meal was a braaied steak, which we had packed frozen that morning, on a fresh breadroll. Not a king's fare, but a decent meal for a hike. And we each had a second steak for the following night too. Temperatures would be cool enough to make sure the meat didn't spoil.


Nights are spent in log cabins. Comfy, clean, well-maintained by SANParks staff on a daily basis. There are "escape routes" down which these people come to perform their jobs, often not being seen by hikers. The escape routes are there in case someone wants to bail out of the hike. The route ends on high ground, where dodgy mobile reception is found, and you can call a number given to you at the start of the hike. A ranger bakkie will come along and collect you, then take you back to the closest SANParks office where you can be collected. None of us bailed, though to be completely honest, it did cross my mind on the second last day. More on that later.





Day 2 (7.9km): Up at 7am, which will be our normal rising hour for the hike. My leg muscles are sore, as there is a big difference between hiking and cycling muscle groups. I am not used to this. Our routine over the next mornings remains the same as well, up at 7am, coffee and rusks, hike until an agreed point, then stop for breakfast. As the slowest of the group, I volunteer to leave camp first on all days and, in fact, at all stops as well as I don't want the group to have to wait for me.


Every day begins with a hike up a steep hill. Most of the trail is through forested areas, with few sections open to the blue sky. I reckon about 90% of the hike was walked in the shade. Not one of us was in the sun long enough to get sunburned.


Every day ends with a steep downhill section. All of the camps are built at sea level, right off the rocky beaches.


In between, there are uphills and downhills. And then there is more of the same. It never ends. Just when you think you are getting to the top of a hill, some bastard has put another up- or downhill in your path. Even in the constant shade of the trees, you sweat constantly. Hats are used mostly to wipe sweat from your brow, or to protect your head from overhead tree branches.


The paths are, for the most part, very well marked as you cannot miss the steps. Those same steps though, make the trail very difficult. On areas where there are no log steps and you can walk your own pace length, it is easier, but the steps are unevenly spaced in both height and depth. Imagine being on a stepping machine in a gym for five constant days and on a random step program, and that's pretty much the definition of the trail.


By the end of Day 2, my legs are hurting bad, and I think it can't get much worse. Hmmmm...


There are water tanks at all camps, which feed cold water showers and provide "safe" drinking water.


I developed a slight cough, not giving it too much thought as I thought I had perhaps over-exerted myself a bit.


Nights are cold and, unfortunately the wood supplied by SANParks is damp, so we battled to get a fire going. In the end, we prevailed, using my steel mess plate as a fan for the flames.



Day3 (7.7km): Deep Heat is a wonderful thing. Do not leave home without it. I can hardly move this morning and steps are an exercise in agony, especially going down. Between my thighs and my calves, each step is protested verbally by myself and it takes me a while to warm up my legs for the coming day. My little cough has got slightly worse now, but I still don't think much of it, still putting it down to over-exertion over the last couple of days.


As usual, when you get a gap in the trees, the scenery is magnificent. The ocean has been booming its presence since we stepped onto the trail on the first day. It will be our constant companion throughout the hike, becoming deafening on the last night.



A moment of introspection, balanced on the edge...


Sadly, a large chunk of the trail was recently obliterated by a wildfire. At the start, SANParks folks told us it was a "controlled" fire, but the evidence points otherwise. If we wanted to hike the burned section, we had to sign another indemnity. Alternatively, we could call them on the escape route and they would send a bakkie to take us around the burned area. We signed. About half of today was spent walking through a barren, blackened and grey wasteland, ashes blowing around your feet and into the air by the constant sea breeze. The intensity of the fire was such that it even burned away a large number of the pole steps and has left this section of the trail open to soil erosion. On a positive note, there are already signs of green shoots coming through the ashes at some points. Fire is a necessity in rejuvenating some of Africa's flora, unfortunately.



I can only imagine the terror that some hikers might have experienced on the day that this fire came down to the Day 3 overnight camp. The photo does not do justice in showing just how close it came to the camp itself. Luckily, all that got damaged were a couple of water tanks and pipes that fed the camp, all easily replaced.


Day 4 (13.8km): Or in my case, almost 16km...


Insert the usual morning routine here: Deep Heat, coffee, rusk, pack the pack, bid safe trails to the group and leave camp for the nearest uphill on the opposite side of the camp stream.


Due to the wildfire, the route coming out of the camp this morning was not well marked. SANParks have been quite lax in remarking some of the burned trail. And being right at the start of the day's trail, one would think it would have been prioritised. Once you get onto the trail past the burned section, it's a breeze.


James and I left camp just after each other, me first as usual. I got up to a point where a crossroads appeared, a path leading off to the left towards some water tanks, one to the right which was a dead-end after a few metres, and a concreted road heading straight up the hill. I had a quick look about, couldn't find a trail path, so made the decision to head up the hill, hearing loggers up at the top and thinking I might get some directions from them. When I say this hill is built on at least a sixty degree angle, I am not exaggerating. AT LEAST!!


About three quarters of the way up, James hails me and I wait for him to catch up. A rest is always welcome. He is convinced we should have turned off before the crossroad, but I don't recall a pathway leading away in his direction. We see the other group (there is always two groups of six hikers on the same piece of the trail on any day) below us, milling about and then they disappear in the direction of the water tanks. We decide to follow suit and head downhill again. See if you can judge the angle on this photo for yourself.


As we get back to the crossroads, a team of SANParks maintenance crew shows up, having driven down the hill in their bakkie. We ask directions and get shown a small, badly marked path leading off to the left about 100m further down the hill from where we met them. No wonder we didn't see it, as it is in the burned section of the route. Anyway...lesson learned.


As usual, I trail behind and James saunters off on his own. Eventually the whole group gets together at a rocky point for breakfast, where we also see whales breaching out at sea. The scene is quite spectacular.


This being the longest day on the trail, also had the added "bonus" of us needing to cross the Blaauwkrantz River, and we have needed to time our crossing with the low tide. Luckily, we know from the planning stages, that low tide is just after 13h30, so we will have plenty of time to get to the river and through it before the ocean returns. It is slightly trickier than normal though, as it is neap tides, and the tide is not as low as normal. We each make our plans on how to get our packs across dry, but I don't think any of us made a completely dry crossing. Personally, I was doing well, heading for a gulley and an easy scramble up the rocks...until I put a foot into a hole that was surrounding a rock, went down face first, banged my knee on said rock and came up with a slightly damp pack and a bruised ego. Luckily nothing critical got wet and a short spell in the sun dried most of the wet stuff. Other team members weren't so lucky and got a bit wetter than I did.


After lunch, it was pack on the back again, and up the next hill.


Leaving first, I fully expected everyone to catch me quite quickly, but I didn't see another team member until ten minutes after I got to the campsite for the night. And I actually felt quite good physically. That, however, didn't last long.


Literally an hour after arriving in camp, I suddenly started to shiver uncontrollably. I didn't feel cold, but I donned my warm clothing, even jumped into my sleeping bag to get warm. It didn't help. Between us, Brian and I decided I might be a little dehydrated and he mixed me a liter of isotonic energy drink. I lay on my bunk a while, sipping occasionally, and eventually the shivering subsided. Was that all it was? No, but more about that later.


At dinner time, I helped Brian to make up our last evening meal, Toppers and Smash. Nutritious and tasty, but not a meal to be repeated on a regular basis. Following that, we all sat around the campfire, relating stories about ancestries. Based on physical features (Dupuytren's Contractures), we discovered that Brian, James, Neville and myself all have Viking blood. Dupuytren's is a hand-me-down genetic condition from the Vikings, which causes growths on the tendons (predominantly) in left hands to constrict and pull the pinky finger towards the palm of the hand. Look it up, it's fascinating. Actually, it's not, so don't.


As it was our last night, we finished off what alcohol we had left on us. In my case, it was the hip flask of Laphroaig 10yr Triple Cask single malt scotch. We toasted each other on the achievement of getting through the trail, though I suspect there were perhaps one or more than just myself that was trying to answer the question "Why?" though I don't believe any of them will admit it.



Day 5 (10.8km): Extended from the original trail end by a full 4km...


Dawn broke bright and early. We were all amped to be finishing off the trail and were all speculating what we were going to do first when we got to the end. Between hot showers, beer and pizza, those were the most popular choices.


But first, another fuckin uphill out of camp.


Surprisingly, perhaps because the muscles were now "getting used to this", it wasn't too difficult to get to the lookout point in the photo. Perhaps it was the thought that today it was going to be all over.


The trail was a relatively short stretch over a plateau, nice and easy walking, in the sunshine and warm air. Just a nice little pick-me-up that we all needed.


All of a sudden you get to a gate and sign that reads "no day visitors past this point" for people walking in the opposite direction. That's when you realise you are nearing the end. A steep and tricky downhill leads you onto a wide beach, other holidaymakers and beachgoers doing their thing, looking strangely at the six of us with massive packs on our backs. If only they knew what had been in those packs compared to what they saw!


From entry onto the beach, it is still a full 6km hike, over the beach and along a winding, shaded bush path. More shade. One last stream crossing as a final challenge, and then the exit gate is ahead of you. Done and dusted.



After that, it was a case of waiting for SWAMBO to collect us in the bakkie. Needless to say, she got lost and ended up at the old collection point. SANParks really have to update their website with the new coordinates. Almost two hours after we stopped walking, the bakkie arrived, and we took a trip into the little town of Nature's Valley for a cold beer and a slice of hot pizza. Neither have tasted that good, before or since.


One of the ladies on the other group asked me at some point whether I would do it again, to which I truthfully responded "I don't have a Bucket List, but this trail is definitely on my Fuckit List". I will never do another hike like it, ever again. I'm not ashamed to admit it, but this "hike" almost broke me mentally and physically. Still, the human body is a remarkable thing and, for whatever reasons, I pushed through to the end and came out a little wiser, a little fitter, and as it turns out, a whole lot sicker than expected.

Remember that little cough and those shivers I had endured over the last couple of days? One of the group had self-diagnosed himself as "free of his Covid-ness" literally days before the start of the hike. Problem was, he wasn't, and now the entire team has been infected with the virus..............More on that in another posting soon.

In the meantime, here are a few more photos...






















Friday, April 09, 2021

Fuck this for a laugh...

 Anybody that says they enjoy moving house is talking PLAIN FUCKIN LIES!!! Lies, I tell you!!


It is possibly the most stressful thing, short of a family death, to ever hit you. Or maybe it's just me. Yeah, nah, yeah....it's not just me.


As some may know, we are moving to Sedgefield on the Garden Route as we sold our house in record time. Literally less than a day. We listed the place on the Friday afternoon, buyers walked in on the Saturday morning, and said "We'll take it." Because of the weekend, they had to wait until the Monday to sign the OTP document, we signed it on the Tuesday when we received it from the estate agent. Done and dusted.


Since the day after we signed the papers, I have been packing boxes, selling some stuff on local FB and Whatsapp groups, getting rid of stuff that we either do not or never had a use for. And I am being absolutely ruthless about what we keep, to the extent that I am selling off old camping gear that is still in reasonable nick, my ENTIRE CD collection of around 500 albums (when was the last time you listened to a CD?...be honest), old dive gear (haven't dived in 13 years), household items where I've thought "WTF did that come from?", gotten rid of old papers from the filing cabinet (will probably get rid of the cabinet too), and am currently cleaning out my garage.


I have already driven away one bakkie load of recycling, one load of old wood off-cuts ("might need that six inches of 2x4 some day"), and I have a second load of recycling (old bits of plumbing and electrical leftovers from over the years) waiting to go. I would have driven it away today, but I tweaked my back lifting a crate yesterday (Doh!!).


I have had people in giving me quotes for removals. Fuuuuuuck, it isn't cheap! It cost us about R20k to move to Cape Town thirteen years ago (+- 1,500km) and it is going to cost just under R30k to move the 465km to Sedgefield next month.


Oh yes, I didn't mention that. The move is on or about the 14th May. I want us out a week before the transfer date is due, which is the 21st May. And, I have just realised, today is exactly five weeks until we move out of Sunnydale. Fuuuuuuuuck.......shit got real!!!


On top of our move, Mum sold her house on the same day that we listed ours. Some big property developer from Witbank came in, saw her place, and said "I'll pay cash for it", then walked out and waited for the papers to sign. It must be nice to have a loose one million rand and change lying around. I've obviously made some bad career choices in my life.


Mum wants to spend her last years "back hame" in Scotland. So, with Dad not being with us, I have been the central point of contact for Mum's move as well. Even worse than doing my own, as Mum is in KZN and understands SFA about selling houses and what needs to be done. Stands to reason, as they bought that house cash about twenty five years ago and Dad handled it all.


What is actually insanely fuckin stupidly ridiculous about Mum's move is that she is taking her trusty Jack Russell, Bruce, with her. Taking the dog isn't insanely fuckin stupidly ridiculous, I would expect nothing less of any of our family when it comes to their animals, rather the cost to do so is. I kid you not when I say it is going to cost R32,000 just for the dog!!!!! More than moving my entire household and motorbike to Sedgefield!!!!! Now I definitely know I made some wrong career choices in my life.


Anyway...I better get back to my boxes...


Take care, y'all...



Tuesday, March 09, 2021

Chat over, next please...

 We listed our house for sale on Friday 5th March, sometime around midday, and by 17h00 that day, the agent had already had three queries from potential buyers. Wow.


But wait, let me go back a bit...


The agent in question had sent out a small ad on our local Whatsapp group on 27th February stating that she was looking for a place for a client that had X, Y, Z as its configuration. I looked at the ad and thought "Hmmm...that's our house." So I contacted the agent directly, sent her a list of features of our house and said we were interested in selling. As some of you may know, we have been planning a move to Sedgefield for a while now. We made an appointment for the following day for the agent to come around and take a look.


To say the least, she was impressed. She immediately sent the features off to her client and asked if they were interested to which she got a quick reply in the affirmative. We then arranged for the agent to come back on Thursday 4th March with her team to do some photos and drone footage so that they could list it on Property24.


The potential buyer wanted to come around on Saturday 6th to take a look at the place, but I declined as I was having the There Is Always Beer (TIAB) drinking team around so that I could show them how to brew beer and it was going to be an all day event. I did, however, make the viewing appointment for Sunday 7th March, to see if they were interested, which they were.


The young couple came around, Ooooh'd and Aaaah'd at the place, made positive comments about a bunch of things and actually said they would be getting back to us soon.


On Friday 5th, the house was listed, and today, 9th March, the agent will be coming around with an Offer to Purchase from the couple who came to see the house. So, from listing to signing, a very short period of FOUR DAYS!!


Exciting times ahead. Now I just have to find us a place in Sedgefield that we can move to...and I will have to do that sharpish...



Friday, March 05, 2021

I can't feel my face when I'm with you...

 ...because you're a dentist.


That's how I feel right now. Broke a tooth last week and had to have it checked.


Turns out, the tooth has been filled a couple of times already and it was about time it broke.


Now I have two follow-up appointments to have it reamed and capped. C'est la vie...



Thursday, March 04, 2021

Time to have the chat...

 ...with the cottage tenant.


We have been planning on moving to the Sedgefield area for quite a while now, but today we had the estate agent in to take photos and some details for the listing on the property websites.


The agent wants to put a "For Sale" board on the pavement so now I need to have the uncomfortable chat with the cottage tenant to tell her we are putting the place up for sale.


Wish me luck...



Saturday, February 06, 2021

For the Apologists...

In the past couple of years there have been calls for all sorts of people and organisations to apologise for things done or said by other people or organisations, some of them from centuries ago. Most recently, and perhaps most popularly, the whole BLM movement.


Give me a fuckin break...


I'm by no means an angel and, unproudly, did some shitty things in my youth (nothing THAT serious though) that requires an apology to one or two people, but nothing on the scale of what some are asking to be done on an international level.


Fact of the matter is, if people and nations would stop being shitty to one another, there wouldn't be a need for anyone to apologise. Like:


  • If, two hundred-odd years ago, people had used and hired their own local labour instead of slaves, BLM and other such organisations wouldn't exist. Stop slavery. It still exists today.
  • If people didn't lie to each other, nobody would get emotionally hurt.
  • If people didn't hurt people, emotionally or physically, nobody would be depressed or physically maimed or killed.
  • If people didn't cheat on their spouse, families would be happy. Society would be a more moral place.
  • If people bought and sold goods, services and resources at a fair price, rather than try to get them by unfair means or practices, economies would thrive. Poverty would be a minor problem, rather than the major issue it is today.
  • If people didn't steal from anyone, most of our crime would disappear. And many of our prisons would be empty.
  • If people didn't talk about someone behind his/her back, again, nobody would be emotionally hurt.
  • If people didn't think bad thoughts about another person, our own thoughts and consciences would be clear.

Fact of the matter is, one day your words or actions will come back to bite the ass of either you, someone close to you, or your entire nation and somebody is going to want an apology (and compensation) for whatever it was, even if it was two hundred years later than the deed. Don't fuck around now, prevent the backlash later.

To the apologists demanding apologies for events that happened hundreds of years ago, fuck off. It's history. The deeds were wrong, but that is how the world worked back then. We've moved on, hopefully we've learned from that history for the better, but we are no longer in the same state as we were back then.

Basically, stop fucking each other over.

Like we keep telling our two warring cats who cannot walk past each other without one hissing at the other..."Be nice".

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

For the Covid Sheeple...

 I've modified this post slightly from something I sent a friend recently. An extremely intelligent man and someone I respect, who seems to have lost his logical thought.


As everyone knows, SA went on Lockdown Level 3 from today, 29th December 2020, as there are a large number of people blatantly disregarding the law and not doing the whole social-distancing-no-large-group-gatherings thing. Personally, I'm all for individual choice and wear/don't wear a mask and sanitisation. BUT...it is law in SA that you have to wear a mask in public places (malls, etc) and people are disregarding that (along with who knows how many other laws). As a law-abiding citizen I wear a mask in public places.


My thoughts from my message to my friend after being told my attitude to the virus was wrong...


I agree that this lockdown was expected and predictable. Every one of us in SA thought that. But attitude works both ways. Without pointing finger at anyone, both sides say the other side has a kak attitude. That's human nature. None of us have denied the existence of this virus. We all know it is real. Some of us, however, question the handling of the response. In fact, both sides question the response. Some say regulations are harsh, some say not harsh enough. Again, two sides, both claiming they are right.


Without changing the subject, Brexit is another example of this. Some for, some against, both claiming they are right and damning the other for various reasons, real, perceived, or just plain manufactured.


Do masks help with controlling the airborne virus? To a small extent, yes, but they are not completely reliable. In effect, breathing through a mask not only allows you to still spread your breath in diluted form (but still spread it), it also concentrates what you keep breathing in yourself and probably makes it worse for you. Changing a filtered mask on every single breath would be the only effective way to use a mask. Not going to happen because it is unrealistic.


Government will always be seen to be doing poorly because, again, there are two sides. Some say they are doing well, others that they are failing miserably but, in effect, they are probably somewhere down the middle (aside from decommissioning the Covid wards, which was plain idiocy as they knew a 2nd wave would come).


What HAS got us where we are is a combination of factors, mostly stupidity on some people's part. Whose stupidity, remains to be ultimately seen when this virus becomes run-of-the-mill, like our current flu viruses. And what you will find then is that, instead of both sides learning from it all, one side stands up and says "I told you so".


"Friend B" is right in his confusion, as many/most of us are. Some regulations regarding movement are okay, but others not, even though it is blatantly obvious that some of the latter are ridiculous (malls vs beach is my example)? IMO, government don't have a clue, and they are not learning as we stumble along this rocky road. They are remaining political, refusing to clamp down hard on a population that is keeping them in power. The reality is though, that clamping down as hard as is required, would literally kill millions of people, either through concentration of illnesses or mass starvation.


Cyril's crocodile tears during his speech summed it up quite nicely. He knows there isn't much more he can do before he utterly destroys the country, and he feels it. Fact of the matter is, this virus has to run its course, one way or the other. Until then, there will be two sides to the coin of what must be done or not. Personally, I'm okay to changing my opinion, but show me empirical proof why, don't just tell me I have to.  In the meantime, I say we should agree to disagree on some things.


Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Dear Unilever...

 I have been a customer of yours for close on 50 years now. Your Marmite spread is, to say the least, delicious when slathered thickly onto a slice of fresh warm white bread and a layer of butter about an inch thick.


But...


It is time to change your jars. Or, specifically, the colour of said jars. What is the point of having a jar the same colour as my beloved Marmite? It makes it very difficult to see just how much there is left in the current jar and I usually run out before I have the next unopened jar in the cupboard. A clear jar is the way to go.


Actually, you need to change the shape of the jar too, please. The current jar with the rounded lipped top makes it very difficult to get all of the Marmite onto the knife and there is usually some left in the neck of the jar. What a waste. A plain, rectangular jar, something with a wide neck, would be perfect.


For my, and no doubt other Marmite lovers, sanity. Please. TIA.



Monday, November 16, 2020

Cycling must be good for me after all...

 ...as I've just put on a pair of jeans to discover that I can tighten my belt by another notch.


A good motivation nonetheless, as I have committed to doing the Karoo To Coast cycle race in September 2021 and also to losing 10kg in body weight before then. I want to get down to around 90kg.


Onward...



Moving, moving, moving...

...is never an easy, or likeable, thing to do.


One of these days we will probably be though. We need to become bond-free. I hate banks because of their really poor reasons for needing a house to be bonded.


Why in hell can I buy a car for R1m and pay it off over five or six years, but I cannot buy a house for the same value but it has to be done over a minimum of 20 years?? Doesn't make sense. Unless you are a bank and because the banks are ripping us off in the long term. People NEED houses, but they don't necessarily need a R1m vehicle.


Anyway...rant off.


As mentioned, the objective is to get us bond-free. This will save us nearly R10k a month in retirement benefits. No pensioner should have to pay R10k a month for a house. Ok, maybe we should have bought the house over a shorter period (10yrs, instead of 20yrs, which would have increased the payments accordingly), or we should have bought something cheaper. At the time, not an option.


I take a daily look at the housing prices in Sedgefield, our chosen area to relocate to. The town is peaceful, relatively free of harsh crime, has lots to keep us occupied (nature, beaches, fishing, cycling and walking trails, etc), and is also close to our very good friends who moved there two years ago. There have been a couple of homes we have liked, from the photos, and we have even taken a trip through there to view a couple of homes with one of the local agents. We even put in an offer on a home which was over-priced and had some off-plan changes made that I used thinking that they would reduce the price because of, but that offer was rejected and some schmuck bought the house knowing that there are changes on the buildings which may cost him a lot of money to rectify.


The one thing I don't want to do is relocate over December. The holiday period is traditionally quiet around the country with people taking a well-deserved break form a hard work year. Well, this year hasn't been too hard on the work front, thanks to Covid, but we need a break from everything else that has happened during lockdown. We need a break from lockdown itself. Many of the moving companies will either be closed down, or will be running skeleton staff who feel they should be on holiday so aren't going to take good care of your stuff. Or they will charge an arm and a leg for moving you, compared to during a normal work period.


The holidays are a time when you just want to unwind, have a few (more) braais, a few (more) beers than usual, and just generally get out of the normal day-to-day way of life. Go to the beach, if you can find one that isn't packed with Vaalies, have a swim, lick an ice cream cone, get a little sunburned (great for your VitaminD intake and Covid resistance).


I will complete the renovations on the house in the next couple of weeks and get an agent in to do an evaluation, from which we will decide when to put it on the market and plan on our own move date.


Until then, braai, beer, and beach...maybe get some fishing in...


Take care, y'all...


Friday, November 06, 2020

It's been a while...

 ...since I heard from my BFAM in the USofA, to the extent that I'd thought he was pissed off at me for missing his birthday by a day.


Inexcusable and a poor excuse, I know, but with so much happening these days it slipped my mind.


As it turns out, he had been without a phone for a month and just got a new one yesterday, only to see my message pop up when he got Whatsapp running again.


Still, I am extremely happy to hear from him again, even if it is only his usual cryptic message that he is okay. What with the whole USA Covid spread, and him without a decent job for a while now, it is understandable that I would be concerned not to hear from him. We do go through patches where we don't communicate for months at a time, but our relationship is such that when we do it's as if it was just yesterday that we spoke.


Be safe, Big Man...and stay well. Love you.


Thursday, October 29, 2020

I am suffering...

 ...from a distinct lack of motivation to do much today. I hope this isn't going to be a common thing on retirement. If it is, they can shove it and I will kit out the Mazdarati for long-distance touring and take extensive trips into the unknown.


The weather is playing a part in my melancholy, as I had planned on going for a cycle this morning but then it started raining again. We had a big storm last night and 14mm of rain in about an hour between 3 and 4am. Needless to say I was awake for most of it, checking for localised flooding and listening for sounds of the roof trying to tear itself off the walls. It is still quite cool and rain is threatening again.


I also want to finish redecorating the house, but I absolutely abhor/detest/hate/despise painting. Did I mention I don't like painting? It is an exercise in futility. If we move to Sedgefield our next house must be face brick so that it doesn't ever need painting. I am probably 80% done on the house, so I just need to get my finger out my arse and get it finished. If the weather had been better today, I would have carried on with painting the boundary wall. So much for that.


Knowing that I have recently been spending a bit on new cycling gear (shorts, helmet, socks - have to look the part on Meredith), a new PC (the old one was a dog with only 4GB RAM, about 8yrs old and too many programs to function effectively), some other bits and pieces, I took a look at the budgets and that is even more depressing than the weather. So, from now on, the spending will be curbed too. Sucks being a pensioner...


On the bright side, on Tuesday I got the Marauder a new battery and a trickle feeder, charged it up and took the bike for a run over the mountain yesterday...to buy more stuff for Meredith (chain wear measurement tool, chain cleaner, chain lube) and a new pair of biker gloves as my old ones were falling apart. The Marauder still runs like a dream and, even though I am thinking of exchanging her for a BMW GS, I still enjoy the ride on the cruiser. I really do need to get out on her more often. One of our Tuesday drinking team (named TIAB - There Is Always Beer) has a soft tail Harley and goes out regularly for a Sunday run. I'll see if I can join him on a couple of them.


I see the tides are looking good for a throw on Sunday afternoon, but the wind looks like it might be up a bit. Maybe I'll see how the wind goes, then go for a little throw down at a beach close to us. Then again, it also depends on whether I go for a cycle or bike run on Sunday. I like to go for a long cycle on Sunday while SWAMBO goes off to church and a coffee with her cronies.


Right now, my tea has gone cold and SWAMBO is due home in an hour or so, so I think I'll see if I can make myself look busy for when she gets home. It must be a bit demoralising for her to get home and find me lounging about on the couch like a potato while she is out looking after her 94yr old geriatric patient. Still, it gets her out of my hair for a few hours and brings in a bit of an income for her. It will be an adjustment in Sedgefield. not having that few grand every month, but maybe she will be able to find an old dear there to look after. Goodness knows there are enough of them in that village.


Be well, friends...


Thursday, October 22, 2020

Ok, so I thought I would write more...

 ...but I haven't recently. Sorry.


There is so much going on at the moment that it is difficult to find the time to post on the blog.


If I had to list the things that are going on, they would be:

- Retirement: Yep, I am now officially retired. Fuuuuck, that means I am old. Thanks to Covid-19 and an unscrupulous owner of the company I used to work for, I am now in forced retirement. At my age (I have a young mind for a 58yr old) and the lack of employment opportunities due to aforementioned virus and the dumbfuck cANCer government's BBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEE (I've lost count of how many B's and E's there are supposed to be in the acronym) policies, my chances of getting re-employed are virtually nil. So, I opted for early retirement. And now I am wondering/hoping that our retirement funds are going to last until I (or we) finally kick the metal receptacle down the passageway in the direction of the bright white light.

- Lockdown: damn fuckin waste of time, expense and effort. Ban the lockdown, I say. The less said about lockdown, the better.

- Potential relocation: As I am now officially retired, I need to get us "bond-free" to make sure we get the most out of our retirement funds. That might mean relocating, and we have Sedgefield in mind. Other friends of ours are already there, and we like the place. Did I mention there is great fishing?

- Brewing and distilling: I have added distilling to my alcohol-based hobbies. I am still learning a lot and have yet to finish my first product worthy of being bragged about. Right now, I get the alcohol out, but have to teach my taste buds the difference between the good and bad stuff...before I go blind. Beer brewing is a long-time hobby and will always be in the background.

- Cycling: I recently bought a Merida Big9 29er bicycle so that I could get a bit of exercise and, should we move to Sedgefield, to make sure I have a semblance of fitness to keep up with my good mate who is a cycling machine. These days, I try to do a minimum of 25km per ride, even if it means doing thew same route multiple times in a row. There are only so many rideable roads in this part of the world and episodes of riders getting mugged if they venture onto the trails, so I stick to the tar roads for now.

- Redecorating: In anticipation of relocating, and to give the house a new look, I am redecorating the entire house, inside and out. I am about 80% done currently, but am struggling to keep my momentum going, what with everything else that is going on. And painting...who the fuck likes painting anyway? It sucks.

- SWAMBO: She Who Always Must Be Obeyed had a physical done recently and all her tests came back negative, including hyperglycaemia, from which she is supposed to be suffering. Doesn't make sense. Typically, by 8pm she is snoring on the couch, a sign of a spike and drop in her insulin levels. SWAMBO is also slowly losing her memory and sometimes cannot remember things she asked me fifteen seconds earlier. Some time ago she had a session with a neurologist who said that it may be related to the hijacking she went through in 2006, and could be PTSD which can manifest itself many years after the event. Whatever, it is probably affecting my blood pressure.

- Fishing: Or lack thereof, in my case. My crew has just about given up on fishing and it is dangerous to go alone these days. So maybe Sedgefield is a good idea as it is a lot safer out that way and there are more fish in those waters.

- Blood pressure: I also had my first physical exam last week and, to my dismay, the doc told me that I have high blood pressure. It could be as a result of all of the above, but I don't know. Probably. When I spoke to the doc about the results, she said my pressure goes normal at night (understandable, thanks to sleeping) but spikes again through the day. I asked her if it happened around 2pm, and she said yes. I said, okay, I know about that...that's when the missus gets home. No jokes. I have just started medication, which I hate as I don't like putting pharmaceutical substances into my body, but I suppose this is a medical necessity. I would hate to be forced into a heart condition, similar to which took my dad a little over a year ago.


There are probably a couple more items I could add to the above list if I really thought hard enough, but it is time for another cuppa tea. It's a tough life being retired.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Time...

I have so much of it on my hands these days, but it is getting ahead of me physically.

For the first time, I am starting to feel my age. Being at home, I am working in the garden, also busy slowly renovating the house filling in cracks, scraping open and cementing bigger faults in the plaster, then preparing and painting walls.

At the end of a day, I am properly knackered. And the following morning, I usually feel like a train has hit me from behind. My hamstrings are tight, my calves ache and my feet feel like I am walking on rough stones. It takes me about ten minutes to get over the morning-aches, as I call them.

So, things have to change.

A friend of ours recently returned from a six-week shag-athon with her boyfriend in Joburg (what else are new lovers going to do during lockdown?) and while she was there was introduced to cycling and mountain bikes. As a result, with her not having the boyfriend at hand at home, she has had to find a new way to expend the energy and she has bought her own bike.

Now, three times a week we are cycling for forty-five minutes or so, to Noordhoek Beach and back. It is a distance of about 11.8km. Not much, but it is a start.

Hopefully, it will bring the body back into shape a bit and delay the aches and pains a bit longer...

Lockdown Day Log # 54. Fuck this.

Sunday, May 03, 2020

The Legend of Eddie Aikau...

Wow. What a story. A sad story.

I used to surf a few years back and had only ever heard of Eddie, but had never done any research into what the man was about.

Then a couple of days ago, I saw that DSTV was running the old ESPN movie "The Legend of Eddie Aikau" and knew I had to see it.

Unfortunately, Youtube does not have the full movie available (probably because of ESPN copyrights) but they do have the trailer for the show.

Do yourself a favour. Watch it. Then, if you possibly can, watch the full, tragic, 90minute movie. It will touch you.

Only at the end do you realise why the man is a legend.


Saturday, May 02, 2020

Run...

...said Collective Soul in their song, but one of the opening lines is about being bored.

Lockdown day Eleventy Ninety Forty Million...



Finding something to do during lockdown...

...can be like looking for a needle in a bunch of needles.

There is always something to do, but it comes down to whether you want to do it or not at the time. There is always tomorrow. We will still be on lockdown. Except between 6am and 9am for exercise, during which time I am usually in bed, reading, with a cup of coffee and a biscuit.

So each day tends to blend into the next, some being a little more productive than the others, some less so.

For the last couple of days, because I have a "mix tape" of music (okay, a "mix-SD card") in the cars, in which some of the tracks have volume issues and are too soft for my liking, I have been messing about with a downloadable application called WaveEditor. I suspect I, some time ago, inadvertently levelled and lowered the volume of a bunch of my music collection tracks before I knew what levelling was. Lesson learned. The hard way.

Anyway, WaveEditor allows me to manually boost the volume levels on a per-track basis, so I have been going through all 400-something tracks on the SD card checking which need to be changed or not. Anyone for something tedious to do? I didn't think so.

But it had to be done, so I did it. And later I will find another needle to remove from the needle stack.

Stay healthy, y'all...

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Someone pass the Vaseline, please...

...I think I've been bum-rushed. In fact, I think the entire planet has been fucked over.

Yes, it's another Covid-19 posting, but I am quite fuckin angry and need to vent.

/Rant ON

I have been stuck in the house for the past five weeks, believing (like many others) that I was doing my part to prevent the spread of a deadly virus. True, the virus has been deadly to many people, for many different reasons which I am not going into.

Having had just about enough of the sight of the inside of our house, I arranged with a friend to meet at a clandestine spot so that I could pass him some home-brewing kit (fermenter, bubbler, tube, iodiphor, rubber bung) that he is going to use to brew some pineapple beer (all the rage at the moment, thanks to the lockdown).

I left the garage feeling like a naughty child, wondering whether I was going to get stopped by the cops and fined or arrested for breaking the law. I had even put on jeans and a nice shirt, thinking I might tell them I was on my way to a job interview.

I needn't have bothered.

I was astounded at the number of people out on the roads, either walking, cycling or driving. Granted, most of the people we saw in the mall we met in were wearing cloth face masks, but for the most part of the people outside of the mall there wasn't a mask or pair of surgical gloves to be seen, which got me to thinking that we have been taken for a giant fuckin ride.

I have come to the conclusion that the need for the declaration of the pandemic, and the subsequent lockdown, have all been for fuckall. I DON'T BELIEVE IT ANYMORE!!!!

I now want to know the whole gamut of answers, the who, why, when, where and WTF of Covid. And I think the global population needs answers from our politicians and business leaders, who stand most to gain from it all.

Until then, fuck your lockdown.

/Rant OFF

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

It's about time...

...that this fuckin lockdown was over.

People have lives to lead and, unless you are one of the "essential services" companies, you are stuffed. Stay at home, we are told.

There are too many thoughts running through people's heads, okay through mine, about this fuckin pandemic.

Is it, or isn't it a pandemic?

If it is, why isn't it killing more people? We haven't gotten that much smarter since the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918. Well, let me qualify that a bit more...a whole lot of people haven't gotten any smarter. Some European countries are taking a beating and blaming thousands of deaths on the Covid-bug. But are they really? There may also be underlying conditions that the bug is exploiting, resulting in the high death numbers. But just how many is the bug itself killing? I don't think we will ever know.

Africa, with all its underlying problems and issues, isn't experiencing the large number of deaths it was expected to. Yet. Perhaps its time is still coming, who knows? Having seen the lack of "social-distancing" skills of the local population, I think the numbers are still going to escalate dramatically. Our winter is on its way, the traditional flu season, so we will see folks picking up the "normal" flu and, with immune systems already low, more people getitng (possibly dying) from the Covid-bug or related issues.

If it isn't a pandemic, how is it possible that global governments can hold an entire planet to ransom? Given what we have seen so far, it is obviously possible for (say) 10,000 people to hold 7.5 billion people at bay. And how, you may ask? FUD....Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. Instil fear into the masses through mass media campaigns. Create uncertainty by telling them you don't know the way the bug moves, how it came about, that you have no antidote for it. Then create doubt in their minds by not keeping people up to date on the true numbers behind the virus, exactly how many have died, whether the "curve" in your country is positive or negative, that you don't know how long it is going to take for an antidote to be made.

And when you've done all that, tell the masses that the way to control this thing is by putting the entire planet on a lockdown. Shut the entire planet down!! If that doesn't get the FUD going, I don't know what will.

But I do think the people have woken up to the possibility that the whole thing has just been a massive hoax. There are already groups threatening to take China to court for starting all the shit (good luck with that), learned people like doctors stating that they are convinced it is a hoax and giving their reasons why, other "woke" groups claiming that the whole thing has been elaborately planned by governments to realign economies.

Whichever is the right answer, or the right response to the lockdown, has yet to be seen. But rest assured, when it comes, it is not going to be pretty. Someone is going to take the fall for the outbreak. Hell, we may even have WW3 on our hands.

If, on the other hand, it is a genuine pandemic, it needs to take down 4 to 5 billion people if the human population is to survive more than another 100 years or so.

In the meantime, cancel this stupid lockdown. People are doing their own thing anyway. If it catches or kills them, they were warned. Let's get the rest of this planet back to the new "normal".

Friday, April 24, 2020

There's life, Jim, but not as we know it...

...said Spock when they landed on some or other planet in some or other Star Trek movie.

And it is quite apt for what we are going through these days in this COVID-19 lockdown. It is four weeks today since I left the property, apart from two seperate trips to one of the malls to get some supplies. And it is boring the pants off me.

Life, since being retrenched for the third time in forty years, is quite literally becoming a drag. I'm lucky if I crawl out of bed at around 10am, after being woken at about 7am (if I'm lucky) by either the cats fighting, the cottage tenant tripping the fuckin' burglar alarm, or SWAMBO waking me up with her snoring. Fuckit, I wish I could sleep through half the shit she can.

Once I'm awake, that's it. I cannot get back to sleep again. The only thing I haven't tried is a sleeping tablet, partly because I dont't have any and I don't like to throw that kind of shit down my throat anyway.

So, I read. Until four weeks ago, I was reading about a book a week. Now, I am reading a book every three days, at most. While it probably isn't a bad thing, I am struggling to find good books to read. So much so, that I am now reading the old Sidney Sheldon novels again. I probably read those about thirty years ago, so they seem pretty new to me again.

I have read all the Baldacci, Childs, Follett, Hassel, et al, books and am struggling through Sheldon for want of something newer and/or better. I have a bunch of Cussler novels on the tablet too, but the plot and characters in his novels are all the same. Just change the dates, locations and the bad guy's names and you have the next Cussler novel. Ka-Ching on the way to the bank for Mr Cussler.

When I eventually drag myself out of my bed, I have some breakfast, potter about the house a bit, do some chores, watch an episode of some old series (lately I watched the whole series of Band of Brothers again, and am now on The Pacific - both WW2-based), have a cup of tea, wander about the property, rinse and repeat.

B-o-r-i-n-g.

I need the hardware stores re-opened. Then I can get some more paint and wood supplies so that I can finish my projects around the house.

Until then, b-o-r-i-n-g.

Come on, Cyril, use the establishment to make better use of the resources you have at your disposal. Get the country working again.

Rinse. Repeat.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Do we need more...

All the postings about how nature is changing (Thailand showing record numbers of turtle hatches, giraffes wandering the streets of Nelspruit, etc) got me thinking...

Do we need to have a global lockdown more regularly, perhaps every ten years or so? No diseases, just a lockdown, for nature to correct the world a bit...

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

W T A F...

It's been seven years and ten days since I last posted anything here.

Other social media platforms seem to have killed off blogging to a large extent, and people requiring a quick response to something that someone else has said have probably contributed too.

I don't know if anyone is still following this blog, but if there is, let me know and I will start writing again. Fuck knows, I have the time. I got retrenched two weeks ago....bastard.