One week away.....

Typically, this time of the year the schools have a mid-term break. A week to 10 days, depending on if it's a government school, or private school. I have one boy in each. Anyway, some weeks ago we were contemplating going away, to the coast to stay with my brother, or to the farm with some friends. Finally we decided we wouldn'tn do anything, as funds were a bit low, and work pressures just didn't allow for it.

Then Gman decided he wanted to go on a weekend camp with the church youth, starting the Friday school came out, and till the Sunday. So that was that. I considered sending LuckyL to my brother on a plane, but we missed all the special discount fares, and for standard fares, well, we could all go on holiday then. So that was also canned.

Last Thursday, 21 Sept. the Princess gets a call from some friends. Seems they have some timeshare booked, for the week of the school holidays and can't go. They gave it to some other friends, who at the last minute informed they can't go either. And they asked if we wanted to go. For R380 for the week!! (you work it out).

So, we took it. I put in a last minute request for leave, and didn't even wait for the answer, and the Princess did the same, and pissed her boss off (tough titty you doos) and we agreed to fetch Gman at 06h00 on Sunday morning.

With the new "bus" loaded we set off, picked him up, and were on our way. What a pleasant ride down. The bus behaves brilliantly, is not tiring to drive, and we got to the coast on one tank of fuel! Had it been the Renault it would have required a second, and maybe even a third refill. We got to Umhlanga Rocks (look it up) in 5 hours 30 minutes, a distance of 660km door to door. Not bad!!!

My brother and his Discipliner were here to meet us, as they had been to Durban for the weekend, and this place is on their way home, so they dropped by. Nice, it's always nice to see them again.

Booked in and the boys were off to the pool side / sea / games area / everywhere. Within an hour or two they had made some new friends, and discovered some of their friends from back home were also in the area. And they spent some serious time "cruising chicks"!

Me and the Princess, well we just chilled........

It's been a great break so far. Relaxing, stressless. I have managed to ignore most phone calls, and have put management off the idea that we will close any of the big deals this quarter, so it would seem as if they have also decided to stop calling me.

Great walks on the beach with the Princess, collecting shells, checking out the talent, swimming in the sea with LuckyL, doing a bit of body surfing (funny how it's not so easy anymore) and a nap every afternoon.

There is much organized entertainment for the kids, so that keeps them occupied, and mostly we see them at meal times, if they are hungry.

We've been out most evenings, either to a restaurant, or to just go sightseeing, or the casino, and managed to get a total of 860km on the first tank of fuel from the bus. And after refilling I calculated we got over 10km / liter. Not bad if you think that coming down to the coast we traveled at 145km/h most of the way. I'm sure if we stuck to 120km/h we could see 13 or more km/lt.

The weather has been great. A bit windy day 1 & 2, and some cloud (and a little rain) but overall good. Got me some tan now, eventually. Seems like years since I walked in barefeet and short pants! Scary thought, I know, but it don't look that bad.

I have taken some photos, and will be posting them in future bloggs. Not going to upload them now, and anyway, logging on over the phone here is costing me a fortune.

Have had much time to think, and I wish I was in a position to go back to work Monday and offer them my resignation. I'm really not up to the challenge anymore. The stress is way more than the reward that comes with the risk, and it's just not worth it anymore. If there was any other job on the side I would seriously look at it.

Had a go at playing some volley ball. Mmmmm.. ., not a bad performance for an out of shape, smoking, old timer. However, seems that most of the teams had been arranged before I decide d to have a game, so didn't really get to play much, other than to fill in when someone got tired / hurt, for two or three games, but had fun anyway.

There have been at least 15 to 20 ships out at sea for the whole week. No, not the same one's! It seems like Durban harbour is very busy these days. It's great. I can remember in the apartheid days, with sanctions and all in place, when the arrival of a ship into harbour was a major event. Now we sit and watch them coming and going on a full time basis, and don't bother to even break out the binoculars.
Most look like container ships, which means tons of imported stuff, probably mostly junk out of China, coming in.

There a "JoyLand" (look it up) downstairs, and they have some of the old style pinball machines there. Going to go have me a game or two later.

It's Thursday already, and the weeks almost cooked. Kids are going ice skating tonight, so me and the Princess can go and have a quiet dinner again. Probably go to the casino in Durban, some nice restaurants there. And it's only 15km down the road.

Pizza's at Panarotti's tonight. Eat as much as you can for R37.95. Not much of a saving for me and Princess and LuckyL, but Gman will eat two large pizza's at one sitting, so big saving there.

Had lunch today (Friday) with an old friend from Durban. Seems he's got himself another divorce. Shame. Not nice. But, that's the way it goes sometimes. It's his second. Didn't think this one was a good idea myself, but who am I to say.

My feet are raw from walking on the beach bare foot, and all the broken shells I stood on looking for the elusive whole one's. It was going to low tide, and most of the whole shells tend to be found in "holes" between the shallows and the rocks. The trick is to wait for the waves to break right over these "holes", as the shells are then uplifted and carried op onto the beach. However, you have about 5 - 7 seconds from when the water stops pushing, and the sand settles, before the water retreats, and takes it all back again. In this time you need to spot the shells, and grab it. It's great fun, but tiring. I found some nice shells, and have washed them in fresh water, and laid them out to dry. Back home I will add them to the collection, if I can find it. Another "collection" still in storage somewhere!

Saturday we go back home. We were considering going up the coast to Richards Bay to see my brother and his Discipliner and my niece, but it's another day later then, and the kids have got to get ready for school again, and it adds another 100km to the drive home, on a not so nice route. So we'll probably just go straight home from here.
Anyway, that's my update.

PS I see I got a toilet seat from Seaman, two in fact, and they are seriously disgusting. He's hoping that I'll post it here, as an award to me from him. I don't think so!.. He can put it on his page.. But I will keep them on file as awards for other slacking bloggers. Watch this space.

Salagatle!