So, as previously posted, my previous employer eventually made me a mutual separation offer, and I accepted. Monday 10 September was my last working day, and all I had to do was go in to the office to return my laptop, 3G card, and my access card. Done. By 11 am I was out of there.
I was employed by the big American International IT company - IBM for 16.5 years, and was now actually glad to be going.
The previous Friday we had gone for farewell drinks at a local pub with some of them who worked with me. Was a nice afternoon, but didn't go on too late. Monday I did the returns and left. So what was missing? Well, for 16.5 years every time someone was leaving, one of them who worked with him / her, or the department manager, would have a whip around for donations to get them who were leaving a parting gift. Well, didn't happen for me. No matter, it's the thought that counts!
Another thing that everyone who leaves does is send out a final farewell letter, usually 2 lines basically saying "It's my time for change / to go. It's been a pleasure working with most of you. thank you for everything. Maybe we will meet again." And sometimes they give their new / personal email address in case anyone wants to get in touch with them after they have left.
I decided to do it differently. Below is my farewell letter. I sent it to quite a few people, but mostly them who I got on with during my stay with the company.
To those who I missed out of the list above -
sorry...............................
I suppose the time for this email will come for all of us at some point.
Mine has arrived.
Dec.1995 I joined IBM as a contractor salesman for ITS. I had to have 2 interviews, the first with the person who would be my manager - Klaus Bohm, and the second with Ann Roberts! I was nervous for the interview with Klaus, I was scared sh*&less for the interview with Ann!!!! My foot into the door was that I had a mechanical engineering background, and a good relationship with, and knowledge of the mining industry and had successfully run my own sales company for 7 years. Needless to say, I never got the chance to "work" the mining groups, apart from a few calls when
they happened to be in my "space"!
I clearly remember the day I was called in after the 2 interviews, to be told my application had been successful, but I would have to cut my hair if I wanted to join IBM!! (I sported a thin pony tail at the time). By June 1996 I was made a permanent IBMer - another exciting milestone. I also
clearly remembering chatting to the other guys, and being shocked to hear that some of them had been with IBM for 15 and more years. Some of them from when they left school / varsity! My comment then was "Don't you know there's another world out there?" Little did I know I would become one of the long timers! Now, 16.5 years later, its time for me to take my leave.
So what has happened in this time:-
On average, 8 new white shirts a year = 128 white shirts - I have always kept to the original IBM dress code, smart, presentable, a good impression on the clients of a professional company (and person). I also worked my way through an average of 3 suits a year, and 4 pairs of smart pants a year!!
For the first 10 years, I only wore white socks (some of you will remember this) - that is 12 pairs a year - 120 pairs of white socks! (The wife was seriously glad when I stopped that!) - and I destroyed 2 - 3 pairs of shoes a year.
I have worn the same cufflinks, every working day, for all these years - "Gold" plated IBM, which I bought for myself, and have worn out 2 IBM gold tie pins in the same time. (REMEMBER TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL CASUAL DAY!)
I signed my first deal in my first week with IBM! - and to think I still didn't have a "log on" name / password at the time. Back office support in those days was the read deal - and there is another story in my relationship with "back office" in those early years, when no-one wanted to be my support person - Adri van Tonder will remember that!
I started out on green screens, and as soon as I learned how to use them, we got laptops (those first one's were seriously heavy), and then cellphones came in (the first ones were large, heavy Nokia's, with pull out antennae, and a battery big enough to start a small motorbike!!!) I still have that cellphone number. All IBMers that have 082570.... were of the original first rollout for cellphones.
I made Hundred Percent club several times - Malta, Morocco, and Lisbon, and the last one was a pin and certificate (They stopped the trips - cost cutting) - I made Top achiever - a week in Avignon, France, with my spouse, for closing a big deal with Vodacom - at that time the biggest ITS deal ever!!!! The stories that I could share about those trips. Needless to day "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"! Mark Harris will recall coming back to the Gala Dinner venue in Morocco, only to find that Yogesh Ranchod and myself had taken over the DJ desk, and were spinning disks, with a bottle of wine in each hand (who needs glasses) at 6 am!!!!
I closed the first and second biggest Cisco deals for IBM SA soon after IBM became a Cisco partner - Clover and Anglo Gold (Denis Charnock still suffers because of this!!)
I have been in ITS, as a salesman, for all of the time I have been with IBM. Maybe I should have moved around, into STG and or SWG. That might have made a difference in my career, but service is the hardest sell, and most challenging, and that is what kept me there. I have seen service offerings come and go, and reincarnations of some under different names! Probably the best "division" in ITS is BCRS - not because that is where I find myself now, but because it's a specialised field, and has it's own offices away from the Park, which is today a serious challenge to get to because of traffic!
I have survived several Country General Managers, including Sal Faso - "The Hatchet Man", probably my favorite CGM would be Mark Harris - as he had a big influence on many of the decisions I made, and because he truly had an "Open Door" policy! Best mentor - probably Pieter Kruger - I learned most of my stuff (IT related) from him, and lots of my "attitude" (as it has been called) is probably due to him. He has become a friend... Thank you Piet!
Best "out of country" executive - I have had the pleasure of working with many very professional people, and people like Dan Cohen, Allen Downs, and most notably, Mike Weston come to mind. Thank you guys for you support. One of the ITS managers used to threaten us with Mike Weston. She would say "if you don't do this, then maybe you should go on the call with Mike!" Until one day I did meet him, and realized that the demon that had been painted of him did not exist !! in fact, the total opposite - he's a very supportive executive, who you can call on late on a Friday, and get a fast track OMDT release done - and he does not mind! Thank you Mike!!!
Favorite international support person - Rosa Hofer - she's a real lady, very professional, and nothing was ever too much for her! Thank you!
I survived cancer - lost a kidney, but managed to save my bladder with 6 operations and chemo - (the alternative would have been a bag taped to my side.....), and have been clean for more than 10 years now. (REMEMBER TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL SHAVE-A-THON!)
I survived a potentially deadly motor car accident in January this year - no thanks to the drugged out driver of the other car! Considering the mileage I have covered during my stay with IBM I have been luckier then most.
I survived multiple sales managers - none of which need to be named - none stand out really, each had their good and bad - no wait, some had only bad......, other than to say that good business AND people managers are a scarce breed in IBM, and my current manager, Chris Lucier, is the first I have had in the 16.5 years that is a good business AND people manager, apart maybe from Pieter Kruger, who, in those days, knew and understood that salespeople are motivated by reward!
Probably more incredible is the fact that my marriage has survived 16.5 years of IBM!!! Married 23 years this year, and still on honeymoon!
I have learned many valuable lessons, made some incredible friends, had some great people as mentors, and done some successful mentoring of my own. I've challenged the system, pushed back, led from the front.... In this company you get to play in all of the roles at some time or other. The main thing is to learn from each one of them, and put the learning to good use.
Finally, I now want to go into a field where I can add value to humanity. I want to be able to see the results of what I do, feel it, touch it, and know the impact on the lives of those people who will be directly positively affected by my actions. And I can make that happen - either via another company who does just this, or on my own, but the opportunity is out there, now. And, you don't have to be Bill Gates to do it!
So, to all of you who receive this email, thank you for the value you have brought to my life, and my time with IBM. I wish you good luck, and happy selling (or sales supporting).
We might meet again - somewhere, you never know.
And, as my colleague and buddy Nick Smith, my manager Chris Lucier, and my sidekick, Tshepo Masigo would say - "lets go walk and weigh the pig"!!!
Ciao
So, I got a couple of email responses, mainly from them who didn't know I was leaving. Not many. Probably the nicest one was this one:-
Hi Wreckless,
Can I wish you all the VERY best and
EVERY success in any new endeavors that you undertake, I loved your farewell
note and the way you personalized it ...good luck and take care, feel free
to reach out ANYTIME - but not later Friday night :-)
Best Regards, Mike
Like I said in my note, he was a good person, and this can be seen in his response to me. Will definitely keep his cellphone number handy!
So, Tuesday I get up with the Princess, go downstairs, and paint the deck with a sealer! Then I get cleaned up, and make my way down to the offices of my next employer. Start date is actually 01 October, but I figure I can use some time to get to know the products better, look at some of the proposals / quotes that have gone out, etc. While I am there, I'm asked to look through a big proposal, the boss really is snowed under, and would appreciate the help. Speed read the document, mark it up for corrections, and then home.
Wednesday. seal the up stairs balcony. Then, back to the office. This time I recheck the document, ans make more change, and corrections. One thing I did learn at IBM is that the quality of the proposal is paramount! I cannot believe the poor quality that this "typist" passes on to her boss for review!!! No matter, I will train her to do things the right way. This is now a 64 pg + document. It becomes a bit messy reviewing, marking up, checking, and all the time I am adding to it, as I complete more annexures as per the requirements.
Thursday, LuckyL and I went to the Electo-mining show. (LIU). My new boss was also there, and we met up. He asked if I could go in to the office later,as he had left some notes on his desk for the typist to complete, and some stuff for me to check!?!?!?!?! Excuse me, I'm not employed yet!!! But I went in anyway, reviewed the work done, made her correct some of it, again, and then took the whole document apart! I cut it up into relevant sections, and saved each as a separate part. That way you can work on one section, complete it, and move on, without having to wade through 90 pages every time!
The boss - let's call him RB, get back to the office by 7pm. I was still there. I showed him what I had done, and told him that I had incorporated a whole lot of stuff from a previous proposal, which went a long way to answering more of the outstanding sections. Impressed! Then I was off home. By 11pm, I had reformatted all of the documents, so that they at least looked the same, had the same fonts, and font sizes.
Friday morning, took a drive through to the office again. Asked RB for a memory stick, and put all the docs on it for him.Done.
Went home, and then worked through the docs again, picking out the relevant pages where he still needed to add information, or where I had put in a comment where he needs to make a decision. Noted the page numbers and section numbers, put them into an email for him, and sent it off. Now he doesn't have to read through the whole document. He knows I have checked and corrected it. I have completed the required annexures, and can just go to the pages needing input, and do it! Another thing I need to teach his typist.
So why have I done all this? Well, I've proved a point here. I am capable. I can take some of the pressure of off RB. I will change the way he has been doing business! I will introduce a level of professionalism to his business! I will make him understand that he needs me! Done!! Also, I now have the basis for all of my future proposals and agreements that I will need for future business. Just, I want to get it into my preferred format, something I didn't have time to do this time round. I think I'm going to have fun!
Salagatle!
LIU - Look It Up!
Showing posts with label Our Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Our Home. Show all posts
Friday, September 14, 2012
Monday, December 12, 2011
12/12/2011
Been a while (again) since I posted anything here. Well, anything worth reading I suppose. But hey, I also got stuff to do you know! Anyway, here's an update on the status of stuff, and if I am repeating anything, tough!
The Matriarch is now comfortable in her new home, settled, and making friends. The house is sold, and registered under the new owners, so that's also sorted. I bought her car from her for the amount offered to her by the second hand dealers, and then, a month later, sold it for a small profit! Every Saturday evening I pick her up, and take her to church. This last weekend I fitted a sliding Xpanda security door (LIU) to her patio door. They all say it's not really necessary, that it's safe, etc, blah, blah, blah, but if you come from an unsafe environment, there is no way you buying into that shit, so I fitted it for her, and now if she wants to she can sleep with the patio door open, or, when she goes out during the day, she dos not have to close up / lock up everything, her home and stuff is safe. Was a bit of a challenge fitting it, especially as I was on my own, but I got it done - good.
LuckyL has had a bit of ad luck with his car - just as I was bragging that he made such a good buy. So, We had 2 new tyres fitted - R 1750 (including wheel alignment), we had the starter serviced (was sticking occasionally, so cheaper to service it now than wait for it to break) and we had the car serviced - 148000km, needed to be done anyway - R 2500, and all this so that he could be safe going down to Ballito for the matric vacs. Oh, and we had a tow bar fitted - R 1950.
get the car back fro the service, and it starts giving error codes on the dashboard. Take it back to the garage. Turns out that the warning light is for a faulty Cam position sensor. OK, call around - Opel - R2200 - 4 days to come from the factory. OPEL A.S.A.P. in Pretoria - R 1300, and he has stock. It's Saturday morning, but we scream through to get it. Monday morning deliver to the mechanic. He fits it - still shows an error. Tuesday and Wednesday we do a million tests, changes, repairs, no help. Thursday morning we fit a new cam-belt and tension pulley. Same shit. By now I know we got shit, and as he was supposed to leave Thursday morning, we let him leave, at 1.15 in the afternoon, with the Princesses car, and trailer in tow!
Friday, and the mechanic says take off the battery terminals, and unplug the computer, leave over noight, and reconnect. Could be that the computer is now confused with all the errors and changes, and maybe needs to be reset.
Funny thing I identify though - if the car has been standing for a few hours (ie it;s cold) it starts and there is no warning light. Then you drive it for a while, stop to pick up something, and then start the car again after say 5 / 10 minutes, the fucking lights come on!!!! Anyway, I do the battery / computer thing, and Saturday afternoon, affter fitting the door for the Matricah, I reconect all the bits, start the car, and it's OK! Great, drive to the petrol station, 2 km away, stop. Fill up. Start, no problem. Great! Drive to the bottle store, push the car a bit, 8 km away. Stop. Go inside, buy some stuff, come out (6 minutes maybe?) and start the car - fucking light is back. Go home. Leave the car for 45 miutes - now it's cold again, start the car, no light.
OK - so I have discovered that the light only comes on if you are starting the car when it's hot. Should make it easier for the mechanic to fault find, with assistance from the Technical Manager from OPEL assisting. Here's hoping - I dropped off the car this am, and need it back by Thursday, as Friday is a public holiday here, and we want to leave for our vacation on Sunday!!!!
OK, so the Princess is using my car, and I'm commuting on the bike.......Fucking cars with fucking stupid ECU's! Gimme a pre 80's muscle car any day!!!!
So, for most of this year I was telling management that if they don't allow me to take leave during school vacations, which happen to coincide with company quarter ends, I will take my leave in December. Not sure if they thought I was joking, but 6 weeks ago I put in for leave from 19th Dec to 3rd January, and I still have another 8 days due to me before end January!!! When I informed management that I had put in the application, I also informed them that if they did not approve it, I would go on leave anyway, and we could sort it out with the CCMA (LIU) afterward!!! Needless to say, it has not been officially approved online, but neither has it been declined, so I go on leave, as of Thursday this week!!! Princess managed to arrange free accommodation with her boss in his apartment on the coast, so I'm looking forward to some serious "do nothing" chilling for a few weeks.
On the transport front, apart from LuckyL's car, my old Toyota is also gettin gto the end of it's life, but I need to nurse it along for a while longer - no finances for replacing that now. I've put all the motorbikes up for sale though, LuckyL's Aprilia RS 125 - he does not ride it anymore anyway, my Yamaha XJR 1200, or his XJR 1200, we need to keep one of them in the family for occasional rides, and. like now, when we short of one car.
I've also started to clean out 'stuff" in the garage. I've given away boxes of tools I don't need (old stuff, miming tools, inherited from a friends late dad) really big stuff that can only be used really in industry, or on farms. A box full of lathe cutting tools. A couple of old Micrometers (still in inches), and so on. When I get back from vacation, going to do more cleaning out - will do a coule of trips to the antique shop to sell of some old stuff, as well as the local Cash Crusaders / pawn shop, to get rid of other unwanted stuff just stored in the garage - bicycles, bird cage, fish tank, hi-fi stand, double bunk bed, double bed with mattrass... fuck there is a whole houshold of stuff in the basement and garage. Going to clean out, and pocket the cash.
Then I'm getting into the stuff upstairs - the study / library has become a storeroom for stuff. No, I have no idea what it is, but it's going - Dump / pawn / trash / donate - whatever. There is also stuff in the safe that I know I am never going to use / wear / look at / bother with. Need to find a new home for that, as well as some of the stuff in the bar - loads of shit to get rid of. Suppose I'm heading towards a minimalistic lifestyle, makes more sense - hell we work all our lives to buy "stuff" which, one day we realize we really don't need / want / adds no value to our lives. Fuck it - time to clean up!
OK, that was a long paragraph!
Back in a bit - need a smoke.
OK, so on the home front - I fired the gardener, and got a new one. You would think these morons would appreciate a steady, regular job. No way, they start to skip a day here, come late the next ... so I sent him in his moer, and told he he can starve next to the road along with the rest of his brothers. Then I had a chat to my neighbor who has a gardener in twice a week, and got this guy to come in on Saturdays. Didn't turn up this week, but probably due to the fact it had been raining most of Thursday and Friday, and looked like rain on Saturday morning. Hope he comes in next week, or else there will be a jungle of lawn by the time we get back from our vacation.
GMan - well, he joined us for dinner on Saturday, and seems like he might join us for Xmas down at the coast. His girlfriend is in the UK, visiting with her mom and brother and step dad. Other than that, no other news on him.
Enough for now - will post more, if I feel like it, whilst sitting on the deck in Ballito, watching the sea......
Later all
Salagatle!
The Matriarch is now comfortable in her new home, settled, and making friends. The house is sold, and registered under the new owners, so that's also sorted. I bought her car from her for the amount offered to her by the second hand dealers, and then, a month later, sold it for a small profit! Every Saturday evening I pick her up, and take her to church. This last weekend I fitted a sliding Xpanda security door (LIU) to her patio door. They all say it's not really necessary, that it's safe, etc, blah, blah, blah, but if you come from an unsafe environment, there is no way you buying into that shit, so I fitted it for her, and now if she wants to she can sleep with the patio door open, or, when she goes out during the day, she dos not have to close up / lock up everything, her home and stuff is safe. Was a bit of a challenge fitting it, especially as I was on my own, but I got it done - good.
LuckyL has had a bit of ad luck with his car - just as I was bragging that he made such a good buy. So, We had 2 new tyres fitted - R 1750 (including wheel alignment), we had the starter serviced (was sticking occasionally, so cheaper to service it now than wait for it to break) and we had the car serviced - 148000km, needed to be done anyway - R 2500, and all this so that he could be safe going down to Ballito for the matric vacs. Oh, and we had a tow bar fitted - R 1950.
get the car back fro the service, and it starts giving error codes on the dashboard. Take it back to the garage. Turns out that the warning light is for a faulty Cam position sensor. OK, call around - Opel - R2200 - 4 days to come from the factory. OPEL A.S.A.P. in Pretoria - R 1300, and he has stock. It's Saturday morning, but we scream through to get it. Monday morning deliver to the mechanic. He fits it - still shows an error. Tuesday and Wednesday we do a million tests, changes, repairs, no help. Thursday morning we fit a new cam-belt and tension pulley. Same shit. By now I know we got shit, and as he was supposed to leave Thursday morning, we let him leave, at 1.15 in the afternoon, with the Princesses car, and trailer in tow!
Friday, and the mechanic says take off the battery terminals, and unplug the computer, leave over noight, and reconnect. Could be that the computer is now confused with all the errors and changes, and maybe needs to be reset.
Funny thing I identify though - if the car has been standing for a few hours (ie it;s cold) it starts and there is no warning light. Then you drive it for a while, stop to pick up something, and then start the car again after say 5 / 10 minutes, the fucking lights come on!!!! Anyway, I do the battery / computer thing, and Saturday afternoon, affter fitting the door for the Matricah, I reconect all the bits, start the car, and it's OK! Great, drive to the petrol station, 2 km away, stop. Fill up. Start, no problem. Great! Drive to the bottle store, push the car a bit, 8 km away. Stop. Go inside, buy some stuff, come out (6 minutes maybe?) and start the car - fucking light is back. Go home. Leave the car for 45 miutes - now it's cold again, start the car, no light.
OK - so I have discovered that the light only comes on if you are starting the car when it's hot. Should make it easier for the mechanic to fault find, with assistance from the Technical Manager from OPEL assisting. Here's hoping - I dropped off the car this am, and need it back by Thursday, as Friday is a public holiday here, and we want to leave for our vacation on Sunday!!!!
OK, so the Princess is using my car, and I'm commuting on the bike.......Fucking cars with fucking stupid ECU's! Gimme a pre 80's muscle car any day!!!!
So, for most of this year I was telling management that if they don't allow me to take leave during school vacations, which happen to coincide with company quarter ends, I will take my leave in December. Not sure if they thought I was joking, but 6 weeks ago I put in for leave from 19th Dec to 3rd January, and I still have another 8 days due to me before end January!!! When I informed management that I had put in the application, I also informed them that if they did not approve it, I would go on leave anyway, and we could sort it out with the CCMA (LIU) afterward!!! Needless to say, it has not been officially approved online, but neither has it been declined, so I go on leave, as of Thursday this week!!! Princess managed to arrange free accommodation with her boss in his apartment on the coast, so I'm looking forward to some serious "do nothing" chilling for a few weeks.
On the transport front, apart from LuckyL's car, my old Toyota is also gettin gto the end of it's life, but I need to nurse it along for a while longer - no finances for replacing that now. I've put all the motorbikes up for sale though, LuckyL's Aprilia RS 125 - he does not ride it anymore anyway, my Yamaha XJR 1200, or his XJR 1200, we need to keep one of them in the family for occasional rides, and. like now, when we short of one car.
I've also started to clean out 'stuff" in the garage. I've given away boxes of tools I don't need (old stuff, miming tools, inherited from a friends late dad) really big stuff that can only be used really in industry, or on farms. A box full of lathe cutting tools. A couple of old Micrometers (still in inches), and so on. When I get back from vacation, going to do more cleaning out - will do a coule of trips to the antique shop to sell of some old stuff, as well as the local Cash Crusaders / pawn shop, to get rid of other unwanted stuff just stored in the garage - bicycles, bird cage, fish tank, hi-fi stand, double bunk bed, double bed with mattrass... fuck there is a whole houshold of stuff in the basement and garage. Going to clean out, and pocket the cash.
Then I'm getting into the stuff upstairs - the study / library has become a storeroom for stuff. No, I have no idea what it is, but it's going - Dump / pawn / trash / donate - whatever. There is also stuff in the safe that I know I am never going to use / wear / look at / bother with. Need to find a new home for that, as well as some of the stuff in the bar - loads of shit to get rid of. Suppose I'm heading towards a minimalistic lifestyle, makes more sense - hell we work all our lives to buy "stuff" which, one day we realize we really don't need / want / adds no value to our lives. Fuck it - time to clean up!
OK, that was a long paragraph!
Back in a bit - need a smoke.
OK, so on the home front - I fired the gardener, and got a new one. You would think these morons would appreciate a steady, regular job. No way, they start to skip a day here, come late the next ... so I sent him in his moer, and told he he can starve next to the road along with the rest of his brothers. Then I had a chat to my neighbor who has a gardener in twice a week, and got this guy to come in on Saturdays. Didn't turn up this week, but probably due to the fact it had been raining most of Thursday and Friday, and looked like rain on Saturday morning. Hope he comes in next week, or else there will be a jungle of lawn by the time we get back from our vacation.
GMan - well, he joined us for dinner on Saturday, and seems like he might join us for Xmas down at the coast. His girlfriend is in the UK, visiting with her mom and brother and step dad. Other than that, no other news on him.
Enough for now - will post more, if I feel like it, whilst sitting on the deck in Ballito, watching the sea......
Later all
Salagatle!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The end of an Era.
October 31, 1957. A recently arrived emigrant from the North of Italy to South Africa moves into her 'new" home.
October 31, 2011. The same person leaves this pace she has called home for 54 years.
Whats this about? Well, let me tell you.
When my dad emigrated to RSA in about 1954, he had already planned to marry my mom, and bring her out to this country. 3 years later, they got married by proxy. OK, what's that 1 of you are asking (so, only one out of my 4 readers, not bad). Mom went to a church in her home town, accompanied by her "father-in'law" to be. He stood in as proxy for my dad who was supposed to be in a church here in SA. (He was probably in a pub somewhere!) So they got married by proxy. The a few weeks later she was on the plane, those days it was probably a 3 day flight, what with all the stop overs for fuel etc. and arrived in SA at the beginning of October sometime. They stayed with an Italian family in Randfontein for a couple of weeks, while dad arranged for a house from his employers - Venterspost Mine. Those days everyone (white) who worked on the mines, and was married got a mine house. Very, very low rent, free water.
He got the house, and they moved in - with very little furniture - just the basic necessities. Dad didn't believe in buying on creit. So they bought stuff as they had the cash for it. First was a bedroom suite, and a fridge. Slowly they developed the house into their home. It was basic, and brand new.
Over time dad created flower beds, got lawns growing, created a vegetable garden, poured a concrete driveway.....
9 months later, in July, my sister was born. Their first child. Dad planted two palm trees in the front lawn to celebrate this event (probably a few days later, once he'd finished celebrating at the pub!!) 11 Months later, I came along. Not too sure if he planted anything then, or just went with the liquid celebrations!!!
And then in 1968, my brother came along. A "glipsie" as they say in RSA. but much loved by all.
Over the years much changed, was improved on. it has always been "home", even after we all got our own places - that was "home. I have so many incredible memories of home, and will at some point post some of them here.
Anyway, around 1995/6 dad got very ill, and was nursed for over 8 months at home till he passed, by mom. She was fine with stating on her own, and looking after the home, so we didn't consider any move. Soon after I build my place in 2004, I offered to build a flat / cottage for her on our property. There was no way she was moving! As far as she was concerned, she would die in her home.
But as time passes, things change. She is always complaining about her maid. Only comes in once a week, but she does not work like mom wants (think this is the 5th one she got). Thing is, mom always cleaned her home herself, and it's only in the past few years she has needed the maid, and it does not work.
She always is complaining about the garden services. I have spoken to them, I have explained to her what they are contracted to do, and what not. She is adamant they not doing their work. But then, she just wont listen.
Armed response - she gave them my number as the alternative contact person, in case something happens. So she gets pissed off every time they call me, and I call her to check if all's OK.......
But they have been good, and efficient.
And then there's the ongoing maintenance of the property, the fact that after 54 years as a member of the local Catholic church she's really pissed off with the black priest, the way the darkies are fucking it up, and the fact that they do not look after the people who, ultimately built, and kept going, this church
And she nearly did, a my earlier blog on her operation and recovery from it showed. This time we raised the option of her moving into a retirement village (something we have broached on and off over the years), and she agreed. We managed to get her a place in a Retirement village 3 km from where I live! It's a lovely develpoment, with varius sizes of accomodation, but also has high care, and frail care facilities. So, as you get older, and or sick, you can move into the part that you require to be for the care you need.
You buy the unit you going to live in, and furnish it. Then there is a monthly charge (currently ZAR5000 per month) which covers 3 meals a day, laundry, apartment cleaning, water and lights, security, garden services. Basically, she will not want for anything for day to day living, other than some stuff (snacks, coffee, tea) which she might want to keep in her paratment.
It's a small place to move into after living in a 3 bed-roomed house for 54 years, but it's OK. A bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette / open plan living area. Ground floor so she has a "veranda (Covered) and access to the gardens. Nice. Cosy. Comfortable.
So, my brother is now driving up from the coast, and on Friday we will move mom into her new "digs". By Saturday evening, she will be settled.
For the past few weeks I have been going round to the house to clear out. Loads of stuff went to the dump. (It's amazing what "stuff" you keep for "in-case / one day"). Also moved some stuff to my place - temporary storage till she decides what she wants do do with it.
Furniture - we got the local pawn shop to come out and make an offer. The bedroom suite which my dad bought 54 years ago (laminated wood), consisting of two wardrobes, a double bed, and dressing table 0 they offered her ZAR2500!!!! Abut ZAR1500 more than I thought they would! Kitchen table, with 4 chairs, ZAR250. There's also a wonky book rack, and some other odds and ends which they will make an offer on in the next few days.
The house - this was a worry, as the market is flat / down. The house is in what is now the "old" area of Westonaria. Most of the people living there now are darkies (nice people though, ave been very good to mom). So the estate agent says market value is about ZAR450k. I am happy with that, as I had that figure in mind. Have been watching the market in that area for a few years anticipation this requirements. So mom gets 2 or 3 agencies on board to find a buyer. She has 3 couples come through the house in about 3 weeks. All want to buy. First couple - darkies - wife wants the house, husband says it's too much for a house in that area. Second couple, don't make a decision soon enough. Third couple - a white couple, walk in, like the place make an offer for ZAR440k, and are cash buyers. The deal gets closed today! Money is deposited (full amount) with the conveyancing lawyers, so there is no risk, and the deal is done! This is a big relief, as we didn't want a protracted sale situation. So we move mom over the weekend, and on presentation of proof of funds being deposited in the holding account, the new owners can move in!!!
Then it's all the other stuff. Telephone account - new owners are transferring to their name. ADT armed response, they taking over the contract. All concerned parties have been notified of moms change of address. She has taken over the phone in the unit she has bough, so already has a new number.
Basically, everything is sorted, packed up, ready to go. Although she's still driving, occasionally, she decided she didn't want to drive anymore after she moves. Not sure why, she said she's scared of the steep driveway to come out (it's not steep at all) but anyway, so she got a valuation from a local second hand dealership, and then I bought the car for the same amount. Not sure I will need it, but maybe GMan can use it, or I will sell it later. What I want to do is after she has moved in, I want to visit her in her car, then get her to go for a drive. But let her drive. a) She will see that the driveway is not as steep as she thinks it is. b) She wont get lost. c) She can get to the shops, and the church safely. Then maybe she will decide that she was a bit hasty in her decision, and I will give the car back to her. Let's hope!!!
Anyway, I'll post some more on this later, and some interesting pics to go with it.
Here is the first one -
The end of an era is is - and for me - old Mr. Sentimental - it's not an easy closeout!!!
Salagatle!
October 31, 2011. The same person leaves this pace she has called home for 54 years.
Whats this about? Well, let me tell you.
When my dad emigrated to RSA in about 1954, he had already planned to marry my mom, and bring her out to this country. 3 years later, they got married by proxy. OK, what's that 1 of you are asking (so, only one out of my 4 readers, not bad). Mom went to a church in her home town, accompanied by her "father-in'law" to be. He stood in as proxy for my dad who was supposed to be in a church here in SA. (He was probably in a pub somewhere!) So they got married by proxy. The a few weeks later she was on the plane, those days it was probably a 3 day flight, what with all the stop overs for fuel etc. and arrived in SA at the beginning of October sometime. They stayed with an Italian family in Randfontein for a couple of weeks, while dad arranged for a house from his employers - Venterspost Mine. Those days everyone (white) who worked on the mines, and was married got a mine house. Very, very low rent, free water.
He got the house, and they moved in - with very little furniture - just the basic necessities. Dad didn't believe in buying on creit. So they bought stuff as they had the cash for it. First was a bedroom suite, and a fridge. Slowly they developed the house into their home. It was basic, and brand new.
Over time dad created flower beds, got lawns growing, created a vegetable garden, poured a concrete driveway.....
9 months later, in July, my sister was born. Their first child. Dad planted two palm trees in the front lawn to celebrate this event (probably a few days later, once he'd finished celebrating at the pub!!) 11 Months later, I came along. Not too sure if he planted anything then, or just went with the liquid celebrations!!!
And then in 1968, my brother came along. A "glipsie" as they say in RSA. but much loved by all.
Over the years much changed, was improved on. it has always been "home", even after we all got our own places - that was "home. I have so many incredible memories of home, and will at some point post some of them here.
Anyway, around 1995/6 dad got very ill, and was nursed for over 8 months at home till he passed, by mom. She was fine with stating on her own, and looking after the home, so we didn't consider any move. Soon after I build my place in 2004, I offered to build a flat / cottage for her on our property. There was no way she was moving! As far as she was concerned, she would die in her home.
But as time passes, things change. She is always complaining about her maid. Only comes in once a week, but she does not work like mom wants (think this is the 5th one she got). Thing is, mom always cleaned her home herself, and it's only in the past few years she has needed the maid, and it does not work.
She always is complaining about the garden services. I have spoken to them, I have explained to her what they are contracted to do, and what not. She is adamant they not doing their work. But then, she just wont listen.
Armed response - she gave them my number as the alternative contact person, in case something happens. So she gets pissed off every time they call me, and I call her to check if all's OK.......
But they have been good, and efficient.
And then there's the ongoing maintenance of the property, the fact that after 54 years as a member of the local Catholic church she's really pissed off with the black priest, the way the darkies are fucking it up, and the fact that they do not look after the people who, ultimately built, and kept going, this church
And she nearly did, a my earlier blog on her operation and recovery from it showed. This time we raised the option of her moving into a retirement village (something we have broached on and off over the years), and she agreed. We managed to get her a place in a Retirement village 3 km from where I live! It's a lovely develpoment, with varius sizes of accomodation, but also has high care, and frail care facilities. So, as you get older, and or sick, you can move into the part that you require to be for the care you need.
You buy the unit you going to live in, and furnish it. Then there is a monthly charge (currently ZAR5000 per month) which covers 3 meals a day, laundry, apartment cleaning, water and lights, security, garden services. Basically, she will not want for anything for day to day living, other than some stuff (snacks, coffee, tea) which she might want to keep in her paratment.
It's a small place to move into after living in a 3 bed-roomed house for 54 years, but it's OK. A bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette / open plan living area. Ground floor so she has a "veranda (Covered) and access to the gardens. Nice. Cosy. Comfortable.
So, my brother is now driving up from the coast, and on Friday we will move mom into her new "digs". By Saturday evening, she will be settled.
For the past few weeks I have been going round to the house to clear out. Loads of stuff went to the dump. (It's amazing what "stuff" you keep for "in-case / one day"). Also moved some stuff to my place - temporary storage till she decides what she wants do do with it.
Furniture - we got the local pawn shop to come out and make an offer. The bedroom suite which my dad bought 54 years ago (laminated wood), consisting of two wardrobes, a double bed, and dressing table 0 they offered her ZAR2500!!!! Abut ZAR1500 more than I thought they would! Kitchen table, with 4 chairs, ZAR250. There's also a wonky book rack, and some other odds and ends which they will make an offer on in the next few days.
The house - this was a worry, as the market is flat / down. The house is in what is now the "old" area of Westonaria. Most of the people living there now are darkies (nice people though, ave been very good to mom). So the estate agent says market value is about ZAR450k. I am happy with that, as I had that figure in mind. Have been watching the market in that area for a few years anticipation this requirements. So mom gets 2 or 3 agencies on board to find a buyer. She has 3 couples come through the house in about 3 weeks. All want to buy. First couple - darkies - wife wants the house, husband says it's too much for a house in that area. Second couple, don't make a decision soon enough. Third couple - a white couple, walk in, like the place make an offer for ZAR440k, and are cash buyers. The deal gets closed today! Money is deposited (full amount) with the conveyancing lawyers, so there is no risk, and the deal is done! This is a big relief, as we didn't want a protracted sale situation. So we move mom over the weekend, and on presentation of proof of funds being deposited in the holding account, the new owners can move in!!!
Then it's all the other stuff. Telephone account - new owners are transferring to their name. ADT armed response, they taking over the contract. All concerned parties have been notified of moms change of address. She has taken over the phone in the unit she has bough, so already has a new number.
Basically, everything is sorted, packed up, ready to go. Although she's still driving, occasionally, she decided she didn't want to drive anymore after she moves. Not sure why, she said she's scared of the steep driveway to come out (it's not steep at all) but anyway, so she got a valuation from a local second hand dealership, and then I bought the car for the same amount. Not sure I will need it, but maybe GMan can use it, or I will sell it later. What I want to do is after she has moved in, I want to visit her in her car, then get her to go for a drive. But let her drive. a) She will see that the driveway is not as steep as she thinks it is. b) She wont get lost. c) She can get to the shops, and the church safely. Then maybe she will decide that she was a bit hasty in her decision, and I will give the car back to her. Let's hope!!!
Anyway, I'll post some more on this later, and some interesting pics to go with it.
Here is the first one -
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| Photo from some Google Earth function. In front are the two palm trees, now 53 years old. |
The end of an era is is - and for me - old Mr. Sentimental - it's not an easy closeout!!!
Salagatle!
Monday, September 19, 2011
The weekend
OK, so for the past few weeks (months?) I have been going through what can only be a depression phase. (My personal assessment). Can't seem to get going on anything, no interest in getting stuff done around the house, etc. Not sure what the cause might be, but I have my own ideas on that.
Anyway, this weekend I decided that the only way to get the stuff needing doing done, is to just do it.
Friday, got home a bit earlier, and got into work clothes, and pressure cleaned the top, and ground floor decks. They need to be resealed before the rains come.
Done. Saturday morning, straignt into work clothes. Down to where I started to rebuild a Wendy hut (LIU) - with some modifications, a month or so ago, and decided that I was at the very least going to get the roof up. LuckyL joined me, and we did a sterling job, even if it took us all morning, and part of the afternoon to do it.
Then he went upstairs to wash and sweep the decks again.
Following this, I got out the sealer, and finished sealing the top deck, and 4/5 of the ground floor deck. Had to leave the last part as the patio furniture was standing on that.
Sunday afternoon, after the heat of the day, we moved the furniture and I finished off the deck. Two big jobs done! In no time at all. Now why did I leave it for so long?
So what still needs to be done? Next weekend I'm sealing the front door area and the steps coming up to the door, as well as those going down the other side. Ans if I really have courage, might just do the whole of the stairs and deck for Queenies flat!
Also need to make a plan with the sides of the now roofed Wendy Hut conversion, but I have some ideas around that. It's going to be the new garden shed, so that I can get some space where all the garden tools are now. Not that I need the space, it will just be neater. However, having said that, LuckyL is saying that the Wendy might make a nice parking place for his 2 x 250 XL Honda off roads... mmmmm... maybe.
Sunday, drove through to the Matriarch's home to see how she's doing (weekly visit). Took her to town to do some shopping, and had a few laughs with her. Just me and LuckyL as the Princess was working.
Mom's doing very well. Walking much stronger than she was before she went for her operation! And, she seems to have accepted the fact that the house is just too much for her to look after, so is considering our offer to move her into a retirement village. We have been to look at the place. It's nice, well planned, properly laid out for senior citizens, 3 km from where I live, and has all the amenities she would need. On her doorstep.
Also, included in the monthly fee is 3 meals a day, tea and coffee in the communal lounge all day. Apartment cleaning service, laundry service..... there is a 24x7 medical service. They have medical care (if you are ill, have had an operation) so that you can be looked after till you well enough to go back into your own apartment, and they have frail care, for them who's just too old / ill to look after themselves.
They have a panic button system installed so that for any event, the residents can call for assistance. And that's even for if you want someone to be around whilst you take a shower in care you not feeling well!
So, all round a nice place, and I think Mom will fit in OK.
Overall, a good weekend, and more of the same to come. Work, well, that's work. Say no more!
Salagatle
Anyway, this weekend I decided that the only way to get the stuff needing doing done, is to just do it.
Friday, got home a bit earlier, and got into work clothes, and pressure cleaned the top, and ground floor decks. They need to be resealed before the rains come.
Done. Saturday morning, straignt into work clothes. Down to where I started to rebuild a Wendy hut (LIU) - with some modifications, a month or so ago, and decided that I was at the very least going to get the roof up. LuckyL joined me, and we did a sterling job, even if it took us all morning, and part of the afternoon to do it.
Then he went upstairs to wash and sweep the decks again.
Following this, I got out the sealer, and finished sealing the top deck, and 4/5 of the ground floor deck. Had to leave the last part as the patio furniture was standing on that.
Sunday afternoon, after the heat of the day, we moved the furniture and I finished off the deck. Two big jobs done! In no time at all. Now why did I leave it for so long?
So what still needs to be done? Next weekend I'm sealing the front door area and the steps coming up to the door, as well as those going down the other side. Ans if I really have courage, might just do the whole of the stairs and deck for Queenies flat!
Also need to make a plan with the sides of the now roofed Wendy Hut conversion, but I have some ideas around that. It's going to be the new garden shed, so that I can get some space where all the garden tools are now. Not that I need the space, it will just be neater. However, having said that, LuckyL is saying that the Wendy might make a nice parking place for his 2 x 250 XL Honda off roads... mmmmm... maybe.
Sunday, drove through to the Matriarch's home to see how she's doing (weekly visit). Took her to town to do some shopping, and had a few laughs with her. Just me and LuckyL as the Princess was working.
Mom's doing very well. Walking much stronger than she was before she went for her operation! And, she seems to have accepted the fact that the house is just too much for her to look after, so is considering our offer to move her into a retirement village. We have been to look at the place. It's nice, well planned, properly laid out for senior citizens, 3 km from where I live, and has all the amenities she would need. On her doorstep.
Also, included in the monthly fee is 3 meals a day, tea and coffee in the communal lounge all day. Apartment cleaning service, laundry service..... there is a 24x7 medical service. They have medical care (if you are ill, have had an operation) so that you can be looked after till you well enough to go back into your own apartment, and they have frail care, for them who's just too old / ill to look after themselves.
They have a panic button system installed so that for any event, the residents can call for assistance. And that's even for if you want someone to be around whilst you take a shower in care you not feeling well!
So, all round a nice place, and I think Mom will fit in OK.
Overall, a good weekend, and more of the same to come. Work, well, that's work. Say no more!
Salagatle
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Builders - Part II
So, in closing of my last post on the subject of building, I have finally finished the work we wanted done, finished off the cement, sand and stone, building sand, plaster sand..... Well, almost finished it all. I have about 2 wheelbarrows full of Building sand and stone mix (for concrete work) left.
So, that's the way this project went down.
Now, over the vegetable units I want to put some kind of cover. Mainly for protection from bad weather, and birds. A frame covered in carport shade cloth - Wood is expensive and rots. Metal - expensive, heavy, and needs ongoing maintenance. So, I have decided to make a frame using 40mm PVC water piping. It's light, durable, needs no ongoing maintenance. Yea baby! Can also use conduit to create a shade port style finish which will add strenght to the overall structore.
It should be hinged at the top, along the wall. That way it can lay down in normal position, but will be easy to lift, and prop up when I need to have access to the garden! Will post pics here of my idea. Hope it works.
Not too sure what to do for the Garden shed. Was thinking of maybe a tiles roof (using those metal pressed tile look-a-like things), or maybe the same idea as for the veggie "lids" but with a layer of strong plastic sheeting below the shade cloth to waterproof the shed.
What you all think?
You will have noticed the poor state of the walls. Well, these walls (retaining wall for the driveway) as well as the long wall down the side of the property, were painted last year. 2 x Coats of damn fine undecoat / bonding stuff, and 2 x coats of damn fine exterior paint. Yup, 12 months ago. And at a cost of some R3500.00! So, I'm going to blast off whats left of the paint (high pressure water gun) and then we going to make a mix of very liquid Cement, Plaster Sand, and a colourant. This is applied as a plastered layer over the current finish, with a brush, and thats that.
Will post progress on that project too, when I get round to doing it.
Chat soon,
Salagatle!
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| First Box - to become a vegetable box |
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| Side view, first and second boxes - Vegetables, and last corner - for the proposed Jo-Jo |
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| Corner box - for the Jo-Jo |
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| Top view |
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| Last box, around the corner - not sure what I will do here, but it will be filled with good soil, maybe will use as a "nursery" for my cactus plant cuttings. |
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| Middle box around the corner - probable use as per previous one. |
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| First box around the corner. Will also get a slab, as per the corner unit. Will get a cover, and probably make a nice "Garden Shed" to house garden tools, and seeds, seedling trays, etc. |
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| Filling in the corner unit using all the soil removed for the foundations for the walls, as well as the last of the plaster and building sand. |
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| Birds eye view of "Garden Shed" unit. Slab thrown. Now to design the roof and font closure. |
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| Birds eye view of the corner unit. Now to find a good price on a 5000 liter Jo-Jo Fishman? You know anyone? |
Now, over the vegetable units I want to put some kind of cover. Mainly for protection from bad weather, and birds. A frame covered in carport shade cloth - Wood is expensive and rots. Metal - expensive, heavy, and needs ongoing maintenance. So, I have decided to make a frame using 40mm PVC water piping. It's light, durable, needs no ongoing maintenance. Yea baby! Can also use conduit to create a shade port style finish which will add strenght to the overall structore.
It should be hinged at the top, along the wall. That way it can lay down in normal position, but will be easy to lift, and prop up when I need to have access to the garden! Will post pics here of my idea. Hope it works.
Not too sure what to do for the Garden shed. Was thinking of maybe a tiles roof (using those metal pressed tile look-a-like things), or maybe the same idea as for the veggie "lids" but with a layer of strong plastic sheeting below the shade cloth to waterproof the shed.
What you all think?
You will have noticed the poor state of the walls. Well, these walls (retaining wall for the driveway) as well as the long wall down the side of the property, were painted last year. 2 x Coats of damn fine undecoat / bonding stuff, and 2 x coats of damn fine exterior paint. Yup, 12 months ago. And at a cost of some R3500.00! So, I'm going to blast off whats left of the paint (high pressure water gun) and then we going to make a mix of very liquid Cement, Plaster Sand, and a colourant. This is applied as a plastered layer over the current finish, with a brush, and thats that.
Will post progress on that project too, when I get round to doing it.
Chat soon,
Salagatle!
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Building and builders - Home.
Every now and then I get into the mood to improve something around the house. This time I decided that the carport where the boys park needed finishing. So we had the carport put up when GMan got his car. It was kind of in the right place, with enough "level" ground underneath for hi to park. Not really a great parking, but hey, that's what I could do then.
So, the fix was to build some retaining walls, back fill, and then throw a slab. Plus, LuckyL now has a car, and we have a "Venter" trailer, and the bike trailer (Parked here by a mate who does not have space for it), and 2 x XR200 Honda off-road bikes..
So I get a builder (who has done some work at various units the Princess manages) to give me a quote. I supply the materials. Damn, building has become seriously expensive! If I had to build our home now, it would cost about 6 x what we spent in 2004!!!
So, I mark out the proposed walling, and the foundations dig starts.
As is usual with these kind of jobs, you add on, make changes as you go along. So I had them dig an extra foundation for a low (1 - 3 brick high) wall. After pouring a slab on that, we would have a place to park the 2 x Honda's, and park the wheelbarrows, out of site, safe, and clean.
Then pouring the foundations. Amazing how much cement this consumes. I will list the total materials list later.
So the main wall has an average height of only 1.2m, but as it was to be a retaining wall, I wanted it 3 bricks wide. So, foundations are 600x 250. The smaller one, rhs of this above pic is for a 2 brick wall, so its 400x150 foundation.
We also had to accommodate a ramp, so that a) the bikes could be taken up and down, and the lawnmower needs to get to the lawn, and then back up to the lockup.
Builders are seriously messy, and wasteful. However, as I had them doing the work mainly over weekends, I was there to supervise, and kick arse.
So, the retaining walls were done, and back fill started. The project was looking more and more like I had planned.
Pouring of the slab was done over two days. It totaled around 40m2 at the top, and another 7-8m2 on the bottom slab.
The finished product:-
So, the Venter trailer needed to be parked, secured, and out of the way. No problem. Mount a tow hitch ball to the wall, and hook it up!
SO you would think that's done then. Not so, I had a mountain of materials left. So, look around, and decide to keep going. I had for a long time wanted to "clean up" the sections between the retaining wall ramparts (is that what they are called?). So I discussed this with the builder, we agreed a price, and they got going on "phase II"!
This is much simpler, narrow and shallow foundations for a 2 - 4 brick high single brick walls. Except for the corner unit, where I want to put a 5000lt Jo-Jo to catch up rainwater. There we going to pour a 100mm slab. For the rest, depending on how much building material I have left, 50 mm slab, or no slab. In that case I'm going to have some good soil delivered, and create vegetable gardens! Watch this space!!
Will post more in my next blog. We nearly done now. Just have to compact and then pour the main slab.
So what did I have to buy?
1000 stock bricks. Do you know they now cost ZAR1.00 each (delivered)?
4m3 of concrete mix (That's stone and sand mixed)
2m3 of plaster sand
2m3 of building sand
64 bags cement
4m3 of unsifted building sand for filling (compacts very very well).
Needless to say the calculations were wrong. But after phase II of the project I have finished the bricks, including about 800 I had here left over for the original house build.
We have finished the building sand. The plaster sand that's left, maybe 2 wheelbarrows full will be used to finish the back fill of the corner unit. And there is just about enough building mix for the 2 proposed slabs. Oh, and now only 5 bags of cement.
Cost:-
Labour for phase I - ZAR 9,500
Materials total - ZAr 10,000
Labour phase II - ZAR 1,000 to date. Probaly another ZAR 600 or so to go.
After this, I don't think we will be doing any building work here for a while.
Salagatle!
So, the fix was to build some retaining walls, back fill, and then throw a slab. Plus, LuckyL now has a car, and we have a "Venter" trailer, and the bike trailer (Parked here by a mate who does not have space for it), and 2 x XR200 Honda off-road bikes..
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| So basically a "space" partially covered by the carport, that could kind of accommodate one car. Venter trailer and bike trailer and one of the XR200 off-roads in the pic. O, and a pile of rubble I had the gardener dump there in anticipation of this back fill need. (Some months ago, so it's really overgrown) |
So, I mark out the proposed walling, and the foundations dig starts.
 |
| One by Zimbabwean laborer (with work permit) doing the digging. |
As is usual with these kind of jobs, you add on, make changes as you go along. So I had them dig an extra foundation for a low (1 - 3 brick high) wall. After pouring a slab on that, we would have a place to park the 2 x Honda's, and park the wheelbarrows, out of site, safe, and clean.
Then pouring the foundations. Amazing how much cement this consumes. I will list the total materials list later.
We also had to accommodate a ramp, so that a) the bikes could be taken up and down, and the lawnmower needs to get to the lawn, and then back up to the lockup.
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| So a foundation for a wall that will form the side of the ramp. |
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| Aerial view of the planned lower slab, for the bikes and wheel barrows and stuff. |
The finished product:-
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| Bike trailer parking |
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| Ramp and bottom slab |
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| Another view |
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| Overview of the finished area! |
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| Ball on the wall |
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| Trailer, hooked up and secure, oh, and it tucks nicely behind the wall too! |
This is much simpler, narrow and shallow foundations for a 2 - 4 brick high single brick walls. Except for the corner unit, where I want to put a 5000lt Jo-Jo to catch up rainwater. There we going to pour a 100mm slab. For the rest, depending on how much building material I have left, 50 mm slab, or no slab. In that case I'm going to have some good soil delivered, and create vegetable gardens! Watch this space!!
 |
| 2 Of the smaller "boxes" in front. The bigger "corner unit" for the Jo-JO is seen top right of the pic. |
So what did I have to buy?
1000 stock bricks. Do you know they now cost ZAR1.00 each (delivered)?
4m3 of concrete mix (That's stone and sand mixed)
2m3 of plaster sand
2m3 of building sand
64 bags cement
4m3 of unsifted building sand for filling (compacts very very well).
Needless to say the calculations were wrong. But after phase II of the project I have finished the bricks, including about 800 I had here left over for the original house build.
We have finished the building sand. The plaster sand that's left, maybe 2 wheelbarrows full will be used to finish the back fill of the corner unit. And there is just about enough building mix for the 2 proposed slabs. Oh, and now only 5 bags of cement.
Cost:-
Labour for phase I - ZAR 9,500
Materials total - ZAr 10,000
Labour phase II - ZAR 1,000 to date. Probaly another ZAR 600 or so to go.
After this, I don't think we will be doing any building work here for a while.
Salagatle!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
For my next project
Apart from the power outages, probably more serious is water outages. Yup, it happens, and it's no problem for a few hours, but when it goes overnight, or worse still, for 2 - 3 days, you realize that water is definitely more important then electricity!
So, we have a few options here. One would be to install a tank in the roof of the house. This would fill up, and feed the rest of the house. In the event of water cuts for whatever reason, you would still have that amount of water available to use. This would be limited due to the weight on the roof beams. Probably 200 - 400 liters I suppose.
Another option is to put a tank in the line outside. In my case, I have a steep downhill driveway, so I could bury a tank into the ground, with the municipal water feed feeding into the tank, and from there feeding to the house. This would give me more water storage capacity. A JoJo tank of about 5000 lt could easily suffice.
Problems could be with digging the hole. It's all rock down there, and could require serious jackhammers, or even controlled blasting. But it's an option, and under consideration. I could just surface mount it, and have the same availability, just not a nice feature. (Maybe I can install it under the entrance, in the space currently utilized as sleeping quarters for the dogs, now there's a thought!)
Apart from this, I am also looking at installing 1 or 2 5000 Lt tanks below the driveway (at the garage end) to catch rainwater. Due to the steep fall of the driveway, and the size of the houses roof, there is a big catchment of rainwater available. Currently it runs down the drive, across the lawn, and seeps into the ground. Storing this would have dual purpose. In the event of water cuts, it could be used for grey water purpose (flushing toilets) and under normal condition's, for watering of the garden and lawns. It would be easy to install a low pressure pump, and irrigation system, and put it all on a timer, and have the garden watered every night.
In this case, their positioning would be such that they would not be an eye sore, and well hidden. All that's required is a concrete slab (will have to be reinforced due to their weight when full).
The above solutions are all on the drawing board, as well as on the back burner due to financial constraints. Any comments on the above, (or advice Fishman) would be most welcome. Fishman, for those of you who don't know, is a fellow blogger, but also a personal mate. No, we don't live on each others doorsteps, but he's a damn fine guy, and a handy man like myself, and usually has some good advise to share.
Salagatle!
So, we have a few options here. One would be to install a tank in the roof of the house. This would fill up, and feed the rest of the house. In the event of water cuts for whatever reason, you would still have that amount of water available to use. This would be limited due to the weight on the roof beams. Probably 200 - 400 liters I suppose.
Another option is to put a tank in the line outside. In my case, I have a steep downhill driveway, so I could bury a tank into the ground, with the municipal water feed feeding into the tank, and from there feeding to the house. This would give me more water storage capacity. A JoJo tank of about 5000 lt could easily suffice.
 |
| Available from 1,000lt to 20,000 lt |
Apart from this, I am also looking at installing 1 or 2 5000 Lt tanks below the driveway (at the garage end) to catch rainwater. Due to the steep fall of the driveway, and the size of the houses roof, there is a big catchment of rainwater available. Currently it runs down the drive, across the lawn, and seeps into the ground. Storing this would have dual purpose. In the event of water cuts, it could be used for grey water purpose (flushing toilets) and under normal condition's, for watering of the garden and lawns. It would be easy to install a low pressure pump, and irrigation system, and put it all on a timer, and have the garden watered every night.
The above solutions are all on the drawing board, as well as on the back burner due to financial constraints. Any comments on the above, (or advice Fishman) would be most welcome. Fishman, for those of you who don't know, is a fellow blogger, but also a personal mate. No, we don't live on each others doorsteps, but he's a damn fine guy, and a handy man like myself, and usually has some good advise to share.
Salagatle!
Power outages - a la Africa!
So, 2 yrs ago we had some serious power outages, and load sharing with power across the country. The generator (ESKOM) said that it was out of their control, they needed to increase their charges, and had to build a barrow full of new power stations. As soon as they got budget for new plants, and an increase of around 33% for their power, no more outages? HUH?
OK, so last week we had load sharing in our town. I think it was an isolated case, where a substation suffered a loss of a technical sort, and there was no standby unit available, so they took 2 - 3 days to repair. Shit happens - live with it.
What we did 2 yrs ago was buy generators for personal use. Those with big bank accounts bought big units, which are connected into their power grids, and when the national source goes down, the generators kick in automatically and power up the whole house. And when the grid comes back on line, it recognizes this, and shuts down again. Nice, simple, damn expensive.
Those like me, went out and bough smaller units (mine cost ZAR3500.00). It's a 6.5 KvA (is it? must check). Every time we needed power, I would start it up, and run a long extension to the house, and connect the fridge (one in the kitchen) and the TV. Same with the Queenies flat, TV and refrigerator. However, the extension cords get in the way, get dirty and then dirty the carpets (in Queenies flat), etc.
So this past weekend I installed a permanent set up. I bought dedicated plug points, as well as dedicated plugs. I bought two dedicated extensions.
So, I moved the generator to underneath the outside staircase. Lots of wasted space there, safe from the dogs, and can't hear it from inside. Drilled two holes through to the garage.
Then, went behind the refrigerator upstairs in our home, and popped a hole through the tiles and slab, and wherever it came out in the garage was fine!
The I measured the distance from the corner to the dividing wall, at the far end of the garage, to try and work out where to put the plug in the flat. Took the drill, went into the flat, sucked in my gut and drilled through as close to the BIC as I could. Damn, I cleared the wall by millimeters. 5mm to the left, and I would have hit the connecting wall, and not had access for the cable.
That done I installed the two dedicated plug points.
Pulled in the cables.
Then, outside, I fitted two plug point to the wall. One for the house, one for the flat.
Connected two short leads to the generator, and into the plugs. And that's me done. In business. Now, if the power goes down, all that needs to happen is for someone to start the generator, it has a battery for electric start, and a pull handle if the battery is flat.
But, I found that you can jump start it with the motorbike, so no pulling required. Then, when it's up to speed, switch the isolator on the generator to on, and there you go. Queenie can then connect her TV set up to the one extension, her fridge or kettle to the other. And the Princess can get one of us to do the same in the house.
Anyone need some assistance / guidance on doing something similar at their home, give me a call.
Salagatle!
OK, so last week we had load sharing in our town. I think it was an isolated case, where a substation suffered a loss of a technical sort, and there was no standby unit available, so they took 2 - 3 days to repair. Shit happens - live with it.
What we did 2 yrs ago was buy generators for personal use. Those with big bank accounts bought big units, which are connected into their power grids, and when the national source goes down, the generators kick in automatically and power up the whole house. And when the grid comes back on line, it recognizes this, and shuts down again. Nice, simple, damn expensive.
Those like me, went out and bough smaller units (mine cost ZAR3500.00). It's a 6.5 KvA (is it? must check). Every time we needed power, I would start it up, and run a long extension to the house, and connect the fridge (one in the kitchen) and the TV. Same with the Queenies flat, TV and refrigerator. However, the extension cords get in the way, get dirty and then dirty the carpets (in Queenies flat), etc.
So this past weekend I installed a permanent set up. I bought dedicated plug points, as well as dedicated plugs. I bought two dedicated extensions.
So, I moved the generator to underneath the outside staircase. Lots of wasted space there, safe from the dogs, and can't hear it from inside. Drilled two holes through to the garage.
Then, went behind the refrigerator upstairs in our home, and popped a hole through the tiles and slab, and wherever it came out in the garage was fine!
The I measured the distance from the corner to the dividing wall, at the far end of the garage, to try and work out where to put the plug in the flat. Took the drill, went into the flat, sucked in my gut and drilled through as close to the BIC as I could. Damn, I cleared the wall by millimeters. 5mm to the left, and I would have hit the connecting wall, and not had access for the cable.
That done I installed the two dedicated plug points.
 |
| Floor mounted plugs in the house, behind the fridge. |
 |
| Dedicated plug point in Queenies cottage. Will be out of view when the puts her bedside chair back in it's place. |
Pulled in the cables.
Then, outside, I fitted two plug point to the wall. One for the house, one for the flat.
Connected two short leads to the generator, and into the plugs. And that's me done. In business. Now, if the power goes down, all that needs to happen is for someone to start the generator, it has a battery for electric start, and a pull handle if the battery is flat.
 |
| Top view of the generator in it's new place. 20lt tank. Can run for up to 10 hours. Just need to get a cover for it, for dust and stuff, and maybe put out some rattex for any nasty mice and things who may decide to get into the wiring. |
Anyone need some assistance / guidance on doing something similar at their home, give me a call.
Salagatle!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Storms and strong wind.
So it's electrical storms and strong wind season again here in the highveld. Been in the house 6 yrs now, and thought we had seen the best of it. Well, I think this year the electrical storms are going to get worse, meaning increasd claims from the insurance (and increased excess payments) and probably some damage I would have to sort out myself. Like last night.....
I was up at the gate (reasons will be posted in a separate blog), when we suddenly had a massive gust blowing through. Really strong and frightening stuff. As I was up at the gate, I didn't hear anything, but LuckyL ran up to share the good news with me. Seems the wind got a good hold under the roof overhang, and blew the tiles into disarray! Some / many just moved, some fell down. Now you need to appreciate that at this point, the roof is 3 stories high. That's 9 meter plus! I am so glad that there was nothing below the falling tiles. Any car or bike would have been badly damaged. Any person, or dog could have been killed!!!
Herewith some photos, taken this morning. I got the builder out, and we confirmed that there are between 5 and 8 tiles to be replaced, but they are also going to screw down the front two rows of tiles to ensure this does not happen again. I'm also, for now anyway, not going to put a claim in to the insurance, as the cost will probably be lower than my excess anyway.
Will let you know how thi spans out!
Salagatle!
I was up at the gate (reasons will be posted in a separate blog), when we suddenly had a massive gust blowing through. Really strong and frightening stuff. As I was up at the gate, I didn't hear anything, but LuckyL ran up to share the good news with me. Seems the wind got a good hold under the roof overhang, and blew the tiles into disarray! Some / many just moved, some fell down. Now you need to appreciate that at this point, the roof is 3 stories high. That's 9 meter plus! I am so glad that there was nothing below the falling tiles. Any car or bike would have been badly damaged. Any person, or dog could have been killed!!!
Herewith some photos, taken this morning. I got the builder out, and we confirmed that there are between 5 and 8 tiles to be replaced, but they are also going to screw down the front two rows of tiles to ensure this does not happen again. I'm also, for now anyway, not going to put a claim in to the insurance, as the cost will probably be lower than my excess anyway.
Salagatle!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Felt like a bit of steak on Sunday
Sunday lunch is a non event in our household. Either we go to my Mom's for lunch, which is usually great, or we stay home, and the Princess cooks, but we don't do the whole 4 course thing. Lunch is lunch.
Yesteray, the Princess felt like some steak, so I did it on the gar braai, and she did some salads and stuff.
The kids were away, LuckyL on prefects camp for the weekend, and GMan at the casino (where else). So we invited Queenie up for lunch.
A piece of steak, some salads, fresh rolls, what more can a man ask for!
Salagatle!
Yesteray, the Princess felt like some steak, so I did it on the gar braai, and she did some salads and stuff.
 |
| Like I said, a bit of steak! |
A piece of steak, some salads, fresh rolls, what more can a man ask for!
Salagatle!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Domestics and appliances
So, one thing that's a given in South Africa is that no matter how well trained, or how long they have been doing the same work, your domestic maid will, on a regular basis, break stuff. No, not the occasional glass or plate, more like the occasional iron, or vacuum cleaner!
Yup, irons last on average 6 months. Sometimes it's just a matter of sorting out the electrical lead and / or plug. Usually the thing is just completely fucked. So the Princess has now resorted to buying them at the local Pick and Pay, where they are relatively cheap, and last as long as the more expensive one's do.
Ironing boards, maybe a year. How they manage to break them to the extent that they do is beyond me. Completely and utterly stuffed. The last one you could not even recognise for what it was! What the hell do they do with this stuff?
Then there's the more expensive stuff, like vacuum cleaners. The last one was incredible. We had inherited it
from a friend who passed in 2000. Not too sure how long he had it, but it was a while. We used it for 4 yrs in out previous home, and then this maid used it in our current home for the past 6 yrs. Oh, but that's a long time overall I hear you say. Maybe so, but the one in my garage, which is used for industrial purposes still works, and its more than 15 years old!
Given, it does not get used twice a week, but it does suck up wood chips, nails, dust, spider webs, pop rivets, etc. The one upstairs didn't have any wheels anymore? What the F? Where are they? How the hell did they come off? Do you drag it up the stairway? The cord retraction system didn't work anymore. The piping was fucked, more duct tape keeping it together than original piping material. And then it just gave up.
When I took it downstairs to see if I could resuscitate it, I realized that it had reached the end of it's useful life. There were parts of the motor falling around in the housing. There were bolts and nuts in there that didn't even belong to the unit! That's leads me to think that maybe a certain level of sabotage was involved here!!!! My garage unit still has all it's parts, no duct tape holding the piping together, all it's wheels...... eish!
Anyway, so on Saturday me and the Princess pop down to Clearwater Mall (LIU) to do a spot of shopping. Finished there, I said lets pop into Makro and see what they have in vacuum cleaners. We looked, but decided to shop cheap, as it's going to get broken quickly anyway. The one we found looked fine, and robust, and of course, they had no stock.
Now the Game group is linked to the Makro group. They carry similar stock, but not similar pricing. But they do advocate to meet or better any price for same goods! So, Sunday morning, after having done my newspaper and bread rolls purchase, I drove down to our local Game store.
Looked around, and I found the identical vacuum cleaner. Only problem was it was ZAR200 more!!
No problem. I find a salesman, show him the photo f the price tag I took at Makro, point to their boards advertising the fact that they will match any price, and tell him to go make a call. He comes back and says that Makro is cheaper, but they don't have to match the price as Makro has no stock! Issit!!?!!?! I said. Did you call every single Makro in the country to check? No. Good, call me a manager. Someone with grey matter. So we wander down to the managers station, call her on the intercom, and she coms over. From there it was easy. Makro has no stock. I can either put my name on a list with them, and wait for the product to arrive, and get it at the currently advertised price, or you can phone every single Makro in the country till you confirm they have none, or you can discount this unit for me.
Needless to say, she wasn't in the mood to argue, and I got the vacuum cleaner at the Makro price. Nice. So, the Princess has a new vacuum cleaner, I'm ZAR499 out of pocket, and the bets are on for how long this thing gonna take to break!
Salagatle!
Yup, irons last on average 6 months. Sometimes it's just a matter of sorting out the electrical lead and / or plug. Usually the thing is just completely fucked. So the Princess has now resorted to buying them at the local Pick and Pay, where they are relatively cheap, and last as long as the more expensive one's do.
Ironing boards, maybe a year. How they manage to break them to the extent that they do is beyond me. Completely and utterly stuffed. The last one you could not even recognise for what it was! What the hell do they do with this stuff?
Then there's the more expensive stuff, like vacuum cleaners. The last one was incredible. We had inherited it
from a friend who passed in 2000. Not too sure how long he had it, but it was a while. We used it for 4 yrs in out previous home, and then this maid used it in our current home for the past 6 yrs. Oh, but that's a long time overall I hear you say. Maybe so, but the one in my garage, which is used for industrial purposes still works, and its more than 15 years old!
Given, it does not get used twice a week, but it does suck up wood chips, nails, dust, spider webs, pop rivets, etc. The one upstairs didn't have any wheels anymore? What the F? Where are they? How the hell did they come off? Do you drag it up the stairway? The cord retraction system didn't work anymore. The piping was fucked, more duct tape keeping it together than original piping material. And then it just gave up.
When I took it downstairs to see if I could resuscitate it, I realized that it had reached the end of it's useful life. There were parts of the motor falling around in the housing. There were bolts and nuts in there that didn't even belong to the unit! That's leads me to think that maybe a certain level of sabotage was involved here!!!! My garage unit still has all it's parts, no duct tape holding the piping together, all it's wheels...... eish!
Anyway, so on Saturday me and the Princess pop down to Clearwater Mall (LIU) to do a spot of shopping. Finished there, I said lets pop into Makro and see what they have in vacuum cleaners. We looked, but decided to shop cheap, as it's going to get broken quickly anyway. The one we found looked fine, and robust, and of course, they had no stock.
Now the Game group is linked to the Makro group. They carry similar stock, but not similar pricing. But they do advocate to meet or better any price for same goods! So, Sunday morning, after having done my newspaper and bread rolls purchase, I drove down to our local Game store.
Looked around, and I found the identical vacuum cleaner. Only problem was it was ZAR200 more!!
 |
| This is the Makro Price - ZAR 499.00 |
 |
| And this is the price at Game - ZAR699.99 |
 |
| The new vacuum cleaner - smaller, lighter, more robust, and cheaper.... |
Needless to say, she wasn't in the mood to argue, and I got the vacuum cleaner at the Makro price. Nice. So, the Princess has a new vacuum cleaner, I'm ZAR499 out of pocket, and the bets are on for how long this thing gonna take to break!
Salagatle!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
As usual in Africa
Every winter, we are inundated with veld fires (LIU). For whatever reason, every winter the locals set fire to every bit of veld that's covered in dead veld grass, so we have a constant horizon that's blurred, and smokey. The threat to farms, and the actulal loss of livestock every year it enourmous. Yet, they continue to do it. Fire engines are constantly being called to help control many of these firs, as they can get quite close to residential dwellings.
The attached photos I took from the deck at our home. We overlook the neighbors place, and a few days ago, the veld below their place was set alight. I spotted the neighbor walking all along his fence as the flames made their way down, trying to keep them back using his garden hose, which would have been of no help had the flames jumped into the trees on his property.
It soon burned itself out, without anything more than an inconveninace to all those living in the area caused mainly due to smoke, and soot flying around. At least now that's done, so we wont have to worry about it till next year this time.
Salagatle!
The attached photos I took from the deck at our home. We overlook the neighbors place, and a few days ago, the veld below their place was set alight. I spotted the neighbor walking all along his fence as the flames made their way down, trying to keep them back using his garden hose, which would have been of no help had the flames jumped into the trees on his property.
Salagatle!
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
And another productive addition
Due to there being so many crash helmets in the household, I got pissed off cause they are always just left "somewhere" in the garage. On the floor, hanging on the bikse mirrors, in the bloody way.
So I made these two helmet holders, with some assistance from LuckyL.
Sorted.
Salagatle!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Stuff for this week
Last night for the first time in a long time I went down to the club. Sat and watch some one playing the cherry master for a while - she put in a bout R600 / R800 then had to go. I put in R100, and by the time I got down to R50 - I got this full screen, and cashed out R800.Then I went home.
My brother said in the past week that his father in law, as a retirement fund raising effort, and to keep himself busy, collects old / unused / broken stuff, fixes it, and then sells it at the local auction. So, I took a look around the storeroom and garage, and in about10 minutes I filled the trailer. See above
As well as most of these files - not all - needed to keep some for future use,
And my whole collection of ties, excluding those I kept which I wear - about 10 off. In total about 150 ties were given away!!!Among the stuff described above were a couple of old wallets, cheque book holders, letter trays and letter openers. Calculators (those little nasty one's you get fro free with Readers Digest promotions), a torch (new), a couple of bed side lamps, not matched, 3 desk top lamps, a whole lot of old plugs, double adapters, old wall plugs....
Some kids toys, 2 camping / garden lamps - both in good working condition.. 2 baskets, a Desktop World Globe, a dozen or so plastic flower pots, and more.
Anyway, if you look in my garage and store room, you can't see I have taken anything out, so next week I'll be dropping off another load, or two.
Salagatle!
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