Metrorail

Ah, thank goodness it is month end and nearly Friday. This is a view from Metrorail.

Friends cycling

Not much to write home about today but I went to Pretoria to see a potential client and later went to another in Rivonia. I got back home and found Matthew with his friends Cassie and Justin enjoying a beautiful winter’s day cycling.

Leigh’s Farewell

I spent the day at Metrorail looking forward for evening as it was Home Cell. We had a farewell dinner for Leigh. She is one of the world’s top research scientists in the HIV/Aids and Malaria fields and is leaving South Africa for a job in Sweden. This is a big lost for South Africa but she is a good friend and I wish her all the best in the land of the giants. In the photo is Francis, Leigh, Jane and Karin.

Metrorail’s Help Desk

Refiloe runs the Metrorail Help Desk. Listening to some of the requests from the users are comical. My main developing computer is standing. Kaspersky has not found anything.

Zach

Matthew’s hair is getting very long. He loves the TV series Zach and Cody and is growing his hair to be like the twins. Here he is on his PSP in his room.

A Putty Tat Taw Me

Her Ladyship, Brandy keeps a wary eye open most of the time as Maxy terrorizes her often. Maxy knows that Brandy is petrified of him and takes any opportunity he can to stamp his dominance. She is not a bad ol' putty tat. But today is Carol and I's annerversary. We have been married for 11 years and have a lovely son.

Soweto Billionaire

Let me introduce to you Sibusiso, a Soweto Billionaire in the making. He is a young man who is looking ahead and is one the founders of The Soweto Billionaires Club. Coming home tonight from a long day a Metrorail, I found that my main developing computer is displaying virus like characteristics. Oh Brother. What could the matter be?

De Villiers Street

During lunch time at Metrorail, José and I took a walk to the “other side” of Park Station. Here we found beautiful buildings that are in a sad state of neglect. Along De Villiers Street we found this building. It looks that it was once part of the old south station and is now used by the Freedom Community School. Look at the elephants and the castings images of the Great Trek. There even was a wonderful old church with this large rose window which next time I would take a picture of.

Pretty in Pink

The twins Haddasha and Jessica came around to spend some time on the trampoline. See how they watch Maxy carefully not too sure if he is at a safe distance away.

Hide and Seek

Found her, here is Whiskey hiding under the dining room table.

Place Baby Here!

Marie Stopes Clinics are at it again. Here on a street corner in Randburg is a rubbish bin advertising Female Sterilization and Safe Abortions. I need a sticker that says “Place Baby Here” to stick onto this rubbish bin.

The boys are back

Some of the neighbourhood boys (Ike, Matthew and Brian) enjoying the Sunday afternoon winter sun.

Family wedding tree

Here are the family weddings on Carol’s side. (From right to left): Jimmy and Daphne (Carol’s mom and dad); Ken and Simone (Carol’s son and daughter-in-law); Darrel and Shannon (Carol’s son-in-law and daughter) and finally but not least Carol and I.

Birthday Boy

José’s birthday today and so also is Nelson Mandela. Well Nelson turned 90, José is only half that. He won’t give me his true age but my guesstimate is about 43-44.

These are strange times

Metrorail again with many a surprising events happening which I can’t write down in case a black van with dark windows picks me up and I find myself at Guantanamo Bay. If I got to know you very well and only if we meet in a crowed venue will I venture to tell you about the events of the day. Anyway just as a consolation prize here is an interesting vehicle which I saw parked on Platform 11. It is Metrorail’s maintenance vehicle that can travel both on the road as well as on the railway tracks.

Food Corner

Felt quite peckish today but didn’t feel like fried chicken which has become my staple diet here at Metrorail, so I took a walk downtown and ended here at the Food Corner, a Greek Café for a Dagwood.

Sandy and Poppie

After a long day at Metrorail, I ended up at Home Cell in the evening which I look forward too during the week. Here is Sandy and Karen also known affectionally as Poppie. She is good looking and single. Because of this I tease her frequently that she should try Australia or New Zealand as they have plenty of lonely sheep farmers. A bonus is that she is a well trained nurse. Any offers?

What happenened to the weekend?

After a restful weekend, I was back at Metrorail and looking forward to the next weekend. At least the Springboks beat the All Blacks in Carisbrook, the House of Pain this pass weekend.

This is Steven

Steven has been staying with us for the last two weeks. This is a mouthful - He is my wife’s late husband’s younger brother. And with him he brought into our peaceful home two cats. Yes you have met them already, Brandy and Whiskey.

Rhino in bakkie

Steven and I went to Boksburg to get some electronic parts to reverse engineer some hardware. I am horrified, we bring in a certain device from Europe that costs us R6000 were as we can build one for only R60. In Boksburg we passed CAM or China Auto Manufacturer, one of the countless new Chinese vehicle manufacturers that have flooded into the country, and we couldn’t help noticing the rhino in the bakkie.

Patrick is back

Patrick and his family is back from his yearly visit to back to France. It was good to catch up with him on top of that it is FRIDAY.

Coffee or Milo

A cold front has hit us after what has been a sort of mild winter. Here is an entrepreneur making most of the freezing weather to sell coffee and milo to passersby outside Metrorail.

Morning traffic

Coming into Braamfontein along Jorissen Street this morning on my way to Metrorail, I was delayed by some traffic. Not bad for rush hour in the city.

15,000

Today I am 15,000 days old and this morning I found my car in this state. I don’t know what happened in a locked garage overnight but nothing was stolen. It was very cold last night but the driver’s side window was down so it could not have been the difference in pressure. Another reason given was that the rear demister was left on but I never use it and how could it work without the ignition on? There were some long pieces that crossed over the demister wires and radiated to a point as if someone smashed the window in.

New rear window - R2,200

Time for a new one to arrive from Korea - 1 week

Birthday present - Priceless

Anyway it is my birthday and I can cry if I want to.

Can like to

Help there is a Vernon Koekoemoer behind me and he can like to wear a black kortbroek, tablecloth shirt and a kiff mullet.

Good News

I have been released by Angie to spread the good news. Angie is 20 months pregnant. She and Gary are going to have a daughter and going by the scans, a beautiful daughter along with what seems like a tattoo. Here is Saskia with the proud parents to be (doesn’t Gary look bewildered to you?)

Friends

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Justin came over after Matthew and I did the monthly grocery shopping at Northgate. They spent the afternoon on the computer and chugging yogurt mixed with milk.

Vulture Culture

The Metrorail’s ICT department went to the Parktonian Hotel for lunch and a motivation afternoon. The buffet lunch was good. Here is the ICT manager, Kevin, trying to find where everyone was. The motivation afternoon was on finding the culture of the department. I don’t think the results were very good but we will find out sometime next week.

Come Alive

Come Alive - No dangerous weapons all we - Help Point – SOS - Info

Just one of those days

It has been one of those days that just drag on and on. By 2pm I was also finished like Masilo here.

All six, seven of us, eight, nine, ten

Our home is feeling full. Along with Brandy and Wiskey, Steven, Connor and Amy are staying here. Full House or what? I think it is getting cold but maybe it is just my early starts to Metrorail.
Popcorn, chewing gum, peanuts and bubble gum
Ice cream, candy floss and Eskimo Pie
Ag daddy how we miss niggerballs and likoriss
Pepsi Cola, ginger beer and Canada Dry
Or maybe it is the cold that is getting to my head.