Sunday marks the end of the Everyday 2010 weekend but the start of more focus into the calling to missions. I put it that once we saved we are in the light but we are called not to stay there but to reach out into the darkness, grab a hand and pull them also into the light. Here are Jason, Gary and Jeanette catching at BBC after the Everyday 2010 service.
This morning BBC held missionary workshops which are part of the Everyday 2010 missions' weekend. It is here that I found Mr Cool aka Malcolm at the braai preparing some wors for the borrie rolls.
Many people are leaving Metrorail and now it is Mario's turn. We had a lovely farewell braai at his house with most of the ICT Department turning up. We wish him all the best in the future.
The ICT Department held their monthly departmental meeting in Pretoria today so off we went on the Tshwane Business Express to Pretoria. As usual I take a number of photos of the different trains, wagons and scenery that I come across along the way. Here is one of Metrorail's 10M5 trains from Pretoria zooming past at speed.
Surprise! Greg decided to grace us with his presence today. Although I only saw him for a short while, it was a good visit catching up.
"Uhmm, now let me see, what to do next?" That is the question. What is the way forward? Here is Pieter from Metrorail Pretoria pondering how to fix the magnetic lock with its stripped bolt on the server door.
The weekend is over and I am still tired. I just have to aim for the next weekend. I am seeing more of Sabelo here on the first floor. As you can see he is always smiling even when the pressures of mis-management are getting to him.
It has been a scorcher of a day here in Johannesburg. Matthew return back from Kid's camp with 30 mosquito bites but he enjoyed it. Here is my good friend Dwight under the shade of the "Start" gazebo at BBC promoting the making of tents weekend.
Our good Belgium friend Jackie invited us and some other friends over for dinner while our children were off at Kid’s Camp for the weekend. As usual we had a lovely time at Jackie's. From left to right are Jo, Carol, Clay, Rachael, Jackie, Bruce and Anne.
Some people dress up in their favourite football teams colours on Fridays in support of FIFA 2010 that will hit our shores in June. Mosiuoa as you can see supports the South African national team.
Things are supposed to be speeding up towards the FIFA 2010 but it seems that Metrorail has budget on its mind and it doesn't look good. We are walking a fine line into the future. Sibongile from the Risk Department was very busy last week with NOSA audits but now she has a little bit more time on her hands to chat.
Here is a Toyota Cressida station wagon that has been abandoned at Park Station. I remember seeing it at this same spot but still with wheels and looking in a better condition sometime in the beginning of 2008. It has steadily gotten stripped over last few years. I wonder how long it will stay here before Intersite removes it.
The buzzing from the temperature warning system of the server room is still continuing. I blocked the whining speaker as best I could but it did not help much. Facilities arrived with the aircon people towards the end of the day which hopefully means that it will be fixed tomorrow. Here is Mario and Fannie upstairs in the quieter offices of RCC.
No I am not talking about Google Buzz that was launched last Wednesday but by the alarm that was endlessly buzzing outside the server room ALL DAY. My left ear was aching so much that I still hear the sound three hours after I left the office. Here are Refiloe, Helen and Motloli in an animated discussion, what about I could not hear as my ears were ringing.
After BBC Carol, Matthew and I went off to have a Valentine lunch of sushi at Mino Moto at the Wedge. We as a family really enjoy sushi but don't often get to eat it. So this eat as much sushi as you can was a treat for us. At the same time I am busy formulating a South African version in my mind. You know not with rice but with pap. Watch this space when I release my genius onto an unexpecting South Africa.
It was way over 30 degrees Celsius today so I had to wait until late afternoon before I could take the dogs for a walk in Kingfisher Park in Fourways. I enjoy this park because it is a large open piece of ground with a fence around which suits me as Maxy loves to run and run and run.
Matthew brought home his bean sprout that he has grown in his Natural Science class at school. I wonder if it would reach that castle in the sky by tomorrow morning.
Today Matthew and I are recovering from a little too much sun over the weekend. From what I hear Jean and Andre are too feeling the effects of our father and son weekend camping in the Magaliesberg. For my friends in the eastern United States, I feel for you as I would enjoy just lying in the snow trying to soothe my sun soaked body. But temperatures remain in the low 30s. Anyway how Brandy and Whiskey remain cool under all their fur remains a mystery to me.
After a lovely evening of sitting under the stars watching for meteorites we headed for bed for a good night's sleep. In the morning after breakfast we all headed up to the small pools in the Weikloof where the boys plus Andre played in what we called the Jacuzzi. We enjoyed climbing up and down all the fascinating rock formations in the area. But our time was coming to an end so we had to head back. On arriving back we caught a family of warthogs raiding the campsite and eating anything they could find. The father and mother with their four offspring were quite sufficient in smelling out all the tasty treats left at camp while the owners were out hiking. Here you can see mum and three of the baby hogs making a get away from the stand next to ours after being surprised by us.
Matthew and I were invited to Rudolf's birthday party of a father and son weekend away in the mountains. We joined four other dads and five sons at the Mountain Sanctuary Park in the Magaliesberg Mountains just over an hour's drive from Johannesburg. Armed with our sleeping bags and tent we weren't sure what to expect but we knew that it would be an unforgettable weekend. We arrived at the campsite just after 12pm and I started meeting the other fathers while Matthew already knew some of the boys. After lunch and pitching the tents we hiked up to the Grotto and while the fathers rested the boys played in the waterfall, in the cave behind the waterfall and pools. Here are the boys Calvin, Matthew, Matthew, Sanveer, Herman and Rudolf. We were on top of our rocky world.
Thank goodness that Friday has finally come. My heart has not been in my work this week. José should notice that his desk is well used by Johani who has perfected eating fried chicken while typing on away at his laptop.
I met with Robbie today to discuss a way forward as I seem to have hit a wall. By the end of the day there was at least some light.
Oo griet, please tell me, Bennie Boekwurm, that this has all been just a dream and that monkey is not riding on his barrel. Tjoef tjaf, I wake up and my coffee is cold. After such a let down by Metrorail, my mind is not in it anymore. At least my name isn't Lavina. Haai oe Blommie, here is Willie deciding what to buy for lunch from Chicken Licken. Ek wil nou nie snaaks wees nie, maar I think I am losing my mind.