Day 45 - Lockdown Mother

 

Lockdown Day 45 - It is Mother's Day and my mother is safely tucked away in Sabie away from the maddening crowds whereas Lynda is enjoying Mother's Day with 2 of your boys. I decided to do roast chicken and potatoes for a Sunday lunch. 

Happy Mother's Day Lynda.

From left to right is Nica, Dael, Lynda, Bradley, and Matthew, with me behind the camera.

Weekend Dael

 

I went up to the kitchen make some coffee to take back to the bedroom, and I found Minky our cat squashed up with Dael in the games room. I am not sure what time Dael has to get up for work but that is not our problem as we are planning a late morning although coffee comes first.

Testing a Little Boy

 

After work I went round to pick up Dael who started at a bike place down the road. I found him testing a Big Boy quad bike, well I should think it should be called a Small Boy according to its minute size. 

Biker Interview

 

Mark phoned me during the day, twice in fact, I thought it was good news on my Vespa but it was sadly not about my bike but Mark wanted to know if Dael was still available as he is in desperate need of extra hands. 

After work, I picked up Dael and dropped him for his interview at the new biker's workshop that Mark has partnered with.

Waterproofing

 

We weren't sure if the weather would clear, but it seems that God held the rain at bay especially in our neck of the woods just enough to water proof our leaking flat roof. After getting detailed instructions from Dudley of Rubber It, on how to use his liquid rubber product, we washed down the roof with soapy water and scrapped off any lose material.When that was dry, I sealed all the joints with gauze and acrylic waterproofing paint. Then once that was dry we applied the first coat of the liquid rubber compound to the roof which had to go on in one direction. Then we will leave it to dry overnight and apply a second coat this time in the perpendicular direction tomorrow.

Lets hope the rain will hold off till Monday.

Happy 21st Matt

 

Although your official birthday was a few days back, and this is your 2nd birthday party in a week, I hope this is a good send off into the world of adulting. Happy 21st birthday Matthew. You have grown up to an awesome young man and may your adulting years be just as awesome.

 I can't remember all your friends names

 

Dael, Ryan, Dakotah, Danielle

Jaen

 

Matthew, Danielle, Hans, and oh course Minky

 

 Lynda

Regrow

Winter has been quite harsh to our once lush lawn. Our water bill was extremely high so last year we stopped watering the lawn and it took its toll. Arriving home yesterday, Dael was on the patio and we discussed the lawn. He decided that he will try get the grass back to what used to be.

The trees around the lawn needs trimming back, the irrigation system has been damaged by River Song, our over enthusiastic German cross Belgium Shepherd, to add to the list what needs to be done to get our lawn back to what it was like. Dael gave me a shopping list. Arriving back from the shops I found Dael hard at work in the garden.

Mixed Christmas

Christmas Day we all gathered at Robynne and Marco’s home for a Christmas lunch of mixed traditions. The normal Christmas foods that we are used to plus traditional South African braai, Madeiran Espetadas, and Durban Indian curried prawns. Ahhh these mixed families gatherings like to spice things up.

Merry Christmas everyone

Decontamination

I didn’t get much sleep last night as there was a pair of Staffordshire Bull Terriers or Staffies running outside our yard in the veldt much to the excitement of all the dogs. We asked on the chat forums if anyone are missing any staffies but not a peep. My neighbour Pieter let them into his yard for safekeeping till the morning and that is when our sleepless night started for us and our neighbour. The strange staffies caused all the dogs in the neighbourhood in a barking mood right into the wee hours of this morning.

Good news is that we found the owners first thing in the morning bad news that was not the end of my troubles today.

So here I was trying to keep my open when I got a phone call from Lynda. Ella, her son Dale’s house mate’s Boerboel puppy was very sick with vomiting and loss of appetite. Since their car was still off the road due to being repaired from an accident they had no way to take Ella to the vet. A boerboel is a South African Mastiff a large dog but Ella is still a 6 month old puppy.

I picked up Dael and Ella and took them to the vet. Bad news is that Ella has been diagnosed with a deadly virus called Parvo. She has been hospitalised and treatment will take up to 5 days with 1 out 4 dogs not surviving the treatment.

Since the virus is highly contagious especially to puppies, I had to decontaminate my pickup and as soon as I got home I took a nice long shower. Our dogs are older and although this virus comes from cats it doesn’t affect them but I was taking no chances.

Winter Braai

Oh well, winters here in Jozi and cold at night but wonderfully warm during the day which means we don’t often braai in the evenings during winter until today that is. We got an invitation to a small family braai at Robynne and Marco’s home, so here we are braaing in winter.

Nou gaan ons braai!

Polka Dot Play

After a long day at work selling couches, Dael is relieved to be back home, shoes kicked off, shirt unbuttoned, and relaxed on the polka dot couch playing on his Playstation.

Tuesday, what more can I say?

Iconic Christmas

Family means a lot to me even though I am not one who enjoys too much family company but on Christmas Day family means the most to me especially big family gatherings. During today’s Christmas lunch at Marco and Robynne’s home, Robynne handed me her phone to take a photo of the family and this is the iconic photo taken.

From left to right are Marco, Shekinah, Kojak, John, Joshua, Bradley, Dael, Lynda, and Robynne all in different poses. Sadly Hilton, Matthew, Rebekah and I were out of the photo. Hopefully next year I will rectify that.

Hey Granddad, why did you leave me out?

So as for my family pictured above and those who are not, we wish you all a meaningful Christmas with much peace, joy and most of all, LOVE in abundance.

Vacated Seat

Sitting on the patio has become a pleasant afternoon pastime but be wary, as soon as you get up for a refill, your seat will be taken over by the naughty minks. Yes, Minky feels no shame in finding a lovely warmed seat to enjoy.

Downtown Rebel

To get my leave officially on the go, the weekend needs to start with a celebration, and what better way that to celebrate Dael birthday. Okay it was yesterday, but with all of us at work, it ends up as party time on the weekend. And here is Dael with his Downtown Rebels’ vest on checking out what is on the menu at this dive we ended up at. Well it was a good way to start my leave, lets hope the food was kosher.

Busy Saturday

What a busy Saturday this was. Firstly we went to an Ingress First Saturday event held at Flora Farm in Boksburg. On the way there we picked up Dael and Matthew. We are part of the Northern Ninjas team who fights for the Resistance in this awesome global game. From left to right is Lynda aka BioniKat, me Jerome aka MaxyJade, Matthew aka MasterChiefZA, and Dael aka TaNkErGP.

The Enlightened outnumbered the Resistance at the First Saturday held at Montecasino where we just lost. We got our revenge the following week at the Darsana anomaly where we kicked butt. Today was the second First Saturday event for Johannesburg and 61 Enlightened turned up to face off against 70 Resistance fighters. Okay so I wonder what is the Enlightened’s excuse this time as they lost 5.9mil to our 7.6mil AP? Our scores were Lynda came in 11th out of the 70 Resistance players and overall 21st of all the 131 players. She had a score of 201,876, myself well I came 13th out of 70 and overall 24th out 131 with a score of 197,285, Dael 24th out of 70 and overall 38th out of 131, with a score of 154,234, bonus he managed to level up, and finally Matthew 26th out of 70 and overall 41st out of 131, with a score of 150,822. All I can say we did very well.

After an exhausting day of Ingress, we dropped off the kids and went up to Pretoria for Ella’s 30th birthday pool party, a Hawaiian Luau only to be greeted by a walking pineapple and a sea monster. So this is how my day is going to end. PARTY TIME!

We arrived late, well fashionably late and the party was well on its way. Just Adam was playing on the stage while revellers were in the pool cooling off after a typical summer thunderstorm.

We only knew a few people at the party, but merrymaking we did.

As it got dark, Duncan and Melanie, gave us an awesome display of fire dancing and fire breathing. What an end to a busy day.

Lynda's Day

Mother's Day is a day set aside to celebrate mothers all over the world. After phoning my mommy, Lynda and I met her children for breakfast at Picolinos in Fourways.

Lynda really enjoyed spending time with Robynne, Dael, and Bradley as it is becoming increasing difficult to get them all together in one place for a meal.

Mothers are like buttons. They hold everything together. Happy Mother's Day

Caitlin and Dael

Saturday has somehow arrived while I was helping Robynne and Marco's Drive Me at a function at Moyo. I only arrived back home at 2 this Saturday morning. After a late start I had to crawl out of bed to take Matthew's computer in for repairs, paying bills and some weekly shopping.

In the afternoon, Bradley, Dael and his girlfriend, Caitlin came round for a braai. The weather held for the braai but the early morning bed was starting to take its toll and I was in need of an afternoon nap. Caitlin and Dael are shown above relaxing after the braai.

Dinner for Seven

Dael is up from Durban so it was a perfect opportunity to get all of the van Rooyens in one photograph. So dinner was arranged with all and they arrived in mass along with Marco and Tyrone. Here is Bradley, Robynne, Lynda and Dael getting ready to say cheese, oops my bad took the photo early.