Good day to any who may be reading this.
I have been incommunicado since Thursday last week owing to some person at Telkom mistakenly disconnecting our ADLS line and then having it reconnected to another number...clever, very clever.
Today is Thursday which means that I have managed to keep going for two weeks now. Most encouraging is the increase in fitness, decrease in time, and the increase in technical prowess too. Just when I clear one challenging climb high on the thought that I might wax the next one, I botch the line and end up hike-a-biking to the next section where I can remount and continue my war on cardio-vascular slovenliness.
I had given my bike to a customer to use for the weekend past, but it was not back before Monday morning so I compelled myself to go for a run on the same track that I walk. OK, well maybe "run" is not the right word for what I do. A spirited shuffle is more the correct description for my lumbering gait. Gets me there and back though so no complaints on my side. Not lifting your feet too high does have disadvantages though, these were convincingly illustrated when twice I hooked my toe on a rock and a low root. Both occasions i nearly went sprawling, but it seemed that I was caught by a guardian angel and spared the personal embarrassment as well as the discomfort of grazes, cuts and bruises.
Just had a very interesting chat with a customer. He has lent me a book to read called Sketches From Church History. I look forward to reading this but I expect that The Great Controversy would be a more 'strong meat' read. Thinking of which, I need to read that book again. There are always things popping up when one reads a book again that you did not notice or remember from the last reading. In times past, I had frequently read a book, enjoyed it immensely, finished and put it down and then realised that there is precious little that I can recall from the story. I wonder if this is not a bit like when you drive somewhere and upon arrival find that you cannot remember much of the journey.
Are we present-minded all the time?
I have started reading the Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain to my children. I must admit that it is well written (being that old, could it possibly be otherwise?). Such lovely language. Tom Sawyer reminds me of the mischief of my youngest son and I begin to muse whether this tale is not putting ideas into his head. I suppose the story can be as much a handbook on how not to behave with explanations interjected by the reader as to why we should not do that.
Later today, I have a Jewish gentleman coming to fetch Walter Veith's Life at It's Best, who knows, with the work of the Holy Spirit, this man might end up watching the rest of the Total Onslaught series. Pray for him please....
Off to fetch my oldest son from school now. Speak to you another time.
Thursday 18 August 2011
Monday 8 August 2011
From out of the Water....Again
Monday is here, and what a beautiful one it is. The middle of Winter and the sun seems to have shone more often than not. The cold snaps have been quite intense but never very long.
Today I had my 3rd training ride. I skipped Saturday owing to it being the Sabbath and needing to get myself , wife and kids sorted out for church and collecting Auntie Helen on time too, I hate being late, but I find being too early is also no good.
I went to Plumstead church first and then on the the Grassy Park SDA congregation to witness for our DVD Ministry. I think that ministry is going rather well.
Sunday was my youngest son Brynn's birthday party out at the Chrysalis Academy in Tokai forest. We had a Bootcamp party for him and it was fabulous, sunny but not too warm with fantastic staff running the event.
There is one particular obstacle which is my oldest son's nemesis, he did not conquer it last time, nor this time. But, being a galant dad, I was eager to show him that big people can do it. Basically you have to hang from a thick rope and cross a water pit that is more akin to a bog with tyres in it.
I am still not sure of my motive, whether really to encourage Marlo or if it was pride, however, partway across something dropped from one of my pockets into the murky depths of the water pit that one has to cross. Someone said, "what fell from your pocket? It was green". I could remember nothing green in my pocket, besides, I had already given Marlo my cell phone and camera to hold while I showed him how it was done. A little moment later something else fell out of a pocket, but hey, I was almost there. Standing on the edge eventually, another bystander said that something had fallen from my pocket and enquired if I had everything important, I recounted that my son had it in his hands.
Well, then this same person said "what about your car key?"...............! OH, NO WAY ! My car key had been in my pocket and was now ensconced in the murky grave of the tyre and water pit. Some moments later I found myself resolutely stripping off my warm clothes in the cold shade of the edge of the forest, knowing that I had a huge task ahead of me. I climbed in......Yaahhh!, the water was freezing. (Praise God that our Baptismal Font is warmer than that, we may otherwise have to treat the pastors for hypothermia afterwards.) I started removing tyres, there were lots of them, check inside each one and then shuffle on to the next one all the while systematically probing the sludge at the bottom with my toes hoping that I find the keys quickly.
My beloved brother , Kyle jumped in too, thank the Lord for that. We removed all the tyres and pine cones and bricks and concrete blocks and branches and his feet found the errant key first, then we searched for another person's cell phone that had been dropped in about a month ago. Turns out that it is a waterproof Samsung that they were playing with to show that it is waterproof and then some unlucky soul dropped it in the drink. When Kyle found that, it too looked in good nick and as a bonus the electronics on my car key remote still worked too.
There were 81 tyres in that pit.....
I had been humbled....profoundly. There are maybe not many things in this world for a proud father more humbling than traipsing around at your own child's birthday party in nothing but your long johns and then having to clean up a bog. Man, that's one for the books!
Oh yes, my training ride this morning was awesome. I feel like going a different route but know that I should stick to this one for a week, then make an adjustment. Turns out that I need a new rear tyre too, pity.
Today I had my 3rd training ride. I skipped Saturday owing to it being the Sabbath and needing to get myself , wife and kids sorted out for church and collecting Auntie Helen on time too, I hate being late, but I find being too early is also no good.
I went to Plumstead church first and then on the the Grassy Park SDA congregation to witness for our DVD Ministry. I think that ministry is going rather well.
Sunday was my youngest son Brynn's birthday party out at the Chrysalis Academy in Tokai forest. We had a Bootcamp party for him and it was fabulous, sunny but not too warm with fantastic staff running the event.
There is one particular obstacle which is my oldest son's nemesis, he did not conquer it last time, nor this time. But, being a galant dad, I was eager to show him that big people can do it. Basically you have to hang from a thick rope and cross a water pit that is more akin to a bog with tyres in it.
I am still not sure of my motive, whether really to encourage Marlo or if it was pride, however, partway across something dropped from one of my pockets into the murky depths of the water pit that one has to cross. Someone said, "what fell from your pocket? It was green". I could remember nothing green in my pocket, besides, I had already given Marlo my cell phone and camera to hold while I showed him how it was done. A little moment later something else fell out of a pocket, but hey, I was almost there. Standing on the edge eventually, another bystander said that something had fallen from my pocket and enquired if I had everything important, I recounted that my son had it in his hands.
Well, then this same person said "what about your car key?"...............! OH, NO WAY ! My car key had been in my pocket and was now ensconced in the murky grave of the tyre and water pit. Some moments later I found myself resolutely stripping off my warm clothes in the cold shade of the edge of the forest, knowing that I had a huge task ahead of me. I climbed in......Yaahhh!, the water was freezing. (Praise God that our Baptismal Font is warmer than that, we may otherwise have to treat the pastors for hypothermia afterwards.) I started removing tyres, there were lots of them, check inside each one and then shuffle on to the next one all the while systematically probing the sludge at the bottom with my toes hoping that I find the keys quickly.
My beloved brother , Kyle jumped in too, thank the Lord for that. We removed all the tyres and pine cones and bricks and concrete blocks and branches and his feet found the errant key first, then we searched for another person's cell phone that had been dropped in about a month ago. Turns out that it is a waterproof Samsung that they were playing with to show that it is waterproof and then some unlucky soul dropped it in the drink. When Kyle found that, it too looked in good nick and as a bonus the electronics on my car key remote still worked too.
There were 81 tyres in that pit.....
I had been humbled....profoundly. There are maybe not many things in this world for a proud father more humbling than traipsing around at your own child's birthday party in nothing but your long johns and then having to clean up a bog. Man, that's one for the books!
Oh yes, my training ride this morning was awesome. I feel like going a different route but know that I should stick to this one for a week, then make an adjustment. Turns out that I need a new rear tyre too, pity.
Day 2 out of 6
Yes...that's it folks, day 2 out of 6. Why 6 you may ask, well it seems to take me 6 training days before my body cottons on to the notion of repeated training and exercise becoming part of my way of life again. It's just too easy to give up before training day 6 arrives.
Also, after 1 week, I usually can discern a change in my fitness which translates into a more enjoyable exercise experience spurring one on to continue.
There is an AIM meeting tonight at Plumstead which I hope to attend. During the Muslim month of Ramadan, we will seek to understand our neighbours better. There is just so much to learn....
Also, after 1 week, I usually can discern a change in my fitness which translates into a more enjoyable exercise experience spurring one on to continue.
There is an AIM meeting tonight at Plumstead which I hope to attend. During the Muslim month of Ramadan, we will seek to understand our neighbours better. There is just so much to learn....
Thursday 4 August 2011
Another New Beginning.
For those of you who are my new friends, you will most likely have a better idea about the motivation for the title of this Blog. September 2009 was a watershed in my life. This weekend on Sabbath morning, I will again testify to this change in my life. That September was a time of the most bitter anguish and heart-break, witnessed only by my God and Savior, nobody else had an idea. Apparently I suffer from a syndrome called "Poker Face", a throwback to my days racing and pretending that everything is just peachy and that I am not hurting in the least. Fortunately, He stepped in, I was hurting badly.
Well here I am......I have officially been off the bike for one and a half years now and I have begun to miss the feeling of wind rushing past my face and the fighter-pilot feel of technical singletrack at speed. OK, I admit it, I have missed it for quite awhile now but have been busy (and lazy). Self-justification will get me nowhere in this matter.
A couple of months ago, I met an incredible man, Dr Ron du Preez. He was here to run the Two Oceans Marathon and also speak at the Gauteng Camp Meeting. As with a lot of Adventists, he is a man whose physical appearance completely misrepresents his life's cumulative experiences. What I am trying to say is, he looks far younger than he is, but that implies that he is old which is also not true....
We spoke of his keen interest in fitness and my flagging interest in exercise in favour of exercising my addling mind. He uttered one sentence that absolutely cut to the bone, "Fitness for witness". Ouch, that hurt.....but so many times in life the things we need most to hear do hurt. I decided to start running, well more like brisk walking that became trail jogging (you certainly could not call it running).
That was going well, a couple of weeks in I decided to clean up the local trail from some stinging, prickly bushes and essentially set off to do some pruning. This pruning proved to be my undoing, it was not heavy work but a miss-timed bending/standing/twisting/throwing movement caused damage to my back that made sure that I could not walk 2 days later! Whoever said gardening is safe is absolutely mistaken, really!
2 Months later, back rehab, one trip to the Transalp mountain-bike race in Europe as a team mechanic, some reflection upon my current physical status when I returned to SA and today I had my first ride.
"Another New Beginning"
Whoohooo! What fun to be back on the saddle again and that into the teeth of a chilling North Westerly wind on Signal Hill. To Peter and the boys I used to train with, I know you guys will understand. That wind has the ability to make you feel like the loneliest rider on the planet when you are trying to cross the back of the Lion on Signal Hill on your own.
Take note people, this Blog is for you guys, to make sure that I continue. I lack motivation in some areas of my life, scheduling events in my day is one of them.....watch this space, it is time to rebuild my temple of the Holy Spirit. I owe Him that much and much more.
Well here I am......I have officially been off the bike for one and a half years now and I have begun to miss the feeling of wind rushing past my face and the fighter-pilot feel of technical singletrack at speed. OK, I admit it, I have missed it for quite awhile now but have been busy (and lazy). Self-justification will get me nowhere in this matter.
A couple of months ago, I met an incredible man, Dr Ron du Preez. He was here to run the Two Oceans Marathon and also speak at the Gauteng Camp Meeting. As with a lot of Adventists, he is a man whose physical appearance completely misrepresents his life's cumulative experiences. What I am trying to say is, he looks far younger than he is, but that implies that he is old which is also not true....
We spoke of his keen interest in fitness and my flagging interest in exercise in favour of exercising my addling mind. He uttered one sentence that absolutely cut to the bone, "Fitness for witness". Ouch, that hurt.....but so many times in life the things we need most to hear do hurt. I decided to start running, well more like brisk walking that became trail jogging (you certainly could not call it running).
That was going well, a couple of weeks in I decided to clean up the local trail from some stinging, prickly bushes and essentially set off to do some pruning. This pruning proved to be my undoing, it was not heavy work but a miss-timed bending/standing/twisting/throwing movement caused damage to my back that made sure that I could not walk 2 days later! Whoever said gardening is safe is absolutely mistaken, really!
2 Months later, back rehab, one trip to the Transalp mountain-bike race in Europe as a team mechanic, some reflection upon my current physical status when I returned to SA and today I had my first ride.
"Another New Beginning"
Whoohooo! What fun to be back on the saddle again and that into the teeth of a chilling North Westerly wind on Signal Hill. To Peter and the boys I used to train with, I know you guys will understand. That wind has the ability to make you feel like the loneliest rider on the planet when you are trying to cross the back of the Lion on Signal Hill on your own.
Take note people, this Blog is for you guys, to make sure that I continue. I lack motivation in some areas of my life, scheduling events in my day is one of them.....watch this space, it is time to rebuild my temple of the Holy Spirit. I owe Him that much and much more.
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