Posts

Showing posts from November, 2013

I discover blue cooling ice gel for horses is good for ankle swelling too

Image
Cooling gel and Boerseep amongst other quick fixes in the cabinet Without any warning, I am now the unfortunate owner of a sprained ankle. When I left my home on Saturday morning, I was perfectly fine. I specially chose to wear slip slops because of the long day ahead, spending the bulk of my time sitting through interviews. One misstep and there I was, robbed of a perfectly sound ankle. I was given immediate treatment by the members of the interview panel. Mr Asia, the SGB chair promptly took his water bottle which contained ice. This was placed on my swelling foot that was now resting on a chair next to mine. In the meanwhile, Mr Rose, the ground foreman, had arranged for another panelist to take him home to fetch the 'blue ice' gel and painkillers. Mr Rose and the others swore about the miracle properties of the blue cooling gel. "This is the best, you will see how fast it works" was followed by loud approving sounds of the rest. Once at home, we purchased

Our stay at Duinepos Chalets in the West Coast National Park

Image
  We decided to have a bush experience in the West Coast National Park. We booked for an overnight at the Duinepos self-catering chalets in the West Coast National Park. These chalets with their earthy colors mirror the various colors of the abundant plant species on the west coast. The chalets are spacious and beautifully equipped with all the modern trappings - perfect for city dwellers who want to have a bush experience without roughing it. Once we had settled in, we went on our nature drive through the park. On our way to our car, Basil encountered a mole snake, sunning in the short pathway. Fortunately, I was last in the queue and missed seeing our weekend neighbour slithering into the greenery after its human encounter! Of course, I moaned (not convincingly though), that I had missed a photo shoot moment. Our drive was a feast for the eyes. There is a kaleidoscope of vistas in the West Coast National Park. There are rolling plains of fynbos against a backdrop o

My family has embraced social media.

Image
Christo connecting his cellphone to the speaker I am really chuffed with myself because I am only on the periphery of the Lost Generation - the adults in this modern world. Many of us are light years away from using social media platforms to improve our quality of life. Just talk to grownups about whatsapp, bbm, facebook and twitter, for example. Some will tell you that social media are a waste of time, too many criminals are out there and many marriages have broken up because of facebook or the like. Some of the social platforms like bbm and whatsapp are often merely used to convey crisp 'don't forget to buy the bread' variety. Time wasters, that's what these apps are, we state with such assertiveness that we think we have shared a groundbreaking discovery. We use social media in the family to have real and real time conversations Now, don't misunderstand me. I think we are fully aware of the dangers of cyber sphere and we need to raise awareness of th

A junked-up Nissan utility van leads the way over Boyes Drive

Image
Sometimes the strangest of triggers can occupy one's mind. Just the other day, I was driving behind a Nissan bakkie heavily laden with I think, a car carcass and a massive white plastic bag in its trunk. This strange contraption became my chief focus. I didn't see any 'abnormal load' sign nor any protective strapping to ensure the bakkie doesn't lose its load. Rather cheeky, I mused. The Nissan bakkie just before it turned off into Lavender Hill Obviously the driver of my obsession was oblivious of the intrigue he caused. We wound along the coastal road and the uneven road surface was somehow amplified during this journey. At every turn in the road, I kept my eye on my fellow road user, almost seeing the white bulging bag to fly off to continue its journey as flotsam in the Kalk Bay harbour. Coasting along Boyes Drive Oh well, I thought, I suppose the driver would continue his winding trip down the coastal road all the way to Muizenberg, and I would be re