The 2 Oceans - What a day

Wow! That`s all I can say. What an absolutely amazing day 3 April 2010 turned out to be.

It started early, pretty much at 21:30 on the 2nd of April. I went to bed at that time and then lay awake for most of the night. I just could not sleep. The excitement was way too much for me to be able to close an eye. All I could think of was the race. I had done 3 half marathons before this one. All of them went reasonably well, with the exception of the last one where my knee had me hobbling for the last 10 km`s. It was a toughie and I think was the main reason why I had almost 2 years before attempting another one. But this was the big one, the biggest race I had ever entered. More than 11, 000 runners.

So I lay awake, going through every part of the race in my head. The start, the tough climb along Southern Cross Drive, going past Kirstenbosch and finally entering the stadium. I had absolutely no idea how it would go. I knew I had trained well and that I was in good condition but race day is race day and you never know.

With all that running through my head, I got up before my alarm went off at 03:15. I took a quick shower and got dressed in my brand new Adidas running shorts, shirt and cap. Then I taped my toes and feet (and nipples but that`s another subject for another time), put on my shoes and was ready to go.

So at 03:50 the 3 runners Clive, (my Father-in-Law), Mark (my Brother-in-Law) and myself plus our 1 supporter Kyle (my nephew) hit the road and headed off to UCT. By the time we got there it was a hive of activity already. So many people up and about at 04:30! We walked past the finish on the way to the start and I remember not looking at it. I forced myself to look the other way. I`m not sure why I did it, I suppose I wanted to see the finish for the first time when I came around that corner on the field. It was like the promised land, that`s how special that little piece of earth was to me.

We headed to the start, which is roughly 2km from the finish. There were thousands of people already. They were singing and dancing, laughing and talking. It was an incredible atmosphere. Black, white, coloured, indian, none of that mattered. We were all South Africans. I was so nervous. I went for a bathroom break but had such bad stage fright that I gave up (after what felt like 10 minutes mind you!). My Father-in-Law was with me at the start. He`s always so good at calming things down and he certainly did this for me. The time went by so slowly, it was crazy. Then with a few minutes to go, we sang the anthem. A true goose bump moment. With about a minute to go, they played 'I gotta feeling' by The Blackeyed Peas. Everybody just went bananas! It was so cool. Not my favourite song but there, in that moment, it was awesome!



Then the gun went and the race started. Well, race is a bit of an exaggeration cos it probably took 2 minutes to get to the start. It was so slow. All I wanted to do was run but it was a very congested walk in the beginning. Slowly but surely the runners started spreading out and finally I could get into the race.

The race itself went really well. I ran all the way, not stopping once. Even ran all the way up Southern Cross Drive, which is one helluva climb. I felt strong all the way and just kept going. What a great feeling to know that all the hard work paid off big time. I was so chuffed. The crowds were amazing and cheered us all the way.



The most memorable moment came towards the end just before Kirstenbosch. I came around a bend and looked to my left and there, in the early morning sun was Table Mountain, looking absolutely magnificent. I had a moment there. I felt so blessed. Life was good.



The finish was awesome. Coming into the stadium and seeing all the people was such a rush. Everybody cheering and clapping and creating such a buzz. I came around the last bend and saw the finish. This time I took it in and ran the last 100 or so meters just staring at it. When I took up running 2 years ago, on the 1st of April, it was because of the 2 Oceans. I had been to the Expo with my Father-in-Law and Brother-in-Law and so wanted to be part of it. That next week I started running. Now, I had finished and was holding my very own 2 Oceans Half Marathon Medal. The clock read 2:15:30. I had done it.



That was not the end of it though! After the race I got to meet Old Friends. I had met Michelle and Charlene on Twitter and they had become really good friends. Hayley and I had grown very fond of them and we had shared many, many laughs during the last few months. They had become a really big part of our lives. Well, they also did the half marathon and we met up afterwards at Forries for well deserved beers! It was awesome. They were just as I had expected them to be and truth be told, even better! We also met up with Ann, another good Twitter friend and her sister Chantelle. It was so cool meeting these friends in real life.



So, as you can see, it was an amazing day all round. A day I want to re-live over and over again just this time I would love Hayley to be there too. That would have been the perfect day.

My Joburg

Wikipedia Facts

• Johannesburg has more than 1o million trees and is the biggest man made forest in the world
• There are more than 10 million people living in the greater Johannesburg area
• The greater Johannesburg area consists of Ekhuruleni (East Rand), The West Rand, Lenasia, Soweto
• Is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world
• O.R. Tambo International is the largest and busiest airport in Africa
• Johannesburg`s land area is 1, 645 square kilometres (635 square miles)
• The average high for summer is 25 Celsius (77 Fahrenheit)
• The average high for winter is 17 Celsius (63 Fahrenheit)
• The highest recorded temperature is 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit)
• The lowest recorded temperature is -8 Celsius (19 Fahrenheit)
• Is 2000 metres above sea level
• Produces 16% of the GDP of South Africa
• The container terminal in City Deep is the largest "dry port" in the world
• Johannesburg`s Sister Cities are Taipei (Republic of China), Birmingham (United Kingdom), New York City (USA), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Xi`an (China)

My Johannesburg

• Has the most amazing thunder storms
• Has the most awesome friends in the world
• Houses the best family-in-law in the world
• Has some of my favourite golf courses
• Has the best climate in the world
• Has some of my favourite memories
• Has an energy all it`s own
• Has been our home for 7 of our 9 years together
• Has the worst taxi drivers in the world
• Is the place where we got married
• Is the place where we raised our canine kids and God willing will one day raise our own kids
• Is where I started my career and where I`ll get it back on track
• Is where I plan on staying

Quick update

Thanks so much for all the comments on my previous post. I am having such a nice time with the family, it truly is a blessing having them here for the holidays. Obviously blogging has taken a back seat but I promise to keep you guys updated (maybe not everyday but as often as possible).

For this update I have a few photos, which will give you a good idea of what we have been up to.

I just want to add that I miss all my blogging friends tremendously! I hope you guys are all having a wonderfully blessed festive season.

Lots of love and God bless!

My funniest golfing moment

Ok, as you can see I have my groove back, just like Stella. Suddenly I have a lot of posts running around in my head and not enough time to post them all! At least it beats the dreaded bloggers block.

This specific post is dedicated to my funniest golfing moment. Not something I am especially proud of cos it was pretty stupid but it was very funny!

It starts off in a region of our country called Mpumalanga and more specifically a town called Hazyview. Now Mpumalanga is the home of the Kruger National Park amongst other things and also the forestry hub of our country. A beautiful place! It is also a mere 4 hours from Johannesburg, so a perfect place for a weekend away.

My Father-in-Law has timeshare in a Southern Sun resort called Sabie River Sun and it is one of our favourite getaways. The whole family goes and we stay in a bungalow and just have the best time. There is so much to do for the whole family. Depending which bungalow you get, you could look out at hippos in the dam, onto the golf course or one of the many swimming pools the resort has to offer. Truly a great place!

So on one of these holidays, my father-in-law Clive, my brother-in-law Mark and I were playing a round of golf. The golf was great and we were having a very nice round. Kyle, Mark`s son, and I were sharing a golf cart and he was doing the driving. This was against the rules because Kyle was under aged (11) and not allowed to but what the heck, I`m a rebel if nothing else.

We were at one of the par 3`s. It is a pretty tough hole. Roughly 160 metres with half an island green, the whole front and right side of the green is surrounded by water. The flag was on the right hand side of the green, about 3 metres from the water. So we all tee off. Clive goes to the left of the green and Mark hits into the green side bunker on the same side. I hit a pretty good iron and finish about 3 metres from the pin but with a tough little breaking putt facing me.

So now we arrive at the green, I pick up my ball and start cleaning it. Clive hits a great chip and then Mark gets ready to hit out the bunker. This is a pretty tough shot though. If he leaves it short, he`ll have a very tough putt for par and if he hits it too hard, even just a bit, the ball would end up in the water behind the hole. So Mark hits it but I see it`s too hard. Now keep in mind that Mark has already lost about 9 balls and is fast running out of replacements! I flick into action and rush to stop his ball from going into the water, very aware of the fact that I would get a lot of pats on the back for my gallant behaviour in saving a golf ball from drowning. Focusing on the ball, I have a good feeling about stopping it from going into the drink. In the nick of time I stopped it with my foot. Unfortunately my body does not stop with it but momentum carries me forward. Then I realise that I do not have any Terra Firma under my feet anymore and am in fact running on air. I forgot to focus on the edge of the green, which is followed by a drop of about one and a half metre into the dam.

At this point of time a lot of things go racing through my mind. I still have my putter in one hand, my golf ball and towel in the other and my legs are still moving as if running. Suddenly I am gripped by concern as to what is under the water. Crocs? There are crocodiles in some of the other dams on the resort, so why not this one? Sharp rocks? What if I hit the water and a huge rock shatters my leg on impact?
So, I did the only thing I could and went into the tuck position. I pulled my knees up and braced for the impact. It all happened very slowly. I hit the water and went down. I was completely submerged. I held onto my Odyssey putter and my golf ball cos it was a Titleist Pro-V1 and they are very expensive. Then I felt something solid under my feet. I was at the bottom of the dam! RELIEF! I decided to push up with my legs to get to the surface cos I had no idea how deep the dam was. It felt like I had sunk about 2 metres. As I did this I was out the water like a cork. I stood there, in thigh high water, soaked, my golf cap drifting away. If I had landed on my feet, my shorts would have been wet but I assumed the tuck position and now I was wet from head to toe. I looked up at my golf partners / family and they were literally rolling on the green laughing. Then the realisation hit me, I had just jumped into a dam on a golf course.

I was utterly embarrassed but I must admit it must have been hilarious to see. I waded out the dam, the long way around cos it was too high to get out where I had entered. I was sopping wet. After a minute or five, with my golfing partners / family still laughing hysterically I lined up the birdie putt and promptly holed it!

My dignity took a big knock that day but at least I saved a golf ball. Strangely nobody remembered that fact....

Weekend pics

A great weekend spent with my Mom-in-Law. These pics were taken in Gordonsbay (Friday night), at home (Saturday night) and at Kalkbay Harbour (Sunday).

For more photos and a better post go here!

Mates

So Hayley and I are flying to Johannesburg tomorrow for Gys, one of my buddies`s wedding. We are beyond excited because we are going to see most of our friends this weekend. It is so awesome!!

Since we moved to the Cape last year, we have not seen many of our friends. Riaan & Sally, Dale & Kerri and Andre & Mia have visited us and we also got to see them for Hayley`s birthday (which we got to spend in Jhb) in February. A lot of our friends we haven`t seen though.

Gys and Sanchia, Graham, Eric, Jaco, Louw, Johan & Maria, Quinton & Liesel. We haven`t seen these guys for more than a year and a half. If I`m honest, we miss our friends terribly.

We love it here in the Cape but we also go through days where we miss the get-togethers and the hanging out. Just being able to get in your car and go visit friends, that is not something we have been able to do since we`ve been here. Hayley and I are pretty private people too, so we were never the types to go visit someone in the middle of the week or just for the sake of visiting. Most of our time is spent together and that`s just the way I like it. However, I do miss the friends. Golf on Saturdays with my buddies used to be one of my favourite things. Now, I haven`t even touched a club in a YEAR. That`s so sad! The only reason I haven`t played since then is that I have nobody to play a round with.

That`s why it`s so cool when the friends come to visit us here. We always have the best time together. The bonds between us have remained as strong as ever and we always pick up where we left off.

So, having said all of that this is the weekend that we have ahead of us! Excitement!!!!!!!

Kerri and Dale will pick us up from the airport on Friday night. We`ll then spend the rest of the evening with them and stay over at their new place. We are so excited to see their new place and get to meet Molly and Oscar, their new doggies! Kerri has even penned a song for Molly and it goes something like this: "Mo-ly-ly-lylylylyly-lylylylyly". Dale and Kerri are 2 of the funniest people I have ever met. They have been buddies with Hayley for a very long time and I have been fortunate enough to be able to call them my friends too. They are awesome.

We`ll leave their place on Saturday morning, get a car from Hayley`s folks` place and head to Riaan and Sally. We`ll spend the rest of the day hanging out with them and then all go to the wedding. Now Riaan and Sally are 2 of the other funniest people we know!! Riaan and I have been buddies for a long time and Hayley and Sally get on like a house on fire. They also have the cutest little one, Mia. So Hayley will be even more broody than usual after this weekend.

At the wedding we`ll get to see all our other friends and that is gonna be so cool! I cannot wait! There is the small matter of a big rugby match though. It`s my beloved WP playing the Lions on Saturday. Gys and I are big WP fans and the rest of the guys are mostly Lions fans. The wedding starts at 16:00 and the game is at 17:00. Riaan has already organised for us to watch the game (inbetween the wedding stuff), so I am stoked!

Sunday we`ll get to see the family! Yay! They arrive back from the Drakensberg, where they have been the last week. We`ll go for lunch and spend some great time together before dropping Hayley off at the airport, which is the only downer of the whole weekend, I hate being apart from my wife. I only fly back on Tuesday, cos I have a few business meetings set up. I`ll stay with my awesome In-Laws on Sunday and Monday and no doubt have a great time with them, Lindsay, Mark and the kids.

So there you have it. We`ll probably be a bit quiet over the next few days but at least you`ll know why.

Wild girls, wild girls, wild girls.. (sung to the tune of a well known Duran Duran song)

So my wife Hayley and sister-in-law Lindsay are the prim and proper kind of girls. When the family gets together, it is inevitably the rest of us who indulge in the awesome wine that South Africa has to offer and especially my father-in-law`s magnificent wine collection. The two sisters will sit and have a cup `o tea and if they`re feeling really wild, they`ll add a bruscetta. They are wild, wild girls.

Lindsay is the wilder of the two. She is a crazy woman when she gets partying. Two teas will make her do silly things. The girl scares me when she gets into this party mood. Madonna will run and hide.
Here is a photo of her going full tilt at Hayley and my farewell party in Johannesburg last year. Notice how we have to struggle to hold her back.


So with that as background, I was going through some photos the other day and came upon these 2 pearlers. These were taken New Years eve 2004. Mark and Lindsay came over and the four of us had the best time. Mark and I spent the afternoon in the pool and the two girls sat sipping tea and tut-tutting every glass of wine we had. Then, things started changing. The girls got bored with the two of us and our antics and they decided to have a drink themselves. What followed was a blur as I had never seen the golden girls behave like that.

I present to you, The Woolard Girls (or Blues Brothers, not sure yet), tipsy...

Annus Horibilis?

I have been walking around with this post in me for a while now. Most of the posts during the last month or so have been on the light hearted and fun side. Hairstyles, rugby, tennis, music, movies, family, friends, bulldogs and the like have taken preference over deeper issues. Well mostly in any case.
A lot of special people have come my way through this whole blogging thing. I have made friends in faraway places like Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, London, Johannesburg, Durban and Australia. I have learned so much from so many of them. In fact, not a day goes by where I do not learn something from one of them.

This year has had some very good things and some very bad things. We have started to feel like Capetonians for the first time. This has been our first full year in the Cape and we have enjoyed it so much. We really feel at home here. Even the weather is cool by us!

On the not so good side we have had the news of an illness in the family. With God`s help this is going very well and I can see a very happy ending to it.
On a more personal level, it has been a very tough year. The company I joined last year and which made the move to the Cape possible went into liquidation in February. That was a punch to the gut. From being very successful in my career, to being without a job in the matter of a few minutes, that was a tough thing to come to grips with. If I`m honest with myself, I`m still coming to grips with it.

I have always believed that a man is defined by his job. I believed that it defined your standing in the community, who you marry, where you live, basically everything. Now I had to face the reality that I was jobless. The things I had always held dear were to be taken away from me. I loved nothing more than surprising Hayley with a weekend away, a surprise night away for an anniversary, flowers delivered to her office or a nice watch or handbag. Just little things that would show her how much I love her. Seeing the happiness in her face made me want to do these things over and over again. I enjoyed buying myself nice things too, especially clothes, lots and lots of clothes.

I was offered another job a few days later. This was more commission based and was not a job I was very comfortable in. However, beggars can`t be choosers so I took the job and decided that I was gonna do my best to make a success of it. Unfortunately the whole SA economy took a knock, with interest rates shooting up, inflation rising to dangerous levels and spending on asset based finance taking a backseat to basic survival. This has been my reality for the last few months. Our reserves were being depleted, savings almost gone. Survival had now become our reality. No more nice gifts for my awesome wife, no more nice things for myself.

So, this has been the story for the last few months. I started looking for another job but as with most things in SA it is taking time. I had become very down on myself and my own self-confidence was / is at an all time low. I have to keep reminding myself that God does not make losers.

It is a pretty crap story and if you had asked me at the beginning of the year what would be the worst thing that could happen, I would have said losing my job. My worst nightmare had become my reality.

BUT, things are not all bad.

Firstly, I have committed myself to my God and have been in His company ever since. Secondly, my absolutely awesome wife and I have become inseparable. She is such a rock in my life, what would I ever do without her? I have found that cooking a nice meal or fixing something around the house brings the same happiness to her face as an expensive watch or handbag. Sitting on the couch at night, each with our laptops, each on our blogs is just as cool as spending a night at an expensive hotel. Having a braai at home is just as cool as going to a nice restaurant, in fact it`s better cos you get to kiss the cook.

I have also learned that a man is NOT defined by his job. He is in fact defined by what he has inside and by how he treats the people around him, the kindness he shows to strangers and how he reacts to adversity and importantly the family and friends he surrounds himself with. Those things define you, not a fancy title or a paycheck.

I still get very down on myself every now and again (if I`m honest it`s most days) but I try to remain positive about the situation. I know that God will provide and I hang onto that fact with all I have. I really have no idea what He has planned for us but I thank Him for what He has taught me this year. The small things in life are in fact, the big things. The things I thought meant the world to me in fact does not matter at all. Love, friendship, family, togetherness, those things count, not the amount of money in the bank.

We are so blessed that we have the best parents in the world (I will not call them In-Laws anymore cos they are so much more than that). My own Mom and Dad are not around anymore but they made me into the person I am today and laid every foundation I hold dear. It might have taken me 30 odd years to figure it out but at least I have. I am now so fortunate to have 2 other people I can call MY folks. They have shown me that you don`t need to be blood to be loved like you are. They have shown such kindness and understanding during the last year that it will be impossible to say thank you. Their support, which has taken a lot of forms, has been immeasurable. I feel so guilty but at the same time so thankful. I don`t know how I will ever be able to repay their kindness.
My sister Monya, has also been really supportive and her awesome kids were responsible for one of the kindest gestures I have ever come across in all my years on earth.

So, looking back, this year has been a very difficult but vital one. I needed a wakeup call to show me what the really important things are. It`s been a tough learning curve and I`m sure there is a lot more to come but I am surrounded by love and I feel more blessed than ever.

Writing this post was very hard. The image I have always tried to project was that of a confident, happy go-lucky man, with the world at his feet. That man has been torn down like the Berlin Wall. God and I are busy rebuilding him into a better, stronger version of himself. A version that does not care if people see him as somebody who does not have it all together, who has worries and who doubts himself constantly. I am a work in progress and there is a lot of work left to be done but I am not doing it alone, everybody mentioned on this post has a role to play, no matter how small.

Attention to detail

This is a drawing given to me by Devon, my little nephew (almost 4 years old). He did it while visiting us here in the Cape and insisted that I hang it somewhere in my office.

As you can see, his attention to detail is excellent.



The drawing has pride of place in my office, which thankfully is here at home.

Matthias Steiner

Matthias Steiner is a German weightlifter. He competes in the Super Heavyweight category. He is 25 years old and he won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Now if you heard the above version, you would probably say "ok cool, good for him, so what?". You`d be right to ask cos there is so much more to this story.

Here is the better version.

Matthias Steiner was married to Susann. In 2007, Susann was in a severe car accident. On her death bed, Matthias made a promise that he would win an Olympic Gold Medal, for her, for them. She was always his biggest fan. She passed away shortly after that promise.

So the Olympic Games in Beijing arrive. The competition is fierce in the Super heavyweight category.

Matthias however is struggling. He had already failed not only on one lift but two. He had one lift left. It was make or break for him. He then did something that nobody saw coming. He added 10kg to the weight he had just failed on. Keep in mind that weightlifters usually increase their weight by 2-4kg`s. It was obvious that it was a desperate attempt by a desperate man.

A hush broke over the crowd as Matthias stepped forward. He groaned and yelled as he lifted the weight. Then, he did it. He completed the lift and in doing so beat his own personal best. Not only did he beat his own personal best but he won the gold medal at the Olympics.

On the podium, he received his gold medal. He had a bouquet of flowers in his one hand, the medal around his neck and a photo of his wife in his other hand. He kissed the photo and tried very hard to control his emotions. He had honoured the promise to his wife.

Stories like these always make me so grateful for what I have. Sometimes we concentrate so much on other things that we lose focus on the important things in our lives.

I am so lucky that I have an awesome wife who I can share everything with. She is both my best friend and the love of my life. Sometimes I tend to concentrate on all the problems surrounding me like work pressures or bills to pay and I forget just how blessed I really am.

Thanks Matthias, for showing me how lucky I am.

My favourite holiday - Part 2

So, we are still in the first morning of our trip to the States.

Now what I must explain to you is the following. The best person I have ever met to go on holiday with is my Father-in-Law, Clive. He`s the kind of guy who will do all the weird and wonderful things, he refuses to sit still for a second and walking is his forte. Now when I say walking, I don`t just mean around the block kind of walking or the odd 5 km around town walking. No, this kind of walking is the kind that will make Sherpas from the Himalayas request a breather, it`ll make Olympians (maybe not Michael Phelps but who knows) beg for mercy. Of course I had experienced holidays with my Dad before but nothing could have prepared me for the assault that we were going to launch on Manhattan`s streets with our feet. If I had known, I would not have worn the aesthetically pleasing shoes but would have instead picked the comfortable, less aesthetically pleasing, ones. But, I had the Puma loafers on, looking good and feeling fine.

Like I said last time, it started easily enough. We spent a few hours at the ING New York Marathon Expo. That was a brisk walk of about 40 blocks (or so it felt), a warm up if you will. We then headed back towards our hotel and on the way, we passed Madison Square Garden. My Dad suggested we go check what was on during the next 5 days. The ladies, who had had enough of walking by then, waited outside. As luck would have it, the NY Rangers were playing that same night and the NY Knicks had their first home game of the season on the Sunday. My Dad bought 4 tickets for each game and we were set. I must be honest, I was so excited I drooled on my shirt and only saw it when I walked past a shop mirror. I was gonna fix my fringe (which is now all of 17 hair thick) but saw the big wet spot on my chest instead.

We left MSG and headed straight to Macy`s. Suddenly the ladies had regained feeling in their feet and they were raring to go, the pain was but a distant memory. Now Macy`s is awesome! We split up into one man/woman Elite Shopping Units (ESU) and headed off into shopping bliss. My ESU (Foxtrot) found itself in the sport section for most of the time. I then moved onto the various men's sections. Every now and then one of the ESUs would encounter another ESU and status updates were given. The head of all these units were ESU Alpha Charlie (Dad). Alpha because Dad is a magnificent shopper with technique that I will never be able to emulate. Mom was known as ESU Charlie (code for Cheryl).

The ESUs moved their way up through the floors until we all met on the top floor. The top floor was one big Christmas decoration. Here we found ESU Hotel (code for Hayley). She was almost in tears she was so happy. ESU Hotel loves nothing more than Christmas and this was the most magnificent Christmas display any of us had ever seen. So, after spending a lot of money on everything Christmas, we finally headed out the door of Macy`s.

Next stop, Times Square! Now you can only imagine how excited I was. Hayley and her folks had spent New Years Eve there in 1999 but for me, I had only ever seen this place on the tv. It did not disappoint. The buzz, the hustle and bustle, everything was just as I had imagined it, only real. I remember just stopping, looking up and savouring the moment. Time stood still for a minute or two. I was rudely interrupted by a screaming lady. This lady turned out to be my wife. Apparently a celebrity was in a cosmetics shop a few metres from us. At that instant Liv Tyler walked out of said cosmetics shop and got into a big, black SUV. I remember thinking to myself, is this really happening? I knew it was when I saw Hayley`s face!

We then headed back to the hotel cos it was getting late and we had a Rangers game to go to!!!!! We got to MSG and bought a t-shirt for each of us. Obviously we had no idea who the good players were but the guy behind the counter assured us that Henrik Lundquist was the man. How right he was, Lundquist was brilliant! So, we all headed into MSG and what a rush to be in this place that I had never thought I`d go to. It was awesome!!! We had hot dogs, popcorn, large cokes, basically everything we could get our grubby paws on! The Rangers won and we all left very happy.

On the way back to the hotel, I suddenly felt that the feet I was using did not feel like my own. It suddenly dawned on me that my own feet had died earlier that day and a kind doctor had transplanted the feet of a cadaver on my body. He was kind enough to put the aesthetically pleasing Pumas on my new feet. All this happened while I was anaesthetised somewhere between Macy`s and the hotel. Seeing as I had no feeling in my new limbs, I just enjoyed the walk.

We got back to the hotel and immediately hit the sack. We were all very, very tired and ready for a good night`s rest.

My first day in the Big Apple was about to end and what a day it had been. Four more days to go and then it would be off to Washington.

The adventure had just started....

What this weekend taught me

I`m writing to you from 37, 000ft, halfway between Johannesburg and Cape Town. We flew to Jhb on Friday for Adam`s Christening. Adam is Lindsay (Hayley`s sister) and Mark`s youngest boy. We had an absolute ball. I love Hayley`s family like my own and I am so lucky that they love me in the same way.
It was a weekend spent chatting, laughing, crying, eating, drinking, sharing…. Did I mention eating?

So, what did I learn this weekend? It might be something new here or there but mostly it just underlined a lot of things I already knew or believe in.

1. A kid (Devon) will always do the opposite of what you tell them too. Ie. “Do NOT smile at the camera Devon!” will elicit the broadest, most beautiful smile possible.
2. Chai Tea ROCKS and Spicy Chai Tea ROCKS even more
3. Mark and I will always end up being in some kind of trouble if we`re together. This time we sat chatting next to the braai (barbeque) and nearly forgot to do the last pieces of meat.
4. A braai (barbeque) that takes more than 2 hours will ensure restless natives inside the house
5. Hungry family members will eat their own
6. The kids table at a party always has the best food
7. My wife is the best
8. Michael Phelps is a hero to a lot of people (including me)
9. Jamaicans are pretty quick
10. The All Blacks are more often than not better than my beloved Springboks
11. We still love our Springbok side
12. People in Johannesburg drive almost as badly as those in Cape Town
13. Manchester United needs a striker (I left with 10 minutes to go in the Newcastle match, so have no idea of the result)
14. Whenever I`m not with them, I really miss Elvis and Phoebe
15. Father Trevor is a wonderfully eloquent preacher
16. We are defined by our family and friends
17. My Father-in-Law is a bigger hero than Michael Phelps
18. You can ALWAYS count on your family
19. You can ALWAYS count on your best friends
20. No matter how far apart, certain bonds will never weaken
21. My Mother-in-Law is a very brave lady
22. Devon will fake some sort of injury if he wants to be carried
23. My Father-in-Law has the coolest toys in the world
24. An Audi TT is a better all round car than a Nissan 350Z
25. The only diver at the Olympics to do a belly flop was a South African
26. Adam is the friendliest baby ever
27. Kyle (Mark and Lindsay`s eldest) will always help
28. I cannot go to OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg without getting a lump in my throat and a tear in the eye
29. Saying goodbye really hurts
30. I am one lucky guy

My Prized Possessions # 2

This is a very personal one for me. It really means so much on so many levels.

Ok, let`s start at the beginning. This prized possession is my Mom`s Bible. She passed away in 2003 after a 2 year battle with cancer. She was and will always be my big inspriration. She was my best friend and we had an inseparable bond. In fact, I was a Momma`s boy and very proud of it!

My Mom was always the one who Monya (my sister) and I could run to, the soft shoulder. My Dad suffered from depression and he was not always there. Mom was ALWAYS there. Even after a long day at work, she would spend time playing catch with me in the garden or helping with homework. She never said no and she never complained, although I`m sure she felt like it sometimes. She did this with Monya and Dad too. I remember as a youngster watching sport with my Mom, she watched everything with me, rugby, soccer, cricket, tennis, everything! She even became a big Manchester United fan and more especially a Ryan Giggs fan, he was her favourite. Dad was never really interested in sport. Mom, even though she probably didn`t always like all the sport watched it with me. I think that played a big part in my love for all sport.

My Dad passed away in 1992. I was 20 and Monya was in her final year at school. My Mom never once put her grief ahead of ours. She was the one making sure we were all ok. Although, I remember one night, I was going out with my friends and went to say goodbye to her in her room. I found her crying on the bed. That killed me. I knew she was hurting but she NEVER complained.

I moved to Johannesburg in 1995 to start my career and Monya got married a while later. I went home every weekend so I could at least see my Mom. We chatted on the phone at least twice a day.

Then in 1997, Monya and Brian emigrated to New Zealand. It was a very tough time for all of us but especially for my Mom. Up until then, Monya and Brian had lived very close and they got to see her everyday.

Monya fell pregnant and had a beautiful little girl they named Danielle (my idea....!) in 1998. That, was that. My Mom spent 3 months in New Zealand, came back and decided to join Monya.

So, on the 24th April 2000 my Mom left for New Zealand. That was one of the worst days of my life. I cried the whole day. What would I do without my Mom to chat to everyday? I felt really alone but from that day on I received an email every single day, without fail, even if she didn`t have too much to say. She always emailed to say hello.

Then, exactly a month later, on the 24th May, I met Hayley and immediately knew that she was the one for me. I never had any doubts, never. This was no doubt in God`s big plan. He knew how alone I was and he sent Hayley.

We went to New Zealand in November 2000 and spent 7 glorious weeks with my family. It was absolutely awesome.

In April 2001 my Mom, Monya (a very pregnant Monya!) and Danielle came to South Africa for our wedding. Brian couldn`t make it due to work commitments. It was so awesome having them with us. They spent 7 weeks in SA and shared our wedding day with us.

Then on 25 March 2002 (my Dad`s birthday) we got a call from New Zealand. It was Monya and she told me that my Mom had been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. My whole world fell apart. At least I had Hayley, she was awesome. She was now the soft shoulder I so needed.

My Mom started her chemo and radiation and things were going ok. I phoned a lot and I still received my daily email. Only when the chemo was really bad did I not get one. Then in August 2002, my Father-in-Law bought me a ticket to NZ to go see my Mom. It was such an awesome gesture, something I will never, ever forget. We kept it a secret from my Mom and I landed the morning of her last chemo. Monya picked me up and we drove to the Oncology Unit in Auckland. Monya walked in and told my Mom that she had a surprise for her. Then I walked in. My Mom completely broke down. I ran and grabbed her. We just held each other and cried. That moment will always remain with me.
I spent 8 weeks in New Zealand and got to meet Nicholas, my sisters little boy. My Mom and I spent a lot of quality time together. I took her to radiation sessions and doctors appointments. I was so grateful to be able to help in this way.

On the 1st of March 2003, I got another call. This time the news was very bad. The cancer had spread to my Mom`s lungs and was now terminal. How do you handle news like that? That is something I cannot answer but I can tell you that God carried all of us through it.

Hayley and I left for NZ on the 31st March 2003. My Mom was not doing so well but we got to spend some awesome time with her. She never complained, not once. She also introduced me to the music of Michael W Smith which I`ll forever be grateful for. She talked about her relationship with God and the peace in her was there for everybody to see.

My Mom passed away at 23:05 on the 30th April 2003. Monya and I were at her side and we feel so blessed to have been with my Mom when she left to be with her God.

So, I was privileged enough to get my Mom`s Bible. It is filled with little notes, written by her during Bible studies or just time spent reading. It has dates in it, indicating when she read which chapter. Everytime I open the Bible I see my Mom`s hand in it and I feel as though she is watching over me and smiling her awesome smile. She is the reason I love God and the reason I am here today. Who knows where I would have ended if my Mom wasn`t as strong as she was.

Thank you to God for giving me my Mom and then for sending Hayley to be at my side. I will say thank you in person one day....

Like i said, this is a very personal post for me. I think it`s therapeutic in a way. It helps to talk about these things sometimes.

I want to leave you with something I found in the Bible. It`s on a little piece of paper and must have been my Mom`s guiding words during her difficult last days.

Walking with God

Feeling a hand in mine,
just when I needed power,
knowing it is the Lord`s,
sharing my darkest hours.

Stepping with fearful heart,
into a path unknown,
sensing His presence there,
knowing I`m not alone.

Drained of all human strength,
finding that from above,
His everlasting arms,
Bear me along with love.

Taking each step with faith,
trusting when sight is dim,
knowing His will is best,
this be your walk with him.

Alive....

Just to let you know I made it through the night without being attacked by the hand.

Ten years off my life....

So I went to bed late last night. A lot of reading to do! I eventually switched the light off and drifted peacefully into dreamland.

I must`ve been asleep for 30 minutes or so, when I heard a noise. I was on my side and turned my head towards Hayley. Suddenly I saw a hand above me, palm facing down and looking like it was coming in to strangle me!!! I screamed a little scream and kinda jumped up. It`s then that I saw it was Hayley`s hand.

I blurted out (in a not too manly voice): "what you doing????"

Hayley answered back: "I don`t know"

I shouted: "Are you nuts????"

She said: " " and carried on snoring.

My heart was pounding at a 100 miles an hour and it took me a while to get back some form of composure.

This morning I asked Hayley about this terrifying ordeal. She remembers dreaming that she had to "push something"... I don`t trust this one bit, in fact it stinks.

If I suddenly stop blogging, phone my family in New Zealand, the hand might have got me....

My favourite holiday - Part 1

Hayley and I started going out in May 2000 (and were married a year later but that`s another story altogether!). Since the first week, Hayley wanted nothing else than to take me to the States. She spent a few weeks there with her family in 1999 (including New years Eve in Times Square). They got to see a lot of the East Coast and spent the majority of their time in New York, Boston, Miami and Orlando. It was her ambition to take me to the States.

So it came that my Father-in-Law, Clive, got into the New York Marathon last year. He would not miss it for the world and my Mother-in-Law, Cheryl decided to go along. Hayley immediately said we should try to join them. My Father-in-Law heard about this and thought it a very good idea. He arranged everything for us and on the 31st October, Hayley and I left Cape Town International, New York bound! I could not contain myself!

Now, let me say this upfront. I was really a bit nervous about New Yorkers and Americans in general. The image I had was that of brash, loud, obnoxious people. This stereotype was blown out the water as soon as I set foot on American soil. The Americans are incredibly warm, friendly people. For every "Thank you", you get a "You`re welcome" unlike here at home where you are more often than not completely ignored. Every time we stood somewhere, somebody would come up and ask if we needed help. I now believe, from my own experiences, that Americans are amazing people. My new blogging friends are perfect examples of what Americans are truly like, generous, warm, friendly people with big, big hearts.

I digress!!! We landed at JFK just before midnight on the 31st October 2007 (Halloween!). My In-Laws had arrived earlier that day and they headed straight to the Police concert at Madison Square Gardens. How lucky are they???


So Hayley and I headed out the door of the airport and immediately we were approached by a man asking if we needed a taxi. "Yes" we said. Without asking he took it upon himself to take our luggage to his SUV, not a Yellow cab but a black SUV. Now I have seen enough horror movies to know that this was probably gonna be our last trip. Neither of us said anything and we got into the SUV, holding each other very tight. Then he started talking to us and I was sure he just wanted to make us feel comfortable before taking out a massive blade and chopping my "freakishly big head" off. Well, it transpired from my "last conversation during my last trip on earth" that he was also from South Africa and that he had been in the States for 20 years. He also stayed on the motorway (I was waiting for him to take us to the docks cos that is where a lot of killings take place and I have a lot of movies that will prove my point). But, he drove straight to the Marriott on 49th Street on Manhattan`s East Side without killing us on Halloween. It did cost us $90 for this trip but I was very happy handing it over, $90 is small change when it comes to your life...

With my "last trip" turning out to be "not my last trip" I was more stoked than ever to have the time of my life. The In-Laws were in bed already and we were soon cuddled up in our own bed. I must admit, although jet lagged pretty badly, sleep was the last thing on my mind. All I wanted was to see the Big Apple! The sounds from the city was exactly as I had imagined it, police cars, sirens, horns etc. A buzz, even at 02:00 in the morning. I think I fell asleep at 03:00 and was awake at 05:30, woken by Lindsay`s (my Sister-in-Law) ritualistic everyday early morning phone call to my Mother-in-Law. Shame, she couldn`t wait to talk to us and it took all her self control to only phone at 13:30 in the afternoon (05:30 in NY).

So, my first day in the greatest city on earth was about to start!

First order of business was breakfast! We went to a little place called Pax and it was great. One thing you must understand is that my Dad has to have his breakfast, lunch and supper at set times. I didn`t mind cos it meant that I`d be able to eat during the day! I had to take time out of my schedule to feed the body. Keep in mind it was still the "unfit, overweight" me, so sustenance was vital. You most certainly cannot go shopping in NY without proper carbo loading! One floor of Macy`s would murder you (no pun intended with regards our "killer Ex-South African cabbie" and our dice with death on Halloween...).

With breakfast out the way, we headed to the ING New York City Marathon Expo. My Dad needed to get his number and I was just to happy to go with!
As soon as we entered the Expo, a camera crew got hold of my Dad and an interview ensued! Here is a pic of Hayley and Mom, with Dad being interviewed in the background!! The lifestyles of the rich and famous!!!
Dad and I walked every square inch of the expo. I bought a lot of running things, not knowing how big a part of my life it would become in the not too distant future. Hayley and Mom got their first cups of Starbucks, so everybody was suitably chuffed!

The best holiday of my life was just beginning!

To be continued....

True love

This is Elvis and Phoebe. Just look at Elvis putting a comforting paw on Phoebe and whispering sweet nothings in her ear.....

Man I love my kids!!!

Happy birthday to an awesome boy!!!

Tomorrow is Nicholas Joynt`s birthday. Nicholas is my sister Monya`s son and he turns 6 tomorrow. I can`t believe how time flies!

Nicholas is the coolest little man. He has given up his ambitions of playing rugby and has now focussed his attention on Martial Arts! I`m sure he is gonna kick some major Kiwi behind one of these days. Mind you, Monya is raising him as a pacifist, so not so sure what the Martial Arts will be used for. Self defence is my guess but then again, what do you defend yourself from in New Zealand?

Whenever we used to phone him on his birthday and ask him what he wanted it was always the same thing... A Surround Sound System.... This from a 3 year old! I think he spent too much time with his Dad.

I was very fortunate to see Nicholas when he was a toddler. I`ll never forget him always come running -and by running I mean crawling very fast - when I was on the internet to Hayley back in SA. I just heard this panting noise drawing closer and closer and then he appeared arms outstretched to get on my lap and play with the computer, just like his Dad (hopefully he`ll get better rhythm than said Father when he grows up - see post on Brian, the Legend). It drove me up the wall!

He has grown into the most awesome little boy. I have been fortunate enough to see him on 3 different times during his life. He is the softest, sweetest little man who really cares for other people. Monya and Brian did a wonderful job in raising him. Monya told me about a little boy in Nicholas`s class who is a bit slower than the rest of the kids. He is obviously a bit different than the other kids and therefore is not really a part of any groups of friends. But, Nicholas is this young man`s friend. Nicholas was the only boy invited to his birthday party a few months back. This came from Nicholas`s teacher, so it`s not a made up thing by an overly proud parent or uncle!!!

So Nicholas, I hope you have a wonderful day and that all your dreams come true!

Lots of love, Faffie and Hayley

Brian, The Legend

Today is my brother-in-law Brian`s birthday. Brian is an absolute legend and his love for Wimpy burgers is well known. Unfortunately he lives in New Zealand so Wimpy burgers are also just a distant dream for him.



These photos were taken during my families last visit to SA in 2004/5. We had an absolute ball and the memories will last forever. They were not digitally manipulated in any way whatsoever......





Brian doing one of his famous dance moves.....
















Brian and the love of his life.......







Hope you have an awesome day, we love you and miss you terribly....

The four of us

I thought I`d take a few minutes to tell you about my little family. There are four of us namely me, Hayley, Elvis and Phoebe.



Hayley and I have been married for 7 years and have been together for 8. She is the love of my life and I know we`ll spend the rest of our days together. We have been through a helluva lot the last few years but all of it has just brought us closer together. She truly is my best friend. I have even turned her into a WP fan. Look the Man Utd thing I have to thank my father-in-Law for as he laid the foundation! I suppose Beckham made it a bit easier for Hayley to become a United fan back in the early days. Hayley must be the most kitted out golfer of all time who has yet to make it to a golf course!!! She has tons of golf clothes, caps, shoes the works! An awesome set of clubs, which she is yet to USE! Who knows, maybe one day we`ll stroll the fairways together.



Then we have Elvis and Phoebe. They are our "kids" and we love them to bits. Phoebe drives us crazy with her barking but she is one heck of a guard dog!



Elvis, now he is his dads boy. He is ALWAYS hungry and just adores his dad (I`m not sure if he loves me more than food but at least it`s a contest) and his dad absolutely adores him too!

So, there you have it. My little family!