kicking it old skool

Yeah, well, blogging has been kinda lurking on the bottom end of my “to do list”, right after “sleeping” but tonight I’m mixing it up a bit :)

Easter weekend has come and gone and in true Western Cape fashion, the weekend ushered in a noticeable change in weather. Autumn seems to be the general flavor of the day and I have to say I’m quite excited about it. I really really enjoy winter, I have mentioned it before. It’s all the snuggling and shit that does it for me I guess. Of course, said snuggling is mighty boring without 1 part girlfriend added to the recipe.

Or better yet, 1 part girlfriend and 1 part girl friend… mmmmm ;)

So, from threesomes to what crazy shit I’ve been doing lately:

For starters I did a 4 day hike through Tsitsikama (google it), over the aforementioned Easter weekend, said weekend being bolstered by a few precious public holidays, which boosted its status to more of an Easter “week” than the former. Now let it just be said that I’ve never hiked before. Ever. Walking to the Woolworths down the street is a drag, which is why God invented the internet and online door-to-door-shopping. Not quite sure what to expect, I took it upon myself to put that holy and indestructible porn distribution machine (also known as the World Wide Web) to slightly better use and searched on “hiking”. I was in trouble. Turns out I needed all sorts of shit, like hiking boots (so much for the gym trainers), sturdy backpack (does my laptop bag qualify?) and GASP, there will be NO electricity (NOOOOOOOO)!!

After recovering sufficiently from my fetal position, I cross referencing their LIES with other sites and came to the conclusion that I would need to spend a tidy sum to stand any chance against what Mother Nature spent the last 30 million odd years or so to perfect. Shifting any money from my Technology budget never fills me with glee. (note: could be closer to 9mill and a coupla thousand. Could be 10 years. Who knows, google it! I make shit up as I go along.)

She was going to be a devious task master indeed.

And so the mad rush was on! Get get food packed into handy little zip lock bags, organise water bottles and buy hiking boots off the shelf about 8 hours before I had to leave. One 6 hour drive later in I found myself in the middle of nowhere (for all practical purposes). The first hike was a 3km walk, no biggie, and by day two I was making this shit look good.

The next couple of days we took on at about 13km a shot, walking through everything from mountain trails to thick, overgrown forests.

All in all, at the risk of being banned from the inner sanctum of the Uber-Techie secret society, It was one of the best trips I’ve had in a loooong time. :) (hey, at least I didn't get any blisters!)

I remember discussing that exact same point with one of my fellow hikers (there where about 18 in the crew). About how technology has seemingly made life easier, but really all it’s done is instill a false sense of security.

To really really grasp my point, you had to be there with me, day 3 of the hike (having walked about 35km’s already) standing in the middle of what might as well have been the Amazon rainforest. It was raining lightly and the canopy was simply alive with life, the rain having made everything glisten and smell of earth. Spiritual shit man, spiritual shit.

It was also amazing how totally focused and tuned in to that world I was. Not once did I think about work, or even cared. Not once did I crave the luxury of the internet, or SMS or flipping on DSTV to catch the latest sport news.

The log cabins we stayed in at every stop for the day where awesome as well, with day 2’s one being the most awe inspiring site ever. It was perched overlooking this MASSIVE ravine, waterfall and all. Just thinking about it now gives me vertigo! When they said “room with a view”, they sure meant it.

Of course, my home PC’s motherboard died so I can’t upload any pics yet. But watch this space :)

Oh, and I bought a guitar today. Nothing fancy, just a straight up acoustic with some steel strings and a pick or two. Reckon I should dive in and get to it, I’ve been wanting to for ages! I’m expecting it to be a humbling, frustrating and exhilarating experience all at once. I suspect Frenchy is gonna go medieval on my ass though. I know, cus I remember what it was like while my bro was learning to play. Any man should only be expected to bare so many rapings of Sarie Marais before going postal. Maybe I should pick up a pair of mufflers too…

Girly update: She’s doing really well now. Her throat is just about all healed up but it still hurts when she sneezes or yawns. On all the other fronts, she seems happy and content and still seems to like me. Which is nice… :)

Biz update: doing exponentially better! As I’ve said, I’m doing contracting back to my old employers, but my partners and I have also been doing quite a few consultations and installations for other individuals and businesses. My days are filled with stuff to do and especially during this time when you’re supposed to invoice people and get paid. It’s fine for now but I’m gonna have to get my head around a better filing / invoicing system because it’s very inefficient right now.

That’s it folks, keep it real.

[G], out

Like a rolling stone