AUGUST 2010

AUGUST 2010


EP HOCKEY TOURNAMENT IN OUDTSHOORN
NA SMIT RESORT WITH DERRY'S AND CRANKSHAWS
ALLY CLARENDON PARK TOURNAMENT IN EAST LONDON
BARBARA AND CATHY GO OFF TO ST FRANCIS FOR A GIRLS WEEKEND
NICKY AND STEFAN BUY A HOUSE IN CAPE TOWN
WE GO TO THE GINO FABBRI SHOW
JULIA & PIRATES HOCKEY GAMES AT ADDO AND AT GELVANDALE
MIA STEENKAMP
SA RUGBY; SPRINGBOKS ON A LOSING STREAK
EASTERN PROVINCE RUGBY AT THE NEW STADIUM
WE START SWIM TRAINING AT PROFILES



OUDTSHOORN HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
During matches at Clarendon I speak to Debbie Derry and Stuart Crankshaw and we agree to stay over at the NA Smit resort in Oudtshoorn for the EP B and C teams games. Debby makes the bookings.

Sunday 1st August: I take Ally to Woodridge School where she will have a day of practice. I am really impressed to see the mountain bikers and trail runners. I spend most of the day cleaning up the Mountain bikes and later this afternoon Julia, Barbara and I do some riding out at Woodridge before collecting Ally. They have a really good Hockey Session. During this week Julia goes to Pirates Hockey and plays / practises with them. This is her first time out on a hockey field. She enjoys the experience and meets a nice group of people.


This week Nicci and Stefan have the offer they made on a House Purchase accepted at the Bank. THis is a very exciting time for them. Cathy describes the house as Cosy.

Friday morning 6th August. We drop Ally off at the William Moffet shopping centre and they leave by bus from here. I go to Walmer park where I report the car accident that Julia had last Friday. We pack the car and start our trip to Oudtshoorn. It is Julia, Barbara and I.


We take the Langkloof road. Stop at Kareedouw for some meat and biltong. In Oudtshoorn we book in at the NA Smit resort. We have a small chalet with a single room but there is an upstairs deck with two single beds where Julia makes herself comfortable. I realise that my two back tyres are smooth and I go to the Supa Quick where they replace the tyres.


Meanwhile J & I walk to the Pick & Pay. On our way to the shops I hear my name being called out. It turns out that David, a driver who used to work at Morkels in Oudtshoorn many years ago, is driving past and recognises me. I greet him and we carry on. We make our purchases and the Supa Kwik people collect us. Debbie and Mark Derry arrive and they too make up a shopping list for Pick & Pay. I ride back at the back of his bakkie.


With new tyres I have confidence that we will have a safe drive home. We stop off to buy some wood and a couple of beers. We search for the Nedbank but cannot find it so we go back to the chalets. Ally and her bus have arrived at what was the holiday inn and have settled in. We all have books: Barbara came back from Canada with books of the author Mo Hayder.


I was able to ask Pat Scheepers to find the first of the series, "Birdman", for me. After finishing off this thriller I am now on the second book; "Treatment" and cannot wait to find time to read. We pour drinks, light the fire; Lincoln Tower method of wood stacking as opposed to Tepee method. Julia has learned both methods at camp in America but I am a firm believer in the Lincoln Tower for best results. The Derry's join us.


The fire is a wood fire: Doring Hout which Julia and I had bought on the side of the road earlier. Unfortunately the wood is wet and the fire dies on us. I walk to the reception where I purchase Brickets. Fool Proof. The fire takes off again and after a few beers and lots of chatter we are able to have a really good braai. I bought some Filet Steak in Kareedouw and we are able to save some for tomorrow's sandwiches.


Saturday 7th August. It is Barbara and my 34th wedding anniversary. It is also Ally's thirteenth Birthday. She is at the hotel and has limited time allowed on Cell Phones. The coaches have wisely confiscated the phones for most of the time. We all meet up at the Van Rheede primary school fields.


We started off at Oudtshoorn High school but found out that we were going to be playing at Van Rheede today. It took us a little wandering around before we found the school. I rushed off to purchase some fold out chairs from Checkers and we settled in for a day of hockey supporting. There were 14 boys and 14 girls teams.


The C teams or pool B would be playing at the other fields today. Our boys did very well and achieved maximum points. Ally's team won their first match, drew the second match and lost the third match. The third match of the day started off with a goal being scored against them in the opening minute. Thereafter the team worked hard and came back from 2;0 down to 2;1. The points were: 4 for a win; Two for a draw with a goal; one for a goaless draw and Nil for a loss. At the end of the first day Ally's team had Six points while the leading teams had 12 points each.


During the day we met up with the Crankshaws; Therese and Glen Goosen; Tim and Margie Upman; Mark and Mercia; Leon and ..... ; Alec and Sue Riddle. Stuart and Maria were also staying at the NA Smit and we again had a braai that evening. The little chalets at NA Smit are quite adequate.


Julia has a bunk bed on the mezzanine and seems comfortable. This evening we sit outside again. The Dog People are having a dog show in Oudtshoorn this weekend and it is quite fun chatting to the various owners and dogs. Maria Crankshaw is a Greenshields Bakery person.


It was Maria who introduced the Pizza bases and other products to the big supermarkets such as Spar. THis evening we have some Braai Rolls made by Greenshields and which we bought in Oudtshoorn. Barbara is very tired and has a headache and is in bed early. The rest of us follow shortly after that.

Sunday 8.08.2010. The temperature has dropped a bit and we dont have to seek out the shade. We are at Oudtshoorn High School for today's games. They are all successful as EP B team win the first, draw the second and win the third game. This is enough to get them into the play off for 5 and 6 place. But unfortunately we learn that they will be playing their team mates from the C team in the morning.


We have a good long afternoon off and Barbara and I manage a sleep while pretending to read our books. This evening we arrange to have supper at Jamima's Restaurant. When I booked I saw a really cosy room with a fire. I did not have my glasses on and could not see the menu nor the PRICES which we later saw were really over the top. I felt embarrased that I have booked such an expensive place. There were 16 of us parents sitting together. Julia had a great time talking to the various parents. Barbara and I had a mediocre meal but the price made the taste a little sour.

Monday morning 9.08.2010: Womens Day: we woke up to snow on the mountains. The wind made being outdoors quite biting. Ally played her final game this morning. Against the U13 Girls EP C team and they managed a win. But it was a bitter sweet victory being up against their own province. We stayed to watch the Boys final. The EP team played the Western Province team and while it was a fierce match they were outclassed and lost by two goals.


After a short awards ceremony we left for home. We took the coastal road, stopped at Storms River and were home in the afternoon.

And then a few days later on Thursday 12.08.2010 Ally left for Clarendon Park's tour to East London. The First team hockey had four matches lined up for the next two days. On this Thursday I had a meeting in EL and left early in the morning. Ally had been given a new hockey bag, a training long sleeve t-shirt and an anorack hoodie which all looked quite stunning. I am sure that these young girls must have been very proud of their uniforms.

I was able to finish my meeting early and met the team as they arrived at Stirling Primary School. I watched the game for a few minutes until they had scored their first goal and then had to leave as I had a Nippers meeting at our home that evening.

Here are some of the sms' that Carol Scheepers sent from the EL hockey tour:

"Morn Mom's. Magnif sunny day. Going for walk along boardwalk deck along shoreline. Yest team gave 110 percent with Ally Jamie and Hanna who went to war on the field and took knocks but up + erady for more today. All fine. Hugs from your angels x."

"Yay. 1 Nil up against Cambridge on the Astro. Hat Trick! On our way to Gonubie for last match ,,. Hold thumbs. Spirit High. Hugs + Kisses xx."

Saturday 14.08.2010 Ally arrived home from the EL hockey tour. I had a really good morning run. Julia had been to the Pirates Hockey training just twice and was now off to Addo for the night and would be playing in Addo in her first ever hockey match on Sunday.

Sunday morning 15.08.2010: Barbara and I drove out to Addo to watch Julia play her first official hockey match. They had camped out next to the Polo Field / Hockey field and it seems that they had had quite a party that night. One player had such a good time that she was incapable of playing the next morning. The Pirates team played against the Addo ladies who appeared to be quite disciplined and won the game. Julia had a good couple of saves and was able to participate.

This week I did some branch visits in East London staying over at the Chimneys Guest House. Saturday morning I started off with a good longer run. We ran as a little group past the Newton Park Swim pool and up to the Moffet turn off before going through the lower subburb of NP and then home.

Cathy arrived from Cape Town and took Barbara off to St Francis where they stayed over at a Game Park. I went to watch Julia playing Hockey at Gelvandale where they won quite hansomely. We arranged to meet Charles at the Pitch And Putter where the three of us watched Rugby. This would be the third or fourth consecutive loss by the Springbok team. They lost to the NZ team and the Australian team and then the NZ team again in the new Soweto Stadium in Jhb.

Sunday morning Ally and I attended church. Ally was playing in the music group in two of the services. She played with a good confident beat and really added to the music. Sunday afternoon I flew off to Cape Town while Barbara and Cathy drove back from St Francis. I was met in CT by Stefan and little Mia. The Cape Town airport must be one of the very worst that I have ever had the displeasure of visiting.

Since I was last there they have "revamped" the airport and now it is awful the way that you have a long walk from the airplane to the Luggage collection area and then an even longer walk to the exit of the building. I had no idea where to go the the Pick Up Zone and had to ask directions. When I realised where I was to be collected I looked around to see why I had not seen the signage and realised the reason was because the signage was incredibly poor.

I then walked to the pick up zone which is through a parking garage and finally if you are really lucky you are able to meet your people collecting you. We drove to Stellenberg where we collected the rest of the family and then visited their new house. They had just bought this house that is only a few Kays from where they currently work and live. They have done a huge clean up job and made the garden more user friendly. They are also in the process of creating an extra room off from the entrance. This will be a kind of study / spare room. It is a very homely house with a good kitchen and good sized children's bedrooms.

Mia is a real friendly little individual and copies everything that Zara says and does. She immediately became friendly with me and would quite happily hold my hand and walk around the house. I found this quite pleasant as most little children take a longer time to become used to adults.


Back at Nicky's house we had supper and then passed out with Zara sleeping on the mattress on the floor with me.
I was up early and Stefan dropped me at the office in CT where I had a meeting before flying home that evening.

Tuesday 24th evening we had booked to see the Gino Fabbri show. Adrienne Wilson's daughter, Danielle, was in the US for a Dive competition and they were trying to raise funds for this trip. At our table: Charles & Ingrid; Cronje and Claudine van Zyl; Christine and Burt; Ant Cox and Jacqui; Ron and Lynne. It turned out to be a stunning show and we laughed till we cried.


I have been trying to run as often as possible but will only do so when I am at home. Wednesday Ally had one of her final hockey matches. It was a tough game and they lost in the final few minutes 0;1. That evening I did my first Swim Training (35 X 25m laps) at the Profiles Gym where Barbara has registered us as a family.

Thursday morning I drove through to King Williams Town where I spent the next two days. Friday evening after I got home Barbara, Charles, Ron and Lynne and I all went to watch the EP vs Border rugby match. It was at the new stadium which is now the new home of the Eastern Province Kings. In the First Division of Curry Cup Rugby, we are now tops. The EP team completely outclassed the Border team winning 49;6. This means that the EP team have won 6 matches in a row. This match had been a lot more fun to watch than the previous weekend of Springbok Rugby.

Saturday 28th: I have now entered the Baviaanskloof 40kay trail run and so the Gerald Family and I are training. We ran the Moffet Circuit (14kays) this morning. It was a perfect morning but I was quite tired when we got home.


Saturday afternoon; Barbara, Julia and I went to Pitch & Putter to watch SA play Australia. They played at the Loftus Versveld stadium in Pretoria. We met Michael and his two friends David and Greg Papi. We sat downstairs at a table that Michael had painstakingly reserved for us. While the smokers sat upstairs. We hardly had time to order a beer and the game started off with Australia scoring two converted tries within around 3 minutes.

We responded with a try from Pierre Spies under the posts and Morne Steyn managed some outstanding kicking including a penalty from about 10m inside the SA half. He was on top form. And then during the second half we pushed our way into a leading score and managed to hold out to the end of the game. It was a really exciting game which we won in the end but which Australia had led through most of the game.

This evening we had planned to go to the Music Trivia at Achilles but when Brenda pulled out we decided that we were in fact quite exhausted and ready for an early night.

Sunday Morning we attended the 8.45am service where Charles, Ingrid, Darryl, Mike, Vinnance and Fred were playing in the Music Group. We always enjoy their music but this morning was particularly special as both CHarles and Vinance had written their own songs. Charles had adapted the 23rd Psalm and made it into a good chorus song.

Barbara and I went swimming after church. It was Barbara's first swim at Profiles and my second. I managed to reach 40 laps which is 1km. Trevor Vaughn was there and he swam 1.5km in the same time as my 1km. I will have to work on speed.

From there we went to lunch and bridge at Michael and Lene. Lene made us a delicious Paella after which we played bridge in their sun room with me nearly falling asleep. At Three we all went to Clarendon where we played a game of hockey. Barbara and I also went to the Evening service where Mike Perks gave the same message as had Graham in the morning.

Monday Morning back to running, work and Cell Group in the evening. Our Cell group consists of Bobby Stevenson; Rob Ermes; Hannes and Jacqui Zeelie; Christine and Burt ... Cronje and Claudine van Zyl and our selves. We meet at The van Zyl's house at the Walmer Golf Course Estate. Right now we are reading through the Prupose Drive Life by Rick Warren.

Tuesday 31st August: a bit windy in the morning so Gerald wimped out of our planned run. I went out for a slow run with our normal group. And then later this evening Julia and I went for a swim at Profiles. Julia did around 500m and I did my one Kay. Ally is back into swim training but had a lot of learning to do so skipped swimming and that is why Barbara did not come to swimming.