Corrosive Transformer

This weekend I have been in in a Blue Funk. I know I have to get a few things done but am in this horrid mood, not very good company and I seem to be as emotional as a teen. I wondered why and thought I may just read my horoscope to see if I could get cheered up somewhat, I mean they usually are so vague and positive I may even feel better so I went to a site and got this back after filling in my profile.
Saturday - Maximum restraint
During this time you are touchy and unsure of yourself, and so you are easily hurt or insulted, or you tend to be hurtful yourself - there may be triggers for these situations but in reality no obvious cause. Maximum restraint is called for in interpersonal interactions. You should really treat everyone with kid gloves to avoid doing harm to your relationships or to yourself. If you are already in dispute with someone, you should try to avoid this person at this time. Whatever it is about, an argument or difference of opinion that you want to settle or continue during this time, it would only lead mutual hurt.
Maybe that is why I decided to stay at the Karting all day... the one person there that I have a slight disagreement with about the Moon Hoax and other Conspiracy Theories before tried once again to convince me... I sensed a need to run away or punch him in the face... I only phoned M to find out what his plans were for the day... Felt that the less people I talked to the better. On the way home I picked up some salad things as I wanted to cook some boerewors and chips with salad. I was pleasantly surprised that L had made some Macaroni and Cheese with mince... no need for cooking so we had a decent meal and after watching TV we went to bed...
Sunday - Your negative side
Weak, transient effect: Today during the day you are inclined to keep your feelings and innermost thoughts to yourself. A sense of loneliness or isolation frequently accompanies this period of time, or depression and a general sense of pessimism. Domestic problems may also accompany this influence, usually because you feel that in some way your domestic life is not giving you what it should. This is part of a larger feeling that you are not getting support or assistance from anyone or anything, which may or may not be true. Your real problem is either that you are cut off from your emotions or that your emotions are too unpleasant to deal with. This influence may force you to briefly experience what you consider to be your negative side. Thus there is a strong conflict between what you think of yourself and what you think you should be.
Yeowch! This is scary... That is spot on, this morning I had woken up really feeling funky, I had these weird dreams and I think I actually cried in my sleep, my pillow was damp! My feelings are not A1 at present, in fact they are rather a deep shade of purple tinged with magenta. The reason being I dreamed that I had lost a friend and it really upset me because at present this friend is precious to me, however if we were to have met over the weekend I think my corrosive mood would have dissolved it like a pearl in vinegar... that cannot be allowed to happen.
So all this has made the muse in me put these words down to try and make sense of my feelings.

Lost without you - Robert Le Noury
Hot salty tears flow down my face
Thinking about you
To be lost without you would be unbearable
Thinking about you
You said you are not ready for more
You want my friendship
That is a given, it is unquestioned
But thinking of you
Hot salty tears flow down my face
Thinking about you
To be lost without you would be unbearable

Back from the mall... L wanted to go to the movies so just before lunch we went to the mall, bought tickets to see Transformers, had lunch at Catch22. The trout was delicious but the service was lacklustre, do not think I will be there again. (See the foul mood thing again?)
Transformers was awesome... the TV trailer does not do it justice, I was blown away by the CGI animation of the robots. At least that made me feel somewhat better. The Simpsons trailer had us laughing too, I just hope those were not all the gags... The Arnie character's line "I vos voted in to lead, not read" is classic.
Got to see a beautifull sunset as well, went to the track and moved the caravan just before sunset, the Cirrus clouds turned orange then pink as the sun set. Wish I had grabbed the camera!
So all in all I am feeling much better, Monday may just be a good day after all.
"I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy". J. D. Salinger (1919 - )

Take some time

to check out a friend of mine's blog, I just hope she updates her latest adventures. Or else she will not get keys to my Castle!

Took the Beast out for a run to Brandfort today, slight breeze but the outrun was cool... had the most wonderful breakfast of Bacon and Pancakes!

Thanks to the Bulgarian hosts, lesson learned, never judge a book by it's cover.

Thanks also to my co adventurer katieb4me for picking up the tab... dit was lekka. Must try and visit the lion park next time... keeping our paws to ourselves of course.
We had quite a laugh while photographing the church as I made that remark...

The visit to military graves was rather depressing as the old graveyard is in a terrible state with knocked down headstones and general lack of upkeep... another reason I want to be turned to ash when I go to the Happy Hunting grounds... no need for my earthly remains to take up space while I am hopefully cavorting with Angels and singing Trance Hymns to God. Which made me think of this song by Tina Cousins... forgive me if I may have put the words up before but they fit in with what I experienced today.

Pray - Tina Cousins
What a miracle is life
the fields are high and fruit is ripe
so hold out your hands
yeah, hold out your hands
And you're the same as me
you breathe the air I breathe
and we don't understand
yeah, we don't understand

And if you don't ask questions
you won't know why
so say a prayer for the dying
while there's still time. So

Pray for good and pray for love
Pray for peace and pray it's enough
pray for salvation, pray that we're right
pray for one day we open our eyes
And pray for them and pray for us
pray one day we can live as one
pray for the children whose time is to come
just pray they forgive us for the stupid things we've done

We all see the same sun
each day a golden praise is sung
to the wonder of man
yeah, to the wonder of man
And when we look why can't we see
all the riches that are free
oh we don't understand
yeah, we don't understand

And if you don't ask questions
you won't know why
so say a prayer for the dying
while there's still time. So

Pray for good and pray for love
Pray for peace and pray it's enough
pray for salvation, pray that we're right
pray for one day we open our eyes
And pray for them and pray for us
pray one day we can live as one
pray for the children whose time is to come
just pray they forgive us for the stupid things we've done

Just a pity we could not find the Blockhouse at Karee... maybe next time? Although I was quite impressed how the bike handled in some real rough stuff. The best dual purpose bike by far.
By the way the Beast will now be henceforth referred to as Shrek... he is a Beautiful Beast as well because of his heart of gold and he is also green!
Hopefully us three will have many adventures together, both great and small...
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure."
Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

Mountain breezes

Kitted up and ready to roll again
Mountain view
KLR promo shot...
The other breed...

day 6 of 12 Days with Shrek

Wet, wet, wet

The front is here...
Getting some breakfast in Kleinmond
Wall of cloud rolling in over the mountains... this is gonna be wet!
Time to suit up and hope hope that the tires are also good in the wet.

Day 5 of 12 Days with Shrek

Four passes and a bay

Some pics so long...
My temporary plates... picture taken just in case they tear off in the breeze...
Seems like this happened the night before, as there were no rubber marks on the tar I suspect that this may have been a black frost vitim. There is a lot of snow on the peaks.
We came from down there... super twisties!
Breakfast in Franschoek.
That is what life is all about, a bike, a beautifull setting and good food.
Several hours later and in Gordons Bay harbour...
The Naval College emblem on the mountain above Gordons Bay.
The precursors of the front over Cape Point on the horizon.
Another KLR Promo Picture. The point in the backround is back towards Gordons Bay... this road is awesome!
Looking up the mountain... no baboons today, just crazy bikers...

Day 3 of 12 Days with Shrek

Thanks Dad

Today was fathers day so I took my Dad and the rest of us for a slap up lunch at the Bush Bub at Bains Lodge... We both gazed in wonder as we watched the kids fooling around with their latest electronic gizmos... I must be getting older and wiser.
Luv Ya Dad! even though you do not use a computer and will not read this.
Going on for 80 and he can still weld a mean bead!

"The words that a father speaks to his children in the privacy of home are not heard by the world, but, as in whispering galleries, they are clearly heard at the end, and by posterity." Ricther

Where I want to chill a while...

watch some whales and run some passes before heading back to the daily grind a month from now.
If all works out I will be flying Mango and returning 2 wheeled via Route 62, then via the Eastern Cape to KZN and back via Maloti route or I may even do a round route via some northern provinces... time will tell. I may even blog if I find a net connection.

I have 5 routes planned so far...
Brown, 1000k around the Cape.
Green, Route 62.
Blue, to my Boet via Maloti route then to Mapumalanga via Red.
Red, to my Boet via Wild Coast then Klerksdorp and back home via Maloti route.
Yellow, back home via Witsand and Kimberley.
I still have to plot out the exact roads and work out exact distances... but it any one should be fun.
So to the words of the immortal hit from Steppenwolf...
BORN TO BE WILD
From the 1968 release "Steppenwolf"
Words and music by Mars Bonfire

Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin' with the wind
And the feelin' that I'm under
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Like a true nature's child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

Born to be wild
Born to be wild
"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost." H. Jackson Browne, from P. S. I Love You

Quiche at Gecko's

The Free State National Botanical Gardens have a new place to eat...
Gecko’s Restaurant has opened and I decided to partake in a light lunch when I visited this week... not expecting much I ordered a cup of coffee and the Quiche of the day...
I was pleasantly surprised by this plate presented to me... the Quiche was Bacon and Mushroom, with a "Garden salad" with a delightfull Advocado sauce instead of the usual salad dressing... it was delicious both on the salad and Quiche!
Gecko's will be visited again! and I will be singing their praises... the service was excellent as well as the prices, not the cheapest but the quality was top class. The tables are plain but suit the setting and are adorned with indigenous blooms, depending what is flowering at the time...
I will have write up's on places I think are worth a culinary visit from time to time.
Must get that Avo sauce recipe next time...

Update: 03/09/07 - Seems like the place is now closed. When KatieB and I were here in July it was all shut up and the sign board was missing as well.

Retro

Looking back over the weekend I discovered I had forgotten to publish my last two Blogs! amongst other things... Just got back from a great evening out at the local Spur... They have this Sunday special on burgers, I still think the idea is to get people to spend money on other items though... well it was a fun evening with friends, so glad the events of the weekend are forgotten... true friends never bear grudges... The music was great and we had fun singing along... must find out who the lad was that was singing, may just be an idea to get him to entertain the crowd at our next event... One of the songs was an Afrikaans song made famous by Theuns Jordaan, a great South African singer and songwriter but the song Beautiful in Beaufort-Wes was written by Gert Vlok Nel, here is the Chorus:

Ek kon nie meer slaap nie.
Nie nie meer lag nie,
nie meer iets vir mekaar doen nie
en nooit ooit weer vir jou soen nie.
Translated:
I could not sleep any anymore
Not laugh anymore
Not do anything for one another again
and never ever kiss you again
I really enjoy his songs as well as most of our Afrikaans singers these days, just a pity most of the world does not understand the words!
**As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.**
Leonardo da Vinci(1452 - 1519), The Notebooks