All around the country, stressed accountants, lawyers and bankers were starting to stress about the fact that they would have to return to their normal lives, instantly losing the relaxation and loss of stress they had built up over the Christmas and New Year's break in Plett, Cape Town and Margate.
While all of this was happening, I was popping in to GIBS to pick up my first set of textbooks (Managerial Economics and Human Behaviour) and my first THREE files for the first week in lectures (commencing T - 6.5 days from this instant)
I realised that I am in fact either a geek or just deprived of study, as I immediately opened my new textbook and started to read Chapter 1. The even more insane thing is that I enjoyed the little company specific anecdotes included in the book to highlight real life examples of managerial mishaps and incompetence.
Yes. I am officially geared up for the next two years. It has been confirmed.
In any event, Friday ended with Helen and I sitting at Pecanwood with our estate agent taking us through the amazing discovery that the seller of the piece of land we want to buy owes everyone, their brother and the next door neighbour's dog some money. This has resulted in a delay to the buying process and has caused us to build in some extra-ordinary procedures to the agreement of sale which will cover us if certain terms are not met by the seller (like, actually being able to sell due to outstanding debts on the land) Lovely.
So what was meant to be a successful conclusion to the week and one step closer to the evolution of New Year's resolution number 5 (http://cjwood1981.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-resolutions.html) became one step closer and 3 steps back. Nothing new there.
I also made mention in the New Year's Resolution entry that I would, at some stage, divulge on why we believe we are cursed when buying new property and how I have come to this conclusion. While this post will not be used for that, rest assured, the fact that we left the club in a literal and metaphorical thunderstorm is just part of the journey that is the Wood's trying to buy a home! More to follow later...
The rest of the weekend was spent doing necessary shopping (Helen always has a plan) and watching as much sport on TV as is humanly possible. It was confirmed that the first wave of Joburgers had re-ignited their passion for stress and the fast paced life that is Sandton, upon arriving at the Fourways Mall.
Step 1: Try to find parking
Step 2: Drive around and around due to lack of parking
Step 3: Eventually find a spot and put on your indicator for fear of someone else stealing it
Step 4: Tell the lady you don't need your car washed and you think it might rain anyway (put her down softly)
Step 5: Enter shops after lengthy walk from your car and start to elbow your way through the crowds
Step 6: Leave, hopefully with everything you needed, and nothing of what you didnt
Step 7: Try to get out of the parking lot and back into traffic, which has now become worse
Step 8: Eventually get home (via the back route) and jump onto the couch, exhausted.
Step 9: Vow never to go to the Fourways mall on a Saturday
Step 10: (the following Saturday) Repeat Steps 1 - 9
Sunday morning started with a very wet and muddy mountain bike ride. Helen and I cycled to Emmarentia Dam and back, clogging our chains up with mud and grass and wading through deep water. The ride was altogther good though and a good workout.
We then visited my parents and watched as my mom went to town on the outside storage room (which houses most of my things as I have no place to put them!) Have decided that if nothing else, we need storage space in our new home so that I can keep my own things.
Played with the dogs, Puggles (our Pug) seems to have put on even more weight while my parents were away and his head is now slowly sinking into his body. It is quite something.
Saturday afternoon was spent shifting moods from happy to sad and even sadder. Louis Oosthuizen won the Africa Open after an amazing second shot to the green on the first playoff hole, teaching the Europeans that they should not expect to win our tournaments on South African soil, even if they are part of the European Tour.
Then the cricket started, Makhaya's farewell. Not much to say about this, but what a poor batting display. Besides Morne Van Wyk. (who has always been a performer in the shorter version of the game and should be included in our World Cup Squad in my opinion)
The sadder part was the game between Liverpool and Manchester United. A rather dodgy penalty decision, an aggressive tackle by our captain and the next thing we knew, the return of King Kenny was another loss to the club. Not all negative though and surviving a further 60 minutes with only 10 players on the field was a small victory in itself. The less said about the result, the better.
I then decided that I had not actually exercised enough in the morning and went for a run. A good way to end it all off! (it may also have been due to some football frustration...)
So, feedback on resolution 1:
- Saturday Run: 6.07km in 32min23 secs, average pace: 5min20/km
- Sunday Run: 6.84km in 34min39 secs, average pace 5min04/km
- Sunday Ride: 28km in 2hr21mins15 secs, average pace 11.7km/hr, Total ascent 301m
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