76 rescued from floods in Eastern Cape

Flooding, Nashville Tennessee (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My Dad was caught in Port Elizabeth‘s latest flooding – actually, more like never-ending flooding and rain and had to be rescued.  P.E. is a bit of a disaster zone at the moment – its like a couple of Nuclear bombs have gone off.  It looks terrible.  Read here about my Dad (and the dog that they rescued):

Port Elizabeth – Port Elizabeth’s National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) rescued 76 people and a dog early on Sunday.

The alert that the people, who were attending a religious meeting, were stranded upstream of the Swartkops River, cut off from the mainland by rising water, came at 04:30, the NSRI’s Daniel Heimann said.  He said because of the water levels and the fact that most of the road had been washed away, a rescue effort by vehicle was impossible.  “Our NSRI volunteers found an area that, although barely accessible, was at the time the only way in an out from where the people were,“ he said.  The rescuers, using fallen trees and tree trunks as anchor points, rigged a rope line, making hand rails along the line.  Where flood areas were too deep or too turbulent, NSRI rescuers were posted along the rope line to guide and aide the group across the river.  Before the rescue operation began, Heimann said, a safety briefing was held with the fellowship group and each person was allowed to take only one piece of luggage with them.

“Once the group had, one by one, begun crossing the river, our NSRI volunteers helped the elderly and assisted where necessary to get everyone safely across the river.”  Meanwhile, rain continued to cause havoc in the Eastern Cape on Sunday, with parts of the N2 closed to traffic, Eastern Cape disaster management said.  “There is a huge hole, about 25m wide and 50m deep on the N2, by the Pumba Game Reserve, between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown,” said Captain John Fobian.  “The road has been closed off and traffic is being diverted from Port Elizabeth to the Cradock Road N10 around Cookhouse and back to Grahamstown or East London.”

The SABC reported that Kouga municipality spokesperson Laura-Leigh Randall said the Sand River bridge between Cape St Francis and St Francis Bay had been washed away and the water was still strongly flowing.  According to the broadcaster, she said a technical team had assessed the damage and said it would not be possible to construct a pedestrian bridge, but that people were crossing the river where the water was flowing less strongly.  – SAPA

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/76-rescued-from-floods-in-Eastern-Cape-20121021

Seriously – it can stop raining and being freezing cold.  Summer can come.  PLEASE!!!!!

The Baby Mama

This has not been a good week.

English: A commuter cyclist in the London morning rush hour, kitted out in specialist cycling gear (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In fact, it has been an awful week and I have only plucked up the courage to actually write about it.  If there are typo’s, grammar or spelling errors, I am sure you will understand.

On Sunday, while hubby was out cycling and baby girl and I were spending the morning together bonding (and we were having a lovely morning), I get a frantic call from the woman I work with (my boss has two P.A.’s working for him), that our boss was killed.  My boss, also an avid cyclist, was out doing the normal Sunday morning route that he and most other cyclists in Port Elizabeth do.  She said that he was out cycling and was knocked over by a car and killed.  I almost wanted to start laughing and I kept on thinking to myself, “why would someone phone me and tell me such an awful thing?”  I couldn’t comprehend that it was true.  In fact, I still can’t comprehend that it is true.

Anyway, I then phoned hubby while he was out cycling and he informed me that there was a huge accident, but he couldn’t see who it was.  The other P.A. then phoned me back to tell me it was in fact true.  This is the story – a whole group of cyclists went out on their usual  Sunday Morning route and my boss and a very close friend of his were part of the group.  While we are not sure exactly what happened, the friend saw this car coming on the wrong side of the road, dived out the way and shouted a warning to my boss, who did not (could not) have heard him.  The car hit my boss head-on, killing him instantly.

The driver of the vehicle was drunk (apparently twice over the legal limit) and driving on the wrong side of the road.  And then still tried to get away, but a security guard near Seaview (about 20 kilometers from the crash) saw the smashed car and stopped him, made a citizens arrest and then called the police.  Clearly, this security guard knew that something was wrong with this vehicle that was speeding and trying to get away.  Details are not clear on how he stopped the car, but the driver was so drunk when he got out, he apparently could not stand straight, but yet knew enough that he had knocked someone down as the first thing he said was, “Is he dead?“

This whole week has felt like a weird dream.  On Monday, our phones did not stop ringing once.  The calls and support from clients has been amazing.  And I feel a bit weird.  He shouted so much and was such a demanding boss, and yet he was a good person.  His sole purpose in life was to service his clients – some of whom he has known for 40+ years.  And I and the other P.A. were merely vehicles to achieve that.  And yet there was a realness about him that made me feel more comfortable with him in the 18 months I worked for him than I ever felt in the 12 years I worked for my previous boss.  Says something, doesn’t it?  I knew where I stood and if I stuffed up or made a mistake, I got shouted at, but I know what was expected from me and I could deliver on that.  I hate the shouting and the demands, but it helped me up my game and deliver a much higher standard of work.  And he threw hissy-fits that would make my three-year old blush, but that was, somehow, just who he was.  But the man had a sharp sense of humour and there was a lot of laughter in this office.  And I had a lot of respect for him.  I enjoyed the fact that he was quite simply who he was – I knew who I was dealing with and how to handle him, no matter how demanding he was.

And then this idiot wears a t-shirt to his bail application that says, “cleverly disguised as a responsible person.”  Seriously?  This after drinking and driving?  Responsible?  Somehow I think not.

The think that irritates me the most is this debate that always occurs after a cyclist is killed – who has the right to use the road.  Really – like that is appropriate right now.  We all have the right to use the road.  What you don’t have is the right to drink and drive and then kill someone (could have been anyone – even a pedestrian, but just so happened to be my boss), because you are driving on the wrong side of the road.

The saddest thing for me is that my boss and his wife celebrated 42 years of marriage – and they were happily married.  How can someone just take that away from them?  It seems so unfair.

The Baby Mama

Toddler Competition

A toddler girl crying (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I inadvertently entered Baby Girl into a Toddler competition.  I did not know I was doing this.  My mom, sister-in-law and I took Baby Girl to the Baby and Toddler Expo at the Moffett-on-Main Centre on Saturday.  As we entered the expo, my mom said to me we should have some photos taken of Baby Girl.  Having such a beautiful daughter, I naturally agreed – thinking they were just photos that we would pay for and receive and hang up at home, or put on our desks at work.

As it turns out, this was an entry for a Toddler competition.  The snag is that the Toddler with the most “Likes” on the Moffett-on-Main Facebook page wins.  So, guess what I am doing?  Ah, you guessed it – I am sending the link to her picture to absolutely everyone I know and asking them to click on “Like”.  I have no idea what the price is as I didn’t even know it was a competition, but I would love for her to come somewhere.

The Baby Mama

And now I feel even more blessed…

Kinderbett / Crib (Photo credit: only_point_five)

And now I feel even more blessed.

We received an e-mail this morning to say that one of our staff member’s baby died from SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  The baby was only two month’s old.  I cannot imagine what that poor mother must be going through.

Now, we have just heard that the family – the Dad works with me here – could not afford a cot and so the pushed two couches together and the mom slept on the one couch with the baby lying in the middle.  The couch had a certain pattern on it, and they’ve found this pattern ingrained in the baby’s face.  How awful – to have to live with that kind of regret.  She must have rolled over in her sleep.

And then I realised just how blessed hubby and I are – not only did we have family who made us a handmade cot (hubby’s brother and dad made the cot for us), but my mom bought us a pram, we had plenty of clothes given to us – we had such a support system in comparison to what this poor couple had.

The sad thing is that had the sent an e-mail around at work, I am quite sure someone who have had an old cot, or carry cot or something more suitable.

The Baby Mama

Well, here we go…

The main entrance to the International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged.  But, there have been periods of greater absences, so I guess this is not too bad.

Baby Girl – after all, this blog is supposed to be about Baby Girl – is growing so beautifully.  She, apparently, has grown quite tall over Christmas.  I say apparently because I have not noticed this growth spurt but at our first swimming lesson of the new season, I had about three or four comments about how tall she has gotten.  The swimming went well, albeit still too cold to really enjoy it thoroughly.  Hopefully we’ll get summer here in Port Elizabeth – at some point.  I find it somewhat amusing that the temperatures all across the country are at 28^º, 36 ^º, and little old Port Elizabeth is at 17^º, 16^º and Friday will be a whopping 15^º.  Today is nice though.  But today, I am at work.

Anyway, back to Baby Girl – she enjoyed her swimming and seems to socialise so nicely with other kids.  We went to Cape Town over this last long weekend and Baby Girl and a whale of a time.  Her poor Grandparents on that side of the country were exhausted and although probably sad to see us leave, probably a bit more relaxed.  Poor Baby Girl doesn’t quite understand that we don’t all have her energy levels.  Well, not even the Energiser Bunny has her energy levels.  But, I wouldn’t have her any other way.  She is so interested in everything and nothing holds her back.  As my hubby says, she has a heart of a lion.  She will help feed the birds, and sweep, and help Granny hang the washing and help pick up snails and worms from the plants, and help weed – she won’t sit back, she likes to get involved.  She’s just like her Dad and that is exactly what I love about her.

There is this interest in life and what is going on that just astounds me – I get nervous and scared and prefer to crawl away.  But, first my Hubby and now Baby Girl are teaching me about the joys of really getting involved.  And yes, it is exhausting.  And yes, I am tired.  And yes, there are those days that I just wish I could just have half an hour to just veg.  But, you know what?  At the end of the day, when all is said and done, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  They fill up my life, me, who I am.  I feel lost without them, alone and even though I need me time and I must be disciplined in taking me time, I want them there.  No much how much energy both of them radiates?

My weight is still an ongoing issue (this blog can be about me – just a little).  I have now cut down my two scrambled eggs in the morning and I’m only having one.  My oats at 09:30 I dump one teaspoon out into the bin before I start eating – trying to fool my system into eating less.  Soon, I will be dumping two teaspoons.  The idea is that eventually I will cut down on eating meals between meals, but rather have an apple or a banana or something more like a snack.  And then I’ll lose weight and be all nice and trim like I was before I fell pregnant.  We live in hope.  And besides which, on the way back from Cape Town, hubby had an egg mayo sandwich at about 03:00 in the morning and then didn’t eat until supper.  And I thought, how lovely to be able to focus on what needs to be done and to eat when hungry – not like me who is so scared about not eating that I eat everything in sight.  Seriously silly of me – I know, but I am working on it.  Every day this is what invades my thought and my mind.  I want my body back and Philippians 4:13 tells me I can do all things through Christ Jesus so I know that I can do this too.

In Cape Town we caught the new bus system into town with my hubby’s folks and baby girl in tow.  She was such a good little girl on the bus and we caught a water taxi and saw how the other half of society live – where a mere flat costs R 6 000 000 (yes, that’s SIX MILLION RANDS).  Unless I win the lotto (which I do also live in hope for and do actually buy tickets – on occasion), I will never see that kind of money to just spend on a flat.  Although you never know – I always say you never know what surprise God has around the next corner for you.  Hubby has some amazing business ideas and is touching base and making contact with big client names – and you never know what one contact will lead to or what one connection will make in the long-term.  I said to hubby on the weekend that we are facing a huge mountain financially, and all we can do is climb it one step at a time.  We will get to the top one day.  And it’s frustrating and tiring and exhausting and the pressure feels insurmountable at times (especially when you have a child that you only want to give the best of everything too), but we will get to the top of this mountain.  It is what it is, but we cannot give up hope that things will get better and that going out to dinner won’t cost us the earth in terms of the sacrifice made just to go to Mike’s Kitchen.

And to top it all off, hubby and I need to start lending our thoughts to which schools to apply to next year for Baby Girl.  We are very keen on St Dominic’s Priory, which is just around the corner from us and I really like the idea of Baby Girl attending one school from Grade 0 to Grade 12, but they are very expensive and they don’t have anything during the holidays which will be another expense or situation that will need to be dealt with.  Or there is Charlo Primary which is a normal government school and obviously I have my concerns considering South Africa is listed 141 out of 145 countries in terms of education level (with only Afghanistan, Yemen and Libya behind us).  But, they are a lot cheaper than Priory and they have holiday care every holiday except for December/January.  Which will be much easier for us – and they are also relatively close to us.  Someone at work suggested Clarendon Primary School – I will need to do research and compare costs and see where we stand with what we can afford and holiday care, etc.  Being a parent isn’t easy and making the right decisions or allowing life to make decisions for you, based on our financial situation, isn’t easy.  And to be honest – just doesn’t seem fair.

Then I am reminded that I have so many blessing and so many things to be grateful for that climbing this mountain is totally doable.  And the high at the top will be worth it.  And right by my side will be my hubby and our little Baby Girl.

The Baby Mama

The Bloggess

Hysterical (album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is totally hysterical.  Even though I have so much work to do, I have like totally have to read her latest posts.  And then crawl under my desk so no-one can see me laughing and want to give me a lovely white jacket to wear.  Permanently.

This is today’s post and it’s hysterical.

http://thebloggess.com/2012/09/i-think-im-part-vogon/

I think I’m part Vogon

September 7, 2012

in Random crap,Vogon poetry

In my spare time I read, watch Doctor Who, build haunted dollhouses, and write bad poetry.  Like, THE WORST poetry. In fact, the poem I wrote today was so bad I had to run after Victor to get him to listen to the end of it and then after that he went directly to the doctor. And that’s a record, so I thought I would share:

Nothing Rhymes With “Episiotomy”

Janie and I went to Marcia’s shower

expecting some pre-baby fun.

We arrived at her house at the agreed upon hour

and immediately wanted to run.

Marcia’s round belly was surrounded by girls who

regaled her with tales of their labor,

while Marcia grew paler and tried to grab onto

her wits, a life raft, or a saber.

“I pooped on the table,” said plump, old Aunt Pat,

(She made it sound like a boast).

Said Tiffany-Sue: “Oh, everyone does that.”

Marcia turned white as a ghost.

“For shame, now girls,” said reserved cousin Flo,

“Who cares ’bout your old lady bits?

Babies do much more damage as they grow.

Good heavens, just look at my tits!”

Within a half-hour I needed a shower

and Marcia and Janie looked faint.

“Why, that’s nothing” said gran, who fluttered her fan,

“You should see what they did to my taint!”

Of blood and of bile they prattled on blindly,

(By now Marcia was starting to heave.)

They showed c-section scars (a little unkindly).

It was clear that we needed to leave.

The talk of the girls

caused great twisting of pearls

and left us all thinking of options.

Janie’s decided to stay on the pill,

And I’m looking into adoption.

 

I will be giggling about this all day.

The Baby Mama

I forgot to tell you…

‘Baby Mama’ Filming in Park Slope: Craft Services Breakfast Table (Photo credit: Adam Kuban)

I FORGOT TO TELL YOU…

…pertaining to my earlier post, that I am also eating/drinking low GI (glycemic Index) wherever, whenever I can (not that I’ve noticed it making any difference at all).

…And I’m trying to drink as much H₂O as I can.

…No sweets or chocolates, which isn’t such a big deal for me, but still.

And I’ve realised I have to stop thinking about food and eating, because the more I think about food and eating, the more hungry I’ll be, the more I’ll want to eat.  Before I fell pregnant, I never thought about food and didn’t eat as much.  Not that easy to do, but I have to get myself lost in whatever it is that I am doing.  Just a theory, but I do so hope I can put it into practice.

I really am trying so hard, but just seem to be failing miserably.  Perhaps I should try some chromium – I hear it is quite good in balancing blood sugar.

Urgh, so not happy with myself right now.

The Baby Mama