The Grey Havens

You speaking to me boy?

2006-11-07T23:35:00.000+03:00

Yes after tomorrow I could propably throw some attitude after all I am going to drive around a bulldozer.

What that was your house sorry I quess my foot slipped of the decelerator (never mind the spelling).

Tlainkg aobut selplnig qesus you tnhik I am dislecsic...

The question you need to ask yourself is does it really matter if I am strorming down onto your house in this big menacing machine.

Well I'm not that evil... OK maybe I am going down to Antarctica after all.

But if we get this Anti-Grav device going I guess we will have no need for the CATs and the dozers. Because starting these things in sub-zero tempratures are a mission.... Mission Impossible IVY => SubZero

40 days

2006-10-27T16:00:00.000+03:00

40 days ... only 40, I think some people hate the number 40 something about a mid-life crisis. Well the reason I love the number 40 is because why in 40 days I leave the safety of hard soil to get onto a ship and set sail for Antarctica.

Cold what?

2006-10-23T20:32:00.000+03:00

Cold Weather Training.... Appearently this is extreme training, and quess what it does not involve sitting in a freezer or any of that cold stuff. What is gonna happen is they gonna give us keys to Bulldozers and storm the town....

I wish. Well the count down now stands @ 45 days for departure for civilization.

Mayhem

2006-10-10T22:45:00.000+03:00

All engines are firing... No this ain't no firing squads command to seek and destroy everything in site... This is me geeting everything together, scurring about.

... I think it all began at the 30th of September, the day I participated in my first mountain bike event...

The thrill the excitement and then there is your bicycle, in my case 'Misty Blossom' looking up to you and saying you put me through this, I had no say in this now it is my turn to take revenge, your not gonna have any control over me. Well I think most roadies who take to the mountains the first time experiences something similar, cycling becomes a whole new ball game... ...I mean paddle game. Sure enough it is enjoyable.

As one of my fellow cyclist remarked as we were pedaling up 'Hill ....' ...still looking for a suitable name for that hill... he's excuse after asking himself the retorical question why we do this was "I'm married I need to get away from it all," well that was after my response of coarse which was, I'm single and it is most probably the only excitement I'll get riding, mind the pun.

And with 58 days left before departure to civilization you can just imagine how crazy things at work is getting lately.

Freedom

2006-09-28T12:06:00.000+03:00

Freedom yes like a bird gliding on the wind so a persons spirit must be able to let go and just relax. That is what I did last night, took my bicycle cycled down to the ocean and just sat there an listened to the ocean beat, and they whales breathing far of in the dark just out of sight.

It was so peaceful and idilic, picture perfect.

As far as the reality check goes back home I heard that the gaurd at the gate had to wrestle a gaint tortoise back into the compound as it was trying to seek the freedom these birds have.

This lovey photograph was taken at Hout Bay.

Living on the Edge -- On Top of the World

2006-09-26T21:41:00.000+03:00

Yes this is what I live for doing some hands on work to get the job done. With minimum safety requirements, why else would we call our self engineers, good engineers have little self regard they like living on the edge, fixing problems by taking as little as possible apart to fix the problem as fast as possible. Yeah I love the thrill of it all, the following day I still felt like I was dangling in mid-air, quite nice since you rock yourself to sleep that way.

A couple of days after I installed the Antenna someone tuned us no the Antenna is not working... No not tuning like a radio the other tuning. Anycase so we decide to take the safe approach...lower the tower. Well we thought it was the safe approach and it was until the hinges broke bringing the tower crashing down, destroying the Antenna and nearly itself.

After fixing the tower and putting a different Antenna on the problem emerged as the power supply of the repeater to which this antenna is connect that was not able to crank out enough juice. Now we have a tower with a kink in it dubbed... wait for it wait for it the kinky tower of .... well we haven't quite thought about the lastpart though. Any suggetions can be made in the comment box.

To those Bloody Aussies who think Crocodiles are Though

2006-09-18T17:54:00.000+03:00

Ich bin Scnappi das kleine Krokodil... Yeah right try out old Pumba it can take a hit form a bakkie be dragged several meters, get up and leave you to pick up the bill. You don't believe me...
Well recently one of my HAM friends, old man Len, took a trip to Namibia where one of these critters decides it is time for a hit and run. So it hid the bakkie and ran away... ...Leaving old Len to pick up the Bullbar.

From personal experience of being hit by a bakkie those small Corsa pickups, Respect Pumba Respect.

Me in a nutshell, and probably a million others

2006-09-14T18:30:00.000+03:00

Yeah well people find it hard to understand me so I composed a info page on me, myself and I.
I can tell you that this is the best assesment of myself I have come across in a personality test. I thought of publishing just for the heck of it and because I had a couple of people trying to understand the way I act, so here it is a fragrance of Oriental Floral....

On a different note some of what I would describe as my best works of art will be published at http://www.artwanted.com/artist.cfm?ArtID=29438, unfortunately I am only limited to 3 artworks a month, but it is nice place to look at comments regarding artwork from different people, one of my favourite artist exhibits there => Maleko Islander http://www.artwanted.com/maleko

Roger this, Roger that and why the hell is Romeo Foxtroting with a Lema

2006-09-11T23:36:00.000+03:00

Well down in Antarctica Comms are one of the cons: The solution Amateur Radio, do not ask how I got myselfed involved with it, but it is fun, dangling down 12m high towers of which the struts are on 30cm wide to install antenna and other acrobatic skills. Well succeeding the climb to the top... exam...

*I have found new born respect for lawyers, they have a language of their own to express regulation no engineer will ever understand or maybe it's just me...*

Well yes succeeding in the quest to go wireless I got the call sign ZS1FRD which translates in radio jargen to Zulu Sierra One Foxtrot Romeo Delta. And with the prospects of some improved communication... LoL my echolink node is 308795. But DEAT and SARL and yeah don't forget ICASA willing I will operate under the station name ZS7FRD as Antarctica and Islands are refered to as zone 7. So all you HAMs out there make contact, I got a Yaesu FT-857D so if you can donate a linear, tuner and Antennas just drop me a mail frodo4fingerz@gmail.com before 1st of December. 100 Watt on non HAM band antennas just won't do it.

The Havens are Beckoning

2006-09-11T21:49:00.000+03:00

86 days that is 40 days from 46 that calls for a celebration, darn it 1 more day before 86 well just goto wait then. In the mean time I have put my creativity to the test and boy what a test it is with this whole IPY - International Polar Year and Tux, good old Tux which reminds me I should start migrating to Linux. This is not the official badge but I like it especially the crosshair on old TUX brings back Counter Strike memories...
...I wonder if an Antarctica Penguin can be proudly South African *ponder*

The Pain

2006-09-08T16:03:00.000+03:00

Well things between me and well call it my girlfriend, what is in actual fact been my ex since the day after my Birthday. Not a nice Birthday present mind you, the whole break up thing. Anycase I've been mopping around for quite sometime about it. However I think I got cured at a wedding recently, one of my friends got married and I realized I am still well of being single. I got some good friends maybe less female friends than I would have cared for, but I guess that gives me the soft spot for them.

The photo on the right is the ring I gave to my first sweet heart, not a diamond like she wanted but it was to make a promise to her... of more than just friendship... however she returned the ring...

Then I realised:

Like the reply of some wise priest on the topic why he has never married, "I have met a lot of women I could live with but I have never met a women I can not live without."

So life starts now...

Why Frodo

2006-06-12T22:18:00.000+03:00

Now I have had people come up to me and ask why Frodo. Well the answer is plain and simple remeber the Movie Lord of the Rings or the book, if you don't go rent the movie or get the book and start reading. Well in the end of the book/movie our main character Frodo's finger on which he carries the ring get's bitten off by Gollum... darn now I've spoiled the movie. Well any case in 2002 on the 23rd of November I was in bicycle accident.... not stopping at a red light I won't say who was at fault, just keep in mind the Traffic Department wanted to write me a R2300 fine at one stage... Well a couple of seconds later I picked myself off the ground walked over to my bicycle and noticed saddle... complete write-off then when I tried getting bicycle out the road for damage assement that the front wheel also... write-off. So I carry bicycle to side walk and people start rushing in on me are you okey are you fine. And I'm like ja just had a little run in with a car nothing serious and then someone says dude your hand, and I look down and I only then noticed my Ringfinger on my left hand gushing blood... not a pretty site... so my response is like okay I don't think I am fine. And I get rushed to the hospital where the bloody doctor decides he wants a souvineur and so he take half my finger tip off. And that in short is where the nick had it's origin. Well from here on onwards it is safety first Antarctica is an exciting place and very dangerous so I hear and my colleague is treatening to break my leg so he can replace me on a journey to the Grey Havens.

What Reality is Like

2006-06-12T22:05:00.000+03:00

Ah this is reality the centre of the HMO culture isolated from the cruel world around us.
A world of nature and splenser and unfortunately captivity.

Reality

The Face of Love as the Elvin Kin would have wanted it.

2006-06-12T19:44:00.000+03:00

I had a wonderful weekend just quite and relaxed. On Friday one of my colleagues told my to pack up early because according to the baro meter it will be the last good days before the rain and he was correct. So I packed up and went to the coast where I sa some Beautyful dolphins, one of my favourite sea animal/fish/mammals.

I think they are my favourite because the remind me of two songs: Live - Dolphin's Cry and Wallflowers - Heros. But not only that they remind my of something else, their sleek beautyful curvous bodies, and their elegant gracious movements make my think of women the joys of live. And another interesting aspect of dolphins is that appearently they are the only other mammal that enjoys making love... ...ponder... ...In the words of Happy Tree Friends ~ "Hang in there Kids"...LoL.

Sorry nie almal sal daai grappie verstaan nie.

Any case on Saterday me and my bicycle Misty Blossom went to the beach to soak up some winter sun it was a wonderful day and so peaceful it is undescribible. On Sunday she took me to Camphill Farm Community where on of my newly aquinted friend gave me the grand tour of the farm and community. Appearently I chose the perfect day as the whole place was more quiet than usual.

It makes you want to spend all your days with a special person there having picnicks and just strolling around...

And so once again one has to return to reality... I should post somethings of reality here, just to keep everything in perspective, some other day however.

Can Love Conquer All?

2006-06-05T19:33:00.000+03:00

This poem was written for me by a very special girl and I think that I should give her credit for her beauty, her personality and how she looked up at me. Few women even thought of looking like that at me, she was willing to put up with all the problem my future would present. How does one commit to such a person, I broke her heart the day I told her I need to think I need time alone by myself. I need to orginise my life in such away that I can accomodate another person and kids playing @ home. All I know now is that I am alone searching for an answer.
And if by some strange miracle this poem might someday be true....

Die liefde in jou

Carla-Marié Spies

Dat daar

sowaar

in slegs een persoon

so baie liefde woon

Is amper,

- Jy -

ongelooflik

ongeloofwaardelik

amper

onwaar

Want onmenslik

is die wense

wat jy elke dag

vir my vervul

En onprakties

is die dade

waarvan jy die waarde nie besef

(géén benul)

En jy

Nét jy verstaan

dat liefde soos dié

wel vergaan

Maar vir ons

ewigheid

sal bly bestaan

To her I made a promise and only she can decide if the promise is to be made void and until such a time I will be treasuring her in my heart.

tHE aDVENTURE sTARTS - Brief Introduction

2006-03-14T23:30:00.000+03:00

It all started on the 14 th of April 1981, the day I was born, or was it on the 23rd of November 2002 when I lost part of my digit.
In some freakish car/bicylcle accident I lost the tip of what used to be my ring finger, so I think you can quess who was on the bicycle. Any case I live to tell the tale.

I went on with my studies obtaining my Bachelors degree in Electronic & Electrical engineering in April 2004, and gotten an e-mail of an oppertunity for an engineer in Antarctica in 2003 and 2004, and again in 2005 while completing my Masters of Science in Electronic Engineering.

I thought these people applying must be crazy, mad, insane well here I am on my way to Antarctica so judge for yourself. A once in a life time oppertunity to experience things most people don't even dream about.