New Year's resolutions

You know, each year I try to make new year's resolutions, but I never seem to be able to complete them.  Maybe I'm doing it wrong, and I'm just setting myself up to fail.  Probably true, and so I'm going to try and make it so I can accomplish them this year.  Hopefully next year I'll look at this list and say, "Check, check, check."

1) Go to the gym at least twice a week.  This is difficult for me because I can only go early in the morning, and turning off the burglar alarm wakes Lovely English Lass.  Hopefully I'll go more, but I think I can agree on twice.
2) Try to take my wife out for more date nights.  She deserves the break, and we do need time alone away from the kids.  Even if it's just dinner, it'll be a good thing.
3) Write more to my friends and family in the US and all over the world.  You guys are very important to me, and I want to keep up with you and what is going on in your lives.  I'll make the effort, and hopefully you will too.
4) Take my son to his first soccer match when I'm in England this fall.  I want to be able to do this with him, and hopefully I'll make it happen.
5) Play tea party with my daughter. She loves it, and it's something that can strengthen the bond between us.
6) Try to be more  patient with my kids.  You know, it's difficult sometimes to remember that they are children when they are coloring on the walls or pouring water on the floor.  I'm sure they don't mean it, and I need to teach them better.
7) Have my wife watch Blazing Saddles.  Because, why hasn't she already?  It's awesome!
8) Look for new music.  I love music.  (In fact, "Little Lion Man" is playing right now in my head.)  I should support new artists and find music I can enjoy.
9) Play outside more with my kids.  I agree with the First Lady on this, my kids need to get out more.  Hopefully we'll be able to in the coming months and the kids will remain healthy and happy.
10) Enjoy life.  There is no need for me to be down.  I've got a great wife, a lovely daughter and a fantastic son.  Look at the experiences we are having right now and make sure I take time to enjoy them.

Hopefully I can get all of these done before the new year.  It shouldn't be hard, but they are important.  I'll let you know later how I'm doing.

Well, it's raining outside, and maybe it's time for some tea.  I'll ask my daughter to pour me a cup.  Happy New Years everyone.
 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

As I said in my last post, it will be weird to have Christmas in the summer.  However, I want you to know that Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year, and has been for quite some time.  It's amazing how much of my life has revolved around Christmas and what it means to me.

One of the earliest memories I have is of my great-grandmother, Grandma Wilfong, talking about how much she loved Christmas.  That woman started shopping for next Christmas the day after Christmas.  It was her favorite time of year.  (I always joked she liked me best because I was born on the same day as her husband, who was named John as well.)  She seemed to always know when we were coming to visit her for Christmas, as our presents were lined up under the tree waiting for us when we got there, or they showed up at the house prior to Christmas to make sure we had them.  She was a lovely woman.

We always said she'd have to die on Christmas eve as that was the only day she wasn't out shopping for the next Christmas.  Strangely, that is exactly what happened.  It was afterwards that I found out she was married on Christmas day, which probably explained why the holiday meant so much to her.

I loved spending Christmas with my family, both close family and extended family.  Seeing my grandparents and my cousins was great, but spending it with just my brothers and parents was great too.  We'd wake up early and have to wait until my parents got up so we could go see what Santa had left for us.  (We knew whose stuff it was by our stocking being left on the pile.)  My parents were always difficult to buy for, which is why my mother may still have a bottle of perfume called NINJA somewhere in the house.  I remember getting a bicycle and clothes.  Ah to be that young and innocent again.

Since I've been in the Foreign Service, I've served as Santa Claus on two continents.  It'll be three on Sunday as I'm Saint Nick for the Christmas party here in Johannesburg.  I love doing that.  One year I was Santa in Suriname, and they made me sit in a Sleigh during the hot weather outside.  The Ambassador, a very nice man, sat next to me for pictures and asked me if Santa would like a plate of cookies and some milk.  Santa replied he'd like a cold beer instead, but drinking and flying is frowned upon.  I love the look on the kids faces, and even though I sweat buckets, I always feel so good inside afterwards.  (That's what I tell myself when I should be working out.  I'm just staying in Santa shape.)

As I mentioned previously, my wife, Lovely English Lass, and I got engaged two days before Christmas.  LEL then traveled to Florida to meet my family.  When we arrived on Christmas eve, we went straight from the airport to the house of my best man's family for the usual party we have every year.  It still brings a smile to my face remembering my wife trying very hard to stay awake and seem interested when in reality she just wanted to go to bed.  It shows her grace that she pulled it off superbly.

Not everything dealing with Christmas was a great memory.  My college girlfriend broke up with me on Christmas eve my senior year in College.  Not fun, I can tell you.  (However, the depression did help me lose 40 pounds, and I looked great for a bit.)

This weekend as we set up the tree and realized we'd packed a box away in storage that held some of our Chistmas stuff, I thought about how much this season means.  It's about peace on earth and good will towards everyone.  Hopefully we'll have a good time this Christmas.  The kids seem to be getting the hang of it, and they love looking at the tree.  (Crazy Little Man came down from his nap with the tree lit up and said: "It's Christmas!")  I am looking forward to the looks of happiness when they get their gifts, both from us and from their relatives, and hearing them say Thank you.  Then it'll be time for Turkey and whatnot.  I'm sure we'll have a great time, and one day I hope they tell great stories about Christmas to their kids.  So, everyone Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays.  May the new year bring you happiness, health and joy.

Holiday Season in South Africa

My wife has stated that it will be very odd having Christmas during the summer months.  It is exepected to be quite warm here in South Africa on December 25.  Being from Florida, I'm ok with not having snow or cold weather whilest opening my presents.  Heck, when I lived in Arkansas I only remember a few times having a White Christmas.  It does get cool in Florida at times during December, but nothing like the rest of the country.  I've even been to the beach on Christmas day, so I can say I'll be fine.

However, it'll be difficult for Lovely English Lass.  She's Yorkshire through and through, and darn it, December is supposed to be cold!  There should be, if not snow, then weather cold enough that it might freeze the alcohol in your glass!

(Funny aside: in England there is a show called "Soccer AM."  Each week they used to do a parody called Yorkshire News.  One of them showed a football player scoring an amazing goal for Leeds United, a Yorkshire team.  The "newscasters" weren't commenting on his goal, however, but on the fact that he was wearing gloves and that it wasn't THAT cold out.)

The one thing that isn't different here in South Africa is the ability to push the holiday season further and further back in the year.  I think the first Christmas tree here went up the second week in November, and they were all touting possible Christmas sales at the end of October.  It used to be in the States we had a firebreak with Thanksgiving to keep all of that out of November.  Not any more.

Well, we're going to be putting our tree up and decorating soon.  We wait until after Lovely Little Girl's birthday to make sure we give her a special day.  The kids will help with the decorations, and we'll hope that none of them get broken this year.  (Especially not the limited edition hand numbered one we got from Neuschwanstein Castle.)  But it'll be good to see some of the ornaments from where we've been.  LEL likes to buy wooden ornaments from our travels.  It's great to see them, and remember what we were doing when we bought them.

While it'll be sad not to be with the rest of the family (both my side and LEL's side), I can at least be happy that LEL, Lovely Little Girl, Crazy Little Man and I will be safe and together enjoying our time together.  And maybe, just maybe, that's all we need for the holiday spirit to catch on, no matter what the weather is like outside.

Isn't She Lovely

On December 4, my lovely little girl turns 5.  I can't even explain to you how that feels.  It seems like just yesterday she was born.

Flash back to March of 2006.  Lovely English Lass and I had been married for 4 months when we had the talk about starting a family.  We had just received word I was going to be the Management Officer in Luxembourg, and we were moving in August.  After much discussion, we decided we were going to wait on children until we moved somewhere LEL couldn't work on the local economy.  (Being a citizen of the EU helps sometimes, no?)  Well, two weeks later, the best man at my wedding and his lovely wife came to DC for a visit.  When we went to a diner for dinner one night, LEL ate a pickle off my plate.  LEL despises pickles.  The very next morning I went to the CVS for a pregnancy test.  I was so early it wasn't even open yet.  When they finally did, I asked for the tests.  The woman helped me get one, put a grave look on her face and said, "Good Luck."  When I replied that I was happily married, she brightened and cheerfully wished, "Good Luck!"

After coming home, LEL took the test and sure enough, we were going to be parents.  In a strange quirk, it was Mother's Day in the UK.  I took our guests sightseeing while LEL skyped with her parents to give them the news.  Knowing her today, my mother-in-law jokes that lovely little girl, in sperm form, probably elbowed her way past all the others to get to the egg no matter what.  She was coming when she was ready, and not on anyone elses schedule.

We moved to Luxembourg when LEL was 6 months pregnant.  It was going well, and although work was difficult, we liked living in Lux.  Our OB/GYN had delivered a few of the Grand Duke's kids, so we knew we had the best.  Then, on December 3, the contractions started.  LEL watched Take That's reunion show on tv, and I went to take a nap knowing it would be a long night.  Sure enough, at 10 pm, her water broke.  I immediately started moving her to the car, but LEL was worried about something.  "Lost is on now.  I'll miss it."  After reassuring her we were taping it, I got her in the car and to the hospital.  Less than 4 hours later (long enough to watch Lost, as LEL reminds me), after being frightened by our German nurse, ("PUSH!  CONTINUE, CONTINUE, CONTINUE!), and bemused by our laid back doctor, ("ok, push.  Good.  Good!  I'll be back in 5.")  we were joined by our lovely little girl.  All 9 lbs 1 oz of her.  After briefly cleaning her off, they handed her to my wife.  The first words spoken between mother and daughter were, "You're my baby!"  And right there I could see the love between them.  That's when we became a family.

                                                    Lovely Little Girl aged 1 year old

Since then we've moved twice, added a little brother, and my lovely little girl was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum.  She's very high functioning, which is a blessing to us.  She's also very tall for her age (over 4 feet tall) which does cause issues.  She's got a crush on a boy 4 years older than her at school, and loves swimming.  She doesn't march to the beat of her own drummer.  She's got her own orchestra playing.  We've had to work with her on knowing that her opinion is not always the same as others.  Just because she doesn't want a croissant doesn't mean her brother can't have one.  But, that's just Lovely Little Girl.

Lovely little girl is a blessing.  When she comes up to me and asks for a cuddle, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.  When I get an unprompted "I love you" I have the best day.  When she gets the giggles, and is playing well with her brother, all is right with the world.  And when she looks at you with those big eyes of hers whose color we can't seem to place (blue-ish grey seem to be the consensus) you can't help but comment on how striking she is.  Hopefully one day she and I will have the relationship my wife and her dad have together.  But, like everything in this world, it'll be on my lovely little girl's terms.  I'll happily agree to that.  Happy Birthday little girl.  Daddy loves you.

                                                    Almost 5 and ready to break hearts

Something - The Beatles

Today is the day I married the woman of my dreams.  Seriously.  I even wrote something way before I met her about being with a British Girl.  (Of course it had to do with my wanting to be James Bond, but whatever.)  I just know that she said yes.  You see, she didn't have to.  She could have stayed in England, and it would have been a great story I told later on about my romance with this Lovely English Lass.  Instead she left everything she'd ever known to be with me.  ME?!?!  I mean, Robbie Williams, yeah.  But me?

Back-up to 2004.  I'm 4 months away from leaving London when a colleague from the HR section in the Embassy brings by a new local employee.  It was my Lovely English Lass.  We talked, I think I made her laugh, and it was a good time.  That Friday the Marines had a party at their house, and in walked LEL with our friend Gee.  She was wearing a strapless black dress with polka dots.  Gee re-introduced us and then promptly got lost!  We talked the entire night and I walked her to the tube with my umbrella because it was raining.  Fast Forward about a month, with me doing lunches with her, meeting her best friend at a party, and going out for drinks one night.  Over the Memorial Day weekend I went to Brussels for a visit.  It was there I realized I really liked her.  So I bought her a box of chocolates and called her on the train ride home.  After spending all of Memorial Day with her, and her quite clearly saying she wasn't interested in me, I wore her down and we started dating.

We dated the entire time I had left, and hardly anyone at the Embassy knew about it.  And then I moved back to the US.  Luckily I had a job that allowed me to travel a lot, so I did get back to see her in November of 2004 so we could go to the Marine Ball.  It was then I called her father, whom I had met on an earlier trip, and asked for his daughter's hand in marriage.  The only problem was the phone disconnected on me while I was trying to ask.  Three times.  Right as I was saying, "I would like..."  Talk about your flop sweat!  Well, I then properly asked her to marry me, ring and all, on December 23, 2004 in Washington, DC.  The next day we flew to my parents house where they finally got to meet her.  (Yes, after I proposed.)

We decided to get married in Florida, due to the vagueries of immigration.  We got married in Orlando (not Disney), on Veterans day.  (I tell people it's because November 11 is the same in England and America if you use numerals (11/11).  In reality it was cheaper.)  The wedding was quite the success.  Beautiful day, many friends, and the reception was fantastic.  Our first dance was "Something" by The Beatles.  Staid Americans with not-so-staid Brits.  It worked beautifully.  In fact the bar guys thanked me afterwards for letting them work the wedding, they had such a good time.  And, most importantly, she looked amazing.



See what I mean?  I almost ruin this photo.

Since then, I've made her move to three countries.  We've had our two lovely children, and she has found her voice as a writer discussing how to be a better advocate for our daughter with autism.
If I could, I would write a song for her.  If I had to, I'd stand outside our house with a boombox playing "In Your Eyes" like Lloyd Dobler.  If I could, I'd do whatever I could to make sure she didn't feel any pain or anguish.  I just know that if I was ever left without her, I'd be less a man.  She makes it all worthwhile, and always will.  So, today on our 6th anniversary, I just say I love her.  And hopefully one day I can be the man I think she deserves.  Until then, I'll just keep trying.

"The Help"

This weekend, Lovely English Lass and I finally got to go out on our date night instead of just ordering in food and watching a movie at home.  When we got back, the place was still intact and the babysitter hadn't run screaming into the night (and even stated she'd be coming back on Friday this week so we could go out for an early Anniversary dinner), so all in all a success.  We got to go to the movies here, which was an interesting experience.  Many similarities between the movie watching experience in the US and in SA.  1) Teenage boys will still act incredibly stupid, hold up the line at the concession stand, and generally be an idiot just to impress a girl.  2) The seats are nice with a a lot of leg room.  3) the bathrooms are still always being cleaned by someone that looks like at any second they'll snap.  The differences?  1) They have a salt station for your popcorn.  There's butter salt, Salt and vinegar, mango chutney salt, cheese salt, popcorn shrimp, butterfly shrimp, rock shrimp.... (wait, I went Gump there didn't I?) 2) The screens are much smaller than a new movie theater in the US.

However, gotta talk about the movie.  We went to see "The Help" which came out at the beginning of the month here.  What a great flick.  It was a bit surreal seeing it in SA as a lot of what they were talking about in the movie was very recent history here in SA.  We're talking 20 years ago, not 40.  I can remember the protests and anti-apartheid movement.  The movie theater was about 1/2 white and 1/2 black, so I was expecting some sort of reaction.  There wasn't one.  Just people talking about how the enjoyed the movie. 

Now, I am a Southerner through and through.  We can probably trace my family back to the beginning of Georgia on one side.  (Yeah, they were criminals.)  There is a lot to be proud of when you think of the South.  Peanut Butter and Dr. Pepper being two of my favorite things.  But you've also got the writings of William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, most of the Founding Fathers, Rock n Roll, Coca-Cola and our ability to fry anything and make it taste good.  (Fried Dill Pickles being one of those things.)  However, that era was not one of them.  I still find it hard to believe that the setting of this movie took place while my father was in High School.  It wasn't that long ago, you know.  My dad was in Junior High School* during the integration of Central High School in Little Rock in 1957, and later graduated from there.  The elementary school I went to in Texarkana was originally the school for the African-American kids.  My first grade teacher talked about teaching in the school when segregation was still in force.

I look at the movie and think, how did it get that way?  And then I look at the history of South Africa and think the same thing.  There are a lot of parallels between Jim Crow South and Apartheid South Africa.  The question is: Have we progressed much from those days?  I hope so.  I hope that we can all see each other for who we are and not what we are.  I'm not sure if we're there yet, but I can hope we will be. 

Quite a lot of deep thoughts from a movie on date night, don't you think?

*correction, my dad was 10 and in elementary school during the integration of Central High School.  The year following the integration, 1958, Governor Orval Faubus closed all the public schools in Little Rock to stop black children from attending white schools.

A trip to the African Market

This past weekend we went to the Rosebank Mall (Crazy Little Man's favorite of all the Malls) where they have an African Crafts Market every Sunday.  They have almost everything you could want from a crafts market.  They have native dress, shields, slightly racist looking statues of african men dressed like a servant on a safari (think lawn jockey and you get the idea), and wood carvings like you've never seen.  Some of this stuff is gorgeous.  Some of it is taff.  But it's a great place to buy some interesting stuff.  Plus you get the satisfaction of haggling, which I have to admit I kind of enjoy.

What we forgot is it is a complete and utter mess for my little girl.  She has sensory issues, and this place was practically the Vegas Strip for her.  Loud speaking, bustle, crowds, music, lights and things she wanted to touch and smell but couldn't.  It was a bit much even for me, so imagine if everything is amped up to four times what you hear and then try to function.  She did very good considering.  When it looked like she was starting to lose her grip we took a break from our shopping to sit down in a quiet area, have a snack and some juice, and just get a bit of balance back.

It was then that we saw a table that had some fantastic wood carvings.  The one that caught my Lovely English Lass' eye was the carved Noah's ark, with small animals, paired by twos, and Noah and his wife.  Very cool looking, and I talked the guy down by 150 rands.  (Divide by around 8 for dollars, and 10 for your Great British Pounds.)  However, after another discussion with a vendor over something else, my daughter had enough.  It was time to go.

We'll still go to the market again.  (The guy we bought the ark from said he would have carved nativity scenes soon, so we're definitely going for that.)  However, I think we'll make sure Little Miss has enough to keep her occupied.  It seems when she does have something to keep her busy, she takes noise in stride.  After the market we went to the Spur restaurant I mentioned in an earlier post where they have an indoor playground for the kids while you eat.  Little Miss bounced up and down on their trampoline for about 20 minutes while we were there, and didn't freak out at all from the four loud pops of balloons.  Hopefully we'll figure something out for her before we head out of Johannesburg on our first trips into this beautiful country.

Movies and quotes

I drive my wife, Lovely English Lass, crazy with quoting movies.  In fact when we lived in Luxembourg my friend, who at the time was known as Eurochini, came for a visit and my wife forbade us from quoting anything during a dinner out one night.  And then of course she ended up quoting something herself.

Movie, books, songs.  It doesn't matter.  If I can find a way to fit a quote in, I'll do it.  Some people think it's un-original.  Personally, I think it's harder than it looks.  I have to look through my entire file of quotes from everything I've ever read, seen or heard, fit it into the proper situation, and give the quote the proper amount of umph that gets the point across.  It's harder than it seems.  This is something I've done for years.  In fact, if I said something quite witty, one of my exes would ask me where it came from.  (As if I couldn't be witty on my own!)

It's hard sometimes to stop yourself.  Nothing is worse than quoting something and the people around you not knowing what you're talking about.  I was helping a friend move once, but the people helping her move weren't my usual group of friends.  So, as her boyfriend went out to get more boxes from the store, I stood in the doorway waving and said, "Good luck storming the castle!"  A tumbleweed rolled by as it became awkward that no one knew what I was talking about.  Very embarassing.

Anyways, I went to a dinner held by my boss.  It was a thank you for the hard work of getting his house in order so he could move in.  There were about 12 of us from the consulate that were invited.  As we sat at the table with my boss, LEL mentioned that we were going to have Movie Night at our house, as we have a lot of them, a nice sized TV and a decent enough size house.  She asked for suggestions.  Well, the security guy, also sitting with us, immediately started quoting movies.  And I'm not talking Godfather (which is a staple for most guys I know).  He went with "The Last Dragon."  Needless to say, it carried on for a bit, with even my boss getting into the game.  The ladies just sat there looking stunned.

Back in DC I have a group of friends that can probably hold a two hour conversation using just quotes from movies.  Maybe it is a guy thing, I don't know.  Anyways, it is nice to know that even here in Johannesburg there are people that will understand when I quote a movie to them and won't look at me funny.  That's what LEL is for, after all.

Sleep is a privilege, not a right

My wife, LEL, will tell you I am very particular about my bed.  It's the reason we ship our bed all over the world.  It just feels right, you know?

Well, my daughter believes the same thing about my bed.  Most especially that she belongs in it and not me.  You can see the conflict, right?  Until recently, I would allow her into our bed and I would go sleep in her room with her brother, the crazy little man.  He had his own twin bed, and I'd be next to him in the other twin bed, like some odd Bert and Ernie. 

(Small side story: the summer after my second year at University, I stayed in Washington instead of going back to Florida.  I did it because of a girl.  Two weeks into the summer she broke up with me.  Anyways, I roomed with my fraternity brother Mikey that summer.  We had a nice one bedroom apartment on 25th Street in Washington.  We also had twin beds and shared a room like Bert and Ernie.  In fact my friend Em used to comment on it constantly.)

Anyways, lately I've gotten tired of this, so we decided we'd try to keep her in her room.  She would come into our room, and we'd move her back to her room.  I'd basically end up sleeping in a chair just so LEL could get some sleep.  Then, when our stuff arrived, we tried something different.  We put the gate up in the doorway of their room to keep her and him in their room.  Problem is that crazy little guy hates the gates and screams in fury whenever he wakes up and sees them.  When we put the gate on our door, my daughter comes up to them and screams because she can't get in.  It's a problem we're trying to solve, but have run out of possible solutions.

I've learned how to work on very little sleep now, and coffee has really become a friend of mine.  Hopefully soon their clocks synch and we can get some rest.  Until then, Sleep really is a privilege and not a right.

Unpacking clothes, plates and memories

I've been in the Foreign Service for 12 years now, which means I've packed and unpacked a few times.  (12 to be exact.)  I should be past the sentimental feelings from our stuff by now.  However, I do get to reminiscing sometimes when I see things from the past. 

Some things I find are a bit odd to still have.  (LEL found a picture in a frame of me and my date to Senior Prom.  She wondered why I still have it.  Truthfully, because I look REALLY good in it.)  Some things are quick reminders of years past.  (There is a photo of me and my friends Al and Dawg taken at Al's graduation party in Pennsylvania that I love.)  And then there are things that I look at and the room gets a bit dusty.

Looking through a box I found a small green pocket knife that used to belong to my paternal grandfather.  For a while I carried it on my keychain as a reminder of him.  When the crackdown on that stuff came at airports, I decided to put it away so I wouldn't lose it.  He was one of my heroes in life, and it's hard to believe he's been gone for 10 years now.

While checking the damage done to our computer table, I opened a drawer and found a tiny blue hospital band with my crazy little guy's name on it.  It was his ID for when he was born.

Opening a box and finding the blanket that my daughter slept with when she was first born, and realizing how fast she's grown, and how much she's been through, since then.

Opening boxes with books in them, I found a photo album that had pictures starting from at least 15 years ago.  Some of them were from when I was part of the orientation group at University (and where I met my good friend Michelle), but some of them were from the beginning of my career in the Foreign Service.  Photos of my house in Suriname.  Pictures of my raucus birthday and going away party with my peace corps friends.  A photo of my loyal and lovely dog, Baxter.  (He of the nipping women, and no one else, in the bum.  Someone tried to convince me I taught him that.  My question: How?)  Pictures of me at Carnival in Trinidad with my boy Trapper and his sisters.  And then photos of London, and some of the very first pictures of my and LEL as we started dating.

It's not all maudlin time though.  There are some funny stuff we came across too you know.  LEL said that according to all the books we unpacked I apparently only read things about Beer, Battle and Batman.  She's not lying.  Looking at all of my DVDs and being able to read my wife's expression of, "What was he thinking when he bought "Undercover Brother?"  Why did I marry him again?"  Looking at all of the toys my kids have and then hearing them ask what Santa is going to bring them.

Packing and unpacking is something we as a family do a lot of for my work.  Sometimes it's good to have these things where you can look and remember where you've been.  At the same time, maybe it's time to get rid of that photo from High School.

Odds and Ends

- Tomorrow is a sort of "Christmas" for us.  You see, our Household Effects arrive!  Everything we've had to live without for the last 2 months will come in a big shipment. We get to unpack everything, take note of what was damaged, and determine where we are going to put everything.  Not an easy task, but one I am relishing. My crazy little guy is already psyched by the miniture basketball hoop he has coming, and my beautiful little gal is very excited for her doll house and dressup costumes.  I'm excited for my DVDs and books, along with my other dress shoes.  (Been wearing the same ones for 2 months now.  It's time for a change.)

- We went to a restaurant recently where they greet you at the door with the following greeting: "Welcome to Spur.  Please note that this restaurant does not serve pork or alcohol."  It seemed a bit strange, but then we noticed the large group of Muslims eating there and it suddenly made sense.  I've found that this is the only one in Johannesburg where they do that.  The ribs are beef and if something says bacon on the menu they substitute it with something called macon.  (Or meat bacon.)  Interesting indeed.

- I have found buttermilk here at the store, and it has made breakfasts very good.  Then, my lovely English lass found sour cream, and suddenly Mexican Night seems like a go!  Quick, I need avocados, purple onion, grated cheese (not for me), green and yellow and red peppers, and maybe some peri peri sauce.  Oh, and some tortillas.  This is gonna rock!

- Tottenham 2 - 1 Arsenal. That's all I'll say about that.

- Crazy little man has started to plan his weeks.  Saturday is for football practice.  Tuesday is basketball, Sunday is rugby and apparently this morning he decided that Wednesday is baseball.

- Crazy little man also has started to show his geek side.  Lovely English Lass (or LEL from now on) took him to pick up beautiful little gal from school, and the teacher commented on his Spiderman t-shirt.  He looked at her and said, "His real name is Peter Parker."  I almost shed a tear hearing that.

Jay Parker and the terrible horrible no good very bad week (sorry for long post)

Most of you have hopefully heard of the book "Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."  It's a great children's book about a kid that is having a horrible day.  The constant refrain is that he is going to move to Australia.  Well, I can totally understand how he felt considering the week I had last week.  It was a doozy.

I was reminded again earlier this week that This Is Africa by the fact that the water went out again.  2nd time in 3 weeks.  Nothing says, "You aren't in Virginia" any more like not being able to wash your hands.  My lovely wife wasn't too thrilled with that.  My little guy started pre-school this week, and immediately started screaming when he was left by my lovely wife.  He said he liked it, but continued to scream when she dropped him off.  Now he's complaining about going. 

We began hearing a scraping noise when driving the car when we'd slow down.  I didn't think too much of it, as it would stop and we wouldn't hear it again for a while.  I set up a time to take it into the garage on Friday, and figured it would be ok.  My lovely wife called me on Wednesday to say that the temp gauge was going all the way up, and it looked like the car was overheating.  She went to get anti-freeze for the car, but the reservoir was full.  So, I called the garage and changed the time to Thursday morning.  I then had to change the reservation for our rental to Wednesday.  However, the power was out, and so they couldn't charge my credit card immediately.  So, I took the card and waited to hear from them.  Thursday we took the car in to be looked at, and immediately got stuck in traffic for 45 minutes trying to move 5 miles.  My daughter got sick and had to be picked up from school.  The garage informed me a sensor was bad and needed to be replaced on the temp gauge and our brakes were about to go.  Total cost?  $945.  Friday my lovely wife dropped me off at 715 to pay for the car and go.  I waited 45 minutes before finally telling someone I was trying to give them money, why weren't they letting me.  I got the car paid for, headed into traffic and noticed that my fuel gauge was low.  Pulled into a service station, they pumped the gas, and I gave them my bank card.  It was refused.  My Bank suspected fraud due to a large amount of money being charged on it in South Africa.  (I had already told them 4 times that I lived in South Africa.)  I paid for the fuel, got to the office, called my Bank, and sorted it out.  They said the card would work.  When I went to pay for the rental, it was refused.  Paid cash for the rental, went home and called my Bank.  They had cancelled my card because of suspected fraud.  Apparently, it was being used in South Africa!  Strangely enough, they had cancelled it on the 15th of this month, but it still worked.  When I spoke to someone and mentioned I was overseas and now had no way to access my bank account, he told me I needed to be professional.  I told him I have banked with them for 15 years.  I have numerous accounts with them, I live overseas, it's the weekend, I have no access to my account, and I am the customer so I DON'T HAVE TO BE PROFESSIONAL!

After being sent back to customer service, the problem was dealt with.  Saturday was supposed to be better, but before my son's soccer practice I was swinging him around like I usually do (he grabs onto my hand and I swing him) when I heard a pop.  The tendon in his arm had moved to the side over his elbow and had to be popped back into place.  Would have been a good time to have my bank card, wouldn't it?  Luckily it wasn't too bad, we paid and off we went.  He's fine and doesn't seem to remember it.  On top of it all, I kept getting duty calls from the same lady asking about visas. 

So, my terrible, horrible no good very bad week seems to be over.  Here's hoping the new one is better and we can go back to being happy here in SA.  Alexander was wrong though.  If he'd moved to Australia, his bank would have frozen his account due to suspected fraud even though he would have told them previously that he was moving there.

A Surprise vist to my teen years

As I've said before, I am required to take a different route every day to and from work when I walk.  One of my routes is through the mall across the street from the Consulate.  Usually I also stop and get a muffin and coffee on my way in too.  However, I started to notice something, and it's made me regress to being a teenager.

Apparently South Africans LOVE early to mid-1990s R&B.  Just now I heard "I Swear" by All-4-One.  The other day I heard "Anniversary" from Tony! Toni! Tone!  I even heard "Comforter" from Shai.  How does that happen?  I go to get lunch and the next thing I know I'm listening to "Freak Me" by Silk.  Or "Lately" by Jodeci.  Or even, strangely enough, "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" by En Vogue.

Here I am trying to have lunch in peace, or buying a pair of trousers, and instead I'm transported back to Senior Prom and dancing to SWV's "I Get Weak".  Or walking on the beach after a date (which is what we ALWAYS did) and hearing "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men.  Or standing in the parking lot of the Bennigan's with my friends trying to figure out what we want to do, but we never do so we stand in that parking lot for 2 hours. 

It's hard to believe it's almost been 20 years since I graduated from High School.  In some ways, I guess I'm still that teenager who appears to be loud and out going but is really unsure of himself and shy.  I'm just about 50 pounds heavier than he was.  That said, I have done some pretty cool stuff in the intervening years, including marrying my lovely and way too understanding of my geekiness wife, and having my two lovely children.  Sitting at the foodcourt listening to that music again, it does take me back.  I can picture certain times with each song, and they make me smile. 

I just never thought I'd be having flashbacks while eating french fries in Johannesburg.

Rugby, sporting bias and Braai's in South Africa

Currently, we're in the midst of the Rugby World Cup.  (Actually it's Rugby Union's World Cup.  Rugby League's is apparently in 2013.  The differences between the two are quite interesting really.  Union has 15 people per side and League has 13.  League is much more like American Football and.... I've lost you haven't I?)  Anyways, this is a big thing here in South Africa.  If you've seen the movie "Invictus", you'll see how important Rugby actually is here.  They are the defending World Cup Winners, and are expected to do quite well this year too.  Everywhere you look everyone is wearing the green shirts with gold on them to support the team.  It's actually quite cool.

However, watching anyone but the Boks play can be interesting to say the least.  The announcers are shameless in their promotion of the Boks.  They openly root against teams considered a threat to South Africa.  I watched the England vs. Georgia game and my lovely English Lass was apalled at the bias.  Granted, England didn't play to the top of their potential, but they won the match 41-10.  It wasn't close!  But to hear the announcers talk, they barely squeaked by a gritty Georgian team.

Let me be honest, I'm ok with a bit of homerism.  I feel like it adds a bit to the game.  However, when two neutrals are playing, don't talk down one to make your side look good.  It reminded me of the 1994 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game, when the announcers openly rooted for Duke to win against Arkansas.  (That's always burned me.  How could you root for Cherokee Parks?)

In other news, coming up on Saturday here in Johannesburg is Braai-day.  A Braai is a BBQ, and September 24 is set aside for cooking out on the Braai.  Pretty darn cool if you ask me.  Everyone gets sausage, lamb, chicken and beef and cooks out.  Heart attack inducing, but also really good.  I think I'm planning on firing up the grill, sitting outside and havinga  nice glass of a local red wine.  Although it sounds like heaven, there is also a good chance that our water will go out again for 16 hours and we'll have to use the water from the fish pond to flush our toilets.  Remember, this is Africa.

In the quiet...

Since the people reading this are probably friends of mine, I don't have to tell you the my lovely daughter has Autism.  We've been very open about it, and luckily for us she is high functioning.  However, my daughter also has issues when it comes to loud noises.  On Saturday at a birthday party the magician popped balloons and she freaked out.  If there is a huge commotion she will become paralyzed with fear.  It's one of the most heart-breaking things you'll ever see.  This very tall 4 year old just crumbles into a pile and screams.  Because she also has Sensory Processing issues, she covers her eyes as well to try and make the noise stop.  It's almost like she's seeing sounds.

On a similar note, as most of you know, I listen to a lot of music.  Usually it's pumping pretty loudly and it switches my brain off which allows me to stay calm as I suffer ocassionally from anxiety.  Different reactions to the same loud noise.  My lovely daughter does love music too, but usually when it's not too loud and when she can sing very loudly, if not always on key.

The reason I've told you all this is because I've noticed something that maybe my daughter has correct.  Last night when I was sitting in my children's room waiting for them to go to sleep, I had my music on.  It was tuned low so it wouldn't disturb them, and I started to notice something.  Songs I had heard numerous times before sounded different.  There were added parts that made the sound richer and more full.  "Take Five" by Dave Brubek, only one of the greatest jazz songs ever recorded, sounded even better than usual as I could hear all the parts clearly and see how they all fit together.  "Panic Switch" by Silversun Pickups has a stick part from the drummer in the break I had never really heard fully before.  It's pretty intricate. 

It was amazing, and it made me think that maybe too loud is an issue for me too.  Maybe it's an issue with everyone.  Maybe we have everything so loud we can't listen to nuance.  Perhaps the problem with society is that we all have sensory issues, but we can chose to ignore them and we do.  Sadly my daughter can't, so we'll have to figure out how to turn the sound down on the world for her.  Maybe we all can do that, and listen to the intricate parts of life, and see how we all fit together.

An American overseas on September 11.

It was difficult not being in the United States after 9/11.  I didn't know where my friends were, the telephone system was inundated, and the internet wasn't yet grown-up enough.  It wasn't until days later that I learned all of my friends were safe.

Then I experienced something weird.  There was a delay in dealing with it.  I wasn't immediately affected by the trauma.  I was in Suriname at the time, and although there were problems, I wasn't in DC watching the smoke come out of the Pentagon.  It wasn't until I came back home the next summer before transferring to London that I had to deal with the issue.  Things had changed, and everyone else had dealt with it.  I was still going through a bit of shock.  The road to the Pentagon was being re-directed?  The flights from Washington National still did the weird flying down the Potomac, but why do they threaten to throw you in jail if you get up during the first 10 minutes of your flight from Washington, DC  What's the deal with the helicopters flying overhead all the time?  And why were there Hummers parked with surface to air missiles near the roads?

I had left one country and arrived back in what appeared to be a totally new one.  My girlfriend had walked me to the gate when I left for Suriname.  However that privilege, like the girlfriend, were long gone.  It was almost a Rip van Winkle effect.  I was gone for 2 years and so much had changed.  While my friends and family had dealt with it, I was still going through the trauma 10 months later.

You see, I think being a Foreign Service officer is difficult in this regards.  I work for the US Government, and I believe I'm still pretty darn red-blooded American.  However, when I live overseas, I feel there is now a barrier.  Lives go on, and while I remember things as before, things can change.  This comes into sharp focus when there is a major disaster or national trauma.  I was deeply saddened by it, but it really didn't come into sharp focus until I came back to the states.  This may be just my thoughts, but I wonder if anyone else has had the same experience. 

However, I do remember praying for those lost either during the crash, or afterwords trying to help others.  May this never happen again to anyone.

Managing expectations

Someone (it was my mother) asked me exactly what it is I do here in Johannesburg.  That's a good question.  Sometimes I wonder myself.  However, short answer is logistics support.  Long answer is I do a lot of listening.  When someone has a problem with their home, I listen to what they need.  When the Consul General emails me to say his bathroom has a leak and the house stinks because of it, I mobilize the maintenance staff and they move on it.  When a staff member, local or American, has a complaint about how they are being treated, I listen and take action to stop it.  I am basically a City Manager for the Consulate.  It's not exciting work (well, sometimes it is) but it's important work.  If I don't do my job correctly, then other people can't do theirs.  If people are worried about their shipments, they can't fully concentrate on their jobs.  If people are being harassed at work, or being mistreated, they won't be effective.  Management work is difficult.  If you do your job correctly, usually no one notices.  However, if something goes wrong you hear about it immediately.  I tell my staff that I want the rest of the Consulate to think there are magically fairies that answer requests, re-stock the supply closets, and keep everything moving.

Sometimes, though, I have to do things that can possibly save someone from being hurt or worse.  Recently the Cleaners Unions in South Africa decided to go on strike.  They wanted more money, and actually wanted to get rid of Cleaning contract companies.  (Basically, they wanted their workers to be directly hired employees of the companies they clean for.)  South African Unions are pretty powerful, but our cleaners decided they would continue to work.  They didn't change into their uniforms and only stayed half a day, but they did their jobs.  There were rumors of intimidation from other strikers, and that it sometimes got violent.  This hadn't happened to our ladies, and they continued on like normal.  This changed as one of my employees heard a group of men and women discussing how the Consulate cleaners were still working, and that they needed to "have a talk" with them.

I had heard about the "talks" some of these strikers have, and it isn't pretty.  Two years ago the guards went on strike, and they ended up throwing one guy off a train because he was working.  So, I took this pretty seriously.  I had our motorpool drive them to another place to catch taxis,  and arranged to pick them up at an alternate location away from the Consulate until the strike was over.  It ended yesterday, and one of the ladies came to me to thank me.  She said she probably would have been hurt, and that the others were thankful that I helped them.  It definitely made my day.

Sorry for the long post, but I just figured I'd let people know what I am doing here in South Africa.  Quite simply: I help people.

Photos from our day out at the Lion's Park

My son with the giraffe.  (if you read my wife's blog, you've seen this one and the next one.)

Those are Spring Boks in the background, I was told.

"So you see, Simba, it is the Circle of Life."

"So it's a right and THEN a left to get to Johannesburg.  Thanks officer.  Do you think I'll fit on the bus?"

The difference a decade makes

I'm still trying to get the photos from last weekend uploaded. We finally got our permanent internet installed in our house, and it's working quite well.  If we can keep little miss and crazy little man from pulling the cord out of the computer.  Still, it's nice to have it, and hopefully I'll get some photos up.

As I was walking to work, looking all around me as if I was a film noir detective, I started to think of what a long strange trip it has been for me in the last decade.  Ten years ago, I was in Suriname, one year into my tour there.  I was finally finding my feet at the Embassy, had just started to work for a wonderful boss, and was a radio dj one night a week as Cactus Jack Wallace on Radio Apintie.  (I still wear the t-shirt I had made with the Sranan phrase for It's been a long strange trip.)  I also had just started to hang out with the members of the Peace Corps, many of whom I am still in touch with today.  (Hi guys!)  I would say that the year between 2001-2002 kept me in the Foreign Service.  I had a great time visiting Sundi and Delicious out at their village.  I drove into the middle of the jungle by myself to visit Elizabeth and Beth at their village.  (I had to take a boat to get there.)  I even went to French Guiana.  It was the new beginning for me.

I then went to London where not only did I have a great time hanging out with the Marines and just having fun, I met the love of my life.  Luckily for me, she was easily duped and agreed to marry me one year after I returned to DC.  13 months after we got married, and after a move to Luxembourg, we welcomed my lovely daughter into the family.  Living in Luxembourg was easy, but work wasn't.  Difficult wasn't the word I'd use, but this is a somewhat family blog.  After finding out we were going to Bolivia, we had my son, who completed the family.

Bolivia sadly wasn't in the cards.  My lovely little girl was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.  We were staying in DC.  Working on Afghanistan was rewarding and challenging, but also difficult.  Little girl started school at the age of 2, getting on a bus everyday to ride 30 minutes, which made me sad.  While it was great to be with my friends again in DC, which I very much enjoyed, it was time to go after two years.  So, 12 years after joining the Foreign Service, and 10 years after realizing this WAS what I wanted to do, we're now settled in South Africa.  It's different, and there are still problems, but I'm glad I stuck through the hard times.  Little girl is getting what she needs in therapies, crazy little man appears to be very happy here (he just started soccer practice, as I've stated before) and my Yorkshire lass appears to be a bit sunnier.

As I approached the Consulate I realized that I had come a long way.  (Not from my home which is only 1 km from the office.)  But, I wouldn't have gotten here without my friends and family.  Thanks everyone.  I'm in a much happier place now than I was 10 years ago.

Our weekend

So, this weekend was probably one of the more interesting this family has had in quite a while.  Not only did I get to make bicuits in Africa (and they were good too) but my little man got to play soccer.  I'd love to post a photo of him running around, but sadly they won't let us take photos for security reasons.  He was the youngest there, and was very shy.  However, when the coach told him to run, he ran.  When they told him to pick up the yellow cone and bring it back to him, he did.  There wasn't much kicking, but when it was his turn to run through the cones, lay on his belly, jump up and jump over two rows of cones before kicking the ball in the net, he did it easily.  The coach had been worried about him being the youngest at first, and possibly planned on getting him into the younger class.  However, afterwards he said he did exceptionally well, and that we could try again this week.  So, score!  Little man had a brilliant time, and was very happy about it.  (We even have a new "soccer foot bump" we do now to celebrate.)

Afterwards we went to the Lion Park.  It had Lions in enclosed pens that you drive through, but also an area where you can pet baby lions.  We didn't do that, but I do have a picture (which I will post later) of little man petting a giraffe.  And another picture of little man avoiding the giraffe trying to lick him.  The Lions were awesome, and my yorkshire lass got great photos of them.  She also got a brilliant photo of a zebra standing in front of a herd of Spring Boks.  We're going to have it printed and framed, it's that good.  Pudding was doing good too, and seemed to enjoy being out.  Needless to say, it was a good day.

Yesterday we had a few people from the Consulate over for a little gathering with their kids.  The moon bounce was put to good use, and it was nice just sitting around and having a quiet chat outside with good food and great wine.  (Only 3 bucks, but it's very tasty.)  Little Man ran all over the place with his new friends, and Pudding liked having new people in the house.  She is doing very well!

Anyways, aside from pudding's cold, things are ok here.  I've finally gotten the computer and the tv sorted, so that's a positive.  Hopefully this means we're finding our way to normal.

A Walk to Work

I may have mentioned it before, but we live so close to the office that I walk to work every day.  (Making sure I take a different route each day and leaving at different times.  Safety first.)  I didn't think this was such a big deal, but apparently it is.  The person who lived in our house prior to us walked on occassion to work, but not all the time.  When I told my staff that I walk to work, some of them looked at me like I'm crazy.  In fact, most of them look at me like I'm crazy.  One of them openly questioned my sanity. 

"Don't you know about the crime problem here in Johannesburg?" he said.

The answer is yes, of course I do.  Crime is something we are always aware of here.  We get extra money due to the crime.  They show us videos of smash and grabs, and every time we have a newsletter, there is a section on crime.  One of the hotels nearby had a mugging in their parking garage last week.  So, yes, I'm aware of the crime.  But I take all of the precautions when walking that I'm supposed to, and I think this does help a lot.  I'm not predictable, I take different routes, and I am always looking around me to make sure I'm not being followed or about to be attacked.  Plus, as someone here pointed out, I have something else working for me.  I'm a very big white guy walking down the street in Johannesburg.  A criminal is probably thinking one of two things: That guy is either 1) totally clueless and an easy mark; or 2) A man looking for someone to start something.  They don't know which I am, and will probably not risk it.  Plus, I'm usually in a suit, wearing sunglasses, and looking around me all the time.  I wouldn't want to mess with me.

The one thing I do miss is my music.  For at least the last 5 years I've always had music pumping ino my brain while going to work.  It's cathartic and helps clear my mind for the day.  Music has always been a large part of my life, and I miss that.  (Can't have earphones on if you're supposed to be listening for tell-tale signs of attack can you?)  Now I'm alone with my thoughts, and let's be honest that's a scary place sometimes. If you know me, and you must if you're reading this, I'm a bit weird.  Ok, I lot weird.  So, my thoughts can drive a person crazy, let alone me.  So, I continue to plan for my watch factory that I would have if I ever won the lottery.  I think about how Descended From Darwin would be a killer name for a band.  And, I think about what I can be doing better for my family. 

Oh well, at least I'm getting exercise, right?  And little man starts soccer tomorrow.  Lots to do, and three years to do them in.

Some of our stuff arrived!

For those of you that aren't in the Foreign Service, you will never know the joy of receiving shipments.  People say getting your household effects is like Christmas.  You forget some things you had, and it's like opening presents!  Well, if HHE is like Christmas, then receiving your UAB (un-accompanied air baggage) is like your birthday.  You get lots of stuff, but not as much as Christmas.

My lovely wife got her shoes, which is great considering it's dropped into the low 50s here and she was wearing sandals.  My daughter got dolls and her indoor swing, which will be a BIG help in getting her a bit more calm, as swinging is very helpful for children on the Austism Spectrum.  My son got his booster seat, so now he won't have to sit on his knees to join us at the table for dinner, and we can keep him in one place.  He also got a new Thomas DVD, clothes and his beanbag chair that looks like a car.  Both kids got the bouncy castle we bought before our aborted move to Bolivia.  (I was going to set the record for highest moon-bounce in the world!)  I got Trader Joe's Multi-grain baking mix from which I can make biscuits and pancakes, my drill and tools and some more clothes.  Needless to say it won't make the place feel just like home, but it'll make it somewhat more familiar for the kids.  And for the parents too, for that matter.

In other news, I just signed Cubby (my wife's nickname for my son) up for soccer lessons.  Saturdays we'll get him ready in his uniform, and I will too because a parent has to be there with him, and he will go out and be a part of the mass chaos that is under-4 soccer.  When my lovely Yorkshire lass asked him if he wanted to play soccer on Saturday, he answered: "Yes, and basketball."  Yorkshire lass commented he'd be better off in soccer due to being a shrimp.  Maybe, but people told Spudd Webb he couldn't play basketball and he won the slam dunk competition, right?  And at GW, Shante Rogers played point guard at the (supposed) height of 5 foot 4 inches.  (He couldn't have been much taller than 5 foot, though.)  So, we'll see if he's a Michael Owen, a Spudd Webb, or just Cubby.

This is Africa?!?

If you're in Johannesburg long enough (in my case three days) you'll here some ex-pat use these initials: TIA.  It stands for This is Africa.  It's a friendly reminder that no matter how nice a place Johannesburg is, you're still in Africa.  Rolling power outages?  Check.  Crazy driving with no respect for the law or red lights?  Check.  People bothering you at your car window for change or trying to sell you something you really don't need while driving?  Check.  Strikes by the municipal workers and the union for cleaning staff?  Check.

However, sometimes there are things that make you look up and say, "This is Africa?!?"  Yesterday we went to a park here, Mushroom Farm Park.  Nice little playground, decent walking area, not too far from home.  Next to it is a giant hot-air balloon sponsored by Hyundai.  You pay them and they take you up in the balloon.  It's very popular.

Next to the park is the Raddison Blu hotel, which houses the Planet Fitness Platinum Club.  Probably the nicest gym I've ever been inside.  That place made me want to start working out.  (Haven't joined though.  Yet.)

After we went to the park, we traveled to a new shopping area.  It's got a large grocery store named Pik N Pay Hyper.  I love that the large grocery stores here are called Hyper.  It makes me laugh everytime.  They also had a restaurant were we went for lunch.  The food was amazing, and my lovely Yorkshire lass had a hot chocolate made from Lindt chocolate that was to die for.  As I sat back and groaned after the meal and watched the man pull his Ferrari out of the parking lot, I found myself saying, "This is Africa?"

South Africa arrival

I know the blog has been dormant, but I've decided to start it up again to let everyone know how we've been doing.  We arrived on the 2nd, and luckily all of our luggage arrived in one piece.  (This can be a problem from what I've heard.)  We were driven to our new house which was fantastic.  Apparently I know have a goldfish pond.  Didn't know that before.  (We've got a gate around it, but little miss will probably find a way to open it unless we padlock it, which we will.)  The house is great, and a bit quirky, but something we think we'll enjoy living in for the next three years.

At the same time, we were a little scared of the surrounding areas.  I mean, I've definitely heard horror stories about being in South Africa.  It was with this trepidation that the next morning we went out in search of a chemists (or drug store for the Americans reading).  During the day time, it is a quite nice area, and safe enough for us to walk to  the local shopping mall for a poke around.  Let me tell you, they could pick up Sandton City mall and place it in Tyson's Corner near Washington and no one would bat an eye.  It's a HUGE mall with numerous stores that are very high end.  Good coffee places too, which are necessary for my wife and I.

After we got our car on Friday, we went looking around the area.  What a beautiful place!  We're now extremely excited about being here and seeing all the sights.  Sunday we went to Sisulu Botanical Gardens and got to see not only the waterfall but the eagles that live there as well.  Fantastic day, really.

All in all we're looking forward to the ride.  Little miss is a bit cautious about the move, but our crazy little man is doing just fine and seems to really like it here.  Soon we're signing him up for soccer lessons, so that should be a hoot.  Hopefully I can update this regularly along with some photos.