New Dimensions

Southern Skies 2015 24 Hour Race was great. This year the weather was sunny with a slight chill in the air. We arrived in Parys on Friday afternoon and found the perfect spot to camp. A little while later Sean, Janine and kids arrived and we pitched our tents and unpacked our gear. The new additions to our team were Wouter and Mundy. Maggie and I visited the registration counter and also bought some new riding gear. When they announced that the course was open for a test run I was all for it and went for the ride to see what they had created. After climbing and climbing over various sections I finally came across the most awesome downhill stretch. Throwing caution to the wind I allowed my bike to build up speed and I literally flew down the single track as my full suspension mountain bike glided effortlessly over uneven patches. I was tempted to look down at the bike computer on the handlebars to see how fast I was going, but decided that all my attention was needed to remain in

On 10th October 2013 I mentioned that I added this picture to my blog post for future motivation. As I sit and type this post I have an aching body. I suppose it serves me right for not riding consistently for more than a year. About two weeks ago I was informed that we would be riding again in the 24 hour race. Late this afternoon we were on our mountain bikes doing 8 kilometres. Around 6 kilometres my backside couldn't take it anymore, but we pressed on. Tomorrow morning I will have to drag myself into an upright position when I get up. Whilst riding I commented to my wife that two years ago we were so fit that we didn't feel a thing at the end of a long ride. Now it's hard slogging to get riding fit again - like starting all over again. We are really looking forward to the event. Both my wife and I have full suspension bikes which should make the ride a lot better. This time I am going to take pictures which will help with my future posts. Hopefully I will find th

I feel so blessed doing some writing in my blog because so many people read what I write about. I just want to say thank you to all my readers. You are a real encouragement to me. I thought I'd just add a photo of me and my granddaughter in the sea near her home. She just loved the fact that I went for a swim with her and I was so blessed by that fact that she enjoyed it and showed her appreciation.

23 Years ago I ventured out into the unfamiliar realm of self-employment. That was on 5 February 1992, just before Nelson Mandela was made a free man by Mr. F. W. de Klerk. At that time I had no clue of what to do or how to run a successful business. I was retrenched and on my own. Now I can look back with a smile on my face because I can say, “I made it.” So here is a story that proves a point. I am quoting it from my blog post on Typepad: “I read a story of how a young boy lost his left arm in a car accident. You can imagine how devastating this was for him. He eventually took up judo. His judo master taught him one move only. He could not understand why the sensei only taught him that one move. In his first tournament he easily won his first two matches. The final match was against a more difficult opponent. It seemed as though he had met his match and the end seemed like it wasn't going his way. Through perseverance the boy finally won with that one move wh

Three years after our last   Southern Skies 24 Hour Race in Parys and another invitation to compete this year again. If we enter, what lies ahead for us? Are we still up to the challenge? At this moment I don't know who will be in our team, but this is a picture of our members in 2012. My wife and I are on the far left and my son-in-law and daughter are on the far right.  In terms of preparation my wife, Maggie, and I would have to start practising daily to get ourselves back into shape again. We also need to have our mountain bikes serviced. Besides that we also need to make sure that our camping gear and equipment are all ready. We would have to get some powerful LED lights for riding at night. Maybe I should consider taking a voice recorder along so that I don't miss out on recording events as they are happening - better for blogging about our experiences afterwards. Keeping a record of experiences like these are great for when I'm older and don't feel like

What does 2015 have in store for us? I would like to think that it's going to be far better than 2014. For one thing I know more than what I did last year. Believe it or not last year was a great year, but I feel on the seat of my pants that this year will be a cracker. All I have to do is make the most of opportunities that come my way. As it is I'm practically sitting on a huge opportunity, but can I pull it off? Now the question is, what would I do if I made a million with this opportunity? Yes, it could happen. And yes, maybe it won't. But, looking on the positive side, if it does happen, what would I do with the proceeds? Here's my wish-list. A BMW 1200 RT. I had one before and had the thrill of my life riding it. The newer model from has a much lower centre of gravity for better handling and loads of power. Yes, I like riding motorcycles because I not only feel at one with the machine (almost like riding a race horse), but I also feel at home in nature - i

A while ago someone emailed me from LinkedIn to be a contact. He looked very honest and open and said that he was new to the site. So I accepted him. Not long after that he sent me another email saying he was interested in investing money overseas - he was from the UK, I think. According to him he was an electrical engineer. What he wanted from me was a business plan so that he could decide on a joint venture. When I checked his email address a red flag went up in the back of my mind. In response I asked him why he had such an unusual email address.Guess what, he never came back with an answer, which tells me that he wasn't really who he made himself out to be. Imagine what could have happened if I gave him a full business plan! So, beware of people masquerading as someone else contacting you out of the blue with a proposal that sounds too good to be true.