Neighbours vs Cat WWYD?

We have a big male cat (he is 18+ months old). He is a big lazy softie. He is neutered. He is not into fighting or anything at all. He just plods around to find a comfy spot and then sleeps. When he is active he plays with Roxy. He is a mostly outside cat since he is Roxy's buddy and she is an outside dog. So 9 times out of 10 both sleep outside, often together.

Anyway, our neighbour has now started complaining about him - not that he sprays, fights, makes a noise or anything, but get this - that he sets off the alarm beam in their yard when he walks around. And I am pretty sure he is walking around on OUR wall since they have a few biggish dogs so I don't think he is strolling on the lawn, KWIM?

So the neighbour's request is that we KEEP HIM INSIDE. Like all the time. Or at least at night and then I guess when they are not home too..? Because else their alarm triggers too much and ADT doesn't like it.

I am thinking WTF! REALLY!?

It is just not feasible or practical to suddenly lock him up in the house... and really should this be MY problem? I am thinking they can either build up their wall so he can't stroll over or make their alarm system less sensitive so it is not triggered by a freaking CAT walking around. Besides he is not the only cat in the world there MUST be others around in the neighbourhood.

Would you feel obligated to react and try to control your cat? (as if a cat is in any way controllable anyway)

(And just for more context these are actually nice people so they are not mean, or unreasaonable in general and we have had no issues before. However their special needs son used to climb over to our side all the time and would make a mess, and/or throw our things over the wall into another neighbour's yard, or just walk into my house etc etc. He was sweet but a bit of a pest/ inconvenience and annoyance at a times. But I never asked them to lock him up or stop him from coming over... because he was just being who he was and I worked with that.)

So what would you do? What should I do??

If you seek it, you won't find

THIS song just random shuffled into my playlist, and I just had to listen to it 4 times... is so mellow, melancholic, dreamy, schmoshy... I can't stop listening to it. It has me a little mesmerised right now.

I LOVE IT for some reason. I also love his voice.

Your SOTD.

Richard Hawley - "Seek It"

I had a dream and you were in it

We got naked and 

Can't remember what happened next

It was weird

I had my fortune told

You said that I would meet somebody with green eyes

Yours are blue!

If you seek it, you won't find

The lovers' eyes so blinded by love

Blinded by love, blinded by love

In your heart lies longterm loneliness

It's ... like an unexploded hand grenade

Time ticks away

Over the hills there is a valley

In the valley there's a little tiny house unoccupied

If you seek it, you won't find

The lovers' eyes so blinded by love

Blinded by love, blinded by love

If you see your heart's design lay there

On a vandalized ... oh I sit with you anywhere

I had a dream and you were in it

We got naked, can't remember what happened next

It was weird

I've got a secret,

I want you to know if you could reach it

If you promise to close your eyes

It's all inside

If you seek it, you won't find

The lovers' eyes so blinded by love

Blinded by love, blinded by love 

What makes you happy right now?

I have a few atm...

CAPE TOWN: Gosh is is BEAUTIFUL atm! The sunsets have been breathtakingly beautiful and last night's was particularly so. Really really wow! Our weather has been perfect recently too. This is probably the BEST time of year in Cape Town. I have been running in Newland's forest, Tafelberg Road, Kirstenbosch, Rhodes Mem, contour path areas and really it is spectacular and rivals most world destinations in terms of natural beauty. Whenever I travel I find it's quite hard to be impressed because of how spoiled and privileged I am to live here. I am always appreciative that I have this right on my doorstep and always think I should utilise it MORE than I do. I also love love love that I am fit and healthy enough to literally run from home into the beautiful forests and mountains we have. I revel in it I really do.

FITNESS & HEALTH: I am fitter/faster (and fatter) than I have ever been, and I love it! I am LIVING. I am also mentally strong and determined atm. So I can and do do whatever I want to whenever without worrying about whether I can manage or cope with it physically. I just go for it, KNOWING I can. I love that feeling of being powerful, in control and capable. It really is awesome!

FRIENDS: I don't have many real friends but I am very grateful for the friends I do have. Who show up, and care, and make me feel loved and special.

 

CHOCOLATE: I have a renewed love of chocolate - in all forms. Brownies, Ice-Cream, Snickers Bars, Energy Bars, Nutella, and my new favourite the Hazelnut creamy dark swiss chocolate I got from a friend for my birthday. OMG is is YUM! I have been eating it alone in bed at night and not feeling even a tiny bit guilty! :)

Life is good right now and I have a lot to be grateful for!

Safari Half Marathon #5

After sleeping in Sonja's lovely little flatlet, we woke up at 05:45, really not feeling like getting up to run a Half Marathon... I even moaned on FB that I wished it could be postponed for a day. In the end I got up and got dressed and got the boys and I out the door without too much fuss.

Soon we were at the start and it was such a gorgeous perfect day I really couldn't find any excuse not to do it. Although it was a full year since my last half marathon I have been running a lot and have been doing well. I have described myself as 'Faster, fitter and fatter' now. So while my time last year was a PB of 1:51:35 I thought I'd try to push for a sub 1:50 this time. I thought it might be a stretch but was worth a try at least.

 

So after seeing the boys off I lined up near the front - the only way to have a chance at a PB as you'll lose many minutes starting near the back, as it is a big field and congested start with limited opportunity to pass people in the first km - and was ready to go.

The first km was fine and I felt ok. Not great or bad, just fine. At about 4km my friend Paul caught up with me and then passed (he is much faster and more experience than I am) after a brief hello. The rest of the first half was pleasant I enjoyed the view, the weather, my music, the people around me. It was great day to be running and I felt good. At 10-11km I felt a little fatigued for the first time. But had some water, and a sugar sweet I had with me and a quick pee break and carried on. I didn't feel particularly strong or like I was going fast. I sort of wondered if my time would be slower than the previous year, but decided not to check my time or pace or worry about it, and rather to go purely on my own feedback at the time and go as fast as I could at the time.

At 12-13kms I was starting to feel a bit tired, but nothing insurmountable and I made myself keep going. I told myself I was fine and pressed on regardless... no walking needed or allowed!

On the long and tiring uphill at around 16km, I had to start digging deep as fatigue and mental doubt started creeping in. This time I was armed and ready and had a Vooma gel with me. I opened it at this point and had a mouthful  giving me the psychological (if not physical too) boost that I needed to keep pressing on the the end.

I took another 'hit' of the gel at 18-19 km and then tried to speed up to finish strong. Telling myself it's an easy 2-3kms and I could rest when I was done!In the last few hundred meters to the end. 

The final push and just before I saw the finish clock and what time I have managed. I always try to push hard to the end and finish as fast as I can...

Done! Glad it was over and thrilled with my time!

Photo with the sub-1:45 Pace Setter from the Safari Half who nudged me along a bit - by yelling ‘MOVE IT’ behind me a couple of times before finally leaving me in his dust at about 18 kms.  Still I finished just 45 seconds past 1:45, so no complaints at all. I was actually thrilled. I thanked him for the encouragement and for spurring me on. Especially since I had thought he was the 1:50 while he was behind me.

The results are out already HERE . This is how I did:

SAFARI 1/2 2013	Me	Total	Top %
TOTAL	599	4529	13%
Female	70	1852	4%
Age 35-39	92	655	14%
Age 35-39 F	14	283	5%
My club	12	73	16%
My Club F	5	36	14%

Extended Birthday Extravaganza

I had a wonderful birthday this year! Starting on Sunday with a lovely (really) intense Katabox class at the gym and then was surprised with gifts and a chocolate-chip pancake breakfast from A and the boys.

After that I had to quickly get ready for a Lion's Head Hike and Picnic with friends which I had planned as my birthday celebration. A had given me a fantastic backpack as a birthday gift and so I got to use that to carry the piles of stuff I had to take for the picnic. It was good practise for our Mt Kinabalu hike in 3-weeks time!

A and I are off on a work conference in Singapore in a few weeks and then are going to Borneo to climb Mt Kinabalu. On trying out my very neglected and unused (for about 10 years) hiking boots the previous week I found them rather worse for wear with the soles literally falling off. I managed to score a great deal when I went looking for a replacement pair of boots at Canal Walk. I got a lovely new pair of Hi-Tech harmony boots which were meant to be R1100 marked down to R499! And I had a R500 Canal walk voucher from my father. So another great birthday gift!

So armed with new boots and gorgeous red backpack and 20 or so motley friends and colleagues old and new we set off on our Lion's Head hike. The weather was sadly not as perfect as the week before and was overcast and a little cool, but there was no wind so it was still lovely and despite having almost no view while we were up there I had a lovely time! It was a great way to celebrate a birthday!

On Tues which was my actual birthday, I took the day off for some pampering; a divine massage, pedicure and hair appointment. My hair looked lovely afterwards (but didn't last long - thanks to my active life-style). After that I collected my India trip photobook and a canvas print I had done (birthday gift to myself). Then I had a quick Kauai lunch with A.

I also got so many lovely emails, sms's, facebook messages and calls throughout the day. I must say I felt very special and lovely. It was wonderful!

Then it was time to collect the boys from school,pack up and head off to Wellington with the boys to spend the night before running the Safari Half Marathon. Which has now become a birthday tradition for me. It is held on 1 May each year, so the day after my birthday. I first ran it the day after I turned 35 - as my first ever half marathon - and have run it every years since. This was my 5th time running it, and also it was the last half marathon I ran a full year ago!

I left my entry very late this year so when I looked for accommodation all my usual options were gone and I could find nothing for under R1500. Finally the usual lady we stay with gave me the name of a freind of here who said we could use her private granny flat which she uses for her own freinds and family and doesn't actually hire out... for R500. I grabbed it!

It was a lovely little place about 1 km from the Boland Stadium where the race is held. A flatless with double bed, mattress, en suite bathroom and kitchenette with a fridge, microwave etc. with bedding and towels and tea, coffee and rusks. So everything we needed! And I'd mentioned it was my birthday somewhere in our dealings  so she also gave me a gift bag with a chocolate and flowers! How sweet and thoughtful was that!?

We got some food and treats (and beer) at the local shops and settled into our flat after checking the quickest and easiest way to get to the stadium in the morning and prepping my race stuff.

Then we snuggled on the bed, watching TV, fooling around and relaxing before hitting the sack reasonably early before our early wake up call... (I've posted about the Safari Race in a separate post.)

After getting back from the race we ended up going to the Point gym to meet A and for me to have a much needed stretch. The timing was bad though (or good as it turned out..?) as there was a HUUUGE soccer game on at the CPT Stadium and we could not leave the area at all. So ended up walking into Seapoint for Dim Sum and Sushi, and then had to stay the night with A. So it was an extended and very enjoyable birthday and I feel very special and loved and grateful.

So far being 39 kinda rocks!

Incredible India - Day 3 - Anaerangal, Tribal Village Trek & Tea Plantations

After our first night at Camp Anaerangal.

The next morning after a traditional Indian breakfast of paratha, dal, some curries and tea we went on a jungle trek through the spice plantations and to see the local 'tribal village'. This was basically a 5-6km hike around the surrounding area. We walked around the mountain and down a beautiful lush path through the forest and through a cardamom plantation into a small village of a local 'tribe'. They were friendly but very shy and coy, so they smiled and waved but kept their distance otherwise. The children were particularly timid and ran away if we looked at them, but would come peaking out to look at us if we turned around. We ended up playing a game of hide-and-seek with them by hiding behind a wall and they'd creep out until we looked around the wall and then they'd squeal with glee/terror and run away to hide. Only to come creeping out again if we hid again. It was quite cute.

We walked on past clumps of lemon- grass growing abundantly and wildly all over the place. Amazing! I wish I could get mine to grow to well! Then on through pepper trees (and also sheets of peppercorns drying in the sun) and a host of other spices, and fruits. We also got to pick and eat fresh ripe guavas right off the tree. They were delicious! We took a break on a rocky outcrop overlooking some ginger plantations and a huge lake. It was really beautiful. Then we trekked back had lunch, which was another spread of way too much delicious local fare. It seems that Keralan cooking is mostly vegetarian and quite mildly flavoured. It is all very spicey and flavourful but not super rich, heavy nor burney. It was really tasty!
After lunch we decided to go up to the tea plantations. Salim joined us and we hired a local jeep for an adventurous trip to the highest tea estate in the world – Kolukumalai – and visit the local tea factory there. The road is only accessible via 4x4 and is a steeps and fairly treacherous journey on a winding and rocky jeep tack. The journey took forever and went up and up and up and soon all of us felt pretty grim from the mix of heat, diesel fumes and bouncing and weaving in the back of the jeep. It was not much fun. To the point that we almost considered turning around a few times. The hair-pin bends were so steep that the jeep had to do 3 point turns to get around most of them too. Despite how awful we felt the plantations really are something to behold and are so lovely. Lush green bushes clumped all over the hills as far as you can see...

Finally we made it to the top and at 7200 ft and on the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu we were on the highest tea plantation in the world! WOW. While Salim and the boys decided to ride down the other side of the hill to the tea factory, A and I had had quite enough of the jeep and opted to walk down.

Once at the factory we each had a cup of tea. I found it a little too strong but it was lovely tea and quite something drinking proper tea in india right from the factory.  We then went on the factory tour and saw how the tea is processed from green leaves into the final black tea product. It is quite a process and effort and more goes into it than you'd think! They are still using the original old Brittish equipment (about 100+ years old) and the original process too. It's amazing to me how strict the quality process is and how many rounds of sorting and filtering there are, and how much 'wastage' there is, which gets composted. I found it really fascinating actually.

Once we were done it was time to board the jeep to head back. Only A and I decided we didn't want to do that, so while the boys hitched a ride we opted to run... yup that's right we decided to gallop down the mountain. So we set off and were laughably FASTER than the jeeps... literally we ran past 3 jeeps on the way down and waved to the slightly incredulous people inside as we passed. It was quite funny. :)

After about 10km and at the bottom of the main mountain and windy track we decided we'd run enough so we stopped and waited for our jeep and caught a ride for the rest of the way back to our camp. where I had a dung beetle encounter before dinner.

We had another delicious meal followed by more Poker, and went to bed quite tired after a full and active day.

Next Up DAY 4...

Meme: How many have you and your kids done?

I got this from a discussion board I am on and thought it was fun and interesting...

being African means we have done most of this stuff. Many we do often!

ADVENTURER

1. Climb a tree - oh yes, often, and often with me too. We have had picnic in trees!

2. Roll down a really big hill - oh yes all the way down huge Namibia sand dunes even

3. Camp out in the wild - yarp, we've camped a fair amount. The boys have also done scout camps with overnight camping.

4. Build a den - more often than I'd like at home and some outside too.

5. Skim a stone - yup Q is excellent at it... but I suck! Meh.

6. Run around in the rain  - yes! We all do this.

7. Fly a kite - yes they got really good at it too and could even kite 'fight' like in the kite runner. We haven't for ages though, we should dig them out again.

8. Catch a fish with a net - yes we have.

9. Eat an apple straight from a tree - yes I am very guilty of stopping on fruit farms to pick fruit straight off the trees. I am often told the 'fruit police' will get me. But I love being able to eat fruit direct off the tree it's so special!

10. Play conkers (a game played using the seeds of horse-chestnut trees) - no none of us have done this. But the boys have played a lot of marbles.

DISCOVERER

11. Go on a really long bike ride - yes. I have ridden over 100kms at a time a few times, Quinn's done up to 33 kms and Griff about 12 km or so. I want us to do more of this!

12. Make a trail with sticks - yes the boys made a whole adventure trail when we went away for the week-end once and made me try it out before we left.

13. Make a mud pie - d'uh. Of course!

14. Dam a stream - Yes plenty of times. Boys and I did this on a school class camping weekend where we all dammed the stream together.

15. Play in the snow - I have the boys haven't yet had an opportunity to do this.

16. Make a daisy chain - I have, not very successfully though.

17. Set up a snail race - yes once or twice.

18. Create some wild art - Yes, stones, shells, starfish and sea sand designs.

19. Play Pooh sticks (A game played in Winnie the Pooh, where you drop a stick off the upstream side of a bridge to see whose comes out first downstream) - yes, we LOVE this one!

20. Jump over waves - again d'uh of course!

RANGER

21. Pick blackberries growing in the wild - yes, those berries that grow on brambles and mulberries off local neighbourhood trees in spring.

22. Explore inside a tree - yes we LOVE trees!

23. Visit a farm - yup many.

24. Go on a walk barefoot - d'uh we are African it's a given!

25. Make a grass trumpet - yes! Quinn is brilliant at this. I am not very good.

26. Hunt for fossils and bones - not explicitly but have found some cool bones while exploring.

27. Go star gazing - yes.

28. Climb a huge hill - YES!

29. Explore a cave - yes. Ox wagon cave in Arniston.

30. Hold a scary beast - Do dung beetles  snakes, lizards  geckos, chameleons, cockroaches, spiders, worms etc count? (Quinn loses points for being scared and squeamish about it though)

TRACKER

31. Hunt for bugs - YES

32. Find some frogspawn - yes and taken them home.

33. Catch a falling leaf - yes. :)

34. Track wild animals - yes in parks and reserves and also dassies and little animals around Cape Town. A civet above Kirstenbosch, snakes etc.

35. Discover what's in a pond - yes. Frogs, tadpoles, dragonflies, little fish etc.

36. Make a home for a wild animal - how wild? Birds and field mice and moles. Yes. Lion's and Elephants - no ;)

37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool - YES. And caught and played with many of them too.

38. Bring up a butterfly - no but we've done silkworms/moths.

39. Catch a crab - Yes.

40. Go on a nature walk at night - yes

EXPLORER

41. Plant it, grow it, eat it - YES. Coriander  Parsley  Celery, Basil, Spinach, chives, lemon grass, Green Peppers, tomatoes, etc

42. Go swimming in the sea - HELLO!? We live in cae Town. That's a yes then.

43. Build a raft - yup scouts kontiki - say no more.

44. Go bird watching - yes in various game parks and reserves.

45. Find your way with a map and compass - yes, lots with scouts. I am great with maps.

46. Try rock climbing - yes. Bouldering outdoors and some City Rock indoor stuff. Love it!

47. Cook on a campfire - of course.

48. Learn to ride a horse - we have riden a few times but are not very accomplished.

49. Find a geocache - NO but it's something I have been wanting to do for a couple of years now, I must get my A into Gear and do it!

50. Canoe down a river - yes I have been paddling on the breede river and in various kayaks, canoes and rafts  boys have done bamboo rafting in India, and Kontiki rafting with scouts and canoeing with scouts.