Frankie's Travels - Back to Site

So I find myself again on the road to Palapye. I dragged my sorry sad self out of bed at 3am this morning - this is exactly 24 hours after the time that I flopped into bed after a post-wedding visit to The Doors.

Coffee = Happy Juice

After all my complain complain complain complaining - I managed to get my pocket money from the bank And! And! And an apology for wasting my time. And then we arrived at the airport expecting to get a Yaris and the travel agent had managed to get us a 4x4 for our off road excursion! (I was intruiged to see what would have happened with a little car - the off road route has a ditch deeper than the height of a Yaris - we woulda got a lift along the route me thinks)

The rental car has dents and scratches, a rip in the seat and a windscreen that is cracked in at least three places - ooooh but the aircon is making for awesome frost inside the vehicle!

I have the both ears of both the substations and lines specialists for the next three hours - I wish I had prepared questions to ask while they have no escape! I could get soooo much paperwork out the way this morning if it wasn't too bumpy in the car to write! Perhaps in the driving break I shall ply them with muffins and apples and unanswered bid clarifications!

Amendment: this is a Late post -Network issues. It's too hot and humid to sleep or make a more current post.

two snippy emails short of a full scale temper tantrum

Warning: Not a suitable post for those with a low tolerance for bitching and whining

I am quite classically not in a Good Mood. In fact I am boiling over with uncontained rage inside. Why oh why oh why can't I just one have a business trip that the organisation goes smoothly.

We're flying out at the very crack of dawn on Monday. so Ill have to get up at 3am to get to the airport on time.

I had to cancel my last Brownie meeting of the year for this trip.

The travel agent first couldn't book a car - we need an offroad vehicle - we're driving straight lines through the bos. Then they found a vehicle but had to have a credit card. Then they lost the vehicle and we're likely to be getting a Yaris.... A yaris containing three people and their luggage - Chaaaaaarming.

I need to have money with me so that we can eat and sleep while we're in Botswana. So I drive through in the hot hot day to Sandton to the Bank where we arranged the foreign exchange money.
"Oh sorry we haven't got stock of Pula yet today"
"Please sign here anyway I promise Ill call you before 4pm to collect"
So I drove all the way back to the office - skipped my lunch break so that I could be out in the car again in a few hours to collect my pocket money.

At 2pm the Administrator lady phoned and the response was: "Can you come collect tomorrow?"

NO!!! My brother is getting MARRIED! Tomorrow is NOT a working day! I have better things to do! Like have photos. and make pretty. and go to the church ... and stuff.

So the plan is to go to the Bank of Doom 30 minutes earlier than when they said they would be ready and huff and puff and maybe Ill get my pocket money in time to get home and throw on some make up and a pretty dress.

I didn't even get a call from the teller I dealt with (who is right now in my mind the worst human in existance) to apologise!

Both of the specialists on my project have been out of the office for the past three days - so I have to deal with a deluge of snippy emails from contractors all by myself.
"Where is teh picture on page 34?"
"Turn to page 33, then turn one more page, see the picture there? that is the picture on page 34."
"Oooooooh I see the picture now"

I am extremely low on sugar and not in a good mood - I pity the fool who comes to speak to me next. I sulk at my cubicle and plot and my early exit from here. ... and possibly arson.

On top of that! has anyone else noticed that the internet is REALLY slow lately? As in I use internet on three different service providers at various times of the day this week and all of them are so slow that pictures never load before the webpages time out! Who leeched all my internets?!

Mr DQ-UK hasn't emailed much lately - I don't know what I did wrong... Mr Thursday has been even quieter - I really don't know what I did wrong... And half my friends are ignoring me and my polite invites to be sociable - and the ones that do respond are busy.

I sent some one else a sincere very nicely worded apology - no response there either - not even some verbal abuse that tehy acknowledge that I was in the wrong.

At least the Highveld thunderstorm building outside matches my mood.

More Waiting-for-the-Fax-machine blogging

(Good suggestions aside - electrical devices working at 11kV or lower hold very little interest for me.)

Secret is that as long as I lurk at the fax machine, I can't be found at my desk and given more new tasks to do. Before you shake your head at me for being a slacker, My daily to do list is almost organic - it grows on a daily basis fed by the sunshine heating my (drowsy) cubicle and the water from the coffee spills. (I like my metaphor - I patiently wait for the biologists to taunt me)

So it's nice to see the pleasant summer sun return to Jozi. I seem to have picked up the habit of working until sunset and then driving home and forgetting if I had a bad day because the scenery is so pretty.

Which is a very pleasant idea until I realise that in order to maintain this picture-worth-1000-words habit I have to start working progressively later and later everyday as summer progresses.
The picture is one such picture snapped out the window next to my desk.

There is another chap who works late and he often catches me leaning out of my window like a loony trying to snap a sunset shot during his cigarette break. "Silly female woman" (shakes head)

Irrational Paranoia

This evening something in my head is not right. I can't concentrate and my mind keeps wandering off. I am unfit for human interaction. So I decided to type about it until I feel better.

Two people seem to be at the centre of all this mindlessness. First Mr-X (Thanks Fred for the nick) is in town. And I have decided that I am looking forward to seeing him and catching up. Last night I was at my work end of year function and at the same time Mr-X and some of our mutual friends were out for drinks. Half way through the evening I got a message along the lines of "Oh, by the way we're all at the pub having drinks, feel free to join us" - this from Mr-X himself. They actually finished around the same time as I left my party so I did not get around to seeing them but some how I feel betrayed. It's irrational but I feel offended at only being invited as an afterthought. I think my friends knew I was busy but it's still nice to be invited along and being able to express your disappointment in turning down the invitation.

I never said these feelings were rational...

And now I am completely paranoid that my friends including Mr-X are meeting up behind my back. Not that I am entitled or anything. See, on Sundays I am usually busy. There is a mid-day family luncheon and then church - which we go to early for band practice. My friends have a habit of organising drinks on Sunday afternoons and meeting 30 minutes before i have to be in Church. Why they have to choose the same time of the afternoon everytime is kind of hurtful too because they know I can't make it. To the extent that I feel that I often get left off the invitation list anyway.

Hence the paranoia.

The second person is a new Mr-Thursday. The previous Mr-Thursday is The Be-Kittened Physicist. So... I met a new guy over drinks on Thursday.... which became more drinks after the first pubclosed... which became a late night movie after the second drinks... which became meeting at The Doors on Friday night.... which became more drinks at The Doors.... which became Listening-To-Your-Awesome-Music-In-Your-Car since I escorted you to your car anyway (No dirty minds guys - I am a nice girl) .... which became "hello" and "how is your day?" and "what you up to" messages... which became "I want to see you again" messages.

Which has lead me to promise to meet him for dinner tomorrow right after the Brownies campfire... Eau de Stinky Smoke Smell... charming... maybe I will appeal to the inner caveman.

So what I am getting at is that this guy is kinda sorta maybe possibly growing on me :)

I suspect he's looking for something serious and I don't really know what I have to offer at present. I am afraid that I may still be completely incompetent at the romantic relationship thing. I am scared we're looking for different things out of the relationship and he'll be too sweet to complain. I am scared of committing to a new relationship and tying myself down - not that the loneliness was completely pleasant.

And yet where is the harm in something short and sweet and kind on the ego. Well, actually, he hasn't officially asked me to be his special something yet (Not even some surreptitious hand holding)... He's big on chivalry it seems. (see escort to the car reference) so I'll patiently wait for him to decide to have his moment.

And so in the mix of all this I don't know how empty to keep my calendar in case Mr-X calls or Mr-Thursday-Friday-soon-to-be-Monday calls. I fear having to turn an invitation down with one of them for the other (can you say A-W-K-W-A-R-D). I am not even sure who I most want to see this week. (a week which happens to be insanely busy - Thanks Boet for getting married right in time for my paranoia attack) And Mr-X is leaving before i get back from my Monday-Tuesday business trip next week.

And so round and round I go. Mr-X, impatient friends, Mr Thursday, The wedding, Mr-X, Mr Thursday, Mr X, Mr Thursday, can I trust my friends, Mr Thursday, Mr-X, Mr Thursday...

Back at the fax machine...

At present with the work I do, I have 31 people that I have to correspond with on a daily or more often basis. Some of them I have email addresses for so it's as simple as *copy *paste *click *send! Some I only have fax numbers for. And as most of them reside across the border... The little man running around the fax machine with my messages in his hand has a very long way to run (Thanks Dad for that little childhood metaphor) and hence each fax takes a while to deliver. So I spend a fair amount of time standing in the printer and fax room at work.

Next to the fax machine is a paper shredder. A little box shaped device with sharp blades and warning labels showing pictures of ties and necklaces and hair with crosses over them that makes a glorious whirling chomping noise.(I guess the tie shredder is a separate device?) Oh how I long to feed it and watch paper be so neatly and completely destroyed. I sneak around the office stealling unwanted postage and then skip downstairs to slip the junk mail through the little slot and BBZZZZZ! The desire for destruction is satisfied...

Did I mention it is boring waiting for faxes to send?

The contact emails are also source for much speculation. Firstly all the replies are addressed to "Sir" or "Mr Barker". Such Sexism! (they going to get a big surprise at the site meeting! I can't wait!)

Secondly some of these people have very obscure email addresses. I find hard to believe da_remarkable_moses@yahoo.com is a big player in business circles....

This of course coming from the girl who addresses emails from Suzy Sunshine - but at least not on a professional level... Well mostly not...

Ooooh Well this is awkward...

So I have three super busy weekends coming up. All culminating with my brother's wedding (yaaaaaaaay!) Secretly I am more excited for seeing all the family than the actual event (which has been a cause of full on all raging stress for some parties involved for the past few months) Seeing the Family.... Like Christmas with more speeches and less presents for everyone.

My three weekend busy-ness also includes serving tea and eats to old peeps, stalking a nice boy to Doors, a seminar and a breakfast which I will most likely have to miss due to time constraints :(

This all happens to co-incide with a visit back home to SA from a certain Dubai-dwelling person. Might fit in a cuppa with him along the way.

And honestly I don't know how to feel about it... Am I excited because we have preserved some level of friendship? Am I afraid because I don't know if I have closure? Am I looking forward to the oppurtuinity to find closure? Am I excited to show off my awesome life?

I guess only time will tell....

Frankie's Travels - Jiggle jiggle jiggle

So we traversed our line route. We started off on a nice sandy grassy dirt road.... And then turned off onto a much more rough road (first passing through a river bed -Vertical down then Vertical Up!) The way we followed from slightly narrower by over grown bushes to driving over/around/under/through Thorn Trees! I think the guys who came with us are going to send us a big fat bill to repaint their cars! Of course the driving surface was no better - strewn with stones, boulders and ditches...with patches of soft sand... Nice sink-y soft sand. So after the first tense moment trying to navigate across the first soft patch in our heavy 4x4 vehicles, we started drive straight through the bos to avoid the next few soft looking patches ^ss-scc-ccr-aaaaaaa-ttttt-ch!

Oh did I mention we were doing some of this at 60km/hr?

We finished earlier than expected (surprise!) we shook hands, wished everyone well and parted. (French people are like SO funny :D )

After lunch of a very spicey Lemon and Herb Chicken Pita, I convinced the colleague that I would rather leave for Jozi tonight than beg borrow and plead for accomodation in Gaborone. So with some good luck at the airport... I should be sleeping in my own cosy (non-P500 per night) bed tonight!

On the road from Palapye to Gaborone in the meanwhile trying to drown out someone else's idea of good music with Yellowcard and Hammerfall...

Frankies Travels -Business Trip Day 3 Offroad!!

I almost missed breakfast again!! But not :). I have never liked scarmbled eggs but lately I seem to be noticing it disappearing off my plate into my mouth - Sshh don't tell my mum!

We're driving out of the town Selebi-Phikwe almost back to the thrilling 400/220kV substation to pick up the proposed line route to follow. I saw the towers and thought "Oh wow the towers are painted brown to blend with the landscape. How considerate!" When in actual fact I should have been thinking "Holey Moley the rust on these towers is bad!!"

I hear there is a copper mine down the way that uses Sulphiric Acid in the refining process. Can you say acid rain? In the Botswana wilderness nogal!

Here we go Day 3 Off road!! - I hope I can trust in the skills of the driver :/

Frankie's Travels - Day 2

I managed to survive without breakfast (aside from inhaling a mashed Jungle Oats bar I found at the bottom of my bag at about 12) all the way through to a very late 3pm lunch! (Spur makes crap chicken mayo toasties)

So after negotiating the Gaborone rush minute, we drove 240-ish km to Palapye. I saw lots of trees sand goats and donkeys. The animals look extremely fluffy and cuddle-able at 160km/hr!

We turned off the A1 and found our way through the Blink-and-you-might-miss-it town and got on with another meeting with some bigjobs (some from france and india) and some very cool calm exchanging of business cards. (left mine behind in my desk drawer :/ not cool)

Then we shot across the road to the opposite side of the A1 to visit the power station. We signed in and drove around the fence to inspect the switchyard and the clusters of steel lattice and wood post towers hanging their strings of conductor around the place. The Power Station itself was Enormous!! With very tall candy stripe chimneys.

Then we drove another 150 km to the other end of the project. The green scrubby bush changed into sand and wooden stick-ish thorn trees. We followed the power lines to a 400/220kV substation. I climbed out the car to the hot red sandy dirt road to the chorus of cicada beetles and the buzz of the 400kV equipment. Highlight of my Trip!! I say!

I mean I love nature and the outdoors and aside from the heat, the area was really pretty in a dry african way. Clear blue skies, fine dry red sand, brown thorn bushes with white thorns and the occasional hairy wiry donkey. :)

Then I find the High Voltage switchyards extremely impressive. The tall lattice steel, The enormous insulators for clearances, the glass string insulators that look too heavy to stay hanging from the gantries 20m off the ground.

Anyway enough engineer-nerd talk for now....

We found time to drive around the area when we were done for the day and I managed to snap some pretty pictures of the bush and the sunset and a really tall impressive anthill. Top prize tomorrow will be a picture of a happy hairy wiry donkey as we drive off road along the line route. Thrilling!!!

Frankie's Travels - Day 1 complete onto Day 2

So we arrived in Gaborone on a thrilling bumpy flight. We took off a little late too. The plane taxied the entire runway and then I think the pilot said "there is this funny flashing light here - we're going to get some one to take a look at it"... But I am sure what he actually said was a lot more professional .... Right?...

Anyway, Gaborone may look small and peaceful and spaced out but the traffic is a NIGHTMARE!!! Imagine a highway with big traffic circles every few km's... Bad Traffic!

Anyway we booked in at our coushy hotel - I used my cunning engineers intuition to drop my bags off in my room (swipe the card in every possible orientation until the cleaning lady helps you :D ) and we zipped off (or first geared for 30 min) to our meeting.

After all the horrendous traffic, we decided to go to the hotel restuarant and half a bottle of SavBlanc and a three course buffet - I was ready to rest my weary travellers head.

Anyway we stayed in an awesome classy hotel - palm trees, free shampoo and pretty white towels included! And a kettle and free coffee in my room Awesome!

Slept like I was dead... Woke up, got packed, drank my free coffee and hurried downstairs.

I happened to misunderstand my accompanying colleague and I missed breakfast. So our intrepid traveller is now embarking on a 3 and a bit hour journey on a cup of strong coffee and sheer beginners enthusiasm! - I am going to probably want to die soon.:.. Until I see the switchyards of course!!

Frankies Travels - Botswana Business Trip

So I have done this several times already but it's about time I add Botswana to my travelogue....

So this time I am jet-setting off there for 3 or 4 days (I am disturbed that even I don't know anymore when I am coming back... I think it's Thursday evening - alert the police If I am still missing this time next week)

So we're popping over for a progress meeting this afternoon - there are high hopes of pinning a senior bigjob down to sign some paperwork so we can finally issue some invoices to them. Yaaaay Invoicing! (frankies to do list grows faster than she can cross stuff off of it some weeks)

Then tomorrow we're driving to the next meeting and visiting a power station and substation. Weather report points to the warm side of mid-30's day time temps. But the sheer awesomeness of 220kV and 400kV switchgear will surely drive all yucky I'm all hot sticky sweaty thoughts from my head. Double Pole Centre Break Isolators!!! Ceramic Post Insulators!! CT's!!! VT's!!! CVT's!!! Surge Arrestors!!

Moving along.... On the next day we'll be doing some offroad driving along the line route - Bring your own 4x4 and wheel preessure pump Style!!!

Secretly I am way way excited for this - under my cool reserved proffessional of course.

Will have to try take pictures like a crazzy snappy happy person - all for the good of the business right? :D