Licenced to Ride: Singles Tour (13 - 28/10/2020)

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Ri

Grey Hound
WD Supporter
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
5,476
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983
Location
Somerset West
Bike
Suzuki DR650
My COVID Credenza continues.

School starts again for my Northern Cape Matriculant nephew and, a month later, his 7th Grade sister.  Matriculant must be fetched every weekend and Niece attends school one week on, one week off. Fortunately, both schools are in Paarl, and school friend parents share the weekly commute, taking turns to fetch and drop off learners, a 2-hour round journey.

Even more fortunately, my sister is old school; even the Matriculant can rustle up a decent meal, given the right incentive: being allowed to have friends over, access to liquor cabinet and access to car (last two NOT concurrently).

Adoring Aunt complies without complaint. They are hardly any bother, but they are in my space, leaving their stuff lying around, leaving my stuff laying around, TV and mobile speakers blaring, breathing, causing OCDisgruntlement. I close my eyes, grit my teeth and tell myself: this too shall pass. Zombie-mode engage.

Early September, my sister brings my mom for her 6-week knee checkup, and it is declared a huge success. With the persistent knee infection cleared up, my mom becomes more sweet-natured but still feisty. The doctor is so impressed with this turnaround, he asks my mom whether she wants to walk again. Is she up for a third knee replacement?

My mom - almost literally - jumps on this offer. My sister stares at her, slack-jawed. What happened to the vow of, "Never again"? They talk of scheduling it for 6 weeks later, but when the doctor phones the surgeon, he has a cancellation the next Tuesday.

She phones me in consternation. It's not that we begrudge my mom a working knee - on the contrary, the spacer is not practical. But we would've appreciated a little breather. My world tilts again. I mutely bow acceptance in the face of this juggernaut. Care and conservation of my mother falls on my inept shoulders again. By this time I'm living in a smaller flat, with a flatlet outside. We park my mom in the granny (haha) flat where she complains bitterly of the cold, and my niece guards her from a mattres on the floor. The carers come and go.

I take her to the hospital where she is received with opened arms, an old and favoured guest. Considering her attitude the last time, I'm dumbfounded. She sits regally while everyone pops by to say "hi". When I visit, they allow me to stay long past the designated 15 minutes COVID visitors time. When I fetch her, they all come to say goodbye.

The surgery done, the hospital keeps her for barely a week before releasing her back into my tender care for fear she might contract COVID. This time I put her upstairs in my sunniest bedroom, and she blooms like a hothouse flower. Matriculant and 7th Grader go home for the holidays, and my sister leaves behind my eldest niece, a very high functioning Down Syndrome who cooks like an angel, to take care of Ouma.

Ouma goes from strength to strength but poor Niece is bored to tears. There's nothing to occupy her, and Auntie can't entertain her because Auntie has to work. She misses her beloved 7de Laan and Binnelanders, but the TV plays havoc with my concentration. She wanders around, a plump little ghost, talking to herself and playing out her fantasies, driving her poor distracted aunt up the wall. After a week I'm more frazzled by her antics than my mom's.

After my mom's 1-week post-surgery checkup, my sister takes them home. The doctor is again so impressed with my mom's progress, he is happy to skip the 6-week checkup and only see her again in 6 months. My sister manages to get my mom back into the prison old age home, with 3 meals a day and plenty of staff to care for her. My plump little ghost stops haunting the patio and the neigbours. School is in recess, my space is mine.

I half heartedly turn my mind to the 3 weeks of annual leave lying ahead. The leave was requested when there was a plan to tour sourthern Namibia, but things fall apart. I have however managed to book an appointment to pass out for my motorbike driver's licence, in the far off town of Moorreesburg. I decide to make that the starting point of my tour to who-knows-where.

All this time the foot I hurt at Kareedow complains quietly. I constantly wear my hiking boots, thinking a ligament or tendon stretched and just needs a rest. Thankfully the riding boot provides good support, it'll be fine.

I have my bikes serviced closer to home because I don't have time to trailer them to Dux's workshop. I had something small done there once, and wasn't unhappy, but their quote for the service makes my eyes water. Maybe I should've found some time...

I contact Billy de Beer for a motorbike pass out lesson, and with amazing foresight ask him to organise me a little bike to do the test on. And since Gouda is so close to Moorreesburg, and there are chilli bites to be had, I ask [member=13967]VaalBaas[/member] whether I can stay over at their beautiful B&B. 

The vague plan is to visit Vaalbaas, then Oasis to say hi to Gerrit, as always, and then Kareekloof Conservancy, at the end of Droëlandskloof Pass, to see the dams and the veld after the rain. Then I have a yen to head to the Eastern Cape, because apart from Baviaanskloof I'd never really seen much. I did a riding course with [member=539]Die Malletjie[/member] a while ago, and want to visit Jumper's Place, and a WD [member=15964]elandsrider[/member] has a farm at Elandsrivier, which has a guest cottage for rent.

I'll see where the wind blows me.
 
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