The annual 2012 Surfers marathon in East London has been run - yesterday the 18th of February. Some participants entered as runners, some as paddlers and some as walkers.
Now it would be pretty obvious if paddlers lined up at the start in the runners area with their oars that they were starting in the wrong category, but when it comes to Surfers walkers and Surfers runners, things can get a little confusing:
A runner can walk if they get tired during the race, to take a bit of a breather before trotting off again. A walker HAS TO just walk. Now, when a runner is walking and a walker is walking, it can look pretty much the same - spectators may not be able to tell which Surfers participants entered as a walker and which Surfers participants entered as a runner.
It is also a little difficult for the walkers (who start their race 10 minutes after the runners start) to tell who is a runner and who is a walker. Many of the first few walkers catch up to and pass the back runners, and many of those runners are walking.
However, when walkers (who really started with the walkers 10 minutes after the runners started) are among the first few walkers in the field and along the route, it is easier to tell which people they pass are walkers or runners, even when runners are walking.
As these fast walkers start their Surfers walking race, they can clearly see their own position by counting the people in front of them along the dirt road before the first stretch of sand. Top race walkers in East London also mostly recognize each other.
Now let's say a walker recognizes his or her postion as being about 20th in the Surfers walkers race, soon after the start of the walking race, and instead of anybody passing that walker, that walker does all the passing along the route (passing of the back runners who are walking and who started their race 10 minutes before the walkers did.)
However, at the finish, their position amongst the walkers is about 40th.
So, what happened if nobody passed that walker? How did their position go from 20th to 40th?
PEOPLE WHO ENTERED AS WALKERS DECIDED TO START WITH THE RUNNERS INSTEAD. SOME OF THEM EVEN RUNNING PART OF THE ROUTE.
(and their chip on their ankle registers them as a walker when they cross the finish line)
This happens every year, and although one year I swore never to walk the Surfers again because of it (and only enter as a runner every time I did the Surfers), I decided to walk again this year, but went into the race knowing I would try not to worry about position and simply just enjoy the race, try to treat it as a workout only, and try to finish in a time I could be proud of.
So I am not too worried that my 2012 Surfers marathon 17th lady walker position was probably not my true position. It wasn't quite like the year I won the lady walker's race, knowing nobody had passed me right from the start, being congratulated as the first lady walker all along the route, and again congratulated at the finish (as being the first lady walker), and waiting for prize giving only to hear somebody else get called up to receive the prize - somebody who wasn't even at the prize giving - or if they were, they didn't go up. (This was when I thought I'd never bother to enter the Surfers as a walker again.) What the chip on the ankle says, is what counts when determining the Surfers marathon finishing postions. If a person who entered the race as a walker, but then started with the runners instead, even running if they want to, and finishes before the first walker (who started 10 minutes later with the walkers), then they are recorded as the first walker.
The East London Coastal Challenge is just a fun race, and I'm over what happened that year - but had I for example won again this year (and had somebody who entered as a walker but who started with the runners instead cross the finish line before me) perhaps I would have been upset again.
Maybe not every Surfers entrant is as competitive as I am (or as I used to be), or doesn't care about their finishing position, but for those walkers who may be competitive and do care about their finishing positions, it doesn't seem fair that they are denied their true walker finishing positions because of some Surfers walker entrants suddenly changing their minds at the start and starting with the runners 10 minutes before they are supposed to start - and some of them even running part of the route.
Because the Surfers is a fun race more than a highly competitive race, one couldn't even really call it cheating, I guess. My message to people who enter as walkers in any future Surfers race is simply that when registering for the race, to please carefully consider what you want to do in the race - walk or run - and if choosing to enter as a walker, stick to that decision, and start with the walkers 10 minutes after the runners. For the sake of those walkers who do take all their races seriously.
How could the Surfers organizers deal with those people who enter the Surfers as walkers but then suddenly decide to start with the runners instead?
Well, last year some effort was made, which I was pleased to hear. I entered as a runner last year, and while waiting in the crowd of runners at the starting line I heard the announcement that any runners who saw a certain colour bracelet on anybody in the running crowd should send those people out of the crowd to wait for the walking race to start. The colour of their bracelets indicated that they had entered the Surfers as walkers, and that they shouldn't be standing with the runners who were waiting for the running race to start.
I was waiting to hear the same announcement this year (for the sake of the more competitive walkers) (I didn't really care about it for myself anymore, as I had entered the 2012 Surfers walking race just wanting to get a finishing time I could be proud of,) but instead of hearing that announcement, I heard an announcement shortly before the start of the running race that anyone who didn't yet have a bracelet should quickly go and get one, and that it didn't matter what colour bracelet they got.
I don't know how difficult it would be for the organizers, so maybe not a good idea, but for the sake of those more competitive walkers this would be my suggestion:
A time recording mat placed just 500 metres to 1km from the start. With organizers standing near to it making sure all competitors cross it. As the chips on the ankles of competitors register on the timing device computers, any competitors who should have only started their race with the walkers 10 minutes later, are eliminated from the race. (they can finish the race, but will be allocated a "non-finisher" next to their finishing time, and their finishing positions will not disrupt the order of the finishing positions of those who started and completed the correct race that they originally entered when they registered to compete in the Surfers Coastal Challenge.)
Because the Surfers is a fun event, perhaps my suggestion sounds a bit harsh, but why have both a walking race and a running race, if there is no true way to stop those who entered as walkers from starting with the runners instead of with the walkers as they should?
Why the fuss? Isn't walking just walking? How fast do these walkers really walk? Well, to give an example, last year I ran the Surfers, walking a bit when I felt tired, but mostly running. This year I walked, ONLY - in the walking section of the race. I improved on my last years' time (when I entered the running section and ran and walked) by 4 minutes. Many walkers can walk faster than some people run-and-walk the Surfers. Many walkers catch up to the back runners (who are walking-and-running) even before the Gonubie River, and even though the walkers started 10 minutes after the runners did.
To all those who did the Surfers marathon yesterday - and who stuck to the category they selected when they registered - well done! And if any of you completed your 15th Surfers marathon yesterday, like I did, an even bigger well done! It was a great event with superb weather conditions for the participants. Thanks to the organizers and spectators for making each race, every year, so special and memorable. Now just to sort out something to stop those who enter as walkers from starting with the runners instead.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, February 13, 2011
My 2011 Surfers Marathon Experience
My 14th Surfers Marathon saw me finishing in my worst time ever. Even if the 2011 Surfers Marathon did not have the extra 1 km detour added, it would have still been my worst Surfers Marathon time ever.
Not enough training is just one of the things to blame my poor result on. I don't have much of an excuse and hopefully next year I'll do somewhat better in the 2012 Surfers Marathon. Even the same time with less pain afterwards would be a great improvement.
Ok, so the 2011 Surfers Marathon 17km was my 13 year old son Basti's first East London Surfers Marathon Coastal Challenge, and I'm very proud that he ran the race, not having run more than 5km before. He beat me too, finishing in a time of 2.28.
The last time I ran the Surfers, prior to yesterday, was in 2008, accompanying Tony on his first Surfers Marathon. We did the 2008 Surfers Marathon 16km in 2.11, and although feeling and being a bit more unfit than we were in 2008, we hoped to do the 2011 Surfers Marathon 17km in a time of about 2.24 or less. Not so. I finished in 2.45 and Tony finished in 2.53.
My long ago years of running the Surfers Marathon in under 1.50 are long gone (best time 1.41)
I'm proud that I've now done 14 though (11 runs and 3 race-walks)
I'm 41 now, so maybe I'll still manage a total of 20 or so within the cut off time.
New running shoes for both Tony and I would be a good idea next time round, as well as a lot more training beforehand.
It was hot at the start of the 2011 Surfers Marathon 17km, and even though we applied sunblock, Tony and I still got pretty sunburnt, then, and along the route.
I was really pleased to hear that there were strict rules about the walkers making sure to start only ten minutes after the runners, as I'd previously been denied a first position lady walker due to people having entered as walkers starting with the runners (and running and crossing the finish line ahead of the first few walkers.)
I was running this year, but maybe I'll enter as a walker again in the future.
As we ran along the dirt road right after the start of the race, I felt lactic acid in my legs and I thought "Oh no, I haven't even got onto the sand yet!" Luckily the fatigue in my legs vanished as I hit the little path down to the beach, and I plodded on quite happily.
Then the rocks got to me, the worst I've ever experienced. I had already thought about the rocks near Rainbow Valley, and was concerned about them, even though I usually get across them quite quickly, but there was another short stretch of rocks before that where both my ankles turned over, all ways. It felt like I had 6 twisted ankles. The tight elastic band of the chip on my left ankle wasn't helping.
Note to self: Use my own elastic band for the chip next time
Basti had left me on the path down to the beach, and for a while, I could see him ahead of me, before he picked up speed (or I lagged behind) and he sped out of view. I could see Tony behind me for a while too.
Then it was across the rocks at Rainbow Valley. I wanted to cry and even felt tears well up at one stage. I tried stepping right on top of the small rounded rocks to help relieve the pain in my ankles as my feet twisted and slipped all over the rocks, but it wasn't always possible and I didn't want to walk. I kept thinking about 2008 where Tony sucked on the soft sand, but made up nicely for lost time on rocks and tar. I wanted to try beat Tony, or at least get to German Bay before him (at the other end of the tar where Surfers runners return to the beach for the final third of the race.) I couldn't always place each foot exactly as I had intended as there were so many people all about me, and a place meant for my foot would suddenly be taken up by the foot of somebody else, and I'd have to suddenly twist not to put my foot on their foot.
The length of my feet along the outer top and sides were throbbing too. My left arch had a blister already.
In the 14 years that I've taken part in the Surfers Marathon, it was the easiest Gonubie River crossing yet - I don't remember being able to have my feet on the ground and my head above water all the way through before (using the ropes.)
The Gonubie River was deliciously cold and I ducked under twice to refresh myself.
My feet felt like lead as I plunged out of the Gonubie River, but the heaviness soon wore off, and I was thankful for the chill of the water on my legs, as, besides the elastic band of the chip cutting into my left ankle, I could barely feel my sore ankles and legs - my ankles and legs felt strong, fresh, and ready to tackle the tar.
One of the first friendly spectator's hose spray or sprinklers I ran through was really cold and as it hit me I had to gasp for air. I tried to avoid further hosepipes and sprinklers along the rest of the route, as best I could.
I looked back often and could see no sign of Tony. I hoped he was okay.
Around the bend at the Gonubie Hotel and through and past many spectators. Had to run. This is the Surfers and these people are here to support the participants. Luckily I did still feel like running at that point.
Not far beyond the Gonubie Hotel bend, and I started to walk a bit. Run. Walk. Run. Walk. Run. Walk. The rest of the way, to the finish. I like to think more running than walking, but I'm not sure...
Before the main stretch of the tar of Ocean Way in Gonubie, I spotted my family supporting us on the side of the road! My parents, my brother, my sister in law, my 2 nieces. Thanks guys for supporting Basti, Tony and I during our gruelling ordeal. It was also good to hear that Basti was only 10 minutes ahead of me. I wasn't doing too badly for an old unfit gal!
I usually seriously hit a mental block on the long stretch of tar, getting bored with seeing all that tar in front of me, and just wanting it to be over, but instead of speeding up to get it over with, I usually get disheartened and want to walk more! This year was so much better.
My ankles were starting to play up again, though, and at some of the water points I used some water on my ankles, hoping to repeat the relief that I'd found earlier after crossing the Gonubie River. Didn't help much, and now I had a niggle in my left calf too.
Cathy, an old inter-schools fellow athlete passed me shortly before we hit the grass to go down to German Bay back onto the sand for the last third of the race (Gonubie River being the end of the first third) and said she's passed Tony who was complaining about the sole of one of his running shoes. I hoped he was okay and wondered if he would pull out as I still couldn't see him every time I looked back (often.)
Hopped across the little stream at German Bay and still felt relatively okay, but was still walking, running, walking, running.
The legs got tired, the ankles got sore, the blister stung, the left calf niggled more, the Nahoon Surf Lifesavers Shack didn't seem to get any closer, but eventually, somehow, I was at the Nahoon River, just to cross it now and get across the last 400 metres to the finish line of the 2011 Surfers Marathon.
I looked forward to the cold water of the Nahoon River, and was soooo upset to find it felt like lukewarm bathwater. Nevertheless, I dipped under once in the hope of cooling my head a bit. Didn't really work. I staggered along to the finish, looking forward to getting a half full paper cup of cold cola even more than I was looking forward to getting my Surfers Tshirt. There'd been no cola along the route.
My brother and family were off to the right as I neared the finish line, and Basti was there too, safe and sound.
Managed to pick up enough speed to pass three people in the last 20 metres, and... I was done! Now where's that cola?
No cola. A bottle of water instead. Was ok though, would buy lots of cola on the way home.
I like my tshirts big and baggy and asked for an extra extra large Surfers Marathon Tshirt. The lady I'd handed my chip to didn't have extra extra large at her table and she tried to attract the attention of the lady at the next table who might have. I helped her attract the attention of the lady and she immediately asked me for my chip which I had handed to the first lady, who was now busy with other finishers. I just said I gave it to that other lady, and I got my tshirt it had 2XL on the label and I was happy.
I stood around trying to decide if I should walk "way down there" to get Basti and wait for Tony, or if I should just stay put and wait for Tony. I started ambling "way down there" slowly, but when saw Tony come in, wobbled back a bit, to the tshirt area. Tony also got an extra extra large Surfers tshirt, and we both wobbled off together in the direction of "way down there" but luckily Basti was on his way to us, and we wobbled all the way up to the car which was a very painful walk indeed.
Got to the car and got money. Tried on my Surfers Tshirt. It was unusually small for an extra extra large, so I tried on Tony's which said XXL as compared to my 2XL, and it was big and baggy like I like it.
Contemplated just going straight home, but it was Tony's birthday and a drink or two was in order, so we wobbled back down the hill to the Surfers Marathon finishing area. We were also hungry but the food was already sold out.
We had two drinks each (Basti had appletizer) and we wobbled back up to the car, and home, and asleep by 9.30 pm, an extremely rare occurrence for us.
And that was our 2011 Surfers Marathon, "klaar en gedaan." Just the odd size tshirts and sore legs and feet to show for it now, and an unbelievable urge to do it all again in 2012.
Well done to all who participated, and we'll see you again next year!
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2011
Not enough training is just one of the things to blame my poor result on. I don't have much of an excuse and hopefully next year I'll do somewhat better in the 2012 Surfers Marathon. Even the same time with less pain afterwards would be a great improvement.
Ok, so the 2011 Surfers Marathon 17km was my 13 year old son Basti's first East London Surfers Marathon Coastal Challenge, and I'm very proud that he ran the race, not having run more than 5km before. He beat me too, finishing in a time of 2.28.
The last time I ran the Surfers, prior to yesterday, was in 2008, accompanying Tony on his first Surfers Marathon. We did the 2008 Surfers Marathon 16km in 2.11, and although feeling and being a bit more unfit than we were in 2008, we hoped to do the 2011 Surfers Marathon 17km in a time of about 2.24 or less. Not so. I finished in 2.45 and Tony finished in 2.53.
My long ago years of running the Surfers Marathon in under 1.50 are long gone (best time 1.41)
I'm proud that I've now done 14 though (11 runs and 3 race-walks)
I'm 41 now, so maybe I'll still manage a total of 20 or so within the cut off time.
New running shoes for both Tony and I would be a good idea next time round, as well as a lot more training beforehand.
It was hot at the start of the 2011 Surfers Marathon 17km, and even though we applied sunblock, Tony and I still got pretty sunburnt, then, and along the route.
I was really pleased to hear that there were strict rules about the walkers making sure to start only ten minutes after the runners, as I'd previously been denied a first position lady walker due to people having entered as walkers starting with the runners (and running and crossing the finish line ahead of the first few walkers.)
I was running this year, but maybe I'll enter as a walker again in the future.
As we ran along the dirt road right after the start of the race, I felt lactic acid in my legs and I thought "Oh no, I haven't even got onto the sand yet!" Luckily the fatigue in my legs vanished as I hit the little path down to the beach, and I plodded on quite happily.
Then the rocks got to me, the worst I've ever experienced. I had already thought about the rocks near Rainbow Valley, and was concerned about them, even though I usually get across them quite quickly, but there was another short stretch of rocks before that where both my ankles turned over, all ways. It felt like I had 6 twisted ankles. The tight elastic band of the chip on my left ankle wasn't helping.
Note to self: Use my own elastic band for the chip next time
Basti had left me on the path down to the beach, and for a while, I could see him ahead of me, before he picked up speed (or I lagged behind) and he sped out of view. I could see Tony behind me for a while too.
Then it was across the rocks at Rainbow Valley. I wanted to cry and even felt tears well up at one stage. I tried stepping right on top of the small rounded rocks to help relieve the pain in my ankles as my feet twisted and slipped all over the rocks, but it wasn't always possible and I didn't want to walk. I kept thinking about 2008 where Tony sucked on the soft sand, but made up nicely for lost time on rocks and tar. I wanted to try beat Tony, or at least get to German Bay before him (at the other end of the tar where Surfers runners return to the beach for the final third of the race.) I couldn't always place each foot exactly as I had intended as there were so many people all about me, and a place meant for my foot would suddenly be taken up by the foot of somebody else, and I'd have to suddenly twist not to put my foot on their foot.
The length of my feet along the outer top and sides were throbbing too. My left arch had a blister already.
In the 14 years that I've taken part in the Surfers Marathon, it was the easiest Gonubie River crossing yet - I don't remember being able to have my feet on the ground and my head above water all the way through before (using the ropes.)
The Gonubie River was deliciously cold and I ducked under twice to refresh myself.
My feet felt like lead as I plunged out of the Gonubie River, but the heaviness soon wore off, and I was thankful for the chill of the water on my legs, as, besides the elastic band of the chip cutting into my left ankle, I could barely feel my sore ankles and legs - my ankles and legs felt strong, fresh, and ready to tackle the tar.
One of the first friendly spectator's hose spray or sprinklers I ran through was really cold and as it hit me I had to gasp for air. I tried to avoid further hosepipes and sprinklers along the rest of the route, as best I could.
I looked back often and could see no sign of Tony. I hoped he was okay.
Around the bend at the Gonubie Hotel and through and past many spectators. Had to run. This is the Surfers and these people are here to support the participants. Luckily I did still feel like running at that point.
Not far beyond the Gonubie Hotel bend, and I started to walk a bit. Run. Walk. Run. Walk. Run. Walk. The rest of the way, to the finish. I like to think more running than walking, but I'm not sure...
Before the main stretch of the tar of Ocean Way in Gonubie, I spotted my family supporting us on the side of the road! My parents, my brother, my sister in law, my 2 nieces. Thanks guys for supporting Basti, Tony and I during our gruelling ordeal. It was also good to hear that Basti was only 10 minutes ahead of me. I wasn't doing too badly for an old unfit gal!
I usually seriously hit a mental block on the long stretch of tar, getting bored with seeing all that tar in front of me, and just wanting it to be over, but instead of speeding up to get it over with, I usually get disheartened and want to walk more! This year was so much better.
My ankles were starting to play up again, though, and at some of the water points I used some water on my ankles, hoping to repeat the relief that I'd found earlier after crossing the Gonubie River. Didn't help much, and now I had a niggle in my left calf too.
Cathy, an old inter-schools fellow athlete passed me shortly before we hit the grass to go down to German Bay back onto the sand for the last third of the race (Gonubie River being the end of the first third) and said she's passed Tony who was complaining about the sole of one of his running shoes. I hoped he was okay and wondered if he would pull out as I still couldn't see him every time I looked back (often.)
Hopped across the little stream at German Bay and still felt relatively okay, but was still walking, running, walking, running.
The legs got tired, the ankles got sore, the blister stung, the left calf niggled more, the Nahoon Surf Lifesavers Shack didn't seem to get any closer, but eventually, somehow, I was at the Nahoon River, just to cross it now and get across the last 400 metres to the finish line of the 2011 Surfers Marathon.
I looked forward to the cold water of the Nahoon River, and was soooo upset to find it felt like lukewarm bathwater. Nevertheless, I dipped under once in the hope of cooling my head a bit. Didn't really work. I staggered along to the finish, looking forward to getting a half full paper cup of cold cola even more than I was looking forward to getting my Surfers Tshirt. There'd been no cola along the route.
My brother and family were off to the right as I neared the finish line, and Basti was there too, safe and sound.
Managed to pick up enough speed to pass three people in the last 20 metres, and... I was done! Now where's that cola?
No cola. A bottle of water instead. Was ok though, would buy lots of cola on the way home.
I like my tshirts big and baggy and asked for an extra extra large Surfers Marathon Tshirt. The lady I'd handed my chip to didn't have extra extra large at her table and she tried to attract the attention of the lady at the next table who might have. I helped her attract the attention of the lady and she immediately asked me for my chip which I had handed to the first lady, who was now busy with other finishers. I just said I gave it to that other lady, and I got my tshirt it had 2XL on the label and I was happy.
I stood around trying to decide if I should walk "way down there" to get Basti and wait for Tony, or if I should just stay put and wait for Tony. I started ambling "way down there" slowly, but when saw Tony come in, wobbled back a bit, to the tshirt area. Tony also got an extra extra large Surfers tshirt, and we both wobbled off together in the direction of "way down there" but luckily Basti was on his way to us, and we wobbled all the way up to the car which was a very painful walk indeed.
Got to the car and got money. Tried on my Surfers Tshirt. It was unusually small for an extra extra large, so I tried on Tony's which said XXL as compared to my 2XL, and it was big and baggy like I like it.
Contemplated just going straight home, but it was Tony's birthday and a drink or two was in order, so we wobbled back down the hill to the Surfers Marathon finishing area. We were also hungry but the food was already sold out.
We had two drinks each (Basti had appletizer) and we wobbled back up to the car, and home, and asleep by 9.30 pm, an extremely rare occurrence for us.
And that was our 2011 Surfers Marathon, "klaar en gedaan." Just the odd size tshirts and sore legs and feet to show for it now, and an unbelievable urge to do it all again in 2012.
Well done to all who participated, and we'll see you again next year!
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Surfers Marathon 2011 East London Planning and Tips
My eldest son, 13, will be doing his first Surfers Marathon on Saturday 12 February 2011, starting at 2.30 pm at Kwelera Mouth, East Coast Resorts, East London.
39 Surfers Marathon Tips:
I'm not yet sure if I'll also be running the 2011 Surfers Marathon, but even if I do, my son is currently much fitter than I am and would be well ahead of me in the race.
Being the over-protective mother that everyone labels me as (and it's true and I'm quite happy being an over-protective mother) I'm already driving my son mad with a list of do's and don'ts.
I've done 13 Surfers Marathon challenges so far, the last one being in 2008 along with Tony doing his first and only one so far.
Perhaps my LIST OF TIPS FOR THE SURFERS MARATHON, actually meant for my son, can help others too:
39 Surfers Marathon Tips:
- Pasta supper on Thursday night;
- Protein supper on Friday night;
- Plenty of liquids both Thursday and Friday, and of course on Saturday morning;
- No late nights on Thursday or Friday night;
- Cereal and juice for breakfast on Saturday morning;
- 2 to 4 slices of brown bread sandwich late morning with sliced banana on, and a sprinkling of sugar on the sliced banana;
- Cola drinks on Saturday morning and/or Energade or Powerade, topped up or washed down inbetween with water;
- On the way to park at Nahoon and catch one of the first busses, stop at a shop and get and drink a can of fizzy cola, buy three 500ml drinks (per person): cola, Energade or Powerade, and water;
- Apply sunblock;
- Get on the bus with the three drinks and listen to everyone's stories about their previous Surfers Marathon runs;
- While on the bus and while waiting at the starting area of the race, take small sips of the three drinks, leaving the last bit of water for last;
- Be sure to have one last visit to the loo before the queue gets too long where you may panic about missing the start of the race;
- Check socks are comfortable and not bunched at all, and check the double knots of running shoe laces;
- Apply more sunblock;
- Stand quite close to the front of the crowd at the Surfers Marathon starting line;
- While waiting at the starting area earlier, and also while in the crowd at the start, get in a few calf stretches and thigh stretches;
- Start the 17km 2011 Surfers Marathon Coastal Challenge ;
- While trying to settle into a comfortable position and steady pace, try not to get anxious if people slower than you are blocking your steady way forward - using up too much energy now can be detrimental later;
- Use your arms well to help you through soft sand, and if running on rocks watch your footing carefully and be careful not to slip;
- Listen to the organizers and helpers at the Gonubie River crossing - do exactly as they say;
- Do not try swim across the Gonubie River no matter how fit you're feeling, no matter who or how many others are swimming across the Gonubie River, and no matter how many people you think you may pass in the process;
- See which side of the rope the runners are on as they are crossing the Gonubie River and approach the river on that same side of the rope;
- Hold onto the rope as soon as you can, even before your feet are wet, if possible;
- Do not panic and remember there are people to assist if you experience a problem - call out and raise your arm and hand if you need help - there are a lot of people and you need to be easily heard and seen if you find yourself in trouble;
- Do not shove or push or try to pass people on the rope in the water, as well as earlier in the queue leading into the Gonubie River;
- If somebody next to you is in trouble and is not calling out or raising their hand and arm, you can call out and raise your hand and arm to alert the helpers to the problem;
- Keep your shoes on;
- Have at least two sachets or cups of liquid at each waterpoint, at least one must be water - drink the first, some of the second, and use the remainder of the second (the water) to splash water on the back of your neck, head, or wherever you're feeling particularly hot or sore;
- Although spectators cars are generally kept off the tar along Ocean Way, still be on the look out for any cars - do not assume that you're 100% safe from traffic just because you're running in the Surfers Marathon;
- Be polite to spectators no matter what they say or how bad you're feeling;
- Smile, at least from time to time;
- No matter how shallow or slow moving the water in the Nahoon River looks, stick to the rope all the way through;
- As you finish the Surfers Marathon, be sure to continue walking to get a cooldrink and your well-deserved Surfers Marathon tshirt, and also so that those legs do not come to a dead stop;
- If you feel dizzy or nauseous, drink up, sit and relax, even lie on your back with your knees up;
- If feeling particularly dizzy or nauseous, call for help;
- Don't lose your Surfers Marathon tshirt while you wait for your parents (or whoever is driving the car home) to finish the race;
- Stay out of the Nahoon River and ocean while you wait for your driver;
- Congratulate those finishing the race;
- Pat yourself on the back.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Why I decided to Cut My Hair
I cut my hair in December 2010. My hair was really long when I cut it. In South Africa, December is the start of summer.
I did not have it cut really short. In case I missed my long hair I had it cut to shoulder length.
Before and after my haircut
Besides a shorter hairstyle making it possible for me to feel a bit cooler in the summer, there are other reasons why I cut my hair:
I had not even trimmed the ends of my hair in nearly four years, and the ends were looking messy.
I’m trying to fit in some training to run in a 16 km race (about 10 miles) and long hair even in a ponytail gets in the way, and when I’m so unfit, I feel that long hair even weighs me down a bit!
I’m working from home, still building my little business and the work takes up a lot of my time; there’s not much time for taking great care of long hair, and sometimes I’d even have knots to deal with that irritated me when I needed to rather spend time working.
I don’t use a hair dryer to dry my hair, preferring it to dry naturally, and long hair takes a lot longer to dry than short hair.
My hair grows quickly, so if I did miss it, which I don’t, it wouldn’t be too long before it grew long again.
Before, when I’ve cut my hair, people told me that the shorter cut makes me look younger, so now, as I’m feeling old and worn before my time while trying to work so hard at my little home business, I thought it would be great to look a bit younger, and that maybe it would make me feel younger too.
There were hardly any reasons not to cut my hair, and I’m really glad I did have it cut.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2011
I did not have it cut really short. In case I missed my long hair I had it cut to shoulder length.
Before and after my haircut
Besides a shorter hairstyle making it possible for me to feel a bit cooler in the summer, there are other reasons why I cut my hair:
I had not even trimmed the ends of my hair in nearly four years, and the ends were looking messy.
I’m trying to fit in some training to run in a 16 km race (about 10 miles) and long hair even in a ponytail gets in the way, and when I’m so unfit, I feel that long hair even weighs me down a bit!
I’m working from home, still building my little business and the work takes up a lot of my time; there’s not much time for taking great care of long hair, and sometimes I’d even have knots to deal with that irritated me when I needed to rather spend time working.
I don’t use a hair dryer to dry my hair, preferring it to dry naturally, and long hair takes a lot longer to dry than short hair.
My hair grows quickly, so if I did miss it, which I don’t, it wouldn’t be too long before it grew long again.
Before, when I’ve cut my hair, people told me that the shorter cut makes me look younger, so now, as I’m feeling old and worn before my time while trying to work so hard at my little home business, I thought it would be great to look a bit younger, and that maybe it would make me feel younger too.
There were hardly any reasons not to cut my hair, and I’m really glad I did have it cut.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2011
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Best Reviewer Review - a top 3, top 5, top 10 and top 20 site by the owner of She Told Me
What a fantastic Adsense revenue sharing site the owner of She Told Me has brought us now: Best Reviewer - a place to bookmark your own articles on other sites. There's no problems about linking to your articles elsewhere, pages of your blogs and sites, and, at the same time, you can earn from clicks on the Adsense ads on your pages on Best Review, if you have an Adsense account, and include your Adsense publisher id when joining Best Reviewer.
The top 3, top 5, top 10 and top 20 I refer to in the title of this post is about how you post your bookmarks on Best Reviewer. The minimum allowed per page is 3, and the maximum allowed is 20. It's a great idea to link to perhaps 5 of your articles on various sites, (each needing just a one line description) that all relate to the same topic. You have 5 bookmarks all on one page about a similar topic - creating better findability by search engines!
Oh, and did I mention that below each post of "Tops" that you make, the link to your website or blog (or article writing site profile, or social site profile) will automatically appear, if you included it when you signed up.
Also, when people sign up beneath you, using your referral link, and they post their own tops on Best Reviewer, beneath where their website or blog link appears on their pages, your website or blog link appears too!
Join Best Reviewer now, earn from clicks on your Adsense ads there, and get more traffic to your own content elsewhere.
Original article on, and © copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
The top 3, top 5, top 10 and top 20 I refer to in the title of this post is about how you post your bookmarks on Best Reviewer. The minimum allowed per page is 3, and the maximum allowed is 20. It's a great idea to link to perhaps 5 of your articles on various sites, (each needing just a one line description) that all relate to the same topic. You have 5 bookmarks all on one page about a similar topic - creating better findability by search engines!
Oh, and did I mention that below each post of "Tops" that you make, the link to your website or blog (or article writing site profile, or social site profile) will automatically appear, if you included it when you signed up.
Also, when people sign up beneath you, using your referral link, and they post their own tops on Best Reviewer, beneath where their website or blog link appears on their pages, your website or blog link appears too!
Join Best Reviewer now, earn from clicks on your Adsense ads there, and get more traffic to your own content elsewhere.
Original article on, and © copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
What to Offer Freelance Writers on Your Planned New Writing Site
You plan to create a new writing site, but there are already so many out there, how can you make your writing site better than other writing sites? Your goal is to have the best online writing site ever.
To get writers to not only flock to your site and submit many articles to your site, but to also have writers calling your site the best online writing site ever, you’re going to have to give them good reason to.
Research before fully embarking on your project should include:
Logic dictates that you should offer freelance writers as much as you can, all on one site – on a site owned by you.
What makes good writers not even consider joining a new site, or make them leave that site?
Original article on, and © copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
- Studying other writing sites and their blogs and forums
- Reading reviews written by writers who are members at those sites - or who are no longer members!
- Reading the comments of visitors to those reviews
Your findings will most likely indicate that writers like different aspects of different writing sites – explaining why so many freelance writers submit their articles to more than just one site.
- The site is only for writers who reside in a particular country
- There is a fee to join the site
- There is no payment option that the writer can use, or may have difficulty using
- It appears that some members abuse the choice of being able to vote down an article
- People may be struggling to get a Google Adsense account, and this is the only form of payment a site offers
- The site does not allow previously published materials
- The minimum length requirement of the submitted articles is quite long
- Members are not allowed to use their referral links when linking to other sites
- Members are not allowed to link to their own sites or other sites from their profile
- Spam isn’t dealt with quickly or properly
- There are no comment moderation options
- The writers name or date of article does not appear on the published articles
- There is only one way a writer can earn an income from submitting articles to a site
- Users are not also allowed to upload images to an image section, or bookmarks to a bookmark section (because these sections don’t exist on a site.)
- The earnings potential or payment structure is pathetic - and it’s obvious the owner of the site has the potential to make a huge fortune from submitted and published materials
- The site is untidy and difficult to navigate
- The pages take a long time to load
- There are hardly any FAQ, guidelines or tutorials
- Management takes more than 4 or 5 days to reply to an email
- Answered emails do not provide solutions to a problem
- Writers do not retain copyright or full rights of their articles
- It is expected that a tax form be submitted when some writers don’t even earn enough, or writers live in a country that requires tax details only after a person is earning enough
- The site publishes poor quality articles
- A writer has to earn quite a high amount before being paid
- Writers have to wait a long time to receive earned payments
- Page views of their articles
- Ad revenue sharing
- Affiliate sales
- Selling their articles, with or without offering full rights
- Winning prizes
- Activity bonuses
- Voting up other articles
- Referring new users
- Referring visitors to any page of a site
- Making use of referral links and linking to their own or other sites
Saturday, August 7, 2010
She Told Me what? She Told Me! I've joined She Told Me!
SheToldMe is a site you can join and where you can bookmark articles you have elsewhere on the Internet. So what's so great about that? We have twitter, digg, facebook, reddit, stumbleupon and numerous other sites where we can bookmark articles.
Well, does twitter, digg, facebook, reddit, and stumbleupon have ads on their site next to your posts that you can earn some extra income from? Not?
SheToldMe does.
Actually, so does Xomba and, in a way, so does RedGage (earn from pageviews of your blog posts, bookmarks (links) and videos or pictures uploaded) but I'm discussing SheToldMe now.
As per Google Adsense policies and TOS, just three Google Adsense block ads are allowed per page of content. She Told Me has three per page. Your bookmark gets a whole page to itself, and can be as short as 200 characters long (that's about 20 to 30 words.) The one Adsense ad is for She Told Me, the one closest to your title and content is yours, all yours, and then there's one beneath your content area that can belong to whoever referred you to She Told Me.
It's easy to publish content to She Told Me. If you don't yet have a Google Adsense account, get yourself one, and then sign up for She Told Me!
Go through the site and spend some time reading through all there is to know. It's pretty easy to understand the site, but just do it (read a lot) first, so that you don't make any mistakes that slow you up or get you your account banned.
You may be getting good traffic from wherever else you are bookmarking your online articles, but what's wrong with adding a few more sites to your list. You want links on many sites coming to your articles don't you? And, She Told Me is not only another place for trying to get more traffic to your articles, but is also a place that gives you the opportunity to earn some extra income from your bookmarking efforts.
Do make sure to be at least a bit active within the community - comment on and rate up other members' content. The rating button is just to the left of the title of each piece of content uploaded. You would like others to do the same for you, wouldn't you?
Now, if you can get other people to join SheToldMe too, using your referral link, the Adsense ad that appears beneath the content they upload is yours! (It contains your Adsense publisher ID.)
What are you waiting for? Don't say I didn't tell you - say "She Told Me!"
Original article on, and © copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Well, does twitter, digg, facebook, reddit, and stumbleupon have ads on their site next to your posts that you can earn some extra income from? Not?
SheToldMe does.
Actually, so does Xomba and, in a way, so does RedGage (earn from pageviews of your blog posts, bookmarks (links) and videos or pictures uploaded) but I'm discussing SheToldMe now.
As per Google Adsense policies and TOS, just three Google Adsense block ads are allowed per page of content. She Told Me has three per page. Your bookmark gets a whole page to itself, and can be as short as 200 characters long (that's about 20 to 30 words.) The one Adsense ad is for She Told Me, the one closest to your title and content is yours, all yours, and then there's one beneath your content area that can belong to whoever referred you to She Told Me.
It's easy to publish content to She Told Me. If you don't yet have a Google Adsense account, get yourself one, and then sign up for She Told Me!
Go through the site and spend some time reading through all there is to know. It's pretty easy to understand the site, but just do it (read a lot) first, so that you don't make any mistakes that slow you up or get you your account banned.
You may be getting good traffic from wherever else you are bookmarking your online articles, but what's wrong with adding a few more sites to your list. You want links on many sites coming to your articles don't you? And, She Told Me is not only another place for trying to get more traffic to your articles, but is also a place that gives you the opportunity to earn some extra income from your bookmarking efforts.
Do make sure to be at least a bit active within the community - comment on and rate up other members' content. The rating button is just to the left of the title of each piece of content uploaded. You would like others to do the same for you, wouldn't you?
Now, if you can get other people to join SheToldMe too, using your referral link, the Adsense ad that appears beneath the content they upload is yours! (It contains your Adsense publisher ID.)
What are you waiting for? Don't say I didn't tell you - say "She Told Me!"
Original article on, and © copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The signing up process at You Say Too - an Adsense Revenue Sharing site
If anyone has read the about me on this blog, they'll see that I'm keen to make money blogging - even if takes me a really long time, as I can only spend time on it inbetween doing my other work - my work, along with my boyfriend Tony, is freelance web design and writing, from home. A lot of my paid writing or Internet research jobs come from oDesk, and that's cool, as I can work for anyone in the world. Most of my web designing jobs are local, here in East London - although have designed a few sites for people in other towns of South Africa too, mostly communicating via email. Have even helped redesign a site for an International client via oDesk, but, generally, the web design section of my work at home job is for local clients. The writing is from online efforts and earning from Google Adsense, or, as said already, from getting writing jobs on oDesk.
I haven't posted any new blog posts here in a while as I have been busy exploring some online income opportunities. I think I plan to discuss many of them on this blog, or on some of my other blogs, to help others who are thinking of doing the same, or who are wanting some tips, advice, reviews, or more information on the different extra income opportunities I come across. One of these is You Say Too.
As I write this I'm still sort of in the process of signing up - I find the site incredibly slow - but these are my views so far, and obviously probably related mostly to the sign up process:
By following some simple instructions on You Say Too you can feed your Blogger blog posts to the site. Be patient with the site if you find it slow too (I've just checked and it seems my blog (this one) is now there.) - as You Say Too seems a good place to earn a little extra income from the Adsense ads on the site.
If you have a Google Adsense account, you will earn 50% of the revenue that You Say Too makes. To get your posts or blogs on You Say Too seen more, get involved in the community there, make new friends, don't go against any of the TOS (terms of service/terms and conditions/rules), and update your main blog regularly. If you don't have a blog, you can make blog posts directly on the site - of course, remember to get some links to these blog posts by leaving the links to them on social sites or social bookmarking sites - or in other articles you have elsewhere on the Internet.
Now, if you couldn't care less about making some extra income for yourself, but you do care about charities trying to help the world, and you do have a blog you post to regularly, then submit your blog to You Say Too anyway, as part of the revenue from advertising on the site will then go to the charity of your choice instead of to you. You won't even have to join Google Adsense if you don't yet have an account there, as You Say Too will handle the earnings you would have earned through their own Adsense account and will donate it to the charity of your choice. I'm hardly signed up there, so haven't yet noticed if you are able to see on your dashboard how much you have earned that is donated to a charity, but I do suspect that you would be able to check.
Of course if you're pretty much struggling along yourself, then don't feel bad to rather choose that the earnings come to you instead of to a charity - as long as when you make it big one day, through your online activities, you remember to help out those less fortunate than yourself - people, animals, causes.
I've branched off the main topic here, so back to it - the signing up process:
Put up with the slow site (if it really is slow in general and not just me - but it seems much slower than other sites I've joined) as perhaps it will improve, and, besides, I've read some good reviews on You Say Too, on other sites.
Choose a user name and password - the user name space allowance is somewhat small - I usually add teresaschultz or Teresa Schultz as my user name, but could only fit in TeresaS on You Say Too.
Add your Wordpress.com or Blogger blog: type in the URL of your blog and the RSS feed. For Blogger the feed comes up automatically after typing in the URL - well mine did.
Add a code to your blog. Simply copy the coding that comes up and add a third party html gadget to your gadgets on your Blogger (not sure what the steps are for other blogging platforms.)
I first added it as a text gadget, as this is how I usually add buttons to my blogs (like the South African blog aggregator myScoop button), but it either didn't take immediately, or didn't work at all. Everything seems fine now that I started all over again (the adding the blog step) and added a third party html gadget instead.
There also seems to be a further exposure opportunity involving possibly placing a widget or box or advert on your site, that displays other people's blog posts (but theirs will display yours too) so, sort of a swopping and helping out set up - I will be checking this out too.
So, that's it for now about yousaytoo - updates and more extra income news, tips and advice coming soon.
There are already some tips and reviews about work at home jobs on my work at home jobs site, if you'd like to check those out too.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
I haven't posted any new blog posts here in a while as I have been busy exploring some online income opportunities. I think I plan to discuss many of them on this blog, or on some of my other blogs, to help others who are thinking of doing the same, or who are wanting some tips, advice, reviews, or more information on the different extra income opportunities I come across. One of these is You Say Too.
As I write this I'm still sort of in the process of signing up - I find the site incredibly slow - but these are my views so far, and obviously probably related mostly to the sign up process:
By following some simple instructions on You Say Too you can feed your Blogger blog posts to the site. Be patient with the site if you find it slow too (I've just checked and it seems my blog (this one) is now there.) - as You Say Too seems a good place to earn a little extra income from the Adsense ads on the site.
If you have a Google Adsense account, you will earn 50% of the revenue that You Say Too makes. To get your posts or blogs on You Say Too seen more, get involved in the community there, make new friends, don't go against any of the TOS (terms of service/terms and conditions/rules), and update your main blog regularly. If you don't have a blog, you can make blog posts directly on the site - of course, remember to get some links to these blog posts by leaving the links to them on social sites or social bookmarking sites - or in other articles you have elsewhere on the Internet.
Now, if you couldn't care less about making some extra income for yourself, but you do care about charities trying to help the world, and you do have a blog you post to regularly, then submit your blog to You Say Too anyway, as part of the revenue from advertising on the site will then go to the charity of your choice instead of to you. You won't even have to join Google Adsense if you don't yet have an account there, as You Say Too will handle the earnings you would have earned through their own Adsense account and will donate it to the charity of your choice. I'm hardly signed up there, so haven't yet noticed if you are able to see on your dashboard how much you have earned that is donated to a charity, but I do suspect that you would be able to check.
Of course if you're pretty much struggling along yourself, then don't feel bad to rather choose that the earnings come to you instead of to a charity - as long as when you make it big one day, through your online activities, you remember to help out those less fortunate than yourself - people, animals, causes.
I've branched off the main topic here, so back to it - the signing up process:
Put up with the slow site (if it really is slow in general and not just me - but it seems much slower than other sites I've joined) as perhaps it will improve, and, besides, I've read some good reviews on You Say Too, on other sites.
Choose a user name and password - the user name space allowance is somewhat small - I usually add teresaschultz or Teresa Schultz as my user name, but could only fit in TeresaS on You Say Too.
Add your Wordpress.com or Blogger blog: type in the URL of your blog and the RSS feed. For Blogger the feed comes up automatically after typing in the URL - well mine did.
Add a code to your blog. Simply copy the coding that comes up and add a third party html gadget to your gadgets on your Blogger (not sure what the steps are for other blogging platforms.)
I first added it as a text gadget, as this is how I usually add buttons to my blogs (like the South African blog aggregator myScoop button), but it either didn't take immediately, or didn't work at all. Everything seems fine now that I started all over again (the adding the blog step) and added a third party html gadget instead.
There also seems to be a further exposure opportunity involving possibly placing a widget or box or advert on your site, that displays other people's blog posts (but theirs will display yours too) so, sort of a swopping and helping out set up - I will be checking this out too.
So, that's it for now about yousaytoo - updates and more extra income news, tips and advice coming soon.
There are already some tips and reviews about work at home jobs on my work at home jobs site, if you'd like to check those out too.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thought the side of my face was going to explode
Really should have taken a photo! Don't know what's up with me lately, all these odd things happening - perhaps old age? (41 now) This painful hip pain thing that comes without warning, then just as strangely vanishes a day or two later (thank goodness as I can hardly sleep when it decides to visit me) and now, the other day, the side of my face swelling up like I had a just kicked 2010 world cup soccer ball on the inside of my face!
It's happened before, this sudden swelling on the side of my face, when I eat something, but not as badly as this recent time. It happens so suddenly too; without warning. It's not because of eating something sour or acidic, as sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn't.
It hadn't happened for a while, and I was beginning to think it was not going to come back again, but come back it did, like a kick in the face!
The first bite of a fresh little flat sugar snap (fresh young peas in pod) and I felt the first twinge, just under my left ear, where the glands get sore if one has an ear infection or tonsolitis. Didn't worry me too much, as as, although I had though it was never coming back again, I knew that sometimes a little twinge was all I felt, and it would go away, with the very next bite of whatever I was eatin. But, no. Next bite made it larger and more painful. I was hungry and kept hoping each bite (of other food too, (avocado pear on toast with black pepper and salt (yum)), not just sugar snaps, would get better, but instead the pain and swelling got worse, and I had to stop eating. It was sore ans swollen right behind my ear too, and down my neck on that side. Looked in the mnirror and it looked like I had triple mumps on the left side of my face! That's what it looked like. What it felt like was that I had a soccer ball in my face, trying to burst out!
I started to panic and thought that maybe my veins would burst, and even half of my throat felt closed up. We keep cortisone tablets in the house due to one of my sons once having had two unexpected and unexplained allergic reactions a few years ago, that we give for bee stings or anything that seems like any allergic reactions might follow, so I took one of those, and went to lie down. It was night already, and about three hours before I would usually go to sleep, and as the swelling did not go down after about an hour, I just stayed in bed, and went to sleep.
In the morning, the swelling was gone, but my glands on that side of my neck were still painful for about a day and half after that. I did not eat until the evening of the next day, as was too scared to! When I did eat, though, all was well, and I really hope it doesn't happen again!
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
It's happened before, this sudden swelling on the side of my face, when I eat something, but not as badly as this recent time. It happens so suddenly too; without warning. It's not because of eating something sour or acidic, as sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn't.
It hadn't happened for a while, and I was beginning to think it was not going to come back again, but come back it did, like a kick in the face!
The first bite of a fresh little flat sugar snap (fresh young peas in pod) and I felt the first twinge, just under my left ear, where the glands get sore if one has an ear infection or tonsolitis. Didn't worry me too much, as as, although I had though it was never coming back again, I knew that sometimes a little twinge was all I felt, and it would go away, with the very next bite of whatever I was eatin. But, no. Next bite made it larger and more painful. I was hungry and kept hoping each bite (of other food too, (avocado pear on toast with black pepper and salt (yum)), not just sugar snaps, would get better, but instead the pain and swelling got worse, and I had to stop eating. It was sore ans swollen right behind my ear too, and down my neck on that side. Looked in the mnirror and it looked like I had triple mumps on the left side of my face! That's what it looked like. What it felt like was that I had a soccer ball in my face, trying to burst out!
I started to panic and thought that maybe my veins would burst, and even half of my throat felt closed up. We keep cortisone tablets in the house due to one of my sons once having had two unexpected and unexplained allergic reactions a few years ago, that we give for bee stings or anything that seems like any allergic reactions might follow, so I took one of those, and went to lie down. It was night already, and about three hours before I would usually go to sleep, and as the swelling did not go down after about an hour, I just stayed in bed, and went to sleep.
In the morning, the swelling was gone, but my glands on that side of my neck were still painful for about a day and half after that. I did not eat until the evening of the next day, as was too scared to! When I did eat, though, all was well, and I really hope it doesn't happen again!
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Even I jumped down the sand dune at Igoda yesterday
Well, I guess it's not such a big thing, after all, I'm still only 41, but I guess I've just been in our little home office a lot, and have not been getting out much, and so I felt like it was almost "a big thing" I also jumped down the sand dune during our little outing to Igoda, near East London late yesterday afternoon. Tony is 50 though, and also jumped. I really need to get fit again! The boys were jumping down the sand dunes, and running down the sand dunes, like little monkeys, and the boys and I also tried out a homemade sandboard, but it didn't work. I tried a bit of everything, and got tired quite easily, but it was fun!
Here's two photos of me, trying (Basti, my 12 year old son, is in both photos too):
Here's two photos of me, trying (Basti, my 12 year old son, is in both photos too):
Follow the other three links further above to see more photos of Igoda, and of both Basti and Zooty. Also follow this link which has a photo of Tony, Basti and Zooty at Igoda.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
My 3 boys
Tony, the boys and I took a drive out to Igoda beach yesterday afternoon. Basti and Zooty and I took our cameras with and enjoyed taking some pictures at Igoda, and while I was driving back home afterwards, the boys continued to take some pictures out the car windows.
At Igoda, we didn't have much luck with a homemade sandboard, and the boys took to jumping off a sand dune instead. Next time we'll try and get to Igoda earlier so that we don't end up spending less than an hour there, like we did yesterday, and having to leave before dark.
In the three photos taken at Igoda yesterday, Zooty (11) enjoys being covered in sand, Basti (12) pulls a face as he tries to get the sand out of his pants, and in the third photo, Zooty, Tony (50), Basti and our dog Gilly start leaving the beach.
also see
Zooty's Igoda story and photos
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Ouch, I don't know what I've done to my lower back and hip area!
I've had this lower back and right hip area pain before, and luckily it just went away on it's own. This time, though, not even hanging on a door to relieve the pain is working! Last night was awful - I feel like I've hardly slept. No position was comfortable, and every time I turned to try a new position I was in agony! Ouch!
I think the hanging on the door thing might not be helping as much as it usually does because the pain is not in the middle of my back - I can't see myself hanging by one arm and one foot to let the proper area of my side lower back and one hip benefit from the hanging!
I'm sitting at the pc now, with a pillow behind my lower back to help relieve the pain somewhat, and I've taken two Inza (anti inflammatory tablets), and when Tony gets back from walking to the shops about a km and a half away (to check at an atm if one of our clients has paid as we're broke again! (or still)) , I'll have him rub some comfrey cream on the sore area for me, but not sure it's going to help much, or if it does, not quickly enough! I just wish it would quickly come right on it's own like before. Must be a pinched nerve or something. I even had a dream about it last night - when I did sleep.
I don't have medical aid, or money to spend on going to doctors and chiropractors! Hm, my most comfortable position is standing up. I wonder if I can sleep standing up? Was also thinking of taking the boys to a movie if this client has paid (and they'll just have to wait longer before I pay them back the other money I owe them), but then what? I don't fancy standing at the back of the movie to watch it! Maybe another Inza before the movie might help somewhat...
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
I think the hanging on the door thing might not be helping as much as it usually does because the pain is not in the middle of my back - I can't see myself hanging by one arm and one foot to let the proper area of my side lower back and one hip benefit from the hanging!
I'm sitting at the pc now, with a pillow behind my lower back to help relieve the pain somewhat, and I've taken two Inza (anti inflammatory tablets), and when Tony gets back from walking to the shops about a km and a half away (to check at an atm if one of our clients has paid as we're broke again! (or still)) , I'll have him rub some comfrey cream on the sore area for me, but not sure it's going to help much, or if it does, not quickly enough! I just wish it would quickly come right on it's own like before. Must be a pinched nerve or something. I even had a dream about it last night - when I did sleep.
I don't have medical aid, or money to spend on going to doctors and chiropractors! Hm, my most comfortable position is standing up. I wonder if I can sleep standing up? Was also thinking of taking the boys to a movie if this client has paid (and they'll just have to wait longer before I pay them back the other money I owe them), but then what? I don't fancy standing at the back of the movie to watch it! Maybe another Inza before the movie might help somewhat...
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on tv 3 tonight
I loved the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I was a kid. I loved how Charlie savoured every tiny little piece of chocolate he ate.
I was just as thrilled as Charlie when he won a trip to visit Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory and loved every minute of Charlie's journey through Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
Well, it's a real sin, then, that I haven't seen the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp as Willie Wonka. My boys have seen the movie at a friend or cousin's house, and will be watching it again tonight on tv 3, in their room, all tucked up in bed for the night, and directly after I give them some more medicine for their bad chests and coughs.
While the boys are watching it, Tony and I need to pop out for a bit, but, inbetween, and even though Tony and I "don't watch tv", I might catch a glimpse or two of Charlie, Willie Wonka, chocolate, and the Chocolate Factory - if not, I think it's really time I at least got the dvd out!
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
I was just as thrilled as Charlie when he won a trip to visit Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory and loved every minute of Charlie's journey through Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
Well, it's a real sin, then, that I haven't seen the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp as Willie Wonka. My boys have seen the movie at a friend or cousin's house, and will be watching it again tonight on tv 3, in their room, all tucked up in bed for the night, and directly after I give them some more medicine for their bad chests and coughs.
While the boys are watching it, Tony and I need to pop out for a bit, but, inbetween, and even though Tony and I "don't watch tv", I might catch a glimpse or two of Charlie, Willie Wonka, chocolate, and the Chocolate Factory - if not, I think it's really time I at least got the dvd out!
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
We don't watch tv
There are three tvs in the house we live in at my folks, but we don't watch tv. We might catch a glimpse of what's on the tv in the lounge on our way out or coming back from the shops, going to see a client, or taking or fetching the boys to or from school, but, generally, we don't watch tv. My folks have a tv in their room too, and even the boys have one in their room, on loan from my brother.
The boys often watch tv in my folks' bedroom with them in the evenings, but it's not appropriate when it's almost bedtime, or if they're ill, like now. Their tv has only tv 1, tv 2, and tv 3 channels, and e-tv, though, so, from time to time, I'll check on the Internet what's showing on those channels (especially when they're ill and I'd rather have them tucked up in bed than sitting at the pc playing computer games in our bedroom, even if it's not yet evening), although of course they prefer dstv on Grandpa's tvs.
Tony and I don't really miss tv - we can keep up to date with news on the Internet, brief entertainment on YouTube, and if we feel like a real "sit down" we'll rent a dvd and watch in in the office on one of the computers here. Our little home office is really tiny, but if we take two steps back from our chairs at the pcs (next to each other on the same table), we can flop back into lazy boys there, and enjoy a movie. There's basically no space for anything else in the office, but it's fine, we don't need a lot of space to work on the pcs.
We're quite happy that we don't watch tv; we don't want to get sucked into soapies or a series, that takes time away from our work, or writing blog posts.
The boys are sounding a little rowdy on their pc, and I better see if there's something on their tv channels soon, or else I should maybe go and get them a dvd. I don't want them coughing all night and need to keep them calm.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
The boys often watch tv in my folks' bedroom with them in the evenings, but it's not appropriate when it's almost bedtime, or if they're ill, like now. Their tv has only tv 1, tv 2, and tv 3 channels, and e-tv, though, so, from time to time, I'll check on the Internet what's showing on those channels (especially when they're ill and I'd rather have them tucked up in bed than sitting at the pc playing computer games in our bedroom, even if it's not yet evening), although of course they prefer dstv on Grandpa's tvs.
Tony and I don't really miss tv - we can keep up to date with news on the Internet, brief entertainment on YouTube, and if we feel like a real "sit down" we'll rent a dvd and watch in in the office on one of the computers here. Our little home office is really tiny, but if we take two steps back from our chairs at the pcs (next to each other on the same table), we can flop back into lazy boys there, and enjoy a movie. There's basically no space for anything else in the office, but it's fine, we don't need a lot of space to work on the pcs.
We're quite happy that we don't watch tv; we don't want to get sucked into soapies or a series, that takes time away from our work, or writing blog posts.
The boys are sounding a little rowdy on their pc, and I better see if there's something on their tv channels soon, or else I should maybe go and get them a dvd. I don't want them coughing all night and need to keep them calm.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
I wish the boys would stop coughing now
The boys are on their pc in the next room (our bedroom), and even though the door leading to it from the garage and our office area is closed, their coughing is still very audible. I feel so sorry for their chests and them, and wish all the mooty would now work, or wish time would heal or whatever it is that must happen to stop their coughing must just happen or work now.
My chest is feeling somewhat better, although still coughing from time to time, and nose still blocking up or running (it can't make up it's mind.)
The first week of the school holidays is basically over, and let's hope the rest of it (just over 3 weeks left) can be enjoyed by two healthy and happy boys.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
My chest is feeling somewhat better, although still coughing from time to time, and nose still blocking up or running (it can't make up it's mind.)
The first week of the school holidays is basically over, and let's hope the rest of it (just over 3 weeks left) can be enjoyed by two healthy and happy boys.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Have to move all my photos to the left
I'm really happy with this new Blogger theme template I've chosen for this blog, only thing is it's not perfect for the photos already uploaded in previous posts.
I uploaded my photos all centred, but there's a white area that appears behind the photos now that seems to only go left, well, mostly anyway. So, instead of trying to find another template I'm happy with (well, I did for a bit, but I like this one I've got at the moment for now), I'd rather re-align all my photos to the left too.
I've done some (working backwards), but still have a few to do.
I will have to do a whole lot more on my other Blogger blog East London Photographs and Wild Ramblings, as basically every post there has a photo or two, so, hm, maybe I'll see if there isn't rather another template that suits that blog better.
Just thinking out loud here. Don't mind me.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
I uploaded my photos all centred, but there's a white area that appears behind the photos now that seems to only go left, well, mostly anyway. So, instead of trying to find another template I'm happy with (well, I did for a bit, but I like this one I've got at the moment for now), I'd rather re-align all my photos to the left too.
I've done some (working backwards), but still have a few to do.
I will have to do a whole lot more on my other Blogger blog East London Photographs and Wild Ramblings, as basically every post there has a photo or two, so, hm, maybe I'll see if there isn't rather another template that suits that blog better.
Just thinking out loud here. Don't mind me.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Desperate times call for desperate measures FREE 3 PAGE WEB DESIGN
We're offering to design 3 pages for static html websites FOR FREE. It's a little crazy, yeah, as the only condition is that you host the site with us too, and register the domain through us too, and we make very little profit on this, but work is so ridiculously quiet right now, we're pretty desperate!
The value is R600, plus the R120 we usually charge to upload the site is thrown in for free too, so you save R720, and get a 3 page website designed, including basic SEO, meta tagging, and alt tagging, just like for our usual paying website design clients.
We go into more detail about this special offer, which ends at 5pm Saturday 26 June (or before) on our 1pic4twenty blog.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
The value is R600, plus the R120 we usually charge to upload the site is thrown in for free too, so you save R720, and get a 3 page website designed, including basic SEO, meta tagging, and alt tagging, just like for our usual paying website design clients.
We go into more detail about this special offer, which ends at 5pm Saturday 26 June (or before) on our 1pic4twenty blog.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Totally thrilled with my new Blogger template and all the other theme options too
Just love the new free templates for Blogger bloggers! Settled on one, but was tempted to change it after just two days, when the boys were going through the various background images for the new templates for their own blogs Lava Reflections and Screeching Falcon.
Zooty's blog Screeching Falcon was one of the top five risers in the blogs on myScoop yesterday - they had just left with their father to spend three nights at him, when I saw this, and so I quickly phoned Zooty to tell him the good news - he was lank chuffed of course. I'm just so sorry I didn't send the flash with them, so that they could write some more blog posts while at their dad on their pc there, that I could upload for them when they get back.
Anyway, back to the new templates for Blogger: They're gorgeous, and wider too, nice spacing area for bigger ads in the sidebars too, and any other info one wants to have appear there too, so that all the info that usually appears in a sidebar no longer has the viewer scrolling down forever to see it all. Nice job, Blogger!
© copyright Teresa Schultz
Zooty's blog Screeching Falcon was one of the top five risers in the blogs on myScoop yesterday - they had just left with their father to spend three nights at him, when I saw this, and so I quickly phoned Zooty to tell him the good news - he was lank chuffed of course. I'm just so sorry I didn't send the flash with them, so that they could write some more blog posts while at their dad on their pc there, that I could upload for them when they get back.
Anyway, back to the new templates for Blogger: They're gorgeous, and wider too, nice spacing area for bigger ads in the sidebars too, and any other info one wants to have appear there too, so that all the info that usually appears in a sidebar no longer has the viewer scrolling down forever to see it all. Nice job, Blogger!
© copyright Teresa Schultz
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Using egg white under feet to lower a high temperature
Yeah, sounds really odd, but mothers get into a panic when their children have a fever and they try anything to help their children. Basti was really ill last night and I was searching the Internet for some answers, help, or tips, and I came across a site called Earth Clinic and a post about a home remedy using egg whites under the feet to reduce a fever quickly.
I did not get to try the fever reducing egg white home remedy, as I'd already tried a whole bunch of other things to bring Basti's high temperature down, and one or some of them must have worked, because when I took his temperature again, it was down. Had it not been down, I would have certainly tried putting sloshy egg whites under his feet. I would have tried just about anything.
The Earth Clinic site does have a disclaimer saying that what they write, or that people comments (who comment on what is written or what others write) should basically not be the end of looking for answers and that a doctor should be the one to be contacted for a completely correct diagnosis and proper treatment, but I was still blown away at how many people were commenting about how the egg white remedy was working or had worked on themselves or on their children, and, in most cases, it seemed to work very quickly.
Mothers (and parents in general) get really desperate when their children are ill. A very high fever can result in fits, and possible brain damage.
I took both boys to the doctor yesterday morning as Basti in particular had a high temperature and sore throat. His face and whole body was hot; his lips were dry.
No infection as such was discovered, and the doctor was reluctant to prescribe antibiotics. When I convinced her to, she said not to use the antibiotics for a day or two to first see how Basti was improving without them, but he got worse and worse and I started using the antibiotics yesterday afternoon.
This is how the evening progressed from 8pm onwards:
8pm temp 39.5
9pm temp 39.8
gave Ponstan
9.15pm temp 39.5
10.45pm temp 39.8
Every 20 to 30 minutes during the above I was giving Basti water to drink and wiping his head, face, neck, throat, ankles and under his arms with a cloth with cold water. And I would leave a folded damp cold cloth on his forehead inbetween, even though it (the cloth) generally warmed up within 5 minutes.
11.pm made him take a shower (on his own; he's 12 and capable even if feeling miserable) in very lukewarm water, bordering on cold, and change into dry clean clothes. I stood outside the door to listen and shout instructions to make sure he stood under the shower spray for about 3 minutes, even though he was moaning he was so cold.
11.10pm temp 39.5
gave Ponstan syrup, left cool cloth on head, put towel on pillow
11.40pm temp 39.4
gave half a glass of water
00.50am temp 38.3
had Basti change his tshirt as wet with sweat
gave half a glass of water and Ponstan syrup
4.40am temp 37.00
gave half a glass of water, Demezin, and Ponstan syrup;
change tshirt and towel on pillow
9.00am temp 36.7
after breakfast gave antibiotic, a bronchodialor syrup, and a Ponstel tablet
Keeping an eye on Basti and making him stay pretty calm; he's chesty and back in bed now (11am), after having played on the computer for half an hour, and writing a blog post for his own blog about how he felt last night. Will be posting it for him shortly. Update: here's Basti's blog post about his high temperature.
During this bout of illness, Zooty's temperature has not yet gone above 37.7 and let's hope and pray it stays that way.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
I did not get to try the fever reducing egg white home remedy, as I'd already tried a whole bunch of other things to bring Basti's high temperature down, and one or some of them must have worked, because when I took his temperature again, it was down. Had it not been down, I would have certainly tried putting sloshy egg whites under his feet. I would have tried just about anything.
The Earth Clinic site does have a disclaimer saying that what they write, or that people comments (who comment on what is written or what others write) should basically not be the end of looking for answers and that a doctor should be the one to be contacted for a completely correct diagnosis and proper treatment, but I was still blown away at how many people were commenting about how the egg white remedy was working or had worked on themselves or on their children, and, in most cases, it seemed to work very quickly.
Mothers (and parents in general) get really desperate when their children are ill. A very high fever can result in fits, and possible brain damage.
I took both boys to the doctor yesterday morning as Basti in particular had a high temperature and sore throat. His face and whole body was hot; his lips were dry.
No infection as such was discovered, and the doctor was reluctant to prescribe antibiotics. When I convinced her to, she said not to use the antibiotics for a day or two to first see how Basti was improving without them, but he got worse and worse and I started using the antibiotics yesterday afternoon.
This is how the evening progressed from 8pm onwards:
8pm temp 39.5
9pm temp 39.8
gave Ponstan
9.15pm temp 39.5
10.45pm temp 39.8
Every 20 to 30 minutes during the above I was giving Basti water to drink and wiping his head, face, neck, throat, ankles and under his arms with a cloth with cold water. And I would leave a folded damp cold cloth on his forehead inbetween, even though it (the cloth) generally warmed up within 5 minutes.
11.pm made him take a shower (on his own; he's 12 and capable even if feeling miserable) in very lukewarm water, bordering on cold, and change into dry clean clothes. I stood outside the door to listen and shout instructions to make sure he stood under the shower spray for about 3 minutes, even though he was moaning he was so cold.
11.10pm temp 39.5
gave Ponstan syrup, left cool cloth on head, put towel on pillow
11.40pm temp 39.4
gave half a glass of water
00.50am temp 38.3
had Basti change his tshirt as wet with sweat
gave half a glass of water and Ponstan syrup
4.40am temp 37.00
gave half a glass of water, Demezin, and Ponstan syrup;
change tshirt and towel on pillow
9.00am temp 36.7
after breakfast gave antibiotic, a bronchodialor syrup, and a Ponstel tablet
Keeping an eye on Basti and making him stay pretty calm; he's chesty and back in bed now (11am), after having played on the computer for half an hour, and writing a blog post for his own blog about how he felt last night. Will be posting it for him shortly. Update: here's Basti's blog post about his high temperature.
During this bout of illness, Zooty's temperature has not yet gone above 37.7 and let's hope and pray it stays that way.
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
So many different chips today when only Simba was just fine for me as a kid
When I started sub a (grade 1) in 1975, in East London, chips had just gone up from 5c a packet to 8c a packet. I think postage stamps cost the same at the time. The small packets of chips were Simba chips and I would buy a packet at breaktime. I'm not sure how many flavours of Simba chips were around at the time, but at the school tuckshop they had only salt and vinegar, tomato sauce (or just tomato?) and smoked beef. Smoked beef was my favourite.
Somewhere down the line, I discovered (or they started making) cheese and onion flavoured Simba chips, and they overtook the smoked beef as my favourite. There were only smooth chips. Then I remember suddenly hearing about and seeing Willards crinkle cut chips in the shops - that was awesome - Willards crinkle cut chips had little bumps in them!
I loved chips. I wouldn't always just crunch away at them, but would sometimes let the chip lay on my tongue awhile, and I would savour the flavour, and let the chip become soggy, before I munched and swallowed.
Lots of tiny bits of broken chips in a packet was not fun for a little kid, as my friends and I would sit at breaktime and compare how big some of our chips were. Some seemed really huge.
A whole larger variety of different flavours of chips crept in later, and fried chicken flavour was also one of my favourite, and what ever happened to that flavour I enjoyed in high school - smoked snoek? That smoked snoek flavour was yummy!
Then there were cheese curls and Nik Naks, and if one was having a braai or party, there had to be chipniks and dips.
oGrady's was another chip I enjoyed - and now they seem to be back again, or maybe they never went away? I used to remember that oGrady's were so thick, and being more thick, seemed to have more spices on them. They were more filling too. The oGrady's chips I buy in the shops now don't seem as thick, but then again nothing seems as big these days as how they seemed when I was still just a kid.
Flings too, I still love, and they're oh so useful and tasty for little toddlers - even if a bit messy, but, wow, so full of flavour. Our dog likes the odd few flings too. :)
Chipstix were also different and tasty.
Pringles were also interesting and very tasty, all stacked neatly and individually on top of each other in a tall container, instead of in a packet. Even though thick oGrady's were tasty, Pringles were thin, but also tasty.
Chips also became no longer just thin or thick, or smooth and crinkled, or puffy like Chipnix, Flings, and Cheese Curls, but new shapes climbed onboard too - like triangle Doritos. My boys often choose Doritos. Doritos has enough different flavours to satisfy most chip fans - or should I say crisp fans - I think somewhere along the line I had a friend or too who came from the UK and I discovered that people in the UK and USA called chips crisps. It made sense as here in South Africa if you told a friend you're buying some chips at the takeaway, they wanted to know if you meant "slap" chips or Simba chips, and since not all packets of chips contained Simba chips, calling chips crisps made a lot of sense (and they ARE crisp, as compared to slap potato chips, cut in strips from a potato and fried or baked and served warm.)
There were also screw shaped chips, ball shaped chips and circle chips.
There were, or are, also chips not made from potatoes, but rather from corn, as in Big Corn Bites, and I still can't decide if I prefer the tomato flavoured ones or the barbeque flavoured ones. Fritos have also always gone down well.
When it comes to cheese flavoured chips, I think hardly anything can beat cheese Nik Naks for loads of flavour.
Melt in the mouth prawn flavoured chips are also one of my latest favourites.
Wow, loads of chips, when all I started with, way back when, was just three flavours of Simba chips!
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
Somewhere down the line, I discovered (or they started making) cheese and onion flavoured Simba chips, and they overtook the smoked beef as my favourite. There were only smooth chips. Then I remember suddenly hearing about and seeing Willards crinkle cut chips in the shops - that was awesome - Willards crinkle cut chips had little bumps in them!
I loved chips. I wouldn't always just crunch away at them, but would sometimes let the chip lay on my tongue awhile, and I would savour the flavour, and let the chip become soggy, before I munched and swallowed.
Lots of tiny bits of broken chips in a packet was not fun for a little kid, as my friends and I would sit at breaktime and compare how big some of our chips were. Some seemed really huge.
A whole larger variety of different flavours of chips crept in later, and fried chicken flavour was also one of my favourite, and what ever happened to that flavour I enjoyed in high school - smoked snoek? That smoked snoek flavour was yummy!
Then there were cheese curls and Nik Naks, and if one was having a braai or party, there had to be chipniks and dips.
oGrady's was another chip I enjoyed - and now they seem to be back again, or maybe they never went away? I used to remember that oGrady's were so thick, and being more thick, seemed to have more spices on them. They were more filling too. The oGrady's chips I buy in the shops now don't seem as thick, but then again nothing seems as big these days as how they seemed when I was still just a kid.
Flings too, I still love, and they're oh so useful and tasty for little toddlers - even if a bit messy, but, wow, so full of flavour. Our dog likes the odd few flings too. :)
Chipstix were also different and tasty.
Pringles were also interesting and very tasty, all stacked neatly and individually on top of each other in a tall container, instead of in a packet. Even though thick oGrady's were tasty, Pringles were thin, but also tasty.
Chips also became no longer just thin or thick, or smooth and crinkled, or puffy like Chipnix, Flings, and Cheese Curls, but new shapes climbed onboard too - like triangle Doritos. My boys often choose Doritos. Doritos has enough different flavours to satisfy most chip fans - or should I say crisp fans - I think somewhere along the line I had a friend or too who came from the UK and I discovered that people in the UK and USA called chips crisps. It made sense as here in South Africa if you told a friend you're buying some chips at the takeaway, they wanted to know if you meant "slap" chips or Simba chips, and since not all packets of chips contained Simba chips, calling chips crisps made a lot of sense (and they ARE crisp, as compared to slap potato chips, cut in strips from a potato and fried or baked and served warm.)
There were also screw shaped chips, ball shaped chips and circle chips.
There were, or are, also chips not made from potatoes, but rather from corn, as in Big Corn Bites, and I still can't decide if I prefer the tomato flavoured ones or the barbeque flavoured ones. Fritos have also always gone down well.
When it comes to cheese flavoured chips, I think hardly anything can beat cheese Nik Naks for loads of flavour.
Melt in the mouth prawn flavoured chips are also one of my latest favourites.
Wow, loads of chips, when all I started with, way back when, was just three flavours of Simba chips!
© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010
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