I've never been one to have the need to wait up till late just to observe one day tick into another, especially not on the last day of the year. This year was to be oh so different...
My friend Leon who does pyrotechnics and special effects for movies had asked me to join him at the New Year fireworks display at which he was doing in Durban. Due to a venue change he was doing an indoor event at the Convention Centre, so we decided as there was limited access I wouldn't go.
So I settled in at home to watch a very drab lineup of programmes on TV. (I think TV lineup organisers purposely keep all the best programmes off New Year's Eve because most people are waiting up to usher in the New Year with a bang and much drinking!!)
At about 10 pm I had a call from a neighbour to say another neighbour's 2 dogs had arrived at her back door in a state because of fire crackers which were being sporadically let off before midnight, and what should she do. Now these dogs are not really my favourites, the one has a rather irritating bark and barks loudly when it sees me walking around in my own garden, despite me going up to it to say hello. I knew the owners were away and the house sitter was also out, so I climbed over the fence to look for the 3rd dog which I found still at home. It followed me to Jan's house to join its siblings and Jan was quite happy to keep them there for the night. I went home only to find the 3 dogs had followed me a little later. I found them a spot to sleep in my outside laundry room. They settled down on the floor, but were suddenly disturbed and went thundering out across the garden, chasing my cat. She disappeared up a tree somewhere, 2 of the dogs ended up in Jan's yard again, and the other was still with me.
By this time it was getting close to fireworks hour, but I managed to get the dog to calm down and believe it or not, from sheer exhaustion, it fell asleep. It didn't even hear the cacophony of exploding fireworks at 12 o'clock. They're supposed to be banned, but people ignore the rules as usual.
I tiptoed out the laundry at about 20 past 12, wished it a Happy New Year, and went to bed. My thoughts of having a good night's sleep before getting up at 4 am to go flying had been dashed...
My friend Leon who does pyrotechnics and special effects for movies had asked me to join him at the New Year fireworks display at which he was doing in Durban. Due to a venue change he was doing an indoor event at the Convention Centre, so we decided as there was limited access I wouldn't go.
So I settled in at home to watch a very drab lineup of programmes on TV. (I think TV lineup organisers purposely keep all the best programmes off New Year's Eve because most people are waiting up to usher in the New Year with a bang and much drinking!!)
At about 10 pm I had a call from a neighbour to say another neighbour's 2 dogs had arrived at her back door in a state because of fire crackers which were being sporadically let off before midnight, and what should she do. Now these dogs are not really my favourites, the one has a rather irritating bark and barks loudly when it sees me walking around in my own garden, despite me going up to it to say hello. I knew the owners were away and the house sitter was also out, so I climbed over the fence to look for the 3rd dog which I found still at home. It followed me to Jan's house to join its siblings and Jan was quite happy to keep them there for the night. I went home only to find the 3 dogs had followed me a little later. I found them a spot to sleep in my outside laundry room. They settled down on the floor, but were suddenly disturbed and went thundering out across the garden, chasing my cat. She disappeared up a tree somewhere, 2 of the dogs ended up in Jan's yard again, and the other was still with me.
By this time it was getting close to fireworks hour, but I managed to get the dog to calm down and believe it or not, from sheer exhaustion, it fell asleep. It didn't even hear the cacophony of exploding fireworks at 12 o'clock. They're supposed to be banned, but people ignore the rules as usual.
I tiptoed out the laundry at about 20 past 12, wished it a Happy New Year, and went to bed. My thoughts of having a good night's sleep before getting up at 4 am to go flying had been dashed...
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