Rain, rain, go away...

Wow, it's been a while since we've seen rain like this in Durban, especially at this time of year. It's poured for 2 days, and our plant actually closed at about 11:00 this morning because of flooding. And it's still raining! There are 2 things I hate about rain like this. the first is that my roof leaks. After a period of continuous torrential rain it starts pooling in the ceiling, and then eventually soaks through and drips down to the kitchen below. It's only in one spot (thank God) and still leaks despite having a roofer try and patch things up. I'm told the only answer is to lift the tiles, relay the plastic sheeting underneath, and then relay the tiles. Fine, but it will cost an arm and a leg, and so for now I live with the drip in my kitchen.

The second thing I hate, is that people seem to forget how to drive. People crawling along in the fast lane with their hazards on perhaps don't realise what a danger they are to other road users. Your hazards should only be activated when you are stationery, to alert other motorists to the fact. When the whole road is full of people driving with their hazards on, it presents a real problem for anyone that really has an emergency, as no-one will notice them. On a personal level, I find it exceptionally distracting to have all these lights flashing all over the place. If you can't safely drive at a speed appropriate for the fast lane, mover over! And what's up with people that don't put their lights on in weather like this? Do they think they're going to save their batteries? Sheesh!

Cycling

I haven't commented about Tom Boonen as yet, mostly because I am so pissed off at him. In case you haven't heard, he got caught for cocaine in an out of competition dope test. Strangely, cocaine use is only a sporting violation if used in competition, and he has been allowed to continue racing. However, the ASO have excluded him from the Tour de France, as it is expected that he should "behave in an irreproachable way", so now we don't have last year's yellow or green jerseys in the 2008 race. Tom Boonen is a sporting hero in Belgium, and elsewhere, and that brings about certain pressures, but what was he thinking? In a press statement he apologised for his actions, but then also made a separate statement to say his drink had been tampered with. This is something of a conflict; what is the truth Tom?

Better news is that Silence-Lotto's Robbie McEwen has had a change of fortune. After a miserable 2008 thus far, the Aussie won his second successive stage in the Tour de Suisse yesterday. With Tom Boonen out of the Tour this year, this show of form bodes well for Robbie's quest for the green jersey.

Thanks for reading.