Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and April Fool’s Day by Bryce Courtney

To be honest, I am a very shy person when it comes to meeting new people….(which often leads to people thinking I’m a bit of a snob)….but when I get to know people then I relax and become myself. 
I was born in Pietermaritzburg but was raised and schooled in Stanger on the North Coast.  I have been married for 10 years now and have 2 children (Jarred 8, Ashlea 4) and I have a step-son (Byron 22 years old).  My hobbies/interests are mountain & road biking and hiking/ice or rock climbing/mountaineering.  My biggest wish in life would be to have more time….I always seem to be playing a balancing act between my family/work and finding time to pursue my own interests.  It’s very difficult to perform at your best and have high expectations from yourself but not have the time to train and keep in top condition for the events.  This is a problem I’m sure all my fellow climbers experience too.  If I had more time, I would love to try some adventure races and also get into paddling.  I guess I demand quite high standards from myself and expect the same in the work place.  Honesty is a huge issue for me and am very intolerant of dishonesty.  I have been told I’m pretty much a “black & white” person i.e.: it’s either yes or no….there is no grey area.   Having just read the last sentence, it sounds like I’m a bit of a power freak – but I’m actually pretty straight forward.  I guess I’ve learnt this from growing up with 4 brothers and a working/single mother – boys don’t play mind games or become manipulative…they’re just straight down the line which is what I appreciate.