The Month in Review...just where do these days go?
Since May, my life has been 'on the go'. After the last FP visit, we had another person visit us, with the the same story, but she was much nicer about our woeful financial position, so Dee and I heard her out. We liked her so much that we invited her back next month for another chat. In the meantime, we have put our block of land up for sale...there goes Dee's dream of a new house for the short term.
Our plan is to clear our debts with the profit from the land sale, and then start again with a deposit from what is left over. Dee will have completed her two year limbo with the Tax Office and I shall get a better paying job. We clear on that?
While all this was going on, my brother-in-law, Pete Clarkson suddenly died back home in Christchurch. The family flew me back home for his funeral and wake. I was then asked to represent Deb and the family in delivering the eulogy. There was volcanic ash in the skys between Australia and NZ but I flew on Air New Zealand and they kept on going by ducking underneath it all. I was only 6 hours late on arrival in Christchurch but I did miss the family roast cooked by Debs.
The Funeral was huge, 100's of well-wishers there for Pino Pete. I teared up during the eulogy (beautifully written by Dee) and then I proceeded to drink a bottle of whiskey and wrote myself off for 24 hours. During this time Christchurch continued to be whacked with aftershocks and I started to realise what a perilous place my old home town had become in the past 8 months.
I fully understand why the people of ChCh were scared, frustrated and angry at the forces of nature destroying our wonderful city. I even felt a 5.4 mag quake, but the people there just shrugged their broad, brave shoulders and went back to sleep. I freely admit I stayed awake over hours afterwards, expecting another big one, and feeling every single little aftershock after that.
I flew back to Melbourne the next morning and it was a good feeling to know that the ground would stay still once I landed. The volcanic ash was back again (after going around the world I think) but when all the Aussie planes grounded themselves, Air New Zealand kept on going) but I made it back in record time and it was straight back into bus driving the next day.
My whole family, Paddy and Kirst, Kate and her boys, Mum, and especially Deb in her time of grief, were great to be with and I miss them all. Six days were just not long enough to be there and try to support them during this terrible time.
Nicole turned 34 this month, so I must have only been 15 when she was born!! At this rate we will soon be the same age.
Laters
Our plan is to clear our debts with the profit from the land sale, and then start again with a deposit from what is left over. Dee will have completed her two year limbo with the Tax Office and I shall get a better paying job. We clear on that?
While all this was going on, my brother-in-law, Pete Clarkson suddenly died back home in Christchurch. The family flew me back home for his funeral and wake. I was then asked to represent Deb and the family in delivering the eulogy. There was volcanic ash in the skys between Australia and NZ but I flew on Air New Zealand and they kept on going by ducking underneath it all. I was only 6 hours late on arrival in Christchurch but I did miss the family roast cooked by Debs.
The Funeral was huge, 100's of well-wishers there for Pino Pete. I teared up during the eulogy (beautifully written by Dee) and then I proceeded to drink a bottle of whiskey and wrote myself off for 24 hours. During this time Christchurch continued to be whacked with aftershocks and I started to realise what a perilous place my old home town had become in the past 8 months.
I fully understand why the people of ChCh were scared, frustrated and angry at the forces of nature destroying our wonderful city. I even felt a 5.4 mag quake, but the people there just shrugged their broad, brave shoulders and went back to sleep. I freely admit I stayed awake over hours afterwards, expecting another big one, and feeling every single little aftershock after that.
I flew back to Melbourne the next morning and it was a good feeling to know that the ground would stay still once I landed. The volcanic ash was back again (after going around the world I think) but when all the Aussie planes grounded themselves, Air New Zealand kept on going) but I made it back in record time and it was straight back into bus driving the next day.
My whole family, Paddy and Kirst, Kate and her boys, Mum, and especially Deb in her time of grief, were great to be with and I miss them all. Six days were just not long enough to be there and try to support them during this terrible time.
Nicole turned 34 this month, so I must have only been 15 when she was born!! At this rate we will soon be the same age.
Laters
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