Back to Months

12th	13th	14th
1970	Flew from Hawaii to Nadi, Fiji: Details in Peace Corps Journal.
1971	Whites came to get sugar cane and showed me the bele plants in my garden. Matereti came to get cane. Gurmit came with a stack of Superman and Batman comics. We went to Whites to see their trip movies.	Gurmit
1972	Brought the Fiji slide show to Sleepy Eye. We brought Sammy along who chased around with their dog, Ginger. Gary was wild! Lori played the guitar and I sang some songs. Bernie called - he thought I was my father. He's going to night school to get a high school degree. We looked through photos and Jeanie gave me a box to give to Dad.
1974	We hiked out of the mountains back to the train stop. Went along the valley wall trail which went along the edge overhanging the river. We had to cross three waterfalls before we finally took to the river bed. Had lunch on an open fire. Two guys took our backpacks to the Granyes Shelter for us in their 4-wheel vehicle. I ended up with heat-stroke from the sun reflecting up off of the rocks in the dry riverbed. Mt Rolleston Chris and Stewart showed up at the shelter as did two hunters who had been chasing deer and chamois along the Jordan River (Map) with an inexperienced Canadian. You actually have to flag the train down like you would a bus or taxi. I slept until we got to Springfield and that got rid of my headache. We got back to Murph's around midnight and found a note from Heasley on our bed.
1978	F - Totara Park for a bushwalk. Aldies and Murrays over for a tour of yard, slides, Yahtzee and Skunk.
1979	Sa - Aldies over. Doug offered me $670 for my 100W speakers. I should have taken it.
1981	T - Doug Siems wore a tie to work! Meeting with Dick Hansen and my raise based upon my training proficiency is $125/mo ($17,100/yr - $9.25/hr). Better than I expected so I told Gail to make coffee.
1984	Tim Faust's last day. He gave me the left-over doughnuts to bring home for the kids. So I had Ne write him a thank-you note: "These are not as stale as the last ones".
1988	Dropped me and Ne off to bring van to AA for inspection. Walked to Fort St and hung around for 45 minutes waiting for Tom who was with Ross Stewart of Wilson White. Met Gail and Kathy who had been doing some shopping. Had a meal at a lunch bar on Queen St. Brought van back and paid a deposit. Went to park and taught T&K how to play cricket (video) and followed that with baseball and softball and (David/Tom). After a meal we went to Aldersons to exchange Christmas gifts. Chatted over a Penfold '86 Rhine Reisling until about 9:30PM.
1990	Stopped at Mangere and luckily, Gail's camera had been turned in. Onto Orewa Beach late for the Beach Dig, but luckily it had been delayed so we were able to enter. David and I wore gloves and together with Ne we went shoulder to shoulder digging a line for an hour and found nothing! Natasha was there. Watched surf lifesaver competitions.
1993	Decamped and hit the road around 1PM. Stopped for photo at the Twin Kauris. Hooked up with the Aldies at Sailor's Grave beach. Gail went out surfing with Doug. Rest of us walked along the golden sand beach. After a lunch we headed home, picking up the dogs where the boy working there was interested in computers.
1997	M - Gail and I went to Opoutere and surprized Sally - not much of a watch dog. I spent the night on the couch in caravan while Sally was on the double bed. Ernie came over to check on Sally.	w Sally
1998	T - Opo - After watering the plants I joined the ladies at the beach where we found Ernie hauling in fish for his boarders. David and Matthew arrived in time for supper. Played Pass Rummy and Chinese Checkers with the girls.
2001	Smithers spent afternoon by the pool and in the pool. Gave them Fling Shots. Titania brought me a Goofy VCD from Malaysia. Poor Senad was strip-searched on his arrival back in NZ.
2003	Up at 7AM and got a ride to the Otago Hospital where we saw Dr Graeme Stevens in Oncology and he pretty much went over everything we already knew. From there to a room where Nadia and Craig fitted a contraption to Gail's head, so the rays can be pinpointed at the tumor. Couple hours to kill so we walked back to motel and there was a message to call Strathallan. Gail offered the Year 3 position. Walk to hospital for CT with frame gizmo on and an MRI with contrast. When Loraine asked me where exactly is Waiuku, I told her: "32Km west of Papakura". Back to motel at 4PM to find the faxed contract. Gail called home, Cath and Elaine about the job offer. We hit the indoor pool (claimed to be 28°C - but seemed cooler than our 24°).
2004	Kathy came for coffee and update on things Sanders - Lia doing marathons. She brought along fruit cake which had inside a pin that her aunt lost bursting bubbles in the icing.
2005	Couple hours at Edith's on Mairo Rd doing an inventory. Scored 4 different types of homemade cookies for my effort. Lost cribbage cribbage game to Gail under the ivy clad pergola. Swam with Ian. Mike came for a curry meal with a great Church Hill '95 Cabernet Shiraz Merlot. Then Scattergories with a Taylor's '03 Shiraz.
2006	Gail and I had our anniversary meal at Boodles in Papakura. Unfortunately, they couldn't provide daiquiris nor margaritas, so we stuck to a white wine with our fancy meal. Then Mike's for TP with AH. Gigantic dog next door.
12th	Back to Top	14th