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18th	19th	20th
1979	T - No school as pluresy kept me awake all night. Saw Purvis who insists that is just a virus. Sanders over for supper and raving about Taupo, even thinking of moving there.
1980	Th - Mom called to say that I was accepted at Brown, so we drove around Nokomis looking at apartments. Carole and Wally Lyng over to visit Mom with their granddaughter Heather. Carole regaled us with stories of their retirement in Florida while sipping an Almaden Mountain Nectar. Mom was served a summons: being sued for $50,000 by passenger in car that hit Mom's car.
1983	Su - Drove to Wall Drug counting 60 signs between Rapid City and there (about 1 per mile). The store fills a whole block and is jam packed with stuff. Across the alley is outdoor displays for kids. David bought a real cowboy hat (on the large size for him to grow into) and Ne got a straw one (photo). Had one of their 5¢ coffees. Head east to the Badlands. Drove down into Sage Creek to have lunch and thought we would camp there - noone else around. We saw a black-billed magpie with a tail much longer than its body and looked very graceful. The sign on the 14 mile road down into the gully read: "Undriveable When Wet" and since it began raining we shoved everything into the car and got out of there. Went to the official campground by the visitor center. There were three trails that we chose to do. While on the first one, Cliff Shelf, another round of clouds blew in so we walked fast and went back to campground and made our supper. A ranger came by to tell us that a major storm was blowing in and what we should do. So we took the kids tent down and had them move into the big one with us. Put some stuff back into the car. The storm arrived and just as I was telling everyone to put on their rain jackets the tent collapsed. We got the kids into the car, Gail took the tent poles down and I brought the cooler from the car to put on top the tent. Tremendous storm with lightning striking everywhere, torrential rain and a wind up to 80mph. Car was lifted several times. Thirty minutes later it was clear sky. Every tent in the place was down and a camper had been overturned. Nearby tents were in the middle of lake with belongings floating, but we were on higher drier land and had got most of our stuff into the car. Asked a ranger if another storm was coming (I could see clouds forming over Black Hills) and he said: "No". So we set our middle-sized tent up and left David in the car. Around midnight and even worse lightning storm hit with milder wind. Gail and I were holding the tent flaps against the pole to keep rain out and we could see lightning hitting nearby and frequently. Meanwhile, Ne and David slept through it. When it ended a ranger came by to say a third storm was on its way and insisted that we join the 80 other campers who had moved into the visitors center building after the first storm demolished everything. So we brought our sleeping bags and found spots on the floor inside the building.	Cliff Shelf Pre-storms After 1st
1987	Breezes and saw their PNG pots and kudu drum. Fancy meal. Ate so much that I had to pass on the pavlova.
1988	Whites with games, balloons, cake, folding picnic table. Kids had great fun with the balloons until they were all burst (video). David and Jackie. Chicken 'n cashew lunch with a cheap Vinter's Cellars '87 Asti Spumante (video) but a nice mild '87 Penfold chardonnay. Played Cluedo and Lost Valley of the Dinosaurs. Cake with the candles that don't go out (video). Bridge (video) with a roti and tin fish supper. Had Ian say a few words to Heasley (video).
2011	Su - Susi over for the worst shrimp creole ever (no seasoning!), but at least the '09 Wyndham Bin 333 Pinot was excellent. After a trifle dessert we played Alhambra with an even better Rosemount 2006 GSM.
2016	Su - Russell and I watched the NSW Cup game in an empty stadium. A small boy right behind me kept yelling out during both games (half the time during silence). His mother told Russell that his chair back was further than mine (hint???). I asked the fellow in front of me who was wearing a Dodgers baseball cap if he remembered the 1965 World Series. He wasn't born then. Half time and out come all the mobile phones. Warriors won the tight game against the Roosters (highlights).
2021	Sa - Got my first COVID shot at BayPark. From there I went to Tauriko to pick up new computer and bought ear buds. Rest of evening was spent copying files onto new computer. Watched Warriors lose in last minute 10-6 to Newcastle.
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