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1969	After work I went to Newstroms. Farewelled Steve with champagne and a game of 500 with his folks.
1970	Korovou with Mr White (Ian) and his native wife (Susana) and Dick and his wife, Liz. Ian's car overheats so we had to stop every 8 miles and let it cool down and pour in water. I went there to find out why my packages of used clothing cost $18 to get them from the Post Office. 50% duty on everything. I refused to pay, so now I have to go to Suva and argue it out with Customs.
1980	T - Vicki stopped in with Gregory to say farewell. Sanders brought us to the airport and gave us gifts: a 3" piece of NZ jade for me, jade earrings for Gail and books for kids. Trish sent a telegram which was on a bulletin board on way to plane. We left New Zealand at 1:15PM on a Continental DC10. Kids got a sticker and a wings badge. Gail and I found headphones, eye-mask and foot socks on our seats. David and I sat in front of Ne and Gail. Over the ocean: "Dad I can see the whole world". David was totally absorbed with the flight. We didn't have to bring anything to occupy him. He had the headphones on most of the flight and settled on the jazz channel. He clapped and bopped back and forth in his seat to the beat. Had cocktails and I saved the miniature bottles for the kids. Both kids decided that they had to go to the toilet just as the meals were being served. You can imagine what a hassle it was trying to get out of the seats. Amazingly, all three of us fit in the small room. Stewardess gave us a bag of peanuts, but gave Ne two bags (because she’s so sweet?). When Gail asked her: ‘What do you say?’ Ne jumps up and yells over the seat to David: ‘Hey, my gots two peanuts!’ So the stewardess had to give David a second pack. Later on she slyly slipped him a third bag. Prayer cards given out for meals. Lovely French Jean Cordier red with the meal. Stopped in Pago Pago, American Samoa for an hour. Off the plane into the humid heat and the Fiji-type human sweat smell permeated the terminal. David stuffed his pockets with coral pieces, that were the surface of the waiting area - we let him keep one. Ne struck up a conversation with a local boy. Back onto the plane and the cleaners had taken the mini-bottles (but I did keep the swizzel sticks). Kids were given activity books and balloons. After supper (Petri rosé) I watched Just You and Me Kid. Had to wake them up to get off plane at Honolulu to go through immigration and customs (no line for us as only US passporters). We weren't the only ones with a sewing machine as carry-on! After about an hour we got back onto the plane. Off the plane (no porters and I had to make two trips with all our luggage) and missed the bus to Anaheim Holiday Inn. I was going to get a cab, when the lady said too expensive and told us to take the Disneyland bus and have our hotel pick us up there. Was a one hour ride and I stood the whole way. Took a couple phone calls to HIA to get them to send over a bellman to pick us up. He was dead keen about living in California. Once to our room I gave him a $5 tip and told him how I once was a bellman. Been travelling for 16 hours. Read that Knotts Bery Farm not open tomorrow. Down to desk to get change for pop machine and asked clerk about KBF and was told that the next trip was at 5:30PM (it was 1:30PM), that we could walk to it and be picked up for a ride back at 6PM. On way up ran into bellhop and asked where he picked up there. He said that KBF went onto summer hours this week and will be open tomorrow and that he was just leaving for Disneyland which would be open for another 5 hours. So I ran back to the room, threw clothes onto the kids and zoomed to the van. Got to DL at 2PM. Bought "Big 11" tickets for $29. Rained on and off (just our luck). Took the monorail and saw the whole place. Mainstreet where we bought gifts. Mark Twain Steamboat, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - a wicked rollercoaster that kids loved. Pirates of Carib much more than DW's. King Arthur's Carousel, Peter Pan flight, Snow White adventure (scary), Storybook Land canal boat and Jungle Cruise. Saw the parade and Captain Hook shook the kids hand.	Jazz Man Samoa Samoa carousel
1981	W - I put an orange road cone on top of Tim's lights and it glowed - sort of a "Dunce of the Day" signal. Called H&R Block and pointed out that she hadn't done alternative tax and we now get a further $70 back.
1985	M - NZ Embassy says we need to have syphilis tests and I need to provide details about my dengue fever. Brought glass end-tables to Chuck and Inez. Great Mexican meal. They gave me a Mexican bar of soap.	great meal
1987	I was forced to attend the Unisys network meeting. Turned out to be a pitch for Sperry PCs. I was upset to begin with and when the fellow over-inflated IBM PC prices I let him have it. Alan had to pull us apart.
1990	Karioitahi with Whites (built a bench seat to accomodate extra bodies). 23°C, cloudy but no wind. Choppy but got the best rides of my life (up to 20 seconds). I stayed in for 30 minutes, Gail an hour and the girls for 90 min.
1999	Th - Senad called. Helen Wright called. Ian and girls over for a swim. Hikaru called.
2003	Began building the pool waterfall. Town to get stamps - Wonnie said there was a packet in the back room for a long time for my wife. Thought it was probably a box that Ne had sent in Jan, but turned out to be our US credit cards sent last August. While in Super Valu the smoke alarm went off and no one knew how to stop it.
2006	Discovered Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins at Countdown. Unfortunately, when we got to the stadium in Hamilton, they wouldn't allow food inside - but Ann smuggled them in and I tossed my veggies. We had eaten at KFC so was no big deal. Fellow at the stadium grounds parking liked the "SPELD" license plate. Pre-game show was the Fusion group again this time dressed in all white and doing Latin numbers with a guy named "Ricky Martin" doing one of the real one's songs. But alas no cheerleaders and even worse no win. Read match report at Worriers.
2011	F - Picked up Ne and went to Mexicali Fresh at Botany for a "birthday" meal. Then it was TP at Bev's and a catch up with Colleen and Dave.
2012	Su - Colleen's to remove junk from her shed and scored a few items. Inside for drinks, Sequence, ham steak meal and more Sequence.
2013	M - Went to Pilot Bay at 7:30PM to watch Pacific Dawn depart, but it left an hour earlier than scheduled so we only saw it as a blob on the horizon.
2016	F - Packet from Chris: Dad's funeral DVD (Carl teared up reading my eulogy), service handout and about 30 envelopes from the many investments, including a couple checks - one stale. Mike Clark showed up in time for supper (excellent Kim Crawford 2013 Pinot Noir) and entertained us with stories from his family's amazing life and activities for a couple hours.
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