pervivid piffle and persiflage...

...snow & hail

Monday’s weather prediction for Waikikamukau (down under) was as you read. Saturday was quite the opposite. A birthday caller from Vermont alerted us to the nice day ahead and a great day is what transpired…we visited the public swimming pool--a water paradise consisting of an Olympic pool divided into two with lanes for laps (the scene of Wim’s tryout which turned out to have been one Olympic length!), a diving board in a separate pool, a second high diving board and pool, a wading pool, a wave pool with a little circular partially walled-off section with a current that sweeps you around, a large hot tub and a lengthy water slide (for an extra charge).

Later in the afternoon, we had a walk (Kiwi for hike) into a bush area of the city that leads to a reservoir. Two things stand out as noteworthy: the sense of being far removed from any sign of civilization and the variety and lush quality of the greenery, which really must be experienced to be appreciated. Fish and chips were the perfect reward for hungry hikers, accompanied by local brews (!)

Papa (G) having succumbed to whatever cough-y, cold-y thing we may have brought, the Kiwikirks set off to Knox on their own to sample the service and the Sunday School. A re-written or modernized Lord’s Prayer was the nadir of less than inspired worship event…we may look elsewhere. The afternoon was playtime with cousins for youngins. T & moi went for a moderate walk—attempts to burn off the effects of endless tea added to meat/potato dinners are all to the good.

Monday went off pretty smoothly but Tuesday weather and (over?) activity caught up to us. There was snow on the ground in the morning. Some schools delayed opening, some did not open at all. This was moot for the Kiwikirks because L had a fever and was coughing still. W had a pretty weak affect too and was suffering from diarrhea. That solved school attendance for those two. T & me rehearsed...

Oh, also on Monday we signed on for a red 5-door hatchback Suzuki Liana. We were surprised to be given a car to use while the car we are buying is shipped from the north island (it should be ours next week)…very cool. Interesting factoids: ‘low’ octane down under is 91, 96 is ‘high’. We planned to purchase a 1.6 litre engine but were talked up a size to 1.8 (for a discount of one grand). It happens that the larger engine takes ‘low’ where as the smaller engine requires ‘high’ (that was your second factoid)…meaning a hair less mileage will be balanced by the use of a lower grade of ‘petrol’ (what a gas…or what, a gas) (eats, shops (shoots) and motors off (leaves))

Tomorrow we are off to appliance land to equip ourselves with putative food cooling and freezing plus clothes washing and drying. We will next sign papers allowing the bank to help us ‘buy’ our abode-to-be and figure out how much it would take to replace our clubhouse in the event of total disaster (and insure for this figure). Okay, one more factoid—in NZ you can save by using the same entity for car and house insurance. (Back to cars—would you pay $350 (special deal, regular price—$650) for Teflon coating guaranteed for three years…it means washing only with water for period and probably more…included is a wide Teflon-flim strip along the bonnet to protect against pebbles and such…)

And this just in: we are filling in on a concert this Friday—someone else is sick…plus I have agreed to participate in a student cello sonata at the ‘Uni’(versity)…so, back in the saddle again. On dis que: play now because people will get to know us and soon concert activity will pause for the vacation period…Dec-Feb.

well…that is probably enough for now,,,hello, good-bye and good night