Journal: Walking and a visit to the Doctor.
This week, 7 days, I have been walking every morning. Starting with 35 minutes and each day increasing the time by about 3-5 minutes. Normally I would increase the time by 5 minutes per week but I have been walking once or twice per week and I found I was in reasonable fitness.

Today is Friday, these past 2 days I attempted a sloping piece of road as well. The first day I got part way up near the top, rested 2 minutes.Today I only got half way up and had to stop and rest 3 minutes. I'm at my maximum for a while.

At the beginning of the week I could feel a slight tightening in my left arm. Now it is no longer there.

I visited my new GP yesterday, I needed a new supply of my meds (tablets). He is young, about 35 possibly, his mind works very fast, he reminded me of myself at that age when I could do the same without any problem over long hours. First impression..., I liked him.

There was another reason for me going in today to see the doctor. I needed to have my driving license suspended. Twice during my recent visits to the hospital, as an out patient, the doctor and the physiotherapist have suggested that I think about it. I have been thinking about it for quite some time now. I just needed a prod. My bouts of dizziness from the seizures are not getting any better. Maybe, they may be getting a little worse. I don't dwell on it, but, I hate the thought of being the cause of a traffic accident.

Now I will have to try not to be a back seat driver.

Journal: The latter half of this Week
On Thursday  I had an appointment at the hospital again to try and sort out my speech problems. Rebecca again, she had with her, a student, Anne? Annette? she was quite older than Rebecca who would be in her mid-late thirties. The student would be 50, or slightly more. We went over word training again and how to deal with it. Pat was with me too and dying to chip in. Rebecca would ask her an occasional question.

It was suggested I should try exercising again which I have done little of since my stroke 4 years ago. We decided that I should start walking again. I went out yesterday in the rain for 35 minutes. I had to try and remember more things and I was taught ways to best improve my problems. Soon my hour was up and I felt worn out. I have another appointment in just over 2 weeks.

We left the hospital and called in again at Forlongs to change one of the bowls for another one of different colour the one we had did not seem right with our new table. We also had a problem with the table, there was some wide marks  which showed up depending on the angle of light. We had tried polish with no success, Alistair suggested to try a couple of things over the phone and we tried without success, He said he would change it with one sitting on the showroom floor tomorrow. I was worn out and went to bed just after 8.30 pm. Pat soon followed, both knees were giving problems with all the walking in the hospital.

Two men arrived  on Friday with a table top only, from the showroom, they looked at out table and said the marks had come from polystyrene packing rubbing on the table. They had seen the problem before. They set about changing the table top and all was well. They told us a couple of more tricks too, when Pat mentioned the extension wooden mechanism was tight. Apparently they were not just delivery men from Forlongs, but they assembled furniture coming into the store from overseas.

When we woke up this morning, Saturday there was a light fog and all the surrounding house roofs were covered with frost. The sun was shining through the fog. Now at 10.30 am the fog is gone and the sky is a brilliant blue. I will try another walk tomorrow.

Journal: 
Another Friday and Saturday. 2 Days of Shopping.
During the passing weeks we had been down to Forlongs Furnishings in Frankton to have a look for a new dining table and chairs we found what we would probably need. We did not buy anything at the time, we just wanted measurements. We returned on the past Friday to place our order for delivery next week. During our visit Pat had a look around for a possible glass cabinet to put her Lladro in. It is presently up in the attic storage room in banana boxes along other ornaments she has bought over the years.


Pat spotted a possible cabinet, freestanding on legs so we took the measurements. She also spotted 2 large shallow dishes, one for our new table and one for a possible Christmas present for Gillian.

We paid for our Friday purchases and the salesman Alistair asked if we had a "Birthday voucher" (worth $30). Pat said we had but we forgot to bring it with us. The salesman said he would credit us if we could get to the shop by tomorrow. We said OK. Anthony was going across tomorrow.

When we got back home we found the measurements of the cabinet for the Lladro was ideal. So we decided to go ourselves back to Forlongs, its only 10 minutes up the road, pay for the cabinet and the 2 bowls and deliver the voucher and come straight home.

The table is made of  Rubber Tree wood which comes from Java (Indonesia), it is very hard and a pleasant medium brown shade.

Journal: Another Day of our Life in Hamilton

Yesterday we visited the new Countdown supermarket  near the Base shopping Centre, here in Hamilton, the largest in the the Waikato area. Small compared with the the UK, but big for little o'l NZ. Plenty of specials but no cheaper than our other normal Countdown uptown.

We called in at the New World Supermarket on our way back to get some loaves of bread, they make particularly nice bread.

Today we are staying home, rain is promised  the next 7 days, but the forecasters are not always right, today we are getting small showers and sunshine.

Did a few odd jobs this morning, firstly hung out a few bits of washing Pat run through in a cold wash last night and this morning, I put a few more pieces, towels etc to be run through in a hot wash. No good hanging them out on the line outside, the showers would get them, so I hung them on the portable clothes stand, pressed the garage roller door button, set the clothes stand in what sun was shining then left the through door into the laundry open and also the other laundry door to the outside open for a through draft to continue drying when the showers came.

Usually when I do this the doors bang shut with the stronger breeze gusts, but this morning I was smarter than the wind. Looking around the garage I spotted the heavy concrete Santa Claus gnome and propped against one door, that will do the trick I thought. We had brought him with us went we moved from Huntly. Now for the other door, I couldn't see any thing heavy enough. What to do I thought as I wandered around the garage tidying up. As I wandered int the laundry from the garage I put a loose plastic bucket out of harms way and I suddenly had a notion, the plastic bucket, fill it with water. That did the trick, heavier than Santa Claus!

This is the first day I have been feeling myself for quite a few weeks, 6 or more weeks since we began packing and and moving to our new home, before that, 2 trips to the hospital by ambulance, then 3 trips to the hospital as a day patient. I have been mainly feeling miserable and bad tempered. Pat has been very patient with me as she knew I did not want to move from Dudley Ave., we had been there for 43 years, it was a nice house and my den was the basement, the house was private and upstairs the views, lovely from most of the windows. Overlooking the lake was my favourite watching the wildlife.

 But today I feel much better, I do hope my cheerful mood continues, I hope I don't lapse back into the moody ways of the past. I have just added the weeks up, it is not weeks, it is months, 4 calender months.  In another 8 weeks it will be Spring. March 7th to July 7th. 7, is this an omen?

Journal: A Dull Cold  Day
Today is Mid Winter's day in New Zealand. The day is overcast, there is no wind and indoors in the bedroom I note the temperature is 16 C. I've just popped on my coat until things warm up. After most days, until now reaching 20 C., the drop in temperature this sudden, is really felt.
Pat has just gone out to visit the local supermarket stating her feet felt like 2 blocks of ice. Not that we really short of anything from the supermarket.

Yesterday I had to go to the hospital again to see yet another specialist. In his summing up he asked me if I still drove our car and I of course said yes. He then asked Pat the same question and she answered "Yes" also. He then said that I should not really be driving now with having dizzy spells. I just had adizzy spell only 10days ago whilst shopping on my own, I realised immediately what it was and quickly left the shop, made my way back to the car across the road in a car park area. Pat was in the car waiting for me and I asked her to exchange places with me and by that time I could hardly stand. As the specialist said "what if I had been driving on a busy road?"

She is now driving around town, getting used to Hamilton City, going out when traffic is lighter.

For the past week or more we have had Anthony staying with us. Their house is being painted using gloss and the smell is very strong. Craig is staying with his mother who also lives in Hamilton. He does keep some late hours some nights, especially at the weekends.

 Pat has just called me, she has just left the supermarket, she phoned also when she arrived at the supermarket.

Journal:  We are now in Hamilton.
After 43 years in our home at Dudley Ave., Huntly we had a large accumulation of bits and pieces.There was quite a long process sorting out what we needed in a much smaller house. Packing was a slow process, too. Towards the end Gillian came across to help us and Anthony with Craig, too. They worked packing; much faster than us, over longer hours and soon had everything packed and ready to go. Paul came over the weekend and with a trailer moved the heavy unwanted items to the tip. There they have a second hand shop and the useful stuff went into the shop and the $30.00 tip fee was waived.

The removal truck had been booked the previous week for the following Thursday. The previous day they rang us up to tell us that unfortunately they could not fit us in. The Auckland office had not forwarded our details  to Hamilton branch in time. In fact the fellow who took the details was now in the UK on his big OE and had left the papers on his desk completed and no one had noticed them. By luck there was a vacancy next day, Friday, would that be OK, we were asked. We breathed a sigh of relief.

We have now been here for 3 weeks and out most days to buy something we needed. Furniture was the main thing, drawers and the like. We didn't have any, I know it sounds funny but all our furniture was built in at Dudley Ave. The furniture we selected to fit in our unit were in "flat-packs", so we have been busy assembling them. The most awkward one was Pat's computer desk selected to fit in the dining room.

We have a small lounge with a large corner window, a separate dining area with kitchen attached. 2 good sized bedrooms, bathroom with separate shower, separate large toilet. The laundry area has a sink unit with appropriate holes and taps to fit our washing machine and space for our drier. The hot water is supplied from an instant gas unit. The garage is built in and the door automatic just as Pat wanted it.

Journal: Prepare to Move to Hamilton.
At the end of this month we will probably move to Hamilton and we will rent our present house to Annette, a primary school teacher at Kimihia School until at least December 2011. The rental will be $300.00 per week. If all goes well with her teaching post she will be offered a further contract for another school year.

We will be responsible for the lawn mowing and gardening as it is now.

From today I will temporarily close "OldEric thoughts", until we get settled into our new home. Much preparation has to be done mainly in the form of packing and disposal of what we don't need, plus lots of rubbish. We now have to find a suitable removal firm to move us and our bits and pieces.

Tomorrow morning, May 2nd 2011, we have an appointment to view a permanent  rental  unit in St. Andrew's suburb in Hamilton near to the river and a stones throw from the golf course. St. Andrew's is a good area so I hope we will like the unit. The unit is just a little more to rent than what we will get for our present house and lawns/gardening are included. I hope Pat likes it.

Goodbye for now.

You never know, I may find time to fit in some bits of news on the laptop.

Journal: Notes. March 4th.  Had a Stroke this Morning.

Getting ready to go to House sit Anthony's house and cat whilst he was in Australia.

Delivered cat food to neighbour across the road to feed our cats.

Crossing  road on my return I tripped  slightly on tar seal road and again on our lawn.

By rthe time I reached the front door needed to hold on the cthe door frame to hlod myself up. Called Pat.

Pat then had to help me into my armchair. My head was then spinning round.

Getting worse. Pat said try to get down to our bedroom by holding onto walls. I did.

Collapsed onto bed. Dry mouth. Pat held my head to give me water then raised my feet.

room lamp shade slow spin anticlock, seeing double, few seconds only, stoppoed and then started clockwise, getting up speed.

Then noticed ceiling architrave rippling left to right, speeding up.

Mouth dry again. Pat helped me to sitting position to take more water. Half glass consumed.

Lay down again. Feeling nauseus,managed to sit up again and called Pat. Wreaching... nothing there, pain in my  solar plexus.

Pat called Ambulance. Still trying to be sick. Small amount of yellow bile appeared... no food sighted.

Journal: Sunday Morning Jobs
Lovely sunny morning. It had been raining for the last 36 hours which was needed. I borrowed a small incinerator from our neighbour, just across the paddock. The breeze was coming from the south-west an ideal, day for burning all of our outdated invoices, bills, etc., and at the same time, the breeze keeping the smoke from our nearby neighbours.

I messed up my Favorites on one of my computers the other day and this morning I decided to fix the problem. There are well over 2000 entries, mainly for Trainz, when I started, it seemed fairly simple to sort out but it took me over 2 hours to unravel.

 A&C have got tenants for their new house, they are a Filipino family, husband, wife and 2 teenage children. The wife is a Geotech engineer and her husband also works in the same business. Pat opines that they may be working on the new motorway bypass and ring-road for Hamilton, Ngaruawhaia and we hope, Huntly, too.

Journal: Visit to Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist.

First draft


My visit was in 2 parts:

• Audiology... Dilworth Audiology.

The Audiology part was a general check of my hearing by feeding varying tones into each ear in turn and then together. My ear drums were tested  as well for correct functioning. Further, tests to find any tinnitus and what levels I may have. I have had a slight high pitched whistle for many years in both my ears which I  have always assumed was tinnitus. It has never really bothered me.

The Audiology state of my ears were, generally, found to be in good shape.

-----------------------------------------------

• Ear, Nose and Throat ... Dr Malcolm Giles,  Specialist.

I was given a good check over of my ears and nose area and nothing, pertaining to my problem was found. The only thing of note was, I had broken my nose at sometime. I was surprised, I could not recall having done so.

Sometime later I did remember, the previous year, 2010 I had, had a number of falls, face first. One of them, I hit my face on a door handle. I blacked my eye and cheek bone area. After these healed I remember, if I pressed on my top gum area, I could feel a dull pain apparently around the top gum area. This lasted  for about 2 months or so before the pain disappeared.

Dr. Giles then asked me to describe, in detail, step by step what had happened. I told him what the first ambulance personel had observed in the house and again what the 2nd crew in the 2nd ambulance had seen en-route to Waikato Hospital.

The first ambulance personnel had noted my eyes rolling upwards in the lying down position on my back.

The 2nd ambulance personell asked me when lying on my back to raise both arms upwards. I did so, or I thought I had raised both arms upwards. I had not, I had raised only my right one, when I turn my head to the left, my left arm was lying motionless. I tried to raise my left arm while obseving it, it felt like I was raising the arm but it did not move. I asked the amulance person if my eyes were rolling and he answered, yes. Later I could raise my left arm normally.

Dr. Giles then asked me my medical history as listed.

•  I starting with my heart problem in 1990.
• A partial loss of memory in late 1990s was noticed, said to be probably a TIA.
• A stroke in 2007 (?) on my vision. Followed by noticing a loss of memory , middle register (name not known) in later months.
• Also 2007 at same time as stroke. A seizure. Small white dots noticed near vision hemmoriage. My blood pressure monitored, spot on normal. Usually only seen with high blood pressure patients . My blood pressure is usually spot on. Neurology speciallist suggested a possible seizure Small amount of Tegretol to be administered twice daily.
• March 04-08 2011. Removed to hospital. Initially to Emergency dept., then short stay ward, under Dr Margaret Fisher, said to be part of the Neuralogy team. Dr Fisher seemed to be of the opinion the problem was to do with a stroke. Discharged March 08 2010.

Note 1: Early April 2011. Since leaving hospital I have twice had problems with my vision, very similar to my stroke in 2007. This is a shimmer to the right of my right eye. First, whilst watching TV. Second, whilst using my computer. Both lasted 30-40 minutes.

Note 2: During the middle of 2010 I did get, when looking out of the dining room, window over the gully to Lake Hakanoa the... I call it 2D effect... of the trees and bushes for about 1 hour. This is part of what I got whislt in hospital in 2007.

This was my fault... I had not taken my medication for 3.5 days approx. Was it missing the Tegretol

Journal: Jury Service
I got a quite a shock, I was called up for jury service on Monday 28th March 2011 to appear at Hamilton Courthouse. Our small town of Huntly had not been in the Courthouse circuit before. After making some enquires I found Huntly was now included.

Reading through the document information, a phone number jumped out at me, to ring for enquires if I had a problem. I certainly had a problem and I rang the 0800 number. The operator replied and I told her I had a jury service  problem. Before I could say any more she cut in and said "I'm putting you through to Paula. Paula came on the line and asked me what my problem was. I gave her my name and jury service number and said " if the trial lasts into the afternoon I would, in all probability, fall asleep as I usually do after lunch". There was a pause on the line as she digested the information. Paula then said " how old are you, sir. I replied  "I'm 77". "Just a moment" she said and then said  "Ah yes, I've found you, no trouble, I will cross you off the list. She went on to explain to me that everyone over 65 has the choice to sit on a jury or decline irrespective of age . Even me at 77.

My trouble was that my prescribed medication causes me to usually have a nap after lunch for at least 30 minutes and longer if I have been busy during the morning.

Journal: Monday. Pat is busy Decluttering today. 
Pat is busy attending to her decluttering program this morning whilst I attended to the weekly washing. I have done 2 full loads and hung them out on the line. Dry before lunchtime. Another hot day, with light wind and some cloud. 24C.

 About 10 days ago I found a wasps nest in a dried crack in the lawn at the rear of the greenhouse. I tried a fly spray can, it killed some but how many canisters was going to be needed... it was a large nest. Then I tried to fill the crack in,  twice, the wasps dug a tunnel, twice. I consulted Google and found a possible solution. A heavy duty spray can "Wasp Nest Destroyer".

Yesterday whilst visiting Anthony and Craig we called in at MITRE 10 warehouse on our way home and found  on rack 023 a can of  "Wasp Nest Destroyer", whew! $NZ25.00. Next to rack 023 was  rack 022 where they kept 6kg bags of Persil washing powder which we needed.

Tried the can out on the wasps nest this morning... working well.

Journal: Anthony and Craig's new Purchase
Yesterday, Sunday we visited Anthony and Craig and had lunch before they took us round to see the 2nd house they had had recently purchased between them.

It is an older style built in 1947. Large kitchen, separate dining room, 4 double bedrooms plus 1 single bedroom, medium sized lounge and enclosed sun-room overlooking the garden at the rear. Recently, outside at the rear is a raised wooden deck and seating. The house is in very good condition indeed.

 A recently built large brick double garage has been added with an extra separate room at the rear, with power and a phone jack. They plan to fit a shower in this room and kitchen bench with microwave later.

They have leased the newly purchased new house for a year to a family whilst they update their present house. At the end of the lease they will move into this house and lease out their updated  present house.

Journal: Return Trip to Hospital
Return trip to hospital, again by ambulance to the Emergency Department on the 15th March, 2 days after arriving home. Again dizziness, sick and unable to stand but no sign of stroke symptoms.

Examined again, Doctor thinks symptoms may be ear infection. After 6 hours observation, returned home via Anthony. Like Gillian, Anthony had quite a bit of running around for us.

Doctor instructed to have my ears syringed out by my GP and arrangements made for a Specialist appointment. Nurse doing the syringing operation noticed redness in one of the tubes going to the nasal passage.

Further Note (if any)

Journal: To Hospital via Ambulance.
A visit to hospital via ambulance on Friday March 4th to the Emergency Dept. Bout's of sickness, dizziness and 2 possible small strokes, I was unable to stand. One stroke at home and one in the ambulance. CT head scan showed nothing. Dizziness and sickness treated by injection. To probe further to to the area of my last  stroke, an MRI scan would be needed. Dr. Margaret Fisher thought, after thorough daily examination, that, at this stage, an MRI would serve no useful purpose. In hospital until the following Tuesday, March 8th and then discharged.

Stayed at Anthony's home in Hamilton until Sunday March 13th and then returned home. During this period Anthony was on holiday with Craig in Australia, we elected not to inform Anthony of  my problem, spoiling his holiday, until he arrived back home. Also during this period Gillian came over from Whitianga was and looked after Mum and made any arrangements necessary. She visited me each day in hospital with Mum and sometimes twice to give Mum a rest. Gillian was such a great help to us.

When Anthony and Craig returned from Australia, Gillian returned home to Whitianga turning us over to the boys. I was made comfortable in the front room where the sun sun shines all day long and well looked after.

Journal: Earthquake. Day 7.
Body count this morning 155, the authorities think it may rise to 240 over time. More expected to be found today.

 A week has gone by and a 2 minutes silence at 12.51p.m. is to be held. The evening news reported that in Auckland and in various other cites, vehicles, including buses pulled up at the pavement edge and with the people, observed the silence. We too,observed the silence in our home.

5 looters caught last night, mainly robbing deserted houses. One house of jewelry. Looting like in many other countries is considered a particularly serious offence.

Christchurch being a particularly pleasant city to live has, over the years, attracted more than its fair share of the criminal fraternity and those with a drug habit. Thank goodness for the extra police from Australia.

Pat wrote a cheque for $50.00 yesterday for the Salvation Army and I dropped it in during my visit down town at the appropriate bank. We wish it could have been more. The Salvation Army get little acknowledgement from the general public, TV or Radio stations. They are always there at disasters, giving out food with a cup of tea if wanted, and a smile, with a few kind words to troubled souls, if needed.

During my days as a young man in the British forces many of us have much to thank the Sallies for, for that cup of hot, sweet tea and their time given so willingly.

Major damaged buildings are the modern buildings. Authorities are calling for extra earthquake proofing to present earthquake proofing of buildings. At extra costing. Areas in NZ prone to 'quakes' will need to upgrade. Thank goodness we live in the Waikato without major 'quakes'.

Most of the damage is is of course in the central business district... CBD and to the eastern side of the city. The western side of the city is mostly untouched and life is mainly normal, unless you happen to work in the CMD. No cracks in the roads, water supply OK, sewage OK, etc., etc.

Everyone working in the Christchurch 'quake damaged areas, still work steadily doing what needs to be done, with more and more joining in like the Farmy Army with their farm machinery and their wives at the nearest memorial hall cooking food for hungry appetites. The Student Army are still doing a marvellous job and calling for more students from Dunedin to join them.

Body count risen to 159 as I leave this missive. I feel I want to get my spade and shovel and go and help them but Pat says I'm a silly old fool at 77. I wish I was younger.

Journal: Earthquake continued. Day 6.
Body count risen by 2 overnight to 147. Many bodies have not yet been identified yet due to massive injury of the bodies by large pieces of brickwork and large building stoneware. Some may not be identifiable. There are  20 different countries identified so far. There are a number specialist teams forensic from overseas working on the problem states the Christchurch coroners office. If only we all could have our DNA registered. A temporary mortuary has been constructed at Burnham military camp.

2 more looters were picked up last night and held in gaol.

Air New Zealand have been offering $50 flights from anywhere in NZ to Christchurch one way

China have offered their help with the earthquake, in what capacity I presently do not know. Probably in earthquake field. China has big 'quakes and huge loss of life.

The removal of bodies from the CTV building and Cathedral goes slowly. Large iron pipes 1.5 metre diameter are being use by the specialist teams to shelter from falling bricks and stone as they burrow into the buildings. The tallest building in the city is leaning at an angle, slowly sinking in the liquefaction on one side. Presently it cannot be demolished for, if it falls, on nearby lower buildings it may cause a domino effect. With smart thinking the opposite side is now being filled by concrete to stabilise the lean. Then the building can be inspected for bodies or maybe life, then be dismantled.

The Military have been quietly busy backing up the police, directing traffic, the cooks cooking meals, and  medical staff, etc. Out at the airport it is busy from extra planes. USA use Christchurch airport as a stop-over to Antarctica Deep Freeze and work round the clock. It is also a storage facility, the very large US military planes various Hercules and C5-Galaxy aircraft coming in regularly. No doubt the air-force arm of the military are  used here, too. Many US staff are posted to Christchurch and quite a few American accents are heard helping with the 'quake problems.

At the time of the Earthquake the Navy ship Canterbury was berthed at Port Lyttelton. They did sterling work, not least cooking 600 extra dinners every day for the 'quake victims. The Canterbury is a multi-role vessel, 2 days ago the ship left for Wellington to pick up stores and heavy equipment including vehicles needed for the 'quake damage repair. She is due back today.

That is all I can write for now. More tomorrow.

Journal: Earthquake Day 5.
Latest figures now 145 dead.

Bodies are now being recovered from the Canterbury Cathedral and from another building called the CTV building.

The CTV building, 5 stories high  pancaked down to one floor level during the 'quake. The building contained a local TV station, with 15 people present.  An small English school teaching English improvement to 20 Filipino nurses, and a 3rd business thought to be of Japanese origin . A total number of 120 people. Some were out for lunch but most were inside when the 'quake struck.

The building was flattened. Smoke was seen issuing from the building. Firemen put water on the source but to no avail. A Special Rescue team tried to enter but could not penetrate the building. Cell phones could be heard for a while and then nothing. The specialists said smoke inilation would cause death. Special equipment was used to search for life, but none found. Bodies were starting to be removed last night. Each floor of the building had to be removed starting from the top.

Sadly, a Filipino woman in the Philippines received a text from here trapped daughter saying goodbye and then rest of the message petered out.

___________________________

Refer to piece Amputation 2 days ago. Needs expansion / correction.

From 2 different TV channel interviews: The doctor was in fact 3 doctors from the Australian Convention in Christchurch. 2 male and 1 female. After consultation of the 3 doctors the female doctor was selected to do the amputation of both legs and one of the other doctors to apply the anaesthetic. The amount of room in and beneath the beam was very restricted.

The ambulance did have anaesthetics on board but no amputation instruments.  Some tradesmen who had been working nearby were consulted and they produced a hacksaw and a large jackknife. The amputation was successfully carried out, the  patient was then removed from under the beam and then taken to hospital by the medic, and then transferred to Waikato Hospital by helicopter. The patient 2 days later was doing well.

The 2 anaesthetics used were morphine and another drug which I did not catch the name, I think it began with the letter K. This second anaesthetic as explained by the interviewed doctors, was to remove all trace of  memory of what had taken place when he, the patient woke up!! I thought this amazing.

The patient did not want, presently to be identified. The doctor who carried out the amputation did not want to be recognised either.

Today some of the specialist teams are moving out to Port Lyttlton. To remove bodies and maybe find someone alive. Port Lyttlton was the epicentre of the 'quake. To not finish on a sad note, the specialists say it is not unusual to find the living up to 10 days after the 'quake.

Journal: Earthquake Day 4.  
Latest figures 123 Dead  228 missing.

323 Australian police arrived today and sworn in for NZ duties. Reason: to give NZ police a rotational rest and help deter to looters. Many empty homes looted. Worst incident 3 power generators stolen. These were supplying areas where power lines could not  be easily repaired. These looters were caught. about 10 other looters are already caught. All are in jail with no bail allowed. First court sessions March 28, or could be later.

NZ March Census cancelled. No further date given.

1000 Portaloos due to arrive from USA to bolster NZ supply. Sewage lines will be difficult to repair. Some areas estimated months.

3000 Canterbury University student volunteers signed up to help clean up liquefaction over roads and inside many houses. And when the spades and shovels run out, do any other jobs necessary. The liquefaction is mainly sandy mud and sewage.

Everything running 24 hours a day where necessary and available staff. Many people doing long overtime stints in their own time.

John Key, the Prime Minister gave a marvellous speech the first day  to boost the morale of Christchurch and the country, many TV channels using 'sound and picture bites' from the speech. The speech seems to have worked well with many.

The mayor of Christchurch, an ex TV presenter does an excellent job each morning listing what has been done the previous day and the goals ahead. That seems to go down well too with the public.

Christchurch Cathedral: The tower and spire partially collapsed during the earthquake and the stones fell inward filling the remaining standing part of the tower. At the time of the earthquake a party of 20 Japanese tourists were in the tower climbing upward, all were buried. Various tests were made for life, all were  pronounced dead. There is also a strong possibility of other tourists dead at the tower end of the cathedral on the ground floor. Visitors were seen in that vicinity. No sounds of life were detected there either. The standing remains of the tower and surrounding building are in a precarious state and removing the stone work is presently highly dangerous.

Well that is all I can manage today. Again forgive any grammatical errors, time is in short supply

Journal: Earthquake Day 3.
Christchurch is a mess, seen especially from the air. Spent some of yesterday refreshing my memory of "liquefaction". All of Christchurch  and the greater area have many patches of liquefaction, both big and small.
Earthquakes and tremors do not mix well with liquefaction. Experts say liquefaction can be overcome, even with constructing large buildings, but they are loath to guarantee success in an earthquake prone area.

Early this, morning the dreadful figures were deaths 103 and missing 226. Of the missing, this figure is expected to drop somewhat.

Many older residents and those with children are reported to be leaving the city for relatives and friends, and a few, for second homes. The roads are crowded, gasoline is scarce but diesel is freely available. Shell the main distributer are kept busy.

The NZ search and rescue teams are doing a wonderful job along with those teams from Australia and Japan. other teams also from Taiwan, Singapore and the USA. USA team with heavy lifting equipment, I believe. The 2 British teams are arriving today. These are specialist teams, completely self contained, down to food, water and accommodation. They were used in the Haiti earthquake fiasco.

A convention comprising of doctors, surgeons and specialists from Australia were present in Christchurch. They all dug in, helping where needed, along with many other medical people here on holiday in the city.

Amputation.
One most gripping story was from an ambulance medic with an ambulance and on his own arriving at a fallen building to find 2 men trapped by the legs under a beam of the fallen building. A surgeon turned up and managed to severe both legs of one man to release him. the other man died  of blood loss and trauma before he could be saved, this as related by the medic. The medic and ambulance made it to the nearest hospital  with his patient over ruptured roads, blocked roads to the nearest hospital. This incident and more was recorded by the medic after his shift was finished and posted as an email to 1ZM radio station. I heard the email read out. It reminded me of WW2 incidents when I was a small boy, ear glued to the radio or reading the daily paper back in the UK.

Yesterday, the saddest tale I saw of many tales was the statistics shown on TV, at the bottom of the list, a baby of 5 months and another of 9 weeks,  both casualties of the earthquake. What of the parent(s), who knows? I remember I immediately thought of the Ian and Vicky and the twins and then of Tahlia and Jaeden. I felt so sad for the families of those 2 little one.

Finally, the 5 major banks in NZ have each pledged one million dollars to the Christchurch (Red Cross) fund. Australia has pledged $5 million dollars

Fonterra has supplied 1 million litres of drinking water and possibly up to 1 million dollars subject to their owners, the dairy farmers of NZ.

That is all for today, I feel washed out. My grammar and spelling is going to pot. Maybe more tomorrow.

Journal: Not much to say today.
 I again went for a walk this morning, then had breakfast, sat down and watched 2 comedies on SKY-TV., put out the weekly rubbish, did 2 loads of washing and hung them out, cleaned up my overdue Gmail account and then sat down and wrote a few words.

Journal: Second Earthquake
A second earthquake hit the Christchurch area today around 12.30 p.m., lunchtime, magnitude 6.3 and shallow, causing much further devastation to the city, with major injuries and deaths, numbers not known presently. An aftershock followed later said to be 5.6. and also shallow.

Earlier this morning I said not much doing today. An unfortunate phrase. Todays earthquake and aftershock being shallow, was much more serious than last year.

What now to do with Christchurch?  It seem the city was built about 160 years ago on a shallow crust covering the central business district and unknown apparently to to the builders of the past.

The British newspaper The Guardian picked up the story 20 minutes after the 'quake, and before the NZ local papers. Amazing!

Journal: Walk and  thoughts.
Missed yesterdays walk. I didn't wake up until after 6.30a.m. This morning I was awake early and had my early morning walk meeting 2 friends, Grahame and Rosemary coming up behind me. They were walking much faster than me and seemed to be going round the lake twice, I could later see 2 figures in the distance past  G & Rs normal turnoff.

Baked a loaf of bread in the bread maker yesterday for the first time. Usually Pat attends to the bread.

Pat's both  knees are troubling her, usually it is just one. She thinks it may be from swinging around too quickly.

Journal: Jury Service.
The mail this morning brought a call up for Jury Service as from March 28 2011.

Journal: Lake Walk.
I left home to walk round the lake this morning at 6.20am, it was just barely light, but daylight comes quickly here in NZ. I haven't walked round the lake for 2 years now. I managed the walk quite well at a slower pace than I used to do. I had the seats imprinted in my mind in case I had to stop, needing a rest. I used to do the walk in 40 minutes but my slower pace today took me 50 minutes. I felt quite fresh afterwards.

Back home for breakfast, Pat is just waking, I tell her "Fresh Fields" is about to start on UKTV, one of her favourite comedy programs. Soon she is in her favourite chair and chuckling as I make my breakfast. I usually have sliced sliced cheese on a thick slice of homemade bread, toasted in the oven. I found it was nicer toasted  in the oven instead of the toaster. I gave up my regular of many years, baked beans on toast; one morning I made my regular baked beans as usual, sat down to eat and couldn't face them.

Pat tells me that there are some new twins photos on her computer as I was going down to my basement office, but hello, hello no twins just a few regular posts I get from elsewhere and my morning dose of spam. My Gmail is usually much quicker than that.

Journal: Thoughts of This and That.
We got rain for most of the day yesterday, a pleasant change, saved me watering the garden. Lovely blue sky this morning with a few wispy clouds. Humidity has dropped down to 55 which is a pleasant change.

Got a birthday card from Ian and Vicky, yesterday with a newsy note from Vicky which was nice. Also an email from Ian, with a photo of Vicky taking the twins for a spin in the pram (as Ian terms it). Ian must be there, too taking the picture.

Feeling much better once more, but have not walked round the lake for a week. I must, tomorrow morning, without fail!

Trainz has once more been in my mind the past 2 days. Much has been happening on the forums with updating the database items to the latest  ones. There are 165,943 items listed for download presently, not all will be updated, I hope, there are just too much low quality items. My opinion only and some other participants also.

Journal: My Birthday
Yesterday, the 13th of February was my birthday. All my family including Jen and friends remembered it. Phone calls,  emails and face book flooded in. Looking through the messages today, I feel quite humble that I am remembered.

To Vicky's sister Helen, if a raised glass was raised, thank you. If not, the thought was there and for that, I thank you.

Pat and I, along with Anthony(Tony) and Craig went to the Cock and Bull in Hamilton and we had our preferred meals, I, roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding along with my favourite desert, passion fruit cheese- cake with fruit trimmings. With 2 glasses of Chardonnay, that was my limit and I enjoyed both glasses immensely.

What I feel
I'm glad no one refereed to my age. As the numbers creep up, I am starting to feel old. I feel, with my many interests I haven't enough time for all of them, now. What I hope for most is to be able to finish my life story of my many adventures through life. I feel a little envy of the young travelling the world today, I wish I was still one of them. Since my stroke 3 years ago, my sight is now back to normal but my brain frontal lobes are a problem. I realize I am becoming physically unable to travel far now;  the doctors, specialists tell me so.

 Many are people are older than I but I feel my my mind is slowly starting to slow down, I feel tired, my English and grammar is no longer the best. My speech becomes muddled when I try to talk when thinking of more than one subject. I have problems writing my name now, my hand shakes. My spelling deteriorates but computers came to my rescue and so did the spell checker(to a large extent). I use it more and more.

Never the less, I had a happy day yesterday, I usually tend to think of tomorrow as if it is not really there. Today I feel tired and a little sorry for my self, tomorrow I will go for my morning walk round the lake and think of all those who are worse off than I. I will pick up my spirits and be myself again tomorrow and continue to write, stroke the cat in passing, then go and give Pat a little hug, as she sits at her computer, upstairs reading the news, or looking at the pictures of our children and offspring.

Journal: Sunspots.
For quite a few years now I have suffered from sunspots, on my face. Even with treatment they take a long time to heal. mine, each one, up to 2 years. New Zealand is a particularly bad place for sunspots, said to be the worst in the world. Lying over Antarctica is a large break in the ozone layer and a finger from that break creeps up over New Zealand.

 I had more treatment on the past Wednesday, had them burnt off... frozen. For the first time one was found on my hand, I thought it was just a scab from a blister so that one was burnt off, too. The ones on my face are in the last stages now, so I hope this facial treatment will be over, but the one on my hand will no doubt, appear again.

Remember, if sunspots are not treated they can become cancerous!

Journal:
Emails (plural...3)  from Ian this morning. The first one was the new pram for the twins with varying modes of operation, the best, probably the conversion to car seats and the wheels and fittings into the boot.

I've just had a thought, where does Barney fit in, in the greater scheme of things?

The other 2 emails were more photos of the twins. They were excellent, Pat will be studying them for the rest of  the day comparing them to earlier photos. We love their varying expressions and as they are growing older we can distiguish Kate from Eddy quite easily.

Journal: We had a get together lunch today, Sunday at Anthony and Craig's place. Gillian, Paul, Tahlia with Kaedon plus us pair. Gillian and Paul with baby Kaedon stayed overnight on Saturday with us. Tahlia went to stay with friends overnight and had a Saturday night out.

Anthony and Craig are in the process of possibly buying a second house, somewhat larger than their present one.

Very hot today and cloudy 28C. and humidity 75 outside. Anthony has one of these electronic gauges, reads temp. and humidity, both  inside and ouside,  also cloud cover and a few more things. Gillian also has one, and me too, but not got round to installing my unit outside yet.

Journal:  We had an email from Ian today. Pat got her bureau delivered yesterday, our Friday. She seemed pleased with it. I helped the delivery man to carry it in. It was very heavy, solid mahogany and made in India.

The $48.00 bureau is now down in the basement in my office in front of the window. I'll fill it with things. Bits and pieces.

Carrying on with my 'Life Story', just crossed the Pacific from Panama and just arrived in Sydney. Got the piece to read, correct and probably alter.

The last 3 days have been very muggy, hot and overcast with low cloud and some drizzle. Sleeping with no blankets or sheets over. 23C. during the night outside.

Sharon, the gardening lady tided up the garden, many weeds from the rain and heat, two bottles of Vee energy drink usually  keeps her going. I tell her it is not good for her in quantity. I don't see the Vee now, she probably keeps it out of my sight in her gardening bag. Daily temp is usually 28C.

Brighter this morning but cloudy. Just done a load of washing and put it out. Pat has trouble with both knees now, getting down and then upstairs again.

Thursday. Journal:
 Well today we got 8 photos of the twins  during J and E visit (they will be in Spain now)

 Big Daddy with twins, Kate and Eddie. Kate at top.

Journal:
This morning I was thinking of the the new bureau mentioned in yesterdays' post. When we lived in the UK, so long ago now, I built a bureau not long after we married. It was a kit set and the sections were all solid oak.

 I also built a 2 seater green settee and 2 armchairs. These too, were a kit set. When we came to NZ I dismantled them  and brought them in the packing case which came by sea freight.

Journal:
We had a phone call from Ian on our last Friday morning with news of Vicky and the twins. Pat is always glad to talk things over after the call.

By this time I guess John and Edith will have visited you and be on their way again. Pat was hopeful of making contact by Skype during their visit but it was not to be (and me hopefully too).

J & E going to Spain for 2 months and back in early April. They did mention Valencia (been there many years ago) maybe going elsewhere, they didn't say.

Started to walk again in the mornings, from about 10 days ago, but not too far at present. Starting from the Yacht Club to the Green Cathedral car park then back again taking 20 minutes there and back. This morning tried a little further and it seems OK. Will try a bit further in a few days, that will be the half way point round the lake.

The lake path is flooded at the moment in probably 2 places, I haven't had a look, but I know from previous years.

Tuesday today and sunny. Pat got up at 2 am this morning and didn't (wouldn't) go back to bed when I got up, but fell asleep in her chair. I then chased her to bed! Now close to lunchtime and she is still there.

Pat has wanted a bureau... desk type for a while now. bought one on Trade-me for $46.00, but it had borer in the bottom. I treated it but she didn't trust it. Bought a new one on Trade-me for $420.00 made of plantation mahogany. Should be delivered today or tomorrow.

Hello, Ian... hope I can keep this up! If I can manage most days it will be only a few lines. Will be glad if I can keep it up.

Journal: this is a test to gmail address

How to Look Busy at Work Without Really Working - wikiHow

First draft:

Journal: A Chrismas Tale



Today I had a Christmas pudding after my main meal. This was a small pudding for one complete with a dose of brandy and add your own sauce... I chose custard. Made by a small NZ firm with the trademark of "Aunty Betty's". Pat wanted to know how I found it for taste with the idea of getting a larger size for Christmas dinner in 2 weeks time. As I consumed the pudding my thoughts drifted back to my days as a small boy and Christmas puddings.



In the 1930s-40s our christmas pudding was like most, home made, usually in a large basin.









When we were children 65 70 years ago

Journal: Young Rook in Lakeland

How to Practice Nonviolent Communication - wikiHow

Journal:

Journal: Friday 25th April 2008. Pat's Birthday and Anzac Day.

This year Gillian invited us up to Whitianga to celebrate Pat's birthday. We left the day before, Thursday and stayed until Monday. Anthony and Craig travelled from Hamilton to attend along with Tahlia returning the same day.

Altogether attending were Pat and myself, Gillian and Paul, Tahlia, Caitlin, Anthony and Craig. We had lunch at an up-market fish restaurant on the water front close to the wharf. Much enjoyed by all of us. I chose and particularly enjoyed the very fresh hapuka, a deep sea fish.

Journal:

this is a test for 2008 date

Google Document

This is a test to see how I can transfer this document to my blog OldEric...my funny motto

Journal: BBC Report. Suez 1956.

This report has some relevance to my time in Cyprus. I landed in Nicosia on the eve of the British/French air attack on Egypt. As we flew across the Mediterranean we sighted the Royal Navy steaming in battle formation spread from horizon to horizon heading for Suez.

Britain 'planned to cut off Nile'

Britain drew up plans to cut the flow of the River Nile to Egypt to force President Gamal Abdel Nasser to give up the Suez Canal in 1956, files reveal.
Military officials believed they could harm agriculture and cut communications by reducing the flow of water, newly-released documents show.
The plan was outlined to Prime Minister Anthony Eden six weeks before British and French forces invaded Egypt.
But it was abandoned because of fears it would trigger a violent backlash.
Under the plan, Britain would have used a dam in Uganda to reduce water levels in the White Nile by seven-eighths.
But planners realised that the scheme would take months to work, and could also harm other states such as Kenya and Uganda.
One British official noted that the plan, while unworkable, could still be useful.
"It might be possible to spread the word among the more illiterate Egyptians that 'unless Nasser climbs down, Britain will cut off the Nile'," Cabinet official John Hunt was revealed to have said.
'No legal justification'
The Suez crisis was triggered in July 1956 when the Egyptian president nationalised the Suez Canal, a vital trading route from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
Britain and France joined forces with Israel and the three nations attacked in October 1956 in a bid to regain control of the canal, but US and UN pressure forced a withdrawal.
The documents, released to the National Archives in Kew, also show the prime minister was urged to conceal the fact that his attorney-general had warned that the invasion was illegal.
At the time, UK lawmakers were claiming that the action was legal.
But Attorney General Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller - father of current MI5 head Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller - wrote a strong letter challenging this.
"I am unable to devise any argument which could purport to justify in international law either our demand that she [Egypt]... should withdraw her forces from a part of her own territory which she is engaged in defending, or the threat to occupy her territory by armed forces should she fail to accede that demand," he wrote.
Then-Cabinet Secretary Sir Norman Brooks told the prime minister that he should not raise the issue of the war's legality in future speeches.
The Suez crisis damaged Sir Anthony's reputation and led to his resignation in 1957.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/6197002.stmPublished: 2006/12/01 00:46:33 GMT© BBC MMVI

The Final Journey of the Maori Queen


Maori pall bearers carry the coffin of Maori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu towards Taupiri Cemetery









Te Ata's eldest son, King Tuheitia Paki sits on the throne at his coronation


Tens of thousands of mourners surrounded a sacred hill yesterday as Maoris laid their tribal queen to rest with a moving ceremony on a scale rarely seen in New Zealand.

Tears flowed and dirges filled the air as the body of Dame TeAtairangikaahuwho had served as the Maori Queen for 40 years was transported on a waka, or traditional canoe, by river to the hillside where she was buried near her ancestors.

Dame Te Ata, as she was known, died last week aged 75 after a long struggle with failing health. Large crowds, mainly made up of Maoris but also including many New Zealanders of European descent, travelled from all over the country to attend the funeral, held at the Turangawaewae royal marae, or meeting house, in the small town of Ngaruawahia, near Hamilton on the North Island.

State Highway 1, the main route linking Wellington and Auckland, was closed for more than seven hours and diversions put in place because of the sheer number of people thronging the town.

Yesterday was the climax of six days of mourning, and it began with the coronation of Dame Te Ata's successor, her eldest son Tuheitia Paki, aged 51. After the winter sun rose and early fog parted, the new king was anointed wearing the feathered cloak of his ancestors, and with a Bible placed on top of his head.In the inter-denominational funeral service that followed, the Anglican Archbishop of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, Whakahuihui Vercoe, said of Dame Te Ata: "Many women have done excellently, but you have surpassed them all".

Messages of condolence were read from the Queen, Prince Charles and Pope Benedict XVI.

When three white doves were freed to symbolise the release of Dame Te Ata's spirit, one lingered on the ground, which mourners took as a sign that their much-loved queen was reluctant to leave them.

A hearse took the coffin from the marae to the Waikato river, where thousands more people lined the banks to watch the royal waka, paddled by bare-chested warriors, carry it the four miles to the sacred Taupiri Mountain. A spontaneous haka, or war dance, broke out as the waka left the shore. The outpouring of grief continued with more hakas, chants of lamentation, the sound of car horns and the wail of bagpipes as the waka made its journey. Finally, the coffin was carried up the steep 300ft hillside on the shoulders of eight pallbearers, assisted by dozens of helpers pulling on ropes. Helen Clark, the prime minister of New Zealand, said: "What an incredible tribute to see this vast crowd come, not only today but over the previous days, to pay tribute to an outstanding leader in Maoridom." "This isn't some tribal event out on a fringe, this is something that goes to the heart of New Zealand, something very special." More than 100,000 people are estimated to have paid their respects at the marae as the body lay in state over the past week.Dame Te Ata was the first woman to be chosen as head of the King Movement, which was established by Maori tribes in 1858 when they united in response to land seizures by the early colonial government. Although King Tuheitia continues a hereditary line of seven monarchs, succession is not automatic but rather a choice made by a gathering of tribal elders.

My Comments

The pre-funeral Coronation and the funeral itself lasted for approximately 6 hours and was shown on TV. I watched it all take place on TV and found it very moving. For the past 40 years I had many business dealings with Te Ata and her family And I found her a very pleasant and humble lady. Her husband Whatu was just as pleasant also; many times he would call into our business premises with work to be done or, to say hello in passing or for just a chat.

Watching him with his family walking slowly behind the coffin on TV, he looked so sad and miserable and my heart went out to him.

Journal: Yes, it is 2006.

Christmas and New Year's Day have quietly slipped by.

We visited Anthony in Hamilton for Christmas Day. He and Craig put on a very creditable feast for us and we really enjoyed it. We all enjoyed our visit and we stayed longer than we intended, arriving home in the early evening fully sated with food and wine.

New Year's Day was pleasantly celebrated at home. I managed to stay awake for the midnight hour and had a celebratory glass of wine and watched the TV celebrations for a while.

I was up again at 5 a.m. wide awake.

We plan to go to stay at Gillian's but the date is on hold. The weather presently is inclemently unstable. Maybe we will leave our visit until mid-January.

We decided to get Broadband at long last in late Dec. 2005. A sales phone call from our ISP and a price drop tipped us over the edge. I notice Pat is using her computer more since we changed over, down loading all kind of things. She cannot get Google Earth though. Not enough memory, I think. Will probably get her another stick of RAM.

Presently we have our 2 computers on Broadband plus the laptop for which I needed to get a plug-in card to run a ADSL cable. I still need to connect up my old computer for which I have got a network card to fit internally. Imagine, only $12 for a network card!

Journal: A Long Time

Yes, a long time since I made an entry. I have been more than occupied with the simulator Trainz, spending all my spare time on the long learning curve and building my large selected UK West Country layout between Swindon and Bristol including Bath.

This morning after reading the Trainz forum, then looking over my route deciding what to do next I started to feel pensive and stuck my head out of the basement door and saw it was almost 7 a.m. and raining.

I had got up early, 4.30 a.m., I couldn't sleep and my leg was ached again. Not a good morning for going for a walk. I have recently, since retiring over a year ago, been waking early. Most mornings I have been rising around 5 a.m. and sometimes earlier.

As I was saying... I was feeling pensive. If something consumes me for a long period I get this feeling at some stage and I will usually lay it to one side for a while and move to one of my other interests and give it a look-over.

I don't think I will put Trainz to one side but will probably curtail my time. I have been doing a lot of repetitive work on the route... mainly scenery and I feel I want a change. We will see.

Although it was raining, just lightly, I walked up the lawn towards the road. I saw the black cat, a stranger recently arrived in our location. I wondered who it belongs to? Walking towards it, I hissed and it ran.

Google Desktop

My Lifestory.

Well my life story has also seemed to have taken a backseat again. I must get back to it now that the initial enthusiasm of the new computer is starting to wane a little! That is when we return home.

Journal: August has gone: It's now September.

Well time has flown during this busy August. Most of my time has been spent on my new computer, setting it up to my liking and installing my stuff from from the old computer. I used a USB link cable to transfer the data which worked well.

Then I have spent a lot of time on my Trainz simulator. I'm now seriously involved and after my 3rd attempt, I am now building the route Swindon to Bath (turning off at Wootton Bassett), learning as I go how to do things in a lot of cases. Presently I am at Dauntsey Lock just north of Lyneham and building the old disused canal which runs alongside the line for a little way.

Time seems to fly by when I'm involved with Trainz. Most mornings I try to do some of the odd jobs and gardening until 11 a.m. and fit in half an hour editing David's journal for him if the mood takes me. I'm on the last chapter now. Then it will need to be draft printed, proof read, corrected and then reprinted. Anthony will do the proofing, his eagle eye is very good.

Our August weather has been sunny and warm this year with little rain, in fact we have had to do some watering in the garden. Spring has come a little early, but not too much. Although the day temperatures have been up to 17 - 20C, the night ones have been down, often to 4 -5C. and held back the growth.

September is now in progress and we are now in Whitianga whilst Gillian and Paul are in Australia for 10 days, looking after Caitlin. She is no trouble, she likes to make her own breakfast and prepare her own school lunch. She is usually up before her wake-up call at 7.30 a.m. We drop her off at school or she may decide to bike, we sometimes pick her up when school finishes or she may come home with friends.

We will go home this Friday afternoon taking Caitlin with us. Gillian and Paul return on Saturday to Hamilton Airport and they will return home with Caitlin.

Journal: A bit of a Shock.

Yesterday I got a quote for a customised new computer... the box only. It was really 3 quotes for 3 different combinations.

I swallowed twice or was it more. I knew it would be high for a high end machine but to see it staring out at me in bold black and white, it well made me swallow.

To day I felt better and started to pare the listed parts down. I will see Greg tomorrow morning and talk the changes over with him.


Snails. Caught 6 of the little blighter's in the glasshouse this morning... I though I had got rid of them, I was only catching one or two now and then.

Journal: Synod

Sunday morning and Pat left for the Synod early just as she did yesterday morning. Each morning she was off well before 8 a.m. picking up Phyll, her friend and fellow Synod member on the way.

As she gave me a goodbye peck her eyes were shining with anticipation of what lay ahead today. I smiled and wished her a pleasant time. Arriving in Hamilton she gave me a quick call on he cell phone and told me that she had arrived safely with no wrong turns in Hamilton.

The Church Diocese yearly meeting, she never fails to tell me each year, is the church parliament where the church laws are made and re-made or modified and the future is discussed. She thoroughly enjoys the experience.

Yesterday was a long day. Pat left before 8 a.m. and did not arrive home until after 9.30 p.m. Today will be shorter, with business probably concluded by 3 p.m.

Journal:Republican sympathies fade in New Zealand.

Most days I read the British Telegraph on the Internet and the following piece caught my eye this morning. I think the author has hit the nail on the head.

Although I am not a Monarchist by any means, I do tend to think conservatively in that I don't agree with change for changes' sake. Or to put it in a more pragmatic way, the famous saying "if in ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind when some warbling, shallow-minded dork comes along, stands on his soapbox and burbles, "we gotta have change".

Why? He usually doesn't really know.

Now I will get off my soapbox.

Here is the piece in question.


By Paul Chapman, in Wellington
(Filed: 23/07/2005)

A highly successful visit by Prince William, a good-humoured tour de force from British Lions rugby fans, and the London bombings have rekindled in New Zealand a sense of kindred with "the mother country" unlike anything seen for years.

A poll shows that support for the monarchy has soared, a campaign to remove the Union flag from the national ensign is foundering, and the big spending rugby-following Barmy Army gave the economy a huge midwinter fillip.

Only 27 per cent now believe New Zealand should become a republic, an opinion poll published this week showed. Earlier this year it stood at 41 per cent.

Although Helen Clark, the current Labour prime minister, holds republican sympathies that are shared by politicians on both sides of the House, she admitted that, like the rest of the nation, she found Prince William utterly charming when he visited.

New Zealanders have felt a special affection for the prince since his first visit, with his parents in 1983, at the age of nine months.

They were flattered that it was to be in their country that, on July 10, he carried out his first solo official duties.

When he bowed his head before Auckland's war memorial to lay a wreath in memory of New Zealand's war dead, there was an unspoken understanding that the nation was sharing his grief for those who perished in the London bombings.

Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the country prided itself on her role as Britain's most dutiful offspring. It sent more than 100,000 servicemen to the First World War trenches, one-tenth of the entire population, and suffered a horrific casualty rate.

Forty or so years ago, older New Zealanders still referred to Britain as "home", but a sea-change in the relationship came after London signed up to the Common Market. Until recently a growing drift towards republicanism in the corridors of power in Wellington had loosened traditional ties.

Journal:

Well it is almost a week since Ian left to return to the UK. Time flies, but then in that time we have had 3 days of heavy rain and then sunny once more and I potted a few plants for the coming springtime. Freezing this morning... Friday, and I turned the heating full on ... all of it for an hour. Equal to 6-7 kilowatts when I calculated it out. We were down to 2 C. last night... cold for this part of NZ.

Pat will be spending all her time in Hamilton over the next 2 days as church Synod member. She enjoys the position and all the debating.

I need to upgrade my computer to run the new edition of Tranz Rail Simulator due out next month. I now have the specifications and will need a bigger processor and 2 Gb of Ram plus a few other things. I will get a new box. No need for new monitors... my 2 19 inch models are more than adequate. Good job I had put a few dollars away for the purpose.


The Kings Head, Usk. 2003.

Happy Memories.

Journal: Me and my Boys.

Well these are my boys of whom I feel mighty proud to have been blessed with.

Ian to my left and Anthony to my right.



The photo was taken by Caitlin, 11, my granddaughter.

Journal: Thoughts and Memories.

This sunny Friday morning I decided to clear up the leaves on our large back lawn. It is winter here in NZ and not long past our mid-winter day. I use a modern leaf blower now as opposed to the old fashioned way, with a leaf rake. Blowing the leaves into a long line then picking them up into the barrow, I collected 3 barrow loads well pressed down and put them into my composting area to await room in the bin.

I still had to use the old fashioned leaf rake to tidy up the remains afterwards.

This reminded me of the time when I was a boy at Kidside and I used to rake up the leaves down the long drive up to our home lined with mature trees down either side. Autumn leaves were everywhere and I would put the leaves into piles along the edge of the drive. There were much too many to do anything with and it was my job to burn the piles of leaves in situ then rake the remains onto the grass verges. I still remember the pleasant woody smell of the burning leaves as they turned to carbon which, when washed into the grass and soil by the rains helped to continue natures cycle during the following spring growth.

Journal: Ian's Visit.

On Saturday we pick up Ian from Auckland airport and the rainy morning cleared just before he was due to come through customs. The journey up was very wet for most of the way otherwise it was showers. We left in the dark for the airport and arrived home in the dark.On Sunday he visited his friend Peter Klaver in Hamilton, taken up by friend Chris. Anthony did the honours of running him back to us at 10 p.m.Monday and Tuesday saw him resting from a little jet lag and so he did some planning for the rest of his 3 weeks stay. Today, Wednesday saw him borrow our car for a trip to Tauranga to see old school friend Derek Mewis and then 2 flatting friends from his time in London. He should be home late Friday or early Saturday.

Journal: Ian and Anthony.

On Saturday early morning... 5 o' clock in the morning, Ian will be arriving at Auckland airport. We, Pat and I will be there to greet him. The weather forecast indicates the day will have rain, in fact it suggests it will be hosing it down.

Ian will be leaving on his Thursday from the UK which will start on our coming midnight here in NZ. That is right, isn't it??

We went into Anthony's on last Sunday, to both see him and pick up the loaned carpet scrubber. Pat wanted the scrubber for the coming week, so we picked Sunday as a good day. When we left Anthony's we got almost home and realised we had forgot to pick up the scrubber! Never mind.

I have been continuing writing pieces for my life story. Presently it is taking 3 or 4 days to do a piece. I spend quite a bit of time looking up facts to back up what I remember. I don't mind, the Googled look-ups are often interesting to read through. I'm still amazed how accurate my memory is after all these years. And equally amazed how poor my memory for people names is. At the best, putrid.

Journal: Nostalgia.

As I continue rewriting my cousin David's Journal for him this afternoon, I started to have the pangs of nostalgia. I was going over the period when John and I went to stay with Katy, my mothers younger sister and David's mother.

We all went up to our Uncle Tommy Brough's nearby farm at Crookdake and helped him to deliver his milk supply to customers in Aspatria. This was 1947 and I would be 13, with John and David each about 10. We spent such an enjoyable time on the farm and next day too, I think.

Tommy was my mother's youngest brother and a real harum scarum during his youth. David wrote about him in "David's Story". He was always fun to be with during our growing up years. Although Tommy was married they never had any children. Although I never thought about it at the time Tommy would have made a wonderful father especially if they had been sons. Our cousin Norman Brough looked very much like our Uncle Tommy, except Tommy was smaller and very wiry.

Tommy's farm had originally been our grandfather Brough's farm and I have some very pleasant memories of our many visits there. My mind goes back to a rusty old sword Tommy had found down one of the lower fields and he kept it lying on a stone slab next to the barn. I used to day dream as a boy whose it was and what had happened to it.

In days long ago the Scottish marauders used to come down over the Border raiding the farms and villages. Was it discarded in a fight, did it belong to a Scot, or did it belong to one of ours. The nearby Church at Bromfield has many buried bones of slain Scots in unmarked graves and of course marked graves of our slain ancestors too. Yours and mine for we go back to before the 1500s in this small area.

Such is nostalgia.

Journal: Gloves and Snails.

My morning walk is getting colder. It is easy to get muffled up but it is the hands which suffer from walking quickly and swinging ones arms. I hesitate to put on my gloves as no one else does and one heavily built walker just walks in his shirt and only occasionally wears a pull-over even on frosty mornings. This morning I did pull out my gloves. It was foggy and the swirling mist was so damp and so cold. Our hardy walker wore his pullover this morning!

For the past few weeks I have been suffering from young snails in the glasshouse, they are so voracious. The first indication was on a tomato plant. I noticed one morning some of the leaves were just a skeleton. I looked for the cause and noticed the little beasts. Since then I have caught probably 90 or 100 in total, averaging 10 a day at first. Now I'm down to 5 a day and sometime none. It seems they get in via the ventilation window in the roof.

Got lots of seeds sown but difficult to germinate, especially parsley they will not germinate.

Journal:WOW!

I got a comment! On Busy, Busy.

Journal:Busy, Busy

It seems longer than 2 days since I wrote my last post on Sunday. I seem to have been involved in a lot of diverse things.

First it was the sewerage on Sunday. then the the weather these past 2 days has been superb and I seem to have cleared up quite a few outstanding jobs, from raking up the autumn/winter leaves front and back to digging over the garden around the glasshouse, to tidying up the plants.

Then I have been involved in planning my next computer. I know what I want but trying to squeeze what I want below my ceiling price is a little difficult. I use a NZ web page " Price Spy"which checks daily, the prices throughout NZ of all computer parts then lists them from the cheapest of its type to the most expensive and giving any price drops.

Then Tahlia had borrowed a 14" TV from cousin Luke and during using it, it had konked out. Gillian had asked when I was in Hamilton would I look at it. It went off with a bang and a smell of burning. She feared the worst. So we picked it up on Sunday and I looked at it this morning, Tues. Fortunately I was able to repair the TV by mid morning and ring Gillian to tell her the GOOD news.

In between I'm trying to work out my tax form with the help of a 90 page booklet and I'm not getting on very fast.

I'm trying hard not to say the words I promised myself not to say after I retired, " I'm so busy I don't know how I managed to go to work" Those who used to say those words, and they were many, I used to dismiss as probably working in low gear in their retirement.

I've now got my morning full tomorrow already with filling in the sewerage, pumping some poison in first to deter roots and soak the surrounding earth to kill hidden roots. The I've got some seeds to sow, plant out some Cineraria plants... about 30-40 down the back and feed the greenhouse plants. That is after my early morning walk and breakfast on my return.

Got to do more of cousin David's journal, try and write my own, also continue my life story, too. The days are never dull and boring, no time to watch TV during the day but I do nod off after lunch now and after evening dinner too! Only 2 days have past and I seem to have been so busy, last Sunday seems to have been a week ago.

I keep thinking, if I don't slow up, I'll get everything straightened up, then I will have only the odd maintainance jobs to do. But... it is good to be busy and I feel lucky that I have so many interests. To sit around day after day as some do in retirement would grow very boring after awhile.

It reminds me when I was in hospital in Rotorua, I barely slept for the first 3-4 nights. I used to look at the clock in the small hours of morning, 20 minutes had passed and it seemed an age. The duty nurse on her hourly inspection would come in to check and say "still can't sleep?". Later it was not much better. I came to dread the night-time.

Journal: Eye on the Weather.

Want to know the weather forecast or extended forecast in NZ? Try this site. http://www.fencepost.com/home.jhtml

Best to join the site to get the full weather details. Its free and safe from spam, etc. The site belongs to Fonterra, which is the amalgamation of all the Dairy Boards in NZ and now a private company. Known as the farmer's friend.Tip... best to log in with an NZ postal address, not ours, ours is in use. The site is really set up for farmers only.

Journal: Hurrah!

Ian rang this morning to tell us he will be coming to NZ for 2 weeks. Paul is to make enquires for a possible All Black ticket if a spare one exists.

Pat rang Gillian to give her the good news. We all said hurrah!

Someone asked is he part of the Barmy Army??

Journal: A Foggy Day in Huntly Town

If you know the song that should be "A Foggy Day in London Town" sung by Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and others but lately by Michael Buble.

Fog this morning and I could only see down to Dr. Willoughby's house just down from us first thing. It is now approaching Tiffin and the fog has risen slightly. No walk round the lake this morning although I have been out in the fog before. I can see the edge of the lake undergrowth but nothing on the lake is visible yet.

We haven't had a thick fog for a long time now although they used to be common in winter many years ago. Temperature is presently 12 C. and not a trace of a breeze.

A foggy day in London Town
Had me low and had me down
I viewed the morning with alarm
The British Museum had lost its charm
How long, I wondered, could this thing last?
But the age of miracles hadn't passed,
For, suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London Town
The sun was shining everywhere.

Journal: A Special Day.

It was our 45th wedding anniversary on Sunday the 21st of May. We didn't tell anyone until the day was over. Pat made a special dinner for the 2 of us and we toasted with a glass of wine.

We remembered those days long gone and our life together. I still love Pat as much as I did then, perhaps more so. She was then just turned 21 and I was 26.

I better post this before I tear it up.

Journal: Rain, Rain.

We have our rain at long last and our long standing drought is over. For 4 days now we have had rain at sometime during the day, mainly at night-time and a few showers during the day.

Many years ago when Gillian and Ian were small I cut a path on the steep slopes of our section going in a semi-circle below where we dumped our garden refuse. Over the many years the path became eroded by rain on the steep slope and a succession of pet goats we kept on a running line to keep the undergrowth in check. The biggest problem was the goat of the moment, stretching and pulling to reach that dainty, leafy morsel of just out of reach and scrabbling the soil down with its forefeet. Slowly the path I had cut disappeared.

Now that the rain has soaked into the parched soil I have cut a new path which was suprisingly easy. Most of the eroded soil was loose and was the remnants of our 39 years of garden waste.

The rain has not been kind to some people. On the east side of the lower Coromandel coast from Tauranga and further down the rain has caused a lot of damage to hillside homes, some being washed off their bases or moved off by mud and rock movement from the upper slopes. Some homes have been left teetering on the edge of veritable, newly formed cliffs.

The worst hit was the small town of Matata south of Tauranga. Many, many homes have been damaged and many have been condemned as irreparable. Houses, cars and larger vehicles swept away, then buried in the mud. The shots on the TV news was just like the tsunami shots of the recent earthquake.

The rain we got was minor in comparison. The storm came from the Pacific Tropics. It hasn't finished yet but the worst is probably over.

Journal: My Sense of Humour.

It was tickled a little by this. Do you know Robert Banks from Bristol?


Origin of new British Museum exhibit looks a bit wobbly

By Nigel Reynolds, Arts Correspondent(Filed: 19/05/2005)

Visitors to the British Museum unfamiliar with the date of the wheel's invention may have been puzzled by a primitive painting in the Roman Britain gallery this week, showing a caveman pushing a supermarket trolley.

The earliest recorded wheels, as every schoolboy knows, are from Mesopotamia around 5,500 years ago. Trolleys were first used in the Piggly-Wiggly Supermarket chain [really], Oklahoma City, in 1937. The bizarre exhibit, stuck to a wall with double-sided tape and labelled "Early Man Goes to Market" was, of course, a hoax.

The British Museum had fallen victim to Banksy, Britain's most notorious and inventive "art terrorist" who specialises in sticking fake objects to the walls of major galleries and museums and waiting to see how long it takes for curators to notice.

Embarrassingly for the British Museum, it may have been several days.

Banksy announced on his website at lunchtime yesterday that "Early Man", painted on a piece of rock 10in by 6in found in Peckham, had "remained in the collection [the BM] for quite some time".

He announced a treasure hunt, saying that the first person to photograph him or herself next to it would win an original Banksy painting of a shopping trolley.

Alerted, museum staff quickly found the rock in Gallery 41 at 3.45pm but admitted that they had no idea how long it had been there.

Banksy, who calls himself a graffiti artist, has pulled similar stunts to mock the art world at Tate Britain, the Natural History Museum and major galleries in New York in the last few years.

He has attempted to remain anonymous - in interviews he has said that the police have several warrants out for him - but he is believed to be Robert Banks, aged about 30, from Bristol.

Journal: Visitors

Gillian and Paul came to stay on Saturday arriving here at 9.30 a.m., an early start. Ashlee came to stay also but she arrived on Friday night. Gillian wanted to pick up 2 expensive rings which she had had altered and also look at one or two houses in Hamilton again. She wasn't very forthcoming about what was on offer. Paul is not at all keen to obtain another house. So we didn't ask any questions. They stayed the night with us and went into Hamilton again on Sunday.

Caitlin didn't come with them. On Saturday she had a school netball game, in Thames I think and on Sunday she was to act as a patient for St. John Ambulance Brigade to practise their skills. Plenty of bandages, fake wounds and blood. Come to think of it it may have been a competition. Caitlin is a junior member of St. John.

We have had 2 nights of rain, which was welcome with showers during the day. We still need more. Quite a bit of wind, too. The remains of a tropical storm up in the Pacific.

I am now back into my weblog "OldEric, my funny motto". I've written 2 pieces so far and feel quite enthusiastic again.

We are thinking seriously of getting broadband. The local power company Genesis Energy is offering a discounted service to consumers only. If we give up one of our 2 phone lines it will only cost $20 per month more than our existing dial up account. Set up fee and modem etc is $250. Thinking that one over.

Journal: Lake Walk and the Caravan Park

Friday the 13th, some consider it an unlucky day. I'm not very superstitious and I will walk under ladders but look first to see if it is safe... no paint pots!

I had my morning walk round our lake again this morning. The early morning temperature was 11C. and so I just had my pullover on. Towards the end of the walk I pass through the caravan park which belongs to the County Council. A pretty place on the lake edge with well kept trees and shrubs , the grass neatly mowed to lawn length.

The park is used regularly by tourists in camper vans or cycling as a nightly stopover and some stay a few days. Like many caravan parks there is a semi-permanent clientèle of all persuasions, a few homeless hiring a caravan, some working in the area during the week and then home at the weekends, some staying a few weeks or months and then moving on to pastures new.

Then there are the few are who are to all intent permanent with homemade awnings, floors and small gardens and patios. To these the council has turned a blind eye to the length of stay rules over the years. Recently these permanent and semi-permanents have been given their marching orders, a date set for next month, June. The council wants to redevelop the area; beautify it further in line with the lake walkway and park layout plan.

A number of the near permanents have old converted buses and some of the others, 28 foot dual wheeler caravans. When the local paper interviewed the permanents one said he had been permanent for 11 years. and this was his home. I know for a fact that at least one of the buses with permanent awning, patio and garden which sports a six foot tree-tomato tree laden with fruit has been resident here at least 15 years, since I began walking the area in 1990 and he looked very permanent even then.

Each morning as I pass through the park I wonder: will the old bus ever go again when the try and fire up its engine, will its wheels turn, are its tyres perished? Or will it have to be towed away or transported? A few other long-timers also probably fit into the tow away catagory, too. I wonder also where will they go? Who will have them? Their trauma presently must be intense.

Unlike the British Isles there are strict laws against squatting on private land or council owned land too, for that matter. Travellers would get short-shift with New Zealand laws. My mind boggles when I read of the antics of travellers in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Well I thought, I'm glad who I am, what I am and where I am. Any trauma I may have is negligible compared to some of these people.

Journal. Wednesday Happenings.

Pat went down town this afternoon, did her High Street shopping and then drove to the supermarket via Bell Crossing. She rang me on her cell phone and was most indignant. She was stopped at Bell Crossing and breath tested by the Police at 3 p.m. in the afternoon. I laughed and laughed and asked "erratic driving"? She became more indignant.

Reminds me. The 2 retired nuns who live 2 houses from us were breath tested close to Xmas a few years ago on their way home after leaving an out of town church service.

The Garden. A big rat is living in one of my compost bins. I see his burrow each time I open the bin lid. Each time I put in more grass clipping, the hole gets covered up and each time he digs his way upwards again. I think I will leave him in there. He is doing a good job chewing everything up including the grass clippings. He can get out if he wants to, the way he got in... via the bottom.

Hurrah, it is raining this afternoon, unfortunately it probably will not last long. I didn't bother to stop my water sprinkler. The plants on the lower section have been hanging their heads. The drought period is 4 months old now. With a little rain during that time.

Journal. Mother's Day and other Things

Yesterday Pat was invited to Anthony's in Hamilton for Mother's Day. We both went for lunch and stayed for the afternoon. Anthony put on a good spread for us and during the afternoon we talked of many things and looked over his newly acquired house once more. We both enjoyed the afternoon and didn't want our evening dinner on our return home so we settled for scrambled eggs... genuine free range with deep yellow/orange yokes.

After 5 weeks the house now looks lived in... a home and it has the beginnings of a personality. I forgot to take my camera but we will be in again shortly and take some pix.

Today we were in Hamilton once more to pick up Pat's repaired computer... a faulty hard drive under guarantee. They managed to recover all data and programs fortunately. Pat kicked her self, an unread text message had been sitting on her cell phone to tell her that it was now repaired, since the previous day. We could have called in and collected it yesterday.

We came straight home again and I spent the rest of the morning reinstalling the computer. Pat is now as happy as Larry. Who was Larry??

Gillian is going to drag the reluctant Paul across from Whitianga this coming weekend to look at houses she has selected. She has one particular one in mind, that is if it hasn't been sold.

New Subdivision

I was clearing weed down the bottom of our section last Saturday. A track has been cut in the swamp bush below our house from one side to the other by the new sub-division people. It comes out at the bottom of our land by the steel paddock gate. Looking down the bottom of our land, the bottom fence has a survey marker post hammered in. A metre from our fence.

I wonder if it is their intention to clear the swamp bush from this point and up towards Raynor Rd. A total of 12 sections of the first phase have been sold already. No roads yet and the developers are still doing the earthworks. The title to the new sections will not be through until the coming Sept. or Oct.