WHY oh why?? What's not to like. Thankful Thursday. Inside and Outside Isolation

The question maybe: Why New Zealand?  Some of that has been previously covered - things like brexit, uncontrolled covid, we've retired, its wet and cold, it gets dark too early.  I was given a book called 'Death, an Inside Story' and I have become even more aware that I have fewer years ahead of me than behind me so let's do what we can to have fun.  We will miss people and aspects of living in UK, but it's time for something different.  We lived in NZ for 13 years and 13 years ago, for a couple of reasons, not least to be with Ali's parents after the catastrophic and devastating suicide of her brother, we left.  Since then Ali's Dad has died, my Dad died 2 years ago, Ali now has minimal family in the UK and any semblance of family that I can be involved in has sadly petered out.   What's not to like?  Leaving Ali's Mum kinda 'alone' but as I said before, amazingly she gave us her encouragement.  At least we left her with memories of her enjoying a fish and chip supper without the chips and a fish that resembled an orca whale.

In March we came over to go for a walk in Tasmania and visit people but had no intention to look for any where.  Dear Jacinda kept us here for 5 weeks and the house we move in to, by chance was 1km up the road from our great friends with whom we were in lockdown.  What chance that was; we were nearly locked down in a Picton motel for 4 weeks, but that is all another story for another day.  

For those of you who haven't seen our patch of paradise, maybe to be called Dar-es-Salaam, 'The Haven of Peace', here it is.  I'm expecting it'll be a haven of peace based on Ali and I spending 14 days in room 936 24/7.

It's Thursday.  Well it was when I started this.  Most of you will wonder what is significant about that.  When you are in 2 weeks isolation and quarantine then when Thursday comes it is time to look at what there is to be thankful for on Thankful Thursday.

It's an odd world when suddenly the one thing you look forward to is the daily knock on the door.  Like one of Mr Pavlov's dogs we hurridly put our stipulated blue mask on and run for the door.  The excitement of being aimed at by a tazer like gun to be told I'm 'normal', by a nurse in uniform, is palpable.  The exchange takes 1 minute 37 seconds, and its all over.  Door shut and all that I'm left with is the new knowledge that I'm 'normal', and the memories of the nurse in uniform!  Heh everyone I've been told I AM NORMAL.  NORMAL for 9 days!!  That's a first then.  Apart from writing this, waiting for BBO, Brown Bag O'clock and the daily reassurance that I'm normal, although I was told that these nurses are not qualified to make psychiatric assessments.  What does one do in isolation? 

I look back to Hong Kong airport.  You'll know about 4'6" Ann from my last missive, and how, with much laughter, she guided the incompetent old codger through QR codes on my stroker phone, I am thankful to her for showing me what to do. I now have to scan at almost every turn on the block, such is the track and tracing.  It's agood job Dido never made it to NZ.

It's great to be able to wake up at some dark hour, be woken up by partying youths interspersed with the odd gun shot and not even worry about it.  It means that I can taste the live thrilling excitement of rare Wigan wins with Crusty.

I'm thankful that it was thursday and that the other morning the 07.00 40 minute walk was fully booked but there were some lazy sods who slept in, and that Private Talula from the New Zealand army allowed us to fill the vacant spaces, in fact not only welcomed us, but encouraged us, much to the heart sink disdain of the others.

But the release from room 936 each day is a treat to look forward to and the fear of possibly missing out one day was a worry greater than missing a Wigan goal.  It is so much fun, wheel barrows, 3 legged, backwards and blindfold.  However, here at Grand Millenium the food is great, the people wonderful, the bed comfortable, the view ok, but I have one major serious complaint and I'll be writing to the to the Major General. I was asked not to wear my mask over my eyes, dunno why, even though it also covered my nose and mouth. Absolutely blooomin rubbish. Sack'em!!! Dear Squadron Leader, To me it seemed normal. Yours, Ricardo, only half there. A full risk assessment was performed and elf and safety signed it off.

Despite that, it's hard work, burning up 242 calories over 2 kms at a speed of 3 kms/ hr with a heart rate of 110 bpm and 3667 paces. Hec, I feel exhausted just thinking of it. I love my time out there so much that 40 minutes just isn't enough, so I tried to camouflage myself from the army Lieutenant. He was almost convinced.

What hacks me orf (except it doesn't bother me at all, but to say so makes the story plausable) is that the smokers have a nice outdoor, open to the skies place to go and smoke.

Solution:

Simple as. Take up smoking.

Do you think the Major will be convinced by my cigarette? It worked! The army were fooled. NZ SAS here I come!

Don't you just love it!! So thoughtful and who would have known it! 'International Bathtub Day'. Friday 11 is IMD 'International Mountain Day'. On international bath tub day we got a surprise bath bomb delivered to our door. I'm wondering what will be delivered today. A mountain with a snow capped summit of ice cream, maybe? IMD, Isolationists Bonkers Day??

Whilst being thankful for all the good things, what will I miss? I will miss the good groups of people I have mentioned before and all the lovely kind individuals in those groups. I'll miss the diversity and close proximity of Europe, we had some wonderful trips away. I was pleased I decided to take one last trip to my Dad's burial woodland, and to break the law and rules by digging a hole on top of him at waist level and pouring the last of my Mum's ashes on to him. I was kinda satisfied that I now know they are both together in some way for ever more.

Eight days after he died, for reasons I don't understand or know why I became 'personna non grata' by my 3 siblings, a situation that despite mighy herculian efforts by me, there was a clear desire not to find a resolution. It's sad, I was supremely upset but I'm lucky to be able to move away; it's clearly what they want. I am thankful that a distance feels like the load on my shoulders of frustration and upset is largely removed and my head is turned. I thought this bit of graffiti was rather pertininent.

As my mate Jacinda says 'Be Kind'.

Isolation is nearly complete but we've had time to do research for what will happen once the new venture starts.

Ali, in her usual meticulous and didligent way has been researching what kind of car we will get, whilst she thinks that a hybrid is the way to go, I got very excited when I heard it had a 10.5 inch tv in the middle of the dash board, it being the closest I'm likely to get to a telly.

I'm looking at installing a hydro-electric power station to supplement the sun in the winter, I'm not expecting there to be any objections to a dam in the valley.

On 12 december 1901 Marconi sent the first electronic signal from Cornwall to Canada, the morse letter 's' ... and up until 2 days ago we would have been reliant on seeing the satellite fly over our house and then quickly send our stored up e mails of the day, and making all necessary phone calls.  Ahh but not now.  Whizz Bizz say they've set up wifi in the valley.  Satellites are so passe.  Bless Marconi.

Once we get this car we'll need some where to hide it, along with bikes, stuff, canoe, stuff and more stuff. It's going to have our additional water containers, massive 3000 litre wine bags underneath it, this garage is going to elevated.  Well thats what I reckon anyway.

So much has been done in lockdown that plans are laid for a magical adventure.

I worry though.  Our container is in the Suez Canal heading for Djouboti.  No rush though, the Port of Auckland is closed for a few months so the Americas Cup can keep sailing at great speed!  I like the priorities.  I do hope the gold fish still in the bowl is ok and the rough seas didn't spill it's water.  I was hoping the Captain may have picked up some people in a small over crowded boat in the mediterranean, and if he had they'd have been welcome to our container.  If the pirates want anything, you're welcome.

As a friend of mine said, we are lucky, we have our new life and house to look forward to whilst many only have January.  But the biggest achievment of the 9 days is that I have read some pages of a book all about death.  On that, I'll leave you.