A couple weeks and grocery delivery service makes!

They just retire to a park somewhere, where they serve as the gentlest possible reminder that it hasn’t always been this easy. 

We live across the street from this historic house, currently occupied by some branch of Reverend Moon’s religious empire. With him dead and his family now in charge, it’s a little harder to tell from the outside whether it’s a cult or a political movement or a pyramid scheme or what. Probably whatever happens inside those walls falls into the large category of things – like bungee jumping and cosplay and veganism –  that I think consenting adults should be allowed to do even if I think I won’t be joining anytime soon. 

Lee’s new office window view. 

Our much-loved Filson umbrella didn’t fit into the suitcase and so awaits back in Brattleboro. But the Kiwis know a thing or two about rain and wind. Enter the Blunt, shown here shielding this fine penguin at the Auckland Museum. 

When some of the original invitees cancelled, Lee and I got to join my new friends at HealthLink for the gala awards banquet hosted by Air New Zealand for businesses that export stuff… increasing exports is a national economic priority. 

The dinner was fun, although like all awards ceremonies it went on too long… the emcee Kerre McIvor was a hoot, the food was better than I had any right to expect, and the after-dinner entertainment was good too, if slightly surreal: a local guy of Polynesian descent belting out rat pack / goombah favorites. Mambo Italiano… there, now it’s in your head too. 

HLK came in second in the small service business category, losing to another software house. The entrants were heavily slanted toward agri-business. In fact, all three entrants in the large business category were dairy producers. I was glad not to be in competition with the firm that exports bovine artificial insemination training materials, including a life sized, anatomically correct cow nether parts. 

I’m still waiting to get photos of us from other people and will add those later. I had to rent a tux, since mine didn’t fit in the suitcase (or all that well around my waist, truth be told). So, don’t blame me for the clip-on tie. 

It took a couple weeks, and the fibre connection will take a few more, but as of yesterday we’re back in our own century! #addicted

Now that Lee is in charge……

This house, built in 1904 for a former Mayor of Auckland, is next door to us. And across the street is a big old house owned by some portion of the Unification Church… the Moonies. But for the most part, the old houses have been turned into multi-family dwellings of various types. Like ours. 

from the front window.