ANZAC

Just returned from the dawn ANZAC service at the Auckland War Memorial - brrrrr. Autumn has definately arrived. We followed the full moon all the way to the domain, and were gobsmacked at how many others were following the same path. The 10-year-old God-daughter and I had a bit of a walk, to get to the Cenotaph, and we missed the arrival parade of veterans. However, it was pretty special just to be there, in the cold dawn, with so many others. The Herald estimates 2000, but I think that's extremely conservative. I'd say more like 4 or 5000. (there were FAR more there than the population of my school, which is 2200-ish). Still nothing like the 20,000 estimated to arrive at Anzac Cove in Turkey this year.
It was pretty amazing to stand while the last post was played, and the flags on top of the Museum were lowered to half mast, and have that many people silent for a whole, precisely measured, minute, and then to turn round and see the dawn breaking over Rangitoto. Click here for Dick Hubbard's dedication, and here for the address by the Governor General, Dame Silvia Cartwright.

We left our poppies planted in the ground in this cross, only to discover most others were placing them at the foot of the cenotaph where the wreaths had been laid.

On the way home I spotted a cat on the road, which I could see was obviously still alive, but looked unable to move. It was dreadful - we did a U-ey round the roundabout and went back to see if there was anything to be done. I lifted him off the road (a GREAT big grey fluffy tabby), and he squirmed away with only his front end working. Poor baby. Went door knocking (at 7am, you understand!) till I found his owner, who was understandably distraught. By then she had a couple of neighbours to support her, so off we went, and off they went to the vet. Spare a thought for some random woman called Allison, who will be feeling very sad this morning - I don't know if "Fester" (what a dreadful name!) will make it. My Honey got hit by a car about 5 years ago, and she's as bouncy as anything now - well, apart from that she's now 10, and sleeps most of the day on my bed in the sun. I would have hated if she had been left on the road like that for someone else to run over later.

Ballooning

Have returned tonight from the "Balloons over Waikato" festival. I was particularly keen to see the "night glow", where they inflate a bunch of the balloons, and then light them up in time with various music clips. There was a scarecrow, a barn complete with animals and grain silo, an enormous bunch of tulips in a vase & a bunch of others, including the one we are going up in today fortnight - all being well this time with the wind!



This morning, we got up at some ridiculous hour and chased the balloons across the city to where they were all landing on a park across town. All, that is, except for the one that landed in someone's front drive, and the balloon itself seemed to swallow up the cars on the road as they hurried to deflate it and pack it up. Highly amusing.

Not as amusing, apparently, as the sight of me in nighty and dressing gown skipping across the bridge to get a better photo from the other side. I made sure at least one of my photos included a woman in her pj's, just so I could demonstrate I wasn't the only one to leave the house in a hurry!!! The view of the balloons along the river was brilliant, and we found a series of bridges to view them from. It whetted my appetite for our expedition coming up!

Tops!

Wow! one of the most amazing students I have ever had the pleasure to know, has just been announced as top scholar for the country (secondary school). (and of course it looks good for my school, too!!!) It's worth $15,000/year for the next 3 years. Again WOW!!! I am so thrilled for her, and a more personable, thoughtful and conscientious person you'd be hard pushed to meet.

WOW!

Just connected my broadband modem. Cor - who'd have thought the internet could be SO fast!!

Sigh...

Not impressed at waking not long after 3am this morning, and now here I am, up & at 'em. Grrrrr. I gave up about 4 and started reading. And now, since I'm still not apparently getting back to sleep, I thought I may as well get up and do some work. Grrrrr!

Oh well....

Tis all very well to have had a front row seat, at the best match the local team have played all season......


BUT...


I hadn't picked them to win, in the aforementioned competition. What a strange feeling, to be so excited about the (nearly) try-scoring happening right in front of us, yet well aware that this amazing and excellent slaughter of the team leading the competition was being matched by my own toppling, as I'm sure that most of the rest of our staff will have loyally picked the local team to win. Won't they??

Rugby

I'm amusing myself, at present, as much as anyone else, by being in the (co-)lead for the 4th week running (out of about 40 people) in the ongoing Super12 picks competition we're having at school. It helped that one week I got all my picks right, and hence 2 bonus points. I think the greatest joy is beating the pants off the coach of the 1st XV. He & I are on duty before school Friday mornings, over in the underground carpark at the shopping centre across the road, so discussing our picks for the week has become a hot topic of conversation. It's pretty entertaining. Much more entertaining than interrupting whatever deals and blegh behaviour we are there to prevent!

Annoyed...

I wrote a post on Tuesday, which seems to have got lost in cyberspace. Ah well.. here goes again!
Last weekend, we put on a service on Friday night, based around the seven last sayings of Jesus on the cross - the UK REJESUS website was a rich resource, with thanks to Mark Pierson for the loan of his copy of the CD.

I was responsible for the station for saying #6, the one where Jesus said "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit". Interestingly, the interpretation on the Rejesus site was of Jesus being angry, but I chose to interpret it along the lines of there being no safer hands that he, or we, could be in. So my painting was titled "No Safer Hands":


Now, of course, I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I'm thinking I might try and sell it on TradeMe!!

Jumped..

...ship, that is, to Firefox.
I went to a conference the other week, and the speaker at one of the workshops I went to introduced us to it. Up till now I'd just heard of it, but now I'm converted! I love the tabs. I love that my taskbar is uncluttered. I like the look, and I was really impressed at it importing my bookmarks & history and passwords. wheeeee!!!!!