Singular Scene

So Singular in Each Particular

Remote Control Life

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I remember when it was so prohibitively expensive to call overseas from New Zealand, or from the UK back to there that we rationed the number of calls to one every couple of months, and they were planned for and long anticipated, such special treats to talk to family when I was so, so far away, way back in the last of the 80s and first of the 90s.

Since I embarked on this American journey I’m hugely aware of the massive difference between then and now…

In the first two weeks after I left Melbourne (which was now, almost 4 weeks ago – crikey!) I have coordinated a house-sitter for my flat when unexpectedly Miss PUSS did not take to her new surroundings and needed to be repatriated to the family manor… this involved advertising the house-sit, coordinating responses (eep 20+ of them), interviewing prospective house sitters… all while I’m in NZ, and my flat and its prospective sitters, of course are in Melbourne.

On my first day the US,  in Los Angeles, I sat on a hotel bed, answered emails with clients, logged into their websites and trouble shot problems (which of course weren’t manifesting when I looked at them… typical). I also had a phone chats, with said client, nailed down some other issues and generally smoothed the waters to prepare for the next big project we’re embarking on together.

I fielded a concerned message from a friend who couldn’t get past the screen doors in my house to go in and clear the bedroom/bathroom of my personal belongings before the house sitter moved in the next day… The neighbours have the key but were nowhere to be found… So while I’m fielding calls from her I’m messaging the neighbours to see how far from the house they actually, are… and before you can say “Trans Pacific Data Transfer” the keys are handed over and the job’s done… all coordinated from all the way over here.  It just so happens that older ears don’t always her knocking on the door and a text message to alert them to their caller is all that’s required. A text message that starts across an ocean or more. Brilliant.

I love living in the future.

The attached image is HRH looking all blissed out with the lovely lady who’s currently living with her in my house.  I think it’s safe to say it’s going well.

A Visit to the Shire

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One of the things that happens when I come back to NZ to visit the family is that we default into just having family time, we’ll go out, sure, but I never feel like a tourist in NZ, because, quite frankly, I’m not one… So it’s been lovely to have a friend visiting from the UK who was happy to be shown our little corner of the world.

If you know the Waikato at all you’ll know that our biggest attraction down here is Hobbiton… the set tour of the Hobbit village from Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie fame… I’ve wanted to go for ages, and so today we went over for the guided tour which finishes with a beer at the Green Dragon pub… The weather was stunning, NZ in spring is green and glorious and it was a really fun way to spend a couple of hours… here’s how it looked.

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Casting off the Bowlines

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I’m back in the motherland… home of nephews, nieces, siblings and the rest of the family. I’m working; it’s basically business as usual, but I’m also marking time before I go adventuring next week… 90 days in the US of A.

It was a bit of an accident, the idea of spending an extended period away… an offhand thought said out loud that turned into a reality. One that still surprises me.

Good surprise.

So, I’ve dusted off the blog, spruced it up with a new theme, and I’m hoping to update it with tales as I go, starting with WordCamp San Francisco. I’ll be going from there to Portland, back to San Franciso and then on to Raleigh, NC and finally touching down with dear friends in Asheville, NC in mid November.

So, if you’re so inclined, feel free to follow along… I’ll be posting pix, no doubt on Flickr and on Instagram, and then occasional longer form thoughts and updates here.

I hope you’ll come too.

It is Finished

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Well, here I am, on the other side of my Masters Degree barely able to remember the pain of the last 6 weeks.  They say that’s what giving birth is like… once it’s over… you have the achievement and the hard work seems to be less hard than it was.

Well, mostly.

I’m shattered, of course, and relieved.  And today, after a domestic blitz unparalleled in 2009 my house is feeling the effects of finally having my full attention.  The cat is shipped off to friends to spend a couple of weeks entertaining them and tomorrow morning I’ll be boarding a plane for Aotearoa and the world’s most adorable (seriously) bunch of nieces and nephews on the planet.  (in the known universe, actually… ) oh, and yours are too…

Of course.

By some strange quirk of determination I managed to convince my internal deadline monitor switch off long enough to achieve the last two essays, both of them, a week ahead of their ACTUAL deadlines and as such had the final week of college to finish this https://deeleea.com/wp-content/uploads/flashdemo/index.html  You’ll recognize the header if you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, I submitted that in the first half of the year, but the calendar panels are new and rather fun and just in time for this advent season!!  Oh… and SURPRISE! you can’t open them till their appointed day – so bookmark the page ‘k?!

I presented the unlocked version of the calendar to my lecturers for assessment and duly handed in all my assignments and as of Tuesday can happily say that I’m done.  Of course, now I’m thinking about Honours, you know, coz I’ll need something to keep up the pace next year *facepalms*

I celebrated the end of the degree dining at Chez Maurice et Linda with some of my favourite women. The restaurant is a Northern Beaches landmark with the most delicious French menu – utterly wonderful and well priced ($51.50 for a 3 course meal!) Linda the hostess is amazing to watch as she served the whole room, Maurice is a bit abrupt and told us off for having one of our party not eating… space is at a  premium and the whole layout would have been different if there were only 5 instead of 6- they’d clearly have charged us if it hadn’t been our first visit…HOWEVER, the food was AMAZING, we had a brilliant time and I’m glad I remembered to book 6 weeks ago as it’s very difficult to find a table there at short notice!!!  I had French Onion Soup to start, Beef Wellington and finished with Crepes Suzette – yes, the were on fire… brilliant!!

Anyway, it’s late and I should be doing those last fiddly tidy ups before I clamber into bed, and so I at least get SOME sleep before the shuttle arrives in the morning… I doubt I’ll be bloggin in NZ – internet access will be sketchy… but until I get back, play nice ok??