Gone

My best memory of my father:
Standing on the deck of a boat on the Norfolk Broads, beer in one hand, fishing rod in the other, grumbling under his breath about how the fish were not biting.
Then in an instant,grinning from ear to ear as he reeled in his prize.

In my memory, we will always be fishing together.

R.I.P. I will miss you Dad.

Bossy's Trip

Waitamata Harbour, after day in Devonport





Jazz in Auckland Domain



Takapuna Beach



Bossy

Thank you

So after three weeks of bliss, Bossy is now safely back in Yorkshire. What a wonderful time we had, visiting galleries, eating out, including a Kiwi picnic of Fish & Chips on the beach at Mission Bay, even the weather played its part & delivered warm sunshine on virtually everyday.

After years talking every day on the telephone, it was so good to have a conversation that featured eye contact & hugs, interspersed with warm kisses. Doing what other couples take for granted, walking hand in hand, eating out, buying groceries, trying our best to empty New Zealand of Chardonnay & Sav Blanc ( A thankless task but someone has to do it ! )While discovering the forgotten joys of Sardines!

It was the best time well spent, catching up on our lives. Sharing memories, looking through old photo albums.
I miss her, no doubt these pages will be filled with our exploits in the weeks to come. For us, it is back to the telephones until I make the trip to Yorkshire, which I am planning right now. Watch out Mr Pudding !!

Listening to:

Thank you... Led Zeppelin

CHEEK

Heaven, I'm in heaven,
And my heart beats so, that I can hardly speak.
I must have found the happiness I seek....

Status

Departure From Singapore (SIN) Terminal 3

08:46 Departed

Arrival In Auckland (AKL)

23:40 Not Yet Arrived

Commit

Today is the day when we find out if our hearts are right, the day when we find out if all the talk was for real.
I know that right now she is in the air heading for Singapore. That the flight was late departing by six minutes, but will arrive on time. Working in freight has it's advantages.
I have decided to head to the airport early, I would rather hang around there than twiddle my thumbs at home watching the clock.

Listening to:

Op Shop
Kate Rusby

Arrival

So it is time to reveal my secret. In 3 days at midnight, a flight will land at Auckland International, on board will be Bossy. It has taken two years of daily telephone conversations and planning to reach the moment when she will land. After all this time we will finally be in each others arms.
So much to catch up on, after a relationship of four years that took place thirty years ago, to be rekindled after a brief meeting in Auckland two years ago.

If this was another internet relationship I would already be hearing your cynical sighs right now. But it is not, as I have said we already have previous history together, a shared past that gives at least some idea of perspective. Not that we are entering to this with rose tinted glasses, peraphs glasses tinted with rose wine, but we are mature enough to know that this three week visit will be a chance to see if we have a future together.
Time to do what couples take for granted, walking hand in hand, sharing a meal, talking face to face, crossing the road together.

'Ah' I hear you say, 'but you can never return to the past, things change Arcane', yes they do, we are not interested in capturing past emotions but in forging a future together. So this year with no children around on Xmas day, it has not really been a time for celebrating, it has been a time for planning, waiting for what I consider to be my real Xmas day, the 29th Dec 2009 when I see her for the first time in two years.

I am excited, overcome with emotions, jumping from worry to joy as each second passes. I have played out that first meeting over & over in my head trying to imagine just how it will be, what we will say. More to follow.....


Listening to:

The sound of my heart

Mozza

Way back in the cold grey lands of yore ( Morley Grammar School to be exact ) we sat down for the usual tedious music lesson, which at this time consisted of copying note values in to our manuscript books, what joy !
Our master at that time was peraphs a year away from retirement, from his demeanour you guessed that he really felt the world was going to hell in a hand cart. Imagine then our genuine surprise when he instructed us to put away our books & pin back our lug'oles for a treat.

The record player was procured & as the needle hit the vinyl we waited, appreciating the warm ambient crackle in anticipation for the first few notes. For me it was an epiphany. as the opening bars of Mozarts " Eine Kleine Nachtmusic " filled my head with wonder.

Since that day I have loved Mozart, or Mozza as I like to call him. I never tire of listening to the genius at anytime. It amazes me that such a hard & tragic life could produce such beauty, with his ever present sense of humour bubbling under the surface to tease & surprise you. Ultimately his obstinacy & play fullness would be his down fall, but while he lived he produced work that will still be relevant in another few hundred years time.

Favourite pieces by him are too numerous to list, but when I hear "Nachtmusic"I am transported back to that grey class room & the wonder I discovered there.