viernes (14) y sabado (15) de Octubre

In anticipation of impending doom (exam study), I allowed myself a brutally busy-with-play weekend. Friday commenced with a delightful phone call from home. After talking for a couple of hours (I don't afford calling home anymore, so home calls me), flatmate Claire and I were off to update the WOF on Uncle, our cruise-liner of a car. While we sat in the sterile little waiting room with the complementary mangled magazines, I relished reading 'The Atonement Child' by Francine Rivers (I better enjoyed 'Redeeming Love,' though both novels are a bit cheesy and unrealistic). I returned, solo, with the car (Claire narrowly missed being hit when she jumped out of Uncle at a traffic light) and took a 40 minute nap before going for a run.
This day I visited the cemetary; I love old cemetaries. The gravestones seem so magnificent, yet useless. It makes me sad, though, to see how people memorialise their forefathers today in contrast to the past. Why do we so often insist on pragmatism?
On the way back through the botanical gardens, I ran into a group of Student Life girls, with whom I was going to Port Chalmers for the end-of-year swimming party. I made it to my flat with just enough time to pack some things for the swim party, but also to stay the night at Long Beach for the Dead Poet's Nite!
I didn't have time to shower after my run, so I was the token stinky person in the van on the way to Port Chalmers (my apologies, Abbie). The pool was wonderful, though, and Danny had planned some great relay games. For one relay we were split up into teams of about 6 and given a number of items - floaty mat, tube, kayak (no paddle) - and had to move them, along with the entire team, from one end of the pool to the other. The first run I was in the kayak with Bonnie pushing me. I started to go sideways across the pool while watching Lucy zoom, backwards, to her destination. And yes, we all played whirlpool. Amazingly effective considering we only used one end of the pool.
An array of food met us outside - yum sausages, potato salad and a multitude of hot chips. Little Olivia joined in the touch rugby that began on the grass. All the big guys were so sweet, making her feel like a real part of the game!
As everyone was moving inside to continue the festivities, I had to go to catch my ride out to the beach. It was at that moment that everyone realised why I'd brought my tramping pack to the pool :o)
Additional note: this was my last contact with Aaron and Connie. They've left for the States for three months and I'm going to miss them muchmuch.
It was a full-van trip to Long Beach. Eight highschool and uni aged folk laughed and chatted wildly on the way. It was so loud that I had to text my friend in the front seat as he couldn't hear me from the back. Ok, I probably didn't need to take such drastic measures but just for once I'd like to meet my 500 texts/month limit! At this moment I've only 64 texts left. I'm thoroughly impressed with that. Not sure why except that I prefer to get my full money's worth. Sorry, I can't seem to stay on task. So much to consider and many important decisions to make.
A roasty fire was glowing and everywhere people were munching on lollies, marshmallows and damper in golden syrup or jam. I was requested to start singing to get everyone's attention, so I hopped on"stage" (a large crate) and blasted the audience with Shirley Temple's "On The Good Ship Lollipop." Then began the readings and recitations. A scene from Braveheart was acted out for the kick-off. There was a skit, some original pieces and sweet, funny childhood rhymes. I read "Ozymandias," by Shelley. Singing, ahh, was sporadic during the evening. Most of it terrible, or so I've heard. As I'd forgotten food for the next day, I bartered with my American marshmallows for some breakfast.
Just about the time the high school students had become 'one' with the sugar they'd consumed, I was getting drowsy. Caleb had recommended sleeping in the cave a short distance away - the sand was cleaner and it stayed warmer with it's low ceiling. Mike, Susan, Caleb and I moved into the cave and set up sleeping zones. We wanted to get up in time to see the sunrise, so the alarm was set for 5:40am, although it was nearly 1:30am. It was cold night on the hard sand, complete with serenading from a nearby penguin (whose lovely noises had scared the crap out of me earlier in the evening). When the alarm went off we layered up and ran outside to see the sunrise. Mysteriously dark for a sun that was supposed to come in 4 minutes. Caleb said,

Hmmm. I bet I forgot to change my GPS unit over for daylight savings. Well, I'm going back to bed for an hour!

A sleepless, shivering hour later we were up again, this time faced with a bright, but overcast, morning sky. Sigh.

Fact for the day: When your bladder is full, your body fights to keep the contents warm, often dropping your body temperature just slightly. This can produce that chilled feeling, though you are, in fact, warm enough to survive...just not sleep.

After finding a toilet, I crawled back into my sleeping bag and enjoyed glorious, warm sleep for the next 90 minutes. Yay for morning!