Catch up

It was yet another trip up to London last, New Year's, weekend. This time to drop Mum off at Heathrow for her return to NZ & see if I could find something to do for my completely unplanned New Year's. For some reason, Levi & Marki didn't make it to Krakow to see in the New Year. Actually that reason was it was too difficult to get from where ever they were skiing near Salzburg to Poland. But that worked out in my favour as they had a little gathering at theirs, so I braved the trains into the city. As always with Marki & Levi's hospitality, I was extremely well fed & it was a good evening - even if I didn't understand any of the multitude of eastern-European languages (but then no-one but Levi & I understood the Te Puke stories). We wandered up to the building's roof to get a view of many of the various fireworks displays dotted around London as we opened champagne that kept multiplying.

Some sort of Czech food that was very tasty

Levi & Marki - on the remote chance any TP people are interested

There were a lot of fireworks, a mile or so away

Sunday I made the trek back home to Sidcup & generally sifted around seeing if a) Mum would fit all her things in her suitcase & b) how late we would be leaving for the airport. She did, & it was only 45 minutes - which I was quite impressed with. But we had plenty of time up our sleeves for a trying wet drive around the M25 before a tearful goodbye as Mum flew back to the other side of the world. As it turns out, it was well timed as a couple of days after Mum arrived home I got the sad news that my much-loved Grandma passed away after a prolonged slide into dementia. For me, I had about three years of being far removed to deal with the fact that I wouldn't be seeing Grandma again. Still, as I said during all those earthquakes, it's times like these that make one feel the furtherest from home.

On a note that will cut closer to the bone, I have a date for my shoulder op - February 21. It will be so nice to get it much more stable - although I'm sure it will come with a lot of sacrifices. Driving, riding & generally being armless come to mind.