Now You See Me, Now You Don't

A day of meetings spanning Christchurch. Meeting #1 with Ian to check the moisture level of the Tasmanian Blackwood, and establish the go ahead for laying the floor. He pushes a needle attached to a meter into the wood, like an injection. Result, 7% and 9.2%. Excellent. The threshold for moisture is 12%. At the Elms we get through a morning of paper discussions and Chris Hipkins, Minister of Ed, addresses the conference. I'm not really listening as I'm planning meeting #3 at Murray Hewitt to check the kitchen. The components are together and it looks how I expected, except for the island curves. I thought I asked for vertical beading but there are panels. It takes a minute or two to get used to the new look but it fits the profile of the cupboards and is definitely more deco in character. 

Back to PPTA and the next speaker. I don't have enough time to tune in, or the head for it. I need to be at the courthouse for Armana's arbitration with Tower, her insurance company. Meeting #5. I'm early but don't know where to go and it takes information 15 minutes to find out. In this day and age with computers??? Armana is late, she gets lost on the one way system. Her eye sight is dodgy and her driving dodgier. I wonder whether she will make it at all. We sit across the table from Tower, a rep and a  lawyer from Auckland. This must be costing a bomb. There's also a mediation person, whom they call "The Member." She's a lawyer with a house not far from Armana's. Armana gets to tell her story in her Cockney accent: tone strident, frustrated and heartfelt stressed. It's been ten years, I get it, I felt the same five years ago dealing with NZI. We listen. I prick up my ears when the lawyer talks about liability for earthquake damage only. Armana's policy is "as new." I'm confused. He sounds credible but we need to investigate. This was their position when I settled my house and I'm sure there's been class action to refute the pre and post earthquake damage. 

I don't take him at his word but after two hours of what feels like cruel and unusual punishment I bow out while the others are organising more meetings. I need to get back to my other meeting. When I arrive there's end of day chat in smaller groups. And a designated Exec only meeting. I'm wasted but I still need to get to the supermarket to buy food for Kahu while I'm down south. Nearly dead, I make it back for a pre-pre-dinner drink, before pre-dinner drinks in the bar. I was going to drop in at the house on the way back to Cashmere but I've been to too many meetings today.