Finishing the House in Covid Times

It's a hot nor wester on Show Day, the day that's cancelled by Covid, even though cases are still up north. Would Auckland stop if all cases were down here? I somehow doubt it. But letting us do what we want may provoke even more rebellion. There are so many dissenting voices, the virus is disrupting peoples' reason. Do they really want to risk this disease? I don't but I would like more freedom, considering we are Covid free. Hmm.

There were 22,794 first and second vaccine doses administered yesterday, made up of 6,285 first doses and 16,509 second doses. To date, 90% of New Zealanders have had their first dose and 80% are fully vaccinated.

There are 201 community cases in the community today:

• 181 in Auckland
• 15 in Waikato
• 4 in Northland
• 1 in Taranaki

Local mayors are appealing for their people to get vaccinated and Maori are asking for data on their people to support their efforts but the Ministry of Health are refusing. 

I'm a Word festival volunteer and ushering people into relatively space in The Piano. But the poetry session at the Foundation cafe in the main library is a people jam. So many words as poet after poet gets up to spout forth. Exhausting. I'm hung over after the Dux football club 40th celebrations the night before, just managing to get out of bed in time. Ridiculously early after a binge with hardened, hangman bingers who don't need any excuse at the best of times. Reliable, I stick it out. 

Old friends, Vinnie and Lizzie, come for lunch on Sunday. I first worked at Papanui High School in Vince's job. Doing relief while he went back to the States to farewell his mom. There for 5 weeks, I was back full time the next year, 1998, and I haven't left since. Longest I've stayed in any job but single mother with a mortgage will do it.

We're getting into relaxed mode, especially senior students who have finished assessment. Some soldier on but others, well they haven't been working for a while and they don't need any more credits. I give myself a lesson off and join them. Front left in Frances- I flatted with her parents in London. My boyfriend at the time was good mates. Funnily enough, they all went to Papanui High School. Small world. Never burn your bridges, NZ and especially Christchurch is too small.

The velvet curtains get rehung by an expert. I have to leave them open for 48 hours to settle. I missed them while they were away.

Concoction of the week, Elderflower champagne. I have to burp it for a few days to stop it exploding.

Whanau pictures. Rob's kids, Sean, a week older than Kahu, and Alex stay on their drive back to Auckland, lock down city. They've been studying at Otago Uni in Dunedin. We drink an old concoction of mine I unearthed the other day, Cherry brandy with manuka honey. I foraged the cherries from behind the Clyde dam about five years ago. We drink it with tonic- the honey comes through on the palette. Delicious. It had been sitting in the old garage all that time. Glad I kept it. I give Alex her mum's 18 year old AFS photo she wanted to throw out, but I squirreled away. It has intrinsic value for those who come after. And I unearth an old photo of us, I think I was 12, Nic 13 and Robin 10. Days long gone but the photo keeps them alive. Sean gets an old $1 note, found in Lionel's bedside drawer and last in circulation in 1990.

Haere Mai- Welcome to Assisted Dying

The somewhat incongruous heading on the Ministry of Health website sign posts our new law. Haere mai, welcome to death. This Maori greeting contains connotations of cordiality and I'm struck by the incongruous appropriation of reo to the Ministry of Health website. A year ago, in our last election,  65.1 % of us voted yes to euthanasia in an attached referendum. The bill becomes law this week on Sunday, November 7th.

Haere Mai | Welcome to the Assisted Dying Service

Assisted dying involves a person who is experiencing unbearable suffering from a terminal illness taking or being given medication to end their life. There are strict eligibility criteria to have an assisted death. Not everyone with a terminal illness will be eligible. New Zealanders aged 18 or over who have a terminal illness that is likely to end their life within six months may be able to access assisted dying.

Meanwhile, back at 22 College Ave, we are getting to the end of scabies. I take a bath in Epsom salts to redress the permethrin smothering. The end of another long week, I'm looking after myself: red wine, candle, hot soak. I attempt to tidy up the garage...I have to make a start. A party, more elderflower collection, this time in the red zone with Melanie, and the weekend has gone. 

At school the highlight of the year for seniors, their prizegiving, is a mixture of live and streamed. Students and teachers only. I'm in the J block with Year 13's who are having a great time while they wait their turn....all dressed up with plenty of space, packaged/Covid friendly snacks and energy to burn. It's freer and more fun than normal. As the ceremony proceeds, each year group files in and out of the school hall with parents watching at home. We go in for the finale, each student presented with a finishing certificate and the announcement of the dux. There's hooting and hollering and good cheer. The Papanui way..we don't need the stuffy town hall or capes and gowns. 

I'm at The Piano on Wednesday for the Word Festival, Tiny Curiousities session: food eaten by starving explorers, Gavin Bishop's research on his Maori great grandmother, the naked pie man of Palmerston North. It's eclectic and fascinating. As an audience we're spaced; no breathing on each other possible. Funny how one function can be so different to another under the same Covid rules. Last night, 300 of us in the same small space, sharing the same air and the same germs, tonight, less than 100 in a bigger space, more spread. 

And Covid? 

4th Nov -There were 26,999 first and second vaccine doses administered yesterday, made up of 6,659 first doses and 20,340 second doses. To date, 89% of New Zealanders have had their first dose and 77% are fully vaccinated.

There are 64 cases in hospital.

There are 139 new community cases of COVID-19:

• 136 in Auckland
• 2 in Waikato
• 1 in Northland

8th Nov- There were 14,280 first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses administered yesterday, made up of 3,272 first doses and 11,008 second doses. To date, 89% of eligible New Zealanders aged 12 and over have had their first dose and 78% are fully vaccinated.

There are 190 community cases in the community today:

• 182 in Auckland
• 7 in Waikato
• 1 in Northland

The rolling 7-day average for community cases is 148.

11th Nov- There are 185 community cases in the community today:

• 152 in Auckland
• 25 in Waikato
• 8 in Northland

The rolling 7-day average for community cases is 161.

I remember Lionel's funeral on 11/11. It started at 11am. One year gone already. RIP. I think more kindly of him as the days pass. The opportunity for reflection on how much his life was affected by active service during World War Two. I can forgive him a lot. I wish it had been easier for him with his sense of humour and fun. Thus easier for us, especially our mum. Nobody gets their time back.

                                                               Cabbage tree flowers

 

                                                                   The Naked Pie Man 

                                                                 Thursday drinks

Second Week Back and Labour Weekend

Covid is disrupting life up north but it's business as usual in Otautahi. I listen to the stats and the case numbers are relatively stable although there's an upward trend. Meanwhile the vaccination push is on and I'm waiting, hoping I will get to 8 weeks  for or longer before my second jab.

With the end of the year upon us, school picks up pace. Corinne and I go to a performance at the Arts Centre and on Saturday I go to a double birthday party where I eat chocolate and flake out. It's Sue's neighbours and I end up having to lie down and wait it out. Not my best effort and takes me back to early partying over dose episodes. Not that I had too many of those, but the woozy out of it feeling blind sides my body and brain and I try to sleep it off. I wait for Bertie, who is supposed to be picking me up to go to another party, to arrive. He's lost his phone and I've Facebook messaged him with the address but he can't find me. He drives up and down Holly Rd then goes to borrow a phone from Anjie and Greig. We go home and I sit up and drink tea in an effort to come right. The body stone wears off enough for me to get back in the car and I arrive at Jacqui and Brent's a bit worse for wear. Lesson- check dose before consuming. Sunday is a slow day. Till Marie's BBQ where I eat a lot. Minimal drinks.

It's Labour weekend and I've got Monday to recover. Tuesday the curtains for the spare room arrive. They make the spare room feel like a room. They frame the window and provide privacy. On Wednesday my Year 13 girls from last year come to visit. Rosanna, Caitlin and Charlotte are so sweet, now nearly finished their first year at tertiary . These girls were so quiet in class but somehow we bonded. Them and kids like them are why I stay in teaching. They visited the house during the build and we prebook a revisit. I'm going to have to get a few more jobs done...unpacking and the toilet seat in the main bathroom. It's dragging. On Thursday I nearly tick off another job, tiles for the ensuite splash back. But there's a choice of gloss or matt so I take both back to double check. Matt it is. I drop in on Sharyn. Her family is helping out and I check the decor: super bright greens, sunglasses the order of the day. Sharyn loves it. Not sure I could live with it.