Old age is catching up

Dear Gran

I turned 37 yesterday, I used to feel like 18 with some experience but by last night I felt like old age had got me firmly grasped by the ankle. The Sands of Time are running low.

The cause of this rapid ageing was our stake athletics day. I have never been a great sprinter but the passing of time makes my youthful prowess seem better than it actually was. I represented my ward in the 400 m race.

400 m is once around the track but it might as well have been to the moon.

After the first hundred metres my lungs were burning, my chest heaving and my legs had turned to jelly.

This second hundred metre stretch was furthest from the seating, fortunately as the look on my face was enough to scare small children. My teeth were bared in a fixed grin of pain. My eyes stared somewhere in the distance, my nostrils were flared as they tried to extract oxygen from what seemed to be a vacuum. And my left knee was starting to make a loud knocking noise, but I could hardly hear it above the noise of the crowd cheering the winners as they came down the home straight.

As I came around the last corner with only 100 m to go I knew that I would eventually make it. I was not sure if I would make it before everybody else went home!

I think I crossed the finish line some time that afternoon, I remember waking up with the drizzle on my face wondering why the grass seemed so comfortable.

The ward was able to take second place in spite of of my lack of abilities on the track.

Gillian and the kids all had a great time too. Zeek is a natural sportsman, Cheryn runs like her mom.

"The curry on the floor wasn't really my fault"

Dear Gran,

The phrase "a little goes a long way" was coined to describe the mess a 6 year old can make when he tries to sneak food out of the cupboard quietly!

Zeek, Rachel and Corbin started the next school year this week - I think they were excited to get back as the holidays might have been a bit long for them.

Cheryn starts high school tomorrow - I feel a bit old to have a daughter in high school! She is nervous and excited - claims she won't be able to sleep tonight.

I attended a trade show with my brother Donovan yesterday. They had a competition for plant operators - guys who use big digging machines. Some of them were so skilled that they could pick a tennis ball off a road cone and put it down on another with an excavator.

Gillian will be working at the ice-cream shop once a week - I think she is quite pleased to have something to do when the kids are not around.

Cheers

Pete

Dear Gran

The summer days seem to be getting shorter faster. It's dark in the nights now and only gets light at about 6am.

Cheryn has finished going for her high school preparation lessons. She was very diligent in her work and I think she's a whole lot better prepared now. I'm not prepared to have a kid in high-school, I feel way to young!

Zeek visits home occasionally for food and sleep. The rest of the time he is on his bicycle with his friends. He went fishing the other day and came back with a 50cm long trout!

Rachel keeps doing her school homework in spite of the fact that she is on holiday. She looks forward to starting school next week.

Corbin lost his first tooth last night. I pulled it out for him with a pair of pliers. He is so excited and keeps giving a gap-toothed smile.

Gillian is in mourning - her Dad's father passed away yesterday after being frail for about a year. It is sad but also a relief I am sure.

I spent 4 days camping with the boys from church - we swam in the freezing sea, did some wall climbing, lots of other fun activities and not too much sleeping!

Cheers

Pete

Gemma Bowen is born in South Africa.

Elaine went to the Dr on Sat morning and has had flu this whole week. It has not been getting better so he suggested a caeser that same day (after Bert's funeral) so that they could then treat her effectively.

The baby was big enough and in no danager (2 days earlier than planned)

Gemma is currently in neonatal ICU (about 3 times bigger than any of the others in there) as she has a lowish blood sugar (in the normal range but low). The paediatrician says she may hve a sudden drop in glucose levels within 48 hours as she is a big baby. They have here on a glucose drip and are monitoring glucose levels.

Elaine is okey - just sore.

Gemma is so cute - very nice and cuddley, not fragile at all.

Grandpa Bert 1812-2007

We'll miss him. A great husband to Gran and an important part of our family.

Gran, we love you and pray for your comfort and peace.

Harry Potter Ruins Family

Not content with destroying the hopes and dreams of a previously disadvantaged wizard from a troubled background, Harry Potter managed to ruin what was otherwise a fairly good weekend.

It all started with a 300 person queue in the local shopping mall at midnight on Friday.

After a brief but sharp marital spat Gillian declared herself winner and settled into bed for the long haul. Sustained only by bowls of fresh popcorn she read for hours, dozing occasionally with the book in a death grip in her right hand.

Just before midnight on Saturday evening - she having hogged the best seller for most of this time, letting out occasional exclamations of delight - she finally succumbed to sleep and I was able to remove the book using a crowbar and a lot of dishwashing liquid.

I knew I had to act fast. She could wake at any time and reclaim it using nothing but her feminine charms and steely glint. I read like a man possessed and just as I was enjoying the closing pages I noticed that the sky outside was light and the sun had risen.

Cheers

Pete

Bonfire's Burning

The locals take their braais fairly seriously.

Every year on the 12th of July the Protestants build huge fires and burn Catholics (well, perhaps this year they won't burn any as peace is supposed to have broken out).

This one is outside a local housing estate called Kilcooley. I think that's derived from some ancient settlement rather than from a bias against Indians.

Speaking of braais our neighbours gave Cheryn a rabbit. It's amazingly soft but quite frightened as it had a fairly rough upbringing being dumped in an alley in a cage during a storm.

After a few almost all nighters I launched my new online business this week. It was exciting to wake up in the morning and find that people had bought while I was asleep. You're welcome to take a look at http://www.NoMore247.com and tell me what you think.

Gillian finally got tired of me borrowing her car and bought me a Kia Rio. I wanted a boy-racer car or perhaps a Porche for my mid life crisis and instead I got a purple hearse. I'm saving fuel because I'm embarrassed to be seen driving it.

Cheers

Pete