Dec. 21

Dec 21, 22

These were days for getting organized, eating wonderful meals, and getting ready for the next leg of the trip. As Xmas was approaching Derek and Sue were having to keep lists to make sure everything was ready for the holidays, Gareth (their son) and his wife Jolie and their two children were preparing to come home for the holidays and so meals had to be thought out, arrangements for presents organized and so on. John felt that he was in the way even though both Derek and Sue very graciously disagreed.

On the evening of the 21st John was scheduled to go and see the family that he had lived with (well, had the granny flat in their house). John had hoped to see Lynley, her partner Dave, and Lynley's adult children Kris and Kim. Too bad as it turned out that Kim and her fiance could not make it due to retail work this near to Christmas and Kris' girlfriend was off to Australia for the holiday so john did not get to see them.

Derek dropped John off at Lynley's new house in Takapuna. It was not the same house on Northboro Road where he had stayed. But it was very beautiful, stylish and in a great location. Like Derek and Sue's house, you can see a part of the ocean.

The first item on the agenda was to take Lynley's dog, Sam (short for Samantha) for a walk along the beach at Takapuna. They went to a beach where John had feared to tread. It was the nude beach, though in the evening with a brisk wind and a temperature of just 17 there was noone in the altogether. Lynely said something about it having something to do with the gay community, too and that was somethign else that john had not known before. They played throwing the ball and two year old Sam, who is about the size of a Jack Russell, loved runniing to get it.She also played with another dog being walked. Here in NZ, people expect their dogs to be social and get along.

When they got back Kris offered John a drink. He made a wonderful summer drink. It was Feijoa flavoured vodka mixed with old fashioned apple juice (you know the cyder type of apple juice not the clear stuff). It was so delicious John greedily asked for a second one. Like John's drink of choice at home, the Caesar, this instantly became his favourite drink -- for New Zealand.

They had a wonderful barbecue meal - lamb chops, lamb sausage, and chicken. Lynley, who is a marvellous cook (like all his friends in New Zealand it turns out) also prepared roast potatoes, salad and asparagus. The highlight of the meal though was the pavlova. Lynley had remembered that it was John's favourite. It is like a large, hard meringue though soft inside. Both Kiwis and Aussies claim it as their own. Lynley's had real whipped cream and strawberries to top it off! It was so large that the four (Lynley, Dave, Kris and John) did not even eat a quarter of it.

They had wonderful conversation about days gone by and current news and all helped do the dishes. Kris, it turned out had sailed for New Zealand! He had just finiashed his engineering degree (just waiting for convocation) and was working for the summer sailing tourists on those huge America's Cup yachts out of Auckland. It had been Lynley's last day at work before a long break (she goes back Jan.11) but she offered to drive John back to Derek and Sue's. As they were saying goodnight she said, "Do you have your hat and sunglasses? Of course, john had forgotten. he said he would find a way to come by the next morning to pick them up.

When John got in the house and said he had to go back, Derek and Sue immediately volunteered to run John over. John felt really touched that all his friends made such efforts for him at such a busy time of the year.

TRB