Sunday, February 26, 2006

Now or never kind of guy

February 26, 2006

Tokarau Beach, New Zealand

8:41pm

Whether it was Cable Bay,



with its funky pink sand, or Coopers Beach with overhanging trees to shield the sometimes white hot sun



or, our particular favourite, Matai Bay



which could easily rival any south pacific or carribean beach for most scenic, we certainly chose the right area to just kick back and watch the world go by. It also will be, I am sure for all of us, the warmest February on record.

We are off tomorrow, to Auckland, for two days, to get some last minute city things done, as well as Hud and I going to the aquarium, which I think I am looking forward to as much as him. Steph will spend a day at retail therapy, searching for appropriate return gifts for family and friends. She is envious of our little underwater jaunt, but something tells me wandering in and out of little boutiques squinting at the way too expensive price tags is not her idea of a bad day, particularly without the picks and prods of her whiny husband and demanding son.

We are almost all packed, just a couple of things left to jam in our bags, and then we will drive the 450kms to our swank hotel in Auckland, check in, eat pizza, and watch cable television until our eyes explode. Isolation is fun sure, but so are city amenities and a potential cold draft beer in the downstairs bar.

I enjoyed it here, but I am sure I would have enjoyed it more if it was in the middle of our trip or the beginning. This close to the end with not very much to do allowed me to ponder our future, and I really had to focus to keep the ball of anxiety at bay. I will have to do the same in Waiheke, which has equal majesty and lack of things to do.

It also means, barring a rare wireless neighbour again, that we will be without home based internet for the last two weeks, meaning answering random sports trivia or what we ate last night for dinner e-mails may be delayed in response.

I will miss my walks here though. 9.5km of beach walking and not even making it halfway. Even seeing the old guy’s schlong couldn’t completely destroy these memories.

Oh, I finished my novel. 168,000 words, 439 pages.



The easy part is over.

Now the log must be whittled to a toothpick.

Love to all,

J.

posted by Jason @ 12:00 AM