17 May 1996

Winebox enquiry continues - 17/05/96

Has Roger left yet? It must be soon, if he hasn't. So how has it been?
Nothing much has happened this week. Winston is up in the polls again.
There is 80% illiteracy in South Auckland third formers.
The Winebox enquiry is making KPMG Peat Marwick look particularly sick (Diana's old boss was on the stand again).
The semi-final against Northern Transvaal is on Sunday so Michael Jones isn't playing. We hope Natal beat Queensland so we have a home final if we win on Sunday.
Camerons has gone into liquidation (Roger will know who that is).
Otherwise, everything is pretty dull.

13 May 1996

Busy couch potato weekend - 13/05/96

Well, Auckland play Northern Transvaal in a semi-final at home (yay!) Otago got creamed by ACT, Gordon Hunter's last game as coach. Andrew Mehrtens knee is okay, Jonah can't tackle or defend. The Warriors got dorked by the Roosters.
Eric Cantona scored the goal of his life in the 86th minute to give Manchester United the double for the second year in a row.
The America's Cup defense will be sailed off Brown's Bay, close to the shore (relatively).
The Immigration service sent that Korean home the day before Bolger arrived to meet the South Korean President, coincidence says the Deputy PM.
A couple of kiwis are (Rob Hall and another) are lost on Everest, probably dead. Rob Hall is nearly as much of a mountaineering legend as Edmund Hillary.
An American airline has developed a novel way of feeding alligators in Florida.
Winston continues to go up in the polls, now likely to be senior partner in a coalition (don't come home, Paul, not now anyway).
And finally, Roger's MCP badge and kit has arrived (before mine, you bastard) Otherwise, everything very dull.

1 May 1996

Roger Leaves for Nokia and I Find Some Old Bits - 01/05/96

I have forwarded it to Bambi to see what he thinks. Could be that ICONZ, our service provider, was down when the message hit. If it happens again, just resend.
Cleaned out the shed over the weekend, including lots of joystick parts. Felt very sad and very old, all of a sudden. Drove past Rakon yesterday and thought of you, they are based in Mt Wellington now.
Roger flies out to San Francisco today to visit Paul. Our longest-standing employee has left after two and a half years.
Diana puked all day Sunday, with some bug. She was recovering by the evening. I spent most of the day going places with the kids. We went to visit Gavin on the weekend. Maggot is happy enough (did I tell you she lives with him now? He has three dogs, including her). He is thinking about changing jobs. He sees a lot of a surfie chick called Lisa, but I think they are just friends. He roller blades now. He has just about finished his first novel.
My accounting systems book is nearly complete. Big job, bloody hard work. Will have to start studying for some more exams now. I became a Microsoft Certified Product Specialist on the 20th of March. Haven't sat any exams since April 10.
I lost again in squash on Monday night, 3-2. Point count was 38-35 so it wasn't by much.
So, are you ever going to come home? Will you live in a foreign place forever? Does this mean you don't want to come and work for me?
Tell me a bit about what your hopes and aspirations are. Mine include not working myself into oblivion. maybe trying to trim up and get fit. Will get a new bike when we get to PC. Easy cycling round there. I want a swimming pool so I can swim (well, that's an unusual use for a swimming pool).
I need a mega-holiday. Will probably go stay with Penny in a month or two, with the whole family. They get on really well with the kids.
Philly and Terry move in to their house this weekend.
Anyway, CUL8R.

21 April 1996

A New House - 21/04/96

After 8 and a half years of wedded bliss at 20 King Street, the Clarke Clan are on the move. We have sold our house, and bought a place in Point Chevalier (Had to move somewhere with the initials PC).
We will smartlink our phone number across to the new house, perhaps. Otherwise we will use a service where you ring the old number and get told the new number (you get it free for three months).
The new address is 36 Dignan Street, Point Chevalier. Getting close to the expensive part of PC, houses sell for $1,000,000 at the end of our street (major earthquake could do a lot for our property values).
At the end of the street is the mangroves on the eastern side of Pt Chev, one street over is a boat ramp, and the park at the end is about three blocks away. The Kindergarten and school are about two blocks from the house, with no main roads to cross.
The house was built in 1943, three bedroom, huge lounge, kitchen/dining area. Bathroom not big enough for birthing, so we need to think about that one. Dining area goes out onto a covered deck that is north facing. It has a petanque court (Paul, we played that up at Peter B's, remember?).
There is a single garage, with a sleep out, big enough for two desks at one end, and couch and other stuff at the other. Massive 700M2+ section, flat as a pancake. Enough space for swimming pool, swings, trampoline, and anything else we think of. Cross-leased at front, so we are well back off the road. Lots of concrete driveway for bicycles and skateboards.
We might try to go up, when we can afford it. Will get views up there. Diana is rapt out of her tinies, and the kids just run around everywhere when we visit. People we are buying it off are really nice. Had three boys, all grown up and gone now.
Other than that, life is boring. Roger leaves in about a week. Will be a bit hairy while he is in the States, I think.
Foundation is now an official Microsoft Solution Provider (get copies of stuff like VB enterprise edition for free). Me and Peter have been sitting tests like mad. I've passed four now, need three more to become a Systems Engineer. A woman got killed by a van on Gt. North Road in New Lynn right outside where Peter sits his exams, when he sat NT Workstation last week. Didn't put him off. I sit mine at Microsoft, heh heh.
Everything else very dull. Went to see Auckland Blues beat Waikato Chiefs yesterday in the Super 12. I have a season ticket. The Blues should play their semi-final at home, cool. Won't be able to walk to Eden Park anymore, bummer.
Took me eight minutes to get to the new house from the office on Friday. Won't be like that all the time, but not bad, I suppose. Distance from work now 4.5Kms, rather than 1.5 (a 200% increase).

{Koos - ignore this next bit if you want} Diana spoke to Olwynne yesterday, trying to track down Roger when I was at the rugby. Had his mobile turned off, bastard. He was playing tennis at Stanley Street. Anyway, she seems cheerful, although not very settled at work yet. Why doesn't she study and sit the exams for Word and Powerpoint and Excel and get into computer training. Then she could come and help us get our training company moving. We can give her all the training material, practice exams, and stuff. I did all of my study outside business hours, so why not? You should talk to her. I've been using Excel for nearly 10 years (1986, at MacDow holidays), and with about four hours study I scraped through. A bit of work and she could get some very usable qualifications.
{Koos - you can come back now}

Am working on my accounting and information systems book/booklet. nearly there. Have written shitloads and hope to get it out of the way within a week. Anzac day on Thursday, so I'm having a four day weekend. Weather sucks.
Peter Bamberger hasn't set a date yet. Engagement party went well.
Better go home with stuff I popped in to pick up. Send some mail you bastards.