No more sleeps

Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today.....

I'm going to San Francisco today. Well, late this afternoon. Can hardly believe it. Now the essay is done, work is over for a week and a half, and I've decided to flag the swim training session this morning (oohhh naughty), let me tell you about it.

I'm an internet junkie from way back. Bless the Smithsonian for putting pictures of their quilts on the net in 1994, it's all their fault. I'm typical, I'm told, because women like me quickly adapted to email, because of the networking thing. Well, yeah!

In 1996 I was pregnant with Edward (who was supposed to be Emily!). Hoorah! I was working full time, and I had a 2 year old, so I guess I wasn't seeing too much of other mothers. I remember feeling tired and stressed. I got onto a mailing list (nope, don't remember how....) of women who were also pregnant and expecting babies at the same time. We were from all over the world. I often had email conversations with Fiama in Florence, Italy at 9pm my time when she was just finishing breakfast. There was someone from Singapore (Rita?) and a lovely woman who lives in Sydney, but most of my new found correspondents were from USA and Canada. There were some falling outs.....oh, email flaming was rife, but the hurt was genuine, and offshoot groups moved into new lists, eventually finding a home in a Yahoo group. We're still talking, a smaller group of us, and there's a new message on the list just about daily. As you'd expect with a bunch of women, there've been more births and some sad and shocking deaths. We've stuck together through divorce and new marriages, major illness and scary accidents, through tiny triumphs and big milestones. This group of women has been one of the constants through my last 11 years, and they have moved me to laughter and to tears. While the focus of the group was to talk about the kids, as they've grown, the discussion has ranged away from them more and more. Teenagers and men in the lives of these lovely women would be horrified to know some of the topics of conversation!

So, I'm going to San Francisco today, to stay with one of these friends, and tomorrow we'll be joined by a few more. Then on Wednesday, I'm off to New York, to meet up with even more, and some of the 10 year olds too.

There have been some negative and viscious comments made to me about taking this trip. Of course, there are many more sensible things I could be doing with the money I'm spending on making this connection, particularly at this interesting point in my life. But what the hell. Life is short, and difficult. I'm going to celebrate these friendships while I can. New York has been calling to me for many years.....so I'm going to check it out. These people aren't strangers, they've been my friends for 11 years. I've worked hard and saved hard. Nay-sayers be dammed. I've got my credit card and my passport, a list of phone numbers and addresses.......I'm off!

One lovely friend predicts I'll be having adventures with a fireman or policeman in New York. Another reckons I'll be shipped off to Guantanamo Bay and he won't be seeing me for years. Hmmmm. I'm going to a quilt museum in San Francisco, and having a long hard look at the water between the mainland and Alcatraz. There's an ocean swim race there every year.......

There's a new exhibition of antique quilts at the American Folk Art museum, and I've promised Edward photos of Strawberry Fields in Central Park. I'll be the one with the lime green bag and the big grin.

See you in about 11 days.

Yes

Dear internets

I am sorry for neglecting you. I've read all your news and enjoyed your emails. I have written 3204 words of my last essay (yes, the LAST essay), and it just needs tidying up and some reference checking etc etc. The boring bits. I keep thinking how wonderful it will be to have this over with.....and then I remember I need to get on with it, so it will be over with, if you see what I mean. Anyway, it will be over with tomorrow, I reckon, even if I have to get up really really early, and go to bed really really late!

Look, there have been things going on while you weren't looking.

There was the sunrise, a week or so ago. Beautiful. Wellington days often start out gloriously at 6 or 7am and then deteriorate. Been happening a lot lately. But last weekend the sun shone and the wind blew from the right direction and I swam around the lighthouse, two days in a row. Yes, with a bunch of other mad people. Now, that was good. That was really good. Took about an hour. Will be aiming to do it (it's 2.8 k) in less than an hour. I'm going to swim across Auckland harbour at the end of November. I am! So, lots of training required. I'd show you a picture of the route, but the links aren't working. Have to take a picture myself.

I enjoyed the last of the daffodils. Arent' they pretty?

I've been making risotto. Leek and mushroom this one, dairy free, lots of good vegetable stock and white wine. Yum! I like making risotto, I like the contemplative nature of all that stirring. Especially with good music playing (loud), and a glass of wine in hand. Come visit sometime, you can talk to me while I stir.

I've been working my butt off too. I went to..........and met with............I even answered a few questions from.............I've written so many...........and helped coach.........then watched...........on tv. High excitement. Oh you'd be so proud dear internets! Can't tell you though, can I? Cos we don't blog about work. No, we don't.

Only 3 sleeps til I'm off on my adventure. San Francisco and New York. Little me! In New York! I'll stop by and tell you about that before I go, because that's worth a post all of it's own.

Yes, I am going to finish the encyclopedia of me. I've got it all worked out. There's u, v, x, y and z to go. Hmm, guess that'll be the November posts taken care of. There are quilts involved, I promise!

Oh, and men? Weird. Don't understand them. Going back to not even trying. And that's all I'm saying.

love Pixie

xxx

I'm in a hole

It's dark in here. Lonely too. Bugger it.
Hang about while I figure out how to get out. I know, I'll finish the essay, then I'll go to San Francisco and New York. And remind me not to talk to my Mother for a while will you?
That oughta work.

Let me just record a few moments that've made me smile of late:

• I sent a text to the Saggitarian one night while I was at the bus stop. "why do buses always come late?" I asked her, just to pass the time. "perhaps they haven't met the right passenger yet" she replied. I laughed out loud. on the bus. shocking. probably scared someone.
• School holidays. rained continually. Oldest was mellowed out on the sofa, listening intently to the Frank Zappa cd he got from the library. He enjoys the weirdness. His little brother, appalled at the music, was under the kitchen table holding up signs saying "on strike". I just live here, okay?
• All Blacks vs France playing loud on the radio at reception at the pool. A few of us fresh from the sea on the way to a hot shower. Stopped to listen with about 10 others, in various states of dress, from the gym and the pool, halfway up the stairs, leaning on the desk, all absolutely focused on the commentary. Radio is so great.

I'll be back, thanks heaps to those who've cared to ask where I am, or in some cases, demand that I get blogging again...which is probably the same caring kinda thing.