Life without Bruce: Week 1, April 26 – May 3, 2011
Firstly, apologies for not posting in a while. My blog is a bit broken and I can’t post any pictures right now. Which is a bummer as I have several posts waiting in the wings to be published but they are not that exciting without actual pictures to *show* you. So those will have to wait while my webmistress fixes this little glitch.
Secondly, I have an announcement to make: Bruce has left the building and will not be back to New Zealand until October! Yes, that’s right. Bruce is currently in Glastonbury, UK, attending a Tibetan Overtone Chanting and sound healing workshop with world-class teacher Jill Purce. After that, he’ll head to the States, where he’ll make a few stops and then land himself in beautiful Reno, Nevada.
Why Reno? Because that’s the home of the Burning Man temple building crew – the International Arts Megacrew (IAM) – who have been selected to build this years’ temple at Burning Man. The International Arts Megacrew is being co-led by one of our very own New Zealanders, Chris ‘Kiwi’ Hankins. Kiwi has been part of the Kiwiburn organizing committee for the last five years and has been our Man builder for the last four. He’s a veteran burner and we are all filled with national pride at the thought of a New Zealand-led team building the Burning Man temple. The IAM crew will be over 100 people strong, and Bruce will be heading up the sacred geometry team, an area near and dear to his heart. Go here to read more about the Temple of Transition.
This is such an amazing opportunity for Bruce and an amazing opportunity for me – to stay behind and hold the fort — three cars, two houses, and a dog — through winter! Be careful what you wish for! I have been whinging for months now saying I need rest and quiet and now it has been delivered. I will be managing on my own for the next four months before joining Bruce in late August (yes, that means we are going to Burning Man as well as doing other things in the Bay Area throughout September).
So here I am, one week into my ‘retreat’. I’m dreaming of idyllic moments by the fire, just me and Nina, relaxing and reading and catching up on all the projects that have been put aside for the last eighteen months while we’ve been under renovation. Hehehehehehe, I hear some of you saying. You all know me – it is a true trial for me to sit still, to do nothing, to actually rest. Can I do it? Is it even possible?
Let me regale you with my first week ‘alone’.
Day 1: It’s a nasty wet day and I manage to sit in bed reading for a few hours and just relish in the quietness of the household. Nina and I go for a walk. I call the dog behavioural specialist because Nina has been having some issues lately which have gotten progressively worse over the last few months. Separation anxiety is what it’s called and I need to nip it in the bud. The woman tells me to try more exercise and to order a bach flower remedy (a homeopathic tincture) for her and to try it for two weeks. I find someone online and place an order.
Day 2: After another long morning walk, we drive out to Wainui. Ahhhhh, it’s a peaceful, lovely day. I make a fire, putter around, check the mice and rat traps (two dead mice) and during my puttering in the garden I notice a big fat cowpat splotched on the ground. OH NO! Cows have breached the property boundary. I hunt around and follow the signs and sure enough, I sneak upon two big black beasts, who upon hearing me, go running off into our forestry block. I make a call to our farmer neighbor and he says he’ll come over in the next day or so to get ‘em.
Day 3: Laundry, tidying, cleaning. A nice morning spent straightening up the house, putting away things that needed putting away months ago. I need to head back to Christchurch and decide to take the 4×4 as it needs to be re-registered for winter road use. En route to Christchurch, Nina and I have a very nice walk (I can get used to these!) I drop Nina off at the dog-sitters as I’m heading up to Auckland on Friday!
Day 4: Off to Auckland for an overnight to attend the Auckland Kiwiburn decompression party and Temple fundraiser. Friend Shelley picks me up and we have a lovely afternoon out. Back at the house we watch a bit of the Royal Wedding (so romantic, I really love Kate and Wills) and then off to the party where I gab away for the next five hours and catch up with heaps of friends. Good party and good fundraiser.
Day 5: Slept half the day. Hang out with Shelley, go to an art gallery opening and then back on the plane for a 8 pm flight to Christchurch. Swing by and pick up the dog and am home in bed by 10:30 pm.
Day 6: Laundry, reading, tidying, and then a two hour hike with Nina up in the Port Hills. Home for an hour and then off to a Gangaji satsang. Bruce & I have recently been exposed to the ‘teachings’ of Gangaji and we like her message. Once a month, there is a satsang (a gathering where we watch a teaching of hers and then discuss afterwards). Home by 8 and to bed.
Day 7: I take the 4×4 in to get a warrant of fitness and it fails the test because the HORN doesn’t work. What kind of car has a horn that doesn’t work? Okay, one more thing to figure out how to fix. Hoping friend Darek, who is arriving on Friday for a month, will be able to help sort this out – cheaply! Then off to an initial kinesiology health appointment (I’m a fan of GrabOne.co.nz and am enjoying snapping up various services for half price, one being said kinesiology exam). After testing me for various items, it turns out that my body is low on minerals and that I also could use a bach flower remedy – I tested for the Elm essence which helps alleviate issues with too much responsibility (do you see the irony in this?). I also had a few other things going on so am now taking homeobotanicals for that.
Day 8: Another walk in the park with Nina and I randomly meet a very cool lady and her little wee dog. We strike up a conversation and walk together for a half hour and it turns out we have heaps in common. I may have made a new friend! Then off to Wainui. Check the traps (two mice and a big rat), make the rounds around the property and notice further telltale signs of cows – cowpats and a munched garden. FREAKING COWS. They ate all the kale, broccoli, and swedes! I was counting on those greens to sustain me over the next few weeks. Waaaaahhhhhh. Called neighbor farmer Dave and he said he didn’t see them last week when he came by. So, tomorrow I have to go into the forest and find them! Damn cows!.
So, uhm, that’s my first week alone. Next on the horizon: Meet Darek on Friday who’s here for a month; a night out boardgaming; afternoon circus; out to dinner; fix car; and whatever else may come my way. See ya next week!
NEWSFLASH: Said cows were standing on the front lawn after I wrote my initial draft of this post. They bolted down the driveway and up to the front gate where they couldn’t get out because we have a cattle stop there. So what did they do? They just walked OVER the 4 foot high wire fence along our property boundary. Seriously. I thought it was a magic trick because one moment they were standing at the fence and the next moment they were through and running off down the road. Cows are big!