s e v e n i s a j o u r n e y

The weather is crisp and bright (or was, when I started writing this), the water is that particular shade of deep peacock that I think I’ll now forever associate with Wellington Harbor, and the timing is just now swinging around to me getting to watch the spectacular sunrises over the water as I walk across town to work in the mornings. The tide of backpackers tramping bleary-eyed to the morning ferry has slowed to a trickle. The roses and daisies are blooming, as is the banksia at the corner of the steps down from the pedestrian bridge. I haven’t seen the silvereyes in the banksia yet, but the red-legged gulls are back to having their morning coffee in Frank Kitts park.

It’s Fall again, and I’ve officially been in New Zealand for one year. I had vague plans of writing some wifty that-was-then; this-is-now missive, but the prose just isn’t flowing.

Short version is: I love Wellington, in that way like you’ve met someone, and they made a really good first impression, and you think “Hey, this person seems pretty cool”, and then as you get to know them better, you just sort of fall into a happy, comfortable friendship. I know all the boats on Queens Wharf by name and tick them off as I pass by on the way to work. (Pacifica’s Spirit of Competition remains my steadfast commuting partner, getting into Wellington the same time I do every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.) The farm is fabulous, and new, and shows every sign of also being on its way to being happy and comfortable — though it will provide us with ready projects and Things To Research The Crap Out Of for a very long time to come. I still miss everybody back home (and I note that I’m still writing “back home” without thinking about it) like a big iron boat anchor stuck through my chest. But we’re adding new friends on this side of the world, dancers and SCAdians and gamers.

In other news:

–It’s raining now, which is good, as it hasn’t rained in several weeks, so we need it.

–Stephen is home with the flu, poor thing.

–Hopefully, the rain and the flu will both be gone by this weekend, when we’ve got a party planned. Actually, two parties. Yikes.

–My driver’s license has expired, so I can’t drive until either a) the confirmation of my licensing date arrives in the mail from the Mass RMV, or b) May 17th rolls around.

–We finally got to watch Edge of Darkness, which Angus sent me, like, a billion years ago. Hooray for region free DVD players.

–We finally got to watch the unaired episodes of Firefly (lots of new converts here — I think there’ve been at least three more sets ordered from Amazon since we started showing it…)