everyone knows this is nowhere

It rained all over me today. Went and used the interweb at the info centre and then went back to the friendly shop where they had just put out some vinyl records. The bad news first. Scads of the Marshall Tucker Band and Guess Who. Both of them give me a pain but I bought one of each for forms sake and, wait for it. A copy of the Grateful Deads first double album, the first three Buffalo Springfield albums, Live Rust, After the Goldrush, Decade by Neeeel and an almost mint copy of 5D by the Byrds and some other stuff. Died and went to heaven on the spot.


Cool bananas.

On the way home the new denizen of our little grove called out and asked me in for a cuppa.

He's been here for about a month but one has to give others time to breath and wait.

Anyway it turned out fine. He is an elderly Maori chap who did the roads around the Wairarapa, from Alfredton to White Rock for thirty years with a fund of great stories.

However it was family time first. He comes from one of those large country families of 16 siblings and he has lots of tales to tell. He told me a beaut about his brother who has diabetes. He pulled the jug on himself and never felt the pain and he walked around for three days till his boss made him go the clinic and 8 weeks in hospital and skin grafts. Recently his brother was hit by a lady while he was on his mobility scooter. Her fault and he ended up back in the ward getting a very large wound sewn up that he couldnt even feel. The doctor said, "you are in a bad way mate", and his brother said, " which way"? We had a good laugh over that one and then he said the doctor said, "I know you", and his brother replied , "yes I've been here before". The doctor went away and got the notes. He didnt come back for a while and he was carrying a bloody BOOK. it was huge. It was a complete medical history and the subject was on tap. The nurses liked him too. The doctor said it might be time to go into a home. "you will have everything done for you."

"No", said his brother they wont do it MY way!At that the doc laughed.

My new pal was telling me about his early life after he moved from the country to Auckland. I got a Herma Keil vinyl LP from the sallies about a month ago and I mentioned Herma Keil and he nearly had a fit. Hell he said. "The first job i ever had was in T.J. Davenports shoe factory in Newton Gully and Herma Got a job there for six weeks. My pal had to show him what to do and take him under his wing. When Herma left he invited him to a performance at the Trades Hall and he was given the royal treatment. Drinks and supper after the dance. yep they had dances in those days.

We all went home tired and happy after that.