Southerly: Coming Up For Air
239 Responses
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Oh David. About halfway through this post I wasn't sure I could read it right through, so nightmarish is your story. I can't imagine how you and Jen have survived and not gone stark raving mad. But a happy(ish) ending, hallelujah!!! Congratulations. And hugs.
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Oh my darlings. Hurray for the new land - which looks fabulously bucolic, and perfect and beyond for Bob the Explorer, and his little sister! Boo for the allergies. Workable but a pain, nevertheless. Hurray for the keeping of the lovely villa! Boo for the sleeplessness.
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David Haywood, in reply to
Thanks, Lilith & Jackie! But, of course, it has to be acknowledged that many, many people have had a much tougher time than us.
In an update to CERA’s accommodation scheme, there is now a question mark over whether people in our situation are eligible or not while their houses are being moved. I’m investigating further (as soon as I find the time).
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Jackie Clark, in reply to
You all deserve a good long sleep/rest/restorative therapy of some sort.
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merc,
I hope you won't mind some technical details.
Are you kidding? I love technical details. And isn't it odd that when we finally give in, something comes along (the section in this case).
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In short, a wonderful location for a young family.
Congratulations, it's a beautiful spot. You did good finding somewhere quiet. At the picturesque & entertaining Warwickz Farm right on the main highway there the noise level from the passing trucks can put Blenheim Road to shame. Still a great place with heaps of exotic livestock which adds to the charm of the neighbourhood no end.
Here's Mr Bruce displaying one of his top chooks during the Devonshire tea. Recommend the scones.
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Hi David -- this is good news. And it reminds me: Conrad of the Economist fame left your bike key with me. How urgently do you need it? Email me if you like.
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Sacha, in reply to
How's Mr Heine doing these days?
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Sacha, in reply to
You all deserve a good long sleep/rest/restorative therapy of some sort.
+1
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What amazes me is that through all this you've remained the delightful man you are.
I hope you all have a great Christmas, David. Will we see you in Aucks this summer?
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Oh. I woke up this morning in my own funk about our suddenly precarious state but compared to this? Meh. We'll be fine.
As a one year old countrysider may I say the countryside is just lovely. And the sound of cows and sheep is amazingly soothing. I hope the coming months hold a minimum of fuss for you.
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Nat,
You all deserve a good long sleep/rest/restorative therapy of some sort.
+about a million
And you made us all laugh ourselves silly at the OGB in the middle of all of this David!
Russell, can we have a fundraiser for the Haywoods' lost $20k? :-)
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It is such a relief to hear that things are looking brighter.
I look forward to technical details and I look forward to the non-technical details of your lives becoming less chaotic. I would have said normal but small steps for now.
+1 on a fundraiser, I will pay money if you can figure out a pretense that the Hay's will accept.
I'd also note that David is the author of books that make excellent christmas presents.
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I'm so glad to hear that you've found a solution, even though you were taken to the limit by other people's attitudes and mistakes. We're having what may be the last of the River Rd block meetings tonight, as nearly everyone has left our area and the group is drifting apart. The dismantling of neighbourhoods is one of the saddest aspects of all this post-quake mess. Anyway, you now have a future that looks positive, which is great news for Christmas week.
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And you'll be about 15 minutes from my parents' house. Please get chickens. I am positive that Bob would love chickens.
When you and I had coffee last month, I was thinking how exhausted you looked, and how I wished there were something I could do. I am glad it all worked out in the end.
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Sacha, in reply to
I'd also note that David is the author of books that make excellent christmas presents.
Otterly - details of one here
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The land, and the village, look wonderful.
From Wikipedia:
Dunsandel had a population of 429 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 27 since 2001. The town was established to serve the local farming community which includes dairy, sheep and cropping and continues providing veterinary, transport and vehicle repair services. It has one primary school for approximately 50 children. The town is the home to the Dunsandel Cricket Club. The club's 'A' team has a reputation as one of the premier teams in the Ellesmere district.
So much more hard work to come, with moving houses and all that, but I guess now with a sense of being able to do something, instead of just having to keep on trying to find your way through the insurance knot.
I hope that you and Jen find some moments of peace over the Christmas break.
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Jeee-zus. What a breathtakingly awful year. Sorry for the general unhelpfulness of this comment, but all the best for Christmas and the New Year, and the new home.
At the risk of speaking for other PA readers, would it be possible to set up some kind of donation affair to help Christmas along a bit for your family?
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Along with Lilith I was not expecting the punchline. it looked bad bad bad.
Dunsandel. Great name for a place. Shame they couldn't spell it like the original Irish, Galway, - Dunsandle. 16,000km does funny things to the Englush langwidge.
I have to say though. Tie the bloody thing down well. Dunsandel seems to have attracted it's fair share of shakes since Spetember 2010!
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
Tie the bloody thing down well.
I have a suspicion that the new foundations will be an engineering marvel.
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Hy Datid, oops, David – so pleased for you and this news.
But don't believe that stuff from Wikipedia is all there is to it – Dunsandel is much more notable for its dog dosing strip.
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David, are you intending to stay there, or hoping to ride out bad financial times, and then eventually sell and relocate?
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I will be crossing my fingers firmly - you deserve this luck to hold fast!
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David, I seriously don't know where you got the strength from but the future sounds so much brighter.
All the best for the new year and beyond.
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There have been only very short patches of time in my life when I've experienced that feeling you describe so aptly of waking up and remembering everything is still about to go to crap without the aid of factors probably outside your control, but I can hardly imagine what months and months of that would be like, psychologically. I'm very excited to hear the technical details, and hope the whole thing goes as uncomplicatedly as it possibly can. Just don't take the family swimming in Lake Ellesmere, once you get there; if I recall my geology report on it correctly, Canadian geese have not done its nutrient levels any favours.
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