I’ve had some questions about my plans for the coming year so here goes: I am flying from Dunedin to Olympia today. I’ll be there for the next 7 weeks, working for the AG’s office and preparing Selkie, our 11.5 m sailing yacht. We will be taking part in the 2010 Swiftsure race, from Victoria, B.C., on Memorial Day weekend. Richard Bigley and other crew will join me from Olympia, and Fa will be flying in to Victoria for the race (Patria will take care of Ginny and Hank while we’re gone). After Swiftsure, Fa and I, and possibly other crew, will sail to Hawaii. We expect the passage to take 3 weeks. From there we’ll sail to Samoa, another (hopefully) 3 week passage. Depending on our progress, we’ll try to reach Fiji a week later, where we hope to haul Selkie for the rest of the winter. We’ll then return to Dunedin near the end of July. In mid October, we’ll launch Selkie and finish the last 10 day(?) passage to New Zealand. If all goes well, Selkie should be in the North Island by the end of the year.
Here are a couple of wordles I created.
The first is from this blog:
This one is from my delicious tags:
The font size is proportional to the frequency of occurrence of the words in the source. Read the explanation at the site for more info.
RWAFC Prize Giving
Tonight the Roslyn Wakari AFC had their annual prize giving. Hank received the Most Valuable Player award for 10th Grade White. This is his second MVP award in 3 years. Although Ginny didn’t receive any awards, her team had several players on the Otago Representative Team, and 4 players on the Federation Team. I’ve posted an album to facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150630&id=543764697&l=5d3e1cb8d0
I’m off to Dunedin. I hope to do some more blogging when I get back to New Zealand. Cheers.
I made it to Olympia last night, about 30 hours after leaving Dunedin. All’s well. Looking forward to my 3 month stay.
I’m flying from Dunedin to Olympia tomorrow morning, for a 3 month stay. 2 hours Dunedin – Auckland, 8 hours in Auckland, 12 hours Auckland – San Francisco, maybe 2 hours there, and then 2 hours San Francisco – Seattle, where Kaya will pick me up for the 1 hour trip to Olympia. It should be about 30 hours, I think. Yikes.
Notice the email addresses. Would the United Nations use msn.com or live.com?
—–Original Message—–
From: UNITED NATIONS [mailto:unitednations_un180@msn.com]
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: UNITED NATIONS ASSISTED PROGRAMME
INTERNATIONAL FUNDS TRANSFER / AUDIT UNIT UNITED NATIONS (WORLD BANK ASSISTED PROGRAMME) DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL PAYMENT AND TRANSFERS.
Attn: Beneficiary:
We the above organization find out that you have not yet received your inheritance fund / interest, as we ordered for all foreign payment file to be submitted in our office here for a record purpose. Then after the bank in Africa and U.k submitted the foreign payment files paid for the second quater final of the year 2009 payment, your name was missing among the paid list but in our Approved Payment List of the year 2009, your name and fund was approved to be paid to you and we have not received the payment record from the paying bank since then.
We did not hesitate to ask the bank why you have yet been paid, which they made us to understand that you did not meet up with the obligation to enable them have access to transferred your inheritance/ interest fund and we want to find out the truth from you why you have not receive your fund yet, because we want to get all the payment files submit to our office here for a record purpose.
Now, update us why you have not yet received your inheritance fund which was due for long so that we can know how to fight for your case as we are not taking any chance to deal with whoever or bank that failed our rules and regualtion that guide the interest of the beneficiaries and contractor. For proper identification furnish me with your house address, as well your cell phone number for urgent information.
We need your answer now on your problems.
For: Ban Ki-moon ( Secretary-General United Nations)
E-mail: secre_generalun@live.com
Torn Calf Muscle Treatment and Recovery
Published 28 May, 2009 General ClosedTags: Recovery, torn calf muscle, Treatment
My torn calf muscle is just about completely healed now, after 6 weeks. At 4 weeks, I had returned to the squash court playing the “American” rules, which is what we call a game where every ball has to come back behind the short line. This game doesn’t require as much running and, most importantly, no sudden moves forward, which is what tore the muscle in the first place. After about 5 weeks, we played the regular game rules, and I held up fine, winning in fact. I’m still a bit awkward on the court, especially moving to the right, but very competitive.
This experience was much better than the time 2 years ago that I tore my left calf muscle. I’m convinced that because of my experience from that time, I treated it much better and therefore healed faster. This is what worked for me:
- Stop playing! Duh.
- RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) Immediately
- Pain Killer
- Crutches for 1st 2 days
- Physiotherapy after 2 days
- Stretching
- Strengthening Exercises after 5 days
- Moving around, lots of walking
- Avoiding jerky motion, like walking on uneven ground
- Golf after 2 weeks
- Altered squash after 4 weeks
- All good at 6 weeks
Your mileage may vary.
Another church sign:
I didn’t know they could do it, but I just got a new scam as a txt message on my mobile:
I googled it and apparently it’s like all the others. You make contact and then need to give them some money for some kind of processing, maybe £500, before you get the prize. Unlike email, though, don’t they have to pay for the txt? And can’t they be easily tracked down by the phone company? It was sent from 62450000, and says to call 447024062979, or email prize@sapo.pt (Portugal?).
My blog postings are getting fewer and far between. Of course my statistics are following too, although not as much as I would have thought.
I seem to only update facebook anymore. In fact, here’s a link to a fb photo album I just uploaded: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114468&l=bcbae16d3c&id=543764697
This time I got one, from “Natwest Bank”:
Dear Natwest Customer,
Francis Moore made an online funds transfer to your online account which is confirmed to be a mistake and we have reverse the money to the legitimate owner.
The details of this transaction are shown below.
Transfer Date and Time: 09/04/09
Transfer Amount: £1000.00
Transfer Description: Payment
To view this transaction and your current balance, please CLICK HERE <http://www.noreo.se/index/1/natty/Login.html>
If you have any questions related to this message or the funds transfer, please contact our helpdesk to rectify this problem.
Please Note That Payments May Take Up To 4 Banking Days To Reflect In Your Account.
Sincerely,
Natwest Customer Service.
———————————————–
Natwest bank. Registered Office: Natwest National House, 2 Triton Square, Regent’s Place, London, NW1 3AN, United Kingdom. Registered Number 2294747. Registered in England. www.natwest.com <http://www.natwest.com> Telephone 0870 607 6000. Calls may be recorded or monitored. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA registration number 106054. Natwest and the flame logo are registered trademarks.
Rupture of the gastrocnemius or soleus muscle, Part 2
Published 15 April, 2009 General 10 CommentsTags: calf, gastrocnemius, muscle, soleus, squash
So I did it again. I tore my calf muscle playing squash. Actually, this time it was the other one (right side). I always thought that when I tore my left calf and it healed, it felt stronger than the right. Maybe that explains what happened today. It was exactly the same as 2 years ago. I was looking forward, getting ready to return the ball, when it felt like someone had hit the back of my calf with a squash ball. Only the ball was in front of my. My initial reaction was that someone entered the court behind me and threw a ball at my leg. A few seconds later I knew exactly what happened and I was done. This time at least I knew what to do. I hobbled out and drove Phil home, then myself, had Ginny find my old elastic “tube” to put on, iced my leg, and called Roslyn Physiotherapy. I have an appointment for Friday, and then probably 6 weeks off from squash. I tried walking around but it was too painful so I got some crutches. It seems I was only on them for about a week last time, so hopefully that’ll be true this time as well. I really love squash and I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come. I’m getting old and my body is breaking down. I hope I can get back to golf, too. If I can’t do that then what else is left? Bowls?
Patria received this one. It’s good for a laugh:
Attiention Beneficiary:
The office of the U.S Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America, Department of the Treasury administration and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S Foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries, terrorists, international narcoses traffickers, money laundry and those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapon of mass-destruction. Homeland Security acts under Presidential wartime and national emergency powers, as well as authority granted by specific legislation of impose controls on transactions in freeze
foreign assets under U.S Jurisdiction.
In line with the GUIDANCE REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITY-BASED FINANCIAL PROLIFERATION OF U.S SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1737(UNSCRS) to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass-destructions (WMD), Terrorism Activities (TA), Money Laundering (ML) and Drug Trafficking (DT) within the U.S and its environments. It has come to this agency through our intelligent network, the delivery of a package contained an (ATM CARD), valued the sum of $8,300,000.00 that was made by the ECO BANK PLC in conjunction with an EXPATRIATE being sent to your location for the delivery of your package.
U.S.A contrary to Article 12, Section 38, Sub-Section 1V of the 1995 Financial and Allied Matters Decree1, guiding against illegal fund delivery in the United States of America Financial industry.
From the information contained in your clearance file here with us, you have not been approved for accepting such a huge amount of money from you paying Bank in question without complying fully with the provisions of the Homeland Security and the Office of the Foreign Asset Control, (Treasury Department). We therefore wish to announce to you that the delivery of your package contained an (ATM CARD) has been placed on HOLD here at Southwest International Airport Destin, FL until appropriate certification of the fund by this Agency is concluded. To this effect, bear in mind that we have held the EXPATRIATE from moving an inch out of the airport territory.
Meanwhile, we are not going to do anything contrary with the rules and regulations abiding this organization as it has to do with the United Nations interest. But, failure to comply with this, the package containing
the huge amount will be seized and you shall then be prosecuted.
You are therefore advice to get back to us and comply with the terms of this Agency to enable us set the EXPATRIATE in charge of the delivery of package
free for the delivery of your package.
Thanks for your persistence for reading this message.
Regards,
Janet Napolitano.
Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Football season began today. We have a bit of a logistical problem, because Ginny has joined Hank in the Roslyn Wakari AFC, and they play either 1 hour off or at the same time, and today Hank was in Mosgiel and Ginny was at the home ground of Ellis Park, Hank at 9:30 and Ginny at 10:30. Luckily it worked out today because I drove Hank, while Ginny and Fa were able to walk to Ellis from our home. Hank and I got to Seddon Park at 9:00 and join his new team, Roslyn Wakari 10th Grade White. After only 1 practice, we had to play one of the toughest team, Mosgiel. Unfortunately, we lost badly, but Hank said he really enjoyed it. He played goal keeper for one half and did very well. I think the team has potential, but they’re going to need to do a lot of practice to get better.
After the game, Hank and I went to Ellis to see Ginny’s game. Ginny and Fa walked to the park, taking half and hour to climb up and then down the Roslyn hill. By the time we got there the game had started. Now this is the 14th/15th Grade Roslyn team, because there apparently weren’t enough players for a 12th or 13th Grade team, where Ginny would naturally fit in. So she’s playing way over her head on this team. This is a boys team, but there are 3 other girls, all older than Ginny. Though it’s pretty tough for her to keep up with a bunch of 14 and 15 year-olds, she does enjoy it. She played for about 10-15 minutes and made a couple of defensive plays to help the team. We won by about 5 goals or so. The team is great to watch and Ginny is learning a lot playing with great players.
Ginny also plays on her high school team, but they haven’t sorted the team out yet. Hopefully we’ll see them play after the holidays coming up.
It’s so much fun to watch soccer again. We’re looking forward to a great season.
Apologies for the lack of posts lately. Seems like not a lot has been going on. Microblogging takes any energy I have for posting. See the new twitter gadget on the side there.
Summer has ended, but it still feels pretty warm most days. Leaves are just starting to turn.
Cricket has ended. Last night the Kaikorai club had it’s year-end prize giving at the Kaikorai Rugby club. Hank’s team, Section 4 Vipers, gave the MVP to Josh Mackey, the Most Improved award to Mamea Taimalie, and the Coach’s Choice award to Eathan Rowe. I have one ok picture out of a bunch taken too far away, as usual. Last year I made a video of a game, which I gave out at the prize giving, but this year my computer woes prevented me from doing it again. Sorry to the players, especially.
Roslyn Wakari AFC soccer practice began. Again we had a bit of a snafu, with Hank being assigned to the wrong team, or at least not the one we specified. He has decided to give 10th grade white a try, at least for a few games. I guess I can’t complain too much, since it’s all run be voluteers, and they have a tough time getting people to coach and organize every year. This year there is a coach, which is good. And this year Ginny has joined the club too, although in the 14th/15th grade, playing with mostly boys. We haven’t had a practice or met the team yet, so we’ll see what that’s like tomorrow.
Ginny’s OGHS soccer is also beginning today, but not sure yet which team she’s on. Will know in about an hour.
What else is going on? Ummmm… Working every day. OGHS Fair this weekend. Playing lots of golf, although not getting much better. Phil’s hurt so I’m looking for squash players. Looking forward to a visit from Corinna and Rachel next week, and then Fa’s friend Casey a week later.
Biggest thing coming up: I’m flying to Olympia on 1 June for 3 months.
See you on facebook and twitter.
New Zealand Cricket Online – Kaikorai Vipers
Published 17 March, 2009 General ClosedTags: cricket, Hank
Coach Dion reminded me the other day that the season statistics for Hank’s cricket team are online. The team search page is here (search for Kaikorai Vipers Section 4) and Hank’s individual stats are here. I set the security so that hopefully the links all work without signing in. Now for team batting it’s obvious they’re listed by runs scored, but I can’t quite figure out how the bowlers are listed.
Here’s a good leaderboard for the New Zealand Open: http://www.pgatour.com/h/leaderboard/
Washingtonian Alex Prugh leads the New Zealand Open Golf Tournament, being played now at the Hills near Queenstown.
Dunedin gets 3 games in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, including Scotland, England, and Ireland.
Kia Ora Sisu 
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