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ye-ha at last. update

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 12:41
by markjass
Have not contributed much recently as I have been doing a paper or two:

On 22 February 2011 Christchurch NZ had an earthquake. It severely damaged New Zealand's second-largest city, killing 185 people.

The magnitude 6.3 (ML) earthquake struck at 12:51. It was 5 km deep and 5 kilometres from where I live. I was without sewage for 18 months (got bored wit a chemical toilet and dug a long drop. My house is small, it sank 20 cm from one end to the other and tipped sidewards by 5 cm. It also moved north by about 15 cm. The house as been livable and I got off lightly compared to many oters. I was not physically hurt. About a year ago I found out that my house was going to br=e rebuilt, but no date had been set.

I have been planning an overseas trip to Singapore, the UK (where I am from), Morocco and Poland for at least a year. Decided to go for the trip because I wanted to be home for my fathers 80th birthday.

Well tonight is my last night sleep in the wonky house. While I am away, the plan is for my house to be demolished. Tomorrow I move into a motel for 3 nights. Just need the final push to get packed. The movers arrive Tuesday at 8am.

On Thursday I am off on a big trip for 8 weeks. I have three appointments tomorrow; sign off the forms on colour, taps, roof you name it (slight glitch today), osteopath to free up my back and dentist to sort out a tooth that broke in half on Friday night.

I am not stressed, just totally and utterly knackered, In a little under 5 weeks (insurance company brought my rebuild forward from some un defined date in the future, got building consent in 4 weeks), I have redesigned the house (have had a few yrs to think about it) chose colours, sinks, taps, carpet etc (curtains will wait until I return), somewhere to store my furniture, somewhere to live on return from my trip (same motel that I am moving into tomorrow evening) until I can find somewhere to live long term (think I have sorted that out), move all the plants that I want to survive (everything that is in 1.5 m of the house, phone, power, rates. The list goes on and on.

I will get a sleep in on Wednesday morning. Then a hair cut after lunch, followed by a 1 1/2 hr sports massage. Wednesday evening I am going out for a slap up meal. I don't think that my holiday will become more than a blip on the radar until then. I dont have to be at the airport until 9 am (1/2 hr drive away).

There are so may friends, colleagues, strangers(who are now friends) who have helped me. My insurance co and the builders and designers have been so good.