My second to least favorite thing to do in life is to run.
My least favorite thing to do in life is to run through a crowded International Airport trying desperately to look like I'm not about to miss my flight and look like a damn fool while all the while still hoping to catch my flight which is about to take off without me.
It is the single most scary experience and a reoccurring nightmare for me, and I recently got to experience it first hand, again. Yes, I have done this before. Actually several times in fact.
This time it was because Justin was on the other end of my mobile sitting casually at our computer trying to wire money into my account so that I could take it leisurely out of an ATM and then exchange it for $NZ dollars at the 'cash exchange' booth, before I boarded my plane. The main issue I had was that my plane was already warning me of it's final boarding call and I was still standing in front of an ATM machine that was no where near my planes boarding gate, while Justin's voice was yelling at me out of my cell phone. Needless to say I was an absolute mess and the last person to board flight NZ123, disheveled and looking like a crazed lunatic.
Safely on the plane I discovered with horror that I was situated in the very middle of the plane. Middle aisle, middle seat, mid-way down the plane. I was surrounded by screaming babies, bald sweating men and women with big hair wearing sunglasses and loads of makeup. I did my best to just slide on in unnoticed.
Dubbo to Sydney, Sydney to Auckland, and Auckland to Palmerston North.
Did I mention that I also dislike airports.
Sydney's Domestic and International airports have to be among the worst of the worst. You are expected to pay for a trolley. The transfer between Domestic and International can only be achieved by way of public transport and this costs you dearly also. The rest of the World has self check-in and the E-Passport system, but not little old Sydney. Get with the program and sort it out Sydney!
I was so happy to land in Palmerston North after a day of flying, and I shed a few happy tears quietly to myself as I walked across the tarmac and spotted Justin on the inside.
Justin was cool, calm and collectively just sitting inside the terminal as I walked in; as though I had just gone to the shops for bread & milk and not 4 whole long months. I said "get over here and give me a kiss You!". I think he was blushing as we made our way over to the baggage carousel.
Justin had booked us into the Coachman Hotel and it was pretty much the flashiest place we've ever stayed in, and we've stayed in a few nice places. This was very Alpine and ski-lodge quality. The room was just perfect. Complimentary Champagne, chocolates and a dozen tea choices, but I still chose coffee. Justin made sure that we got a Spa Suite. YeaHa!
Not to indulge in too many details (although there are a few sick puppies out their who have requested me do so), Justin and I managed to 'catch up', get showered and dressed in warp speed and under 20 minutes, ready to go do some fine dining and wining. We made up for the remainder 3 months and 29 days later; to which you will never be informally inflicted with the knowledge of.
Home again on the farm is sweet and serene. OK, it was a little bit neglected in the 'proper cleaning' department; but Justin did a pretty good job considering his workload in the past 4 months without his offsider*slash*cleaner*slash*wife, and he is a mere male after all (I wasn't expecting him to Spring clean).
I have rectified the filthy underneaths and I am truly happy and home again.
The first night I was back on the farm and the fire was going, a new curry recipe Justin had perfected while I was away was simmering and smelling too good to be true, and the ridiculously deep bath was run and steam was on the windowsill as we both climbed into our boardroom meeting place with our bottle of red wine. I love that Justin and I are set in our ways.
The cats were well surprised to see me and I surmise that they had called off my search party and given up all hope of my safe return. They've both since forgiven my selfish disappearance.
Cirque De Sooty was heavily pregnant and on the day of my return we moved her and the other sheep (at least two other ewes also in lamb) up to the orchard so that I could keep an eye on Sooty's progress. Sooty is a two-tooth now but has never lambed before - technically making her a Primip and a little more at risk of something going wrong. If she needed help at least I would be able to hear her. And would you believe, in the early hours of the very next morning I awoke to the sound of a bleating lamb and I knew Sooty had had her baby. Much to Justin's upset, I woke him up and made him come out into the cold and dark with me armed with a spotlight.
We found Sooty with her baby, and also another baby that was bleating near by but was stuck in the mud. Sooty had twins! How clever Sooty is! And cute wee poppets those lambs are too. We reunited Twin 1:'LaCross' with Sooty and Twin 2:'Bambino'.
Sooty has needed a little bit of verbal and hands on assistance with breastfeeding, i.e. we have had to scold and hold onto her while the twins feed. Sooty seems to have taken to Bambino but not so much to LaCross. This is quite common for two-tooths who have twins the first time apparently. We even went so far as to express some colostrum into a bottle for the twins to make sure they were getting enough and Sooty decided that she wanted the bottle!! Old habits die hard and are hard to break when your a hand reared lamb come two-tooth. Poor Sooty, she seems a bit shell shocked by the whole ordeal.
Bambino
LaCross
But as for me, well, I'm just dandy!
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