Later, when I was in town to get a sympathy card to send to Luke's parents, I met Ron Campbell, the owner/operator of a gym in Kawerau, whom I mentioned in my earlier blog entry of Thursday, 16 August. I asked him if I could accompany him today to Rotorua. Ron teaches at a gymnastics club in Rotorua a couple of days a week. So, I spent half of today at the club in Rotorua. It was a great experience! To see so many youngsters being coached at various levels of gymnastics was indeed inspiring. I wish I'd taken my camera with me.

Some of these gymnasts will be competing in the national championships at Blenheim in the South Island. The championships meeting runs from October 3 to 7 this year, and this is when I hope to be accompanying Colin on his hikoi from Rotorua to Wellington. Otherwise I'd love to be at the championships to see these gymnasts from the Rotorua club in competition.

This club is typical of the level of sport endeavour that I'd rather see benefitting from Government funding instead of the high performance funding. I've always believed that grassroots athletes are the one we should be spending money on.

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Tuesday, 21 August 2012

 

For today's entry, I have added more content to the

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Wednesday, 29 August 2012  ​

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Yes, I 've done no blogging here for over a week. I've been very busy helping a couple of friends, Colin and Ron; doing my own housework because my home help, Teresa, has time off as explained  on the previous page; and visiting the local physiotherapist because of an injury to my neck. You've read about Colin and Ron in earlier postings here.

There is a bit of an embarrassing story behind how I got the neck injury. Some few weeks ago, one Sunday Colin and I went over to Morrinsville and took part in a brainstorming session with three others there, about Colin's campaign and forthcoming walks. Then Colin invited me to stay overnight at his place at Katikati and he would drive me back to Kawerau in the morning. On the way to Katikati Colin bought a 700 ml bottle of Drambui as he reckoned we deserved a celebratory drink after the successful brainstorming session.

Instead of a couple of drams each that night about midnight, we drained the bottle - as you do! And about 1 a.m. we had a friendly disagreement over something or other that I cannot remember today, and finished up wrestling/grappling! The result was 2 submissions to 1, in Colin's favour, and a broken pair of spectacles (mine) and, of course, the neck problem!

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Ron and a friend, Anne, have been sitting overnight for a few weeks with a lady, Cecilia, who had terminal cancer. Cecilia had chosen to spend her last days at home rather than in a hospice, and yesterday morning Ron phoned to tell me that Cecilia had died that night in peaceful circumstances. R.I.P. Cecilia Doyle.

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Colin and I decided earlier today that I am to be his support driver this weekend for his Walk from Tauranga Family Court to Rotorua Family Court, leaving Friday 31st August 2pm - Arriving Monday 3rd September 10am (2nd of September is Father's Day!)

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Wednesday, 5 September 2012  ​

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A week later - how time flies - tempus fugit! As explained above, I've been away from home for the weekend, and I've taken almost two days to settle back into my little unit and my comfortable surroundings.

On the next page or a few, I'm copying the log of the weekend, as edited by Erica (one of the three of us who ventured forth, and the fair beauty in our midst), and as shown in Colin's website at www.kidsneeddad.com. I have two photos from the weekend, and those who know me will recognise the "dwarf" in one of them! Erica and I share the second photo, taken at our stopover at Jackson Road (see the log).

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