growler_south

And my tummy looks comfortable enough.

Brian's dad is staying for a couple of weeks. It's great to spend some time with him and see the dynamic between them, but it's left me exhausted. As someone who is ever so slightly OCD the frequent changes of plans is definitely harshing my calm.

Luckily I can hide in the workshop from time to time. Yesterday I got around to installing the sweet Alpine amp (4x35W + 1x70W) into the van- no more annoying CD head unit, all audio comes straight from my phone and sounds so much better. Possibly helped by the 15" sub I stealthed into one of the rear storage bins.

Today we're off up north to Paihia and Waitangi, the birthplace of modern New Zealand. Kiwis get in free, tourists have to pay $25. Sounds fair to me ;-)

Kinter 500W 2-channel amplifier! Only $35! Awesome!

Except... how do you get 500W out of 0.5A at 12V? Isn't that more like 3W x2? Surprise surprise- opening up my new, cheap, tiny amp reveals a Sanyo LA4508 integrated amplifier- 8.5W x2 at 24V, closer to 3W x2 at the indicated 12V.

Now, I never expected 500W. Not even 500W peak (there's just no room in the tiny box for the capacitors) but given that the advertiser claimed a real rating of 30W x2 RMS, I think I have grounds for returning it.

Let's see how good the retailer is.

September 2005 was my first ever visit to San Francisco. I found I liked Napa and Grass Valley, but the city was a bit busy, impersonal, intense and scary. I think I even hid in my hotel room one day while Matt went out sightseeing and being a dirty poof.

Then Beast came along, and showed me the joy and beauty to be found in San Francisco. From the back of his bike (when I wasn't scrambling to hold on as we accelerated madly at the Treasure Island onramp- naughty Beast!) we saw the reservoirs, beaches, downtown streets, Berkeley, and all the other wonderful sights the city had to offer. We visited bars that had seemed daunting when on my own, but with Beast there I got to see the love and community that I'd been missing. He introduced me to dirty bikers and soggy Rainbows, and rather than being intimidated I felt comfortable.

Looking back at my journal from that time, I see that I was about ready to foolishly write off the US as too big, too intimidating, too impersonal. Not the sort of place I would ever enjoy or fit in. Without Beast's time and care I would likely have gone back to holidaying in Australia, Thailand, Europe, and never have taken the time to get to explore the US. I would certainly not have spent 3 years of wonderful summers exploring, living with Robbie and Fish, riding a bike around the left coast, enjoying Badger with all the dodgy Rainbows, and taking the time to get to know the US.

I likely wouldn't have developed the courage or wisdom to pursue a relationship with my wonderful but woefully US-resident Brian.

It all stems from that first time Beast opened my eyes to the real city. My understanding of what makes San Francisco so beautiful is always going to be bound up with thoughts of him.

I figured I would sort all this out in my head and tell Greg next time I saw him, but sent it in an email yesterday, just in case. Jon read it to Greg in the hospital, and last night we got the dreaded email.

Greg Garcia, our wonderful Beast, passed away peacefully at 2am, surrounded by loving family. Nothing will be quite the same without his happy chuckle and easy smile, and San Francisco is a poorer place without him.

Jim Starr's application to use his new all-terrain wheelchair has been declined by the UK's DVLA.

This article in the Daily Mail has more pictures... err, I mean, sums up this injustice.

I wouldn't decline him anything! WOOF!

Since leaving the AA to sort out some odds and ends, I've been busier than ever. Good busy though, at my own pace. (Which Brian seems to think is a bit manic).

Bear New Zealand is approaching rapidly, and there's a million things to organise. This year I might even remember to make the damn sash!

I've also been building furniture for the bathroom, working on the van, and various other around the house type stuff.

It's nice to have time to do all the work. Now just to make it pay...

It must be christmas- Wing is back, and she's been hitting the festive spirits hard.

It's christmaas tree time! The sparkle of lights, the wrapped presents underneath, the smell of pine on Digit's breath from where he's been chewing the tree...

No that we've bought our tree yet. We're currently making do with Brian's plastic tree, which is more akin to a green toothbrush than anything that grows in nature.

Brian's doing planning to Frankenstien his 110v christmas lights to make them work on 240v, but is a little nervous about cutting them up first. I offered to help but all he could say was "Cut the green wire!" which wasn't very helpful.

The one-toothed Japanese grandmother who was chewing my oil pump drive sleeve out of a block of cast iron has finally finished. My mission for tomorrow morning is to get the engine in the van running, and move the damn thing out of the garage.

This will make me happy. It will probably make Brian much happier.

The ongoing saga of the Van is becoming a bit tiresome- the essential engine part that's coming from Japan is now only 1 week away, whereas 2 weeks ago it was 2 weeks away. It's a little frustrating and if I hadn't already paid for the part I would be at the wreckers buying a second hand one. Maybe.

Still, I'm getting a chance to restore all the ugly, faded, scratched interior panels. The wonders of naugahyde and contact adhesive- it's going to be relatively beautiful, for a 20-year old van.