Getting better most of the ti-hi-hi-hime

Wednesday.  The most remarkable thing about today was that I didn't appear to have moved during the night, as per the photo.  Must have been tired.  Feeling much better but still spluttering, I walked up and down the cliff to the beach a couple of times, flinging myself into the ebbing tide on both occasions.  I also extended my bucket list to 3 things - the ride in a helicopter (non-medical emergency variety) is still there but has been joined by spring in our flat in Florence and a third I am keeping quiet about until I discover if someone else has already done it and to prevent anyone pinching the idea
Taken from 200m with my trusty Leica
Georgia came over for dinner last night and we strapped on our posh frocks and wandered off to Bolliwood in Orewa for another of their splendid curries.  It was beautifully presented but you'll have to take my word for it as we ate it without photographing it.  Where's our manners?  A long walk along Orewa beach and an earlyish night led to an equally earlyish Wednesday morning (my camera tells me that first picture was taken at 5.26 a.m.)  Following a slow and simple breakfast, hugely enhanced by Al (the owner) bringing us hot lattes, we once again braved the gravel road to the beach for a long and unathletic bob in the waves.  Glad I put in all those preparatory lengths at the Y before I came.
 As I was saying, up with the tui this morning - George and I parted company at lunchtime.
So I had one housekeeping job to do which was to get some minutes on my phone.  Easy.  I believe that last time I was here I said that whoever created Spark's website deserved stuffing.  Instead, he seems to have been promoted to the head of a team of craved dervishes bent on telling me that my userid, password, data of birth and first letter of the alphabet are all wrong.  So I drove into Silverdale to go to their flashy new shop.
When I was a student and later as a young married bloke (and now at the big Ingles in Tunnel Road), I hated going to the butchery department where I was clearly invisible.  Same goes for Spark shops where they twice insisted on serving the person who had arrived after me.  Anyway, I shelled out my plastic and trotted off with my new enabled phone.  Next stop - Farro in Constellation Drive for kippers.  If you don't know Auckland, Constellation Drive is roughly comparable to Patton Avenue or Southend High Street.  So, of course, the huge industrial strength GPS that Georgia had lent me had never heard of it.  No sweat!  My trusty newly loaded cellphone was at hand!  It had never heard of the internet, roaming or GPS.  So after a quick tour of north Auckland's building sites, I called it a day, only just managing to get caught in the parking lot known as the rush hour which starts at 3:30 p.m.  Damned if I was going back to wait in line again at the Spark store, I called them and, after a mere 2 hours, most of which I spent on the phone, I suspect I may have a working GPS and browser in my phone.  And, if I haven't, I will buy a sodding map book.
Weirdo rock formations below the house

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