Day 12, Level 1: Dawn, dusk, coming home and Wisdom

I saw dawn today! Rare for me. And rather beautiful. I must do this more often!

PS: I did go back to sleep for a bit after I'd witnessed this glory!

Dawn, view to the east from Omaha bedroom. Taken at 6.20am

I worked on my laptop all day, writing, writing, writing. A few admin things. 

I had been intending to head back to Auckland for a racing forum in the afternoon - but Indi went awol and it all got too hard and too late. So I stayed put in Omaha (yay!) and continued writing. And a few more admin things. 

The weather bounced between glorious and ominous. It never rained despite some black clouds crossing the sky early afternoon. Mostly it was nice. 

Dusk was subtley gorgeous. 

Dusk, view to the west from Omaha deck. Taken at 7.45pm

Hmmm, which is better - dawn or dusk!? Both are glorious, of that there is no doubt, but for me dusk wins on account of its eternal Sally-friendly timing! Mars is still a bright red blotch in the sky. In fact, as I type this (at 1.36am NZ time) I just went out to look at Mars to double check its visibility - and it is the only bright thing in the sky tonight.

I made a butter chicken curry for dinner - with carrots and broccoli woven in. And a roti on the side. Yum. Watched a bit of tv. Did a bit more work. 

Spoke to Sam late evening - he's seriously in two minds as to whether to return home to NZ. I find it hard to advise him either way; it's just so disappointing that his UK experience and precious travel time in his 20s has been so hideously disrupted. 

Life is not the same for anyone anywhere. It's a dilemma all round for those who are far from home, especially those on a temporary basis like Sam. I played a bit of devil's advocate during our conversation, pointing out pros and cons. We mulled over everything. He had an upside to my doom, and I had an upside to his. We came to no conclusion and agreed he just had to go with his gut. 

Sam is off to Portugal on Thursday with 24 mates for a boys golfing trip. What fun! But they'll have to self-isolate upon return. 

I did make it clear to Sam that once he's back here, he's back here. Not going anywhere any time very soon. But in the great scale of things, it's not that bad. (I'm removing my "I feel trapped" persona here, because I really do lament the inability to travel afar and feel just a tad aggrieved by it! Grrrrr!)

After our conversation, and upon reflection and going with my own gut, I think coming home is actually a good call. Probably the best call. I texted him to say so. He's a Cancer, a home-loving boy, a Kiwi at heart. Back here he can enjoy summer, golf, surfing, concerts, parties and life pretty much as normal (as long as things remain stable in Level 1). Come winter, he can play rugby, go skiing. The UK is regressing into more restrictions and it's not going to ease any time soon by the sound of things. And winter is looming. And when all this nonsense is over, he can return. And me. Hopefully!

The reality here in NZ is that we can't travel anywhere without enduring managed quarantine upon return (at cost in most circumstances) ... but riding Covid out in NZ is not exactly hardship. 

At least the election is out of the way, we now just need to wait a few weeks to see how the MMP scenario pans out - will Labour go alone (I think/hope so) or will they marry up with the Greens (yikes, that poses serious issues far beyond green-ness). We shall see soon enough. 

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Wisdom ...

The acquisition of wisdom through the years:

- YOUTH: You can't tell me what to do or say and there are no consequences - oh, but I'll learn a lesson or ten

- MIDDLE AGE: I'll have a bob each way, all views are relevant - oh, and then life will show me reality

- OLD AGE: Been there, done that, I've seen it all - oh, hindsight is a great thing, if only I'd understood it all in the first place