Isn’t it always the way that when life gets most interesting you tend to have less time to reflect on it? One such event that has come and gone so quickly has been a milestone for the project I worked on in Texas. Dean Maguire, the last remaining member of the Kiwi team working in Texas has finally returned home with his family. This raps up our work in Texas and opens a new chapter for Dean, for all of us here in New Zealand.
Three of us planned to greet them this morning at the unseemly time of 4am. I picked up Llanwyn first outside his hotel “Aah, the majestic roar of the Prius†he quipped, as I accelerated up Queen Street. Sam was next, situated dangerously close to K-road (a popular red light district). “I implemented your suggestion Sam†I commented as he piled in from the cold.
The night before, Sam & I had been making our slightly intoxicated way home after a brief evening with Sarah when he suggested “are you going to make a welcome home sign then?â€
“Uh, ok then†came my unsteady response “can I use glitter?â€
“Sureâ€
So, as soon as I got home I set about making a glittery welcome sign that would fill his daughter’s heart with joy. It was about 11pm when I started, knowing full well that I wouldn’t sleep at all that night. True enough, it was about 3:30am when, having depleted about 3 fun-packs worth of glitter-glue, I regarded my creation with satisfaction. It took up just about the entire floor-space of my kitchen but it was done.
Needless to say, that turned out to be a rather long day for me, but it can’t have been anything compared to the plane trip Dean and his family suffered through. Even with a direct flight, the trip from Texas is far from enjoyable, and with a family in tow, it must have been very trying at times. Still, despite all this and the fact that their luggage had not yet arrived, they managed a smile for us at the airport, I’m sure the sign had something to do with it.
Welcome home, Dean & Family. We missed you.