Redeployment

Redeployment is the military term for leaving wherever you were. I've always thought it was an odd term: it sounds like you can never go home, you just get re-deployed somewhere else.

Fortunately in my case I have been re-deployed to Christchurch, home of cabbage trees, running water, ducks, Scottish shuttle drivers, lawn bowling (I could, and might, write a whole blog post about how fun lawn bowling is!); fresh juice, Indian food; warm, fragrant air, and, unfortunately, too many damn Ice people, tourists, etc. making it hard to come by hotel rooms and flights home. When we arrived late last night I discovered that my darkest dreams had manifested into horrid reality: I had been billeted in a motel out by the airport rather than downtown.

After passing an extremely abbreviated night's sleep I did manage to find rooms tonight and tomorrow in separate hotels on Armagh, tiding me over until I leave for Wellington on Wednesday. I had similar trouble getting a flight home from Aukland to LA - I'm leaving NZ two days earlier than planned... the alternative was staying another five days!

These logistical hurdles sorted out, I can enjoy a few days of summer before heading home to the apparently still-frozen midwest.

I will try to write about yesterday's trip, a very long day (a real day, ending in night!) - and I have lots of pictures which I will put up. But it's time to go eat Indian food with my colleagues.