Hank Errand; Lee & Paeroa

Hank Errand

Hammerin’ Hank is running like never before. He says he feels 20 years younger after his makeover. Turns out Hank was suffering, as we suspected. On the very day Lee and I went to have him checked out for his Warrant of Fitness (WOF), he became substantially more ill. He was coughing a lot, and could barely run over 25 kph. We took him to the car doctor the following day, and anxiously awaited news on his condition.

We were thrilled to learn Hank was going to make it! The bad news: he needed some work. It wasn’t a short list. A new set of spark plugs (spark plugs ignite the fuel/air mixture in the cylinders, which then explodes/expands, which makes the car go). A new set of leads (leads give spark plugs their spark). A new gasket toward the top of the engine block. A new alternator belt. And then the cosmetic fix-ups. A new radiator cap (which could be responsible for Hank consistently losing radiator fluid). A new brake light. A new bolt to hold down the spare tire (which, among other factors, prevented Hank from getting his WOF). A can of Stop Smoke (also to pass the WOF test). One day and NZ $500 later, Hank was a new man, with a new attitude. He says he wants to go by Henry now.

Betsy and I are pleased to have gotten this work done on Hank. I mean Henry. We will feel a lot better setting off in a month or so, in a healthy car.



Lee & Paeroa

Having Lee here was awesome. It was very good to see her. She is now officially the only person to visit me in New Zealand twice! She seemed great, looked great, and was great fun. We talked and talked and talked.

Hanging out and talking was the main attraction, but no Lee visit is gonna go down without some serious movie watching. We saw Star Trek, which Lee guaranteed we would like, at a movie theatre in Te Puke. Her guarantee was right on the money, and the theatre wasn’t half bad either. There was even some excitement during the outing, as we almost got busted for sneaking candy into the theatre! The elderly ticket taker looked at Lee’s baggy jacket and asked “You bringing in food?” “Just the coke” she coolly replied, holding up the Diet Coke she had purchased from the concession stand! We saw Transformers 2 at the Mt. Maunganui Cinema on Lee’s half-birthday. Happy 30.5 Lee! No one made any guarantees on that one, and good thing. The real reason for Lee’s trip I suspect, was the opportunity to see Harry Potter 6 before anyone in America. She didn’t pass up that opportunity, and she wasn’t about to be stopped by the ticket taker there either! The rental of note was Footloose, up to now a gaping hole in Lee’s 80’s movies repertoire. It was love at first sight when she laid eyes on the 18 year-old Kevin Bacon.

I dare say that Lee’s favorite part of the trip, other than seeing Betsy and I, may have been the food. Crumpets were a major hit, and Hell Pizza was a success, but L&P was a grand slam. Lemon & Paeroa, known as L&P, is a fizzy drink (soda) originating in a small New Zealand town named Paeroa. Now owned by a major soft drink corporation, it is very popular around here. It is somewhere along the lines of a sprite, or ginger ale, with a hint of lemon; but it’s good. And Lee agreed. She really agreed. “I didn’t believe you guys, but you were right.” was her confession. We let the L&P speak for itself, and now she’s a believer. In fact, she liked it so much, I think they should rename it Lee & Paeroa. Lee & P for short.

In closing, I couldn’t help but notice the wisdom she is gaining out there in San Francisco. I’m very proud of her for how much she is growing, learning, and maturing. I have always expected great things of her in life, and she isn’t letting me down. I feel lucky to be able to call her my close friend.