Things they don't tell about cancer

CW: Medical talk. One thing my doctors didn’t tell me when I was diagnosed with myeloma 13 years ago is that you can literally shink.

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Encryption of micro.blog notes

I had a problem yesterday with the encryption of Notes between the micro.blog web interface and the Strata app, so I thought I would make a post to explain how I solved it in case it helps anyone else.

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Good morning, world.

Kids on OE in the UK doing well

Our son and daughter-in-law are now back in England after their month-long bus tour through the Continent and are settling into their new flat. The DIL has even got a job on CNN’s 5 Things podcast.

She’s been very lucky to land on her feet so quickly. We always thought she would as she’s very talented and hard-working, and has been strategic in her work here in NZ, to work in a variety of roles and programmes to get a range of experience in public radio and news.

If anyone knows of a job for a talented videographer and news camera operator in the London region, our son would love to hear from them! Angus Dreaver’s show reel

My poor wife has lost her voice. She’s had a cough for a couple of days — probably hay fever — as I haven’t caught anything from her. Last night she went to a book launch in town and all she has now is a hoarse rasp to communicate in. Fortunately, she doesn’t have any online meetings today.

Yuk. The rain is coming in sideways at the moment. Definitely a day to stay home unless it’s an emergency.

Great service from Awanui

I have to give a shout-out to Awanui Laboratories collection staff in Porirua for their service today.

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🐕Somebody’s comfortable.

A brown and white dog is resting on a person's leg in a cozy room with wooden furniture and framed pictures.

Māori queen Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki crowned in ‘new dawn’ for New Zealand

This will be interesting. Her father had taken a more prominent role in politics since the election of a conservative government last year.

She is part of a new generation of young Māori who are fully bicultural and are a genuine powerhouse in our society. This can only be for the good if New Zealand is going to be a modem, open and accepting society, as many of us wish for.

Māori queen Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki crowned in ‘new dawn’ for New Zealand

One disadvantage of not being able to get around so easily these days is missing the ninth-anniversary drinks of the informal DIA Communication Team social club get-together tonight. We were a group that worked together all those years ago and still get on well.

What is hip?

🎵What is hip? Tower of Power, that’s what.

Tower Of Power - What Is Hip? (Chicago 1977)

Bookmarks - to use or not to use?

I’m experimenting with the full bookmarks function in micro.blog. I haven’t spent enough time yet to know if I will use it enough to justify the extra $5, especially as the Vivaldi browser includes a good ‘Notes’ function.

But it is very appealing for research and linking interesting pages to blog posts.

No emergency alarms at medical ward today

CW: medical treatment.

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Busy weekend - soccer club breakup and community 'placemaking' under threat in Porirua

⚽️It’s been a busy weekend. Yesterday, we had the local soccer club’s end-of-season breakup. For the first time in many years I wasn’t involved in organising it after stepping down from the committee following my cancer prognosis from my haematologist at the end of last year. I said to the folk there that it was a little odd to be presenting the “Iain MacLean Memorial Trophy” when I was not yet ‘in memoriam’. That flew over the children’s heads, as I hoped it would, but some parents got it.

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As I’ve been fixing my breakfast I’ve been listening to the children next door practice their Kapa Haka skills. The 10-year old showed me her poi skills when I was out there earlier. Now her brother has joined in and they are practicing their waiata and a haka. It’s great to hear.

The family is all excited today. The father-in-law is getting his gong from the Governor General this afternoon.

He (Anthony Dreaver) was made a Member of the New Zealand order of Merit in the New Years honours list for his work in local history, especially around Kāpiti. This involves endless committee meetings, but he has written several books and lots of journal articles.

Everyone is very proud of him and happy he has this recognition.

Company on a wet day

🐕You’re never alone when you’ve got a dog ready to snuggle in.

Photo of man and small dog.
Winnie likes to get in close especially when there is a woollen rug to lie on.

Is it too soon to say we probably won’t have a spring drought? Rain, rain and more rain.