Monday-Wednesday November 27-29 in Wellington

Ruben is attending his orientation meetings with NZLocums and reports feeling more confident about walking into a strange clinic and seeing patients right away this time around. The medical records aren't completely unfamiliar this time and he came away from the session on the ACC insurance with a better-than-ever understanding of the NZ system. There are 6 doctors in this orientation program: another US doc (from Pennsylvania), 2 Dutch doctors, one from the UK, and one from Germany.

The weather is brilliant spring and I am trying to take advantage of this to explore the city as well as take care of the little business tasks that crop up when one is away from home, like making sure Ruben's final paycheck hit the bank account so our first-of-the-month bills are funded, and cleaning out the junk mail in our inbox (there was a lot).

 I went to the Wellington Museum Monday, intending to spend an hour. That expanded to 2.5 hours. The museum is so well done! When Ruben finished his meetings for the day, we took the city bus to Wellington's Freyburg Pool for some lap swimming. Lucky for us, the swim squad was just finishing, so we could score space in some lanes. The pool was busy enough for circle swimming. It was hard to remember to stay left and swim anticlockwise! I am also learning to carry items on my left shoulder rather than right to keep it out of the way of oncoming traffic. Tuesday we did better at staying on the left side of the sidewalk (sorry, footpath). Also lucky for us: All of the sharks we have seen so far are the cartoon variety.

Wellington Botanic Gardens

Today while Ruben was in meetings, I visited the Wellington Botanic Gardens. It was a beautiful spring day and the park was really lovely. Lots of paths to explore and enjoy.

 

  

Wellington Nightlife with the Wilson-Pray family

Our weekend with Nicole, Vaughan, Marshall (15 years), and Jessica (13 years) was just wonderful. We talked and laughed and ate and had a tour of the building Vaughan and Nicole are renovating as rental property. I should have taken my camera (I promise to get into a habit of not only carrying the camera but using it!). It is going to be gorgeous when it is finished in early 2018.

Sunday afternoon we checked into our hotel in the Wellington central business district (CBD) in preparation for Ruben's orientation meetings with NZLocums and the Medical Council New Zealand. But before that, we were fortunate to be in town (and included) in the Wilson-Hurst holiday office party! I hope to get some additional pictures from Nicole because once again I carried the camera but failed to use it. The party was fancy-dress 1970s theme.

After an onsite chef-created dinner with the group, we all walked through Wellington CBD to attend Saturday Night Fever-The Musical! Fun (and singing along) was had by all!

 

Wellington

How nice to be back in Wellington! We are pleasantly surprised to find that things look a bit familiar on our third visit to this beautiful city on the southern tip of the North Island.

Vaughan Wilson picked us up at Wellington Airport Friday, November 24, on the third anniversary of his wedding with Nicole Pray. What an honor to spend this day with them! We spent our first weekend in New Zealand at their newly (and beautifully) renovated home at 44 Hawker Street, Mt Victoria. One gets a workout getting to their front door! Especially with large suitcases!
We didn't miss Thanksgiving a bit and even had to remind ex-pat Nicole that Thursday had been Thanksgiving!

I would like to say that we were pretty lucid Saturday morning, but clearly I was not thinking very clearly because I agreed to mountain biking up Makara Peak. I do not mountain bike. The views from the summit were indeed spectacular, but hear me. I do not mountain bike.

This is not Gayle.

This is not Gayle

Nicole at Makara Peak summit

View from Makara Peak summit

Nicole and I attended a barre class and a Pilates reformer class at her favorite (and within walking distance!) studio. That I can do.

Travel to New Zealand November 22-24, 2017

Our Friend Tina drove us to the airport Wednesday for our 6:55 pm flight to San Francisco with connection to Auckland. We left home pretty early (I was driving myself and Ruben crazy because I didn't know what to do with myself without starting some project that I wouldn't be able to finish) hoping to make room in our schedule for any day-before-Thanksgiving holiday traffic delays. We really didn't experience any major delays and even TSA at Denver International Airport wasn't obnoxious. Once again I was glad to have obtained TSA precheck and sailed through the checkpoint. Ruben took a little longer and had a little more inconvenience in the regular line with the unwashed masses.

Our flight to San Francisco was very full, but uneventful. After a short layover (maybe 2 hours) in San Francisco, we boarded for the 13-hour flight to Auckland. Our flight was operated by United and we were so thankful that the third seat in our row was empty. I was able to stretch out (a bit) for the first 4 hours or so for some sleep. Ruben took the next shift. We arrived in Auckland around 9 am a little stiff and disheveled, but excited to have arrived.

See you later, Colorado!

It's been about 3 years since our first New Zealand adventure. Ruben has been working as a family practitioner at Centura Primary Care, which is located about 6 miles from our house in Golden. He didn't mind the commute to Longmont, but I think it's great to stop by the clinic once in a while to say  hello to his delightful medical assistant Michelle, and Ruben has enjoyed being able to rejoin the Denver Trail Runners on Thursday nights. Lots of other advantages appear every day!

Despite our true satisfaction with our current routines, Ruben was ready to take advantage of the end of his contract with Centura to go back to NZ. He will resume his clinic position in March 2018, and in the meantime he will be working as a general practitioner for the Medical Council of New Zealand. NZLocums has once again made all of the arrangements for us.

No house sale this time. Thank goodness! Our friend Pat Crespi, who recently returned to Denver from Portland, will stay at the house while we are away and she searches for her forever home in greater Denver. We are so pleased that it worked out this way!

This post is really just a way for me to get back into the swing of posting. Better stuff will be forthcoming (I hope!). This reminds me to see if my trusty little camera is still operational...

We were sad to learn that my dad's older brother, Donald Schneider, died November 4. He was 82 years old and if heaven works this way, the brothers will be so happy to see each other. The services were held November 18 in Cookeville, Tennessee, where Donald, his wife Marilyn, and her two sons have lived for many years. I flew to Chicago November 16 to drive to Tennessee on Friday, November 17. Mom's car had a coolant valve malfunction that our guardian angel arranged to appear the day before we began our 16+ hours of weekend driving, so she rented a very comfortable Dodge Durango for the drive. Donald was sure missed at this little family reunion, but it was so nice to see my cousins and the time with Mom and Elaine before being away from the US was wonderful!