Retirement Dogs

It’s been a very busy few months.  This seems a little apologetic but time really has been stolen out of my life.

October.  Had 55^th Birthday.  Officially entered middle age (but there is still a little latitude for denial ;-)  ).  Also, moved jobs and am now back in the hotseat of the-careering-out-of-control-project-manager’s-nightmare, where there is no such thing as space to act proactively.  It’s rather like driving a car facing the wrong way, turning a steering wheel in the vain hope you’ll avoid catastrohpe.  When facing the wrong way, reality hits your peripheral vision too late and, joy of joys, all the carnage caused by not controlling where you go is laid out in glorious Technicolour behind you.     

November.  We returned to Japan to collect my new katana.  I’m now $8,000 less well off but the plus side is she sings like a dream.  I’ve named her “Taka” which can mean Falcon in the Japanese tongue.  Taka received said name because the cutting action produces tachikaze somewhat similar to the sound feathers make as they hard-brake after swooping in for the kill.   When I collected her from Seki City I was asked if the katana was a male or a female to which I answered “if it cuts me I’ll know she’s a female”.  She’s a female, but only just.  Must adjust my noto slightly to give a little more gap between the flap of skin and the razor-sharp pointy thing.  It ain’t an iaito.  She’s a fine killing machine.  Treat her with respect.

December.  Moved out of the 3-month Sydney flatshare (which has lasted almost two years) and back into Kik’s Drummoyne house.  Now I remember why moving is almost as high on life’s stress scale as divorce or getting married.  Thankfully, we now have two homes:  our County Farm and City Residence.  The Farm is always the Primary home in our hearts.  Incidentally, we spent a labour intensive weekend over the 3^rd & 4^th hand digging tray loads of garlic.  Bliss.



Pepper.  Beauty is having more wrinkles then your Dad.



We also have two new dogs: replacements for Almos and Puskas who passed away earlier in the year.  They are both Shar Pei and 18 and 8 weeks old respectively.  Shar Pei are extremely loyal hounds with a breed history of guarding the Chinese royal palace.  Pepper (the bitch) and Fudge (the dog) will be round for a long time and see us into retirement. 



Fudge.  The mobile food vacuum cleaner.