The cars hiss by my window like the waves down on the beach (The Doors)

The clans are converging on San Francisco over the next two weeks for the irrevocable melding together of Wozza's world and Jesse's world. Although Jesse and his family have been members of Wozza's World for a few years, it's now time for Jesse and Fanfa to marry after officially ratifying their commitment to look after each other till death do they part earlier this year.

So this means the Purdy, O'Neill and Smith branches of the whanau are in the city by the bay for a short while to share in the joy.

Jade arrived a week ago and we (Keegan, SWMBO, and me) arrived yesterday. Adam and Ashleigh arrive next week along with the O'Neills and Mr Smith.

We've been busy bees since landing - a walk around the Castro area, a walk across the Golden Gate bridge, and a Jesse city tour have been great introductions to this fabuloso city. We've all fallen in love with it!

Tomorrow we visit Alcatraz and I finish writing my father of the bride speech. Photos to come (I can't figure out how to load from my camera to the iPad just yet).

Love and peace - Wozza

And they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed (America)

Wozza's world has been gearing up for Samantha's wedding of late. Jade has flown to San Francisco already and the rest of us head there in the next week or so. Happy day is on the 27th April.

We've been looking after Jade's pooch Tango (hence the lift from Muskrat Love for the title) while she's been in America and untangling Tango - every day he manages to get himself in some bizarre tangles involving his lead and the fences around his dog house. Amazingly he does not seem to learn from his mistakes so every day SWMBO has been trying to out think him. What will Tango do next? has become a private game involving the two of them. So far Tango's ahead on points.

I have been at work all week - my last week of relief teaching at Woodford House before I start there permanently as Head of English next term.

What a fantastic school and a fantastic place to work. I am very lucky.

We had Shakespeare Day at school yesterday and so the staff and a lot of the students dressed up in period costumes. Including me - I'm pictured (far right) with the rest of the English staff.

During the day I left my keys in a computer room. They were found by some girls and handed to the DP (also in the English Dept and pictured third from left). The girls said they were Mr Purdy's.

When Catherine (the DP) asked the girls how they knew that, they said, " Because they smell like him". Whaaaaat? I'm hoping it's my after shave but who knows.

Next posting comes from San Francisco inshallah.

Love and peace - Wozza
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There's a mockingbird singing songs in the trees, singing just for me (Barclay James Harvest)

I've just finished 7 days of relief teaching at Woodford House and I've loved it.

I'm in my element in the classroom. I'm not sure exactly what that phrase/cliche means.

Let me put it this way - I got home from school last Tuesday, it's a 30 minute drive, so it was about 6pm by the time I grabbed a drink and headed out onto the deck at home - slight autumnal features - liquid blue sky about to go down in a fiery red sunset; slight breeze moving the few yellowing leaves off the trees, and I remember wondering 'when was the last time I was this happy?'

The thought/feeling kinda blind sided me and I felt self indulgent and great at the same time. It was a fleeting moment - those kinds of feelings tend to be like a movement in your peripheral vision. When you try to deliberately isolate it, it's no longer there.

Autumn often puts me in that kind of mood and the day of teaching had left me tired and fulfilled.

People at school have been asking me if I have any regrets. No. I tell them.

I don't.

Love and peace - Wozza