Move over Rover and let Jimi take over (James Marshall Hendrix)

Jimi has risen! And the pecking order has been reshuffled!!

We now have Jimi back from the vets following his week of recuperation after he had his tail amputated. The wound is healing thanks to Jacky's diligent ministrations and he's learning about apartment living and already bossing me around.

[Why 'Jimi'? Not because of Hendrix - that's just a happy co-incidence. We live in a district of Al Ain called Al Jimi and our apartment (where Jacky found him) is called Yellow Jimi, because it's painted yellow! So Jimi seemed a good choice.]

Jacky has kitted him out with a collar and bell so that he won't be mistaken for a 'pavement special' if he gets out of our place.

She has also made the spare bathroom into Jimi's bedroom - with a door barrier preventing his escape.

At 2.58am this morning I woke because I heard his bell (Jacky continued to snore on beside me). It jingled for a spell, then quiet, a big jingle, quiet, then thirty seconds of jingling before silence.

By this stage I was three quarters awake myself so I got up to see what was happening and get a drink. I was pretty sure that the jingles meant Jimi had jumped on and over the barrier and was relocating himself on a lounge chair.

I checked and, as I'd dreamily surmised Jimi had vacated his bedroom. Lounge? Nope. Kitchen? Nope.

I had a drink and dreamily stumbled back to bed, dreamily careful to check that I wasn't going to step on wee Jimi.

The alarm woke me for work at 5am as per usual. I remembered the 2.58am adventure and went searching for Jimi. Spare bedrooms? Nope. Under beds? Nope. Laundry? Nope.

Then I remembered where Soda loved to sleep - on a dining room chair. Sure enuf - there was Jimi, still fast asleep.

I think you'll agree he is on the mend (even though he has a permanently sour facial expression - bless 'im).

We have removed the bell (no chance of him threatening a bird in our place) and the barrier. I'm hoping for a better sleep tonight, if Jimi lets me.

Love and peace - Wozza (with assistance from Jimi as seen above)

You shall not pass (Gandalf)

In the spirit of Robert Nivell (Ils ne passeront pas/On ne passe pas), Dolores Ibárruri Gómez (¡No pasarán!) and Gandalf the Grey - the All Blacks would not budge today.

It was really, really tense and it was brutal to watch as the ABs battled to fight the quick-sand that the French put us in after half time.

Jacky and I joined up with some workmates at the Al Ain golf club (having got time off work from our respective schools to watch the final) and we agonised for 80 minutes and hoped and prayed that the French wouldn't take it away from us again.

A loss was unthinkable. The whole of Nu Zild would have been riddled with depression for another four, long years.

As we watched the French team turn into men possessed (a few of them even resembled the Balrog), we all wondered if the heights the team reached against the Wallabies in the previous game meant we had nothing left in the tank.

In the end our dread of losing transferred itself into a staunch kiwi resolve - our defense was immense against wave after wave of French attack. But still...the nagging doubts...it seemed we may not hang on. It seemed that we were again destined to lose to the dastardly French team in the dying moments.

I can recall a couple of times that I've wanted to win a game so much that it makes my stomach churn and my pulse race. This was the latest example.

In fact, it turned out to be quite special day elsewhere as well. Arsenal beat Stoke 3 - 1 and Manchester City humiliated and destroyed  that damned United 6 - 1. Ouch! But it's early days in the premiership. A lot can and will happen before May next year.

That's for another time - it's the men in black that created so much pride in us kiwis in a far flung land. For the next four years we are the champions of the rugby world. Fantastic!

Love and peace - Wozza

You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, your life, karma, whatever (Steve Jobs)

I came across this address by Steve Jobs recently and some of the messages reminded me of my recent post on patience.




You can't connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards...

Love and Peace - Wozza

Well now you know that your cat has nine lives to itself (Dr Winston O'Boogie)

Much of this week has been spent tending to a stray cat.

We arrived home from the supermarket on Saturday afternoon to find what looked like a really beat up feral cat in the garage to Yellow Jimi.

There are feral cats everywhere in Al Ain. They hang around the waste bins that line the roads and are lean and battered looking. We have three regulars that chill outside our apartment waiting for Jacky to give them our leftovers. I didn't think much of it when I saw the one in the garage.

Jacky went down to give it some food and discovered it wasn't feral at all. His tail had been 'de-gloved' (Jacky's elegant term) and was raw but his purrer was intact. She bundled it up and we took it to a vet (well we thought it was a vet, a place called The Modern Vet Clinic - you can see why we'd think that). The vet gave Jimi (I'd christened him by now) some shots, said he was about 5 months old, but also said he'd be fine so we took Jimi home.

You can see that he was really impressed by the whole thing!

On the way we, of course, had to stock up on cat paraphernalia - litter box, cat cage etc.

I went to work the next day and talked to my mathematics advisor (Jan) about Jimi. Jan is a cat lover/rescuer with form so I knew she'd know stuff. Turns out the place we'd gone to was a vet supplier! So I got her directions to the proper vet clinic and back we went.

Turns out Jimi had more injuries that we (and the vet supplies guy) hadn't spotted - leg, teeth and lots of bugs. Looks like wee Jimi has used up 8 of those 9 lives but he was lucky enough to find Jacky.

Jimi has now had his tail amputated, his leg attended to, been deloused and sorted - we hope. The vet rang me at work (Jimi is staying in for a few days) to let me know that Jimi is doing okay. According to her Jimi is about 5 years old and a really expensive breed.

Inshallah he'll make it through the next few days. The infection in his tail was pretty bad, but Jacky's TLC has given him a shot at least.

Rest assured I'll keep the blogosphere posted.

Love and Peace - Wozza

The good guys dress in black, remember that (Will Smith)

The All Blacks have just beaten the wallabies 20 - 6 at fortress Eden Park.

That result means a repeat of the 1987 Rugby World Cup final (a match up I predicted in a company competition before the first game of this year's version).

Our internet crashed at school so Jacky had to ring me every time there was a score. It actually made the whole thing really exciting and during the second half when the All Blacks were up 20 - 6 I didn't want to hear the phone ring (and it didn't until the final whistle).

I can't wait to watch a repeat of this game on TV tonight. In fact I think I could watch this game over and over again.

Arsenal play Sunderland this afternoon to make for a complete day (but I joked with Christine Ryan that I'd trade the Arsenal result for an All Blacks win so...)

Love and Peace - Wozza (in all black)

Oh All Blacks we love you!!

It's the day before the All Blacks take on Australia for a place at redemption in the Rugby World Cup final next week.

GO THE ALL BLACKS!!

One day at a time is good for you (Johnny Rhythm)

Whanau birthdays come thick and fast at this time of the year (especially for Ross' bunch).

Birthday wishes from sand land then, to Ginger Bear (a.k.a. Scott Graham Purdy) - 6th Roctober; Teenie Weenie - 12th Roctober; Lynda Maree Purdy - 9th Roctober; Ross Graham Purdy - 18th Roctober and Hayden Ross Purdy - 23rd Roctober.

And, although not technically part of the whanau, Roctober 9 is forever associated with John and Sean Lennon. Hope it was a good one Sean (you never know he might google his name and make his way here).

Love and Peace - Uncle Warren (a.k.a. big brother)