I offered to be the designated staff driver to support the celebratory group. However, I missed the turnoff on the motorway and had to drive in a roundabout way to get to the venue on time.
It was a very happy occasion that helped to distract me from some very sad news about the sudden death of a work colleague who had passed away that very same morning.
There are now plans for many to pay their last respects, and I found it so sad that I had blogged about the 65th birthday gift that I had given to her, only for her to pass away a few weeks later from a suspected aneurysm.
We will dearly miss her, and so driving down to Hamilton for the celebratory occasion kept me busy and in good spirits with the group and afterwards I was 'shouted' to an ice cream at Pokeno, which is known for its amazing flavoured ice creams, as can be seen in the photo.
The particular flavours I chose were a scoop of rum and raisin (I like the raisins but not so much the rum), and the top scoop was deluxe ambrosia on a fresh cone. It was definitely worth the trip, and then we returned to Auckland, and I took the weekend to mourn before returning back to marking student work.
It was also a reminder to cherish the times that we have with our loved ones and to take the time to celebrate the little ones as well as the big ones. She reminded me of the 'salf of the earth' kind of person who got along with everyone and didn't let her circumstances affect her outlook on life. She was also super-fit and I'm glad that I got to know her as a friend and colleague...
No comments:
Post a Comment