Against my express wishes, Wal organized a farewell drink for me on Friday night! I was mildly horrified, but he did it very discreetly and just a tiny boutique smattering of old friends were invited so the terror of being the centre of attention was modified to a large degree. Cassy was "in on it" as well and they'd be very skillful in not letting me even get the slightest hint that something was going on.
I was slightly miffed when Wal suggested a very early start at the Patio, but suggested we go as Will was opening up early for some reason or other. When I arrived Wal and Cass were there and every TV screen had images of me as well as farewell messages! He'd organized videos from Josh, Shaun, Lewy and Ross as well and each of them spoke eloquently: I didn't realize I was such a good bloke! Wal had a few words as well and spoke beautifully: it was really quite touching! As he said when I castigated him: you can't leave after 19 years without at least some form of farewell! The night went on and on and I became even a bigger legend than I had started the night (!)
Cass had to drag herself to the campus the next day for the videoing of the MS production. After the success of the dress rehearsal the week before, hopes were high for this unique show. Cassy's gang of makeup artists did all that was required of them and by all reports, the show was a shining triumph. Now, to see it, the parents just have to wait for the release of the DVD! It's anathema for us to darken the doors of the school on the weekend, so she wasn't overly impressed, but it's over now and that's another item taken off our list!
She walked there and back in the blistering heat and passed by the furious preparations that were going on for the local annual "tongue lashing" festival at our neighbourhood temple, or so we thought. There was discordant music and muscular bursts of fireworks at regular intervals on Saturday and Sunday, and little blue lorries festooned with fake flowers carrying drum-beating temple boys, slick with sweat and delirious with betel nut, blood-red saliva mouths chewing and leering. It was like a mini Taiwanese version of Fury Road! Somehow though, despite the noise and commotion, the festival never reached the dizzy delirium of years past, and the whole event sputtered out quite pathetically by Sunday afternoon.
We wandered to the shops and got some groceries on Sunday afternoon, slightly discombobulating ourselves as this task normally occurs on Saturday. Cass has started in earnest to ration our supplies much to my annoyance. My approach is to buy ample amounts and if we have any spare, just throw it away. Cassy's method is much more prudent and more waste averse: she's buying smaller packs of things and figuring out volumes...we've agreed to disagree, but it's noticeable that her selections dominate the shopping trolley!
Things are getting all too real as the penultimate week of work begins. I'll be laden with 97 major projects by the end of the day and tasked with grading them by about the end of the week and Cass will have a similar burden: looks like a busy time this week! Not only that, but we have a farewell assembly on Tuesday where we'll be lauded and feted (we hope!).
Little Mary decided not to come out of her room or leave her basket for three days during the week, she was hot and listless, eating next to nothing and with an insatiable thirst. Her kidneys were shot and she was fading fast: we decided to be unselfish and end her life before she suffered any further, so our trip to the vet was her last. We'll miss her a lot.