25, 26, 27 May

So I’ve decided to stop recording the coronavirus lockdown days. It’s kind of over, and we are in post-Covid – no-one is in hospital anymore in New Zealand.

The last three days have been a blur of activity. Monday was a straight-forward work day. Tuesday was an early start.

I was to be picked up at 0720, but got a text as I got out of the shower just after 7. We headed into town to pick up a whale jaw bone, and took it over to Wairau, where I spent the day at the offices. It was so strange to be out and about and doing things! I finished the day with a couple of Zoom catchups.

Wednesday was also busy, with work and zoom catch-ups. I have a lot of editing to do for my birthday podcasts, and had a meet up with Matt about those today. Might have to ease back on the sweary … but it will make a funny series.

Some of the video work I have been doing is coming to an end, but it will be replaced by another contract for a different group, so I am very fortunate to have that!

Ansd speaking of fortune, when it smiles, it shines! After more than four months of discussions and bouncing back and forward, I’ve made some progress at recovering my deceased brother’s Apple ID.

First I had to have a death certificate and ID for him. Then ID for me. Then a letter from the trustee approving me to act. After supplying the required documentation, it’d be easy, right? Apple would press a couple of buttons and the transfer would be complete!

Wrong. Then it got harder. To reclaim the Apple ID, there was a phone number associated with the account. We had four different mobiles for my brother – he travelled to a lot of different countries. None of them worked.

The customer care team said in the end that if we didn’t find the number, we couldn’t transfer the ID. It was a technical issue that the engineers couldn’t resolve. I was astounded, and more than a little worried.

So we would have to find the number, scouring through emails and bookings and reservations of a man who spent his life travelling. Different countries and languages. It was down to emailing people in his address book to see if any of them had a match.

Fortune was with us, we found the number through a friend of my brother’s in Moscow. It will take four days to find out how long it will be before we can access the account, but we were so lucky! Listening to the Apple Support person I was working with, it doesn’t happen that often.

It could have been so much worse. I hate to think what it would have been like if we didn’t find the number. For us this wasn’t a technical transaction, or following a list of instructions to resolve an issue. 
This is our last connection with Keith.

In a few days I will get a text, and will find out how long it will be before I can access the account. Whatever I find, even if it is just receipts for three badges and a fridge magnet, I will cherish it a great deal.

So my heartfelt thanks to Greg and the team at customer care in Apple Australia. We are very grateful indeed.

My personal measure of whether a day on the road was a good one is set fairly low. If I can go to sleep with a roof over my head, warm, with a full stomach, I’m better off than many in the world. So finishing inside a dry tent, in a warm sleeping bag, with a warm belly will mean it was a good day.

However, I can’t see the point of spending thousands of dollars on a bicycle and gear before such an adventure, only to try to preserve the hundreds left over by turning into a miser; skimping, scrimping, and “saving” money every day on the tour; spending as few dollars as possible each day.

It makes more sense to me to economise by using practical solutions for any needed gear, and spending the thousands thus “saved” on enjoying every day of the tour, memorable experiences, or touring for longer.

Keith Liddicoat, Philosophy: Where I Prove I’m Crazy