Was Open ...

Late night again last night, lots more aftershocks, but I slept for a few hours.

And then into day 2 of rebuilding. Lots of communication with staff and clients, on the phone, but mostly on Facebook, Twitter and email. We set up a private Facebook group for our 21 staff, it's been fantastic to keep us connected. I'll admit to not being a fan (excuse the pun) of Facebook, but I have to say it's been great.

Highlights for the day ...
* A plumber coming and helping fix our hot water cycling. Johnny rocks.
* Watching the space shuttle Discovery launch for the last time, streamed over the Internet in HD to our TV. Then having to go outside a wee in the garden, as we don't have a toilet - oh the irony!
* Going to the office and discovering we have water, now we just need power and we are IN business again. Although staff are working remotely, as their home situations allow.
* Using a toilet for the first time in 3 days. Ahhh, simple pleasures!
* Finding a gas station with petrol and only having to wait 10 minutes
* Trying (unsuccessfully ) to rent a portaloo, from anywhere in the country. Civil Defence has commandeered them all. Nearly 800 delivered to the city so far, with 1200 more from as far as the US coming.
* Having our lovely friend in Samoa offer us $500 to help us. We suggested others needed it far more and to donate to the Red Cross or another organisation. We helped her after the Tsunami, and she's still recovering from it.

On the way home I took this photo. It was a historic church, it's had to be demolished. The building the background is next. It's condemned. Had a chat to the army guy guarding the road closure, clearly he was bored, seems like Sydenham is now very much closed, might be a case of starting again from scratch. In which case they could maybe use this sign (from the last earthquake) sometime in the next 2 - 3 years. Bugger.

And talking of condemned ... I went to see our previous office. Remarkably it's still standing, crazy! As are the new tilt slab panels on the new building next door that we're moving into. Whew!

Going to try and have an early night tonight, it's been 2am or later for the past few nights. Lots of people to reply to asking if we're Ok, and lots of office stuff to organise.

And for the record, 113 confirmed dead so far, 200 still missing. Rescue workers still going. What a job, what incredible people.

Night.