Hello Yukio, how are you my dear friend.

I'm sorry it's been such a long time since I have written. Things have been much the same over here and the time is flying along too fast as usual.
How are your and family my dear friend. I constantly have thoughts of you and your family and hope that everything is well.
How is your work my friend? There has been times in that past few months that I have dreamt of your magic hands for my aches and pains I have in my lower back. I have managed to keep it under control with lots of stretching and not riding too hard on my bike. I have not raced for the last two months but feel I am ready to start competing again in the next couple of weeks. I am hoping that with John and the boys I can go to the Tour de China in October from the 14th to the 17th. At the moment I am only 60% positive that I can go but I hope that I can come up with the financial means to be able to go.
I am also hoping that in November I can take my family with me and go back home to New Zealand to compete in the Tour of Southland 5 day stage race UCI 2.5, and spend some time with family and friends. The last time I rode the Tour was when I first started racing again after 14 years off in 1998, I had a very bad race that year. My goal this year would be to try and win in a stage in front of my Father who taught my brother and I all about cycling as we grew up as teenagers and who himself was a World Veteran Champion in 1981. My beautiful wife has never been to New Zealand so I would love to take her and my son there and show them where I grew up.
How is Yuyua going with his studies and sporting interests? I hope that he is enjoying both. I bet he is growing quickly before your eyes into a young man. Give our regards to your wife and daughter also.
Thank you for the photo's you sent in your last email, Japan is truly a beautiful country and one I would love to see one day and meet up again with you my friend.
Do you have a schedule for your team for the month of October? Is there any possibility that you will be going to China for the tour? I would so much love to see you again.

Alex is growing up fast, I hope you enjoy some of the latest photo's of him. He is getting so big and certainly looks taller than his 2 1/2 years of age. We took him and Katie to the Perth Zoo the other day and they had a great time. He is starting to name the animals quite clearly and his talking is starting to come. I can see we are going to have a lot of laughs in the future.

Forgive me once again my dear friend for being so long in returning your email. I do know and I feel it in my heart that we will meet and fish together sometime in the future, a day I look forward to.
I hope this email finds you and your family safe and well and I look forward to hearing from your soon.

Friends for life!!
Steve