The Wednesday with just us

 Hi,

What a huge day and it is only 8.30am. Hahah. Yesterday I worked from home. Busy day too. The cats were happy I was there.

Moxley in her skull

Sourdough

After work I made bread - first one in ages. Mike got home and we had some bao buns for tea with leftover salad from Polly's party and some tofu for me and chicken for Mike.

This morning Mike dropped me at the airport for my 6.45am flight to Blenheim. Yes, it is a training weekend. Lucky I am ignorant of the work in front of me.

Sounds Air to Blenheim

Lovely flight. And a busy house when Iona picked me up and took me home. Suzie from California, Lou and Sarah from Ireland. All staying. Then I turned up and just set up shop. Hahahah.

Working from home today. Ensconced in the back room to avoid all the comings and goings.

Hope your day is a good one and the weekend is lots of fun.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with Mum going home

 Hi,

After getting Mum to the airport and going to gym, it was a busy day at work. And the weather was crazy cold. Freezing rain off and on all day.

Work iced latte

I spotted Laura in at work with her wee Poppy. Flo was nowhere to be seen (I guess she was at day care). Poppy is so cute!

Visit from wee Poppy

I caught the #13 bus home at 4.57pm and managed to time it perfectly. The walk from the bus stop was dry and I could see the rain just coming down the valley. As I got to the front door, it started lashing down.

Admiring my card from Iona and Col

Mike and I had a light tea (omelette and cheese and crackers) and Mike had a late meeting. Then bed. Up for garage PT session for me. Dead lifts 70kg 4 x 4 

Mike is off to work in town today.

I am off to Blenheim tomorrow for a Spring Challenge training weekend involving cycling and tramping. And maybe some SUP? If I am lucky?

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The Monday with Toby going home and lunch with Ed

 Hi,

Monday morning saw me and Mike head to the airport nice and early to drop Toby off. Then Mike went to the gym and I drove home.

I worked from home and tidied away Toby's bed. The cats were not happy to lose Toby. They were hanging around his bed all morning.

Toby is gone

The cats are sad

At lunch time I drove Mum to Ngaio to meet Ed at the cafe there. While Mum enjoyed meeting Ed and having a good chat, she was in so much pain that I could tell she was not her usual self. Her neck pain was more manageable but her lower back was agony. At one stage she had to stand up to stop a spasm and she knocked her water all over Ed's seat. She was mortified. Ed didn't care much. Heck - the weather was so bad, anyone would have wet pants in 2 minutes.

Ed suggested we visit the chemist next door. Good idea because Mum got some ibuprofen and when we got home, she sat and watched TV with a hottie on her back. And within a few hours she had far less pain.

We called Air NZ and got her assistance at Brisbane airport sorted. I had tea while she watched some TV. Mike got home and I made his tea. Then Mum packed up.

Went to bed and slept well until the alarm at 2.45am. Mum was already up. I got dressed and we got her to the car. Her back was still feeling much better. Got to the airport at 4am only to find broken kiosks and a huge bag drop queue.

I left her there, in the queue. She was sure she would manage. And I imagine that by now she is halfway across the Tasman. Dad will be driving to Brisbane to see her.

It has been so nice to have her here. Shame her back pain meant her last week was impacted a lot. But I hope she can manage it much better in her own home. And get the doctor to help if needs be.

I went back home and was in bed again at 4.30am. I reckon I slept for an hour, which was good. Up for my bus in for my PT session with Quentin. Bench. 42.5kg 3 reps x 4 sets. Then accessories.

The weather is so bad. Freezing cold rain. Southerlies. Brrrr. Stay dry and warm if you are in NZ.

Love,

Angela

Tuesday gym session

The weekend with birthday parties

 Hi,

Another big weekend. This one saw us celebrate Polly's 90th. Woot! Let's see how the weekend all unfolded.

Data brekkie Thursday morning

Te Papa - cool look at Britten bike

Friday I went with Mum into town and we parked near Te Papa and met Polly for lunch around 11.30am. Poked into some exhibits before going over the road to Te Tākina for lunch at the cafe. The food was a bit average - iced latte was good. The service was less than stellar with our main server being a bit impatient with us. Main issue being they made assumptions and did not realise that old people can't hear well when there is such loud ambient noise. They need to check their patrons and note the age of them is really quite high on average. So best be more considerate with your main customer base. In saying that - they had some very nice staff on that perhaps have already understood that. Maybe our server just didn't want to be there.

The experience doesn't make me want to rush back there.

Te Tākina cafe - was average

Walked a bit back to my work and got ready for dragon boating. Yes. I got a call up for a Friday evening race. Woot!

Mum models

Friday afternoon fun

I was in the second last row and seated next to Florrie and behind Emma. Great fun. We got on the water around 6.40pm and had our race. I think we came last in that heat. Strategic, obviously. I know the team did well on Saturday in the main races and came second in the Corporate C final. Good on them!

Waterfront

Stunning now

Walking back to the car

After the race we walked back to the car and headed to Kara's for a quick hello there. Mum has a really sore neck and back and Kara checked it out. I got some bath bombs and flowers from Kara. Awwww. Thank you Kara.

Saturday saw us up to get ready for Polly's party. Mike, Toby and I went to Maccas in Petone to set us up for success with terrible coffee and reasonable McMuffins and hot cakes. It worked.

Maccas yucky iced latte

Polly's cake

The food was looking great from Bella Italia - as was the cake. We put up the marquee that Sally and Andrew have in the shed. Our practise with Aidan's borrowed one for my birthday meant we got it up really fast. So I headed off to collect my mum and Helen and bring them back - with Toby along for the ride. We also had to stop off to get some beer and wine; we fitted that in and we were back 10 mins before kick off.

Sunny backyard

Bella Italia food looks so good

Under the marquee

Other end of the table

There it is

Toby chilling

It all went very well. Photos were shared after lunch. We saw Pop Kelly in one with Mike and Polly and Ron and Sophie. So nice. Oh - and Mike was holding Fred the cat. That pic was at Dunback. Awwww. Other photos were a perfect summary of Polly's main life highlights. Her nursing. Her marriage. Her kids. Her house and garden. And her fun times.

Cake and speeches

Flowers from Kara

Sunday was lovely to start with - but the weather slowly changed through the day.

Sunday stunner

Smudge models for us

At Seashore Cabaret

Mum and Toby and I went to Petone and had brunch at Seashore Cabaret while Mike did Callan's trapline.

Mum waits for her turmeric chai

Food is here

At Capitol

In the afternoon we went to Capitol for dinner. Polly was there already. Mike got out of the bush and came in with Sally and Andrew courtesy of Callan's personal uber service.

We had such a lovely meal. Capitol is owned by the parents of  Toby in Year 9 that meant our Toby changed his name to Roland at high school. So nice to meet them. The food was so good. The service was absolutely lovely. Thank you Polly and Mum for paying for a delightful meal and all your company.

Reading menus

Watching La La Land

Back home to watch La La Land. It was an ok movie. Went to bed quite late given we were up at 5am to take Toby to the airport for his 6am flight to chc.

Mike went to the gym and I drove home.

WFH today. Lunch with Ed and my mother at Ngaio today.

Hope your week is a good one.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday working from home

 Hi,

What a superb day Wednesday was for the weather. 25C in the end and just lovely. Mum went out with Sarah to the cafe in Ngaio then did a walk in Otari Wilton bush. That tuckered Mum out so we stayed home in the evening.

Stunning day yesterday

Smudge enjoying the sun

Barb came over after work to pick up the duffel bag that Mike uses on flights for his backpack. And we walked back towards her house together. I did so much talking that I got almost all the way to her house before I realised.

Ran back home to help Mum cook tea.

Venison from Barry

Mum watched Shogun (a recent series based on the book that spawned the mini series in the early 80s of the same name). It was quite good and I left her to it and went to bed.

I did choke at one point when I stopped reading and that ended up with a coughing fit. So I had to sit up and read for another 40 mins before my body got the memo I wasn't dying and calmed down enough for me to sleep.

Iced latte at Smith the Grocer

Up to bus in and PT session with Quentin. Deads this morning. 90kg  3 x 3. Felt ok.

Big day at work. Going to an after work thing too. So I will be home a bit late. Mike's mother's birthday party is this weekend. Woot!

Mike will be home at midnight tonight. Yippee. I have missed him lots.

Have a lovely weekend.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday that felt like a Wednesday

 Hi,

Weirdly, I took only one pic after my brekkie yesterday. And that was of the socks that Mike got in the mail. Hahahah.

Turns out Madeleine at work also gets the very same socks delivered. That is kinda cool.

The biggest news of the day was Toby sitting his full licence test - and passing. Congratulations Toby. After a bit of a stressful lead up (car was not warrantable due to a few missing LEDs in the right taillight) he did really well. They also postponed the test at short notice to next week. But he pushed back and got it changed to 3.30pm yesterday. And he did well. So good on him. I am proud.

I bussed home after work and caught up with Mum. She was feeling much better after an awesome sleep and the house was spotless. Thank you.

We had a Buddha bowl for tea and she loved that. It is our typical dinner, really. We watched a mini series about JFK Jr and his wife Carolyn Bessette. Mum loved it but at 20:00 I went to bed. And I must have been asleep before 21:00 I reckon.

Up for garage gym with Quentin. Bench 40kg 5 reps x 5 sets. Oosshh. Then a quick brekkie before working from home.

Sarah is coming over to see my Mum today. It is a brilliant day here today. Like - so magical.

Stunning day here

I hope you have a fantastic day!

Love,

Angela

The Monday with working at home

 Hi,

Yesterday was a lovely day here in Wellington but Mum was feeling the effects of the recent travel. So we stayed at home and chilled there. Well, I worked. Mum chilled. But we didn't do anything extra.

Mum watched the Bob Dylan film last night on Toby's recommendation. I went to bed and although I slept ok, I felt a little tired this morning. Mum has to use my phone to watch TV, so I go to bed without my phone. Alexa is doing a great job at waking me up.

Bussed in. Probably because everything felt hard. Did 70kg squats. 3 reps x 4 sets. And 100 push ups. My arms feel really tired now.

Bus this morning

Brekkie after gym with Quentin

Smith the Grocer iced latte

Quentin was free after me until 3pm so we went to Smith the Grocer for brekkie. So nice to enjoy some downtime with him. He will go work out himself now.

Work for me. Then bus home and see how Mum got on through the day.

Hope you have a great day!

Love,

Angela