The weekend with training in Blenheim

 Hi,

Another mighty weekend training in the southern motu with Iona and Nicola. I flew in Thursday and Mike took me to the airport. As he left me at the gate, Nic pinged me to say she was at the airport. So I grabbed Mike (he was slowly walking back to the car trying to check the fire damage in the domestic wing) and we chatted to Nic for 30 mins before my flight.

My flight was a little bumpy out of Wellington but it was better than it might be given how many cancellations followed into the next day in Wellington.  Iona picked me up and fed me. Then we picked up Robyn and went to quiz. Met Phillip and he showed me pics of his Lego (a lot of Star Wars) collection. Ben was there too.

We came 3rd. I think. But won the fast cash. It was a bit tough.

Off home and to bed. Then up at a leisurely time to head off with Nicola on bikes in the icy rain. When we parked the bikes at the bottom of the goat track, it did stop raining. Did the goat track - and the mandate was given that we should not stop on the way up. I achieved that despite the dribbly nose and the fierce wind. I had to walk up with my legs braced against the southerly.

Up in the Wither Hills

It was so windy

Orchid at Iona and Col's house

Post parkrun selfie

Saturday saw us up for parkrun. The weather wasn't too bad. Iona ran with me and I did my best time of 2026 with her help. Woot!

Then off to watch Col's great nephews play rugby. The 5 year old played Ripper Rugby in Spring Creek. What a hoot. Great idea. And then we drove to Seddon to watch the 7 year old play pretty full-on rugby. I loved it. Met Brogan for the first time.

Watching ripper rugby

We headed home and watched a bit of rugby on the TV. Poua and Matatu and Blues and Chiefs all played. Great games. Watched the netball final too. Mystics came out on top.

Sunday was the orienteering event day. Iona and I left at 8:20am to head to the Aschworth farm on Brancott Road. There were already heaps of punters there. Slightly overcast but no wind. We got the map and looked at a route. The aim was to challenge our navigation and our physical effort. We did that.

At the orienteering debrief meeting

We're off

Great terrain

Climbing up hills

Waiting for our lunch afterwards

The terrain was great. Got 810 points in the end. Had to pivot when our original route was taking longer than planned. Got back 15 mins before the deadline. But that was good because we didn't have to queue very long for the lunch. I got my veg burger in no time. In fact I finished mine before Iona and Nic even got theirs. And the queue by then was really long and not moving very fast at all.

Nic headed home to work in the vineyard and we went home to get warm and clean. Chilled out. Had dinner and I got dropped off at the airport for my flight at 19:00.

Perfect flight home. Mike was there waiting for me. He whisked me home and into bed. 

What a great weekend. I do think I am catching Mike's cold. I am still in denial. He seems to have come right though.

Up this morning to stay in the house today. Mike went into town for his gym.

I hope you have a great week ahead.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday with lots of work

 Hi,

Yeah - it is that week. Planning for the quarter coming up. It did mean a busy day and I couldn;t blog and tell you about our Tuesday.

Green Man quiz Tuesday night

We came 3rd in the pub quiz. Missed second place by one point. If only I had known who Alain Prost was (well, I did - but his face looked like any French car driver). Or that Mark was not a disciple.

Mike got me a Lewis Road iced coffee to start my planning day - thank you Mike.

Mike got me a Lewis Road for planning day

Starting the day

I went home with Madeleine and we got stuck in traffic on the #13 bus. Another bus had broken down outside the Karori tunnel - cityside. And it was chaos. But we eventually made it home. Fed the cats. And lifted heavy things. Bench - because Mike has left some stuff on the gym floor we need to sort out.

I took Madeleine home and got back. Mike was out with a group from work and enjoyed his dinner with them. I ate some toast and eggs and spinach. What even am I saying? Well - it was just that really. We watched some YouTube. Mike fixed the last of our IoT devices that were on our old WiFi network. It was tricky but now all our lights and heat pumps are switched over. Well done.

Off to bed - and by this stage Mike wasn't feeling super good. Bit of a tickle and a cough. And when he woke - he felt a bit worse. So he has rearranged his day and is working from home.

And I hope he has not kissed me too much in recent days and I stay germ-free. Hahahah. I am off to Blenheim after work for another training weekend. In the freezing rain. The weather looks atrocious.

Have a wonderful day. Enjoy your weekend.

Love,

Angela

The Monday with Shut up and dance with Karin

 Hi,

Wellington was turning it on for Karin's visit. Gorgeous start to the day - bit of fog in the valley. But it all burned off quickly.

Monday morning

Smudge looking very demure

Lunch with AJ

I caught up with AJ at Cafe Villa for lunch. So good to chat to him and share our news too. He is busy looking after the kids but now he's done the projects around the house, is looking for work. Good luck to him.

Smudge found Mike's PC to sit on

Late in the day the cats like to remind me of their presence

Here, let me lean on your arm!

Shut up and dance with Karin

Karin came up to our place on the #4 and settled in while I was in my afternoon meetings. She had lunch with a few of the people we know (Shane and Lynn - the others all had issues crop up) before heading to us.

When I finished work we drove into town and I parked in Lombards and we walked up to 60 Dixon where the new central location for Shut Up and Dance is located. Jessie arrived and we found a spot in the studio tucked out of the way so my flailing didn't disrupt too many people.

We had a great time. Hairspray was the main song. But we had Taylor and Aha along the way. 

Finished at 6:50pm and headed to 1154 for tea. Jessie had commitments for a play - she's doing props for it! How cool.

Mike joined us as our food arrived but wasn't super hungry. He ate a sad sandwich at 5pm between his meetings. But he was happy to finish off the last of my pasta. Karin paid for me as a thank you for staying with us. But really, she shouldn't have. To me, having her here to catch up was so good. It has been ages since we last saw each other. She is loving retirement life.

1154 afterwards

Mike got a sore eye at 1154, but it wasn't until we were in bed that I had a good look. There was a small stick in there!

He went to the mirror and fished it out. It broke in two as he touched it on his thumb. But it was huge! No wonder his eye was sore.

This was in Mike's eye

Off to bed. Up for PT session in the garage for me (WFH today). I chatted to Karin over brekkie when I finished. She caught the number 4 bus because Tim lives at the other end of the route. How cool. And it is right by the airport for her flight home at midday. Perfect.

Got quiz after work tonight. Woot! We have the bar tab from our win to use up too.

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The weekend with Wellington Spring Challenge Training

 Hi,

We had such a hectic weekend. I need a holiday to recover from my weekend. Hahah. Thursday saw us catch up for data brekkie and Shane came to chat to us. So good to see him.

Kris at Smith the Grocer with me

Hey Shane! Woot!

Cats lounging around

I made two sourdoughs Thursday night. One for Nic (she got the baby one) and one for Mike for his tramp. First time using wholemeal flour. Added wholegrains again. Mike said it was good.

Two sourdoughs. And wholemeal and wholegrains

Thursday evening Iona arrived on the ferry. Picked her up from the Interislander at 7.45pm and managed to collect Mike from work then too.

Up Friday to a gorgeous looking day. Nic arrived on her early flight and found Tom in town for brekkie. We had brekkie at home then Iona and I drove into town to pick Nic up from Victoria St. Well, Abel Smith St. That went smoothly.

Friday morning

We were parked at the Kapakapanui road end and away walking by 9:05am. This is the end of the road and a few farmhouse driveways head off in all directions. But you follow the signs and go through gates and over stiles.

We decided to do the loop anticlockwise. It means a steep grunt up for 3 hours or more. But a less steep descent on the other side.

You cross the river a few times to get to the junction. We hadn't had much rain so I was hopeful the river would be fine. It was. Clear and swift. Maybe 4 crossings to get to the junction before the huge climb up. The ascent is mighty. Steep. 

Kapakapanui starts

Steep going

I think it was 2 hours 25 to the overhanging tree that marked the unmarked route off to the left of the track to the hidden possum hut. We didn't have a look.

We saw one couple coming down as we got close to the top. Along the top we got no views. There was a chap walking on his own and was cheerfully telling us the mud would get better soon.

It didn't really. We were under DoC time to the trig, but the 1 hour from the trig to the hut took us over 1 hour. The mud. I lost my shoe several times. Managed to get my foot back in every time.

Trig

Mud

No views

Iona and Nic - and my thumb

The hut

We had our lunches at the hut. Didn't go in. Good to shove some carbs in - thank you for making them Iona.

The descent was brutal on our old knees. But we made good time. When you reach the river from this side you have more crossings to do before you reach the junction. So we were very wet again. But it did clean off a lot of mud. We were at the car by 4pm easily. And after a bit of cleaning and changing into warm dry socks and trousers, we were off.

Nic got into fancy clothes because she was meeting Tom for tea in town before her flight.

Down, down, down

It was not to be. Around 17:30 we came past the Porirua exit from Transmission Gully and ended up at the back of a very stationary queue. Brake lights as far as we could see. Probably about 100m from joining the old highway.

And - after a quick online check, it appears nothing would move for a long time. After 30 mins of going nowhere, Nic and Iona decided to walk off the motorway and up the on-ramp just behind us. They managed to catch the eye of a motorist at the roundabout and Fiona asked them if they wanted a lift. They then crawled through Tawa with her until Redwood station where they caught a train. Nic was so late she ended up Ubering to the airport from the train station in town. Awwww.

Meanwhile, my queue was not moving. I was in the fast lane - on the shoulder because we had to move over to let an emergency car through earlier on. Then I saw quite a few cars making u turns and driving back up the motorway the wrong way - and up the on-ramp. So I decided I should also do this. When else would I get the chance to drive on the motorway the wrong way?

I joined the slow queue of cars going back up the on-ramp the wrong way. When the car in front of me got to the roundabout, a car decided to drive down the on-ramp and onto the motorway. Why they thought this would be good is beyond me. A steady line of cars leaving the motorway the wrong way, and you decide to get on?

Anyway, we dribbled through Tawa. It wasn't until I got to Johnsonville that the traffic eased back to normal. I got home at 8pm. Iona caught the 14 bus to our place. And we relayed each other's exciting adventures. Nic got back to Blenheim fine. Phew. Just no dinner with Tom. :-(

Cats in direct line of the heat pump

Saturday was a bit yucky. Iona grabbed her mother's car and drove to Palmerston North to see her sick friend. I joined her. I read in the car park. And then we drove back home.

Kāpiti Island is invisible

Shannon - The Horseman cafe

Present from Col and Iona. They know me

Sunday we were up early to meet Maureen for coffee at the local petrol station. Maureen used her reward points to get us all coffees.

Coffee Sunday

I dropped Iona at the ferry and went back home to tidy. Then met Maureen at 8.45am to climb to the top of Mt Kaukau. She set a fierce pace. Phew! No views.

No views top of Mt Kaukau. But Blenheim is that way!

Chasing Maureen made me fast!

Maidstone Park in Upper Hutt.

Mike got home at 1pm and I dropped him back at 40WLW before I went to the rugby with Elly. She convinced me to talk to Krystal Murray (who was in a moon boot so I hope she gets better soon) and I got a selfie. So happy!

Poua lost to Matatū. But it was close. And the conditions were tricky. Good fun - ta Elly. Then to Sally and Andrew's place for dinner with Barry and Kath. So nice. They are well.

Wow! Krystal Murray.

Monday morning

Back home and straight to bed. Up for gym for Mike and treadmill run for me. Then back home for me.

What a lovely day out there.

Enjoy your week.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with Mike's birthday

 Hi,

Had a good day at work working next to Shoshana - and she went and got me an iced latte from the work cafe when my meetings were stopping me from getting one.

Work iced latte from Shoshana

After work we walked to The Embassy and got there in time to settle in and watch Disclosure Day. 5.15pm. Danita and Nick were also seeing it (happy birthday Danita for today!) so we said hello to them.

Movie tickets

The movie was interesting. A bit of a Spielberg indulgence from my point of view. Good plot. Emily Blunt was amazing as always and carried the movie through the more hamfisted parts. But it did need more focus on execution in places. It felt like similarly with George Lucas's later movies, there was nobody there willing to challenge the Great Mr Spielberg's screenplay and suggest how it could be tightened and improved.

But I was entertained.

It finished at 7.50pm so we had to hop it to Koji Restaurant. Toby called to wish Mike a happy birthday too. 

The dinner was superb. We both got the 9 course chef's meal - all plant-based for me, carnivore version for Mike. And it was so good. Creative, but well thought out. Very little in common between mine and Mike's which meant we got to see and taste a huge range of dishes.  Mike got a couple of glasses of a fascinating and delicious chilled red from Alexia Urban Winery in Greytown. All up, $226 - what a bargain for one of the best degustation meals we've ever had! So that was an excellent birthday night out. 

Fave ones for me? The lettuce cups with mushroom and other deliciousness. The miso eggplant. The charred broccoli. Mmmm.

Dinner at Koji

What a menu! We'll try a la carte next time (and there will be a next time)

Ubered home and chatted to the driver a lot about his hybrid Haval. Fed the cats. And fell asleep with a very full stomach.

Up for a bus in with Mike. He had the session with Quentin while I ran on the treadmill. Coffee at Margies on the way to work.

Margies for Wed iced latte

Have a brilliant day.

Love,

Angela