The Wednesday with work

 Hi,

Wednesday done and dusted. Did get to Margies with Mike for lunch and Dave joined us. We celebrated Arsenal's premier league win when Man City failed to win (and in fact, LOST) against the solidly middle table Bournemouth. Woot! Meanwhile our arch rival, Tottenham, are clinging on to avoid relegation. Should be a double celebration but too much respect for Spurs to feel any happiness about that.

Oh, it's a beautiful picture

I worked late and then joined Mike and Callan at Foxglove. Then off to bus home. Feed the cats. Go to bed. Fall asleep and entirely miss our YouTube watching session. And wake up to head to town for my PT session.

Deads. 82.5 kg 3 reps x 4 sets.

Bumped into this man at Smith the Grocer

Data brekkie

Then brekkie at Smith the Grocer. Bumped into Reimer there. We need a coffee date soon. And then off to work after a good catch up with workmates.

Off to Nelson this weekend. Staying with JR and Anita even though they are away. Sally and Andrew managed to convince them we were harmless enough. Phew. Thank you.

Parkrun. Visiting houses. Bike rides maybe. Anyway - hope your weekend is a good one too.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with work

 Hi,

I think I missed a blog day. Hahah. Tuesday was busy as. So many coffee dates. After my gym session with Quentin (and Mike ran on the treadmill while I was lifting heavy things. And ran so hard he had to dry retch in the bathroom!), I took him and Mike to Smith the Grocer where I was meeting Juliet for brekkie.

Smith the Grocer brekkie

Iced latte

Iced latte

We had a good catch up. Juliet was a tad late and now I realise I missed her photo completely. But she is good. Gave me some good advice.

We all went off to our respective workplaces. And later that morning I caught up with Kris. It had been ages since I had his ear. We had a good catch up.

Second iced latte

After work I walked home with Barb. She is such a mountain goat. But it did feel a bit easier to keep up with her this time. Maybe my running is working.

Barb walking home

Me at the top

Tuesday gym

Sweaty Mike

Home to feed the cats. Eat some tea. And Mike got home from some late work meetings. We did some life admin and then enjoyed a bath together before bed. It took Mike ages to fall asleep. I noted this morning that I have many Instagram reels to view from him.

Up to bus in together this morning. Mike to gym with Quentin and me to run on the treadmill. Then I will walk home by myself after work today.

Quentin told me it is all about step counts. 10k a day.

Hope your day is awesome. Ours is now because Arsenal just won the EPL. Man City drew with Bournemouth and now Arsenal can't lose. One game left to play but already in the bag. I was running on the treadmill constantly refreshing the phone with the live score. Man City was down 1 nil until stoppage time. But a draw wasn't enough. Super happy with that outcome.

Love,

Angela

The weekend at home with a boycotted Eurovision

 Hi,

We had a big weekend in Wellington. Baked bread. Went to parkrun on Saturday morning. Brisk southerly. Did ok. 36 mins. Given how lethargic I felt heading into it, it was an okay time. Lisa was there too so I invited her to do the new pathway walk with us.

Sourdough

Start of the new path - Te Ara Tupua

Popped into work for a quick change and then Mike dropped me and Lisa off at Ngauranga Gorge intersection to meet Maureen. He continued on to Epuni to collect some carpet cut offs he got edged. Super nice they are!

Meanwhile Maureen and Lisa and I did the walk. It was superb. Not as busy as I thought it might be. We enjoyed the walk so much. Just under 5km. Lovely views. The surface of the ara is so smooth. 

Walking in the brisk southerly

Distance back to town

On the new bridge

Walking over the bridge

Good harbour views

Love the details

Almost there

Puku pies

Finally got to Puku Pies. The cauliflower pie was excellent. Mike got there in time for a coffee and pie too.

Pie time - better blow on it, Mike

Parkrun effort

Dropped people off and went shopping and then baked a bit of food for the evening. Lasagne. Zucchini slice. Haloumi and egg pie. Salad. People turned up around 6pm and contributed food too. Wally, Chelsea, Ange, Danita, Kara, Beth and Chris. They all watched Eurovision the story of Fire Saga while I went downstairs to watch the Phoenix women in the final against Melbourne City. Unfortunately the Phoenix women probably got a little overwhelmed at the final and what is involved. The first half slipped away from them and although they got a good goal in the second half, Melbourne just dug deep and kept them away from the goals. 3 - 1. Not too shabby in the end. Bodes well to continue this to next season.

Saturday night dinner

I watched the football

Sunday brekkie

Up for an early start. We decided to watch the Eurovision Song Contest in Austria and keep it ont he down low. But really. I am very cross with their double standards. If you kick out Russia because they invaded Ukraine, then why are you letting Israel in? It's a mess.

Watching something on You Tube - can't comment on what it was

Moxley sleeping on me

Why was this comfortable for her?

Mike left halfway through to pick up Janine and take her home. He also measured the bathroom at Epuni and got back as it finished.

Monday saw us drive to the gym. I ran while Mike enjoyed his session with Quentin.

And we're taking Moxley to the vet this morning for her final check up.

Have a great week.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday with lifting in garage gym

 Hi,

What boring pics I have in my phone. Selfies of me going about my day. Hahahah.

Bus ride this morning

Waiting for Maureen

After work yesterday (Wed) I bussed home with Madeleine and we did garage gym. Deads (45kg 4 x 4) and bench (25kg) 4 x 4. Good fun.

Then took her home. Came back for tea with Mike. Then off to bed. Up for bus in and gym with Quentin. Deads for me. 80kg. 3 x 4.

Brekkie with Maureen at Margies.

Iced latte and brekkie at Margies

Mike joined us at the end of our brekkie for a coffee. Then off to work. 

Weekend is coming. The new pathway from Ngauranga to Petone will open, so we're keen to see that.

Have a great day and enjoy your weekend.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with a Green Man quiz after work

 Hi,

I did have a real hankering for an iced latte at my desk yesterday morning. So off to French Kiss cart for me. And it was so good.

French Kiss cart iced latte

Third equal

After work we headed to The Green Man. A few from work and a few that have left work in recent times. Plus Jon. Juliet brought along Rose. It was a good mix of people despite the huge table of us (9 all up). We even got full scores in two rounds. One of which was our Joker round. The Nordics. Hahah. Jesper gave us an in there.

We got 3rd equal. And only 1 point to second place and another point to first place. Close. Good fun.

Mike and I ubered home and fed the cats and went to bed. Up for some logistics. Mike had gym in town with Quentin. The Allworks garden folks came to look at what we needed for our bottom garden that is now out of control.

Mike then dropped me off at work and he headed to Epuni via Sally to meet someone there.

Going to bus home with Madeleine and lift heavy things in the garage. Then make yoghurt and sourdough before bed. That is my plan for the entire day.

Hope yours is also a good one.

Love,

Angela

The Monday with a post op check for Moxley

 Hi,

We both worked from home yesterday so we could nip out and take Moxley to her 9.40am follow up appointment. She passed with flying colours. Next check is next Monday. The vet people showed us her x-rays. She does need another couple of teeth out. But we will wait until this trauma is but a distant memory for her.

See this gap? Not good.

Bone has dropped away from where it should be

Canines show a bit of the same issue

Cats happy on their new toy

Moxley was happy to prowl around the room while we discussed her x-rays. She was pretty chill. She still didn't like the car ride - but she was making complaining mews instead of stressed-out yowls. We hold her crate up high now so she can see all the views out the windows, I think that helps. But she seems to actually be getting used to vet visits and not that bothered by them, which is great.

I booked a dental check of my own for 6pm. I also passed with flying colours. But did book in the hygienist for July on my way out their door.

Had yummy dinner when I got back. Mike had finished his late meeting and cooked tofu stir fry. Then both me and Smudge fell asleep in his lap while YouTube was on. I missed my queued up videos completely.

Mike got me up to get to my actual bed. And I slept so well. Up at 5.30 to have brekkie and ride in. PT session with Quentin. Squats 50kg 4 x 4 and then bench 40kg 4 x 4. It was ok.

We have quiz tonight with some workmates. Woot. Green Man pub. Hope you have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The weekend in Blenheim for some Spring Challenge training

 Hi,

What a huge weekend. I didn't go over to Blenheim until late on Friday because I was on Moxley duties as she came out of her post op daze from Thursday. She is doing really well, by the way. Says my completely uninformed vet brain.

Iona picked me up from the airport after a really bumpy flight. Well, the bumps on takeoff and crossing the Strait were fairly normal. But the sideways crab as we land and the one wheel bump and land was exciting. Well done, Sally (our pilot).

I was not long out of bed, to be fair. And up for Parkrun on Saturday morning. Iona kindly drove me to town and off I went. Not a bad time, I suppose. Iopna ran with me for the last 2km and I got a far better time with her than I would on my own.

Mitre10 cafe

A Mitre10 trip was squashed into our post parkrun gap. That was good. And then Col went to work and Iona and I went for a bike ride.

Cycle trail between Blenheim and Picton - a bit waterlogged

Up on the stop bank

Have a look at the bottom of the post for some pics from the ride we did. We rode up the cycle path towards Tuamarina. We negotiated a few puddles. But then the cycle trail went fully underwater and disappeared around the bend as far as we could see. We turned around and peeked a look behind Tuamarina where Maureen and I had got so muddy last time. It was fully underwater too.

So back to the stop bank on the Wairau - and Iona said we should try that. It was so good. Also full of long deep puddles. But Iona was in boss mode. And I finally figured it out too. Great fun.

Back to rest for a bit and then Malcolm joined us to do B line. We found a weasel! Worth getting back on our feet to do that.

B line traps

Classic Marlborough views

Weasel!

Bit maggoty

Joined by this one on B line

Sunday we were up at a more leisurely pace as we had an orienteering course to do at Bastion farm. Okay - that was hard work. We did the orange course. 5 km and 350m of elevation. But it took us 7km and 450m of elevation. Hahahah. We did it in 3 hours 33 mins. Phew. They only had a 4 hour window.

Orange rogaine

Great terrain up here - Bastion farm at the end of the Wither Hills

Walking, walking

And done

Down, down

Our map

Country Calendar

Back for some showers and a bit of TV and some delicious dinner and then off to the airport for my 20:15 flight.

Mike collected me and I was on bed pretty fast.

Thank you. What a great weekend.

Pushing through forst deep puddle. Iona did not come off her bike.

Getting back on

Here we go

Good fun

Have a great week.

Love,

Angela