Hi,
Some sunshine and Wellington is looking good. I dropped wee Toby off this morning as I had a late night last night and I needed a longer sleep in. Table tennis was great fun but when I get home I don't unwind very quickly after my exercise. So I was very sleepy this morning.
It's a long weekend this weekend here - thanks QEII. I need three days off. So does Toby. Heheheh.
We have plans - but they are many and varied. We're visiting Georgia the horse (to feed it apples), getting a grocery delivery, heading up to Waikanae to see the Tabors on Sunday, and apparently it is a free for all on Monday where Mike has lost track of the people we have invited over. So, if we have said come over, come over. Mike will be painting and I will be hoping I can cater for the masses! Heheheh.
Ok. Time to get stuck in!
Have a good weekend!
Love,
Angela
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Good morning on Thurs, May 28
Hi,
What a fun day yesterday for me with 4 meetings lasting 1.5 hours each. Phew. It was pretty tough by the end. But then I had a great ride up to Northland to catch up with Mike and Toby at Toby's karate class. I saw the end of the class and Toby collect his certificate for passing his first grade. He now has a red tab on his white belt.
After that we shot home to get changed (me out of bike gear and Toby out of his Gi) and headed to Mum and Dad's place for dinner. Dad was just walking up the hill as we got there. So it was perfect timing. We ate a new dish of Mum's (chicken stew with thyme) and slowly tried to leave to get home. Heheheheh.
I slept like a log. Rode in nice and early this morning as I have no sandwiches to make (Mike and I will go out for lunch and it is lunch order day for Toby). Not too shabby a day, finally!
I'm working late tonight and Mike has arranged for Mum to collect wee Toby. Then it's table tennis night!
Have fun!
Love,
Angela
What a fun day yesterday for me with 4 meetings lasting 1.5 hours each. Phew. It was pretty tough by the end. But then I had a great ride up to Northland to catch up with Mike and Toby at Toby's karate class. I saw the end of the class and Toby collect his certificate for passing his first grade. He now has a red tab on his white belt.
After that we shot home to get changed (me out of bike gear and Toby out of his Gi) and headed to Mum and Dad's place for dinner. Dad was just walking up the hill as we got there. So it was perfect timing. We ate a new dish of Mum's (chicken stew with thyme) and slowly tried to leave to get home. Heheheheh.
I slept like a log. Rode in nice and early this morning as I have no sandwiches to make (Mike and I will go out for lunch and it is lunch order day for Toby). Not too shabby a day, finally!
I'm working late tonight and Mike has arranged for Mum to collect wee Toby. Then it's table tennis night!
Have fun!
Love,
Angela
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Good morning on Wed, May 27
Hi,
I rode in this morning. The radio said no rain today at all and that echoed in my mind as I rode through the drizzle. Still, the wind was virtually non-existent.
It is karate evening and I have work on all day so Mike is doing Toby drop off and Toby pick up. I'll ride up to Northland and catch the end of karate. Should be good fun!
We're off to Mum and Dad's for tea tonight - after karate. Mum has a kilo of chicken and is making a new dish for us to try. Sounds yummy.
Wee Toby mentioned he didn't like his sandwiches on Monday and wanted something else - like pizza! After 18 months he's decided ham and cheese sandwiches every day are no good? Very odd. Still, he's had ham and cheese since then and no more complaints. Heheheh. I'd better find a substitute and have it standing by. Cold pizza at the very least.
That's about it. I must go and get a cup of tea. I can't have my Weetbix yet as the milk has not been replenished. We have new kitchen staff and we all miss the last chap. Still, we did notice a sparkling clean bench yesterday in the kitchen. So although milk might not be getting topped up, we're cleaner than usual!
Have a great day.
Love,
Angela
I rode in this morning. The radio said no rain today at all and that echoed in my mind as I rode through the drizzle. Still, the wind was virtually non-existent.
It is karate evening and I have work on all day so Mike is doing Toby drop off and Toby pick up. I'll ride up to Northland and catch the end of karate. Should be good fun!
We're off to Mum and Dad's for tea tonight - after karate. Mum has a kilo of chicken and is making a new dish for us to try. Sounds yummy.
Wee Toby mentioned he didn't like his sandwiches on Monday and wanted something else - like pizza! After 18 months he's decided ham and cheese sandwiches every day are no good? Very odd. Still, he's had ham and cheese since then and no more complaints. Heheheh. I'd better find a substitute and have it standing by. Cold pizza at the very least.
That's about it. I must go and get a cup of tea. I can't have my Weetbix yet as the milk has not been replenished. We have new kitchen staff and we all miss the last chap. Still, we did notice a sparkling clean bench yesterday in the kitchen. So although milk might not be getting topped up, we're cleaner than usual!
Have a great day.
Love,
Angela
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Good morning on Tues, May 26
Hi,
What a busy week we have. Last night was the first Kea night and we had 4 children and 4 adults. Heheheheh. Duncan and Emerson joined Chelsea and Toby and we all ran around the scout hall playing soccer, learning the Kea song and trying to climb ropes. It was great fun.
The week is filling up fast and I am busy at work. Mike and I do have annual leave on June 16th though and I am looking forward to that.
Thursday night is release night and then I'll hoon up to table tennis afterwards.
And an old work colleague is back in town this week so I am trying to sort out Friday dinner with him and hopefully Mike can bring Toby in too.
So, there you have it.
Love,
Angela
What a busy week we have. Last night was the first Kea night and we had 4 children and 4 adults. Heheheheh. Duncan and Emerson joined Chelsea and Toby and we all ran around the scout hall playing soccer, learning the Kea song and trying to climb ropes. It was great fun.
The week is filling up fast and I am busy at work. Mike and I do have annual leave on June 16th though and I am looking forward to that.
Thursday night is release night and then I'll hoon up to table tennis afterwards.
And an old work colleague is back in town this week so I am trying to sort out Friday dinner with him and hopefully Mike can bring Toby in too.
So, there you have it.
Love,
Angela
Monday, May 25, 2009
Good morning on Mon, May 25
Hi,
What a wonderful weekend, despite missing Mike as he was off learning how to be a good tramping leader. He had fun and has been full of exciting bits of information since we saw him yesterday evening. He is very enthusiastic now and wants to kick off some family style tramps. Possibly starting with some day walks for ease of planning initially.
Toby and I stayed at my parents place for a holiday weekend. We went there Friday and had a lovely dinner (homemade fish n chips) then up for swimming the next morning. Ma came with us and afterwards we popped into Queensgate for some shopping.
Home then and we got some serious television watching in (me and Mum) while Toby explored Madagascar on the XBox. Heheheh.
Saturday night we watched Eragorn on TV with Toby and he loved it. We fell asleep dreaming about how wonderful it would be to have our own dragon.
Sunday morning was brunch at the Tabors. Then Toby and I went out for a movie. A Night at the Museum 2. We got the front row so the screen was BIG!
Then home to see Mike and have homemade pizzas. Yum!
The weather is still damp. But tonight is the first Kea night and we're sorting out the logistics now. Sally and Andrew have returned from Norfolk Island and it sounds like they had a relaxing time. We also found out that JR was staying at their house and using the MRG. So mystery solved. Phew!
Have a great week.
Love,
Angela
What a wonderful weekend, despite missing Mike as he was off learning how to be a good tramping leader. He had fun and has been full of exciting bits of information since we saw him yesterday evening. He is very enthusiastic now and wants to kick off some family style tramps. Possibly starting with some day walks for ease of planning initially.
Toby and I stayed at my parents place for a holiday weekend. We went there Friday and had a lovely dinner (homemade fish n chips) then up for swimming the next morning. Ma came with us and afterwards we popped into Queensgate for some shopping.
Home then and we got some serious television watching in (me and Mum) while Toby explored Madagascar on the XBox. Heheheh.
Saturday night we watched Eragorn on TV with Toby and he loved it. We fell asleep dreaming about how wonderful it would be to have our own dragon.
Sunday morning was brunch at the Tabors. Then Toby and I went out for a movie. A Night at the Museum 2. We got the front row so the screen was BIG!
Then home to see Mike and have homemade pizzas. Yum!
The weather is still damp. But tonight is the first Kea night and we're sorting out the logistics now. Sally and Andrew have returned from Norfolk Island and it sounds like they had a relaxing time. We also found out that JR was staying at their house and using the MRG. So mystery solved. Phew!
Have a great week.
Love,
Angela
Friday, May 22, 2009
Good morning on Friday, May 22
Hi,
What atrocious weather. Hail and gale force southerlies forecast. Brrrrr. Nice, eh? It was fine int he comfort of the car this morning. yes - another exercise in logistics for the Gilbert household. Mike is off on his leadership course this weekend with the tramping club. So we need to drop him at the station after work and I need to collect wee Toby and whisk him off to Ngaio for the weekend. Should be good fun.
We've been invited to the Tabors over the weekend too. So we might squash that in. They have friends over from the States.
Toby and I will also go and see Night at the Museum 2 on Sunday. We're looking forward to that.
Well, I hope Mike stays dry and warm over the weekend. And I hope everyone has a great time doing whatever they are doing.
Love,
Angela
What atrocious weather. Hail and gale force southerlies forecast. Brrrrr. Nice, eh? It was fine int he comfort of the car this morning. yes - another exercise in logistics for the Gilbert household. Mike is off on his leadership course this weekend with the tramping club. So we need to drop him at the station after work and I need to collect wee Toby and whisk him off to Ngaio for the weekend. Should be good fun.
We've been invited to the Tabors over the weekend too. So we might squash that in. They have friends over from the States.
Toby and I will also go and see Night at the Museum 2 on Sunday. We're looking forward to that.
Well, I hope Mike stays dry and warm over the weekend. And I hope everyone has a great time doing whatever they are doing.
Love,
Angela
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Brrrrrrrrr!!
It's REALLY REALLY REALLY cold today with a biting southerly. As cold as it gets here. I rode my bike, and my hands have gone numb - now they're thawing out and hurting. But all good. Bodes well for snow on the mountains. How is it down in Dunedin?
Traffic was manic this morning. Lots of people backing and turning and manoevering. One bit where a car and a truck were nose to nose on a narrow bit and spent a while working out who had the biggest ego and who was going to reverse. I spent a lot of my journey on the footpath.
I walked our neighbour's son Jonty to school for the first time this morning. He's just started at the Main School, so we'll probably walk him to school a lot of the time. Jonty's parents have a major logistical exercise getting themselves and their three kids off to all their various places of work or play in the mornings.
Well that's it, I better go get changed out of my bike stuff. One last thing - a plug for http://myfirstdictionary.blogspot.com . I find it really, really funny which I know is wrong.
Traffic was manic this morning. Lots of people backing and turning and manoevering. One bit where a car and a truck were nose to nose on a narrow bit and spent a while working out who had the biggest ego and who was going to reverse. I spent a lot of my journey on the footpath.
I walked our neighbour's son Jonty to school for the first time this morning. He's just started at the Main School, so we'll probably walk him to school a lot of the time. Jonty's parents have a major logistical exercise getting themselves and their three kids off to all their various places of work or play in the mornings.
Well that's it, I better go get changed out of my bike stuff. One last thing - a plug for http://myfirstdictionary.blogspot.com . I find it really, really funny which I know is wrong.
Good morning on Thurs, May 21
Hi,
Karate went well last night and dinner was ready when we got home. Dad turned up as well so we all ate the yummy stew. Mum had made slices (mallowpuff stuff as she used to bake when I was a kid) and other yummy things so I think Toby had his eye on dessert while he was poking at his dinner. He scoffed 1.5 squares of mallowpuff slice making those quaint noises he makes when he's eating something he loves.
Mike headed off to tramping club afterwards and my parents headed home. I put Toby to bed. He is working himself up lately worrying about fire. Before he settled into bed he hurtled upstairs and checked everything was off. I had to turn off his bedlight too - and his electric blanket. He told me how could I be so sure everything was fine - I didn't know everything about the world. Oh - has he cottoned on to that already? Bother it!
I went off to bed - it being the warmest place to be. Then after a wee while I heard frantic yells from Toby with panic in his voice. He was sitting up in bed wiping tears from his face worried about a fire at his school. I found the magic answer to his fears - apart from the good one about smoke detectors giving plenty of warning before it is too late for him to escape (he always asks - but what if it is too late for me to get out and the exit is burning). I told him New Zealand is so wet and damp compared to Australia that nothing will burn in the bush. And on cue, a huge downpour came and Toby collapsed into sleep.
See? The dodgy weather can be a good thing.
I got cold riding in this morning. Brrrr.
Have a great day!
Love,
Angela
Karate went well last night and dinner was ready when we got home. Dad turned up as well so we all ate the yummy stew. Mum had made slices (mallowpuff stuff as she used to bake when I was a kid) and other yummy things so I think Toby had his eye on dessert while he was poking at his dinner. He scoffed 1.5 squares of mallowpuff slice making those quaint noises he makes when he's eating something he loves.
Mike headed off to tramping club afterwards and my parents headed home. I put Toby to bed. He is working himself up lately worrying about fire. Before he settled into bed he hurtled upstairs and checked everything was off. I had to turn off his bedlight too - and his electric blanket. He told me how could I be so sure everything was fine - I didn't know everything about the world. Oh - has he cottoned on to that already? Bother it!
I went off to bed - it being the warmest place to be. Then after a wee while I heard frantic yells from Toby with panic in his voice. He was sitting up in bed wiping tears from his face worried about a fire at his school. I found the magic answer to his fears - apart from the good one about smoke detectors giving plenty of warning before it is too late for him to escape (he always asks - but what if it is too late for me to get out and the exit is burning). I told him New Zealand is so wet and damp compared to Australia that nothing will burn in the bush. And on cue, a huge downpour came and Toby collapsed into sleep.
See? The dodgy weather can be a good thing.
I got cold riding in this morning. Brrrr.
Have a great day!
Love,
Angela
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Angela made me take the bus
I was all set to take my bike this morning, but Angela rang and said she could see the stormy rain coming and that I should bus instead. Naively I believed her, and took the bus in through the bright, sunny weather. It's COLD mind you. Really cold. Biting southerly cold. And windy. So windy that the flag on top of the beehive was a shredded scrap of rag this morning.
I went to my first NZTE French lesson today. It was quite fun. The girl who's teaching it is a native French speaker - which makes it fun because of course she doesn't know the grammar as well as someone who's had to learn it from scratch. Things are are, because they are. Now I know how to ask how much something is, and how to why someone is cooking. And the difference between eclair (lightning - the lightning bolt itself) and foudre (lightning - but the place on the ground where the lightning strikes).
Angela is onto something about the Moss environment. Install the first server in the farm, fully configure it, then add the servers as planned. That approach helped me isolate issues better. Uncheck the Configuration wizard checkbox after the installation to catch your breath :) Make sure to run windows update to get the most recent updates to your MOSS installation bits. Check the event logs on the first server and SQL Server before starting to configure your farm on Central Administration Web Site. Find out about the errors if you have any. Follow the administrative tasks on the Central Admin Home page. (However, I have not yet added servers to the farm before configuring the first one.) Start the required services. (I have not yet configured the Document Conversion service and load balancer.) Start Excel Services if you did not start it yet. It will not consume much resources unless you use it, and it is a REQUIRED service in a MOSS farm. Create the default SSP. Create MySites on a different web application during initial SSP configuration. Use the same service account for SSP Administration web site application pool identity, and SSP service. Make sure the Server Configuration Not Complete warning goes away before you start joining servers to the farm. If you still see it after completing everything above, try to mark one admin task as completed. You will most likely see an error message, and then the "Server Configuration Not Complete" message will go away... After that, check your event logs again. If you're still reading, then that was not supposed to make sense. It came from the Sharepoint From the Field blog.
Good morning on Wed, May 20
Hi,
May is sliding right by, isn't it? The weather is atrocious. The radio said a high of 9C today but the Internet says it'll be 14C here. Big difference. Probably no one is right! Hail and cold strong southerlies. I suspect the 9C is closer to the truth. I'm not sure why I rode in. Madness.
Karate day today so off early to collect wee Toby for it. I think Mum will be popping around to get him from school and get him ready for karate so we just have to jump in the car when I get there. I have put dinner on (slow cooker - yummo) so it should be ready when we get there. Maybe put some rice on to go with it. Last night's dinner worked out well - I made chicken curry with the pieces and it was very nice. I used the basis of my butter chicken recipe and added a can of coconut milk to let it all simmer in.
Ok - I am officially confused. The MRG was not in the carpark this morning. So my new assumption is that someone else drove Sally and Andrew in and are now using the Parliament carpark for days when they use the MRG. Mysterious.
Mike is still flat out at work working on the MOSS that gathers no code (ok - a nerdy comment!). After months of wrestling with it Mike conceded last night that is has many flaws still as a development environment. I think it is a good direction - the collaboration aspect borders on mimicking the social websites springing up globally and they are onto something. But at a cost at the moment. Or maybe it is the third party people pushing its boundaries beyond what MS envisaged just yet??? Anyhow, enough IT waffle.
Have a marvellous day!
Love,
Angela
May is sliding right by, isn't it? The weather is atrocious. The radio said a high of 9C today but the Internet says it'll be 14C here. Big difference. Probably no one is right! Hail and cold strong southerlies. I suspect the 9C is closer to the truth. I'm not sure why I rode in. Madness.
Karate day today so off early to collect wee Toby for it. I think Mum will be popping around to get him from school and get him ready for karate so we just have to jump in the car when I get there. I have put dinner on (slow cooker - yummo) so it should be ready when we get there. Maybe put some rice on to go with it. Last night's dinner worked out well - I made chicken curry with the pieces and it was very nice. I used the basis of my butter chicken recipe and added a can of coconut milk to let it all simmer in.
Ok - I am officially confused. The MRG was not in the carpark this morning. So my new assumption is that someone else drove Sally and Andrew in and are now using the Parliament carpark for days when they use the MRG. Mysterious.
Mike is still flat out at work working on the MOSS that gathers no code (ok - a nerdy comment!). After months of wrestling with it Mike conceded last night that is has many flaws still as a development environment. I think it is a good direction - the collaboration aspect borders on mimicking the social websites springing up globally and they are onto something. But at a cost at the moment. Or maybe it is the third party people pushing its boundaries beyond what MS envisaged just yet??? Anyhow, enough IT waffle.
Have a marvellous day!
Love,
Angela
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Good morning on Tues, May 19
Hi,
I'd better blog early this morning as I feel things are slipping away already today and I have been at my desk for 15 minutes so far.
Yes - I had early Toby drop-off duty. Mike is overseeing a release this morning so he wanted to get in early. Toby and I had a lovely time walking in to school and having cuddles in bed before we got up (that was my favourite bit).
The ride in was lovely and I spotted the MRG (the car, not Mike) at Parliament. So Sally and Andrew must have parked there at 5am and caught a taxi from there. Very clever. Unless Swine Flu (H1N1) has catapulted to the fore and they have been recalled from holiday. I rather think not.
Dinner last night was mince made into burger patties and consumed with relish - well, with tomato sauce at any rate. ;-) Toby ate through 1.5 burgers. Quite impressive as I made it through 1.
Tonight seems normal. No rushing off anywhere or anything. We have chicken pieces (with bones) to eat. I fancy a curry. I must find a recipe.
Have a great day. Enjoy the sun if it's shining on your town today!
Love,
Angela
I'd better blog early this morning as I feel things are slipping away already today and I have been at my desk for 15 minutes so far.
Yes - I had early Toby drop-off duty. Mike is overseeing a release this morning so he wanted to get in early. Toby and I had a lovely time walking in to school and having cuddles in bed before we got up (that was my favourite bit).
The ride in was lovely and I spotted the MRG (the car, not Mike) at Parliament. So Sally and Andrew must have parked there at 5am and caught a taxi from there. Very clever. Unless Swine Flu (H1N1) has catapulted to the fore and they have been recalled from holiday. I rather think not.
Dinner last night was mince made into burger patties and consumed with relish - well, with tomato sauce at any rate. ;-) Toby ate through 1.5 burgers. Quite impressive as I made it through 1.
Tonight seems normal. No rushing off anywhere or anything. We have chicken pieces (with bones) to eat. I fancy a curry. I must find a recipe.
Have a great day. Enjoy the sun if it's shining on your town today!
Love,
Angela
Monday, May 18, 2009
Good morning on Mon, May 18
Hi,
What a wonderful weekend. We had a ball at Vivienne and John's place on Friday celebrating Benjamin's birthday. Dinner was superb as usual and I had to drag my parents away - as usual! Benjamin got a good lot of loot and I expect he will be off to the shops to spend his various vouchers. He shot downstairs with Toby in tow to start on his 40k Soldier series immediately.
Saturday Mike took Toby swimming while I went off with the Sampsons for the Johnsonville Monster Book Sale. I bought quite a few books for $17. Very pleased.
Then we went back home for lunch and Lesley and Wally left to get some stuff done and came back for tea - they made delicious homemade pizzas. Then the three youngest Sampsons stayed for a sleepover and the others went home to get loads of sleep in time for their City Safari on Sunday where they shocked Wellington with their Where's Wally outfits. Very cute.
I went out for Yum Cha with Christine and John while Mike looked after wee Tom. Mike figured one extra child wouldn't be noticed by him. Sure enough, when we returned I think Christine and John were astonished at the calm during the lunch. Tom was munching his ham and cheese sandwich while the others ate them in their toasted guise.
Mike sorted out tidying the house and getting rid of all our old wood. He was a weekend machine! He also took photos of Mum and Dad's goods and posted them on Trade Me.
Mum and Dad came over for tea last night and Mum cooked up a storm. It was delicious.
So, now the week begins. Nothing unusual in store this week. Same old same old.
Love,
Angela
What a wonderful weekend. We had a ball at Vivienne and John's place on Friday celebrating Benjamin's birthday. Dinner was superb as usual and I had to drag my parents away - as usual! Benjamin got a good lot of loot and I expect he will be off to the shops to spend his various vouchers. He shot downstairs with Toby in tow to start on his 40k Soldier series immediately.
Saturday Mike took Toby swimming while I went off with the Sampsons for the Johnsonville Monster Book Sale. I bought quite a few books for $17. Very pleased.
Then we went back home for lunch and Lesley and Wally left to get some stuff done and came back for tea - they made delicious homemade pizzas. Then the three youngest Sampsons stayed for a sleepover and the others went home to get loads of sleep in time for their City Safari on Sunday where they shocked Wellington with their Where's Wally outfits. Very cute.
I went out for Yum Cha with Christine and John while Mike looked after wee Tom. Mike figured one extra child wouldn't be noticed by him. Sure enough, when we returned I think Christine and John were astonished at the calm during the lunch. Tom was munching his ham and cheese sandwich while the others ate them in their toasted guise.
Mike sorted out tidying the house and getting rid of all our old wood. He was a weekend machine! He also took photos of Mum and Dad's goods and posted them on Trade Me.
Mum and Dad came over for tea last night and Mum cooked up a storm. It was delicious.
So, now the week begins. Nothing unusual in store this week. Same old same old.
Love,
Angela
Friday, May 15, 2009
Good morning on Fri, May 15
Hi!
Happy birthday to Benjamin! 14 today. He's babysitter legal. Heheheheheh. Vivienne and John, let's go to all those movies out there.
We're off to the Lewises for dinner tonight. I'm guessing it is Benjamin's food choice so I have no idea what to expect. I think it was burritos last year - very yummy.
Table tennis was great fun last night. Mum and I played each other (the rounds are quite random usually) and Mum says I am getting much better. We also played against each other in the final round - a doubles match. We were drawn at 2 sets all and 2 all in the decider. Ooooo.
What does the weekend hold? Well, excitement tonight in terms of Benjamin's celebration. Swimming tomorrow morning. House cleaning (that'll be a mission). Then Sampsons come over for a sleepover and some stay on for Sunday while some orienteering is performed by other Sampsons.
I'm figuring for a roast dinner on Sunday. I need to squash in some grocery shopping somewhere. Poor Toby has a pauper's lunch today. A sandwich and two biscuits. We had no fruit! Mind you, he had a feast yesterday. He seemed to tackle everything yesterday apart from the extra jelly from home and a really old kiwifruit. The apple was attacked but not much was consumed. The rest of the stuff was gone!
I took the bus in this morning. Honestly it is hard enough to walk in the wind out there today. No way was I riding. And it is wet in periodic slashing sheets of wetness! I had a pleasant chat on the bus to Sarah - Ryan had refused to walk to school in the gale so she drove him then drove to the library to catch the bus from there. See? Everyone does it like that. Mike used to. Dad does it.
Ok. Time for loads of work, work, work.
Have a great weekend.
Happy birthday to Benjamin! 14 today. He's babysitter legal. Heheheheheh. Vivienne and John, let's go to all those movies out there.
We're off to the Lewises for dinner tonight. I'm guessing it is Benjamin's food choice so I have no idea what to expect. I think it was burritos last year - very yummy.
Table tennis was great fun last night. Mum and I played each other (the rounds are quite random usually) and Mum says I am getting much better. We also played against each other in the final round - a doubles match. We were drawn at 2 sets all and 2 all in the decider. Ooooo.
What does the weekend hold? Well, excitement tonight in terms of Benjamin's celebration. Swimming tomorrow morning. House cleaning (that'll be a mission). Then Sampsons come over for a sleepover and some stay on for Sunday while some orienteering is performed by other Sampsons.
I'm figuring for a roast dinner on Sunday. I need to squash in some grocery shopping somewhere. Poor Toby has a pauper's lunch today. A sandwich and two biscuits. We had no fruit! Mind you, he had a feast yesterday. He seemed to tackle everything yesterday apart from the extra jelly from home and a really old kiwifruit. The apple was attacked but not much was consumed. The rest of the stuff was gone!
I took the bus in this morning. Honestly it is hard enough to walk in the wind out there today. No way was I riding. And it is wet in periodic slashing sheets of wetness! I had a pleasant chat on the bus to Sarah - Ryan had refused to walk to school in the gale so she drove him then drove to the library to catch the bus from there. See? Everyone does it like that. Mike used to. Dad does it.
Ok. Time for loads of work, work, work.
Have a great weekend.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
What a great morning for riding
Blue skies and not too cold, not too warm. Perfect day for a ride. I even got a cheery toot from someone that I let through on a narrow bit. Sunny weather makes everyone happy.
Toby was good this morning, he brought his bike in to ride about after school. With a bit of practice, hopefully he can ride it to school on the footpath soon. He is a white-belt-with-red-tab now after all.
There was a bit of a crisis this morning when we found we had no cash for Toby's lunch order. (Thursday is lunch order day). Angela made the highest sacrifice and handed over her precious souvenir $5 Sir Edmund Hillary note for his lunch. (It's no different to any other $5 note, but she's had it for years, since the UK I think.) BUT WE STILL HAVE IT SAFE!! I found $10 so all is well. I think I got scammed though because Toby's "usual" lunch order came to a dollar or so more than usual. Hmm, he got a toasted sandwich, muffin, jelly and choc milk. I have a feeling that the muffin got sneaked in. Plus he has two mallowpuffs, a kiwifruit, an apple and some more jelly in his lunch box. I don't think he'll starve today.
Toby was good this morning, he brought his bike in to ride about after school. With a bit of practice, hopefully he can ride it to school on the footpath soon. He is a white-belt-with-red-tab now after all.
There was a bit of a crisis this morning when we found we had no cash for Toby's lunch order. (Thursday is lunch order day). Angela made the highest sacrifice and handed over her precious souvenir $5 Sir Edmund Hillary note for his lunch. (It's no different to any other $5 note, but she's had it for years, since the UK I think.) BUT WE STILL HAVE IT SAFE!! I found $10 so all is well. I think I got scammed though because Toby's "usual" lunch order came to a dollar or so more than usual. Hmm, he got a toasted sandwich, muffin, jelly and choc milk. I have a feeling that the muffin got sneaked in. Plus he has two mallowpuffs, a kiwifruit, an apple and some more jelly in his lunch box. I don't think he'll starve today.
Good morning on Thurs, May 14
Hi there,
What a wonderful morning, if a little on the windy side with that freshening northerly. No clouds from where I'm sitting.
Last night Toby passed his grading with 100% so he is now a white belt with one red tab. He was very pleased with himself and bounced out of the dojo. We were very proud. Grandy also came to watch. Afterwards, Mike took Toby to McDonalds to celebrate and I stayed at home with Mum and ate her yummy macaroni cheese. Dad turned up and tucked in too.
I have tracked down the best cheese in the entire world - finally! And Mike and I bought two and two baguettes. So after dinner Mum tried some. And she also declared it the best cheese she has ever tasted.
When Mike got back from Maccas, Mike and I polished it all off. Oh dear. Lucky I rode my bike in this morning to compensate.
I have table tennis tonight but before that I have a work seminar to attend. So I'll be riding home at about 1930, hopping in the car and heading to table tennis. Lucky they feed me at this seminar.
And tomorrow is a special day. Benjamin's birthday! I hear we're all invited (including Ma and Da if they want) to celebrate tomorrow night. Sounds great! We have Sally and Andrew's present for Benjamin as they are leaving on Saturday for Norfolk Island so I have no idea if they can attend. Very organised of them!
So, have a marvellous day today! I loved the tuis chortling as I rode in this morning. Oh - and I did see the MRG in the parliament carpark (no ticket being written this time) this morning. So Sally and Andrew are indeed busy!
Love,
Angela
What a wonderful morning, if a little on the windy side with that freshening northerly. No clouds from where I'm sitting.
Last night Toby passed his grading with 100% so he is now a white belt with one red tab. He was very pleased with himself and bounced out of the dojo. We were very proud. Grandy also came to watch. Afterwards, Mike took Toby to McDonalds to celebrate and I stayed at home with Mum and ate her yummy macaroni cheese. Dad turned up and tucked in too.
I have tracked down the best cheese in the entire world - finally! And Mike and I bought two and two baguettes. So after dinner Mum tried some. And she also declared it the best cheese she has ever tasted.
When Mike got back from Maccas, Mike and I polished it all off. Oh dear. Lucky I rode my bike in this morning to compensate.
I have table tennis tonight but before that I have a work seminar to attend. So I'll be riding home at about 1930, hopping in the car and heading to table tennis. Lucky they feed me at this seminar.
And tomorrow is a special day. Benjamin's birthday! I hear we're all invited (including Ma and Da if they want) to celebrate tomorrow night. Sounds great! We have Sally and Andrew's present for Benjamin as they are leaving on Saturday for Norfolk Island so I have no idea if they can attend. Very organised of them!
So, have a marvellous day today! I loved the tuis chortling as I rode in this morning. Oh - and I did see the MRG in the parliament carpark (no ticket being written this time) this morning. So Sally and Andrew are indeed busy!
Love,
Angela
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
And good morning from me
Toby and I had fun today. He ate an astonishing SEVEN WEETBIX - three, then two, then two more - which has to be a record. He must have been hungry. And then I had to borrow $1 off him for the bus today, which he was a bit upset about. I promised to pay him back tonight, I can NOT forget.
He has a toy swap thing on Friday - bring in an old toy or two, buy a second-hand toy from someone else for a gold coin. He likes the idea of buying toys but not of giving toys away. We must work on him tonight.
Yum, McDonalds tonight since it's karate grading night and Toby asked especially. I'll be looking forward to it all day...
He has a toy swap thing on Friday - bring in an old toy or two, buy a second-hand toy from someone else for a gold coin. He likes the idea of buying toys but not of giving toys away. We must work on him tonight.
Yum, McDonalds tonight since it's karate grading night and Toby asked especially. I'll be looking forward to it all day...
Good morning on Wed, May 13
Hi!
Sorry - bit flat out. But everyone is well. Mike has recovered from his migraine on Monday and Toby has his karate grading this afternoon. Very exciting. Although I have been teaching him two of the 5 things completely wrong. Poor kid!
Busy at work. My boss is sick and I am doing his work with a deadline of tomorrow. So, I'll be out of comms until tomorrow.
Heheheheh.
Back to it!
Love,
Angela
Sorry - bit flat out. But everyone is well. Mike has recovered from his migraine on Monday and Toby has his karate grading this afternoon. Very exciting. Although I have been teaching him two of the 5 things completely wrong. Poor kid!
Busy at work. My boss is sick and I am doing his work with a deadline of tomorrow. So, I'll be out of comms until tomorrow.
Heheheheh.
Back to it!
Love,
Angela
Monday, May 11, 2009
Good morning on Mon, May 11
Hi there,
What a good weekend. Toby had his first swim lesson for the term (we missed last week because of the tramping). His teacher is only around for three more weeks and then he gets another teacher. Bit of a shame.
After swimming we popped in to see Andrew (and I got lots of yummy feijoas). Then we drove to get my Mother's Day special backpack while Mike and Toby washed the car. Then we met up at the library where we ate lunch and got loads of books out.
Saturday afternoon Mike got stuck into the floor boards under the wall where the wardrobe was and will be once more one day. He sanded and applied varnish.
Then we were off to Mum and Dad's place to drop off Toby and head to Star Trek. We had dinner at Hede (Japanese place) and it was very nice food and then off to the movie. It was an absolutely superb movie. One of the best Star Trek movies definitely.
Sunday morning I got a lovely breakfast from Mike (Toby played XBox) - muffins topped with poached eggs, smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce. Yummo! Mum got up later and I got her breakfast too. She opened Karen's present and loved it (a mug with photos of the kids on it) and we chatted to Karen. Then I headed off to relieve Mike from Sampson babysitting duty while he took Toby to Katies birthday party. Then eventually everyone arrived at our place and Mike cooked up a storm for the Sampsons and us.
So, a good weekend. Not too busy, not too lazy.
Mind you, I was lazy this morning as the radio said ti was a high of 10C today and rainy. So i took the bus. Soft and weak!
Mike is sick at home today. He had asthma last night and now is feeling tired and headachy. I think it'll be the start of a cold. I asked him if he felt like snorting, and Mike looked at me oddly. Toby shouted out "He has swine flu'. So Toby understood my joke!
Anyhow, time to get stuck in. Have a great week!
Love,
Angela
What a good weekend. Toby had his first swim lesson for the term (we missed last week because of the tramping). His teacher is only around for three more weeks and then he gets another teacher. Bit of a shame.
After swimming we popped in to see Andrew (and I got lots of yummy feijoas). Then we drove to get my Mother's Day special backpack while Mike and Toby washed the car. Then we met up at the library where we ate lunch and got loads of books out.
Saturday afternoon Mike got stuck into the floor boards under the wall where the wardrobe was and will be once more one day. He sanded and applied varnish.
Then we were off to Mum and Dad's place to drop off Toby and head to Star Trek. We had dinner at Hede (Japanese place) and it was very nice food and then off to the movie. It was an absolutely superb movie. One of the best Star Trek movies definitely.
Sunday morning I got a lovely breakfast from Mike (Toby played XBox) - muffins topped with poached eggs, smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce. Yummo! Mum got up later and I got her breakfast too. She opened Karen's present and loved it (a mug with photos of the kids on it) and we chatted to Karen. Then I headed off to relieve Mike from Sampson babysitting duty while he took Toby to Katies birthday party. Then eventually everyone arrived at our place and Mike cooked up a storm for the Sampsons and us.
So, a good weekend. Not too busy, not too lazy.
Mind you, I was lazy this morning as the radio said ti was a high of 10C today and rainy. So i took the bus. Soft and weak!
Mike is sick at home today. He had asthma last night and now is feeling tired and headachy. I think it'll be the start of a cold. I asked him if he felt like snorting, and Mike looked at me oddly. Toby shouted out "He has swine flu'. So Toby understood my joke!
Anyhow, time to get stuck in. Have a great week!
Love,
Angela
Friday, May 8, 2009
Good morning on Fri, May 8
Hi,
What a wet day. Mike and listening to hammering rain at 6.05am and decided the bus was the go this morning. My shoes had only just dried out after all. Mike took the early shift so he'll head off to collect wee Toby this evening.
Table tennis was good fun last night. Mum has a sore back but she loves table tennis so much she kept playing. Picking up feral balls (I tend to hit quite a lot of feral balls for some reason) was difficult for her.
Let's see. What's on for the weekend? Saturday morning swimming. We might pop in to see Andrew if he's around and catch up with him before Sally and Andrew head off for a week to... Norfolk Island! How cool! Aidan and Janne will accompany them too. So I suspect H1N1 flu is not as exciting anymore of they are allowed leave. Phew!
Then Mike and I have a movie night out to see Star Trek with friends. Toby will stay at Mum and Dad's place so Mike and I will return there after the movie. Then we can all make breakfasts the next morning for mothers in the house. Yummo!
Sunday afternoon we might go to Karori Sanctuary as mothers get in free with a paying child. I think Mum may come along too. Then Ma would like to go out for dinner. Maybe 1700 at the Flying Burrito Brothers?
Mum and Dad's new furniture arrives this morning. They are very excited. I can't wait to see it. It should make things much more homely.
Anyhow - have a wonderful weekend.
Love,
Angela
What a wet day. Mike and listening to hammering rain at 6.05am and decided the bus was the go this morning. My shoes had only just dried out after all. Mike took the early shift so he'll head off to collect wee Toby this evening.
Table tennis was good fun last night. Mum has a sore back but she loves table tennis so much she kept playing. Picking up feral balls (I tend to hit quite a lot of feral balls for some reason) was difficult for her.
Let's see. What's on for the weekend? Saturday morning swimming. We might pop in to see Andrew if he's around and catch up with him before Sally and Andrew head off for a week to... Norfolk Island! How cool! Aidan and Janne will accompany them too. So I suspect H1N1 flu is not as exciting anymore of they are allowed leave. Phew!
Then Mike and I have a movie night out to see Star Trek with friends. Toby will stay at Mum and Dad's place so Mike and I will return there after the movie. Then we can all make breakfasts the next morning for mothers in the house. Yummo!
Sunday afternoon we might go to Karori Sanctuary as mothers get in free with a paying child. I think Mum may come along too. Then Ma would like to go out for dinner. Maybe 1700 at the Flying Burrito Brothers?
Mum and Dad's new furniture arrives this morning. They are very excited. I can't wait to see it. It should make things much more homely.
Anyhow - have a wonderful weekend.
Love,
Angela
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Good morning on Thurs, May 7
Hi,
It is a glorious morning here in Wellington - all the more pleasant for coming after horrendous weather. Unfortunately it seems this is a blip in the normal course of weather events and it will get far worse for the weekend.
I rode in this morning and apart from freezing cold, wet, feet, it was great. The roads almost had dry patches on them. Almost! My feet were wet because I rode home yesterday and got soaked! Water was sloshing around in my shoes. They were still quite wet by morning.
Toby did well in his karate and really paid attention as Grandy and I told him to. If he does that well next week he should pass his grading. I have been practising the wrong kick with him though. Oops.
Mike and I got to tramping club last night. We dropped off gear from the weekend and caught up with people from the tramps we've done.
Mike and I are off to see the new Star Trek movie on Saturday night with some friends. Any other takers?
Well, I have a bit of work to get through so I'd better get stuck in. Table tennis tonight. I hope Mum is okay after her mammoth walk to our place yesterday (ta - we got yummy dinner and Toby was ready to go to karate) as her muscles were stiffening up and she was hobbling around. Hopefully table tennis will loosen her up a bit more.
Oh yeah - no dizziness today. How cool is that?
Have a great day!
Love,
Angela
It is a glorious morning here in Wellington - all the more pleasant for coming after horrendous weather. Unfortunately it seems this is a blip in the normal course of weather events and it will get far worse for the weekend.
I rode in this morning and apart from freezing cold, wet, feet, it was great. The roads almost had dry patches on them. Almost! My feet were wet because I rode home yesterday and got soaked! Water was sloshing around in my shoes. They were still quite wet by morning.
Toby did well in his karate and really paid attention as Grandy and I told him to. If he does that well next week he should pass his grading. I have been practising the wrong kick with him though. Oops.
Mike and I got to tramping club last night. We dropped off gear from the weekend and caught up with people from the tramps we've done.
Mike and I are off to see the new Star Trek movie on Saturday night with some friends. Any other takers?
Well, I have a bit of work to get through so I'd better get stuck in. Table tennis tonight. I hope Mum is okay after her mammoth walk to our place yesterday (ta - we got yummy dinner and Toby was ready to go to karate) as her muscles were stiffening up and she was hobbling around. Hopefully table tennis will loosen her up a bit more.
Oh yeah - no dizziness today. How cool is that?
Have a great day!
Love,
Angela
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Good morning on Wed, May 6
Good morning there!
The thunder woke me up at 5.30am this morning. Sleeping without curtains up makes thunder and lightning all the more exciting. However, the rain was sporadic so I rode in. I copped icy huge raindrops and got quite wet about halfway in. But the scary thing was the dizziness again. It sort of came right by about 1400 yesterday and the ride home was ok. This morning I could tell it was back again but wasn't sure how bad it was. But I wobbled twice early on my ride in and got a bit scared about it. I even took my foot out of the toe clip thingy. Still, I feel fine, when I'm not moving my head round much. I have had a blocked left ear for a few days so I imagine it has something to do with that.
Karate tonight - and tramping club. Mum said she'll walk around to collect wee Toby from school and get him ready. And cook dinner! Yum! Tacos and burritos tonight. I need to buy some tomatoes at lunch time as we ate most of them last night.
I'd better get stuck into work. I think Mike and I have a meeting at lunchtime with some life insurance person or something. So I'll be behind the 8-ball if I don't get everything done early on.
Have a great day!
Love,
Angela
The thunder woke me up at 5.30am this morning. Sleeping without curtains up makes thunder and lightning all the more exciting. However, the rain was sporadic so I rode in. I copped icy huge raindrops and got quite wet about halfway in. But the scary thing was the dizziness again. It sort of came right by about 1400 yesterday and the ride home was ok. This morning I could tell it was back again but wasn't sure how bad it was. But I wobbled twice early on my ride in and got a bit scared about it. I even took my foot out of the toe clip thingy. Still, I feel fine, when I'm not moving my head round much. I have had a blocked left ear for a few days so I imagine it has something to do with that.
Karate tonight - and tramping club. Mum said she'll walk around to collect wee Toby from school and get him ready. And cook dinner! Yum! Tacos and burritos tonight. I need to buy some tomatoes at lunch time as we ate most of them last night.
I'd better get stuck into work. I think Mike and I have a meeting at lunchtime with some life insurance person or something. So I'll be behind the 8-ball if I don't get everything done early on.
Have a great day!
Love,
Angela
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Good morning on Tues, May 5
Hi there,
What a weird feeling this morning. I am so dizzy it was totally weird riding my bike to work. Every time I turned my head to look somewhere, everything swam. It is still doing it as I type. Never had that before.
We had dinner at Mum and Dad's place last night - Mum made yummy fish! We ate it all up - all of us.
I had late shift with wee Toby this morning. We had a very good morning together. It is very cold - I used my electric blanket quite bit last night. Toby wore lots of layers to school. He rode his skateboard to school today. Well, "rode" is a strong word. He hopped with his skateboard to school. He's still getting used to skateboarding.
Toby is going to try for a grading tab in karate next week so we're practising the moves. I think he might pass - it depends on his front snap kick. His balance sometimes lets him down. He also flails his left arm around a bit when it is the one not doing anything. It doesn't return to the right position whereas his right arm goes back where it belongs. He is definitely right-handed. Mike could tell since we was a very wee tacker.
Anyhow. Time for a cup of tea. Maybe that will sort out my head. Can't do any worse!
Love,
Angela
What a weird feeling this morning. I am so dizzy it was totally weird riding my bike to work. Every time I turned my head to look somewhere, everything swam. It is still doing it as I type. Never had that before.
We had dinner at Mum and Dad's place last night - Mum made yummy fish! We ate it all up - all of us.
I had late shift with wee Toby this morning. We had a very good morning together. It is very cold - I used my electric blanket quite bit last night. Toby wore lots of layers to school. He rode his skateboard to school today. Well, "rode" is a strong word. He hopped with his skateboard to school. He's still getting used to skateboarding.
Toby is going to try for a grading tab in karate next week so we're practising the moves. I think he might pass - it depends on his front snap kick. His balance sometimes lets him down. He also flails his left arm around a bit when it is the one not doing anything. It doesn't return to the right position whereas his right arm goes back where it belongs. He is definitely right-handed. Mike could tell since we was a very wee tacker.
Anyhow. Time for a cup of tea. Maybe that will sort out my head. Can't do any worse!
Love,
Angela
Monday, May 4, 2009
Good morning on Mon, May 4
Hi,
I have no idea why the weather god (I think it is called Huey) smiled on us. The weekend was bookended by downpours (they stopped early Friday I think as most of Friday was good) and I woke at 4am this morning to a hammering on the roof! But we had a superb weekend tramping out to Paua Hut in the Orongoronga Valley. Sue was our leader and Toby obviously liked her style as she got a hug at the end.
The highlight for me was on the way in I passed a fresh green liana vine on the left snaking its way into the track at about Toby height. The people in front had hit it and it was swaying just like a snake (and the right shades of green and brown) and I was just about to turn to Toby just on my left to say "This looks just like a snake" when Toby looked up and came face-to-face with the reptile. The squeal he gave out and the great leap backwards was astonishing. He was sure he was about to get eaten by the fierce snake. He was a bit bashful afterwards about his girly squeal but I told him it meant he had great reflexes!
The river wasn't too high after the 5 days of solid rain and we linked up to cross the river for practise more than anything else.
The three of us pitched the tent and we were cozy that night. Toby did creep up over my head during the night and I found a lot more space at the bottom of the tent to sleep peacefully in. Dinner was a great variation on macaroni cheese. Toby loved toasting marshmallows.
Sunday was another lovely day - the morning was especially beautiful. We were back home by 1400 and Mike tidied up the messy house while I went and got some groceries to see us through the week.
I think we're coming to Mum and Dad's for tea tonight. Mike may be busy (the project has imploded and poor Mike has his hands full) so it might be just me and Toby. I'll ride home at 1700 and drive to Mum and Dad's with Toby.
Not too sure what the week holds. Mike will be busy. We have table tennis on Thursday and tramping club on Wednesday night. I think that's about it.
Love,
Angela
I have no idea why the weather god (I think it is called Huey) smiled on us. The weekend was bookended by downpours (they stopped early Friday I think as most of Friday was good) and I woke at 4am this morning to a hammering on the roof! But we had a superb weekend tramping out to Paua Hut in the Orongoronga Valley. Sue was our leader and Toby obviously liked her style as she got a hug at the end.
The highlight for me was on the way in I passed a fresh green liana vine on the left snaking its way into the track at about Toby height. The people in front had hit it and it was swaying just like a snake (and the right shades of green and brown) and I was just about to turn to Toby just on my left to say "This looks just like a snake" when Toby looked up and came face-to-face with the reptile. The squeal he gave out and the great leap backwards was astonishing. He was sure he was about to get eaten by the fierce snake. He was a bit bashful afterwards about his girly squeal but I told him it meant he had great reflexes!
The river wasn't too high after the 5 days of solid rain and we linked up to cross the river for practise more than anything else.
The three of us pitched the tent and we were cozy that night. Toby did creep up over my head during the night and I found a lot more space at the bottom of the tent to sleep peacefully in. Dinner was a great variation on macaroni cheese. Toby loved toasting marshmallows.
Sunday was another lovely day - the morning was especially beautiful. We were back home by 1400 and Mike tidied up the messy house while I went and got some groceries to see us through the week.
I think we're coming to Mum and Dad's for tea tonight. Mike may be busy (the project has imploded and poor Mike has his hands full) so it might be just me and Toby. I'll ride home at 1700 and drive to Mum and Dad's with Toby.
Not too sure what the week holds. Mike will be busy. We have table tennis on Thursday and tramping club on Wednesday night. I think that's about it.
Love,
Angela
Friday, May 1, 2009
Good morning on Fri, May 1
Hi,
And the year marches on. I rode in this morning for the first time in a wee while. The rain started pelting down in big drops as I unlocked the garage and I could see the rain coming down the valley from the south. Uh oh. I leapt on my bike hoping to make it down the hill before the deluge. However, as soon as I got to the other side of the hill, the rain virtually disappeared. The wet roads made for a granny shuffle down the hill but I did hit 30 km/h before chickening out.
We're off on our tramp tomorrow morning. 7.45 at the railway station. I must pack loads of dry clothes as it will inevitably be wet, wet, wet. Actually... I must pack. ;-)
I saw a wonderful double rainbow this morning from the office window. Against the dark, stormy, black clouds behind it, it looked fantastic!
Have a simply superb weekend. Ah.. my tea is perfect.
Love,
Angela
And the year marches on. I rode in this morning for the first time in a wee while. The rain started pelting down in big drops as I unlocked the garage and I could see the rain coming down the valley from the south. Uh oh. I leapt on my bike hoping to make it down the hill before the deluge. However, as soon as I got to the other side of the hill, the rain virtually disappeared. The wet roads made for a granny shuffle down the hill but I did hit 30 km/h before chickening out.
We're off on our tramp tomorrow morning. 7.45 at the railway station. I must pack loads of dry clothes as it will inevitably be wet, wet, wet. Actually... I must pack. ;-)
I saw a wonderful double rainbow this morning from the office window. Against the dark, stormy, black clouds behind it, it looked fantastic!
Have a simply superb weekend.
Love,
Angela
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