The Thursday without Toby

Hi,

Well, I did go to the user group session last night after work with Mike.  And it was worthwhile as well.  I felt positively virtuous as we walked back up the hill home for going out of my way to learn a bit about Sharepoint 2010 in my own time.  Heheheheh.  Mark Orange was speaking and he is always good value, so it was hardly a difficult choice.

We heard from Toby and even got a photo through the cellphone.  They spent 4 hours playing in a hut they found on Rabbit Island.

We finally have a gorgeous day here in Wellington.  Yay.  Toby arrives at 6:40pm so we'll be meeting him at the airport.  We intend to pick up scrumptious Thai takeaway from Miramar and head home to scoff it.  Please let us know if you'll be around to help eat it so we buy the right quantity.

What does the weekend hold for us?  We need to take out a wall in Toby's room and move stuff around a bit more.  That should keep us busy.

Ok.  Have a great weekend.  Toby has a teacher only day on Monday, so I have annual leave that day.  We're going to brunch in Wadestown at 9am (Vivienne - come and join us - we're eating with Christine!) and then riding on Christine's horse, Victor.  Maybe.  I might just look at Victor - from a distance.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday without Toby

Hi,


Mike and I feel like we're participating in a psychological experiment at the moment. Last night we ate dinner at the dining table (I love the slow cooker - the dinner was ready when we stepped in the door) and I tidied up and suddenly the bed beckoned. I changed into pyjamas and slid into bed - something is wonderful about seeing your bed right in front of you and having a good book to read is the only excuse I need to get into bed at 7:30pm!

I just heard from Toby and he is having a ball over in Nelson. Yesterday they went to a sack slide and played on that for about an hour. Then last night after tea they played Scrabble and Toby was a winner. Hooray. Jack's mother is taking very good care of Toby.

Mike spoke to Josh for an hour last night on the phone. And that was after he spoke to his parents till my cellphone ran out of credit. He was obviously in the mood for talking - as was Josh!
 
Tonight Mike is off to a user group for some bonding with other like-minded people.  I might or might not go.  It would be worth listening to, so perhaps I should.
 
Ok.  Time for tea.  Toby is due back tomorrow.  Hooray!
Love,
Angela

The Tuesday without Toby

Hi, 

Wee Toby is living the life of Reilly over in Nelson, where by all accounts the sun is shining (hard to believe from Wellington, gripped by the wettest weather in a long time and bearing the brunt of a strong southerly), he is eating like a horse, swimming in the heated pool and being a perfect companion for Jack.  Good on him.  Jack's mother seems to understand the need for frequent updates on their day.  Well, frequent updates for mothers, should I say.  She must know me well now.

I know they walked for four hours yesterday up part of the Heaphy Track, and then caught a wild, rollercoaster water taxi ride back.  The boys were whooping it up over each wave from what I could gather.  Then Motueka for some orchard pears where Toby distinguished himself in Jack's mother's eyes by consuming two big pears one after the other.  Toby is fond of pears.

I think today's plans involved Rabbit Island and a BBQ.  Let's hope the Nelson weather is significantly better than the Wellington weather.

Our plans involve sitting around moping about Toby's absence.   Naturally.  But in between we are busy.  Mike had the day off yesterday and Toby's room is emptied and almost sealed off from the rest of the house my black polythene plastic.  We have to remove a wall and stop dust entering the rest of the house.  The place is coming along.

I have put tea on already - slow cooker chicken.  Hope it turns out as well as Mike's last one.

I imagine my parents are settled in now and mostly unpacked.  Dad may even be contemplating a return to work.  Ooooh.  Ahhhh.

And Mike's parents are happily pottering around in Epuni.  I hope they are staying warm.

I think we're aiming for a night out on Friday.  Lewises, Gilberts, Bichans...  Whoever else.  Maybe Mexican.  Toby should be back for it!

Have a great day!  Stay dry!

Love,
Angela

Easter weekend at Otapawa Farmstay

Hi,

We had a very nice Easter holiday in the middle of nowhere with 40 other people (the vast majority of whom we did not know at all).  Turns out we were staying in the Wairarapa between Eketahuna and the coast at a place called Otapawa Farm Stay.  These farmers have a big lodge with rooms coming off a central hallway that take two or four people.

Anyhow, we left on Friday morning to collect Tom and his son, Bodhi from the train station and then headed over the hill to find Otapawa.  The directions were very good and we found the place without any wrong turns. I think we were the second group to arrive so we had the pick of the rooms.  We nabbed one for us and one for the Tabors.

We had a spot of lunch and then got ready for a walk up the hill behind the lodge.  It was a pleasant walk up to the top - filled in an hour happily.  Back down to the lodge and settled into the rooms ok.  I read for a wee while and then before I knew it, dinner was ready.

We ate across the road in the nicest, flashest shearing shed I have ever been in.  There was an attached kitchen and dining area right next to the shearing area above the holding pens.  The smell of lanolin was everywhere but you didn't smell it after 5 minutes anyway!  Aidan was amazing in the kitchen this evening - she just seems to know how to manage it all.  We ate well - and had apple crumble for dessert.

The farmer lit a bonfire after tea - and it was this absolutely huge pile of trees.  Not branches - trees!  It was huge.  No toasting marshmallows there.  Josh tried with a tree and four marshallows on pointy branches on the tips, but he could hardly get close enough to place the tree within cooking distance.  I think I could have cooked one where I was standing 5 m away!

Off to bed and as usual in the new place, I had a restless sleep.  But the following nights there was no such bother from me and I slept like a log the other nights.

Saturday we went to Mt Bruce and pottered around there.  We climbed to the lookout and got back down to watch the eel feeding with 3 minutes to spare!  Back to the lodge to read and relax before another amazing tea (spaghetti bolognese).

Sunday we watched two pet sheep being shorn (the farmer came down).  Toby loved it!  In fact, he told me later that day he'd like to be a farmer.  Good on him!  Maybe when the rural broadband gets rolled out, Toby might be okay with that - I am sure if I told him there was no internet in most farms, he'd change his mind pretty quick.

Then we drove off to have lunch at Herbertville beach (very nice) and see the longest place name in the world.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu

This evening was our turn to help with dinner.  It seemed to go ok - it was BBQ and quite easy in the end.  Hooray.  I had been a little worried about cooking for 40 people.  But there were plenty of helpers and it all went well.

The Tabors left after dinner and we had one more night.  The rain started the next morning - falling softly.  Mike packed the car and we left at about 10:30am.  Home by 1pm and saw Christine briefly as she helped us clear out our bedroom.  We saw John on the ANZAC programme on the Maori Channel.  He looked very dapper and spoke well.

Have a great week (a short one!).

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with dinner out on the town

Hi,

Happy birthday to Michael (my nephew) for the weekend!  He's going to be seven.  Wow, I can't believe it.

Thanks to Mike's parents for babysitting Toby last night so we could go out for dinner.  We had a lovely meal at Capitol (corner Kent Terrace and Marjory Banks St).  I think my meal was the best (I had beef fillet with eggplant - it was scrumptious).  Sally and Andrew came to check out the mains (we had all had dessert here about three weeks back), and Aidan and Josh managed to convince Aidan's mother to babysit Duncan and Emerson.  I do hope Aidan's mother is ok - she probably still has jet lag!

We will buy our weekend groceries at lunch time today.  Hopefully that leaves us tonight to pack the tramping gear without any fuss.  We also have to pick up two people on the way tomorrow morning.  We're meeting them at the train station at 9:30am.  It should take about 2 hours to get to our destination (somewhere near Mt Bruce in the Wairarapa).

I hope you all have a good Easter.  Don't eat too much chocolate!

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with no Cubs, but some Cubs planning

Hi,

Another lovely day.  I really do need to fix my back tyre.  The lovely autumnal mornings are passing me by, leaving me with the misery of wintry mornings to look forward to.  I think I might be able to cope.

Yesterday we got home to find everyone chipper after their day.  The builders have re-gibbed a lot of the walls downstairs and now we have to start the next part - our part.  We need to move everything out of the other two rooms (tv and Toby's room) so work can progress there now.  Yikes!

After tea we went to Ian's house (another Cub leader) and planned term two's schedule.  Knocked it off just over an hour.  Not too bad at all.

What else?  Got dinner out tonight with Sally and Andrew, and Aidan and Josh.  Sally, Andrew, Mike and I visited a restaurant called Capitol a few weeks back for dessert after a movie and it was very good.  So now we're back for mains!

Have a great day!
Love,
Angela

Happy birthday, Vince!

After the maelstrom that was the weather yesterday, today we have a peaceful, quiet morning, full of sunshine and a lovely nip in the air.  Like chalk and cheese.
If Vince was here, he'd have a lovely day for his birthday today!  Happy birthday, Vince!

Last night we got home and Toby had had an indoor day, sheltering from the elements.  But today I suspect they will all be out and about.

Mike made homemade burgers and they were lovely.  I fell into bed, consumed by sleepiness.

We have the Cubs planning session tonight.  Should keep us busy this evening.  And tomorrow night is a night out with Sally and Andrew and Aidan and Josh.  Hopefully the restaurant is a good one!

We're off for Easter with the Tararua Tramping Club up towards Mt Bruce.  I think the accommodation is a farmstay bunkroom lodge.  Hopefully it'll be warm and toasty.

Have a marvellous day!  Especially Vince!

Love,
Angela

The weekend I didn't miss because my body hurts now

Bits of last weekend really stick in my mind more that Angela, I think!

Let's start with this couple of sentences: "Mike went and hired a trailer, and the neighbour helped him take lots of renovation rubbish up to the street level and dumped it in the trailer.  Then we went around to Sally and Andrew's place for the afternoon (Mike went to the tip out there) and stayed for tea." I'd better expand on that a bit. 

There was probably over a tonne of firewood and demolition rubble piled down beside our house that needed taking away.  It all had to be carried up about 4 storeys in height to the street, and taken to the tip in a trailer.  I'd put it off for the last two weekends (that were sunny and nice) but eventually settled on Saturday as the day to do it.  When, of course, it rained heavily all day.

So I trotted off to the servo to get a trailer to haul it all away in.  I bumped into Fiona, our neighbour and asked if she had anything to throw onto the pile... she didn't but instead she very kindly suggested to her partner that he come around and help me!  That was a real, total godsend.  I don't think I would have got through the day without that - the two of us were able to rapidly haul up the rubbish that was stacked, and get it to street level.  The demolition rubble went into the trailer, anything burnable went into the garage for a later trip to Lesley and Wally's house (they have a fireplace!).

Then, I changed clothes because I was soaked to the skin.  (Luckily it wasn't windy or cold, just wet.  I wore tramping clothes that are designed to work okay wet, and a light jacket on top - that was all I needed to make working okay.  But as soon as you stopped and cooled down - you noticed that all your clothes were clammy and horrible!)

But unfortunately my next job was to take down our spouting downpipes, which were rusty and manky and need replacing.  That meant working directly under the bits of spouting that are left on our house - so I had all the rain that was hitting our roof funnelled into one spot and tipping down the back of my neck!  Sigh.

Anyway, by about 3pm I had changed my clothes two more times, and the trailer was filled - with the rubbish from the bottom of the property, the wall board that Angela had ripped down in the TV room and Toby's room, the aforementioned downpipes, another couple of bags of building rubbish I collected up from around the property, about 20 bags of demolition rubbish I'd already put in the garage earlier, and three old doors and some pinex and wallboard.  Plus, I ripped the remains of a hedge out from between our garages and dug most of the soil out (so I can put gravel in instead - no more maintenance!!).  And now the trailer was full.  Really full.  Piled up past the top of the 2.5m trailer cage and with extra bits tied on the top with rope.  All wet and heavy, and oddly loaded because the original plan was to collect more stuff from my parents' new house in Epuni - that certainly didn't happen!!

So now we headed off to Sally and Andrew's house to see if they had rubbish, and then to go to the transfer station near their house.  The car drove extremely badly with all this weight, especially since it was stacked so that the front wheels were very light.  Don't forget too, it was very wet and the roads were greasy and slippery.  The trailer was definitely the one doing the driving, I was just offering it gentle suggestions about where we might go if it felt inclined to.  Any attempts to accelerate or brake more than a little just resulted in the wheels sliding.  I kept very slow and watched my following distances a lot!!

Anyways, we got to Sally and Andrew's, and rapidly decided that there was nothing for it but to head straight to the transfer station and not worry about adding to an already excessive pile.  Now, the transfer station really is great.  I've been there before but only to bring in green waste and swap it for someone else's mulched and sterilised green waste.  Always good fun, but this was my first time with plain, non-recyclable rubbish.  First up - your unloading space is under cover (yay!!).  Secondly - they have plenty of friendly staff with great machinery and they unload your trailer for you (even bigger yay!!).  This proved to be great fun.  They decided the best thing to do was unhitch the trailer and tip it into the rubbish pit.  But they underestimated how heavy it all was - and the trailer promptly shot up in the air with FOUR OF US hanging in mid-air off the towbar, and I was absolutely certain that the whole mess - the rubbish, the trailer, us, and the tip workers - were all going to end up down in the pit.  But the trailer stopped just in time, the digger operator cleared off the rubbish from the back of the trailer and lightened it, and everything worked out fine.  The workers all took it in their stride, laughing and joking about it.  I think this sort of thing goes on all the time at the transfer station!!

And that was my day nearly done - but not all done.  While Angela and Toby had a cup of tea/hot chocolate at Sally's, I raced back to do the second mission - get the burnable rubbish, aka useful firewood, around to Lesley and Wally's house.  Fortunately this was pretty uneventful, since the wood was already stacked in the garage, and I could very quickly fire it into the trailer, run it around to their house (which is pretty close) and biff it over their fence.  Easy!  Then I dropped the trailer back at the servo and made it back to Sally and Andrew's by 6:30pm, just as dinner was ready.  Whew!  I'd certainly built up an appetite for it!

The weekend that went so fast I missed it

Hi,

What weekend?  I can't say I had a full two days off - it went so fast.  Maybe I missed Saturday?  Anyhow, Toby and I had a good Friday night cuddled up in bed watching a movie (Teen Wolf - the original - Toby was vaguely interested, but not completely taken with it).  We were fast asleep by the time Mike came home.

Saturday was the day I missed.  But we did do something.  Oh, now I remember.  Mike went and hired a trailer nice and early and the neighbour helped him take lots of renovation rubbish up to the street level and dumped it in the trailer.  Meanwhile I demolished the wall between the TV room and Toby's room and removed the noise batts and put them in the green room.  The noise batts are for the ceiling space in there (it will be Toby's room and you can hear the kitchen/dining noise very well without ceiling gib at the moment.

Mike finished putting a "door" into Toby's room because the door into the TV room is about to get blocked up with a new wardrobe.  It's very exciting but a little messy.  Three rooms are basically out of commission at the moment.

We went around to Sally and Andrew's place for the afternoon (Mike went to the tip out there) and stayed for tea.  Yummy tea!

Home to sleep and then up with more renovation work.  Then I escaped with Toby and we went to see Rio and followed that up with Yum Cha.  Rio was great fun - perhaps not as good as Ice Age (same makers) but it was worth seeing.  We had to wait about 20 minutes for a seat at Yum Cha and then I realised it was difficult without Mike.  I had to eat everything Toby couldn't eat.  Toby did do well though.  But there were quite a few dishes I had to pass on.

Home again and then we met Mike's parents at Epuni.  They arrived on the 4pm Bluebridge ferry.  A quick empty out of their van and then off to the Bichan family dinner.  Home to collapse into bed and up to start the week.

So there you have it.  No wonder I missed it,

Hope your weekend was a lot more memorable!  I know Karen had a ball at the Easter Show in Sydney.

Love,
Angela

The Thursday with meetings and meetings

Hi,

It doesn't happen too often for me that I attend several meetings (and had another big one this morning too).  But yesterday went well.

I met Toby and Mike in the park outside the building where we have our user group and they were both happy with their takeaway dinner.  Guess what it was?  Yep.  You know it.

This weekend is free.  Free!  No swimming (school holidays start today), no nothing.  We have a huge pile of rubbish to take to the tip.  Think that's about it.  I fancy taking Toby to see a movie.  The weather is looking awful!

Hope you all have fun!  Hope it is in the sun - for those outside of Wellington.
Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with karate

Hi,

I love Wednesdays now.  Know why?  Toby sings beautiful choral pieces at the oddest times.  I was driving him and Jack to karate and they were quiet in the back seat, then I heard a lovely voice singing a beautiful song.  Oh how lovely.

Karate went well, and Jack stayed for tea.  So I whipped up tacos/burritos and the boys tucked in.  So much so that Mike had hardly anything left to fill his burritos when he got home.  Poor chap.

Slept like a log last night and jumped on the bus after dropping Toby at school (yes - tyre is still flat).  I have a busy afternoon with back-to-back meetings lined up.  Not normal for me.  And the user group is on tonight so I have to prep for that too.  Yikes!

Have a marvellous day!
Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with Cubs

Hi,

Cubs went quite well considering the audacious schedule.  I am now Raksha for the Cub troop.  Mike is Akela.  Toby was sworn in as a Cub and has a lovely new woggle and a long scarf.  We had an Easter-themed quiz and I think it might have been a bit too easy.  I have no idea what kids 8 - 11 years old actually know.  But turns out they know quite a bit.  It was very close.  We also baked ANZAC cookies.  Having 25 kids in the kitchens was not the easiest thing in the world, but it seemed to work.

Phew!  Roll on the weekend after the excitement of the first few days of this week. 

I think my parents take over the rental on the house in Peregian Springs today.  They are keen to live in the same complex so it is a perfect chance to settle in and check it out.  I hope they love it!

Ok.  Time for a cup of tea.

Have a great day!
Love,
Angela

The Monday with Cubs prep

Hi,

My back tyre is as flat as a pancake and there has been no time to fix it as yet.  Monday I took the bus home and collected Toby (who was confused as I hardly use the bus anymore and he thought I must have been in the car or something).  We got Alex's mother's phone number to see if we can sort out a good holiday catch up between Toby and Alex (they get along well at Skids together).

Home for tea and by the time Mike got home it was almost bed time.  We tried to imagine our new wardrobe in the downstairs foyer with duct tape marking the boundaries.  Bit hard to envisage.  I hope it works out.

Today is gorgeous here in Wellington.  Clear and crisp.  The sort of weather that makes you glad you live here.  Shame my tyre is flat. 

Cubs tonight and last night I measured out the ingredients for four lots of ANZAC cookies.  Hope baking them goes well.  And we're also having an Easter Quiz.  Yikes.  It's going to be busy.

Have a great day!
Love,
Angela

Toby's school photo

Hanging out with Katee

The weekend with DIY coming out our ears

Hi,

What a great weekend - busy in the end, but fun. Friday night we had dinner at Vivienne and John's place with Mike taxiing the takeaway Indian food direct to us from tow. Very funny. We chatted to Vivienne and John for a bit (and tried to convert each other to their own favourite music genres - to no avail).


Saturday morning Mike headed off for a haircut (and doesn't he look smart) and then I drove into town to shop at the supermarket right next to the hairdresser. I parked next to Mike and he found us in the supermarket.  Toby went with him for his swimming lesson and did well, and I bought lunch and picked up Sally and Andrew.  We were off to Epuni St to start taking off the wallpaper.  And what a job!  I haven't done much wallpaper removing (our house was easy in comparison to this), but from what Sally and Andrew said, finding two layers under the top layer was not what they wanted to find!
 
We steamed, and chatted to the neighbours that were having a good look at who we were and ate lunch.  The lounge is almost done - I guess.
 
Then home to receive the Sampson children for the sleepover.  Jessica and Chelsea in the first wave, followed by Brennan after his party.  Toby was in heaven with his favourite adopted family.  I think Mike and I hardly saw him.
 
Sunday I was up early to get lunch on, then back to bed.  We had the whanau lunch at our place and caught up with everyone.
 
I feel like I have forgotten heaps of what we did besides this.  I certainly feel like the weekend went by super-fast!
 
Have a great week!
Love,
Angela

The Thursday with Toby's assembly

Hi,

Mike had a half day yesterday because of a special assembly Toby had invited us to.  No idea what it was for or anything before we got there.  Anyhow, Mike came in and collected me and we drove up the hill. On the way I saw a Dad from Toby's year walking quickly up the hill so we picked him up too.  Then he spotted his wife in her car ahead of us and jumped out to swap cars.  His wife doesn't know us and she was staring so hard at Mike wondering who he was to toot at her that she didn't noticed her husband open her car door and get in!  Very funny!

Anyhow, we were very proud parents watching the assembly, along with many other proud parents.  It was a celebration of their learning and it was started by the choir.  Toby sang beautifully - well, I think so!  I loved it.

Then he presented a clay volcano with Josh (a classmate) and explained what he had learned about it.  Very cute.  Other classmates showed off their models and drawings as well.  Other classes did Maori singing and science experiments!  Great fun.

Then Mike and Toby dropped me back at work and they popped into Te Papa for a wee while.  I caught the bus home and checked out the changes to the house.  We have a door on the garage now (a back door - the garage doors have been there for a week or two now) and a sensor light to light up the path at night.  Works a charm!  How good is that?!  We also have the French doors in the room, but not installed yet.  How exciting!  Plumbing has changed a little (kitchen waste water pipe down goes in the ceiling space to the basement instead of down the inside of the green room wall) and we have some new lights.

This weekend is reasonably relaxed.  Dinner with the Lewises tonight (I think piano moving is on the agenda).  Swimming tomorrow.  Then meeting Sally and Andrew to check out the Epuni unit and see if we can get some preliminary work done on it (wallpaper has to come off I believe - Mike knows the tasks).  Then we have most of the Sampson children sleeping over.  Sunday lunch is at our place (Vivienne - do you want to come over for it?) and then I expect I can get some reading in (I have plenty of books to get through).  That's my aim!

Ok.  Enjoy your weekend!
Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with lots of things on - and it all went well

Hi,

Mike was right - I had forgotten all about Toby being babysat by Benjamin and us going to the movies last night.  But it all went well.

I rode to karate from work and just finished putting my bike on the car when the boys came out.  We picked up Burger Wisconsin for Toby (Jack had eaten already) and they played together for a while.  Mike went to collect Benjamin and John came to pick up Jack.  Then we were off.

We went to see Black Swan and although it was a very good movie (well acted etc), I was a bit traumatised by it all.  The lead part was obviously someone with severe mental problems involving hallucinations and weird body harming, and when it finished I couldn't really say I had enjoyed it.  It was good, but yucky.  Mike thought it was better than he had anticipated.  I think he thought he was going to see a movie about ballet.

Anyhow, his interpretation of the ending was different to mine.  And I have decided to take on Mike's upbeat interpretation rather than my dire one.  I am sure everything is going to be absolutely fine.  Yep.

We got home just after ten and Mike took Benjamin home.  Thanks Benjamin.  We owe him money as we forgot to get cash out.  Maybe we should just get Benjamin's bank account details?  Mike will see Vivienne at the weekend anyway - piano moving is the order of the day.

Anyhow - Mike has a half day today (we think) because he promised to go to a special assembly today to see Toby.  Toby told us Friday initially, but today confirmed it was today!  Yikes. 

Have a great day!  Stay dry if you're in Wellington.  It's wet, wet, wet!

Love,
Angela

Mike's Tuesday and Wednesday morning

A few workmates and I tried to go to Siem Reap for lunch - because it's the yummiest Thai/Malaysian food around.  But disappointingly it was closed (on Monday and Tuesday lunchtimes) so we headed to Roti Chennai instead.  Now, I quite like Roti Chennai having been there once or twice before - but Siem Reap it's not.  So we were sadly disappointed.  It wasn't even up to its usual cheap-and-cheerful standards either - our rotis were lumpy and cold.  Our waiter was quite uncoordinated too, and split stuff and dropped our meals loudly on our table.  Someone nearly wore their chicken curry. One of my workmates didn't hold back in describing what she thought of the place in a not-quiet voice.  Quite funny, in an awkward Ricky Gervais sort of a way...  But I think we'll try again today.

The storm, at midnight Monday night.  Gales and lashing wind!

I had to leave work later than Angela, so I got to ride my bike home yesterday afternoon.  We'd driven in partly because the big storm Angela was telling you about had hit in a huge way - but by yesterday afternoon it had passed through and the sun was shining.  So it was a pleasant ride home.  Huge tailwind though, which meant I got another personal best going up the hill - 8 min 15s!!  Would have been sub 8 min if a doddery old man near the top hadn't met a car going the other way and spent ages figuring out where the edges were on his Porsche Cayenne, and how to actually get it out of the way so traffic could flow.  He should have bought a Daihatsu Charade if he can't drive an SUV.  Oh well.  But that really was a one-off that was totally wind assisted.

I went home and then drove the other car around to Lesley and Wally's for fish and chips.  Their alterations are looking good, but they're as well as being kitchen-deficient, they're pretty cold - there are holes in their walls right now where the southerly whistles through.  We left them trying to work out if their washing machine will actually fit in their new laundry!  Ah, don't you love it. 

Speaking of renovations, ours are proceeding apace.  The sparky comes to finish off tomorrow.  The builder will be coming next week to fit the doors and the brace gib.  The painters have just started on the outside.  Hmm, I must ring the plumber.  And the bank!!!!  

This morning we awoke to a genuine Dunedin-day morning - cold, crisp and clear.   I enjoyed my ride in - I'll try to keep it up over winter in spite of my aversion to riding up the hill in the dark.  I must invest in a reflective ankle strap and some AAA batteries for my bike lights.

RE: The Tuesday with Cubs

By 'chariot' Angela means 'hard, sharp manuka logs, tied together and with a child clinging to the top of them while 4-5 others run full tilt around a small hall with concrete walls'. There were way more than two injuries.  My team required band-aids when they put their bodies on the line to finish well - they ran into and over the girl at the front who was carrying half the weight of the 'chariot' and not keeping up with the others at the back.  And in another race, one boy smacked into the chair that was the finish line with his head. Shook himself and kept going though.

Tonight is also way busier than Angela realises.  Choir for Toby, Tennis for Toby, Karate for Toby.  But also dinner with his friend Jack, a Pocket Legends game-playing event with another friend Alex, and babysitting with Benjamin while we go to the movies.  Black Swan at the Embassy.  Reckon we'll grab a quick bite to eat in town first, too.  Bring it on!!

The Tuesday with Cubs

Hi,

Because we had driven in, there didn't seem to be such a huge rush as usual.  I guess I was lucky the traffic was clear though.  I collected Toby early-ish and went and got fish n chips for us and the Sampsons.  We ate lots before Cubs.  The kids enjoyed their time together.  The Sampsons are in the middle of major kitchen/dining renovations.  No kitchen, no sink, no dishwasher.  I think takeaways make their day at the moment.  They have their camp stove (a 3 burner one we know well from camping with them) in their lounge!

Anyhow, Cubs went well.  We did knots (clove hitch and square lashing) and then made a chariot.  The races were cutthroat though and there were two casualties (one boy got a chariot in the head and one got a cut).  We said goodbye to some people last night (off to Scouts).

Busy today.  Choir for Toby.  Tennis for Toby.  Karate for Toby.  Phew!  Roll on Thursday!

Love,
Angela

The Monday with Keas and a race to beat the rain radar

Hi,

I left work a few minutes earlier than anticipated as Mike had sent me the approaching rain radar and a massive rain front was bearing down on Wellington.  I opened the link, and read Mike's warning that said the rain was coming from Nelson.  And I quickly saw a wee wisp of cloud somewhere near Kapiti and almost scoffed.  Almost.  Then the rain radar kicked in and showed me the approaching rain from Nelson, just as Mike had said.  It was huge.  Easily the size of the top of the South Island.  I rode like the wind to Keas.

Keas went well.  We made helicopters and kites.  And with the wind, they certainly flew!

Mike came and got me - thank goodness.  And then we ate yummy tea.  I think Mike should cook more often!

I wonder if Mum and Dad got the rental property they had applied for...?

More rain and Cubs tonight means we drove in.  How slack.

Have a great day!
Love,
Angela

The weekend with a glorious Saturday

Hi,

Friday night we had our work function to attend - a quiz night.  It was great fun although we came a solid middle-of-the-table.  Shame I know nothing about politics and economics!

Hannah was babysitting Toby and I know Toby had a lot of fun.  Mainly because he whispered to me as he was going to sleep "I like Hannah".  Yep - me too, Toby.

In fact, Hannah stayed with us as we took Toby swimming.  We popped into Borders to check out their book sale and then out to Lower Hutt to the pool.  As we entered we saw Brennan!  How weird is that.  He had had a sleepover at a friend's house just around the corner from the pool.  So after swimming we collected him and took Hannah and Brennan to Cafe 162 in Karori for lunch.  Off to the Sampson house afterwards to drop off kids (although we kept Brennan) then home to play.

Wally also popped around to have a coffee - and fix our freezer door with Mike!  Funny!  It is much better now!  Ta!  And then Jonathan came over for his sleepover.  Toby and Jonathan had a ball playing together and then having dinner and watching a movie.  They both slept in the tv room.

Sunday morning they were up early.  Do you call 4am early?  Or is that technically still the day before!!!!  It felt like it.  I think they got at least one more hours sleep once I sent them back to bed.  But Toby did look pale all day so I think he was pretty tired.  Jonathan was collected at 9:30am and Mike started demolition work once more.

We had lunch at the Bichans and enjoyed catching up with everyone.  Then Mike and Sally drove to 40WLW via Dick Smith and bought a wi-fi router and Mike installed it successfully!  Yay!

We stayed so long we had tea there too!  Then home to an early bed!

Great weekend.  I heard from Mum and Dad twice - so perhaps they are missing us.  Questions about Toby are always high on the list when we speak.  Maybe they miss Toby even more!  They have a car already and will hear today about a rental house they would like.  It is almost a try-before-you-buy as it is in the complex they are keen on.  At least they'll know for sure.

Have a marvellous week.
Love,
Angela

The Thursday with normal evening activity

Hi,

We had nothing on.  What a pleasant change.  Rode home and made good time (not as good as Mike recently) and collected Toby.  I rode past John on Molesworth St (he was waiting for a bus) and then as I walked down to Skids, John was walking up with Tom.  So I was almost the exact same time as him.  That's ok.

Home for dinner and Mike arrived just as it was almost cooked.  Then Toby finished his homework and we tidied up a bit.  I convinced Mike more demolition was not required and he watched Time Team with me.  But after it finished and I went to bed to collapse, he watched more tv and then read late when he came to bed.  I didn't notice anything.

Everyone was up early though and I tidied the things that escaped last night.  Hannah is babysitting Toby tonight as we go to a work function.  Hope it's fun.

Weekend is looking pretty calm.  Swimming tomorrow.  More demolition.  And a wee friend is sleeping over on Saturday night.  I think Mike wants to hire a trailer to cart away debris from the green room.  Maybe a Sunday task.

A free weekend.  How interesting.

Enjoy your weekend.
Love,
Angela