The weekend with hardly a moment to chill

Hi,

What a whirlwind weekend that was!  Friday night I went out for dinner (sushi train) after work and then karaoke fun!  Woot!

Dave and Celia take it up a notch!

It was an early night though because Saturday was huuuuuuuggggeeeee!  I drove James and Celia home in her wee car.  Ok - right now I am glad I don't own a Nissan Micra.  But it got us to Moera.  Mike had only just got to Sally and Andrew's house with Toby himself.  So he jumped into the car and came and collected me.

Sally and Andrew sorted us out on the floor in the lounge and I was asleep in seconds.  Awake to pouring rain.  Oh.  No run for me.  Had a shower and got dressed.  Mike and I drove around to collect Celia and James, had a Maccas run (mmmmm) and then waited at Petone train station for the work bus.

It was really fast - they left on the dot of 8.30am from town.  Soon we were away.  The bus driver was awesome - thanks Dave!  We made great time to Martinborough where most of us got off for aht beer tasting part of the day (Mike's tour).  I stayed with Maryanne for the Brackenridge Spa.  What an amazing place.

Look at the platter they prepared for us!

I could handle this more often!  Brackenridge Spa was amazing!

And I had the Revival Facial (I think) and it was heaven.  Can I go back this weekend too?  I don't know what the thing was - maybe it was the gi-normous cheese board I helped eat before it.  But I was as relaxed as... an overcooked noodle.

From there we went to collect the beer tasters and then off to Murdoch James for lunch.  Some confusion meant they had issues with our order.  But they compensated admirably, even if it did make us a little later than anticipated.  But I enjoyed chatting to people.  And it was yummy when it came out.  I had the lamb.

Lunch was great - Mike got a pinky nail coloured in

Lamb lunch

From there we went back to Green Jersey cycle hire.  Where Mike discovered despite paying in full weeks ago for the 30 bikes, and popping in at 10am that day to confirm again, they had sold all our bikes.  Oh.  Good business model.  30 people tell 30 others and they don't come back to use your cycle business.

Anyway, it didn't matter.  We hopped back on the bus and drove to a couple of wineries and had fun.  I went to Te Kairangi and enjoyed the sunshine while people tasted wine.

Hanging flowers at Te Kairangi

Barrels!

We fitted in another stop at a brewery (some went to Cambridge St winery) before we were off. The bus nearly blew itself up on the way up.  Three quarters up we had to stop and anti freeze poured out the back in a slightly disturbing manner.

Mike decided to surf the bus from the summit down.  He did well, really.  Until we almost got to the end and he lost balance and fell hard against the side door and it popped open.  Fortunately not quite enough for him to fall out.  The entire bus shouted out "Sit down, Mike!".  My heart eventually slowed back to a normal pace.

Best say not much about the bus surfing incident

We jumped into our car at Petone and hurtled into town.  Parked at Reading and then off to see Gin Wigmore.  Sally, Andrew and Toby were already seated and watching the support act.  They were good (some brother/sister combo from Melbourne - possibly with King Lear in their name, but I couldn't quite understand what they said).

We all loved the concert.  Toby was clapping enthusiastically.  Gin did well, if a little shorter than I thought.

Toby watches Gin perform!

Gin!

I dropped the boys home and then took Sally and Andrew home.

Next morning I slept in, exhausted by the frenetic pace. But when I woke up, it was time to head to the working bee at the archery club.

I weeded for a few hours - carefully around agapanthus.  Then had a bbq lunch with whitebait patties.  Yum!  Back home for my only down time.  I read for a bit next to Mike on the bed before I realised I was actually asleep.  So I cuddled in for a 10 minute nap that may have lasted 20 minutes.  Oops.

Dropped Mike and Toby off at Josh's place and then collected Christine and Tom.  Caught up with loads of people at the Thanksgiving lunch.  Amazing food!  Wow.  Who makes stuffing like that?  I wish I did!

And I had pumpkin pie.  Yum.  Although someone hideously spiked the cream with a horrible substance that I later found out was bourbon.  That was foul!  Chatted away to people.  Sally and Andrew arrived too.  Met Riley (a cousin of Emerson and Duncan's) and wondered what she made of her first New Zealand Thanksgiving.

Home to my mountain of ironing.  Groan.  Got through some of it.  And off to bed.

Up early for a good run and enjoyed my ride into town.  Gorgeous day here.  The best sort of day.  Hope there's a cruise ship in!

Moon and Mt Kaukau.  Gorgeous morning.  Makes you all want to live here!

Have a fabulous week ahead!  First day of December tomorrow. Jeepers!

Love,
Angela