The weekend with a lazy day and a full on day

 Hi,

And the week begins again.  But the weekend was pretty good at recharging the batteries for it.  Friday night saw Mike and Andrew at Occasional Brewer in the evening with Elly and some others brewing up an APA (I think that is what Mike said).  In a week or so they will head in to bottle it.

During my lunch break I went to the garage and did a boxing session.

The steely gaze of someone slightly crazy

The cats were chilling in the rays of sunshine.

Moxley in the sunshine.  Mike's underwear on the internet.

Smudge loves the sun

Saturday saw us up for boot camp.  Doro attended too :-)  After a hard session, Mike did the grocery shopping at Thorndon.  He found some vege dumplings and the checkout person was very excited that he had bought this brand and explained in detail how to cook them.  

Which Mike did as soon as we got home and unpacked.

After grocery shopping after the boot camp, Mike made dumplings for lunch

Moxley hanging around

After boot camp - I was cold so used my hoodie

Toby had all his mates over for filming the last installment of Blair Witch.  5 years in the making.  The huge finale.  They arrived at 1pm and stayed until around 5pm.

Smudge finds a warm spot

Same place, different cat.  Moxley hogs the space

We tried these!

That meant we were banished to the bedroom.  We watched a movie and read - and generally relaxed. Mike was tuckered out so we got Indian takeaways.  Off to bed not long after that. 

Evening feet

Sunday - up early (5.30 for me) to get head off tramping with Andrew.  We got away from home just after 7am and got Maccas on the way.  We piled into the Subaru and headed to Hine Road roadend in Wainuiomata to start up the Nikau track.  8.17am was the time I checked my watch as we strode across the grass to the start of the track.

Sunday tramping

Mike says, come on!

Our objective was a waterfall marked on the map on Turere stream - up near its headwaters.  We headed up the Nikau track and then did a grungy sidle to hit another track.  This grungy sidle is another name for a mucky, tough bit of off track bush bashing through a gully.  Gullies attract a lot of treefall.  At one point, I was straddling a huge fallen tree clinging to the slope in defiance of gravity, feet precariously on the leafy soft ground either side of the trunk, hanging on by my arms, very grateful that Quentin has me doing a lot of arm work.

At some point I noticed I had sticky sap on my upper thigh - thought I must have brushed past a tree.  

Once we hit the decent track out of the grungy sidle, we checked the map.  As Andrew and Mike debated the next move, I checked the sap on my pants.  Still sticky.  But weird.  Looked at my hands - they were covered in blood.  Weird.  What was happening?  I had a wee nick on my hand - but it didn't bleed much so it must be coming from somewhere else.  In a mild panic now, I dropped my trousers to find an oozing puncture wound right under the sticky splodge on my trousers.  Andrew reckons bush lawyer stabbed me through my thick tramping pants.  It wasn't sore in the slightest.

We tried to find a well marked sidle instead of the ridge track - headed about 150m in one direction.  But we failed.  Couldn't find it.  [Andrew now thinks we were basically there and it was probably marked on the other side of a tree just past us].  So we headed back up, past where we joined from the sidle and up.

Headed back to the ridge track and along there for a bit up to lunch in a sunny, windy part of the track.  Met our only other person as we dropped down the other side (found the other end of the sidle highway) and then hared off down a spur towards the stream.

The steep down was hard on my legs.  They were like jelly by the time I got to the riverbed.  Loose leaf litter meant you had to hope you had a good foot hold as you trusted your weight on it.  But Mike and Andrew were very kind in helping me down.

In the gorgeous riverbed, just below the waterfall

Target acquired

It was worth the waist deep wade

We wandered upstream for a bit and found the gorgeous wee waterfall.  It was a beauty.  To continue upstream, we had to scramble up a bank on the true right (it was a steep start) and head up quite high before climbing back down to the stream (a steep descent) and continuing our walk up.

Andrew negotiated the river bank, climbing up slippery slopes to avoid getting wet.  Mike and I braved the pools of water to clamber over log jams and rocks as needed.  One pool looked really deep.  I watched Mike go in up to his hips - the cold water elliciting some squeaks from him as it hit areas that usually never go near cold water.  :-p

He climbed up some boulders out of the water then it was my turn.  As I got to the deep part, I took off my backpack, sensing it would actually be under water if it stayed on my back.  I fumbled it as I took it off in the hip deep water.  Gave it up to Mike and stepped into the deeper water closer to the boulder he was on.  It went up to my waist.  Brrrrr.  

Managed to ungracefully haul myself out of the deep water onto the rock.  In fact, grace played no part in my day as I variously thrashed through the bush like a rampaging elephant or splashed through the river like a hippo.  Funnily enough we never saw any fauna.  I wonder why.  :-p

One good thing from the dunking - my pants got a good wash and the blood disappeared from the oozing wound.  Yes!

On the homeward stretch - sun dipping down through the trees

Another bush bash up a trapline out of the river saw us up on the Mckerrow track after a wee while and the sun starting to set.  

Made it to the top and now it is all downhill to the car

But the real track saw us make good time back to the car.  Down towards Sunny Grove road, but took the Hine Road bypass track to avoid a road slog.

Back to Sally and Andrew's place for some Turkish food delivered by Deliver Easy.  It was scrumptious - and the ginger beer went down a treat.

And home just after 9pm and what a day!  Took a bath to relax and then fell into bed and had the best sleep in ages.

But today... Toby has a migraine.  :-(

Up for my session with Quentin - arms day.  So now my arms ache as well as my legs.  Hahahah.

Enjoy your week.  AKL moves to level 2.5 and let's see what that does for covid in NZ.

Love,

Angela

Contact register:

Fri Aug 28

Mike and Andrew @ Occasional Brewer

Sat Aug 29

Angela, Mike and Doro @ bootcamp 8.30 - 9.30

Mike @ New World Thorndon 8.45 - 9.15

Toby's mates over at our house from 1pm.  

Mike @ Dehlicious for picking up dinner ~ 7pm

Tessa over

Sun Aug 30

Angela & Mike @ Maccas Petone 7.30am

Mike, Andrew and Angela tramping (only met one other person)

Mike, Andrew, Sally and Angela ate Delivery Easy for dinner (Turkish place)

The Thursday with work

 Hi,

We had a day of weather in Wellington.  The hail at lunch time was short and fast.  Smudge thought the wee balls of ice were made for her to chase.  

Hail on the deck

The dryer was on - Smudge found the warmest spot in the house

Toby got home after school late (6.30pm) and I cooked tea for him (steak and mash with broccoli from the garden) and I ate a Buddha bowl.

Mike got home a bit later again.  But we went to bed fairly quickly after that.  

Friday home made iced latte

Mike was up early for his brekkie date with his mates.  Toby has his drama assessment so I will be thinking of him today as he performs that,

The weekend is coming - and we have no plans.  I hope we can get the concrete painted under the house so we can make a start on laying the black plastic over the clay.

Also - online karaoke night tomorrow night with the Sampsons.  Hahah.  That might not really work - but seems like a fun distraction.  :-)

Take care.  Love,

Angela

Contact register:

Thurs Aug 27

Angela went nowhere.

Mike probably had lunch somewhere.

Mike also went to Hudson after work.

Toby was at school and caught some bus home

I am sure they both used their covid apps.

Fri Aug 28

Angela @ home going nowhere again

Mike @ brekkie and then work and then Occasional Brewer with Andrew

Toby @ school and on some bus around 9am

The Wednesday with a crazy lunch plan

 Hi,

This week has been a bit crazy and Wednesday (yesterday) I decided to stupidly drive to work for lunch, collect Roanne and Ange and head to Viva Mexico in Petone.

Actually, it all would have worked fine, except there was a really large table just ahead of us and our lunch was delayed.  I had a 2pm meeting, and thought it would still work in ok.  But our mains arrived at 1.40pm.

So we ate and left and Roanne drove back so I could attend my meeting on my phone.  That worked well apart from not being able to see the whiteboard.  I took notes.  And the meeting went for way longer than I thought.  

Roanne parked outside work and her and Ange left.  And I sat there for another 40 mins in the passenger seat, on my meeting call.

Too funny.  

Drove home and finished the working day at my desk at home.

Cold start to the day - but this hoodie was too tight to wear my headset under.  And over was not a goer.

Chilli hot chocolate at Viva Mexico

It arrived!

My son - gorgeous

I cooked potato bake for Toby, Tessa and myself.  And a salad for Toby and Tessa.  Mike rang our friend Kara who has returned to NZ after 6 years away in the UK.  She is in quarantine with her partner Neil.  She is due back in Wellington in 2 weeks.  Woot!  Can't wait to see her.

I drove Tessa home and went to bed when we got back.  Slept well.  Up for online Quentin.  Mike ran out the door as the bus came past our house - he was lucky the neighbour was getting on.  He just made it.

Thursday home made iced latte

Moxley isn't allowed on the kitchen bench

She's just close enough to watch Toby make his breakfast

And she decided to stay there

Bit grey here today after the most gorgeous light this morning from the sunrise.  But no sign of rain as yet.

Have a lovely day.

Love,

Angela

Contact register:

Wed Aug 26

Angela with Roanne and Ange

Angela to Viva Mexico 12.50 - 1.50

Toby @ school.  Tessa here.

Thurs Aug 27

Mike on 22 bus at 6.45am

Mike @ City Fitness 7.20 - 8.15

Mike @ work

The Tuesday with a bit of this and a bit of that

 Hi,

Happy birthday to Jase today.  He's 21 years old today.  And in lockdown in Auckland.  So we are wishing him a lovely day - but he's in his family bubble for a bit longer yet.  We're thinking of him.

Tuesday morning Wellington gorgeousness

Yesterday saw me catch up with Andrew and try a new morning cafe.  Nikau - in the civic square.  And I have to say, I quite like their coffee.  No sugar (Andrew forgot), but it didn't need any.  High marks for that.

Tuesday morning Nikau cafe with Andrew.

My work had a new pie to try for lunch.  And it was good.  Anything with cheese sauce is good though.  Am I right?

:-D

New pie to try - cauli gratin.  It was good!

Went for a walk with Chris at lunch and convinced him to indulge in an iced coffee.  Karaka cafe at Wharewaka served up an expensive ($18 for two - I was like:  what on earth??) take on iced coffee.  It was good.  And if a dessert is what you were after, the full Whitakkers Sante bar in it was the bomb!

Walk with Chris - Karaka cafe - such an amazing iced coffee with a complete chocolate bar in it!

I look pretty happy with it.

Met up with Andrew after work too.  Shared some chips at Hudson and we watched fire engines screaming down Victoria St.  Turns out an historic house was on fire in Abel Smith St.  Walked with Andrew to the station, had messages to collect bean sprouts from the New World Metro (huh?  Okay).  Then I caught the 14 home.  With my face mask on.

And I reckon close to 50% of the bus punters had a mask on.

In the bus

Got home and Mike and Toby were chatting away over dinner.  Smudge was causing me concern by her hunting under the sideboard.  Moxley was very interested in what she was doing (she was on Mike's knee).  I convinced him to let Moxley assist Smudge.  Toby said Moxley would jump on Smudge and chase her away.

Toby was right.

Moxley jumped on Smudge, Smudge fled and Moxkey then checked under the sideboard.  She couldn't see those same ghost mice though.

Smudge hunts under the sideboard

I don't really want to know what she sees. Toby says ghost mice.

I was asleep while the boys were still chatting away.  Slept well.  Up for home made iced latte.

Wednesday morning home made

Thinking of Ron B today too.  He and Jase share a birthday.  

Wednesday is slightly overcast and a little windy.  And chilly.  But no rain.  Let's see what the day brings.  Lunch with Roanne and Ange.  I will drive down and collect them.

:-)

Tyler's school is closed due to possible covid.  If it is positive, they have to isolate for 14 days.  And that will run into Abby's birthday in Sept.  Let's hope it isn't covid.

Love,

Angela

Contact register:

Tues Aug 25

Angela Nikau in the morning

Angela lunch @ work

Angela walk with Chris

Angela Karaka Cafe ~ 12.30pm

Angela and Andrew Hudson ~ 5.30pm - 6.45pm.  (Okay - no clue - but I used the covid app)

Angela & Andrew at train station New World ~ 7pm.

Angela on 14 bus ~ 7.15pm

Toby school on 14 bus

Mike didn't leave the house, again.

The Monday at work

 Hi,

Well, we've had another extension in Auckland to Sunday at midnight - so they remain in level 3 lockdown for a bit longer.  Their cases seem to be linked and slowing - so I hope the next few days see more of that pattern.

The rest of the country remains in level 2.  

Monday was a busy day at work (in the home office with Mike).  But I did go for a run at lunch time.  And I need to do that a lot more because it was hard work, even though it was only 3km.

Let's try and improve, eh?

Rooibos selfie.  I don't think I have a hashtag for hot tea.

We were in bed fairly early after watching Toby practise his drama piece.  He's really very good at acting.

A reasonable sleep saw me up early to meet Quentin in the gym.  On the bus with my face mask on (as we have all been doing in our house since level 2) and into the gym nice and early.  There were less people than usual on the early bus.  Mond you, even pre covid, every now and then there would be a bus that just didn't get many punters.  Random.

And now I am in at work.  With our physical distancing in place.  Every second desk is unavailable.

Right.  The day is nice enough here.  Bit cool, bit windy.  But no sign of rain today so far.  I might either convince Mike to come get me after work or walk home.

Take care.  Good luck to wee Toby with his drama assessment.

Love,

Angela

Contact register:

Mon Aug 24

Toby at school (via No 14 bus)

Angela lunchtime run

Mike didn't leave the house

Tues Aug 25

Angela on 6.16am number 22 bus

Angela @ City Fitness 6.35 - 7.20am

Angela @ work

Toby on 14 bus to school

Toby @ school

Mike not planning on leaving the house

The weekend in Wellington

 Hi,

Friday evening saw Celia come to visit - and join the Friday chaos at our house.  We were already unwinding after the working week with raucous (mostly Eurovision music) on YouTube.  And various dancing and singing attempts from Mike (mostly) and others (me).

Celia must have wondered about her usually sound decision making around 10 mins into her visit.  But she gamely ploughed on.

We got Burger Wisconsin and enjoyed catching up with news.

Please scan in, Celia

I had barely any sleep because after Celia left and I took Tessa home, Mike decided to watch Fire Saga - Eurovision again.  Loudly.  I got home and it was halfway through.  So I went to bed.  And closed the door to try and deaden the sound.

Didn't work super well.  And for some reason, when it finished, I heard him start it again!

Weird.

Turns out he chatted to Jo in the UK and she decided to watch it (on his advice) and Mike started it again and watched it along with her.

Manic Saturday selfie

Up for boot camp - and Doro came.  It was so good to see her there.  And as we walked along the still waterfront (I was hoping to see Orca as they had been in the harbour for the previous two days), we bumped into Ilske.

You cannot beat Wellington on a good day

So still

Look who we bumped into...

They are so funny

Lovely

It was so good to catch up with Ilske and hear all her news.  She had a sabbatical planned and left her job in Feb and then covid slammed into the planet and she ended up staying here.  So she has a few domestic tourism plans for later this year and then job hunting.  :-(  Talk about bad timing.

Saturday might Mike and I binge watched For all Mankind.  And didn't stop until 1.15am.  Groan.  Took me a while to fall asleep and then I woke up early when the butcher (who was the character from Jurassic Park that stole the DNA in a thermos) tried to mince the sausages and ended up going through the mincer, while clutching a block of Whittakers chocolate. In my dream (nightmare!) that is.

Yeah - didn't make sense to me either.  But it woke me with a start!

Sunday saw Mike and I being rather lazy.  And we finished For All Mankind.  At least our sleep patterns will not be disrupted by TV any further.

Manic Monday selfie (hahahah - that's funny!)

Monday morning and the week looms large.  Auckland will get an update on the covid cases.  Only 1 new case reported yesterday.  So it looks like things might be getting under control.  Fingers crossed.

Take care.

Love,

Angela

Contact register:

Fri Aug 21 

Burger Wisconsin ~ 7pm

Saturday Aug 22

Mike, Angela and Doro @ Frank Kitts Group Fitness boot camp 8.30 - 9.30

Mike and Doro @ Kaffee Eis, Jervois Quay by Whairepo lagoon 9.45am

Sunday Aug 23

Mike @ Delhi-cious Indian takeaways 19:00

Monday Aug 24

Toby to school on 14 ~ 8.10am

The Thursday with a bit of this and that

 Hi,

Friday - yayday.  It has been a weird week but I can confirm it is definitely Friday.  Friday is permeating the day with its happiness.

I am allowing the Friday feels to flow through my body.  I am looking at 8 hours of work still - but the day looks pretty busy so it should go fast.

How cute can a cat be?

Mike used his business number to print out a covid QR code for our house.  He is so cool.  Is that a geeky thing to love?

He is tall and posted it too high (I complained about his ableism, he pointed out the steps that have to be negotiated to get to our front door, I said after all that effort they see something that is easily fixed just out of reach and their previous energy levels at getting to our front door could be dashed, and could you just move it down a bit more?  He did - because he is wonderful).

And I hope that Celia does manage to visit for a cuppa after work today so she can be the first person to scan in.  :-)  And she is very tall, so she may have to bend down a little to scan in, but that is perfectly manageable.

You can scan in at our house now.  

Toby and Tessa have a mid term break today (Friday).  I think they want to do some pre Blair Witch filming on certain scenes.

Yeah - don't ask me anymore about that as it is obvs I know nothing.

And they showed me a clip on YouTube about the salami lid not fitting on the salami container.  And I didn't get why it was funny.  Apparently I will never get it because I am a boomer.

Which, I am not, by the way!  

But Mike and I decided because I don't actually want to even understand that dumb clip, that, by definition, makes me a boomer.

Whatevs.

:-p

Friday morning and Mike went to collect the car (ouch - $850 for a WoF and service - we needed new bushes) and have brekkie in town with his mates.

Home made iced latte Friday morning

And a bit later - all gone.  And it was goooooood.

Mike's Old Bailey breakfast this morning - Halloumi instead of bacon

The weekend is coming, the weekend is coming.  It is looking a little watery and grey out there.  But let's see what happens.

Could be perfect basement wrapping weather.

Take care.

Love,

Angela

Contact register:

Thurs Aug 20

Tessa to our house

Friday Aug 21

Mike to Brendan Motors  ~ 7.30am

Mike to Old Bailey ~ 8 - 9am