The weekend of Waitangi

 Hi,

What a busy weekend we had.  Social interaction - but for me at least, it was with small amounts of people.  Mike though - might be still frequenting cafes and bars.  :-p

Friday saw Toby and Tessa get the keys to their flat.  We had a video call to get a good look at their tiny room, and mouldy ceilings.  I hope they have done a lot of cleaning now so it is more pleasant for them all.  Concrete breeze block buildings are always going to be a bit damp.  I hope they run the dehumidifier a lot!

Friday evening saw us head to Titahi Bay to visit Elly.  She cooked up some delicious fresh basil pesto with spaghetti for us.  Yum!  Tom arrived a bit later and we chatted into the night.  Headed home and fell into bed.

Saturday saw Mike up to meet Janine for some social interaction at Foxglove before I drove into town and met them at Te Papa for the Destination Mars event.

Destination Mars

The event is less than 100 people and you had to keep a mask on.  But it was something I would have preferred to keep away from as covid omicron numbers start to increase.  Anyway - we went.  And I did enjoy it.  Had no idea what to expect.  It was an interactive 45 mins scenario-based session where the audience were part of the crew on Mars.  Not sure I learned a lot of science, but it was fun.

Arty (okay - accidental) shot of my leg as I make the bed

We went to visit Sally and Andrew for tea on Saturday night.  Got uber eats - Sopranos.  It was very tasty.  Watched about 5 different movies while Mike and Andrew tasted whiskies.  I say we watched 5, but it was really starting 4 of them and realising no one but me was watching them.  And finding something else.  Two rom com Christmas movies.  The Saint remake.  Something else.  Then we watched the Pink documentary on her Beautiful trauma tour to Wembley.  By then Andrew had fallen asleep - but the rest of us watched that.

Off home and a sleep in Sunday.  We went to continue installing the Expol underfloor insulation at Mike's mother's place.  Used up all the rest of what we'd bought so far - nearly half the floor is finished. Mike has ordered what's needed to finish it off next time.  But we need to collect it first.

Around to see Sally and Andrew to watch Zoi Sadowski-Synnott win gold in the snowboarding.  But we had to go visit Kara and Neil just before she did her second run.  Mike drove while I refreshed the text page on Stuff to find out what was happening.  She fell on her second run.  And just before her 3rd run, we got a call from a colleague about an ex-colleague who had just passed away after fighting off cancer.  So sad - upsetting.  Rang Wally as he knew him - they both went to school together.  Chatted to Wally - sombre chat - but also good to hear his voice.  Read we won the gold with a booming run from Zoi - smashed the competition.

And her fellow podium medallists were so happy that she had nailed her last run that they ran over and jumped on her.  That right there?  That is the sort of sporting content I am after.  Wow!  

Went to Kara and Neil's and had a superb dinner.  Thai with tofu for me.  With chicken for others.  And it was delicious.  Watched a movie or two with them (Blades for Glory for old times sake, and Taken 2).

Cheese board at Kara and Neil's place

Introduced Neil to Mersey Valley cheese and he was also... taken.  :-p

Back home and off to bed.

Moxley totally relaxed

Mike went to the gym for a session with Quentin and then he went for a run in the Hutt with Andrew and Janine while I started on the downstairs wardrobe and building a shelf in the garage for the telescope.

Moxley helps me clear out the wardrobe

Moxley helps me find a bath mat

Built a wee rack for the surfboard to sit on and a bungee to hold it vertical.  Put my road bike up on a hook.  

Surfboard up.  Shelf 3/4 done

My beautiful road bike is now out of the way

Screwed ply to the wall behind the workbench and started hanging up tools.  We have 3 (yes - 3!!) adjustable groove wrenches.  And who knows if I will find more by the time we have tidied.

Start of the tools being organised

Mike inspection

When Mike did his final inspection of my shelf, we added a bit of webbing to take some weight and provide sideways displacement barriers in the event of an earthquake.  Mike would not trust it to do chin ups on.  But the telescope should be safe enough.

First winter gold medal for NZ.

Up for my online PT session with Quentin and work.  Busy day.  Sigh.  

The gardeners are here today dealing to our garden.  Woot!

Have a good day.

Love,

Angela