The Tuesday with exciting meet the candidates meeting

 Hi,

So nice to catch up with Rooz today at work. Enjoyed a coffee with him. Chatted about the work we both have on.

After a busy day at work, I headed home by bus. Got home and fed the cats and then headed out to Wadestown shops for the usual electoral year Meet the Candidates talk in the local church.

Iced latte with Rooz

At the Meet the Candidates

I left home at 6:55pm for the 7.30pm meeting. Got there around 7:10 pm and got a seat easily. The place was packed by 7.25pm.

All the candidates were there. We had a very feisty audience. Several people were filming. And eventually the reason for all the filming became clear. And the reason I walked passed a police car out front also became clear.

There were hostile people in the audience towards Ayesha Verrall. And supporters of one of the independent candidates - someone called Barry. While I do not mind a bit of heckling from the crowd, this was a bit too much. Several candidates said everyone should be allowed their allotted time to speak without interruption. But it did get heated several times.

We had two moderators - and they had a hard time. 1 minute each - which might not really be enough I suspect. But a lot of panellists and a lot to get through. As it was, it went to 8.30pm.

The police came in at the end when it started to get rowdy. Lots of shouting. Nothing more than that though.

I walked home, musing on the event and people's views. Good to always attend these. Helps you decide how you will vote.

Thank you to the cold calling from a candidate's team to tell me on Monday night that it was on. I found nowhere online that told me it was 

The Monday with work

 Hi,

Can you tell by my photos I am alone at home with the cats? Hahahah. Mike is in Auckland after flying there yesterday from Sydney.

Actually touching each other

And so relaxed

Smudge smooching with me

Emptied my clothes

After work I emptied out my wardrobe and drawers upstairs. Job done there. Off to bed. Read for a bit then sleep.

Up for bus into town. Lovely morning. Tonight is quiz night but I can't go because it is Meet the Candidates night in Wadestown. St Lukes church is hosting.

Enjoy your day.

Love,

Angela

More touching again this morning

The weekend in Sydney with Abby's birthday

 Hi,

What an awesome weekend. After work we headed to Tallawong and went to Enzos. Great fun like usual. We did order 3 burrata dishes - and the puffbread also came with 3 burratas. So we ate a lot of burrata.

It was Tessa's birthday so she got some presents. Thank you Karen for making her day special.

Birthday dinner at Enzo's for Tessa

Excited

Jamaican coffee

Desserts

Up the next morning for burrata fuelled parkrun. It was hot even at 8am. And I was 500th across the line out of 960 punters. What? How are that many people even possible in suburban parkruns? I was only a few seconds shy of my best 2026 parkrun time. Which, given the slow funnels caused by so many people, is not too bad.

Post parkrun pics

Corner cafe iced latte

Back for a quick coffee and Karen made us all eggs for brekkie. Then all changed and ready for Abby's brunch that was at 1pm. And officially called a Long Lunch.

The parkrun fun

At Bella Vista hotel

Toby and Tessa

This is what we're getting

Abby is the birthday girl

I enjoyed the long lunch. Huge venue and they looked after us. Good food - they even gave me my own courses. So - awesome!

Secured a karaoke place for 1.5 hours. $500 later. There was a wind storm on our way to Castle Hill and Karen's Uber got to the carpark as a tree fell over onto a parked car. Wow.

Storm knocked this tree over in Castle Hill

Me and big Mic

Karaoke

Then we all sung up our own storm. Huge effort on the karaoke mic. Everyone had a great time! So good.

Back home to watch some footy. Saw the chap with MND run out for his 100th game and there was not a dry eye in the house or stadium. Watched the Swans demolish their game and further into the finals.

Off to bed. Up for Fathers Day and a nice brekkie over the road.

Father's Day brekkie

At my gate

At 2.30pm we got dropped off at Quakers Hill train station and caught the 3:04pm train to Central. Switched to the airport line and Mike, Toby and Tessa got off at Green Square for their stay overnight ahead of their flights early Monday. And I stayed on and got to the airport for my flight to Wellington.

My fave snack

Easy flight home for me. It was late taking off - 1 hour late. But it made up time and we were only 30 mins late into Wellington. 12:40am arrival instead of the 12:10am. I was nodding off on my flight. Uber reservation worked and I was home by 1:15am.  Straight into bed.

Up to rain and cold this morning. Thinking about Mike's uncle and their family this morning. Robert passed away late last week. The funeral is today. No flight could get me to Dunedin early enough. Sending them all the strength to get through this hard time.

Love,

Angela

The Thursday with work and a dinner out

 Hi,

Busy day at work. Hard yakka. I think I am being Australian, but no one under 60 says that anymore in Aus. I am just giving myself away.

After work I went on the train with Marcela to Circular Quay and found Lana - above Grana. Janine from work was already there. And Nicole from our vendor was not long after us.

Sydney and its light rail

Dinner at Lana near Circular Quay

Wandering in an alleyway

What a superb night. Good food. Good conversation. Huge thanks to Nicole for taking us out. I really enjoyed myself. So sorry to Karen who had to wait up to midnight to collect me from the train station. Yes - I was out until midnight.

Thank you. 

Fell asleep in minutes. Up this morning on Tessa's birthday. Fed the boys. Waiting for brekkie before my day starts.

Mike is all sorted and packed and at work for the day already. We will see him at Enzo's for dinner for Tessa's birthday.

Abby's birthday tomorrow.

Woot!

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday meeting parents off their cruise ship

 Hi,

What a huge day walking around the harbour. I got there around 9.30am and got myself an iced latte and croissant and sat not far from the Crown Princess to eat it while I waited.

Crown Princess is in the house

Huge

Karen, Toby and Tessa were coming in from Blacktown and the parents were having brekkie on the ship and negotiating customs.

I finally spotted them among the other punters all leaving the ship. And we walked to Circular Quay station to wait for Karen and Toby and Tessa and enjoyed a coffee.

Found them

Iced latte

Once we caught up with Karen, Toby and Tessa and got another coffee, we walked to a lunch spot out towards the Opera House. Italian place. Nice food.

Posing with the ship as backdrop

Toby and Tessa

Toby and me

Looking at the view

Got a pic or two at the Opera House, then back to the bakery for a pastry. But on the way back there, I saw Malcolm, Marion and Anthony. Just walking along the dock. How crazy is that? 2 mins either way and we would not have seen each other.

Opera House

Here we are

Glorious view

Walking

Met these people

Oh hello - or goodbye

Back at their cabin

Had pastries and a drink at the pub then saw Mum and Dad back onto the ship. What a great day. We climbed some steps and a round structure and got very close to their balcony.

Said goodbye and we all caught trains back to our respective homes.

Mike got home and we walked for something to eat. Then watched Bridgeton. First time watching that. Seems ok.

Up to a glorious day here. Back to work. Huge day. Then off to Quakers to work from home there tomorrow.

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The Monday with Toby and Tessa arriving

 Hi,

Mike and I went for a long walk after work. Out to a park called Moore Park. It looked like an old golf course with bunkers still dotted around. It was dark though so we just walked back to Green Square.

Found some tea at Bashan - but it was a 20 min delay. Mike also talked to the movers in NZ as I grabbed some tissues and a delicious mango from Woollies.

Toby and Tessa landed and were going to be at Green Sq at 7:41pm. So Mike left me eating our dinner and went and found them.

Then we all went to Zetland pub for a drink before taking them to Central and onto the Metro. Karen was kindly collecting them from Tallawong.

At Central station - seeing Toby and Tessa onto the Metro

There they go

Mike and I got up for a run to a local park. And then back for shower and brekkie before work.

Cafe for brekkie

Big day at work. Then off to Crows Nest to meet Marcela and Ian and their son, Santi. Karen, Toby and Tessa will meet us there. Dinner out. I will tell you all about it.

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela