The weekend with a heap of Wellington things

 Hi,

We had such a chill weekend. Did not do park run. But, we did fill up the day anyway. And I spotted the first hard, green balls of fruit on my tomato plants. Woot!

Tomatoes have early fruit!

Goodbye my lovely bike

We took my oldest, first New Zealand bike out to Lower Hutt as Freeride was set up at a festival there. In Waiwhetu park.  The festival was T e ra o te raukura and it was fabulous.

The crew made me feel so much better

The Freeride crew were happy to take my bike. I felt quite sad to see it go. Bought it in Dunedin from the bike shop on Lower Stuart St in 1993. It does not owe me a thing. I rode it for years as my commuting bike. Until 2011 or so when I bought my white commuting bike.

We wandered around the festival. Mike was due his covid jab and got one done for nothing. And I checked mine and I was due too. So both sorted. Next to the covid stand was a blood type stand. So we got that done too.

Mike is A+ and I am O-.

Blood type

Bread

My blood type

Listening to the tunes

We did get a run in. 3k. I found it hard work. Down by Seaview. 

Back to do some renovation work. Then out to dinner at Ortega Fish Shack to celebrate Ange submitting her Masters thesis. What a mighty effort.  35k words of goodness. 112 pages or so. There were a bunch of us there. A lot from old Intergen days. And funnily enough Brendan (also old Intergen - and now new CapGemini) was at another table with his wife and friends.

Well done, Ange!

Back yard

Sunday was a slow start for me. Going to bed at midnight is not normal. Got bread into the fridge ready to bake in the evening.

Sourdough

Went for a run in Karori park. Each lap is 1km. That 3k felt a lot better. Got an iced latte after we finished. Mike did 5km and was amazing! Then popped into Shelley Bay Baker after wards to get some yummy lunch.

Mike did a lot of renovation work. Plastered. Got undercoat on and a coat of white behind the laundry. There is a green strip that is not done because it will be behind a cupboard.

Laundry plastering done and first coat on

Good sleep Sunday. Up for Mike to head to town for PT. And I went out to Resene to pick up paint to finish the laundry off.

Might be a painting evening today!

Have a great week. Short one for a lot of us. Waitangi Day is this Thursday. Last year we went up for the dawn service and I think it is safe to say, that changed my life. Similar to how the dawn service at Anzac cove also changed me. And by "changed" I just mean an even deeper connection. Both things have always been something I have embraced as a culturally significant thing in our calendar. But after attending and getting a deeper understanding, something did change.

Enough of that emotional stuff.  There is no Lewis Road iced coffee in the supermarkets again. I think after the shortage when they changed packaging recently, there has been a run on it.

On that note, let me leave you to find your own channels of caffeination!

Love,

Angela

The Monday with WFH and covid rearing its head

 Hi,

We were all working from home. That is typical for me. But Mike usually has gym with Quentin and works from the office in town. He wasn't feeling 100% Sunday evening so cancelled gym and worked with me in our home office. Said he felt better Monday morning - so yay!

It was good enough

I made sourdough. It turned out ok. Not my best effort so far. I think I didn't tuck it in enough as it was getting ready to rise. Or maybe just not long enough in the resting phase. But it still tasted good.

Moxley tucked up

Cats were happy we were all home. Hahah. Toby went off to Maggies to get his hair cut by Fiona - like old times. And he looks very handsome. Tessa will be happy.

After work, Mike tested for covid. And got an instant, strong result. I had no idea. Thought his cold was a continuation of his flu. This changes things for the week for us. He seems ok. So hopefully just a light touch for him.

Might not make it to Mean Doses quiz tonight just in case I do have covid too. Electric 6 concert is tonight too. Might be just Toby.

Have a good day!

Love,

Angela

The weekend with the kings birthday and covid

 Hi,

Is it really covid 19 when we are in 2024? Anyway - Thursday night I did a test and turns out I have covid. Luckily it seems a light touch of it. Only a scratchy throat, slightly dribbly nose and not a lot else.

Moxley keeping me company

Sunrise

Love how she sleeps

Smudge comes over too

Got my medal board up

Went for a walk in my new tramping boots

See Mike running?

And tbh, this was the best timing ever. Nothing planned for Kings Birthday. So I stayed home and watched a lot of movies. Most of the movies were terrible. Hahah.

Mike got a lot done around the house. He picked up a projector and a bike box from Roanne. But as he drove into the garage, the radiator was spraying out water and glycol. Not good. It is booked in to see Raj this week. 

Mike got the projector ready for his talk on Wed night. He also prepped his content for it. And went out with Andrew (they got back from Aus!) to buy a drill and put my punching bag up. Sweet!

Quentin is sick too (not from me - I have not seen him for a few weeks!) so Mike did online with him yesterday and I went up to the garage this morning to do a session. 40kg squats. 5 reps x 4 sets. And hip thrusts. And other accessories.

Working from home. But I hope I test negative so I can go to Mike's talk on Great Walks this Wed night.

Have a great week.

Love,

Angela

The weekend with not a lot on

 Hi,

The weekend was really making sure I was absolutely fine. And it did the trick. Friday was very relaxing for me. I did get the outside furniture bench coated in mould killer ready for a sand and a stain. I might try and finish that off after work through the week if my time allows.

I did also make biscuits. I think I nailed the form in this batch - all nice and circular. Hahahah.

Biscuits

Faint line still

Saturday saw us relax at home before heading to the Hutt and dropping the trailer off. I did get a walk with Andrew over the bridges along the river and tried about 200m of running to see how my lungs coped. No major coughing - yay!

Hello there

Bird of paradise in flower

Hi Celia

Sunday saw rain in Wellington - and some slips. We saw SH1 south blocked as we darted out to see Callan and Stacey to collect our luggage that went home from down south with them. Good to chat to them.

Then off to collect my oil stain from Resene for the furniture. And home before the trapline BBQ event (saw Ellie there) and then quickly home for Mike to get Janine's car to meet her at the airport and me to drive to Kara's place for tea with her Mum.

Cheese subscription!

It was so good to see Glenn after so many years. I reckon it's been over 10 years since we saw her last. Easily. She looked well and we enjoyed tea with them both. She flies home on Thursday. It was lovely to see Kara and her mother interacting.  And see Kara's newly revamped kitchen. Much more open now.

We headed home after I realised I was starting to fall asleep. And into bed straight away. Mike was up for PT with Quentin and I am WFH today and tomorrow. I hope to go to AFL training after work tomorrow.

Have a lovely week ahead.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday with some sick leave

 Hi,

After realising that for the first time ever I slept through my alarm at 6.30am Wednesday morning, I figured my body was saying I had to rest more. So I took Wed afternoon off. And I did sleep. So there you go. Covid brain. :-)

As a consequence I took no pics. How boring.

Mike was also tired but continues to test negative. He did collect the trailer from its bushes/bearings work and get a WoF. So yay! We can pop it back to Epuni this weekend. And get our car back in the garage.

We went to bed early and Mike must have slept for 10 hours. Wow. We got a terrific amount of rain at 9.30pm before I fell asleep. And when we woke this morning it was clear blue skies. Wellington weather!

Hope you enjoy your Thursday. I hope I will test negative soon and can get out and about over the weekend.

Have a good one.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday back at work

 Hi,

After a day at work - but from home - Mike and I had some tea. And decided it would be best to walk it off. We walked up to Northland school and back. Good distance and I felt way better for getting out of the house.

Out for a walk after work

Moxley finds her place

Went to bed early and slept like a log. Didn't wake up for anything. And even when Mike's alarm went off at 6am, I merely rolled over and went back to a sound sleep. Then Mike delivered brekkie to me and it was a struggle to wake up from the depths of sleep.

Maybe this is a symptom of covid, finally?  I want to sleep lots?

Anyway. We are getting a supermarket delivery today. Nom, nom. And I might consider a half day if I think I need to sleep more. Hahahah.

Have a lovely day.

Love,

Angela

The Monday with a covid positive test

 Hi,

Well, that was a surprise. My cold is actually covid. Given I had the same cold as Iona and she tested negative, I really thought it was just a cold. But I got a faint line on the first RAT - and tried another.  As did Iona.  Hers was still negative - and mine was positive a second time.

So... our assumption now is, maybe I picked up covid in packed Queenstown on Friday, Saturday or Sunday on top of my cold. Who knows?

There is a faint line

And another one on a different brand

But so far I am just the same as I was with my cold. Less snot today. Woot! Same chesty cough from time to time.

Smudge is a bit sifty about how close Moxley is to her

Mike tested negative too. So yay for that. Hopefully he avoids anything from this cold. Phew!

We went to bed early and I had a great sleep. But the blinds are still not on our windows from when they were put in and we painted them. So at 5am I woke up and thought it was time to get up as it was so bright!

After work today we will put the blinds back up. Hahahah.

Have a great day!

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday at work with a walk home

 Hi,

Had a long day at work. But the meeting from 5 - 6pm ended up starting early and finished at 5.30.  Woot! But Mike and Callan decided to go for a run anyway - so I stayed back and did my te reo homework. Yay for getting through that.

Work iced latte

La cloche iced latte with Mike, Callan and Stacey

We had a lunch with Callan and Stacey - so good to see Stacey. I enjoyed my iced latte and two boiled eggs and some bread. Those French! Hahahah.

After a pint or two at Bin44 after the run, and after my homework, Mike and I walked home. Great idea! We chatted to Andrew as we passed his work - but he was home and enjoying his tea already.

Walk home while chatting to Andrew

Tracking my chilli plants

I was a bit sniffly on my way home. Mike reckons it was the cold wind - but it seemed a bit more. So staying home today (Thurs) and moving things to online.

I did a RAT and it was negative.  So - who knows? Might do one tomorrow if there is still a sniffle.

Sniffle but negative

Will catch up with Sally (from my last work) at lunch time - but not at Higher Taste. Boo! Will do an online chat and some quizzes with her. Woot!

Then the weekend. Woot! If my sniffles amount to naught - AFL game on Sunday. Tea with Callan and Stacey on Saturday. Choice!

Have a lovely day.

Love,
Angela

The weekend with Mike back

 Hi,

In the best news, Mike is back. Woot! He landed safely in Chc yesterday morning and after a slightly unusual visit to Chc compared to what he thought he'd have, he made it back to Wellington.  Touched down at 20:00 last night.

I had a busy weekend. Friday saw me water blasting the steps and putting the trim back on the car. Two jobs I had on my list of things to do. They were on my list of jobs while Mike was away - along with the carpet on the stairs. So - yay for getting them done.

Friday lunch goodness

I caught up with Andrew between jobs on Friday. And enjoyed an iced latte and lunch with him - planning for trap line the following day.

Water blasting dirtiness

Water blasting cleanliness

The steps look amazing now I have used the water blaster. They were starting to look pretty green - and not in a good, sustainable way. More like a green sludge that formed the habitat of algae that could be the basis of new lifeforms in a primordial soup fashion. Yes, a Sci-fi novel on our doorstep, in the making. But - no longer. 

Off to bed early and up for trap line Saturday. Picked up Andrew a tad later than my suggested 8am. But we were parked at the road end and off walking by 8.50am. So not too late. And I did get lots of petrol - squeezed in just over 50l of it. Obviously necessary.

We start the trapline

Up on the tops

In the stream

Another trap checked

It was a slightly cloudy and a tad drizzly (well - barely drizzling) day and fairly cool. I took off my fleece on the walk up - because that is hot work. But by the time we got to the top of UTS line, I pulled it back on. It takes 1 hour from the car to the top intersection, then an hour from the top around to the start of the ridge down to UTS. We got two rats in SG trapline on the way up - Andrew cleared and reset those. Then we found one rat in the top UTS trap - and nothing else. UTS 5 has an A24 next to it - and that had a lot of dead rats under it. 5 of them! One super fresh.

We finished at 2.30pm. It took 5 hours and 40 mins. Not bad. Dropped Andrew back and headed home. Up for my first AFL game of the season on Sunday. Lovely conditions. 7 a side. A lot of running for everyone. My team lost by 2 goals. Waaahhh. Next time!

Off to see Sally and Andrew next and a bike ride up the river with Sally. We did 15 km - which was just the right amount. We bumped into Sreejith as we were out riding. I got a huge hug from him - it's been ages since I saw him. We are going to sort out some bike rides together soon.

Lovely Sunday morning for the first AFL game for me

We get ready

Sally and I have a bike ride

Lovely day on the Hutt River trail

After we did that, I headed home and popped into the supermarket to stock up on goodies for Mike's arrival.

Shopping for goodies for Mike

Mike has landed in Chc at about 10am or so. And met up with Toby and then promptly tested positive for covid. He got a PCR test to be sure and implemented some isolation. But with advice and the understanding his symptoms had been present for a week by this stage, he was able to fly home to me. He had a great KN95 mask from the PCR test people.

Waiting at the airport for Mike

There's my bear!  It is also Bruce's bear from his 1st birthday in 1964.

We stayed masked up in the car and at home and we've divided the house into upstairs and downstairs. Hahah. Let's hope I can dodge this close covid bullet. It seems as though he is not very likely to be contagious at this late stage.

Mike unpacks with Moxley's help

We slept in separate beds - OMG! Mike had a great sleep - loved our bed. Hahah. I made him brekkie this morning. And two cups of coffee.

Monday brekkie for Mike

Welcome to the working week, Mike

And his test yesterday

I am so happy he's home, safe and sound. Hopefully he gets over covid and is back into the swing of Wellington routine before not too much longer. I will keep an eye on any long covid signs.

Take care of yourselves. Wishing rural Victoria the best of luck for these floods they are having. Terrible news.

Love,

Angela