The weekend where everyone had a ball

Hi,

My expectations of getting housework done on Friday were dashed by my lethargy on Friday night when we got home.  Mike and I had a great ride home after I "helped" host the Friday work meeting.  I did nothing except set up and put away so I was happy.  No need to talk in front of 80 people!  We walked around to Yingjie's house to collect Toby and had a lovely walk back home.  Then we watched Men in Black 2 and veged out.  Mike decided to pack on Saturday morning.

So, that meant Saturday we were up early and packing.  It all went very well and after we heard Alex had pulled out, we were off to Go Bang in Petone.  Christine had secured a table already so we sat down to order a scrumptious breakfast.  Not too long after the Tabors arrived and after ordering hot chocolates all round they left. Mike, Josh, Toby, Duncan and Emerson were off tramping to Turere Lodge in the Orongorongo valley - upriver from Paua Hut.  Aidan stayed for a cup of tea and high level plans for shopping.

The plans went so far as "Let's go to the recycle shop on Petone Esplanade" so we were off.  I would have left immediately after stepping foot in  the shop but Christine took me under her control and pretty soon I was trying on clothes and had bought a whole heap for $48.  Hahahah.  We left there and Christine shot off to her other commitments. 

The whole process had given me a headache so Aidan took pity on me and asked for me to show her around Scots College.  A perfect answer to a shopping headache.  We drove out there and wandered around a bit.  I did take an aspirin and my headache died away.  After that we went for lunch to The Bach cafe on the south coast.  I had a chicken open sandwich and Aidan had a seafood chowder.

Shopping was once more on the cards and we parked in town and walked around shoe shops.  I finally bought some boots and we wandered back through the underground market to the car to deposit shopping before going to the Gold Lounge at Reading cinemas for the Bourne4 Legacy movie.  I quite enjoyed it thank you very much!

I drove Aidan home and we ate soup for dinner and then I came home for a night of rugby.  Go the All Blacks!  Watched a movie after that and fell asleep at 1am.  What was I thinking?

Up at 8am - a sleep in!  And I had an appointment at the East Day Spa at 10am.  Did the housework when I got home (in my new boots - to learn to walk in them, Christine's advice was to brush my teeth in them.  Does flossing also count?) and then had lunch and went off to meet Mike and Josh and the boys at Sally and Andrew's house.  They had a great time tramping and I am sure you will hear more about it.

Back home to veg out.  Great weekend!  More please. 

Have a great week!
Love,
Angela

The Thursday with everything

Hi,

Mike went home late Thursday with a migraine and I rode home to hang out the wash, collect Toby, cook dinner and buy groceries.  All with pouring rain - well, I rode home dry so I guess I am thankful.  Hahahah.  It was all good and meant we had things to eat for breakfast so I am not complaining.

Mike and Toby are off tramping Saturday morning until Sunday afternoon.  I am going to cram in breakfasts out and shopping (huh?) and a movie if I can.  And lots of reading.  The plan is to finish housework tonight when I get home so my weekend stretches out without any chores.  Choice.

Have a great weekend!  I will!

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with nothing

Hi,

Mike collected me from work and we picked up Burger Wisconsin on the way home.  So nothing on and no cooking.  Awesome.  We sat and watched television and eventually went to bed where Mike fell asleep in about 3 seconds.  Astonishing abilities.

While sitting watching television, Mike pulled off my shoes and socks and I got tickles.  Always welcome, thank you very much.  However, he said my feet were smelly - which is a bit odd as that isn't normal.  Eventually I smelled them too.  Hey - was he right?  And then I clicked.  We still had the remains of a lovely blue cheese next to us on the table.  Hahahah.  My feet do not smell!  But blue cheese most certainly does. 

We walked into town this morning.  Very pleasant.  It looks like it might rain at any time though.  I wonder if I'll get wet riding home?  Mike will work late and I'll collect him from the supermarket after he has bought our groceries.  No milk, no bread, no butter in our house.  Aaarrghhh.

Hahahah.

Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with Cubs

Hi,

I had a fabulous day yesterday (Tuesday).  The morning was so lovely and my ride in was great.  Bit of a contrast with today's ride in.  I timed it nicely with possibly the only torrential downpour due today.  I got soaked within 2 minutes of the rain bucketing down.  And now I am at the client's site with my wet bike gear strewn around under my desk.  Oh well.  I did find an unpleasant surprise in the bottom of my pannier as I scrabbled around for a plastic bag for my soaking wet clothes that I will have no need to pull back on.  Yes - I found an old plastic bag from last week's rain containing rather smelly socks that have been fermenting in rain juice for the last week.  Yummy.  Time for a hot wash tonight in the washing machine.  My socks - not me!

Yesterday was a social day for me.  I met Aidan T for morning tea and got a hug as she left.  After that I had lunch with Rex (no hug - he is a current work colleague after all).  As we walked back to work, I bumped into Josh and got a hug from him.  Then, as I walked to the client's site in the afternoon I bumped into two ex work colleagues and got hugs from them too!  Nice day.

I rode home yesterday and Mike passed me in the car as I got to the top of the hill.  It's not often cars slow down as they go driving by (note the Paul Kelly reference there) so I spared a glance to the car and saw Mike eyeing me up.  Hahahah.  He yelled if I wanted a lift but I was so close there was no point.

We got dinner ready and then I was off to Cubs.  Mike went to start Yingjie's car as she had left the car lights on all day.  Oops.  Cubs went well - the karate sensei came and did part two of his session.  They got to punch pads and bust through fake wooden boards.  They all loved it.  And I got a lot of kudos when I was one of three that could bust the strongest wooden boards - including one Dad parent helper.  Ooosshh.  Toby thinks I am cool at any rate.

Back home and Mike was ploughing through his tramping club homework.  Good on him.  That is why we have started the division of labour on Tuesdays.  I do Cubs, he does tramping club stuff.

Time for a tea.  Everything is better with tea.

Love,
Angela

The Monday with blissful nothing

Hi,

What a fantastic morning.  When I woke, I saw Venus and the crescent moon shining like a beacon through the punga outside our bedroom window.  It was no use telling Mike because he had no eyes in.  But it looked spectacular.

My ride in was great - the roads are completely dry after the recent rain and I had a ball hurtling down the hill.  Promises of the summer to come!

Cubs tonight and we have Toby's karate sensei back for part two of his talk.  Should be a good night.

I am meeting Aidan T for tea this morning too.  So, all in all, a great day!  Bring it on!  And I have a cup of tea already.  Slurp!

Love,
Angela

The weekend with skiing

Hi,

We left Friday evening to head up to Ruapehu.  I collected Ilske in the wee green car and we stopped off at Waikanae to stock up on junk food and petrol before continuing.  It was a lovely night - clear skies and I stopped on the way to show some stars to Ilske.  She also saw her first shooting star!  Woo hoo!

We got to the lodge around 10.30pm and settled into our bunkroom and fell asleep!  Next morning we were up to a glorious day on the mountain.  We ate breakfast and Mike and Toby hired skis and then we were off exploring the mountain.

We took Toby on his first t-bar ride and he loved it.  Right up to the time I didn't unhook him in time and he hurtled into the snowbank at the end of the t-bar.  Tears flowed and he rode with Mike after that!

I found a great run on the far west t-bar - down a wee gut and then onto lovely groomed snow.  Toby didn't enjoy the steepness of it.  But he skied it really well when he plucked up the courage to make turns.  His brains says no but his technique certainly said yes!

Sunday we woke to torrential rain followed by buckets of snow.  Ilske and I left early and stopped off for a cup of tea in Waikanae at some friendly people that seem to tolerate unexpected visits from friends with hangers on.  Lucky for us.

Took the bus in this morning for the first time in ages.  My bike is somewhere in town.  Either here or at the client's.  Hahahah.  I think it is here.

Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Angela

The Thursday where my husband shows how amazing he is

Hi,

Mike and I went home last night and Mike single handedly fixed our sewer pipe.  Not without some swearing at builders from fifty years ago.  They had laid the sewer pipe on concrete and it just ended where it had shattered.  No surprise there.  But the concrete meant Mike couldn't get the new cowling around it.  But he figured out a way and now we can use the toilet.

Just as he'd finished scrabbling around in the old pipe, Toby forgot and flushed the toilet.  And huge dollop of fresh stuff landed at Mike's feet and a growl came from him.  Toby was very apologetic and then him and Alex both dissolved into giggles.  As did Mike.

We have packed the car for the trip up to Ruapehu.  Bring it on!  Can't wait.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Love,
Angela