Look at Abby!

Hi,

Abby won Best Player of the Year (Modified Player something or other - but basically the best player of the year!) at the netball.  She is amazing.  Look at her!

We're very proud.

Love,
Angela, Mike and Toby

The weekend with loads on

Hi,

What a weekend!  Phew!  I was sure we'd be cancelling the day walk when the Friday night weather turned nasty - strong winds and lashing rain.  But Saturday morning dawned clear and calm.

Saturday morning I got up early and went to Karori to collect Brendan (work colleague) at 7.15am.  Then off to Lower Hutt to collect Joe (work colleague number 2) at 7.30am.  Once we had Joe, we were off to the Hutt Valley Gun Club in Whitemans Valley (outside Upper Hutt).  We had decided to do clay target shooting for the Business Games that were on again with work.  Ah huh.  Right.  Still, I did better than last year hitting 9 out of my 12 targets and getting pretty close with the three I missed.  It was a lot of fun.

Had a quick lunch afterwards in Upper Hutt (nice cafe) and then dropped Joe off at Rongatai for his cricket, dropped Brendan back home and then collected Toby and his Nana from home while getting ready for the day walk.  Dropped Nana home, then back to Makara beach exactly on time at 2pm.  Waited for 40 minutes for the other punters (they were running late) and then headed off along the beach.  The fierce wind whipped the surf up and soaked us with saltwater.  Nice.  Our lips and eyes were tingling (or is that stinging?) as we walked along.

We got stopped at the headland by high seas and backtracked a bit and went up the hill.  The view was stunning.  Then we popped over the top and discovered a southerly headed straight for us.  It looked amazing!

We raced back to the car, and the rain washed loads of salt off us.  Hmmm.  Hahahah.  It was a short but fun daywalk.

Back home to relax for a bit and then off to bed for a few hours sleep before we got up and collected Grandy from the airport at midnight.  We got her tucked into bed and Toby and I both fell asleep quickly again.

Sunday morning we got up and made some salad for lunch.  Then off to enjoy the family lunch in brilliant sunshine (hot even) at Sally and Andrew's place.  Scrumptious food as usual.  Nice to see Aidan and Janne as we don't see them that often really.  Ma enjoyed meeting everyone.

Back home and I had to work for a bit then had dinner (yummy - ta Ma) and then to bed.  Phew!

Busy week at work.  Mike comes home tomorrow night.  Yay!

Have a great week!
Love,
Angela

The Thursday with no Mike

Hi,

Well, Mike landed safely in Sydney.  It is odd having a three hour time difference; it means we hardly get any time to chat.  Lucky it is a short visit and Sydney moves to their daylight savings hour this Sunday.

I rode home yesterday in lovely conditions once again.  We had great weather for cycling this week.  Marvellous.  It is all supposed to pack in for Saturday.  Great.  Just when I have a whole day of outdoor activity planned.  I'm in a work team for clay target shooting tomorrow morning.  Let's hope I don't bruise myself as spectacularly as I did last year.  Then leading a day walk - in forecast galeforce winds.  Nice.

When your husband is away you get to do all manner of things.  This morning I took the wee green car in for its WoF.  It failed a week ago due to fancy, but manic, flashing indicators and bald rear tyres.  Both fixed thanks to Mike and it passed with flying colours this morning.

Mike's mother has been looking after Toby this week and I can tell he is very happy with that arrangement, even if she makes him leave the computer regularly.  Hahahah.  It's good for him!

The weekend beckons with its manic schedule.  And Mum arrives at midnight tomorrow.  Yay!  Can't wait.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with nothing but Mike packing

Hi,

I rode home yesterday in lovely conditions once more.  I was a little tuckered out for some reason - was it a strong headwind?  Anyhow, home to eat dinner that Mike and Toby had cooked.  Toby is working towards his home help badge and made us a lovely omelette for dinner.  And a salad.  The salad could be termed "rustic" or "country" as it was very chunky.  Large pieces of red onion and carrot along with the lettuce and tomato.  Toby may be showing us his future cuisine tendencies.

Mike packed (sort of) for his Sydney trip and woke at 3.50am to finish getting ready.  He may have been running late because the taxi company rang him at 4.25am.  Hahahah.  Anyhow, he was on the flight this morning safely.  Hopefully it all goes well today and tomorrow in Sydney and he has a great weekend with Karen and Scott and the girls.

Meanwhile, my weekend is flat out.  I triple booked myself for Saturday and managed to wriggle out of one of them (mainly because they in turn had double booked themselves and our presence would have been more hassle).  The other two I think I am able to juggle.  I have clay target shooting for work (organised business games) on early Saturday morning and then home briefly to get ready for the day walk at Makara beach I am running.  Any takers?  The weather is supposed to be awful.

Saturday night at midnight Toby and I pick up Grandy from the airport then Sunday we have a family lunch.  Woo hoo!

Busy at work.  My ride in was lovely again this morning - no sign of any rain so far despite the forecast suggesting there would be some around this morning.  Time for tea.

Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with nothing

Hi,

I love school holidays!  No Cubs to go to on a Tuesday.  Mike and I rode home together (I do like doing that) and I made dinner.  Then I took Mike out for a romantic night at the supermarket.  Hahahah.

Back home and I think I was asleep in seconds while Mike worked.

Toby and Nana are in town this morning.  Toby has his dental appointment.  Perhaps we'll get to see them.  Mike has to drive in because he is meeting a tradesman back home at some stage.  Phew!  The bathroom is fair coming along!

My ride in was wonderful this morning.  Absolutely bone-dry roads.  I flew down the hill, possibly going faster than I ought.  But it was fun!

Mike has to pack for Sydney tonight.  He catches the early morning flight tomorrow morning.  We'll see him late Tuesday.  Sounds like he has a good weekend planned with the Kittos.

Have a great day!
Love,
Angela

The Monday with Cub planning

Hi,

Mike and I rode home together in lovely weather.  We made dinner and then I ended up having to scoff it down to rush off for the Cub planning session.  We planned out term 4 and it looks like a lot of fun.  I told them I wasn't going to be a leader in 2013.  Time for Toby to be a Cub without his mother hovering over him.  He'll be a sixer for that year too.

Home to bed.  Toby had a tooth fall out yesterday and I do believe the tooth fairy visited overnight.  Lucky boy.  He is off to the dentist tomorrow with Nana.  His appointment is at 12.15.

Mike and I rode into work together this morning too.  Very pleasant.  It looks like rain and the roads were a little wet, bit it stayed dry for us.  All good!

I have found three good bruises from my fall at the weekend.  Two on my legs and one on my upper arm.  I probably landed (maybe several times) on my skis or poles as I tumbled and slid.  Mike says the one on my right leg looks awfully like a ski edge.  Hahahah.

Time for a tea.
Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Angela

The weekend with a wonderful ski day

Hi,

Happy birthday today to Dad!  I hope he has a great day!  Woo hoo!

What a great weekend. I got home just after 8 pm on Friday and caught up with the boys before bed. Up at 3.30 am to jump in the car and collect Amy and Andrew for a fantastic day skiing at Turoa.

We got to the mountain in good time. The day was mostly fine; it would clag in from time to time. I had a spectacular fall down a wee steep cliff when I followed Andrew down a double black diamond run. I had to edge to keep from falling over a rocky cliff. So fear meant I edged super well and ended up far too high. My top ski got wedged forward and my bottom ski had no weight on it and was flailing around in mid air. Nice. Stuck. Andrew was just below me and giving advice. Ha ha. If I could stand up on my top ski I'd be back on the piste above our run. No hope.

Trying to dig my bottom ski in finally kicked my top ski out and I fell to where Andrew was just below me.  I thought I was going to take him out and my weight went backwards and I kept going.  Andrew said it looked good as I somersaulted a few times before sliding the rest of the 15m down to to the bottom of the gully.  Lucky the snow was so soft and I'd cleared the rocky cliff part.  I had to kick steps up the steep face to retrieve my skis.  Oh dear.

Later on, Andrew had a great can out too.  He was going fast in lovely soft snow (we were making first tracks to the far skier right on the boundary) when his tips dug in and flipped him at speed into the snow face first.  His goggles came off as well as his glasses.  Luckily Amy found them quickly and we collected his skis and we all took off again.

This last fantastic run ended in a 300m walk out.  But it was well worth it for the lovely snow and solitude.  It did tucker us out though.  Andrew got another run in while Amy and I relaxed in the car.

We had a good drive home and I caught up with Mike (Toby was having a sleepover).  I even got a nice breakfast cooked for me Sunday morning (Mike made superb omelettes).  Tidied the house a bit (I am useless at housework - it is so boring) and then off to buy a replacement headlight bulb and new sheets for the spare bed.  Then to Sally and Andrew's place while Mike and Andrew went to Andrew's parents' place to help with solar panels on the roof.  Then we all met there for tea and home to bed.

Mike's mother is here to look after Toby this week.  I think Toby is very happy.  Yay!

Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Angela