The Monday with nothing much

Hi,

I rode home and was pleased to finally leave work.  For some reason it was a hard eight hours yesterday.  I blame the late night on Sunday.  By the time I was getting on my bike in the basement at work, I was yawning incessantly.  Fortunately nothing wakes you up like a bike ride and by the time I got home I was cured.  Toby and I walked from the library and then he did homework while I cooked him tea.

I made a portion for Tuesday night and froze two more portions for him.  We're making sure we have some meals on stand by for Toby.

Our family - by Toby

Toby made me a card on Sunday for Mother's Day.  Every time Mike and I see it, we snort with laughter.  It's because Mike has been depicted as almost completely bald.  It is hilarious.  Toby knows exactly what buttons to press now to get a rise out of us.  And he does it with a cute cheekiness that shows us he is stirring!  And sadly, my hair does look that wild right now.  Haircut time!

Mike got home eventually (he is flat out at work) and we ate together.  Then it was into the evening routine.  Just making sure things are ready for the next day.  Reading.  Chilling.  Toby had a bath and then I had one too.  Mike did his homework.

This morning's ride in was great - dry and anything.  Although someone said it is supposed to turn to custard.  Aidan's graduation parade is on today at midday.  If it isn't cancelled due to bad weather.  She'll walk in her regalia up Lambton Quay with the other PhD students.  Good on her - what an achievement.

Have a wonderful day.
Love,
Angela

The weekend that was so social that I need to recover

Hi,

I was so social at the weekend that I think my head is about to explode.  Hope no one talks to me at work.  Hahahahah.  I saw Aidan on Friday evening and she cooked tea and it was nice to catch up.  Toby was having a sleepover with them.  I left to collect Josh because he had been out having a few drinks with Mike and I dropped him home before going to find Mike at Cuckoo.  It was Luke's birthday celebration and I was keen.

And I jolly well enjoyed it. There were stacks of people I knew. I even contributed to group discussions. I hardly ever do that in a group setting. And Ange bought me a hot chocolate. Never knew pubs did them. And it was a good one. Slurp!

I drove Ange home because she lives quite close to us. Mike leaped out of the car to go out for more drinks when we stopped at some lights. He loves socialising. 

Mike eventually found his way home and we slept like logs to Saturday morning.  We had a fair bit on.  I had to go and collect the car from Petone Pitstop.  So Aidan dropped by and we showed her the new grass.  I took photos in the daylight.

Ooooo, yeah!

Grass!

Aidan and I headed to Petone and Go Bang for breakfast.  Aidan's choice of scrambled eggs with feta was inspired because it was scrumptious.  We left there and I got dropped at the mechanics and collected the car.  Popped into the second hand clothes shop and followed Aidan around while she selected clothes and tried them on.  She got a few.

Then back home and dropped off the tyre and collected Mike and over to the Tabors to collect Toby.  But we got waylaid.  Mike hadn't seen Aidan for ages and he was in the mood to catch up.  We overstayed our welcome as usual.  Eventually we hauled ourselves out of their way so they could actually achieve something for the weekend and home.

Mike went grocery shopping and I relayed messages to him.  Christine needed him for the fridge moving.  I needed the car he was driving.

When he got home I jumped in the car and collected Ange, then Dee then Gemma and we went to see Roller Derby at TSB Arena.  What a hoot!  Not a huge crown in attendance, so the atmosphere was a little lacking.  But it was a good way to pass the time on a Saturday evening.

Roller Derby!

I do have photos but for some reason they are not appearing linked to the blog like usual.  I'll paste them in later (done!).  Roller Derby, eh?  A good game is a fast game.  The players certainly go fast.  It looks tough.  But the 1 hour game took two hours.  There were medical delays and a long period where the entire team of officials debated the finer rules of the game.  But I enjoyed it.  I was completely mystified for at least an hour before the rules became clearer to me.  But I am still a little stumped by the finer aspects of the game.

We went out to Charley Noble afterwards to get some dinner.  They were swamped and the wait time was 90 minutes.  But the maitre d' rang around and got us in at Pravda.  And I love Pravda.  My chicken risotto was superb!  Ange went into raptures over her chocolate fondant pudding.  So, it was great fun.  I dropped everyone home and went home.

I found Tom having a sleepover when I got home and Mike was asleep but the boys weren't.  Hahahaha.  I sorted that out and then slept myself.

Next morning was Mothers Day.  Breakfast was the best!

Mothers Day breakfast in bed

 And then I lay in bed reading with the French doors open and the sun streaming in.  Mike took everyone tramping so I had the house to myself for a while.  I got out of bed and finally got the house looking vaguely clean and tidy and worked through the laundry mountain.

The view from bed

I rang Mum and she was having a good day and had some awesome dinner out planned.  I hope it was fun for her.

Christine came back at 1pm and had a cup of tea with me before leaving with Tom.  Then I finished housework and Mike got home after his longer tramp.  We pulled the pin on further socialising at Sally and Andrew's house in favour of actually getting ready for the working week.

My run this morning was such a good run!  I enjoyed it.  And my ride in was good too - but my dizzy thing came back on the way in.  At least I was at work before it was worse.  I loved the dry roads.  It's been a while since that happened!

Have a wonderful week.

Love,

Angela

The Thursday with dinner with Christine

Hi,

I rode home and collected Toby from the library.  The day had been full of slight frustrations.  I had a good drive to Petone and an even better ride in.  But Mike and Toby were intent on hammering home to me how much they need me in the mornings.  The first thing was a call from Mike at 8am saying Toby had forgotten his togs and we needed to drive to them school.  Interesting.

I had hooked his togs bag over his blazer so he had to take the togs bag off and put his blazer on, then step over the togs to get out the door.  Which, obviously, he did, because it's all about showing Mum how much she's needed.

So, Mike drove in and I went and grabbed the car at 9.30, popped the top down and drove over to Miramar.  Took an hour.  Nice weather.  Good music.  Not a bad interruption to the morning, I guess.

But at 3.30, Mike told me the cruncher.  He had forgotten lunch for Toby.  Aarrrgghhh!  Fortunately Emerson and Duncan shared their lunch with him.  But he was pretty hungry when I found him at the library.  Apparently he had told Mike he was so hungry he couldn't walk home.  Hahahah.  We walked to the dairy and bought a Mars Bar to get him through.  Worked a charm!

We collected Tom from Skids and Toby played in the playground at Wadestown school, reminiscing like a 60 year old about the "old days".  Then home to order burgers and wait for Christine and Mike.  We had a good old chat until I started yawning too much for anyone to ignore any longer.

This morning I drove the MX-5 to Petone and drove the Corolla back into town.  It look longer than on my bike yesterday!   Hahahah.

The weekend is looking good.  Mothers Day on Sunday.  I have put my order in for breakfast in bed.

And just for Sally - we have grass!  Our backyard looks amazing.  It was dark when I got home though.

Grass!

Toby and Tom and grass!

Have a lovely weekend.
Love,
Anela

The Wednesday with tramping club for me

Hi,

Mike's mother came to look after Toby and I stayed and worked.  Mike went to his tramping club committee meeting but had to come back to work.  I grabbed the car off him and took it back to tramping club for the presentation.  It was on Svalbard again - and other Arctic islands.  Such a good presentation.

This morning I drove out to Petone and dropped off the Corolla and had a great ride back into town.  The best fun in ages on my bike.

And it is lovely here today.  Hooray!

Have a wonderful day.
Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with nothing much

Hi,

I rode home for the first time in weeks and weeks yesterday.  It wasn't too bad at all.  Low gear though.  Hahahah.  I collected Toby and we went home.  Our car has been on the street since we got back from camping because all the camping gear is in the garage.  Including the rooftop box.  I'd had enough parking on the street.  I sent Toby in to start his homework and I tidied the garage.  Took out the MX-5 and the motorbike.  Shifted the rooftop box to its spot.  Put everything back.  Then hauled the camping gear up to the attic.  Sorted.  You can't actually get into the attic at the moment because the gear is stuffed up there.  But, the goal was to park the car in the garage, and that was achieved.  I'm all about results!  Processes are all very well, but if they aren't working, they drive me insane.  And obviously the "process" for getting the gear put away neatly had failed.  Right?

Mike came home soon enough (well, he had no money for a bus ticket and was looking at a walk home, so I drove down to get him, and collected Juliette too).  We did homework with Toby and ate tea.  Mike raked the gravel into the retaining wall (apparently the "green team" is coming today.  We might have lawn by the time I get home tonight.

Mike and I have tramping club on.  There is a talk about other Arctic islands from the same woman that talked about Svalbard.  Ooooohhhh.  And Mike has tramping club committee beforehand too.  Mike's mother is going to pop in to look out for Toby.

Have a fantastic day!
Love,
Angela

The Monday at work that I managed to get through

Hi,

Hahahah - it was okay actually - not too hard a first day back.  Bound to rev up for the rest of the week, I'm sure.  I did catch up with Aidan for lunch.  I heard all about her holiday with her parents over.  She wishes her mother had come over for as long as her stepfather did.  But she has work commitments.  It'd be nice if they could retire here though.  As well as my parents!  Aidan had to endure my photos and non-stop talking.  She was stoic about it.

It started lashing down rain around 4.30pm so Mike came in to collect me in the car.  Toby had a day off school so Mike worked from home.  This morning's ride in was a bit hairy as the severe galeforce winds are making their presence felt.

Right.  Time for a tea and then into it!

Have a marvellous day!
Love,
Angela

The Monday back at work after Golden Bay and Sunshine Coast

Hi,

Yes - it is a shock to my system.  But even more of a shock to Toby's.  Mike just called and Toby is having a day off school.  Apparently he didn't sleep very well last night.

The holiday was wonderful - from the week camping in Golden Bay to the week lounging around on the Sunshine Coast.  I will write up a blog about it for you.

But for now, I had a great day back in Wellington.  I did have to put my jersey on.  And I did have to put the heater on briefly yesterday.  I watched Mike as he tidied up and then listened to some music and did the ironing.  I went out for family dinner at Sally and Andrew's place.  It was great to catch up with everyone.

My hair has finally got out of control.  I can tell when I put my helmet on and it curls all around the edges and looks like I am possessed!  Time to book a haircut.

Have a lovely week!
Love,
Angela