The weekend with lots of little things on

Hi,

What a weird weekend of activities.  Eclectic mix.  Friday night was Toby's school dance night.  Ange dropped Mike home after work and Toby got ready.  We dropped him at Queen Margaret's college and we went to a great Italian restaurant for dinner.

Dinner Friday night

 We were just having dessert when I texted Sally about my creme brulee.  It was cappuccino flavoured and made to look like one.  Heaven.  And I haven't had one since Strasbourg over 15 years ago.  So I texted Sally and she asked us to order mains for her and Andrew and they came and joined us.  Woot!

Collected Toby from his dance, dropped him and Mike home then drove Sally and Andrew home.  Sang all the way back!

Next morning we were up for the Wellington College open day.  Guess who I bumped into while I was there?  Mike and Adam!  Awesome.

Mike and Adam at Wellington College

We came home and had family discussions about high schools.  Wellington High gets the nod.  Then Mike popped out for groceries.  When he got back, I made enchiladas for the potluck dinner at Serge's house.  We went via the Tabor house.

Mike encouraged them to get the cocktails out.  Josh was shaking up a storm.  They all tasted like absolute rubbish and I was amazing at the ability for them all to keep a straight face while they tipped essentially poison down their throats.  But, who knows?  Different people like different things.  At least they had cranberry juice and I was very happy.

Mike was ensconced for the evening so I left with the enchiladas and went to Serge's house.  What a great party.  Woot!  Food galore.  Great.  Chatted away to people.  SingStar arrived but by then I had to leave to drag Mike away from people that wanted to go to sleep.  Well, actually, it was 10pm by the time I left with Mike and Toby.  I was impressed at the fortitude of certain people.  Not me.  I was asleep on the couch.

Next morning I was up for brunch with Ange and Roanne at Maranui.  Some miscommunication meant Roanne thought we were due there at 10.30am.  Oops.  But she had an awesome table.

Iced coffee at Maranui

Here we all are at Maranui

Back home and the boys wanted to do some walks to visit the miniature huts around Wellington.  There used to be a lot, and now there is only 4.

Through the bush in Te Aro valley

Crystal Hut

Aoraki Biv in Brooklyn

Mike proves he still can cross his legs

Inside and out

Robin Hut at Red Rocks

Knees!

Icebreaker

The one on Matiu/Somes counts as the 4th one.  And I saw that a few weeks back,  Yay!  Got the set.

Back home to iron while Mike ran.  Then we swapped and he ironed while I ran.  Great fun!  Then tea, homework and bed.  Although Mike and Toby watched a movie together.  It was a good movie by the looks, but my book absorbed me and eventually sleep claimed me.

This morning's ride in was cold.  I escaped the driving rain - just!  It was lashing against the window before I left, and then nothing on my ride in.

Snowy day forecast in the hills.

Have a wonderful week ahead.

Michelle has her birthday at the end of this week.  And then Ma next week.  Crazy June birthdays.

Love,
Angela

The Thursday with Onslow College open day

Hi,

Well, there was quite a bit of frantic logistics yesterday.  Toby went to swimming and left his lunch behind at school.  So Mike bought him lunch and drove it to him at the pool.  Wow - what a dad!  At the other end of the day I was going home by taxi and grabbing the other car and driving out to Scots to collect Toby for the Onslow open day starting at 5pm.  We were going to be late and Mike was going straight there from his work.  But, Toby came home via the school bus and I caught a normal bus to the library and from there we went to Onslow.

Mike and I found Onslow to be a bit average, really.  Nothing stood out on the evening that made us sit up and take notice.  However, Toby seemed to love it.

Back home for some homework and reading before bed.  I woke up at 5am for my run, to hear pouring rain and high winds.  I rolled over and went back to sleep for thirty minutes.  Hahah.  I also decided to catch the bus at 7am, that's how yucky it still was.  The good thing was though - I bumped into Sally running over the road to get her coffee.  Yay!  Bonus!

The weekend looms.  Mike and Toby are off tramping to Powell Hut.  I am going to the Wellington College Open Day tomorrow morning.  Then frantic housework before a pot luck dinner at Serge's place on Saturday night.  I have booked in brunch with Ange for Sunday morning.  Mmmmm.  Brunch!  Better fit running and ironing in there too.  And a cup of tea with Sally and Andrew sounds like a grand idea for the Sunday afternoon.

Right.  Time to kickstart the day.  Enjoy your weekend.

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday and Wednesday with Mike's birthday

Hi,

Tuesday was Mike's birthday but we both had work commitments which meant his birthday passed us by in the usual blur.  He went out for drinks with some colleagues after work and I popped into collect him, and meant I did chat to him and some colleagues before I could prise him out of the pub.  But we did have a wonderful day off work together on Wednesday to celebrate his birthday.

I took the bus into town super early as I had a work breakfast meeting I couldn't miss.  Mike dropped Toby off at school then collected me.  We went to Oriental Bay and visited Beach Babylon cafe.  Mmmm.  I ate a second breakfast,

Great cafe - I'm coming back

Their iced coffee was good

I had the famous rosti eggs Benedict.  It was so good.  Eggs done perfectly.  The iced coffee was good.  I'd give it a 8.5.  It would be perfect on a hot summers' day.

Selfie where Mike looks like a male model

They are fixing the beach!

The council is fixing the beach at Oriental Bay.  They are trucking loads of sand in.  Wow!  We walked back from Babylon to Thrifty Car Rentals to check tyres.  Weird.  Then back to the car and we went home to get a few things before driving to Eastbourne for a coffee.

Boat sheds

Eastbourne feet

Eatbourne was stunning

From Eastbourne, Mike had a meeting, so I drove to the south coast while he attended his meeting on the phone.  We watched surf rolling in - it was beautiful.

South coast now - watching surf

 Then we collected Toby, Emerson and Duncan from school.  While I waited, I noticed this wee tree had managed to get a foothold in the mortar in-between the bricks.    It really showed how hard your life could be.  This wee plant is never going to grow big and strong.  Poor wee thing.

A plant showing how hard life could be

The boys did their homework while I went grocery shopping.  I came home and cooked up spaghetti Bolognese for them.  They are such appreciative boys - they can come to tea at our place anytime they want.  So polite.  Aidan came to collect them around 6.30 and then Mike and I waited for Benjamin and then went out to see Mad Max.

The film was non-stop.  Mike loved it.  Good!  I found it wasn't my cup of tea.

Busy day today.  Another open day - this time at Onslow.  6pm we have to be there.

Have a wonderful day.

Love,
Angela

The Monday with a visit to Wellington High School

Hi,

Woot!  Today (Tuesday) is Mike's birthday!  He's a birthday boy today!  He has his birthday present and he has used it in anger already.  Yes, Toby and I got him a treadmill.  Tonight as a birthday celebration, he will run for 30 minutes before earning a bath with the woman of his choice.  Me!  Hahahah!  Lucky man.

Tomorrow we have annual leave together to celebrate his birthday.  We couldn't do it today as we both have a work meeting we can't miss.  Work nerds.  I can't wait!  Although I have got a work meeting tomorrow morning from 7.30 - 9am.  Oh dear.  But at least I'll be up.

Last night we rushed home and ate the fastest tea in the world (leftovers) and headed in to Wellington High School for their Open evening.  We had a great time.  Toby loved the school.  It is now the frontrunner.  Better enter his name down,, I think.

Went for my first run outside in two weeks and my calf was absolutely fine.  Yay!  So happy.  Such a nice morning.  Clear skies and no wind at all.  Freezing cold though.

I left the boys in a state of undress and wandered up to the garage to ride to work.  Nice ride in.  Double layer gloves worked a treat.

Have a fantastic day.  Especially if your name is Mike,

Love,
Angela

View outside my work from my desk.  It looks better than that in real life.

The weekend with Mike away on Survival Night! Oooooo

Hi,

Well, Friday night went as normal.  Watching a movie.  That sort of thing.  And Saturday morning Mike was up early to get ready for Survival Night.  It's a bunch of people from work and an excuse to get together and eat meat and drink - but in the bush instead of the local pub.  Well, that's what I can make of it.  Early translated to more Internet reading time.  So, in fact, it was Toby's haircut at 9am that got us out of the house in a timely fashion.

Iced coffee at Mojo on the waterfront

I think Toby was feeling cold after his haircut because his hoodie went on.  From there we went to see the new Bluebridge ferry.  They had an open day.  It was great fun.  I got to go on the bridge!  Woot!

Smile, Toby!

Stunning weather

Open day on the new Bluebridge ferry

Game of "keep the balloon off the floor - and roof" with the helium balloon from the ferry

Mike left at around the same time as Toby and my movie, so we dropped him off at 12.20 at the train station and we went to see Jurassic World.  Great fun!  Toby said it was a 9.5 out of 10.  Wow.  I thought it was ok.  I quite like Chris Pratt.

Sunset

Love walking around in barefeet when I've cleaned.  You don't pick up bits of rubbish on your soles.

Back home to relax.  Toby and I watched Tin Tin the movie in bed.  And slept like a log.

Sunday was quiet.  I moved furniture around in Toby's room and went for a run.  What else?  Luxing.  The usual.  Laundry.  Mike got home around lunchtime and I did ironing while he went for a run and I watched David Attenborough.  Great way to spend your ironing.

Homework in the afternoon/evening and Mike cooked a yummy tea with his survival rations that he brought back from the wilderness.

Bit of a damp ride in this morning.  Brrrrr.  Southerly has kicked in.  Not as cold as Dunedin today though.  Bit of snow there, I hear.

Have a wonderful week,

Love,
Angela

The Thursday with Toby sick

Hi,

I worked from home yesterday with Toby.  He's got a cough that is hurting his chest and a sore throat.  Seems to be a bit of it going around.  But he made headway into homework.  Might need to do some over the weekend though.

Evening was lovely

After the wild and chaotic weather on Wednesday, Thursday with its normal gusty conditions was heavenly in comparison.  Hahah.  And the evening was stunning.  My ride home was very pleasant really.

Mike got home early from Auckland and we assembled his birthday present in Toby's room (it is the biggest room!).  This is an American product and the assembly was nothing like all the Swedish things we have built over the years.  It was different - yet those Americans have got it sorted too.  But they have solved the problem by making it almost foolproof.  Blister packed labeled screws and washer. Stickers everywhere.  Disclaimers on every step.  In bold.  In CAPS.  In BOLD CAPS.

Mike's birthday present arrived and took us 90 minutes to assemble

Toby testing it out

Mike says "Let's make it go faster"

Toby becomes a blur!

The boys tested out the treadmill and declared it a winner.  Woot!  I have done well.

Went to bed and slept the sleep of the dead.

Weekend looks quiet.  Haircuts.  Mike is away tramping.

Have a great weekend.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with Toby sick

Hi,

I was interviewing someone when my phone starting ringing (on silent mode).  I closed the call off to concentrate on my meeting but the same number rang back almost immediately.  Weird, I thought, as I closed the call again.  But then I worried that someone really needed me.  However, they never rang back.

But, it turns out that Mike was then called by Toby's school and Mike had to drive over to get him.  Far better anyway, as I had come in by bus.  It would have taken me ages.

So, today (Thursday) I am working from home and Toby is in bed.  He has a cough back. I hope it goes away far faster than his last coughing bout.

The weather yesterday was so wild - lots of wind and I think it rained as well.  But this morning is far nicer.  Not perfection, but nicer.

Morning in Wellington

Nurse was cavalier in his approach to his job - from boredom judging by his actions

I did get a blood test after my doctor visit.  For a cholesterol check.  Turns out I have never had one and it is entirely possible my arteries are completely clogged given genetic history.  Let's see, eh?  I might be facing a lifetime without cheese soon.  Jeepers.  Better eat loads today, just in case.  :-p

Gee.  My arms are pretty good to look at.  Maybe I've been neglecting them in favour of my feet all these years, when it could have been my arms that got all the glory.  Hahahah!  Nah - my feet still have it!

Have a great day!

Love,
Angela