The Wednesday with Christine's birthday dinner

Hi,

Hahahahah - when I have something to look forward to like dinner out with friends, it makes the day crawl along.  So, work yesterday took three days to finish.  Phew!  :-p

I did get out with Steph for an iced coffee, and we achieved a few things in our meeting.  So, all was not lost.  The quiz session with Ange is best left unmentioned.  Obviously we're not paying attention to current events at all.

Colonial iced coffee with Steph

Anyhow, I finally made it through the day and rode home.  I left Toby's specially bought sushi in the fridge at work and only remembered halfway up the hill.  I did contemplate riding back too work for it - but only briefly.  My mind computed the evening and I saw a chance to drive back and get it, take it home and then drive back for dinner.  So I kept riding home, a little annoyed with myself.

 When I got home, Toby informed me he had eaten McDonalds so I didn't need to drive back to work and get hias sushi.  So I thought I'd get it on my way home from dinner.  Drop in at work and pick it up, along with my running gear.

So, I got changed and left to collect Christine from her house.  Aidan was already at Avida and had secured a table.  We got there just after 6.15pm and caught up.  Chatted away about the Olympics (turns out Aidan had no idea what curling was all about) and hip concerns in the past that made Aidan feel faint, and stints in the army (not me - and not Aidan!).  Loads of things, really.  It was fun to listen to the chatting.

I dropped Christine off home and popped into work.  Not!  Turns out I left my swipe card at home.  So I went to the supermarket and bought a few crucial groceries (like milk!) and then drove home.  Got my swipe card and left the groceries with Mike and went into town to get my running gear and sushi.

Toby was already in bed when I got home (or the bath - but almost bed) so he now has the sushi in his lunchbox today.  I hope he likes it.

Slept well.  Woke to a howling wind.  The ride into work was only scary once - so not that bad. It is supposed to worsen during the afternoon - probably about when I ride home.

Ok.  Time to have a cup of tea.

Enjoy your day!

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with a Nepal presentation

Hi,

Well, I am conscious of the fact that this blog has not yet published the Nepal adventure from last year.  It is almost ready to go - just needs some editing now.  Honest!  But, before you get to read about it, it appears that I get to tell people about it.  Mike had double booked himself for the Nepal presentation to I stupidly said I'[d do it to help him out.  And then he said he hadn't double booked at all (merely had the wrong night listed) but asked if I would still do the talk.

Fortunately Phillipa said she'd talk with me.  And despite not seeing the slides until I showed them during the talk itself, Phillipa did an admirable job selling the Nepal trip to the prospective punters in the room.  Bharat and Issy came to listen, as did some of Mike's mates from his previous Nepal trip.

I chose lots of selfies of Toby for the slides.  He had his own camera and it was a great decision to let him have one.  He took photos of different things to us.  It was good to see it through his eyes.

Mike and Toby on the trek

Toby and me in Kathmandu

Toby selfie

Happy Toby

Hot Toby

Fish Tail

Cool Toby

Cute Toby

Cheeky Toby

Anyway - we ubered home and it was uneventful.  Best uber ever.  No crashing red lights or breath testing.

I slept the sleep of the dead.  Couldn't even wake up for a run this morning.  My body is in denial.  It needs sleep, I think.

Right.  Time for a tea.

Have a wonderful day.  I think I am going out for tea with Christine and Aidan to celebrate Christine's birthday.  After work, today.  Perhaps.

Love,
Angela

The Monday that kept going and going

Hi,

Even from this distance on Tuesday morning, my Monday seemed to take two days to finish.  What's with that?

Let's see?  What happened?

Well, work was busy.  But I did get away into the secret garden (which isn't really very secret - just quiet) for my lunch.  Just a chill out in the sunshine.

It was such a warm day.  Phew!

I rode home and got tea ready for Toby before heading off to his school for an information session.  Trouble is, I read the gumpf on the chair before it started and understood it all completely.  If only they'd handed out that gumpf before, we wouldn't have needed this session.  Did I make up a word?  Gumpf?

Anyhow.  I sat through the presentation and it was good.  Backed up the gumpf nicely.  I headed home and Mike eventually got on his flight from AKL to WLG.  After delays.  He wasn't overly happy.

He finally got home around 10pm.  I was pretty sleepy by then.  But he dropped off Christine's birthday present on her birthday - and that counted for a lot for me.  Thanks Mike.

Leanne (Matt's partner) posted a photo of me jumping into the harbour.  There is it, below!  Evidence.

Me jumping into the harbour - courtesy of Leanne

After work today I am presenting a talk on Nepal for the Meetup group with Philippa.  To get some punters for September for Bharat's trip.  Mike and Toby will come with me to Southern Cross.  7pm.

Ok.  I need a huge drink of water and then a cup of tea.

Have an great day!

Love,
Angela

The weekend with dragon boating

Hi,

Well, it turns out that dragon boating race day is so much fun that it gives me a reason to look forward to next summer.  I loved it so much.

Friday night Isaac arrived for his weekend stay.  I was busy getting my gear ready for the race day the next day.

Up early Saturday and Mike dropped me off at Macs Brewery where our tent was out on the concrete in front.  We were all very excited about the big day.  The day was mostly clear, and warm enough.  But a big swell meant Celia had her work cut out for her with the trim of the boat.  The organisers had their hands full with seven capsizes during the day.  They reduced boats to 16 paddlers for one race (I missed out) and then rest of the day it was 18 paddlers.  Celia was re-jigging the boat constantly.  She did well.  We never capsized!

Sunning between heats

My singlet

Lining up for a race

Jumping into the harbour fun!

After our last heat, a few of us jumped into the harbour.  That's me, climbing out up the ladder.  My ears are full of water now though.  it was quite high - and I only jumped from the first position.

We came third, two seconds and a first in our heats.  Made it to the grand final.  Capsizes meant we were delayed a fair bit for our race.

The big race was such fun.  I was very excited.  We did our fastest time on the day in the final.  As it should be.  But we came fifth - but only by half a boat length from the second place finishers.  It was a tight final.  Results are here:  Results

Toby had a party organised so I had to head home.  I was looking ta a walk with my huge bag, but Mike got a hold of Aidan and she kindly came and collected me from the waterfront and drove me home.  I'm a lucky woman because by that stage my sports bag was feeling pretty heavy.  It might not have been super comfortable by the time I walked home.  Thanks Aidan.

There were 9 13 year old boys in Toby's room.  We gave them pizzas and chips and they watched stupid schlock horror movies.

Next morning I was up early to go grocery shopping to get them some breakfast.  Then off to archery with Ange!  First time shooting for me for about 6 weeks.  I had such fun.

Caffiend iced coffee after archery

I did ok for my first time back for ages

Back home and Mike had a neighbours BBQ at our place.  We chatted for a while to Brendan and then Arthur and Barbara.  I then took Isaac home and popped in to see Ange for a cup of tea.

The day disappeared in a blur, really.  But I am free of dragon boat commitments, and triathlons.  Time to start training for Round Taupo.

Good morning Wellington!

This morning I took the bus into work with Toby. Mike has every second Monday in Auckland and left for the airport super early this morning.

I have a school information meeting tonight.  And it's Christine's birthday today - so I hope to pop in to see her.

Have a wonderful week ahead.

Love,
Angela

The Thursday with dragon boating

Hi,

Happy birthday to Mike's mother for tomorrow.  Yay!

Well, it was our last training session last night before our big day on Saturday.  Work was busy and I stayed back a bit to get some extra stuff done.  Before I knew it, it was time to wander down to the lagoon.  The sea was a little choppy but it was warm enough for me to just wear my singlet.

Mike and Toby collected me from training and I picked up my bike and we went home.  I was cold in my wet gear by then so the boys endured the heater on in the car just for me.

At home I tidied a bit before standing in a hot shower for ages.  Turns out that perhaps I had got chilled quite a bit.  Tomorrow is supposed to be fairly warm.  22C.  So I'll need to slather on the sunscreen.

Sunrise this morning

Josh came and collected Lulu just after 9pm.  So the house was a lot quieter without her in it.  We enjoyed looking after her.  The house needs a good lux now though.

Off to bed and I slept really well.  Woke up at 1am and changed my alarm to a later sleep in instead of a run.  Hahah.

But my ride in this morning was lovely.  The boys seemed to be stuck to their beds so I hope they did manage to get up eventually.

The weekend looms and it is a big day tomorrow for the dragon boat race day.  Huge!  Hopefully it all works really well for us.  We start at 9.10am for our first race and if we get into the big final, it's a 4.40pm last race for us.

Toby is having a party for no reason other than he wants to.  Some mates are coming around for some scary movies.  I think it's a Halloween theme.  Starts Saturday night, although Isaac is coming tonight for the entire weekend.

Sunday we have nothing on - although Toby's party is an all night thing, so there might be some morning effort needed.

Right.  Time to start the day.

Have a great weekend.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with nothing much

Hi,

Well, work was work.  Normal stuff - nothing too crazy about it.  I enjoyed my ride home though.  The weather has been settled the last few days after some slightly less pleasant weather.  I got home and Toby had already walked Lulu.  I meant to make tea, but I got distracted by the Sky and telescope magazine that had arrived in the post.

Mike arrived to catch me still reading on the couch.  But we swapped places and I cooked tea while he read about the two faces of the Moon.  We ate tea and I am unsure where the evening went but I was fast asleep fairly early.  my Fitbit says I had 9 hours sleep.  It exaggerates.  But it was a good sleep.  Lulu seems to have switched to our sleeping patterns a bit more now.  Not Josh's early morning routine!

My ride into work was beautiful today.  I was so close to crashing as I craned my neck to catch a glimpse on every twist and turn on the ride down the hill.  Wondering if the next glimpse was a better view than the last.

The harbour this morning on my ride into work

But I made it to work in one piece.  Yay!

I popped into Facebook and I normally ignore all the new stuff they show me.  Well, maybe I did noticed the announcement on Tuesday that it was autumn.  I do love autumn after all.  But this morning I did see that today I have been friends with Aidan for 6 years on Facebook.  It has been a bit longer than that in real life.  8 years last month.  Even if social media says otherwise.  Hahahah.

Happy this occurred!  Well worth celebrating.

The results are out for the Kapiti Women's Triathlon and I came in the top 10 of cycle ride times. KWT  Ok - most of the other women also had to swim before they got on their bike.  So it isn't quite as impressive as it seems.  Our team (me and Phillipa) came in 4th in our category.  Not too shabby at all!  But if I train a bit for next year, I might be able to do better overall with a better run time.  That seems like a good goal!  Plus the Round Taupo!  Ooossshhh!

Wadestown hit the news yesterday:  School pick up didn't go to plan
 That would be a huge shock!  Hope everyone was ok.

Right.  Time for the day to kick off in earnest.  Enjoy your day.

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with dragon boating training

Hi,

What a long, busy day yesterday.  Started super early.  Lulu woke us up at some crazy hour.  Then I rode into work really early and had breakfast with Steph and Bronwyn at the Colonial.  Mmmmm.  Bacon butty and iced coffee.

Colonial iced coffee goodness

From there, it was just madness.  A new starter in the team meant lots of talking from me through the day in various meetings or other.

Finally I left and rode home.  Cooked tea for everyone, but I left before Mike got home.  Back to work to get my dragon boating kit and then down to the harbour.  The wind was a southerly and it was cold waiting for a boat.  But the water itself was so warm.  Lovely out there.  Mike came down to see us off.

Then back home and I think I crashed into bed.  Lulu only woke us up once I think.  And then again early this morning - but so did Toby.  Hahah.

Toby enjoys walking Lulu.  He walks her twice a day - first thing and when he gets home from school.

I watched her hunt and eat two cicadas yesterday.  She's funny.

I must tell Karen about seeing a wee cavoodle.  Toby and I were leaving his appointment on Monday when a man left carrying a dog in a wee wire cage.  Toby asked him if it was a cavoodle and the man was astonished.  Said Toby really knew his dogs and he was the first person to guess the right sort of dog.  He looked a lot like York!

Right.  Time to start the day.  Have a wonderful day.

Love,
Angela