The Tuesday with Smudge handover

Hi,

After a crazy day at work (two iced lattes) I got to the gym and rode home not too much later.  Mike got home and ate tea and then headed out for his tramping meeting.

Mojos on Lambton this time - still a good iced latte

Vivienne popped in after her dog training evening and we chatted away for a while to catch up on news.  She is going to look after Smudge Fri - Mon while we are away.  Smudge will guard the house for us.

Sounds like Toby has made it to Mum's house.  I saw a photo in Facebook of the girls fast asleep somewhere around Caboolture.  That wasn't far away!  Bet they are loving the pool.

Got a busy day today.  Mike and I walked in, which was nice for a change.  The weather is changing and looks fairly threatening.  But it is warm.  I walked in wearing a t shirt and shorts.

Right.  I need a cup of tea.  Have an awesome day!

Love,
Angela

The Monday where Toby takes a road trip

Hi,

I have it on good authority that Toby is on a mega road trip with Karen, Scott, Tyler and Abby.  He loves road trips so I hope he's having a lot of fun.  I saw pics on Facebook of him swimming at a beach.  Woot!

Meanwhile, we are having two good days of summer weather, but Mike tells me it is to end on Wednesday with a weather bomb and gales and rain and low overnight temperatures.  Oh, goody.

I went to the gym and also rode home for the first time in 2017.  Yay.  My back disc brake seems to be rubbing, so it seems likely I am riding with the brakes on a little.  Hahah.  Surely that is the only reason it was a hard slog up the hill and not that it was my first time in a month.

Mike talked to the builder for a bit and then I cooked tea.  Lamb salad.  Mmmm.  With roasted kumara, capsicum and red onion and feta on top.  I also crushed some tamari almonds in as I had no pine nuts.  Mike thought it was scrumptious.  Which is good, really, because it wasn't like I had a lot of choice about what to cook.  Not much in the vege crisper bin in the fridge.

Mike went through the freezer and threw out old stuff.  What was the oldest thing you found, Mike?  Best before 2013?

Anyway - I now have to use up frozen stir fry veges.  Blleeeuuucccchhhh!

Must be time for a cup of tea.  Have a great day!

Love,
Angela

The weekend with no Toby

Hi,

Ok - I am really missing Toby quite a lot now.  I think it is probably a good thing that he isn't texting or ringing - he must be rather happy on his summer holiday still.  Today they all leave and drive to Queensland.  Well, maybe not quite all the way today.  Toby loves road trips so this should satisfy him.

Mike and I got up early on Saturday and headed past the Catchpool entrance to the coast to go on a meetup walk through the Baring Head area.  The GWRC did a fine job taking us through there.  We learned about the history of the place and what they want to achieve over the next few years.

Feet looking back at Wellington

Baring Head lighthouse - automated in 1987

Walking back towards the car

A person cattle stop

Old pumping house

The walk was only 3 hours long, and a slow pace.  But that was a good test for my Achilles.  It held up well.  We met a bunch of people that Mike knows from Meetup and I chatted to a woman called Pip.  She had met Toby at Kaitoke at the start of December and remembered the bacon a stick fun over the campfire.

Mike and I sat at Catchpool next to the wee river and ate our lunch before heading back into town to buy new running shoes for me and new work shoes for Mike.  Jem at Show Clinic got me on the treadmill and apparently I have a good running style.  Yay for that.  Sheer fluke.  My new shoes will hopefully help with the Achilles situation.

Mike and I had date night in the evening.  We went to Capitol (a favourite of mine) and I had corn fritter with whitebait and Mike had steak.  We shared the decadent, yummy chocolate fondant pudding.

Off to see Passengers next door and Mike and I both loved it.  A good date movie on Toby's recommendation.  Basically a romance on a spaceship.  A cool special effects.  Mike loved the opening sequence of the ship hurtling through space.

Next day Mike had a lot of messages and some work to get through.  he took a wee load of stuff to the tip.  I went to Five Burroughs and met Christine and Tom for brunch.  Mmmmm.  It was a good catch up with them both.

Astonishment at my iced coffee at Five Burroughs

I caught the bus back home and got through the mountain of ironing before Mike got home.  Then we were off to visit Sally for tea.  Andrew got back from his tramp and we all ate yummy naked burgers.  That seems to be meat patties without bread.  Tasty.

Back home and I stupidly read until late and now I am a little tired.  Oh well.  Mike didn't sleep that well either so we're a little zombie like here.

We have Friday off (and Monday for Wellington Anniversary weekend) so we're off to Sunshine Coast to collect Toby and bring him back to the crazy Wellington summer.  It was almost like winter over the weekend.  I hope he's getting his Vitamin D fix in Australia.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Angela

The Thursday with drinks after work

Hi,

I did get an iced latte in at Mojos on The Terrace - that is by far my favourite iced coffee at the moment.

Iced latte at Mojos - it's the bomb

Busy day at work and then I managed to squash in a session at the gym before heading out for a catch up with Ange, Steph, Bronwyn and Mike.  Good fun!

Ubered home and crashed into bed,

Yay it's Friday.  Woot.  Mike has mates coming around to the house after work.  Tomorrow we're up early for a day walk around Baring Head.  Then I want to buy new running shoes - my current ones are rather old now and possibly contributing to my sore Achilles.  You never know!

We also have a dinner and movie date night on Saturday night.  Mike wants to take me to see Passengers on the back of Toby's recommendation.  Woot!  Sounds good.

And Sunday is the day to get the car ready for selling.  That will be a sad day.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with a lovely dinner

Hi,

Ok - I went for a walk with Mary at lunchtime and we grabbed an iced coffee.  It wasn't until later I realised the huge amount of wind in the capital made me look very windswept and interesting.  Guess I should be pleased the owners of the cafe deigned to serve me at all.  Hahah

Chalk's iced coffee - a solid 6

After work Mike and I headed to Saman's house.  We met wee Minty - she is so cute!  And such a good wee girl (born in November!).  We also got fed a huge dinner that was really yummy.  And Iranian tea.  We were so well looked after that it was really late by the time we left.  As Mike and I drove away, we were very appreciative of the hospitality Saman's family showed us.

We did a tour of the earthquake condemned buildings on the way home.  The cinema in Lower Hutt attached to Queensgate.  Then the carpark attached to the Reading cinema in town.  And finally the building on Molesworth.  By the time we got home, it was really late.  Then Mike played with the cat  a bit.

Anyway, my sleep was far too short.  I need to find some time to get more sleeping hours in.

Have a fantastic day today!  Stay out of the wind if you're in Wellington.  It's a blustery old day here.

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with more work

Hi,

I had to share the photo of Mike with a luxurious beard before he shaved it all off.  That's from Dec 19th to Jan 8th (or thereabouts).  I thought he looked quite dashing.  But off it all came.

Side profile of the beard

I have a dental appointment today because I chipped my front tooth on a nectarine stone yesterday.  It's all rough at the bottom now and catching my bottom inside lip.  I have had it done before so I hope it will be a fairly quick fix this afternoon and stay in place for another few years.

This evening Mike and I are off to visit a colleague and his family.  They had a wee girl in November so it'll be great to see them all.  And we need to collect the tyres for the new car (it came with two new tyres but we haven't collected them as yet).

Woot!  The day is slightly cool here, but mostly sunny.  I'll try and get a walk in at lunch time today.

Missing wee Toby.  I hope he's having fun in Sydney with his cousins.  And I hope he enjoys the warm weather before we bring him back to Wellington.  Hahah.

Have a great day!

Love,
Angela

The Monday back at work after Christmas

Hi,

Yep - I know you're expecting a blog about Christmas.  I didn't make any notes at all while I was on holiday so I have to try and remember it.  It might take me a few days.

Anyway, yesterday was the first day back at work after three weeks off.  Very wonderful break.  Christmas was incredible - I have missed Christmases with my family.  But when you choose to live elsewhere, it is just something you have to get used to.  And Mike's family certainly makes me feel welcome.

We also went tramping - the Whangapeka track in Kahurangi National Park.  Awesome - but such a tough walk for me.  And we went sea kayaking in the Abel Tasman National Park.

Marlborough Sounds looking fine

Only iced coffee we could find on Saturday morning in Nelson

About to go for a (quick) swim

Happy feet

Beach stop

Too stunning

Getting ready

That's blood in the bottom of my right boot

There are some photos to show you I really did go away tramping.  I hardly took any, so I might ask Andrew and Mike to send me some for my blog.

Anyway, yesterday was hard work.  I did get to the gym for my first 2017 session.  Yay!  More today hopefully.  Mike is in Auckland for the day today - back on a late flight tonight.

Right.  Time for a cup of tea and getting my work life sorted.

Hope your holiday break was as much fun as mine!

Love,
Angela