The Monday back at work

Hi,

What a weird day yesterday.  We had to get home early to talk to the landscaper about the garden.  I managed to get some work done after that before I cooked tea.

Salad....

Lemon chicken on kumara

Mike headed back to work to get some more stuff finished.  I was well and truly asleep by the time he got back.  Dinner was yummy - lemon chicken on roasted kumara.  And I made my own salad - not the carrot slaw they were after.

On the bus this morning - with Mike.  I can't believe he made the early bus.  He only got out of bed at 6.45am!  The bus leaves at 7am!  Hahahah.  He is so impressive.

It was still and foggy this morning.  It is supposed to turn to worms about the time we head home.  Glad Toby is tucked up at home for it.

Anyway, a lovely cup of tea will make everything like unicorns and rainbows.

Enjoy your day!

Love,
Angela

The weekend in PN

Hi,

What a great weekend, even if it didn't quite go to plan.  I headed away from work around 4.30pm and managed to negotiate the traffic out of Wellington for a Friday evening without too much hassle.  I was in Palmerston North by 7:05pm.  Without stopping for anything.  Just the usual traffic snarls.

Chatted to Iona and ate roast veges with her.  They have a surfeit of cauli this winter in their vege patch.  It's not bad once roasted.  Managed to get the photos off Col's phone from the Nelson trip and onto a laptop.  Yay for knowing when to run an executable to get the drivers sorted so the laptop can see the phone.

A sore back (like, really sore) for Iona meant a bike ride wasn't looking too likely.  Mind you, my slight cold was feeling like it was about to peak and really, a day lazing about was probably a good idea.

Smudge this morning

Fell in love with this wee dog called Ruby

Iced coffee at some cafe attached to a homeware shop

Walk!

This amused me

Moxies iced coffee

Saturday morning saw Iona and I at Moxies to meet Carrie and Ed for brekkie while Col met her family to celebrate her nephew's 14th birthday!  Yay for birthdays.

From there we went back home to cook tea for the pot luck dinner.  Well, Iona cooked it.  We also went for a walk with Frida and explored some river bank.  Palmerston North is a little rabbit warren like for me.  No idea where I was really.

View!

Better view?  Hahahah.

After another cafe session to see the unveiling of some artwork Fleur did for some friends, we headed back home to collect the dinner and then drove to Whanganui to visit some friends to watch the rugby.  Dianne and Chris.  Shelly and Kate were there too.  The company was very welcoming and the food was superb - but I have to say I was completely taken by their wee dog, Ruby.  She is a West Highland terrier crossed with a poodle (maybe a miniature poodle by the size of her).  Soooooo cute!

I may have taken many photos of her.  But she was mostly a blur of fur.

The rugby was so exciting.  But anti climatic in the end as a draw on the night meant the series was a draw.  Good for rugby.

Drove back and may have got distracted by Wimbledon on the TV until the wee hours.  Up too early really.  But got those good oaty pancakes for brekkie.  Mmmmm.

Another walk before work called and I managed to get Iona's laptop into my work email and got the info needed to help the issue.  Then drove back to Wellington.  Got caught up in some traffic in the usual spots.  Coming into Porirua was like driving into the apocalypse.  Dark clouds that burst with rain as I got closer.

Off to the Mexican place next to the Roxy to meet Josh and the boys for tea before the new Spider-Man movie.  Woot!  Good fun.

It's school holidays and Toby is a happy camper.  He will no doubt enjoy the time off.

Have a great week ahead!  Thanks for my weekend!

Love,
Angela

The Thursday with a quiz

Hi,

The day disappeared in a whirlwind of activity.  But I did get two more punters for our quiz team.  Serge and Sam joined me, Dave and Rex for some fun at a fundraiser for Jo's netball team.

Jo, on the other hand, did not have fun.  Due to a storm in Auckland, her flight back from there (for work) was cancelled.  She was facing sleeping in the airport because accommodation was unavailable due to the third test coming up this weekend.  Fortunately she did get on the last flight - but well and truly missed the quiz.

I hope the consolation prize of the $50 bar tab and a bottle of Baileys eases the sadness.  Yes - we got second!  Ooossshhh!  And I got a t-shirt.  Or Mike got one (a Tui t-shirt)

Second!

Guess it was good I knew the Tate had collections in London, Liverpool and Cornwall.  Dave knew some obscure song by Genesis.  Yep - it was a good team effort.  If only we'd known more about the All Blacks and the netball team.  The sports round killed us.

Smudge visited the vet and got her jabs, worming tablets (she didn't like that) and had her temperature taken (oddly, she didn't seem to mind that).  Her walking is still a bit stiff but the vet wasn't overly concerned.  We're monitoring that.

Mike got home late after having an excellent dinner out with a mate.  He was very happy when he got home around 11.15pm.  Chatted away to me.  We planned my morning out and then we both crashed.

My morning was early.  5.15am.  Mike woke at 5.30 after my shower and asked why we were up so early.  He'd forgotten about my need to pack for the weekend.  I am heading to PN to cycle and watch rugby.  Sounds like fun - although the weather is a bit drizzly.

I got lunches sorted (well, one of them - the important one!) and packed the car and got away before 7am!  Yay.

I will leave work at 4.30pm and head up SH1 with the rest of Wellington.  It'll be a reasonable drive for the new car.  Over to Martinborough was just a taster.  Mike and Toby will look after Smudge and tidy the house and do laundry (well, in my mind that is what they will do).  In fact, while I am fantasising let's have Mike also do all the ironing.  Bwhahahahah!

Have a great weekend!

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with user group and no Mum now

Hi,

After working from home in the morning, Mike, Mum and I Ubered back into town and she dropped us off before continuing to the airport.  I know she got there safely because I got a text from her from the other side around 7pm.  Yay!  It was a great (short) visit.

Went to user group and had a great time as Rami has published a book!  So he told us all about the path to publishing.  What a tremendous effort!

Caught up with Sally and Andrew at Dillingers again (and I verified it is actually spelled that way after all).  JR and Paul were there so it was good to see them.

Mike came and collected me and we eventually went home.  Slept like I was comatose and have a quiz night lined up tonight.  Should keep me busy.

Time to contemplate a nice cup of tea.  Enjoy your day!

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with Mum's last evening

Hi,

Morning is gorgeous here

We had a spontaneous evening out at Dillingers (I think it is spelled differently to that - pretty sure there is a "e" in there, or some "r"s or something) mainly because I had a hankering for their key lime pie.  Best in the business!

Mum said her goodbyes to Sally and Andrew too.  So it wasn't just about me and my key lime pie.  As we sat down to a table (actually, Sally's table from Wed night as the staff had got the dates wrong and booked their Wed night table for Tues - so we got the Tues booking and moved the dates to the true night) I perused the menu and almost had apoplexy when I saw their key lime pie was no longer on the menu.

Bother it!  Apparently Five Burroughs has it on their menu and now Mike has a scheme to get me there to try that one.  It better be a good one.

Anyway, despite that and my rejected palate (I heard "quinoa" and thought it was key lime at one stage - I have issues now!) the food was great.

Dropped everyone home afterwards and enjoyed a long sleep.  Working from home early this morning before taking Mum into town and she continues to the airport for her flight home.

Stunning day today.

Enjoy yours!

Love,
Angela

The Monday back at work

Hi,

After a crazy busy day at work (ok - I guess I no longer need to remark on that as it seems to be the new normal) I met Mum down Lambton Quay and we went to the East Day spa.  I had a lovely facial while Mum went into a coma during her own facial.

She had had a good day with Mike's mother visiting for lunch.  They had a fine time, chatting away for ages by the sound of it.

Caught an uber home and Mum was astounded that we live in the future.  Hahah.

Mike cooked me tea and then we all did the Stuff quiz for a while before I went to bed.  I was seriously comatose and slept like a log until the alarm went off.  Imagine not waking before your alarm.  What a concept!

Another day with little respite in the calendar.  Madness.  Last day before Mum heads back to Australia.  Let's see if we can catch up with Sally and Andrew before she heads back.  I'd best ping them today to find out.

Have a wonderful day.  Happy July 4th.

Love,
Angela

The weekend with a big birthday bash

Hi,

What a busy weekend.  Saturday morning disappeared in a flurry of excitement and before we knew it we were off to Lower Hutt to collect Mike's mother on the way to Bella Italia for Andrew's birthday party.

Iced latte on Sunday with Mike @ Mojos

Gingerbread 50!

Cool cake

Food was good at Bella Italia

Andrew's parents were delayed due to some slightly scary health concerns, but it was not too long before they arrived to join in with everyone.

And what a party.  It was good to see loads of people from all over the country.  Family and friends.  Iona corralled the various streams of people and kept us mostly on track for the event.  The staff were great and the food was good.

Col and I escaped to watch the rugby downstairs on their big screen.  We slowly moved up tables so we were right under the TV by the end.  And joined by Mike and Toby, and then Thomas.  Disappointing match though.  Gah!

Back to the party to wind down and take everyone home.

The wee cat seems to have hurt her paw or foot.  She's a bit out of sorts.  But she seems to be coming right.

Sunday was brunch back at 40 WLW and what a magnificent brunch it was.  I ate lots.  Mike and I dropped Vicki and Alistair back at the airport before picking up some groceries and heading home.  Mike tidied up a bit during the day and soon I was collapsed in bed.

Up early again this morning to watch the Sachsenring MotoGP.  Good racing.  Made me wish I was there.

Got a date with Mum at the day spa after work today.  Yay!

Have an awesome day!

Love,
Angela