The Tuesday working from home in Blenheim

 Hi,

Mike has updated me with household news.  It revolves around cats.  Moxley was in the mood last night and stalked Smudge around the house.  Even when Tenzing the neighbourhood bully came to peer in the windows at them, Moxley was giving Smudge a hard time.  Usually they are united against the common threat.

Weird cats.

I did get away for lunch with Col and Sue - yay!  We went to Catalyst and enjoyed some rosti stack.  Mmmm.

Back to work after that.  Busy afternoon.  Then, I collected Iona from work at 5pm and we went to see "James and Isey" at the cinema.  A lovely film.  Not a lot happened.  But it was a lovely, genuine look at the mother/son bond between the titular characters.

Iced latte with lunch

We had a fantastic dinner after the movie at The Tamarind.  And okay - this has to be one of the best Indian places I have tried.

The eggplant curry was so, so good.  Like, crazy good.  And the black chickpea curry - yum!

Take me back there!  Anytime.

Okay - best Indian food in ages

Back home and into bed after getting the swim gear ready for early Wednesday.  Slept well - but woke up to my alarm in slightly bewildering circumstances.  I had sprawled over the bed diagonally - away from the beside table.  My head popped up out of the completely messed up duvet like a meerkat under attack from an unknown assailant.  Ready for anything that was coming at me!  Adrenaline coursing through my body.  Where was I?  What was that noise?

Oh.  Blenheim.  In bed.  Getting up for a swim.

Right.

Turns out Iona was sleeping through her alarm.  I waited.  And waited.  Nothing.  All quiet down the hallway - even after I had stumbled to the bathroom in the dark.  Maybe I stumbled like a ninja?

Anyway, eventually I decide to take action.  I creep down to the bedroom door and whisper:  Iona.  That was all it took.  She leapt out of bed and came to the door.

We were dressed and gone within 6mins.  Maybe I should have done that slightly earlier.  Anyway.  Went to the pool.  Iona gave me a crash course in lap swimming.  My lane companion was happy to check in with me, assess my non-existent swimming capability and continue on her merry way doing laps.

I think I did a half lap.  3 times.  Hahah.

Was much better with the flutter board.  And Iona and I got a lane to ourselves after a bit.  Yay.  I think I disrupted her swimming routine quite a lot.  

Feet at the pool

We also tried the current pool.  That was fun.  The lifeguard watched us cavorting like teenagers, probably disapproving of the spectacle.  But it was a lot of fun.

Then we left there and headed to Grove Rd cafe.  I like that cafe!

Wednesday morning iced latte

Yum!

Dropped Iona at work and then got stuck in road works traffic heading back to their house.  Wasn't too late to start my working day though.

Bit colder today.  Wet and cold.

Have an awesome day.

Love,

Angela

The Monday working from home in Blenheim

 Hi,

The working from home in Blenheim day was quite successful - unless you talk to one of my colleagues who took the brunt of my isolation at the end of the day when we pinged messages back and forth like I was craving human attention.

Doesn't sound like me.

More feijoas

Col got more feijoas from their tree.  One was easily the size of a pear.  And I did eat lots of them.  Again.

WFH with feijoas in the background

Went out to lunch to Catalyst with Col.  I like that place.  Back home to finish the working day.

Walk after work

Went for a walk after work with Iona.  We collected walnuts and scuffed through fallen leaves.  I learned about the gingko tree.  Oldest tree in the world.  I thought it was conifers.  Turns out wikipedia says they are both the oldest trees.  Yeah - left me confused too.

It's an old tree.  

Feet in leaves

Leaves to the horizon

We peer at the pretty trees

Iona heads towards a ginkgo tree

Fan shaped leaves means gingko

This rose had a gorgeous perfume

More feet in leaves

Back home to have tea and watch a movie before bed.  Didn't sleep quite as well as usual.  But up at 5am for spin.

Spin this morning

I have weirdly agreed to swimming before work tomorrow morning.  That should be interesting.  We shall see.

Have a good day.

Love,

Angela

The weekend in Blenheim

 Hi,

What a great weekend - spent it in Blenheim with Iona and Col.  And now I am working from home until Wednesday at their place.  Packed a lot into the weekend too.

Mike was kind enough to wake at 4.30am with me on Saturday morning and drive me to the airport.  Thank you so much.  I was at the gate at 5.32am for my 6am flight with Soundsair.  Checked in and sat and waited.

Only 5 of us were on the flight.  In the dark.  Lovely view of Wellington lit up as we left - so I took a photo and blinded the entire plane when my flash went off.  No one complained.  :-o

Iona was at the airport 25 mins later to collect me.  We did a tour of the supermarkets of Blenheim - but let me just tell all the readers right now...  Blenheim supermarkets all open at 7am.  The tour wasn't terribly involved - drive into the car park, check the hours, drive out.  Did it to all supermarket brands.  PacknSave, Countdown.

By the time we got to the supermarket the furthest away from the airport (New World), it was going to open in 10 minutes.  So we sat in the car in the car park, probably looking very suspicious.  We critiqued the McDonalds resupply process that was unfolding in front of our eyes.

Bought some groceries - the staff were extremely chirpy for 7am on a Saturday.  They greeted us like long lost friends.  Made me want to go back at 2pm and see if they were still as happy as that.

Home via a cafe stop.  Big iced coffee - bit sweet - but not too sweet despite the ice cream added in.

Streetwise iced coffee

The land of plenty

Once Col was up (she works late shifts) we got ready for a wee walk in behind Canvastown (past Havelock).  Doom Creek loop.  Wow - what a gorgeous place.

Doom Creek walk

Pretty

Lovely streams

Shoes off to cross a wee stream

We ate lunch about a third way around the loop.  Col was suggesting we skinny dip while at lunch.  Too cold for that.  Lunch was great - egg sandwiches on sourdough.  Mmmm.

But by the time we crossed the creek a wee way after lunch and took our shoes off, Col's suggestion (or is that Col's challenge?) was accepted.  Col and I walked up the stream a bit to a huge rock beside a pool.  Stripped off and went for a swim.  No - scratch that.  We went for a polar plunge.

It was a bit freezing.  But it could have been way worse.  The numbness wasn't too shocking.  And once we hauled clothes back on and kept walking, our bodies were tingling and it felt good.

Bucket list item ticked off.

I still can't quite believe it.

Continued the walk - it looped back to the main track and then a big bridge spanned the river.  The water was a stunning clear green.  

Looking into deep pools of green

There is a deep pool of green

Selfie

We got to the car after 3.5 hours of great walking and bucket list nailing and headed back to Blenheim.  

Changed and ordered Thai takeaways, collected it and headed to Helen and Mandy's place.  Except Helen was on locum at Palmerston North - so just Mandy was there.  And we had the takeaways and watched the Super Rugby Aotearoa final.  Crusaders v Chiefs.

Not sure how the Crusaders pulled that one off.  Experience, I reckon.  Awesome game.  Thank you for your hospitality Mandy.

Back home to fall into bed.

Up for brekkie - oaty pancakes.  Mmmm.

Iced latte tastings

Nom, nom.  Oaty pancakes

Then up to Mt Vernon - except we tackled this other hill instead.  Great day for it - no rain.  But we could see rain off in the distance.  Sue said afterwards it rained where she was the entire morning.

Top of the hill

Iona holds her hat

I hold my hat

Back to Mitre10 for lunch - yummy food and an awesome iced latte.  Rated that one highly.

Iced latte @ Mitre10

Went to a recycler and checked out the stuff there.  Col got jars for her feijoa chutney.  I helped Iona clear gutters when we got home.  Kinda (I just held the ladder).

Grapes at Iona and Col's place

Took the netting off their grapes and ate my way through a lot of them.  They are not quite ripe enough for most people.  But I found them yummy.

Had dinner here - roasted veges.  Yum!  And watched some TV and then went to bed.  Up at 5am for Spin with Iona.  Wow - it was hard work.

Back home to have brekkie and work from home.  Woot!

Hope your week is mighty fine.  Time for my shower now.

Love,

Angela

The Thursday where I really have no idea of the day but seems like I got it right

 Hi,

A day at work yesterday where there was no imbibing of iced lattes at all.  None.  Nada.  And that means there is no photo of me partaking is aforementioned iced beverage.

Also - didn't take any pics of the cats.  None of Mike.  None of my food.  

Yesterday was a blank canvas upon which I painted a typical day at work.  

Okay - going to stop this nonsense now.

Went to work.  Walked to sushi at lunch with Mike and Angie.  Was going to walk home after work but Ange was there with her car and it was easy to convince us to tag along with her.

Home early.  Made dinner.  Watched "For all mankind" - again.  I think 2 episodes.  Maybe even 3.  Anyway - got to 9pm and I declared it bedtime.

Up early for gym.  PT session.  Deadlifts.  Oosshh.  Nailed it.  Off next week as I am in Blenheim and working from home from there.  But I will go to Spin with Iona and hopefully some gym too.

Have an awesome Thursday.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday that felt like Wednesday

 Hi,

What a slightly odd day.  Scone day with Juliet and Barb and you all have to go try Cafe Mamba on Plimmer steps for their blue cheese scone.  So tasty you know it is packed with yummy but calorie-dense goodness.

Then my work had its 10th birthday.  Morning tea after some stories from the 10 year history.  Then nipped out to meet Sue at lunch time.

Cuckoo iced latte goodness

All mine!  I don't like these sunnies

Selfie with Sue and random other patron

Vance took this pic

Caught up with her news.  Good to see her.  And the weather was superb.  We sat outside Cuckoo and had one of the best iced lattes Wellington has to offer.  Believe me - I am qualified to make this call.

After work I walked to Carpet Court - or was it Carpet Studio - on Thorndon Quay with Mike to check the suggested blinds and carpet fabrics for Wanaka.  Yes - green light.  Go, go, go!

From there we walked straight up the hill.  Up to Tinakori and then up some random street to the main bus route up - right under the recently completed road strengthening section.  Up the road opposite to some steps we'd never noticed before that took us up a path through the bush to Wadestown Road.  Yes!

Good walk home.  Ate another home made burger.  Toby asked for my spag bol recipe and I sent him the tomato based sauce I always use from the Moosewood cookbook.  I know it by heart so I never consult it.  Just told him to brown the mince as the extra step.  We saw an interim step in the recipe and the final one.  Looked good!  And he made chocolate mousse for dessert.  Good on him.

Mike and I crashed into bed after another episode of "For all mankind".  We're invested in this series now.

Spin Wednesday morning

Up for the 6.30am number 14 bus (after porridge) and spin at Thorndon.  They are going to move this spin class to 6.45am in 2 weeks time so I need to practise the timing.  Today I got to class at 6.43am.  I think I can make this work.

Walked to work along the waterfront after spin.  Saw a text from Sue saying she was in the ferry queue.  Turns out she was on Bluebridge - so I found her in the queue and we waved at each other.  Hahaha.

At work.  Might try and fit spin and/or a walk home at the end of the day.  Woot!

Have an awesome day.

Love,

Angela

The Monday with a migraine for Mike

 Hi,

Yes, I know the title of this post is almost the same as the weekend one.  That's because Mike got another migraine on Monday morning, right after we ate snacks of carrots and miso soup.  Poor guy.

He went to bed and I saw him briefly at lunch time.  He tried to work - but that didn't happen for him.  Back to bed for him.

Cats close to each other to enjoy the sunshine

But he got up after work ended and did a short run in the park.  So proud of him for that.  I went off to Spin class.

Spin after work

Home to a yummy home made burger night.  Mmmmm.  Made with love as soon as I walked in the door.

Off to bed and up for gym.  PT session.  Bench.  I did 4 sets of 4 reps at 37.5kg.  My last 2 reps in my 4th set were hardly all mine.  I think it was the limit of my strength.  But Quentin reckons I can give 40kg a go next time.  Wow!

Evidence I am supporting May the Fourth

And off to work.  On May the Fourth.  Representing!  I will stay in my t-shirt for as long as I can until the cold chases me into my hoodie.

Toby pinged us last night to say he is loving his neuroscience lectures.  Awesome to hear that sort of thing.  Good on him.

Have a good one.

Love,

Angela

The weekend with a migraine for Mike

 Hi,

Friday night we met up with a bunch of people from my old work and enjoyed a night out with them.  Karaoke at KZone first up (thank you Khemry).  Bumped into loads of people:  Rex, Kevin, Sreejith, Anjali - it was a social whirlwind.  But we ended up with a few people for karaoke.

Khemry, Yosan, Chenda, Mike, Bernie, Matt (he's new since I left that workplace), Bernie's partner Chantalle, Manisha and Akshatha.  What an awesome bunch.  Had a ball.  Sang until I was hoarse.

People headed home after 7pm but 4 of us (me, Mike, Akshatha and Khemry) went to find Sreejith (there was no room to join them for dinner) went to Chow for dinner.  And Akshatha picked up the bill - we owe her!  Thank you so much for a lovely evening.

Cuddled into the duvet with us

Up for a busy day - and derailed by my dizzy thing and Mike's migraine.  Doh!  He took his meds and we relaxed in bed for a bit.

Didn't do a lot on Saturday.  But Sunday saw Janine convince Mike to go for a run.  And he was in good form.  He ran from Flamingo Joe's to The Botantist - where I got there early (okay - at 12pm) to try and nab a table.  Sally and Andrew joined us too.  By the time 12.30 rolled around, I think we were all there.

Sunday iced latte @ The Botantist

Good food - as usual. The place was chaotic though - so busy.  But eventually it thinned out.  Note - make the runners get out of bed slightly earlier next time to miss the huge wave of people.  Or aim for 1.30pm.  One or the other.

Took Janine back to her car at the botanic gardens via Animates for cat supplies.  None of the cats' usual wet food is available.  We picked up some other "pate" style food and initial tries seem to be successful.  Went grocery shopping on our way home after discovering the curtain and blind shop was shut. 

Smudge

Up early Monday for gym.  Lovely cold morning.  Fog in the valley. Very nice.

Monday morning foggy stillness

Squats at the gym - and my knee didn't hurt once.  Woot!  37kg squats.  I am a bit hopeless with squats.  

Working from home today.  With Mike here too.  Funny - we haven't done this together for a while.

Have a great week.

Love,

Angela