The Monday back at work

 Hi,

As I sit at work (in the real office) I sense a break in the relentless poor weather.  I saw lovely blue skies this morning on our way into town.

Let's see?  My morning started with a migraine, which put paid to a morning gym session. We slept in an extra wee bit and worked from home. Mike discovered he had a meeting he had to be in person for and nipped into town by bus mid-morning. On the way out the door he excitedly pinged me that he'd found yet another mouse in the trap by the bins. Our best trap.

Catch #13
Unlucky for this guy

We did get to the gym at lunchtime instead, and my morning migraine didn't give me cause to stop.  Mind you, I was a little pathetic.  So maybe it did have an effect.

Bench at the gym

Mike had had enough of his now glacially slow Nokia phone and ordered a Samsung S21 FE 5G (what a mouthful) from Noel Leeming for $900. Let's see if it's better and faster and with a battery that lasts more than a couple of hours. 

Back home to finish up.  I did have a late meeting with Mike to discuss work with the Netherlands.  Hahah.

Made dinner and we enjoyed the freshness of a Buddha bowl.  Hadn't had one of those in a while.

Dinner

Off to bed.  Good sleep.  Up for 7am bus into the gym.  Session with Mike.  Shower at work.  At my desk.

I did read that Celia has now contracted covid.  And I did sit next to her the entire night on Saturday night at her house.  I might be a ticking time bomb.

Poor Celia and James.  But at least they are sick together.  According to households, that is the best way to do it - rather than a protracted 2 weeks as one passes it to another in a relay.

Right.  Let's see how the day progresses.

Take care.  Good luck today, Toby.  He had an exam yesterday - 2 - 6pm.  And today he has another one.

Love,

Angela

The weekend in Wellington

 Hi,

Busy weekend.  Friday saw Mike drop the Focus off for its windscreen replacement after his potato cakes brekkie only to be told they could repair it instead.  So he stayed while they did that and drove home and worked from there.

HBD.

I headed out to Mitre10 Mega and bought the shelving widgets I need to finish my wardrobe off.  Sweet!

We cancelled the dinner with Sarah and her family as we have been exposed to covid and they do not want to catch it for many reasons.

Friday saw us pop into the bowling club to meet Elly and Tom - but it was pumping and they had already sold out of the vegetarian options.  I had made a vegetarian and normal sausage casserole so we all headed back to our place to eat that.  Good cold weather comfort food.

Friday iced latte

Caught a mouse

As Elly and Tom left, we checked the traps.  And found kill #12.  A wee mouse.  Disposed of that and went to bed.

Catch #12

Up for a gym session with Mike at Thorndon.  Good fun.  We did deadlifts (my first ones since late Jan) and bench.  I did 50kg on deadlifts and 30kg on bench.  5 sets x 3reps for me.

Gym session with Mike on Saturday

Made mushroom Wellington for dinner out at Celia's house Saturday night.  Headed there at 5pm and played with Bob for a bit.  He caught a tooth on my watch strap and it did pull out and cut his wee lip.  But he seemed to come right after that.  Hope there is no lasting ill effect.

Dinner was great.  Scrumptious food and good company.  Saw Ange for the first time since she left to go study in Feb.  She's settled in and acing the work.  :-)

James was out at a movie and came in to say hello and watched TV with Bob in the other room.  Which turns out might have been fortuitous.

Scrumptious dessert

We left quite late (for me).  I think I got home at 10pm.  Super late.  But I had such a good time.  

Lazy Sunday morning.  Got a ping from Celia to say James had tested positive.  I hope he gets a light touch and bounces back fast.  Celia is probably going to catch it I imagine. The rest of us will be monitoring for symptoms.  It is just part of things here now.

Moxley keeps warm

The exciting work we tackled today was my new shelves in my wardrobe.  Mike set me up with the skilsaw and took me through cutting down my melamine plank to the right lengths to fit in.  I screwed all the fittings into the space, ready for the shelves.  

They all slotted in with no problem.  I used the skilsaw 4 times to make the cuts needed.  And Mike reckons by the end of it I was much more relaxed using it.

Finished my shelves

Moxley checks out the shelves

Installed a mirror

I also installed a full length mirror in the downstairs bathroom.  Our bathrooms have tiny head high mirrors.  So it is nice to actually have one that is a bit bigger.

Mike also did some work in the garage and created hand and foot holds up to the loft instead of using the ladder.  I am unsure how that will feel.  He wants me to test it out at some stage soon.

They look a bit narrow...

I made seed crackers in the evening.  They are good with chunks of cheese as a snack.  Had a couple as we waited for dinner (simple dinner - pasta!).

Weather is still awful.  Lots of snow down south on the skifields.  We're working from home today although Mike has to nip in for a meeting.

I did wake with a migraine this morning (Monday).  Hardly ever happens to me these days.  But they are usually slightly worse when I wake with one.  Instead of going to the gym, I crept back into bed for a bit longer.  Mike made porridge for us and now I feel a bit better.  Just no head thrashing in the mosh pit for me today.

Enjoy your week ahead.  Hello to Aus - they have Queens Birthday today.  Hope they are enjoying their long weekend.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday at work

Hi,

Well, today (Thurs) has been chaotic and tumultuous.  Wednesday was totally calm in comparison.  Let's see, what did I do yesterday?

I had a bagel with Roanne and sipped on my iced latte at my desk through the morning.  Callan laughed when I did my selfie at my desk.  

Iced latte at work

We went to the Portrait Gallery to see an exhibition - Celia, Angie, Mike and Liam.  Great way to spend my lunch break.

After work Mike and I nipped into Rosie's for a quick dinner before my late meeting. After my meeting, I met Callan and Mike at Bin44 for a quick chat,  then Mike and I ubered home.

As I got ready for my next day and for bed, I got a ping from the covid app.

Nice notification as I got ready for bed

That threw me for a bit.  I wondered where it might have occurred but I have been so social in the last 36 hours, it was hard to narrow down.

Anyway, apparently it did make me distracted because although I checked my alarm - I had it set for the wrong time completely.

Woke up shouting from a nightmare - scaring Mike awake.  And then he scared me by saying that my alarm hadn't gone off at 5.30am and it was now after 6am.

What?  I looked at my watch in my sleep-fogged brain.  6.02am.  But - I usually leave the house at 6.12am to catch my 6.16am bus.  Oh no!

Lucky I get everything ready the night before.  Ran to splash my face with water, brush my teeth and pull on the gym clothes I had ready.
 

Rushed out the door.  Made my bus.  Was on the treadmill at the gym at 6.40am, waiting for Quentin for our 7am session.

Then at 6.50 he pinged me.  He has an emergency and can't make it for my session - or Mike's at 7.30.  So I ring Mike.  He changes his plans to "get on the bus and meet me for brekkie".

Gym Thurs morning

I do a few sets on two machines and then head to work to shower.  I meet Mike at The Lab for brekkie.  But my breakfast gets delayed by a huge group that arrived as I did.

Storm coming

Iced latte at The Lab

I end up eating at 8.20am.  But they gave us two free coffees.  So thank you for that.  And now at work.  Monitoring my symptoms for 10 days in case I picked up covid somewhere.

I will go to Spin after work today - to make up for my lack of gym this morning (okay - I was kinda intending that anyway).

Tomorrow I will drive to Spin and then home again.  Mike will drive in for potato cakes brekkie and drop the car off to get its windscreen replaced.  Then I will bus in and collect it and head to Mitre10 Mega in Petone to find my wardrobe lugs I need.  Woot!

Exciting.

Have a great day.

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday back in at my real workplace office and a Nepal info evening

 Hi,

Busy first day back in the office yesterday.  Good to see everyone face to face though.  Had a busy day - hahahah.

First bench in months

Oosshh!

Iced latte @ Mojo for lunch

Mike had a migraine though.  He went home early - like 10am.  And slept most of the day.  He did come in for the Nepal info night at The George and I met him there after work.

Good info night - Bharat showed off the Nepal trip well.  A few excited potential punters.  They have 4 already committed - including Mike.

Momo came too.  Good to catch up with him.  We should see him again for Mike's birthday dinner.

Headed home in an Uber.  Fell into bed and was asleep pretty fast.  Up for a later bus into work.  Mike is feeling okay.

Have a good one.

Love,
Angela

The weekend tramping into Mitre Flats hut

 Hi,

My first Friday off was a wet one.  I did get to Mitre10 to buy my plank of melamine to get my wardrobe sorted with more shelves.  But the widgets for fixing the shelves to the gib and existing shelving weren't in stock.  I need a new way to build them.  

Packed for the long weekend tramping.  Went to Janine's on Friday to have dinner with her and Momo and agree a route.

Saturday we left just after 8am and collected Momo from his place before collecting Janine.  Then over the hill to the New World in the Wairapapa for last minute shopping.

We drove to The Pines roadend and packed the last stuff into our backpacks (ok - into Mike's backpack).  Geoff (who led us on our Jolt course many years back at my previous work) was there with some companions - and he got dropped off so I suspect they were repositioning a car at another road end.

Anyway, we set off, in the wrong direction.  And Geoff called out "When I have done this walk previously, I have gone this way", gesturing behind him, where the sign said:  park entrance.

Oh.  

We turned around and went through the gate.  Hahah

Lovely weather for it.  We walked along a farm track for about 40 minutes or so before the park started. 

We start our tramp on farm land

Selfie time

Start of the park 

Tramping in

The track follows a wee river up - but at a distance.  Keeps to around the 500m contour most of the way.  Took us about 4 hours - pretty close to DoC time.  The track is rooty and a little bit up and down.  Steep sections in places where you have to use tree roots to climb.  There are about 6 or 7 streams to cross.  With light rainfall recently the streams were easily negotiated.  I did use Momo and Mike a bit to steady myself to cross.  I kept my feet dry - so yay for that assistance.

Our view of the river

Got to the hut at around 3pm and we were the first ones there.  Mike and I pitched the tent and Janine and Momo had their pick of the bunk spaces.

We relaxed and watched the punters trickle in. It was full by the end of the evening. Sleeps 14. We made vegetarian burgers for dinner.  Pretty yummy too.  At one stage we smelled some burning plastic but it turned out to be some Spanish incense stick that some woman with Geoff's group was using.  Palo santo.  Heheh.  They also played some music.  They were a free spirited bunch.

We also had a frozen dessert for afters.  With a can of whipped cream.  We were the envy of a lot of the other hut residents.  

Mitre Flats hut

Went to bed early and listened to a podcast with the roar of the river next to us providing good white noise. Had a fitful sleep - was a clear night so it got quite low.  Maybe 1 or 2 degrees.  During the night I got a little cold - but pulling the sleeping bag over my head usually sorted that out.

Early morning view of our tent

Up for a lovely morning.  Mike, Momo and Janine had brekkie and packed up for their day trip up to Mitre peak.  They left just before 10am and were expecting to get back around 3pm.

I chopped wood for an hour with the wood pile and the axe.  Cleaned up.  Chatted to punters as they arrived.  Two hunters were staying in the wardens room.  Jo and her Dad (he was from Tauranga and she is from Caterton).  They had a lovely black lab called Tarn.

Jo's Mum had made them some chocolate caramel slice - it was pretty good and reminded me of my mother's awesome slice she used to make.  Mmmm.  Next visit we might have to make that again.

Chocolate caramel square

I read and then made some snacks for my group.  The hut filled up again.  And finally my group got back from their huge effort.  It took longer than they thought - they got back just before 5pm.  Epic.  But they did climb the highest point in this area - and got views to Ruapehu, Kaikoura and Kapiti Island.  

Weta on a rock on our way to the toilet

Mike was chatting in the hut when someone said:  is that you, Mike?  It was Jackie from his first trip to Nepal.  They chatted to each other for hours.

We ate red Thai curry and it was scrumptious.  Followed by another frozen dessert.  The others also enjoyed an Irish coffee that Janine made with real espresso coffee, whisky and the last of the cream.

Off to bed nice and early.  Mike wasn't too far behind me.  Listened to a podcast again.  But I was not feeling super well.  Too much rich food.  Another fitful sleep.  Not quite as cold though.

Walking back to the car

Up and away from the hut by 8.50am.  Good work, team!  Took almost exactly the DoC posted 4 hours to get to the car.

Janine at the end of the tramp - only farm land to go

 

Heavenly iced latte

Dropped into The Offering at Greytown for some late lunch.  Great iced latte.  A 40 min wait on food made us choose cabinet options.  But they were very tasty.

Mike on his climb up to Mite peak

Emptied the packs.  Fed the cats.  Mike did a mountain of washing.  And we slept well in our beds.  Yay!

Have a wonderful week.  Short one for us.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday working from home

 Hi,

It is really wet here in Wellington.,  Yesterday (Wednesday) we had some thunderstorms roll through.  Waikanae (just up the road 50 km) had some tornadoes!  And today is still very wet, windy and stormy.

Rainy days

Date loaf

I made date loaf late yesterday after work.  Then Mike and I had Indian takeaways - so we could share the dinner at Ana and Daniel's place with them all gathered.  But due to covid close contacts we thought it best to curtail our social activity.

Slept well.  Yay!  Apparently the night before last there was a decent earthquake just before midnight here.  Never woke either of us up.  Happy that we are getting a good sleep.

Up for my online PT session with Quentin.  And did my 5th day travel RAT.  That was negative.  I let the health department know. Mike is doing a RAT too.  Just to be sure.  He feels fine though.

RATting together, it's so romantic

Right.  Time to get stuck into the day.  Take care.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with working from home

 Hi,

Well, my small cold seemed to be improving through the day yesterday - so much so that I wondered if I might get to work on Thursday.  But with the news of a close contact with covid, it seems prudent to keep my cold and any possible covid away from everyone still.

Moxley hanging out of the pumpkin

She is so funny!

My 5th day RAT test is tomorrow (the one international travellers have to do) - that should be a good sign of anything cooking.  I will say no to the social events we had planned - just in case.  

We didn't do much yesterday.  Work.  Then commuted home up the stairs and had dinner.  Salad.  We were still full from our lunch!  Hahah.

But I want to build some shelves in my wardrobe this Friday.  So I am mulling that over.  I will need to buy melamine shelves and cut them down to size.  And hammer in some battens as shelf holders.  Exciting.

Today is wet here in Wellington. We're working from home - again.  Keeping any germs contained.  

Toby is doing well at uni - he's on track to get a decent mark for one of his papers.  Good on him.

Have a lovely Wednesday, everyone.

Love,

Angela