The weekend back in Wellington

 Hi,

What a busy weekend around Wellington. Friday saw me go for a run. At lunch time. And it was so hot! Gah!

Wearing my new beanie - with home made iced latte

2024 I get back to running. It was HOT!

Garden is dazzling

I have actual zucchinis

I do have actual zucchinis growing from the wee plant Celia gave me. So happy to see them. Watching them daily now.

Another garden shot

Walnuts from Col and Iona

Post gym iced latte

Saturday saw us up for Park Run for Mike and gym for me. Sally walked up at 9am and we joined Mike and Janine for a post Park Run coffee - and a post gym session 1 for me. Then Mike, Sally and I went to the gym for my second session.

Bench 32.5kg 5 reps x 4 sets

Relaxing at the gym between sets

Second post gym session

Then brekkie at the convention centre. I must find out the name of this cafe.

Toby looks seedy - but still handsome

Iced latte

Te Papa

We went to Te Papa for a flying visit before going to the Marvel exhibition. We all enjoyed that.

Toby and his old friend

My gannet

Toby and The Hulk

Me and The Thing

Toby and The Thing

Tessa and The Thing

Toby and Black Panther

Me and Black Panther. Barely indistinguishable.

My fave

We pose with Spidey

I climb buildings with Spiderman

Cap'n Murica

Fe man

I do not know Ms Marvel

Me

Us

Toby

Me

The leaning fern

Back home to check on things like our great leaning fern. It is an iconic part of our view - always has been. And since NYs it has leaned away from the deck. It used to lean into the deck. So in gusty winds (like we have now) I am constantly worried it will topple like the slightly smaller one did during 2020.

We might try and tether it.

Saturday saw us go to 40WLW for dinner. Burger Wisconsin. Mmmm. Thank you, Sally.

Sunday we were up early and headed to Petone to see "A boy and the heron" from Studio Gibli. Great fun!

At the cinema

Iced latte

Then back home via Sally and Andrew's place for brunch. Home to sort out dinner and sell the Focus. Roast lamb and potatoes and a very salty gravy. I made salad and grilled asparagus. It was pretty good.

A chap drove down from Napier to look at the Ford Focus Mike put on TradeMe on Friday evening after it got a detail on Friday. And it is now sold. The young 20 year old bought it. $12.5k. Cash. Which is now in the bank so do not come to find it at our place. We are back to only having small change in the house. We are going to do a separate blog on the car situation. On Dec 1st, 2023 we had 5 vehicles (if you include the trailer). And as of Sunday night (Jan 14) we have one. But that is in AKL so... really... none right now at our disposal. eBike for the win!

Bed for me not long after we had tea. Toby and Tessa went out. 

Up for a run for me and gym for Mike. Woot!

WFH this morning then a bike ride in at lunch time for a long meeting this afternoon.

Take care. Have a great week.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday travelling back to Wellington

 Hi,

Well, here I am back at work after a huge summer break. And there will be blog posts on the tramp and a bit about our camping in Westport. It was so good. And we got such good weather.

Anyway. Yesterday was the trip back home. We spent the day lazing about at Iona and Col's house. Wandered down to the cafe next to Countdown (still not rebranded there yet) for lunch. Andrea got a wash on but we decided to wait until Wellington. 

Camping in Iona's backyard

The day started out overcast and we even got a few spots of rain. But by the time Col and Iona got home, it was scorching hot. Blenheim is a pretty great place.

This cafe gets it!

They had a BLAT on the menu. And substituted haloumi for bacon. So I had a HALT. Delicious.

Iced latte at Revive

We caught up with Helen as she was visiting Blenheim and staying with Iona and Col. We camped in their backyard. Thank you so much for letting us stay there. Especially with Col starting her new job this week too. Hectic in the household. But they made us so welcome (as always).

Everyone got home and we chatted briefly before driving to Picton. It really is only 20 minutes to get there from their house.

Onto the ferry in good time and into our cabin. I did puzzles and read. Mike and Andrea enjoyed some food and drink. I ate so much fruit. Mmmmm. And I even got some sleep towards the end.

In our ferry cabin

Stunning views all the way across the strait

Back home to empty the car into the garage and the foyer. It is all a bit of a shambles. Andrea met Toby and Tessa and then we were all not long out of bed.

Good sleep in our own bed. Ahhhhhhh.

Up to work from home today. Work has renovations happening this week so everyone is remote. I checked the garden. My zucchini has finally made some actual zucchini. Two wee ones. I will water them lots over this week and see if they get to be a decent size. There will be a lot of zucchini in my life.

I have 2 zucchinis!

Thursday stunner in Wellington

The day looks stunning. Mike and I are working and can hear chaos upstairs as the cleaners have arrived. And they will barely be able to move around for the debris everywhere still.

Right. Have a brilliant day. Business as usual is resumed. Hope  your summer break was as good as ours.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday with a Christmas shopping trip

 Hi,

No cat content. And no iced latte content. I know. I am failing my readers. That is what Christmas crazy week does to a person.

Ho, ho, ho

At Westgate

I rode home after work and enjoyed the fresh air. Got home, fed the cats, got changed and headed out to Lower Hutt for some shopping with Toby and Tessa. As we left the house, Simon and Amy were parking their new caravan in their driveway. So we got a tour. It is really, really nice. They have a section in the Wairarapa to leave it on. We picked Andrew up on the way to the Hutt. May as well maximise benefits from the journey. Dropped him at his place.

We parked outside the mall and walked into Farmers. Tessa had a plan. She told me and Toby. "We shop for a bit, then have tea. Then shop some more. Maybe another break later". We walked through Farmers and into the mall. Toby and I looked at each other as we surveyed the inside of the mall.  "Time for some tea?", said Toby. "Yes", I said. We scuttled Tessa's plans within 2 mins. Poor Tessa.

I had a falafel iskender meal. Toby had sushi and Tessa had a lovely crepe. Then - shopping. But it was all rather hard work. Got a few things. Had a break where we had 3 juices from Boost for $45! Ouch! Then to Countdown and home.

Mike was home when we got there. We were straight into bed. Up early for my ride in and the last day of 2023 in the gym. Did bench with Quentin. 32.5kg. Did 10 reps x 5 sets. 50 reps all up. Oohhhh. Feeling that now. Then accessories - shoulder press and bicep curls. Mike came in for his session - they are going to try for a PB in squats for him. Good luck, Mike!

And because I started the blog post early, it turns out I could finish it with pics of iced lattes from my post gym drinks! Woot! You are all so lucky. Like an early Christmas present. Bwhahahah.

Last gym day of 2023

Late running iced latte content

Grabbed an iced latte from the French Kiss cart on my way back to work. And timed it well with Andrew's walk to work from the station. So we had a chocolate and an iced latte. They do not go well together so both of us saved the choccy for later. 

And a selfie

With this person

They added the star back on top

I saw the council workers adding the star back to the top of the tree outside work. A strong gale gave it a lop-sided look a month back. Guess they found an engineer with some idea for strengthening it. Woot!

My last day at work today too. What a year. Had its ups and downs. But work-wise, mostly ok. Certainly ended well.

Christmas fun to come. Then NY and camping with Mike down south. Then the tramp with Catherine, Chris and Andrea - and some other punters. That will be epic. Travers Sabine circuit. It is going to be a long slog. But I do love that area of Aotearoa. Let's hope for some good weather.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone. 

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with a quizmas quiz

 Hi,

No cat content - those readers can switch off now. Hahahah. But - if you want to see iced lattes and axe throwing, then read on!

My single iced latte ration

Work filled me up all day. A morning tea - which had amazing food - just set me up for a team lunch. Thank you Erin.

Work morning tea

A Christmas Mallowpuff

Awwww - cute!

I didn't take any pics of lunch. But Erin took us (and Pippa) to Flamingo Joe's and despite the wait, the food was very good. I had tomato burrata (that soft cheese like mozzarella). Yum.

Then Dave collected Pippa from work and Erin and I walked to Sweet Axe on Cambridge Tce. Nice walk in gorgeous weather.

Axe throwing team

Juliet and Erin show their skills

I'm a little too enthusiastic

I quite enjoyed the axe throwing. Was a bit unsure about it after the first practise round. But I kinda got the hang of it after a bit. Even hit the sweet spot to win for the team I was in. Made it to the play off and Jill took me by a point on her last throw. Woot!

A quick drink at The Tasting Room and then off to the Quizmas Quiz at Mean Doses. And what a quiz it was. Hard categories to select our joker round. But in the end, we chose correctly because we went for the last round and got 10 / 10 for it. So 20 points. Shot up to 5th equal out of 17 teams. The round was called Christmas. So apparently we know our Christmas stuff.

Mike and his selfie skills - a series

Yeah - I dunno what he is doing either

Hi Kara!

Bussed to Lambton Quay with Andrew on his 83 bus. Jumped off for our 14. And home at 10pm. Oohh - so late. Mike moved the car because someone wanted to reverse their campervan easily.

Up to bus in for Quentin. But we ended up at a cafe for brekkie and presents instead of a cardio session at the gym. 

It's Christmas brekkie with Quentin

A much better pic - it includes my feet

Hoping to take Toby to the mall at Queensgate after work today. Get the last wee things for stockings for people.

Have a great day!

Love,

Angela

The Monday with Toby and Tessa in Wellington

 Hi,

I went to the airport to pick up Toby and Tessa off their Jetstar flight from Chc. I left at 6.45amn from home and there was no traffic. Went around the bays. Got an iced latte while I was waiting for them. They got in at 7.35am and had no luggage so we were off straight away.

Dropped them at David's house and headed into town and parked under work. Told Toby and Tessa to leave their bags in the car and come in for 5pm and we could take them home.

Jetstar arrives

Airport Mojo iced latte

View from work

Okay - this is not good. Still drinking my first iced latte

Mike got to work after his epic gym session (77.5kg bench! Wow!). And got me an iced latte. So I started drinking his one after mine.

Second iced latte

With Dave and Mike for my third iced latte

Also caught up with Dave at Margies with Mike. And my third iced latte of the day. Which was probably 1.5 lattes too much, tbh.

I was now on a downward spiral of caffeine.

Christmas time

Went out with Adnan and Toby and Tessa and Mike at Foxglove for a few drinks after work. Then home to make pie for morning tea at work.

I made pie

Up for a nice ride into work - no wind at all. And a PB in squats. 75kg. Smashed it. My previous PB was 65kg. So that was good. PB in all my lifts this week and last week. Sweet. 225 in total.

On my way to a PB in squats

Hey there

Busy day at work. And I have got an iced latte. But only the one! Axe throwing after work today with some people from work. Then the Mean Doses quiz.

Have a great day!

Love,
Angela