The Monday back at work

 Hi,

Waaah - I took no photos yesterday. Shows you how crazy things are. Too busy to even haul my phone out of my pocket. But I did do some stuff. Really.

Our doorbell camera took a photo!
Our gardeners are contemplating our dead chili plants.
We must get more chili plants this year, likely in a lean-to greenhouse up by the garage.

Let's see...  We had a new starter at work so I was busy with him for a lot of my day. Hopefully we did not scare him off.

Mike and Callan went for a run after work. They did 5k. And I also went for a run and managed my 3k (that is what I have been doing semi regularly along the waterfront). It was howling a wee gale. I got back to work, got changed into my biking home gear (practically the same as my running gear - just different jacket and shoes) and as I rode out of the car park under work, boom! Wind and rain. Really strong wind too. Yuck.

Got home a little damp. The windows of the house got a good clean. Mike and I had a delicious salmon-on-salad tea while I made the dough for a sourdough bread. And we watched YouTube while I stretched it every half hour. Left it to rise overnight and went to bed.

The wind was huge and I really wondered about my ride into work this morning. But I got up to find a lovely still morning. Wellington. It's weather is an adventure.

Hope your day is an awesome one. My parents are in Montreal. Wow!

Take care.

Love,

Angela

The weekend with epic spring challenge training in Blenheim for me

 Hi,

What an epic weekend. Flew to Blenheim late Wednesday and managed to crash the last two rounds of quiz because Col ducked out to pick me up. Not that I did a single thing in the final two rounds. One of which was TV and Movies. Not my genre. Worked from home on Thursday very successfully. Iona came home at lunchtime as she had a cold. She was under the weather for most of the weekend but still did way better than me at cycling sand walking up hills.

We tried some Japanese food - Gohan. It was quite good. But I will never buy natto again. Please remind me of this. 

Friday morning at Kenepuru Sound

Up early Friday to drive out to Nicola's house and get a ride from Tony past Linkwater into Kenepuru Sound for a cycle and a hike. We rode from a flat spot on the sea into the hills. I did a bit of pushing my bike up a hill. Iona managed to grind her way to the top on her bike. Wow.

Started the walk to Waikakaho Valley from Cullensville side. We rode up a road that felt like a farm track. A cow followed us and Nicola rode through a tape across the road. Gave her a huge fright but she was okay. She is carrying a really sore shoulder from a bike crash a week or so back. But fortunately didn't do any damage this time.

Stashed the bikes

Start the walk to Waikakaho valley

Crossing one of many streams

We walked up to the saddle and it took the best part of 3 hours. What a grind up. Phew. But so, so lovely. Even into the pine forest was great fun.

Gorgeous day

Enjoying the hike

Gold mining town ruins

There are derelict huts, disused mines and ruined villages to look at. But I was only allowed time to check out the ruined village. So cool.

Yeah - I am astonished at the ruins

Still visible in the bush

And down the other side

Col drove in then walked the last 2km to meet us

And done.

The walk took us 5 hours and 15 mins. The DoC time as 5 hours. But we had a lot of treefall to negotiate on the tops. A lot of treehugging happened. And we had a tiny hole under one to take off our packs and scurry under. Hahah.

Trapline Saturday

Saturday was trapline day at Pelorus. I did not do park run. Lazy and soft. But Malcolm turned up at 9am and we were off to Pelorus to meet Jean and Allan soon after that. Coffee cart there had no ice. But the others enjoyed their coffees (after a huge beekeeping course cohort got their coffees).

Toastie on top

We got a few critters. Rats and mice. 7 in total. Good fun in the bush. Took us over 4 hours to complete Lower U and K line.

Back for tea and early to bed so I could get up with Col to watch SA v All Blacks at 3am in Capetown. What a mighty game. But stupid mistakes cost the All Blacks dearly.

3am rugby

Sunday kms in the saddle

We also did a 33km bike ride with Nicola. Up the Taylor River to Wither Hills and the Map Track. I am not sure I am getting better at these hills. Then through town on the Whale Trail to Grovedale and back to the house. So good.

Another stunning day

Gourmet tea

What a great weekend. Lovely dinner before Col and Iona dropped me off at the airport for my flight home. Mike picked me up at the other end and whisked me away home. He had a great time with running and whisky tasting at home. And looking after the cats and my starter.

Up for a bike ride into work as we have a new starter today at work for the team. Woot!

Monday morning iced latte

Hope your week is a grand one! Enjoy.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday with work and a flight to Blenheim and a walk and talk for Mike

 Hi,

Well, with a blog post title like that, I barely need to say anything in the content. It is all summed up right there.

Happy birthday today to wee Abby. 19. Wow!

Boarding pass in my hot little hand

After a long day at work (but I did WFH) I fed the cats and then got an Uber to the airport. The Uber driver was lovely. Recent wee baby boy. Good chat. Meanwhile, Mike was taking some people on a walk up Te Ahumairangi hill and then giving a talk on Great Walks at the Sprig and Fern pub. Seems like he enjoyed that because he was still getting home when I was tucking up in bed!

Flight to Blenheim was easy. Two thirds full. Pilot (Caleb) said there would be a few bumps out of Wellington. There was not. 20 mins later, I am grabbing my bag and hugging Col. We went back to the end of quiz night where I contributed exactly nothing. TV round. And a round called "Creatures" - which everyone else knew.

Solid middle of the table (ok - maybe lower middle) performance. Then off home - Robyn actually dropped me off because the ute was a bit of a squeeze with my bag in it.

Chatted for a bit at home. Caught up on news. Then off to bed. And I slept like the dead. Heaven. Up for an online PT session with Quentin. Core. Groan. Glutes. Ohhh. Back. Ahhh. Hahah. Good fun. Twigg saw me flailing around on the ground and either felt compelled to render assistance - or to play. Might have been play. She got the zoomies. Quentin and I loved it.

Now WFH today here in sunny Blenheim. Big weekend. Bike ride and hike tomorrow. Park Run and trapline Saturday. Another bike ride Sunday. Nicola has a sore shoulder and Iona has a cold. I feel fine - but goodness knows I have not done a lot of training. Oops.

Have a lovely weekend, wherever you are. I am thinking of my whanau off overseas. Wishing I was with them. Sri Lanka. New York. Their pics look so good.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with riding to work

 Hi,

When I have early meetings, I never remember to blog. Doh!

6th sourdough - spelt flour

Cold iced latte

Off to Blenheim tonight after work. Big weekend of training for the race at the end of this month. Wish me luck.

Have a great day!

Love,

Angela

The Monday with Toby flying home

 Hi,

Well, I started work early to finish a bit early because I had my appointment for my melanoma check up. Can't miss those appointments. They are hard to secure. Anyway - clean bill of health for me. Woot. And back to a yearly check up rate now, he reckons. Mind you, he has his eye on his holidays. Visiting London then a lot of the -stan countries. Lucky him.

#5

Hey Rasta

Wild harbour views

I made a sourdough for Toby to take back home to Tessa. Hopefully it survived ok. After the appointment we picked up Mike from work and drove to the airport. We had some tea there and then saw Toby safely through security. With some RATs from work so he could test when he got home. We ran out last week at home because we were all testing so much.

Readers. He tested faintly positive when he got home. Uh oh. So I tested again. But I am fine.

We popped into see Kara and I took Rasta for a walk and Mike brought in her washing. Good to see her while we were over this side of town.

Back home. And not long out of bed. Good sleep. Then up at 5.30am. That was a shock. We have terrible weather, but it was okay on my bike ride in. A few spots of rain as I left. But that was all.

Mum next to Robbie Burns in Central Park

[Update] My Mum and Dad are in NY. And they went to Central Park and saw poets path (or walk). And took a pic next to Robbie. Mum now has the full set across the world of this mould of Robbie. Dunedin. Dundee. London. And now Mew York. She has a FULL HOUSE of Robbies.

Off to the gym to see Quentin now. First time in person for 2 weeks.

Have a great day!

Love,

Angela

The weekend with Toby still here and lots of movies

 Hi,

Happy birthday to Cameron today. And Jamie yesterday. It is the week of birthdays for our wider family.

I do note that this post has all the content. Cats. Iced latte. Hahah. I will watch the post hits just roll in with this one.

Friday I got to hang out with Toby most of the day. I got a run in. Then showered and changed and we went to Queensgate for some lunch and shopping.

Pocari Sweat at Japan City, Queensgate

Iced latte at the convention centre

Toby and I invented a game while we waited for our movie to start at this cafe. Someone says a topic, and you have 5 mins to research it and come back with the best fact you found out about it. I know more now about the McCoy Hatfield feud than ever before. And Abraham Lincoln. And the Mexican War.

There we go!

And we saw Inside Out 2

We decided to see Inside Out 2 at the cinema at Queensgate. The two of us, and 2 other people. I really enjoyed the movie. Funny. Touching.

Saturday saw us doing some work around the house. And Ange came over to visit and we took her car for a test drive. Not to buy her car. But to see if that car (Subaru XV) is what we would like to buy next. So off to Paekakariki we went. And we stopped to get coffees (not Ange) at the cafe there. They had no ice but happily made me a cold latte. Hahah. It was pretty good.

Saturday drive with Ange saw me get a cold latte - no ice

Home made iced latte on Sunday

Fifth loaf

Made sourdough Sunday morning. And left it cooling on the bench while we drove to the supermarket for Kara's grocery shop. When we got back, Toby had tucked into some of it. There is nothing better than warm bread, after all. And he had no idea this was to take to Kara's place.

We picked up Ange (she had made delicious carrot cake muffins) and went to see Kara. Kara is doing amazing. She is using a Zimmerframe to get around her house. What an inspiration to anyone dealt a setback. We had a cup of tea. Ange and I took Rasta for a wee walk. We did a little bit of house work for Kara. Mike changed the duvet cover and entertained us all.

Smudge looking very regal

Mike goes public with his duvet changing skills

Dropped Ange home and then went to town with Toby to see Alien Romulus. Had tea first at Sweet Mother's Kitchen and enjoyed that thoroughly. Then off to the Embassy for the movie. OMG. I should have stayed home. So scary for me. But it seemed like a good Alien movie entry into the stable of them. Some of them are now blending into the other. But this one was a good homage to the original - yet did not feel like a direct knockoff. Five minutes into the movie my watch told me I was stressed. And it stayed high until halfway home in the car when it started to drop. Hahah.

Home to bed. But I had to read for a bit to distract myself.

Up for working from home today. Toby has a late flight out to Chc. I am already feeling quite sad about seeing him leave. I also have a skin check appointment. They rang on a Sunday night a few weekends back to ask if I could move my Nov appointment to now as the doctor is away on a big holiday. Ok.

Right. Enjoy your day. Hope the week is a good one.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday at home

 Hi,

Wild weather again in Wellington this morning (Thurs morning). But Wednesday was really quite lovely - and that was after some terrible wet weather. September has come early - that is usually the windy weather.

Wed morning garage gym

Yesterday I did an online session with Quentin. 35kg bench 6 reps x 4 sets. And this morning, while a gale blew rain all around, I did squats.  60kg 2 reps x 2 sets. Then down to 40kg. 6 reps x 3 sets. Followed by lat pulldowns and triceps extensions. And the 60 push ups!

So remote gym is going well as we try and avoid covid. Last night Toby went out, so Mike and I had some light tea, and we were not long out of bed. I got the dough ready for another loaf of sourdough.

Slept pretty well. Woke to the terrible wind and rain. Got the dough ready for rising. I should get it baked after work tonight happily.

Weekend beckons - for me. Friday with Toby tomorrow - yay. Then Father's Day this Sunday. Followed by sadness when Toby heads back to Chc on Monday. Waaaah.

Lewis Road iced coffee morning

Have a great weekend, whatever you get up to.

Love,

Angela