The Tuesday with Toby arriving

 Hi,

The painters came and were all done by lunch time. They packed up and asked me to check it out. It all looks good to my completely untrained eye.

And finished

Looks good

Sourdough

I made a sourdough during the day too. And after work I got stuck into the step cleaning that really needs to get done.

I did the deck a few years ago and it is still in pretty good condition.

Started the step cleaning

So cute

Toby and Tessa arrived at 11am and met Mike in town for lunch. They headed to see David for some family catch up.

Mike and I were asleep in bed when they got home. I heard Alexa in the kitchen tell me there was someone at the door and I was sure I heard a key. But my sleepy brain convinced myself it was nothing. So weird. But 10 seconds later they tried the door again and got in - and I was up and awake. Definitely someone at the door this time.

Makes me wonder about hearing anyone intruding in the house now. Maybe I would just roll over and go back to sleep!

Anyway - I went up to see them both. They were chill and happy to see the cats. The cats were also happy they were here. I saw Smudge strutting into the top bedroom like a boss.

Went back to bed. Up early at 5.30am for Mike to get an Uber to the airport. He is visiting Christchurch for 2 days for work.

I rode into town and went to my PT session with Quentin. 90kg squats. Well. I did 1 rep x 2 sets. Is that even a thing? PB. But my depth was not there. I think I was a bit scared of that weight. Maybe I will try next week.

But - really - I am pretty happy with that. I would love 100kg at some point.

Hope your day is a good one.

Love,

Angela

The Monday working at home with the painters here

 Hi,

It is chaos already for December. But the painters are making huge headway. I reckon they will finish today (Tuesday).

Starting the top coat

Looking good

Stairs

Deck

Looks so good

Mike missed his gym session yesterday and I subbed in for him. That meant we switched around Tuesday morning a little. I went to 7am PT session with Quentin online in the garage and Mike bussed in for my usual second half.

I did deads. 70kg 5 reps x 4 sets. 

Mike did horrible things on machines. He is regretting mentioning the need to strengthen his hips for running. Who knew that our PT would respond by making him do terrible hip and glute exercises? It's good for you, Mike! Eat your metaphorical veggies.

Drove into town for brekkie with Yvette from work - She lives on a farm up north and is in Wellington for a planning day. Mike also joined us straight after his gym session. Good to catch up with her. Her partner bought a new horse in foal. Wheeeee. Exciting.

Then I drove home for work. Whew. Good day here - the painters will be so happy.

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

Iced latte with Yvette at Smith the Grocer

The weekend with trap line and painters and our wedding anniversary

 Hi,

December is always so social. Met Iona and Maureen on Thursday as Iona got off the ferry. She was off on a weaving weekend.

Caught up with these two on Thurs

Saw Mai on Thursday

Met Juliet at Gemini for lunch. She is good. And we met Mai as worked ended because she used a meeting room for a meeting she had. So good to see her after all these years.

Caught up with Juliet and Mike on Thurs

Yvette on Thursday

Then NMK had their end of year dinner and Secret Santa. So we went out for that. So good. and coming back we bumped into Serge and had a drink with him. he lives in Melbourne now.

Serge on Thursday

Unexpected painters on Friday

We were going to go into the bush Friday - do the trapline with Callan and then stay in a tent. But the painters arrived unexpectedly so I stayed behind and Mike did the trapline with Callan.

Painters were amazing with their prep work.

Prep work

Looking good

Moxley drinks Ange's water

We woke up and they were sleeping together

Touching even!

Post park run iced latte

Mike unwraps Bruuuuce - from Ange

Ange visited me on Friday and gave us a poster of Bruce. Mike unwrapped that on Saturday and laughed. Hahah. Ta Ange.

Undercoat

For Angie's birthday

More prep

At Angie's birthday

Went to Angie's birthday on Saturday and enjoyed seeing her and her friends.  Lots of good food and drink to enjoy her special day (same day as Tyler!).

Sunday at La Cloche

I did not get a pic with everyone looking at once

Made a stand for my phone

Sunday saw us busy with things too.

We met Iona and Andrew at Bluebridge for Iona's trip back over the Strait. And took them to La Cloche and enjoyed a light, quick lunch before dropping Iona back at the ferry.

Back home to chill with some life admin tasks.

Up Monday for online gym for me and a late bus ride for Mike to town.

Toby and Tessa arrive tomorrow - exciting. Can't wait to see them. It has been a while since we saw them last.

Enjoy your week.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday with seeing Mai at work

 Hi,

I took no photos! And it wasn't a work from home day. Well - I was busy so that is my excuse. The main thing that was noteworthy was a visit to our work from our friend from ages back, Mai. She was down here for work and needed an office space for a bit. So Mike booked a meeting room and we caught up with her briefly afterwards. 

She is well. John has retired. And Jack has a job in the court system somewhere. Their puppy is now an old 13 year old dog. So - time indeed passes before you realise it.

Hello Mai

I rode home and fed the cats. Mike went out to a party with Deloitte folk and caught up with a few friends that work there now.

Then he bumped into the chap that bought our MX-5. So they chatted to each other for ages. Hahah.

Slept ok and then up for a ride in for my PT session. After that I am meeting Iona. She caught the late 7.30pm sailing last night that left at 2am. I know. Crazy. She just got into town.

Better head to the gym. It is our wedding anniversary tomorrow. We are doing a trapline and then camping in the bush. Woot!

Quick update - met Iona and Maureen for brekkie.

Brekkie at Smith the Grocer this morning

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela.

The Tuesday with an excursion at work and a walk home after work

 Hi,

We have birthday milk now. I love getting bottles of birthday milk. Hahahah.

Birthday milk

Dead lifts on Tuesday

Iced latte 

Now with Mike

It's nearly Christmas time

Shane drove me to our planning site

Shane and I drove out to the terminal to check the meeting room for our planning days. He was so excited to see the awesome room that his eyes lit up and he raced around the room, planning his session as he could see it all unfolding.

I walked home with Barb via our usual Te Ahumairangi Hill tracks and we enjoyed a lovely evening out there. 

View on the walk home

Selfie time

Almost at the top

Almost out to Cecil

Mike had an after-work Secret Santa mission, so he jumped on the train to Petone K-Mart - but got on an express to Waterloo, another 5k or so up the track by mistake. So he ubered back to Queensgate mall only to find nearly all the stores shut - what, stay open past 5pm? In December? Too crazy for Lower Hutt. But The Warehouse was open and he got what he needed.

Sally then kindly dropped him home in the wee MX-5. Awwwww. Thank you.

Great evening for it

We were home fairly close in time. We ate our leftover porridge. And chatted to my mother for a while. But I was so sleepy she made us go to bed. Hahah.

But Mike had yet another mad adventure in store, when some students jumped on an epic bus ride to pick up a fake Christmas tree he was selling cheap. He was running about the suburb late into the evening making sure they could make their bus home again. He ended up giving it away as he was too emotionally invested in their bus riding efforts to charge them any money. Well, that's the Christmas spirit I guess.

Good sleep. Up to bus in. The rain started and it is quite heavy. Maybe some thunder too. PT session was good. Shoulder rehab.

Hope your day is a good one.

Love,

Angela

The Monday with working from home and a lot of bird activity

 Hi,

What an eventful day working from home on that particular Monday.

First up, Toby got his uni results and they are amazing. Straight A's. The exam he thought he'd failed, he got 'just' an A- for. So proud. 

When I got home Sunday night Mike said there was a bird that had fallen down the wall space and he could hear it chirping and flapping. He asked if he was allowed to make a hole in the gib. I said yes. But then he decided to take the co-axial box out of the wall low down to see if that would let the bird out. No. No it did not. And we didn't hear it. So we thought it might have died. 

Mike left to go to work Monday morning and as I ate brekkie I could hear it flapping. I put my ear on the wall and determined it was actually halfway up the wall. I got the gib saw and cut a wee 3x3 hole. I could hear it then chirping its wee head off. But I was too scared to put my hand in to find it. The wall space did not look inviting.

 I went to make lunch. Scrambled eggs and asparagus. Looking forward to that, I was. 

Halfway through cooking I hear a commotion. The bird had got out - - and Moxley had caught it! I rushed back to turn off the hob and hurtled back to try and rein in the chaos. The chaos was only starting. Moxley was strutting her way downstairs with it in her mouth.  I chased her and picked her up and as I carried her back up the stairs, she dropped the bird. We are renovating the stairs and there are gaps to the wall space there and the wee bird was trying to get in the wall. Again! OMG.  I put the cats in a room and then got a tea towel and grabbed the wee bird. I then put it on the deck. 

It sat there for a while, obviously traumatised by the whole series of events. And when I came with a saucer of water - it FLEW AWAY! Not well. But it flew.  I am calling it a successful rescue of a baby boy sparrow.

Cats can hear the baby bird in the wall

Rescued baby sparrow

Well, after I went back to finish cooking my lunch and went back to work, I decided it was all rather too exciting for a lunch break. Went into our bedroom mid afternoon and squealed when I found an adult female blackbird on our floor. I have NO IDEA how that happened or what cat had decided I was too useless to hunt the baby bird and I needed a bigger bird to learn how to hunt better.

The bird was quite dead and did not fly well when I threw it out the bedroom door.

Dead adult blackbird

Moxley is still keen

Anyway - fed the cats after work and drove to town to go to Spin with Juliet. I need more Spin classes in my life. Good to see Juliet.

I gave her the sourdough Mike baked on Sunday. We had too much.

After Spin

Mike got home when I was at Spin and tidied up. Then I got home and Elly and Tom arrived. We got burgers and planned a MTB trip to Great Barrier Island. Woot!

Yummy dessert courtesy of Elly. And then they headed away and we went to bed.

Up to ride in and PT session with Quentin. Deads 92.5kg 2 reps x 4 sets. Then bench 35kg 6 reps x 4 sets.

I am exhausted.

Hahah

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The weekend with a Christmas party and Blenheim fun

 Mike here again. Angela is under the pump and won't get her blog out by 10am. So let's see if I can fill in some details.

I had the work Christmas party on Friday night - Las Vegas theme, I went as crass tourist.

The muscles t-shirt got another outing

Angela and Maureen and Iona and Col had some fun adventures in Blenheim. Biking off the ferry down to Picton. Finding various decomposing animals in traps. Sorting out how her partner broke her gear changes.  I'll let Angela fill in those details tomorrow!