The Wednesday with garage gym after work

 Hi,

Got a few messages done in my lunch break with Mike and then bussed home after work with Madeleine. We had a garage gym session. She is so strong.

I dropped her home afterwards and headed back to our place and decided to drive up our bike route, just in case I saw Mike. And I did! He was pushing his bike because the road is steep and awful. But I had no space in the car - no bike rack. So I took his really heavy backpack and he rode the rest of the way home.

Sourdough baked

We made tea and I baked some bread. Watched some YouTube and then off to bed. Bit of a muggy night. Up early to ride in on my pedal bike. Riding after work with Maureen.

Got to take my bike in for a service tomorrow. And maybe sort out my greenhouse to make it more resilient. Stupid winds!

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday at work with a walk home with Barb

 Hi,

After an iced coffee date with Mike when he got to work, we also had lunch at Gemini together. It was cold in Wellington and I fancied a nice omelette. Done!

Gym

French Kiss iced latte

Heading home

After work I walked home with Barb. She is a machine and I usually huff and puff to try and keep her within arm's length. But this time I mostly made it - and could kinda talk. The recent tramping and trapline must have boosted a bit of walking fitness.

Mum pinged me when I was close to home about something and when I got home I called her. 2 hours later we hung up. She needed a good chat. And I loved it. So nice to get a glimpse into their day.

I was about to get into bed when Mike finished at work. So I drove in to get him. And when we got home, we were not long out of bed.

Up in the morning to see the cats sleeping next to each other on the top of the white couch in our room. Awwwww. It is almost like they like each other.

Woke to find the cats sleeping together in our room

Mike rode in and went to the PT session with Quentin. And I walked in. I will bus home with Madeleine after work and have a garage gym session and then drop her home.

And bake my bread when I get back.

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The Monday as the tag end of a long weekend

 Hi,

What a huge weekend. I met Maureen for brekkie Friday after her gym session. Then returned my pants to Mountain Warehouse and got dropped off home.

Tidied a bit.

Thunderbird cafe iced latte

Zucchini from Celia

Saturday saw us up early - 5am - to drive to Palmerston North to do park run there. Why?! Well, why not?! 

We collected Janine who parked at Pauatahanui, which is right by an offramp and onramp. We collected her with a quick off transmission gully and back on routine.

Park run was by the river and it was a very brisk cool southerly. I did ok for my first run in ages. Achillies was good. 38 mins. Bit slow.

Approaching the finish line in my green jacket

Next task was to bag some non-DOC huts for Janine. She is collecting hut visits and is onto these less official ones after visiting all 50-odd huts in the Tararuas.

First on the list was a hut in someone's backyard, close to Parkrun and 300m from the river for the Te Araroa walkers. The couple who live there were very interesting. Fiona had worked with Iona at the hospital and did pilates for ages with her. There was also someone staying in the hut.

Hut after park run

Then brekkie at Moxies, the famous Palmerston North cafe, while the car recharged. 

Off to Moxies

Moxies iced latte

Then off to Te Whare Moturimu, a hut recently opened and specifically for Te Araroa walkers. It was about 30 min drive down a rough gravel road - the MG handled it superbly - and another 15 min walk down a forestry road. 

Te whare moturimu.

We headed home after that. I made a sourdough and got ready for Sunday trapline.

Smudge

Sourdough

Picked Maureen up at 8.30am and Andrew at 9am. Got the gear on the way and we were walking at 9.35am. 

Bit drizzly - but it cleared up by the time we got halfway up the hill. We got a stoat on SG line. Right near the top. Well worth getting out of bed for that. Callan did his trapline with Luke from work and got two stoats - and a cat! Wow. 

Stoat in SG2

Happy trapper

Keeping boots dry

Took me and Maureen about 5 hours. That included a lunch stop and faffing about with eggs puncturing and lure spraying. We did not catch Andrew. He said he saw our cross on top of UTS6 so we were ahead at that stage. He must have hurtled up KAT and back along the track while we blundered around in the creek for a few hours.

Smudge in the sun

Monday Mike got up for gym with Quentin. Then home and we bundled into the car for a ride and run along the Kāpiti coast cycle path. Stiff southerly - I had to pedal downhill!

Over the Expressway

Mike running

Angela biking

Ice creams

Ice creams in Waikanae afterwards - I got an affogato flavour. So nice. Then off to Epuni to check the unit and add some numbers to the freshly painted front door. Called in on Sally and Andrew on our way home.

Numbers all lined up

What a great long weekend. Busy. Outdoors.

This morning I bussed in and did squats and bench with Quentin. I will walk home with Barb. Woot!

Hope your day is a good one.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday working from home

 Hi,

Wet morning here in the best wee capital. But oddly - no wind. The rain is falling vertically in an unusual display of gravity.

No pics from my work from home day. Oops. The day was pretty uneventful. Mike was out after work and didn't get home until late. I watched some of my backed up You Tube channels I typically watch that I missed while away. And went to bed.

Mike confused Moxley when he got home. She was under the duvet with me (we have got a coldish snap here) and heard Alexa say someone was at the front door. So off she scooted to see what was going on up there. And Mike trotted down to our bedroom door and I let him in. Hahah.

Had a good sleep. I do not recall waking up through the night. Up for online garage gym session with Quentin. 40kg squats. 5 x 5. But it was hard. I am so soft after the break.

Mike is heading into work. And I have another WFH day. Groceries are coming. We only got the basics at the start of the week when we got home.

Enjoy your weekend coming up. We will do park run and trap lines I think. No tramping for Mike as the forecast is a bit terrible.

Have a good one.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with a bike ride after work

 Hi,

We had lunch at work for Tim for his second last day before paternity leave for his 3rd child. What a great bloke - his kids will have such an awesome bond with him. His mission now (besides getting ready for the new wee one) is to book a tramp into Turere so I can come along.

Tim gets his baby bag

Celia knows how 2026 is going to look

Celia set up the sign by my usual desk to reflect the aim for 2026.Truth.

After work I went for a ride with Maureen. My new bike is so nice. We rode to close to the new development on the opposite of Evans Bay and then rode back. 20km. It was pretty windy from the north. I was tuckered out. Mike collected me from the car parks halfway up our hill.

Mike fixed the bike rack so it would protect my new bike from any future rubbing spots. Woot!

We then had some tea and I baked some bread. I did fall asleep for the second timer on the bread while we watched YouTube. Mike wasn't even sure I was asleep as I was propped up on my hand.

Sourdough

But as I blinked myself awake, he was standing in front of me with the bread, looking very pleased.

Then off to bed. Mike was up for gym session and I am WFH.

Will hopefully drive in at the end of the day and attend Jessie's 10 year celebration before dragging Mike away from his after work catch up. Then supermarket and home.

Have a great day.

Love,

Angela

The Monday that was the first day back in 2026

 Hi,

We both worked from home yesterday (Monday) as I mentioned. Mike headed off to the hospital for a test and they squirted bubbles in to see where they ended up. And it started a migraine for him. Interesting. He called and I ubered in and drove him home. Now we wait for the next steps. He is all good though. Marathon is still allowed. Dead lifts? Not so much.

That's the third migraine of the year for Mike, after back-to-backs on 1 and 2 Jan. He also got some weird auras last night but it didn't seem to come to anything this morning. New Years' migraines are no surprise, but it did leave him quite washed out for our mighty Rees Dart tramp. (Watch this space for the Southern Adventure post!)

We had tea and watched the last two episodes of 3 body problem. I made dough and we went to bed. Mike was a bit exhausted from his migraine still.

Smudge enjoying the sun

Smudge

Sad face at the gym - Juliet wasn't coming in after me

Moxley and Smudge are happy to see us back. Smudge in particular is following Mike around and always seeking his attention. Moxley is just ... Moxley. I think that she thinks the world revolves around her (and she may be correct).

Rode my pedal bike in and it was hard work. I am supposed to ride with Maureen after work and I am a bit terrified.

Mike also rode in. We have to try and be ready for Great barrier bikepacking trip at the end of the month.

Yes. Also terrifying.

Weather seems good. Warm here.

Hope your day is awesome.

Love,

Angela

The Monday back at work

 Hi,

We got home on Sunday at midday after a really full sailing on Bluebridge. We got a table in the cafe and read for the entire crossing. Not very rough at all - but windy because they did close the viewing deck.

Moxley on the cats' new Christmas present

Unpacked at home. The cats were happy to see us. Their present was still wrapped under the tree so we opened it for them. Moxley likes it a lot already.

We had some tea. Watched some YouTube and went to bed really late as Mike started a Netflix show called 3 body problem and we watched 6 episodes. OMG.

Up for gym this morning for Mike. And we are both WFH today. House is clean and tidy after our lovely house and cat-sitter, Sam, stayed. Thank you, Sam. But our packs have exploded and we need to tidy a lot.

Have  a great week.

Love,

Angela