The five days off with Christmas!

Hi,

After five days off I can barely remember what happened.  It was such a nice break although the weather in Wellington has been a bit wet.  Apart from Christmas Day itself.  So, I shouldn't complain at all.  If you ever want a nice day, Christmas Day is it.

Christmas Eve was lovely, if wet.   I was working and had to do a full day.  None of this part time lark for me.  I met Aidan and went grocery shopping at Thorndon New World around 11am (her work let her do a part day).  She had to get her Christmas Day stuff and although I had done 95% of mine the night before, I also grabbed a few things.  Aidan found the whole experience stressful.  I loved it!  I like grocery shopping - it's not really a chore for me.  Well, look at the alternative chores.  Ironing?  Boring!  Laundry?  Tedious.  Luxing?  Yawn.  At least with grocery shopping I get to drive there and back and walk around while I'm there!  The rest of the shoppers were also on a mission.  I got a box of cherries, so Christmas Day could dawn and we'd be sorted.  Josh rang while Aidan was shopping and almost done and Aidan's response to Josh was that she could be put out of her misery there and then.  Fortunately, this conversation was occurring in the wine aisle, so Aidan perked up a bit selecting the wine for Christmas.  Well, perked up enough to get her through the checkout without a complete meltdown.  She's rather well restrained - you'd hardly know she wasn't having fun.  Honest!  She probably smiles at the dentist when he approaches with a massive needle.

Anyhow, Aidan eventually got her shopping in the car and went home to drop off my things and collect Duncan and Emerson from their sleepover.  I took the chance to stock her pantry with the tea I like and a jar of Marmite (for emergencies).  I think the Marmite has found its way into our pantry.  Never mind.

Toby was very excited Christmas Eve.  Santa was biding his time for the right moment to visit and fill his stocking.  Mrs Claus was dead to the world.  Pretty sure the boys put a Christmas movie on and it sent me into an instant coma.  Mike and Toby made sure Santa was watered and fed and Toby left a note out.  I really did not know anything about this.  I was dead to the world.  Working Christmas Eve must do that.

Toby's letter to Santa with carrots nearby

Christmas Day was lovely and Toby was up at 5.30am.  Oooohhh.  A bit early even for me.  We convinced him to sleep in for a bit longer, snuggled up with us.  But he kept waking up and mumbling Merry Christmas.  So excited.  I got up to make a coffee for Mike and when I got back to the bedroom, Toby had found his stocking and opened his presents from Santa.


We went upstairs and opened presents and had a good time.  I got two new wheels for my road bike and some tyres and tubes and a bike stand to use to work on the bike.  And a bike bag for my 160km races so I can eat continuously.  Mike thinks I shouldn't stop!  Hahahah.  I also got a CD from Toby of my favourite songs (with one of his favourites on it).  It's great!  I even took the Christmas carols off and put  that on, it was that good!

Mike and I made the starters for lunch and we piled into the car and headed out to Sally and Andrew's house.  The day was lovely.

So sunny!

Toby and Benjamin got their own table.  Not too sure what Benjamin thinks of that now.

Desserts were amazing!

Caught up with loads of family.  The food was scrumptious and I sat for hours eating constantly.  Didn't realise until I finally got up to move.  Mmmmm.  Yum!

We stayed for a while and eventually had to wander home, completely stuffed with yummy food.  The boys decided to try out Toby's new sleeping bag by sleeping on the deck.  It was all going well until 2am when it started raining.  So the boys crept into the lounge and Toby slept on the couch and Mike snuggled up next to me (yes, I was sleeping on a Therm-a-rest on the floor inside - no deck for me!).

Boxing Day was a lazy affair.  The weather came right after lunch and stayed nice for the rest of the day.  Mike and I tried to put the new wheels on my road bike but unfortunately our enthusiasm was greater than our knowledge.  I am now waiting for two new parts to replace the ones we have accidentally bonded to each other and now cannot come off the existing wheel.  In the meantime, I can ride my commuting mountain bike as usual.  My new bike stand is doing sterling service holding my wheel-less road bike.

Friday I took off work and that was also pretty lazy.  The weather didn't help as we have had almost constant drizzle.  It's warm though.  Sticky.  Yes, I recall next to nothing of this day.  Hahahah.

Saturday we went into town and visited Te Papa.  We went to see the Aztec exhibition and I was very happy immersed in all things archaeological.  Toby loved it too.  Managed to get a trip to Joe's Garage in there too.

Photo bomb from the Tobster

First Joe's Garage iced coffee for a while and it reminded me of how good it is.

We used the new barbecue in anger this evening.  Cooked a leg of lamb and it was the most wonderful leg of lamb I have had in a long time.  Moist.  Perfect.  Mike loves his charcoal BBQ.

Needs more attention at the start than the old gas BBQ.  But worth it, declares Mike

Sunday saw us going to the Embassy to watch Gravity in 3D.  What an awesome movie.  Loved it.  I was squirming in my seat willing Sandra Bullock and George Clooney to just grab onto anything!  George didn't listen to me.

Off to Bella Italia with Sally and Andrew for some lunch and then we picked up Sally's treadmill.  What a cool Christmas present.  She test drove it and it's perfect for some Kindle reading while walking.  Choice!  Wonder if I can read the Kindle while using Andrew's static bike trainer?  Hahahah.

In the evening we met Jackie and Aidan and had tea with them while Benjamin looked after Toby and William (the two boys had been the see Hunger Games Catching Fire, but Toby disliked the cliffhanger ending).  Capitol was as good as ever (I enjoyed the zucchini risotto a lot).  Then we went off to see The Hobbit in 2D for a change from the 3D version we saw a few weeks back.  Liked the 2D one too - saw different things.  Amazing what a difference that makes.

Monday saw me back at work.  Nice ride in and looking forward to the ride home.

We're off to Ruapehu for New Years, leaving tomorrow morning.  We have two cars, as I need to come back on Thursday for work on Friday.

Love,
Angela

The Monday with Christmas madness

Hi,

Yesterday was such a lovely day here in Wellington.  Wonderful weather.  Today, it has turned to pants and is apparently going to stay that way for Christmas Day.  Oh well.

I managed to get some last minutes presents for Toby and panic was averted.  I also got an iced coffee at Rahzoo.  Ange (work colleague) was taken aback by my request for a photo.  And wasn't sure how to use the camera.  So my photos below show me posing, then asking if she was ok, then posing while laughing and then finally telling her to stop taking photos!

Iced coffee fun and games

I followed this up with an iced coffee with Andrew.  Well, it was obviously the day for it.

Mixed Business 8.5

Mixed Business's iced coffee was actually really good.  Andrew enjoyed his too!

Mike came and collected me and we had Burger Wisconsin for dinner.  Duncan and Emerson stayed the night.  It was fun!

This morning the rain started.  Mike is on a DIY mission and got two loads of gravel this morning.  I was shovelling gravel after his first trailer load landed on the footpath.  Hahah.  In the rain.  In my bike shorts.

Can't wait for 5 days off!  Bring it on, 5pm!

Have a wonderful Christmas.

Love,
Angela

The weekend with garden madness

Hi,

Friday night had a lovely ride to the Tabors new place with pizza dinner.  I thought I might be a wee bit faster the second time, but it was the same time.  The route to their house is actually far better than my normal one because it is so gradual compared to my steep one.

Saturday we tackled the house and garden for a rather late spring clean.  Mike was a machine and now any visitors can get to the front door without being issued a machete to hack away the vegetation.  I really should have taken a before and after photo.

In other news, our cat from two years ago has come back.  We suspect her current "owners" (I use that term loosely) are away on holiday.  So after a week of having her around, we have relented and bought cat food.  Mike and Toby were in the garden on Sunday afternoon and watched her pounce on a lizard and eat the whole thing.  I am horrified and amazed.  Amazed because I am sure she is half blind.  And horrified that if she can inflict damage on wildlife, what are fully functioning cats doing to the creatures around them?

Monday morning is lovely here in Wellington.  My ride in was wonderful.  I left Toby sleeping soundly and Mike surfing the internet.  Almost not any different from a normal day, except they won't be rushing around like mad things for the last 30 mins trying to get out the door.

Duncan and Emerson are coming to play today - and have a sleepover.  Should be fun for Toby.

Have a fantastic day!
Love,
Angela

The Thursday with dinner

Hi,

Another crazy day at work - we think Christmas panic brings them out of the woodwork.  Certainly makes the days go fast - the week on the other hand seems to have taken an age to get to Friday!  But, thank goodness.  Mike's last day at work for two weeks.  I have a list of tasks at home as long as my arm!  Poor chap!

Yesterday I had breakfast out (which was an odd thing.  The cafe's two chefs both called in sick and the manager donned the chef's outfit and tried her hand.  Fortunately, as she informed us that she was missing several ingredients, she used to be a chef.  The brekkie was good!) and then lunch out (phew - Nadine and Merran from my favourite client - I managed to fit some in).  Then I forgot I had said yes to a team BBQ in the afternoon.  And we had said yes to dinner with the Tabors.

This Christmas might kill me with food!

Toby spent the day with Duncan and Emerson (ta Jackie) and they invited him to stay another day.  They have a great park not far from their house, and kakas nest close by.  It really is a lovely place.  And dinner was fantastic.

I rode to the their new house last night after work and it took me 23 minutes.  I think if I rode that way often, it'd get much faster.  Glenmore is less steep than my usual route and you can get faster and faster.  I also found a shortcut from Glenmore up to Raroa.  Pretty pleased with myself for that!

I rode home as well - hooning along Mairangi.  That is such a lovely road to ride.  Once you get over the tipping point, you can sit on 45 km easy all the way home, around the sweeping bends.

This weekend is tidy the house weekend (and buy the presents I have not bought yet).  I need a lot of Round Up.

Have a lovely day!  I am working through the Christmas break, so you should see some blog entries.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with less chaos and madness

Hi,

Wednesday was lovely.  Busy and just the tiniest bit chaotic.  I did catch up with Aidan for lunch which was a bit of calm in the day.  Actually, I think lunch might have provided the same respite from her chaos too.

After work Mike had a romantic dinner planned because Toby was having a sleepover.  But my manager suggested drinks at the local pub and one became two, became three.  But we did get some food.  Then we walked to tramping club and only just got there in time to collect the laptop for Mike to work on over the summer break.  Lucky!  Hopped on the bus and came home.

We watched a movie and fell asleep.  I am wondering if I am getting a wee bit sick.  Scratchy throat and not exactly bounding with wellness.  I'm going to deny it a bit longer.

Mike is collecting Toby from his sleepover this morning (Thurs) and dropping him off at another playdate before coming into work.  It has finally started raining - they have been forecasting this for days.  I thought they were dreaming.

I have a breakfast with colleagues this morning and then a lunch with clients.  I am going to avoid dinner I think!  Hahahah.  Tis the season!

Have a wonderful day!

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with madness and chaos

Hi,

Tuesday was a mad, crazy day at work.  My new manager has said that Christmas time brings out the crazy people, and yesterday I think I glimpsed her sentiment.  Hahahah.  But after all the madness, I rode home like a woman possessed and by the time I got home, I was as mellow as a mallowpuff.  That was what Mike said.  Aidan has said being that relaxed is like being a soft noodle.  I think I like the mallowpuff word.  Because I like mallowpuffs.  Mellow as a mallowpuff.

Today is another day!  The sun is shining - I had a great ride in.  I need a cup of tea, but apart from that, it's all good.  Toby has a playdate today and a sleepover.  Mike has plans to take me out for dinner.  Tomorrow Toby goes for another playdate.  Today I have plans to see Aidan for lunch.  Yep - today is all goodness.  Although it might be because I haven't read all my emails yet.  Hahahah!  Just kidding.

Have a lovely, lovely day!

Love,
Angela

The Monday with nothing much

Hi,

Despite the poor weather forecast, it remained quite nice yesterday.  I enjoyed my ride home and Mike and Toby were well into the evening routine by the time I got in.  We had dinner (yummy falafels) and then pretty much retired for the evening.  Mike was a bit shattered.

Goodness, there really wasn't much happening yesterday.  This morning I had a good ride into work.  It is so warm and sticky, even at this time of the day.  But again, it is supposed to be rainy at some stage today.

Not much on today either.  Will ride home, hopefully the long way.

Have a great day!
Love,
Angela