The Thursday with lunch with Iona and Andrew

Hi,

I managed to catch up with Iona at Machete and enjoyed an iced latte with her before Andrew turned up and we all had a quick lunch.

Ok - I had no idea my hair looked that crazy

Selfie - and another useless attempt from me.  But Iona has it nailed!

Iona wandered off to catch her Bluebridge ferry home after a week away.  She was missing Col.

The afternoon was tough, but the end finally came.  I picked up something for tea and lurched home on the bus with my tramping backpack (fortunately empty - but still rather large).  Chatted to Bernardine on the way home.

Cooked tea - chicken fajitas.  We all love them.

Collapsed into bed really early.  Was asleep seconds after turning out my light.  Zzzzzz.

The weekend beckons.  I am going tramping with Andrew tomorrow.  Up near Palmerston North - into the Tararuas there.  We need two cars as it is a walk through.  Very excited.

Otherwise, housework and buying kitty litter and cat food.

Hahah.

Enjoy your weekend.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday that went by in a blur

Hi,

Ok - so I went to Spin Wednesday morning (early class) and then stupidly didn't wriggle out of the lunch run.  OMG.  It was so hard.  I need to start running more - once a week is killing me.

Lunch run splits

Anyway, I was about to head home on the bus after 5pm when Mike called.  He didn't have car keys - so could I please drive the car home.  Hahahah.

Got home and cooked tea for Toby.  Chicken schnitzel.  His request.  He said they were good.  With mash.  And when Mike got home, he ate his.  And said I had outdone myself this time. 

My boys are funny.

Sat on the couch and chatted to Mike before bed.  And zonked out in bed until my alarm.

Today seems a bit nicer for the weather.  Might be a false positive.

Have a wonderful day.

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with a Kapiti evening adventure

Hi,

Oh - I can't believe I didn't take a single photo yesterday.

Work was work.

But Mike had a Gilbert plan to execute in the evening.  He had bought a weed eater on Trademe, and only after shelling out the cash did he check where he had to go to pick it up - turns out it was out in Kapiti, a longish drive up the coast. Toby was keen for the drive and I was happy to go out for dinner up there so we turned it into an adventure.

I met Toby after work, and we walked up to the car.  Met Mike there and then joined the stationary traffic on SH1 out of town.  Well, we decided to hare off through Wadestown and Johnsonville and avoid the jam.  We all decided to stop at Countdown at Crofton Downs and Toby got 3 cans of V.

We are all as bad as each other.

We drank V, and Toby played random requests as we drove to Nikau Valley just outside of Paraparaumu.  Mike picked up his mighty fine weedeater and we continued to The Front Room at Waikanae.  Only to find they were shut.  So we went to Long Beach, a really nice pub next door on the corner.

So, so nice.  I ate some sweet corn starter, grilled with miso powder.  Yum!  And cheesey chilli fries.  Which, really, I should have avoided.  My main was a good papardelle pesto with asparagus (yum!) and green beans (yuck) and snow peas (yum!).

Mike thought evidence of my reluctant vegetarianism was hilarious.

Toby had the steak (which he wasn't overly enamoured with), Mike had the venison.  It all looked good.  And good service.

Drove back, with more raucous requests - this time with Mike DJ-ing.  Mike picked up Jase from work and they all chatted.  Jase sounds like he might be settling on Vic next year!  Woot!  Let's see what happens.

Drove in this morning as Mike needs the car after work.  I went to early Spin.  And it is run day.  I hope my body holds up.

Hope your day is superb.

Love,
Angela

The Monday back at work

Hi,

Wow - where did this wet weather come from?  Crazy.

Headed home to find Toby and a few mates relaxing after their last exam for the year.  Two of them slept over too.  I ordered pizza and Jase surfaced from the safety of his room to mingle briefly to get the life sustaining pizza.  Frankly, I understood that sentiment very well and stayed in my room too.

Mike got home late after some disaster at work.  Happens.  We went to sleep to the loud movie coming from the lounge.  I was sure it would keep me awake.  Nope.

Monday morning with dry hair and Andrew

Tuesday morning with wet hair and Steph

Still raining steadily here - and with a decent breezy southerly.  Actually, it is swirling around - I have no idea what direction the wind is coming from.  It's full of rain though.

Enjoy your day.  Mike and I have date night after work.  In Waikanae.  Woot!  It's because he is picking up a weedeater he bought on Trade Me.  I have turned it into date night.

Love,
Angela

The weekend with Round Taupo

Hi,

Thursday was a day at work - I did get a coffee date in with Celia.  Woot!

Coffee with Celia

But it was all about Taupo by the end of the day.  Final packing on Thursday night.  Up early on Friday to see Mike off to work, and get all my stuff into the car.  Picked up Iona at 8am at her parents' place and then we were off on our road trip to Taupo.

Peach teats on Friday morning!

Soul Cafe for lunch - and an iced coffee.  I had a great pasta here too.  The iced coffee came with a jaffa positioned exactly on top.  It was good.  A solid 8.

We popped into the New World to pick up a few things for the weekend.

It's a jaffa!

Ok - I'm good with this

And it tastes pretty good.

Ngauruhoe looms over the Desert Road

Many road works along the way to contend with.  Iona drove from Taihape, giving me the best views to look at through the plateau region.  The weather was stunning.  From Turangi to Taupo, the lake was simply gorgeousness.

Bib 41

Into our room around 2pm and off to pick up our registration bag.  All seamless - thanks to the amazing volunteers.  Wandered through the gear expo.  Iona bought a floor pump.  Woot!

Back to the room and prep for the big day.  Bib on my bike cycle top.  Gear all laid out.  Realised I had left my bike jacket at home.  Went with my new aquamarine jacket.  Tyres checked.  Helen (Iona's friend) had made dinner so we tucked into dhal - it was very good.  Chatted with Mandy for a bit before Iona and I went to bed.

I reckon I was asleep around 9pm.  Iona was up at 5am to get ready for her 6am start.  The weather was overcast at that point - with rain forecast.

I got up at 6.30am and had a shower.  Made brekkie.  Porridge.  Couldn't eat much.  WeetBix - ate that - but only one.  Scrambled eggs.  Couldn't eat much.  And then I puked!  First time in years.  Sigh.

Took two Voltaren after that, hopped on my bike and headed to my start group.  8.20am I was in line.  The rain started not long after that.  We got away at 9am on the dot - just as it was scheduled.

The race itself was hard work.  The rain was at times pretty heavy - the sort that soaks through your helmet and dribbles down your face.  The only good part of that was my dribbly nose ended up just being a part of the pouring rain.  Hahahah.

The first 20 - 30 km I made good time.  But after 50 km through to 100km, it was hard work.  I nailed the downhills, which, okay, isn't hard.  But anything with an uphill, I got passed like I was standing still.  Sigh.

I got to Turangi in 5 hours exactly.  An hour behind my schedule.  I was cold by this time.  But my Tailwind was doing great - taking sips every 5 - 10 mins from my Camelbak.  I had 2 litres of it on my back, under my lovely new jacket.  It wasn't that I had run out of energy like last year.  Anyway, now I hit the headwind.  But I also did well between Turangi and Licorice cafe - sitting on 30km/h.  On my own.  Like the whole way around.  7.5 hours in total had me crossing the finish line.  And I was exhausted.  So happy to see Iona's smiling face as I crossed the line.  But, I was absolutely shattered.

And filthy.  And wet.  But not as sore as I have been - maybe the Voltaren kept the tense shoulders at bay.

My little black road cycling gloves (with the faintest of purple highlights) leaked dye all over my hands.  My hands are purple.  At one stage I looked down and saw my purple fingers poking out of the gloves and thought for a second I was turning blue with cold.  Reminder:  don't use those gloves in any scenario where it will get wet.  Two days later - my hands still look like I was practising with henna tattoos.  But wasn't very good at it.  Which, actually, would be true.  I would be hopeless.  Hahah.

After the wet ride

Iona had the car outside Replete, so I bundled my bike in (ok, she did) and folded myself into the car seat.  She took me to Acapulco and I had a shower.  A long, hot shower.

We ate dinner with Mandy and Helen - enjoyed the dhal again.  Slowly perked up.  But I was asleep by 8.30pm!  Hahah.  I woke at 4am, ready to face the day.  I may have annoyed Iona and made her chat to me.  But after a short chat, I fell asleep again.  I kinda hope she did too.  But she was up, boiling the jug and having a shower all while I was again comatose.  So I don't really know if I pestered her and interrupted her sleep a lot.

I got up and was packed and ready by 8am.  And we headed off to nab a table at Replete.  Helen and Mandy weren't far behind us.

Replete brekkie

Iced coffee

My tummy was still a bit weird, so I ate some mushrooms (yum) and didn't even finish my iced coffee.  OMG.  Weird, or what?

Went back to the motel to ensure we were booked for next year.  Yes, we all are!  And haded home.  Via Palmerston North to drop Iona off.  Then Tawa to drop her bike and gear off (except I kept her wet shoes!).

Home to get the best surprise ever.  Mike, Jase (and maybe Toby) had tidied like mad.  It was like a new house.  I was so happy.  Thank you.

Did some laundry.  Got paella from the new place in Wadestown.  Ok - that was scrumptious.  Let's eat there lots and keep them in business.

Had a great sleep.  Up for Spin this morning.  I will ease back into it this week.  Rain forecast here all week.  Oh dear.

And that was the weekend.  Next goal?  Kapiti Womens in late Feb.  Gonna nail that sucker!

Toby has an exam today - this afternoon.  Health.  His last one for the year.  Woot!  Can't wait for him to be done and relaxing.

Enjoy your week ahead.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with not a lot

Hi,

Wednesday.  Wow.  What a day.  It came, it had highlights with iced coffees, and it went.  But it was a tricky hump day.  Hahahah.

I did see Andrew in the morning for a coffee catch up - heard about his trip to Nelson with Sally and Vicki and Alistair.  Sounded like another great weekend.

Cafe Sierra with Mike

Machete with Andrew

Headed home with Mike getting on the same bus.  We were expecting Toby to stay out at a movie.  So we tucked into roti and satay sauce and were very surprised when he came home during that. 

He cut his big toe stepping on something (his PS2) and it seems to have a big gash as it split open when he ran for his bus home.  He did it late Tuesday night because I found drops of blood in the bathroom and on the lounge floor.  I wondered what was going on.

Anyway - last blog post before Taupo.  Oosshh.  I am collecting Iona from her parents place tomorrow morning at 8am and heading up with her.  Wish me luck!

Mike and Toby are staying home to study and perform life admin tasks.  Namely - my washing!  Please don't turn things pink.

Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with a stats exam for Toby

Hi,

 I caught up with James and Kate for brekkie yesterday.  Had a good iced latte at Little Peckish.  But I couldn't put the other pics on the blog of just me and my iced coffee because they really show that I have no clue with using a blow dryer.  I went to Spin, and thought I'd be best drying my hair a bit before brekkie.

No.  No, it wasn't one of my best ideas.  Let me leave that to the professionals (Sarah, my hairdresser) once every 7 weeks or so.

Kate looks amazing - I look like I shouldn't be allowed near a blow dryer!

Met Mike and Toby at Maccas to celebrate the end of Toby's stats exam.  It was nice to have lunch together.

Flax is budding.

Renga renga looks amazing!

Got home, cooked spag bol for Toby to celebrate yet another exam sorted.  It's one of his favourite meals.  Turns out he forgot what "median" meant.  But he chose the answer in the middle.  Good guess - let's hope it was right.  :-)

He also mentioned that his history paper had a section added to the bottom of the paper that included definitions of all the complicated words on the exam.  I was amused.  The English paper for NCEA3 was hammered in the press for having words 17 and 18 year olds didn't know.  Like "Trivial".  Really?  Anyway, I thought it was good they responded so fast to that outcry and added the definitions in.  Toby was also amused as there were spelling mistakes.

I have no gym today.  Tapering.  It was weird coming to work without a backpack full of gear. 

Have a brilliant day!

Love,
Angela