The weekend with Wellington stuff

Hi,

The weather was stunning over the weekend - wow!  Obviously it will be the same next weekend because that is.... BIRTHDAY weekend!  Woot, woot!

The weekend was good.  Mike is still on the decluttering horse, riding it to my exhaustion.  :-p  I got out Saturday and washed the house on the outside with the window washer.  Nice day to get wet with a hose.  Mike continued getting rid of stuff.

Iced latte @ Machete with Mary

No scaffolding!

A step outside the spare room

Steps where we put the bins!  And now Moxley can't hide under the porch.

The builder (Vlad) has made more progress in two days than the previous builders did in three months.  So nice.

The cat was surprised when we let her out to explore the steps off the porch.  She used to run out and go under there because we couldn't reach her.  But it is blocked off and she was grumpy to find it no longer accessible.  Her tail swished back and forth, expressing her displeasure.

Cats chilling

Bruise is getting better

Summer fruits!

Sunday saw the boys taking the trailer to the tip.  With complicated Gilbert plans, obvs.  Janine's bed was going to Elly's house for her to use.  Elly's bed was going on the trailer to go to the tip.  But a neighbour at Elly's place saw this, and asked for the old bed for their place.

Mike has emptied the pit and it looks great.  He left my old skis for me because I told him if he threw them away, this winter we'd get snow on our street.  Again - like back in 2009.  I really want to ski down our street in them!

Hope your week is a good one.

Love,
Angela

the Thursday with Hiakai degustation

Hi,

After work, I waited outside Andrew's work with Mike for a colleague of Andrew's to join us.  She had arranged a degustation meal at Hiakai in Wallace St, Mt Cook.

We walked there with Elly and chatted away.  Got there just before 1800 and sat down in the fairly small dining area.  It has a nice ambiance - dark but modern.  Before too long, Doro and her mother arrived to join us.

Ok.  I never took any pics.  But the whole 6 course meal was superb.  My vegetarian options were absolutely lovely.  At one point I had ice cream with crushed nori (seaweed) in it.  Scrumptious.  Snacks at the start were amazing - sun dried kumara, horopito, supplejack (that was so good - like slightly tougher brocollini).  Cold soup (potato and leek flavours).  Dessert was potato (yes!) and chocolate ice cream - with Milo (TradeMark).

It was so good to meet Doro's mother too - she is over for a month to visit her.  Enjoyed hearing Elly translate the courses for her.

Mike and I walked back to my work to collect my stuff, then up to the car.  I drove home and fell into bed.

Nice day today (Friday).  Stunning even.  Tip run tomorrow - trailer all filled up.

Hope your weekend is a good one.

Love,
Angela

the Wednesday with Waitangi Day

Hi,

It's a Good Afternoon, good afternoon post today.

I like to try and attend marae events on Waitangi Day - but our list of things to do was so long we couldn't take time out.  Mike certainly made the most of the day off and cleared stuff out of the pit and filled the trailer with junk. 

We also had the tiler come in and finish off the bathroom.  Wow!  Shame about the chip in the existing tile - but we can probably hide that a bit.  Good on him for coming on a PH.  That was astonishing.

Still, it is nice to see that finally sorted.

Toby had some mates turn up for a gaming afternoon from midday.  The usual suspects (Zak, Isaac, Tessa and Ethan).  They ate anything that resembled junk food from the pantry.  Even the licorice.  By 1800 they were all heading home.

And today the builder came in from AllWorks to finish off the unfinished work.  That may take a wee bit of time.

Happy iced coffee at Gotham for lunch today

My son is a male model

My attempt at getting a passport pic

Terracotta warriors exhibition at Te Papa have a fantastic light show at night outside

Machete iced latte with Celia

Birthday milk!

This morning I stayed back to meet the builder and ensure he had a key (check!) and knew most of the list.  He will ring Mike to talk about the laundry doors.  And he has instructions on how to corral Moxley.  But Victoria was also there (yes, chaos!) and she knows about Moxley's bid for freedom.  So I had Moxley downstairs and she was going to ensure that Moxley stayed there.  Smudge was happy hiding under our bed.

I left and drove in.  The traffic was awful at 8.30am.  who would do that on a regular basis?  Horrid.  Got close to the last car park spot in Clifton Terrace.  Next to a campervan with two young women that look like they may be freedom camping in the car park.  Ok - I am probably making that part up.  But they were fluffing around at the back with their washing.  And the car park was tight so I had to shimmy out of my side. 

Goodness knows what will happen during the day.  Maybe they will erect a shower tent and have a decent wash?

Also - making that part up too.

Right.  Just caught up with Rami for lunch.  Full now.   Gotham is quite nice.  Except my Mac n Cheese had bacon.  Gah!  picked that out and left a wee pile of debris.

Off to dinner with Mike after work and some of his friends.

Have an awesome day.

Love,
Angela

The Monday with stuff and rushing

Hi,

What a day - sigh.  Highlight was definitely seeing Mike and Andrew for lunch.  They had bao and I had my lunch from home.  Then I convinced them that what we really needed was an iced latte from Machete.  Phew!  Yum!

Passport photo attempt - gorgeous

Got home and cooked tea for us - macaroni cheese.  While it was cooking, I got prompted to go out and buy emergency kitty litter.  Sigh.  Off to the vet.  Luckily they had one bag left.  Picked up Mike from the bottom of the hill after he got emergency milk.

This is what happens when you go out on adventures at the weekend.

Bruise coming along nicely

Mmmm - with Mike and Andrew

Tonight!  Woot!  Swim lesson.  And then Gin Wigmore.  Bring that on!

Toby had a good first day at school.  He hates the way the day is broken up into periods.  it does sound odd.  After lunch at 1.20pm, there is one period before school ends.  They must have seen kids falling asleep in afternoons I reckon.

Have a good one.

love,
Angela

The weekend in Waikawa beach and with a party

Hi,


What a fantastic weekend.  We met Sally and Andrew after work and headed to the Hutt.  Seashore Caberet for dinner.  I had some pea and zucchini fritters and they were good.  Went to grab the trailer from Mike's mother's place and back for a cup of tea at Sally and Andrew's.  And... Man's not hot.

The highs and the depths of the lows.  :-p

Back home and packing in the morning because...  too tired now.

Iced latte Friday morning

Toby has organised his room!

Next morning I did go into Toby's room and was pleasantly surprised to see some organisation has happened in there.  Good on him.

We eventually got packed up - I went to pick up Toby from Tessa's house (he and his mates had a sleepover) and by the time we got back, had lunch, it was time to head away.  Might have been a late start.  Probably 1.30pm by the time we left Wellington.

Camping for the weekend

But what fun - we pitched the tent at Waikawa and I eventually headed to the beach with Toby on the back of the DRZ.  He was quite nervous - gripping me tightly.  We wandered aimlessly around the streets trying to find the entrance to the beach.  Found it finally.  Eyeballed the steep sandy rutted entrance and decided to push the bike down.  Which we managed.  Then we hooned around, two-up.  I headed for the firm sand and got squirrely on some dry stuff but we powered through.

Toby wasn't interested in riding, so he stayed behind me and we blatted around before heading back.  The dry stuff made me slightly nervous and I stupidly slowed down for it.  And... we fell off.  After Toby hauled the bike off my twisted foot, we got back on and pushed it up the entrance way.

I think the handlebars jabbed me in the thigh - I have a terrific bruise and it is quite sore to touch.

Got back to the tent, threw off my bike gear and jumped in the car and I drove back to Lower Hutt for Sreejeth and Anjali's party.  Such a good time there!  Chatting, eating.  And cake!  Nom, nom.

By the time I left at 9.45pm it was an easy drive back.  11pm I pulled up at the tent. Mike had finished all the mowing with Toby contributing while he used the weedeater.  It looked amazing.

Up late the next morning and we all went to the beach.  Mike rode around while Toby and I walked down.  Mike missed us and spent some time way further down the beach.  I went for a swim of sorts.  Warm water.  But I didn't get all wet because I had left all the towels behind at the tent and the idea of standing around for ages with wet togs and hair didn't seem sensible.  There were also submerged bits of wood in the sea getting stirred up by the waves.  I didn't fancy donking any of them.

The water there is also really shallow - as it was, I was ages away from Toby and only up to my thigh.

Riding on the beach

Me swimming - sure there is a dot there!

Waiting for Mike to come back

Toby got the hang of taking off with some herbs and stopping again - more practise needed this weekend coming.  The beach is a good spot for it.

The tent when I got back at 11pm

Sunday was glorious

Iced coffee and bruise

My Buddha bowl attempt - yum!

We left around 4pm and were emptying the car and cleaning the gear at a reasonable time.  I cooked tea and we all ate.  Finished some laundry.

Magnificent weekend!  More please!

Hope this week is fun - we have Wednesday off for Waitangi Day.  Yay!

Hope yours is a good one.

Love,
Angela

The Thursday with dragon boat training

Hi,

Happy birthday month!  Yippee!  And I know lots of people with birthdays today.

After Wednesday, my Thursday was relaxing in comparison.  Even with major hassles.  They just paled into insignificance compared to Wednesday.  Back to normal.

Iced latte with Andrew

Even got a coffee in with Andrew early in the morning.  And despite that being my only chemical enhancing drug for the day, I was accused of drinking V later in the afternoon.  Which I did not.  Haven't touched it this week at all. 

My pod mates were obviously all lying.

Had dragon boat training after work - and Celia attended despite still being on leave.  Yay for her.  And it was good to see her.

We had a great session in lovely weather.  There was a swell, so it was fun.

Mike and Toby surprised me by picking me up - and they had Indian takeaways.  So no cooking for me!

Toby's first day at school today.  Not sure why they bother.  10am start and they are dismissed at 12.30.  He has a sleepover at Tessa's house.  Hope that goes ok.

We have plans with Sally and Andrew - nebulous though they are.

And camping at Waikawa beach with the motorbike.  We'll collect Toby from Tessa's tomorrow morning and head away.

I will come back into the Hutt for Saturday evening for a birthday party.  Happy birthday Sreejith and Anjali.

Have a great weekend.

Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with another swim lesson

Hi,

Ooohhhh - I am glad there are not too many days like that at work.  Talk about tough.  Anyway, I at least saw Mike at the start of my day.  We had an iced latte at The Lab.  I love the beaker I get mine in.

It was Victor's birthday and I made dip for it - which was a hit.  A dip hit.  Hahaha.  He came in with Susan and I think he enjoyed the attention.  Good on Joycie for getting it all sorted.  Nice cake too!  Nom, nom.  I ate two bits.  Thanks Jo.

About now I hurt my eye.  I think a blood vessel burst.  When I waited for Mike for lunch (which didn't happen), Shannon told me it was due to my super fast descents and ascents of the stairs and the altitude differential at that speed meant it popped.  That made me laugh as an excellent example of a  pseudo-science theory. 

This one actually hurt - like something was in my eye

Happy birthday Victor!

I made dip

Happy iced latte with Mike

Sneaky selfie by Mike

Mike stood me up for lunch - but I found him in a meeting at my work and dropped off the Surface that I had charged.

After work, I had a swim lesson - again.  Also tough - but in a different way to work.  I had missed lunch so it was hard work from that perspective.

Home to cook tea for Toby and Mike.  And into bed after a vent to Mike about my day.  Which he said he found interesting.  But, he's just sweet like that.

Missed the 15/15 yesterday because I didn't listen to (work) Sally.  Doh!  That Emily Bronte and her single piece of literature.

Hope your day is a good one.

Love,
Angela