The weekend with family stepping up and the movers taking almost everything

 Hi,

What a huge huge weekend. Massive thanks to Sally for coming all day Friday and getting us ahead of the movers in a big way. Andrew came after work and also pitched in. We would have been in a far worse position without them.

We worked Friday (as did Andrew) so Sally came over and started packing the kitchen. She was a machine. We tried to help in breaks but the bulk of it was done by the time we finished work.

Sally in progress

Moxley chilling

Smudge hiding

Moxpley exploring

Toby's hand

Hello young Mike

Sally has packed even more

Still packing

Saturday saw us up early to continue and Sally and Andrew turned up to help. The movers arrived at about 10.30am or so. Paul and VJ were also machines. Very capable. That truck was so well packed. Wow.

And now the movers have taken a lot away

Lunch break

Careful truck packing

Sideboard goes out

Very well done

Not much left

Gap where the sideboard used to be

Fern looks good

We had a cracker day

For a 2 seater couch, this thing is heavy

Paul and his truck

All in!

The movers left at about 3.30pm having finished around 2.30pm. Bit of admin and then they were off. Sunday around 5pm they would be delivering to Toby and Tessa in Christchurch.

All loaded with no breakages or anything damaged. Well done to everyone.

Andrew and Mike worked on the lighting in the laundry but efficient packing meant a cable was missing. So Sunday had a task for us - go get more cables. Hahah.

Next job - getting the lighting and fan in the laundry

Moxley eyes the access hole

Strip lighting ...

... and working fan. It's only been on the to-do list for two years.

Playing with Moxley

Brunch with Sally and Andrew at La Cloche Sunday. Nice start to the day. Then Mike got his cables and light bulbs and he fitted everything. Laundry looks amazing.

La Cloche brekkie

Yummy options

Cleared path in Otari bush

New path up to Ian Galloway Park

Been here

I went for a run in the Otari bush. Thank you Mike and Toby for encouraging me to get out amongst it. I saw a new path from the end of the track up to Ian Galloway Park. And the pine tree that had threatened the path was chopped up and made safe. Good work!

Went to Sarah and Hamish's for dinner. Ryan enjoyed the pizza. And we booked BTS tickets for Feb in Sydney for us and my mother. Hahaha. Sarah is on a tour - 4 concerts and 2 cities. So we will see her in Sydney.

Working week ahead. Have a good week.

Love,

Angela

The Thursday with so much

 Hi,

So busy. Waaaah. After a huge day at work, Mike and I tackled parts of the house. He was up in the garage and I was in our bedroom.

Clothes all done

Mike found the brochure from our house sale 19 years ago

I made tea - we're using up a lot of fridge and pantry stuff. It tasted ok. Luckily. Then Mike headed to the garage. As you can see above, he found a lot of old memories.

Look at 5 year old Toby

This house has been a good house. Lots of growing up together. Toby blossoming into a fine young man. And Mike and I doing some fine aging. :-D

Anyway. The movers come tomorrow and the house will be mostly empty. Let's see how it all goes.

Love,

Angela

The Wednesday that felt like Friday

 Hi,

Mike got home yesterday and had the day off to sort out the loft. Sally came over to help and they did a mighty job.

Personally, I am not going anywhere near the garage. Mike knows.

We had dinner and Andrew got home from his work. Delicious pizza Mike made. Yum! And some bread.

Off to bed and we did the quiz just before sleep. Good work us!

Mike and I nailed it

Brekkie and iced latte

Round #2

Up to drive in for brekkie. And Mike is off to the doc to check his stats. 

Enjoy your day.

Love,

Angela

The Tuesday with exciting meet the candidates meeting

 Hi,

So nice to catch up with Rooz today at work. Enjoyed a coffee with him. Chatted about the work we both have on.

After a busy day at work, I headed home by bus. Got home and fed the cats and then headed out to Wadestown shops for the usual electoral year Meet the Candidates talk in the local church.

Iced latte with Rooz

At the Meet the Candidates

I left home at 6:55pm for the 7.30pm meeting. Got there around 7:10 pm and got a seat easily. The place was packed by 7.25pm.

All the candidates were there. We had a very feisty audience. Several people were filming. And eventually the reason for all the filming became clear. And the reason I walked passed a police car out front also became clear.

There were hostile people in the audience towards Ayesha Verrall. And supporters of one of the independent candidates - someone called Barry. While I do not mind a bit of heckling from the crowd, this was a bit too much. Several candidates said everyone should be allowed their allotted time to speak without interruption. But it did get heated several times.

We had two moderators - and they had a hard time. 1 minute each - which might not really be enough I suspect. But a lot of panellists and a lot to get through. As it was, it went to 8.30pm.

The police came in at the end when it started to get rowdy. Lots of shouting. Nothing more than that though.

I walked home, musing on the event and people's views. Good to always attend these. Helps you decide how you will vote.

Thank you to the cold calling from a candidate's team to tell me on Monday night that it was on. I found nowhere online that told me it was 

The Monday with work

 Hi,

Can you tell by my photos I am alone at home with the cats? Hahahah. Mike is in Auckland after flying there yesterday from Sydney.

Actually touching each other

And so relaxed

Smudge smooching with me

Emptied my clothes

After work I emptied out my wardrobe and drawers upstairs. Job done there. Off to bed. Read for a bit then sleep.

Up for bus into town. Lovely morning. Tonight is quiz night but I can't go because it is Meet the Candidates night in Wadestown. St Lukes church is hosting.

Enjoy your day.

Love,

Angela

More touching again this morning

The weekend in Sydney with Abby's birthday

 Hi,

What an awesome weekend. After work we headed to Tallawong and went to Enzos. Great fun like usual. We did order 3 burrata dishes - and the puffbread also came with 3 burratas. So we ate a lot of burrata.

It was Tessa's birthday so she got some presents. Thank you Karen for making her day special.

Birthday dinner at Enzo's for Tessa

Excited

Jamaican coffee

Desserts

Up the next morning for burrata fuelled parkrun. It was hot even at 8am. And I was 500th across the line out of 960 punters. What? How are that many people even possible in suburban parkruns? I was only a few seconds shy of my best 2026 parkrun time. Which, given the slow funnels caused by so many people, is not too bad.

Post parkrun pics

Corner cafe iced latte

Back for a quick coffee and Karen made us all eggs for brekkie. Then all changed and ready for Abby's brunch that was at 1pm. And officially called a Long Lunch.

The parkrun fun

At Bella Vista hotel

Toby and Tessa

This is what we're getting

Abby is the birthday girl

I enjoyed the long lunch. Huge venue and they looked after us. Good food - they even gave me my own courses. So - awesome!

Secured a karaoke place for 1.5 hours. $500 later. There was a wind storm on our way to Castle Hill and Karen's Uber got to the carpark as a tree fell over onto a parked car. Wow.

Storm knocked this tree over in Castle Hill

Me and big Mic

Karaoke

Then we all sung up our own storm. Huge effort on the karaoke mic. Everyone had a great time! So good.

Back home to watch some footy. Saw the chap with MND run out for his 100th game and there was not a dry eye in the house or stadium. Watched the Swans demolish their game and further into the finals.

Off to bed. Up for Fathers Day and a nice brekkie over the road.

Father's Day brekkie

At my gate

At 2.30pm we got dropped off at Quakers Hill train station and caught the 3:04pm train to Central. Switched to the airport line and Mike, Toby and Tessa got off at Green Square for their stay overnight ahead of their flights early Monday. And I stayed on and got to the airport for my flight to Wellington.

My fave snack

Easy flight home for me. It was late taking off - 1 hour late. But it made up time and we were only 30 mins late into Wellington. 12:40am arrival instead of the 12:10am. I was nodding off on my flight. Uber reservation worked and I was home by 1:15am.  Straight into bed.

Up to rain and cold this morning. Thinking about Mike's uncle and their family this morning. Robert passed away late last week. The funeral is today. No flight could get me to Dunedin early enough. Sending them all the strength to get through this hard time.

Love,

Angela