Monday, May 31, 2004
PS
I've just looked at the piccies I loaded. They haven't come out too well. Must look at the camera settings. Better luck next time.
A weekend with friends
I'm going to try and catch up with blog but with the girls arguing over who owns the red pen and muttering insults to each other under their breaths and yelling replies back to each other (so I will know that a called b a fat pig or whatever) I cannot guarantee that I will get very far! Eric (bless him) is preparing supper so I can do this. I am determined to do Alice's spellings every night this week - Ask me on Thursday.
Anyway, we have had a good weekend. Juliet, Kev, Hannah and Emma came down for the w/e. At this time of year with netball w/e's occupy only one and a half days as they cannot get here until Sat pm. Trouble is we are all inundated with visitors through the summer months (don't get me wrong I'm not complaining)that finding a weekend when we can have the whole w/e together is very difficult.
On Saturday, Eric took Alice in for her 10am match and then bought her home. I then took Harriette in for her 1pm match (early - I dropped her off) and did the supermarket shop. Came back and got unpacked before The Stokes arrived then had to go back in to pick her up. Emma and Hannah wanted to watch Harriette play so I took them in with me. Harriette played a team of predominantly Maori girls (always renounded for their awesome play, as children anyway). Their goal shoot and goal attack were the most amazing shooters. They would catch the ball turn and pop it into the goal all in one fluid movement, from anywhere in the semi-circle. No lining up or aiming, no stepping forward or anything. Harriette's Golden Dragons lost 29 - 9 but that doesn't reflect possession or territory. It's just that the opposition scored anytime they got within sight of the goal. Harriette had a good game with some nice passes, playing wing attack.
The weather since Friday has been a bit miserable. So we have stayed indoors chatting, and eating far too much, for most of the weekend. I had a mad attack of baking on Friday evening making macaroons (Eric's favourite and the best ones I've made I think), a fruit cake (Juliet: 8oz each of SR flour, butter (melted) or marg, brown sugar,raisins and sultanas. 1 tbsp each mixed spice and brandy. 4 eggs and 4oz coconut. Mix and bake for 1 hour at 140 C, 275 F, Mk 1, cover top with gp paper and cook for another hour and 15min) and chocolate brownies. Saturday evening the girls were in very good humour and we were in stitches over supper with everybody's declaration as to who they most fancied. The girls cannot understand why I think Snape is so sexy and were horrified at Kev's announcement that he lusted after Liv Tyler declaring that she had piggy lips. Kev said he'd never noticed which led me to believe he had been directing his attention to her other attributes!! The girls stayed up late watching a Chamber of Secrets in Harriettes room. We realised too late that we should have suggested another movie as Hannah found this too scary for bedtime viewing (I can understand this) and was therefore encroaching on our 'adult time'. Difficult to avoid as we have a fairly open plan home.
On Sunday we did this:
The older cows are going to be sold, as I think I have said, and some are missing ear tags, so we had to put tags on them. This involved rounding them up and getting them into the races (pens with a channel in which you can hold them and do whatever you need to with them). Now they are getting more and more resistant to the idea of going in the races and will duck and dive all over the place rather than go in them. Rounding them up took all 8 of us. Once in I would try and get their heads up (why is it the one you wanted to tag would suddenly find the ground so interesting and manage to get their head firmly wedged under the body of the other cow in the crush?) and then Eric would drench (the ones that were staying)and tag them. My only injury this time was a bruise on my bum when Freckles shoved her horns in the back of my thigh when I was standing on the fence in her pen (affectionately of course!) and a bruised hand when Ermentrude wedged it, at the base of my thumb, between her horns and the fence. Ouch! We caught a good patch of weather and in fact the heavens opened just as we got back to the house. A good excuse for tea and cakes!
Freckles has won a reprieve. Eric suggested that we get her de-horned and keep her, maybe breeding from her. Needless to say Harriette was over the moon. I must say I'm quite pleased as she is rather sweet, and about the only cow you can get close enough to to stroke.
Sunday, when we were preparing vegetables for our roast dinner, Eric bent down to pick up the potatoe sack in the kitchen and I pinched his bum. Well it was just there... for the asking! Anyway, he leapt back and yelled in pain. He'd tweaked his back and was most upset when we all fell about laughing! Anyway he moaned for the rest of the day and sulked that no-one was sympathising with him. This morning, while walking round the bedroom in nothing but his red underpants he forgot himself and did a bum wriggling sort of jig and again yelled and doubled up in pain as he was reminded of his sore back. Once again he did not seem to appreciate me falling about laughing at his misfortune!
Yesterday evening with the girls in bed early Eric and I had a lovely evening doing nothing. Well almost. I dozed on the sofa listening to an unabridged Rebus tape and then cleared about 2 years worth of accumulated sewing. So satisfying!
Thank heavens Eric is back to working his normal 4 hours a day this week. I have a guaranteed boring week as I have to get this Regional Analysis finished by Friday. It is soooo boring wading through pages of stats. At least I have my computer back. It did arrive on Friday but I was mortified when I couldn't connect. It turned out to be a minor problem as they had changed the telephone number on it. Today I have been having printer problems!!!!!!!
I consulted my birthday calendar today and was mortified to see that I had not got cards in the post in time for Helen and Katies birthdays. But what was even worse was I had totally forgotten Cheryl and Marks wedding anniversary AND Marks birthday. Groveling emails sent. Why am I so bad at getting organised at sending cards? I can't even say I forget as I cannot remember any birthdays beyond immediate family and rely on my birthday calendar to tell me when everyone else's are due. I send about 80% of my cards late!
Enough for now. Night night.
Anyway, we have had a good weekend. Juliet, Kev, Hannah and Emma came down for the w/e. At this time of year with netball w/e's occupy only one and a half days as they cannot get here until Sat pm. Trouble is we are all inundated with visitors through the summer months (don't get me wrong I'm not complaining)that finding a weekend when we can have the whole w/e together is very difficult.
On Saturday, Eric took Alice in for her 10am match and then bought her home. I then took Harriette in for her 1pm match (early - I dropped her off) and did the supermarket shop. Came back and got unpacked before The Stokes arrived then had to go back in to pick her up. Emma and Hannah wanted to watch Harriette play so I took them in with me. Harriette played a team of predominantly Maori girls (always renounded for their awesome play, as children anyway). Their goal shoot and goal attack were the most amazing shooters. They would catch the ball turn and pop it into the goal all in one fluid movement, from anywhere in the semi-circle. No lining up or aiming, no stepping forward or anything. Harriette's Golden Dragons lost 29 - 9 but that doesn't reflect possession or territory. It's just that the opposition scored anytime they got within sight of the goal. Harriette had a good game with some nice passes, playing wing attack.
The weather since Friday has been a bit miserable. So we have stayed indoors chatting, and eating far too much, for most of the weekend. I had a mad attack of baking on Friday evening making macaroons (Eric's favourite and the best ones I've made I think), a fruit cake (Juliet: 8oz each of SR flour, butter (melted) or marg, brown sugar,raisins and sultanas. 1 tbsp each mixed spice and brandy. 4 eggs and 4oz coconut. Mix and bake for 1 hour at 140 C, 275 F, Mk 1, cover top with gp paper and cook for another hour and 15min) and chocolate brownies. Saturday evening the girls were in very good humour and we were in stitches over supper with everybody's declaration as to who they most fancied. The girls cannot understand why I think Snape is so sexy and were horrified at Kev's announcement that he lusted after Liv Tyler declaring that she had piggy lips. Kev said he'd never noticed which led me to believe he had been directing his attention to her other attributes!! The girls stayed up late watching a Chamber of Secrets in Harriettes room. We realised too late that we should have suggested another movie as Hannah found this too scary for bedtime viewing (I can understand this) and was therefore encroaching on our 'adult time'. Difficult to avoid as we have a fairly open plan home.
On Sunday we did this:
The older cows are going to be sold, as I think I have said, and some are missing ear tags, so we had to put tags on them. This involved rounding them up and getting them into the races (pens with a channel in which you can hold them and do whatever you need to with them). Now they are getting more and more resistant to the idea of going in the races and will duck and dive all over the place rather than go in them. Rounding them up took all 8 of us. Once in I would try and get their heads up (why is it the one you wanted to tag would suddenly find the ground so interesting and manage to get their head firmly wedged under the body of the other cow in the crush?) and then Eric would drench (the ones that were staying)and tag them. My only injury this time was a bruise on my bum when Freckles shoved her horns in the back of my thigh when I was standing on the fence in her pen (affectionately of course!) and a bruised hand when Ermentrude wedged it, at the base of my thumb, between her horns and the fence. Ouch! We caught a good patch of weather and in fact the heavens opened just as we got back to the house. A good excuse for tea and cakes!
Freckles has won a reprieve. Eric suggested that we get her de-horned and keep her, maybe breeding from her. Needless to say Harriette was over the moon. I must say I'm quite pleased as she is rather sweet, and about the only cow you can get close enough to to stroke.
Sunday, when we were preparing vegetables for our roast dinner, Eric bent down to pick up the potatoe sack in the kitchen and I pinched his bum. Well it was just there... for the asking! Anyway, he leapt back and yelled in pain. He'd tweaked his back and was most upset when we all fell about laughing! Anyway he moaned for the rest of the day and sulked that no-one was sympathising with him. This morning, while walking round the bedroom in nothing but his red underpants he forgot himself and did a bum wriggling sort of jig and again yelled and doubled up in pain as he was reminded of his sore back. Once again he did not seem to appreciate me falling about laughing at his misfortune!
Yesterday evening with the girls in bed early Eric and I had a lovely evening doing nothing. Well almost. I dozed on the sofa listening to an unabridged Rebus tape and then cleared about 2 years worth of accumulated sewing. So satisfying!
Thank heavens Eric is back to working his normal 4 hours a day this week. I have a guaranteed boring week as I have to get this Regional Analysis finished by Friday. It is soooo boring wading through pages of stats. At least I have my computer back. It did arrive on Friday but I was mortified when I couldn't connect. It turned out to be a minor problem as they had changed the telephone number on it. Today I have been having printer problems!!!!!!!
I consulted my birthday calendar today and was mortified to see that I had not got cards in the post in time for Helen and Katies birthdays. But what was even worse was I had totally forgotten Cheryl and Marks wedding anniversary AND Marks birthday. Groveling emails sent. Why am I so bad at getting organised at sending cards? I can't even say I forget as I cannot remember any birthdays beyond immediate family and rely on my birthday calendar to tell me when everyone else's are due. I send about 80% of my cards late!
Enough for now. Night night.
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Traffic Chaos on Taotaoroa Road
First I have to tell you I'm having a terrible day. In fact at 2pm I've given up hope of doing any work and decided to catch up with blog! My 'job' computer has been on the blink, well on and off, for several weeks now. IMAC took it back this week after I threatened to drop it from the rooftop. In fairness they had offered to take it before I threatened them but I am in the middle of this big 6 monthly report we have to do and could not imagine 2-3 days computerless. Anyway after realising that
I was 'out' most of Tuesday and Wednesday I overnight couriered it up on condition they sent it back Wednesday ready for me today (Thursday). I had a call today to say it was sent back yesterday so I waited patiently for Dave the postie to bring it up to me. I can see the neighbours mailbox across the paddocks from where I sit in the office and got very excited when at lunchtime he pulled up there. I got up to look out the other window and watch him come up the drive when he stopped at our mailbox. Damn! that meant he didn't have it!!!!!!!!I was not impressed. I have been trying to do work on this ie our own, laptop all morning but constantly needed to refer back to documents,addresses etc on the job one so gave it up as a bad deal and resorted to paper paperwork (as opposed to 'computer' paperwork). With that out the way I came back to the laptop and the mouse stuck!!!!!!!!!! Now the wiggly integral mouse packed up long ago and we use an external one and that just locked up. I dismantled it, blew on it, cleaned it (several times), threw it across the room and it STILL would not work. So now I couldn't do any work so decided to go and collect the post and commune with the cows. Cows made it clear they were not impressed with the lack of grass in the paddock and considered they were on short rations of silage. I didn't tell them that in 2 weeks they'd be at the meat factory and would look back on this as heaven, I'm not that cruel! Anyway, I then walked through to the veg plot to pull up a few weeds. I was then reminded that Eric had told me a few days ago that Saddle had been in the veg plot during the night and eaten all my lettuce.. and some leeks.... and all the silverbeet... and all the beetroot...and ALL of my millions of self seeded kohl rabi that were just getting to the stage that I could start harvesting them. My depression deepened. On the plus side he obviously doesn't like broad beans or parsley and seems to have avoided most of my seedlings. And to think that Saddle is the only cow to get a reprieve as the stock agent said he was worth fattening over the next 6 months. We are keeping the calfs born last year. Chilli will go in our freezer (that will be hard) and the other 2 will go off with Saddle in the spring.
Anyway you get the gist as to how my day is going?
So I am blogging (Eric fixed the mouse when he came home for lunch). I have to pick the girls up from school as Alice needs to buy her friend Sam a birthday present and Harri wants to go to the library. So I won't be getting much done this afternoon anyway.
Traffic chaos? Yes. Well at the end of Toataoroa Road is State Highway 29 and they've closed it between that junction and State Highway 1 (NZ equivalent of the M1, single lane, 65mph speed limit and a few passing lanes. That's what I said the NZ equivalent!). Anyway, as the road closed sign is at the end of Taotaoroa Rd and the diversion takes you south, all north bound traffic that knows the area, is coming up 'our' road. Now Taotaoroa Rd is very windy, very beautiful and 14 km long. It takes (me) 10min to get to the other end. I came back from Te Kuiti yesterday and passed, can you belive this?, 26 cars! That's about 25 - 26 more than I usually pass driving from one end to the other. And sitting here looking out on to the road there must be at least 6 cars/minute going by. Absolute chaos. How can a girl work with all that noise - OK so I've told you I can't do any work but that's not the point. And I know the road is 300m away from the house but.... It all just adds to the stress.
Had an email from Carol this morning. Great we thought, as she has been computerless for 2 weeks and we have been concerned about how she is adjusting back to the UK. However the email was all gobbledygook and although full of news it was very confusing and we are non the wiser. Should I have taken this as a sign as to how the day would progress?
Must go and pick up the girls. Will pop into the Post Shop and see, if by any chance the computer arrived late.
Back again. And no, no computer!!!! So I'll continue to blog. Our weather remains gorgeous. A little cloudy today but generally; cool, heaps of sunshine and fabulous blue skies. Yesterday, as I mentioned, I drove to Te Kuiti ie across Karapiro Dam to Leamington and down the 3 through Te Awamutu and Otrohanga. Takes about 1 and 1/4 hours, and of course no traffic to talk of and the usual gorgeous scenery. I went to do my usual work and do some immunisations. I gave polio injections (yes the drops on the sugar lump have long gone) to about 45 11 year olds with the Public Health Nurses (what in the UK would be called school nurses). It was really just to keep my hand in as in this job you are supposed to be an expert on immunisations but don't actually give them very often! I thought I was going to be in for a long day but actually got sorted quite quickly and was home by 4pm. I was shattered though and spent a blissful evening on the sofa reading. I reckon I'll finish it tonight (Jodi Picoult's Salem Falls), it is gripping and I had to be very disciplined to put it down last evening.
I must just talk about this school we immunised at. It is a very low decile school, ie bottom of the pile deprivation-wise. I was amazed when they told me this, many of the buildings were re-furbished, in fact nowhere did it look the slightest bit grotty, the library has a bank of computers and looked very well equipped. There were tennis courts, games fields and 2 big areas with climbing frames and playground equipment. I couldn't help but do a mental comparison with schools in poor areas in the UK!
Well I am going to breathe down the children's necks to ensure the homework gets done. After giving Alice a huge rollicking last Thursday evening as she had not been doing her spellings all week it occurred to me this morning that she hasn't done them this week either!!! Harriette learned to play Yellow Submarine on the sax today and is playing as I type (have you any idea how deafening a tenor sax is when you are in the same room as it) - OK (I was able to recognise the song) but definitely more practice required, once I have left the room! The Verapamil the doctor put me on for headache prevention is being tested to the full today.
Am off to rustle up supper. Big hugs, and please comment so I know who reads this! Love to all.
Michelle
PS Could anybody, other than Stan, and apparently Bridget (aka Darsha, Milky, the naughty milkmaid etc) understand a thing that Eric wrote yesterday? I couldn't and I live with him (though apparently on a different planet!).
I was 'out' most of Tuesday and Wednesday I overnight couriered it up on condition they sent it back Wednesday ready for me today (Thursday). I had a call today to say it was sent back yesterday so I waited patiently for Dave the postie to bring it up to me. I can see the neighbours mailbox across the paddocks from where I sit in the office and got very excited when at lunchtime he pulled up there. I got up to look out the other window and watch him come up the drive when he stopped at our mailbox. Damn! that meant he didn't have it!!!!!!!!I was not impressed. I have been trying to do work on this ie our own, laptop all morning but constantly needed to refer back to documents,addresses etc on the job one so gave it up as a bad deal and resorted to paper paperwork (as opposed to 'computer' paperwork). With that out the way I came back to the laptop and the mouse stuck!!!!!!!!!! Now the wiggly integral mouse packed up long ago and we use an external one and that just locked up. I dismantled it, blew on it, cleaned it (several times), threw it across the room and it STILL would not work. So now I couldn't do any work so decided to go and collect the post and commune with the cows. Cows made it clear they were not impressed with the lack of grass in the paddock and considered they were on short rations of silage. I didn't tell them that in 2 weeks they'd be at the meat factory and would look back on this as heaven, I'm not that cruel! Anyway, I then walked through to the veg plot to pull up a few weeds. I was then reminded that Eric had told me a few days ago that Saddle had been in the veg plot during the night and eaten all my lettuce.. and some leeks.... and all the silverbeet... and all the beetroot...and ALL of my millions of self seeded kohl rabi that were just getting to the stage that I could start harvesting them. My depression deepened. On the plus side he obviously doesn't like broad beans or parsley and seems to have avoided most of my seedlings. And to think that Saddle is the only cow to get a reprieve as the stock agent said he was worth fattening over the next 6 months. We are keeping the calfs born last year. Chilli will go in our freezer (that will be hard) and the other 2 will go off with Saddle in the spring.
Anyway you get the gist as to how my day is going?
So I am blogging (Eric fixed the mouse when he came home for lunch). I have to pick the girls up from school as Alice needs to buy her friend Sam a birthday present and Harri wants to go to the library. So I won't be getting much done this afternoon anyway.
Traffic chaos? Yes. Well at the end of Toataoroa Road is State Highway 29 and they've closed it between that junction and State Highway 1 (NZ equivalent of the M1, single lane, 65mph speed limit and a few passing lanes. That's what I said the NZ equivalent!). Anyway, as the road closed sign is at the end of Taotaoroa Rd and the diversion takes you south, all north bound traffic that knows the area, is coming up 'our' road. Now Taotaoroa Rd is very windy, very beautiful and 14 km long. It takes (me) 10min to get to the other end. I came back from Te Kuiti yesterday and passed, can you belive this?, 26 cars! That's about 25 - 26 more than I usually pass driving from one end to the other. And sitting here looking out on to the road there must be at least 6 cars/minute going by. Absolute chaos. How can a girl work with all that noise - OK so I've told you I can't do any work but that's not the point. And I know the road is 300m away from the house but.... It all just adds to the stress.
Had an email from Carol this morning. Great we thought, as she has been computerless for 2 weeks and we have been concerned about how she is adjusting back to the UK. However the email was all gobbledygook and although full of news it was very confusing and we are non the wiser. Should I have taken this as a sign as to how the day would progress?
Must go and pick up the girls. Will pop into the Post Shop and see, if by any chance the computer arrived late.
Back again. And no, no computer!!!! So I'll continue to blog. Our weather remains gorgeous. A little cloudy today but generally; cool, heaps of sunshine and fabulous blue skies. Yesterday, as I mentioned, I drove to Te Kuiti ie across Karapiro Dam to Leamington and down the 3 through Te Awamutu and Otrohanga. Takes about 1 and 1/4 hours, and of course no traffic to talk of and the usual gorgeous scenery. I went to do my usual work and do some immunisations. I gave polio injections (yes the drops on the sugar lump have long gone) to about 45 11 year olds with the Public Health Nurses (what in the UK would be called school nurses). It was really just to keep my hand in as in this job you are supposed to be an expert on immunisations but don't actually give them very often! I thought I was going to be in for a long day but actually got sorted quite quickly and was home by 4pm. I was shattered though and spent a blissful evening on the sofa reading. I reckon I'll finish it tonight (Jodi Picoult's Salem Falls), it is gripping and I had to be very disciplined to put it down last evening.
I must just talk about this school we immunised at. It is a very low decile school, ie bottom of the pile deprivation-wise. I was amazed when they told me this, many of the buildings were re-furbished, in fact nowhere did it look the slightest bit grotty, the library has a bank of computers and looked very well equipped. There were tennis courts, games fields and 2 big areas with climbing frames and playground equipment. I couldn't help but do a mental comparison with schools in poor areas in the UK!
Well I am going to breathe down the children's necks to ensure the homework gets done. After giving Alice a huge rollicking last Thursday evening as she had not been doing her spellings all week it occurred to me this morning that she hasn't done them this week either!!! Harriette learned to play Yellow Submarine on the sax today and is playing as I type (have you any idea how deafening a tenor sax is when you are in the same room as it) - OK (I was able to recognise the song) but definitely more practice required, once I have left the room! The Verapamil the doctor put me on for headache prevention is being tested to the full today.
Am off to rustle up supper. Big hugs, and please comment so I know who reads this! Love to all.
Michelle
PS Could anybody, other than Stan, and apparently Bridget (aka Darsha, Milky, the naughty milkmaid etc) understand a thing that Eric wrote yesterday? I couldn't and I live with him (though apparently on a different planet!).
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
A really boring day.
It's me not 'er. M was home before me today, never believe all of this overworked business, late hours etc, all stuff and nonsense. Far from wanting to blog, she has tied me to the pooter in an attempt to get some sage comments down. Well, today I tore around the district chasing my butt for no real purpose. It clears the carbon from an otherwise understressed engine and gives me a chance to listen to loud music a la Jeremy Clarkson. I put the grotty diesel ute through its paces, tear arse around senic country lanes never certain as to what is around the corner. Is it a cow, a dog, a flock of sheep? No, it is nothing again. All too soon the mobile goes and I'm off to where I started to pick up some poor pooch that has wandered from where it should be. I was even stopped by the plods today! The indignity of it! A woman officer had me out of the car spread eagled on the floor hands on my head with a Glock pointed at the nape of my neck whilst demanding that without moving, I produce my drivers licence. Over the top I thought, she then went on to explain that they had had problems with tear away school kids driving home with friends in the car. A distinct no no. To think I was nearly in traffic, I spit on the memory! Sorry Bill if you read this, I know that there are some decent chaps and chapesses out there, yourself included but she didn't even request a strip search or anything even slightly rude or revolting! What are the police coming to? I will add that she wasn't too young looking either so I don't think that plods look younger than the average members of the public as seems to happen in the UK.
Enough drivel. I think I have caused a huge domestic in Te Aroha today. Doggy trouble, you know, the old custody issue. In this case however, I think it was more a case of who didn't want the dog and the level of scullduggery was something else. The contestants in 'Survivor' couldn't be as devious I'm sure. Anyhow, yours truly had a struggle with the nasty creature and I was all for a trip to the vets when various things started to pop in my head about the circumstances and I contacted the registered owner. All sorted and pooch with mummy. Mummy is going to sort it in the near future. I nearly asked when she was going to torch the old dears house but thought better of it.
I so nearly had a full house today in the pound too. I keep trying to persuade the boss that we should get bonuses for keeping the pound full, but he won't have it. I suppose even an all expenses paid trip to Waharoa on safari would be out of the question too. Anyway, I guess you now have a pretty good idea of my day by now so, I'll cut the nonsense.
Whilst having morning tea with non other than Helen Clark and her whole cabinet... Sorry.
It's a bit like watching the Bill really, I can give you the good bits in a very short space of time but you will never see the paperwork and slog involved! Nothing very exciting happened today, I did do all of the above but just take out some of the more exciting sequences. No, leave that bit, and that one too! Well I thought it was fun. Then home to reality and kids. They have been surprisingly reasonable today. No major huffs etc. Mexican for supper, he spat while frizzling in the pan. In the kitchen too!
Well, I've run out of prosac now so before I get maudling, I'll sign off. Take care out there and remember, it may be your pooch if your not lucky.
Enough drivel. I think I have caused a huge domestic in Te Aroha today. Doggy trouble, you know, the old custody issue. In this case however, I think it was more a case of who didn't want the dog and the level of scullduggery was something else. The contestants in 'Survivor' couldn't be as devious I'm sure. Anyhow, yours truly had a struggle with the nasty creature and I was all for a trip to the vets when various things started to pop in my head about the circumstances and I contacted the registered owner. All sorted and pooch with mummy. Mummy is going to sort it in the near future. I nearly asked when she was going to torch the old dears house but thought better of it.
I so nearly had a full house today in the pound too. I keep trying to persuade the boss that we should get bonuses for keeping the pound full, but he won't have it. I suppose even an all expenses paid trip to Waharoa on safari would be out of the question too. Anyway, I guess you now have a pretty good idea of my day by now so, I'll cut the nonsense.
Whilst having morning tea with non other than Helen Clark and her whole cabinet... Sorry.
It's a bit like watching the Bill really, I can give you the good bits in a very short space of time but you will never see the paperwork and slog involved! Nothing very exciting happened today, I did do all of the above but just take out some of the more exciting sequences. No, leave that bit, and that one too! Well I thought it was fun. Then home to reality and kids. They have been surprisingly reasonable today. No major huffs etc. Mexican for supper, he spat while frizzling in the pan. In the kitchen too!
Well, I've run out of prosac now so before I get maudling, I'll sign off. Take care out there and remember, it may be your pooch if your not lucky.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
A quickie
I know, I'm slacking. Minimal blog this week. Last night we butchered the pig until 10pm (ie bedtime) and tonight we had roast pork - WONDERFUL!!! John, a S.African friend popped in and ended up staying for supper so was able to share our delight. I cannot tell you how sick one gets of steak, steak and more beef (ask Carol). I have to wash up and get to bed as I have to be in Te Kuiti (down country) by 8am - yuk (!) so need an even earlier night tonight. I'll be in late tomorrow so promise to catch up with blog on Thursday or Friday.
Love to all.
Michelle
PS Stan (just mistyped that as satan, nothing freudian I'm sure)I didn't post that pic so I guess you did. I do have one of her just before her final moments and was going to post that!! I won't now.
Love to all.
Michelle
PS Stan (just mistyped that as satan, nothing freudian I'm sure)I didn't post that pic so I guess you did. I do have one of her just before her final moments and was going to post that!! I won't now.
Sunday, May 23, 2004
Arwyn - it's you my dear.
Sunday evening and I'm shattered. Why are weekends so exhausting?
Killed a pig today. Well I didn't, Eric did but I was there! She paid me back though by kicking me seriously in the back of the thighs with her back legs as Eric and I were dragging her into a head-down position to facilitate exanguination. I hasten to add, if you are not familiar with slotting, that she was dead. Pigs do twitch quite seriously post-mortem. For those of you feeling very queasy now I will stop, well tone things down a little anyway. I think this pig was Arwyn according to the girls. Anyway, apart from being the biggest she had to go as she was a bully. I guess that is probably why she got to be the biggest. Once dead and bled, we loaded her into the trailer and took her over to Richard and Robyn's to scald her and get the hair off. They kindly offered us the use of their hot water at the dairy. It was a separate tank and accessible to a area to work in. If we had done it here we would have had to use the house water and by the time we carried buckets to were we could work it would have been too cold. Anyway it all went quite well with Richard, Eric and I scraping away. Things were not helped by Sarah however standing to the side going 'Ohhhh gross' and 'Ohhh disgusting'. Alice was not quite so negative and Harriette actually tried to help but quickly got bored.
After loading pig, or is it pork now it's bald (?), back into the trailer and having a coffee we headed back home. Robyn was conspicuous by her absence throughout. I'm sure she would have been vegetarian had she be born anywhere other than rural NZ. She doesn't do this slotting thing very well! She doesn't like handling meat but says she thoroughly enjoys it if someone else has cooked it.
Back at home I proceeded with normal weekend chores like lawn-mowing and gardening where Eric and Harriette gutted and hung the pork (definitely pork now). Do you know it went surprisingly well. Eric nearly always gets very stressed at slotting times and things always seem to go wrong (does anyone need referring to 'Come in 47, your time is up' on Carols blog!??). Mind you the butchery comes tomorrow so maybe I should be quiet until it is all safely tucked away in the freezer. Roast pork for dinner tomorrow - I can't wait!
Thursday, May 20, 2004
My clever girl and Paige Gooch
No blog yesterday as we were in Hamilton all evening. Harriette and 3 other girls represented Matamata Intermediate School (MIS) in a literature competition. The school has never entered before, well not in many years anyway, and no-one knew quite what to expect. Anyway it was very similar to a Wine and Wisdom evening, 10 categories with 10 questions in each. They were in the lead after round 2 and doing very well until the penultimate round when they played their joker on 'spelling'. Well I wouldn't even attempt to tell you the words they were asked to spell ('cos I couldn't spell them!!) but they were awful. They only got 2.5 for that round. The winners were way ahead of the pack but if MIS had played their joker on almost any other round they would have come 2nd. They finished 7th out of 32 teams which I reckon is not bad, and they all thoroughly enjoyed it which I guess is the most important thing. They scored extra prizes for highest scores in a round and 2 of the team got spot prizes for answering questions first in between rounds. I was very impressed with the range of knowledge Harriette had and rather ashamed that she answered questions on some of the classics that I didn't know!!! We took Sarah Scott with us and she stayed the night. We went into town early and went to Gengy's for supper. It is a Mongolian resturarnt where you collect your food raw and they cook it in front of you. The girls love it.
Now I have to tell you a little story about Paige Gooch. Paige is always referred to as Paige Gooch (as there is another Paige) and this has to be said very quickly, as this is how Paige talks. Now Paige Gooch is one of lifes wonderful characters. She is funny, all the time, and without any effort on her part. She talks incredibly quickly and I can only cope with her in small doses. She is wonderful.... and exhausting. Anyway yesterday in the interval of the quiz we had a conversation that went like this. (They have recently moved house):
M. So how do you like your new house Paige?
P. (very quickly don't forget!). Oh it's great I've got an en suite bathroom.
M. Oh that's good, one that comes off your bedroom.
P. Yes, but it's not attached, it's just down the hall.
M. Oh so you mean it's a personal bathroom all to yourself.
P. (remember, very quickly) Yeah, yeah, that's it, except I have to share with my sister. And everyone else uses it 'cos they can't be bothered to walk down the hall to the proper bathroom!
M. (LOL as is everyone else listening). So Paige you have an en suite, personal bathroom that's not attached to your room and is used by everyone else?!
P. Yeah, sort of.
The penny then drops and Paige looks totally confused but joins in with everyone else who are now rolling around on the floor just about.
I don't know if most of this is lost in translation but Carol knows Paige Gooch so I'm sure you will appreciate it. (If you ever join the rest of us who use computers Carol!!)Mom and Daddy, have you met her?
Eric is in agony this last few days with his leg. He has been repairing and clearing gutters and putting in a leaf guard and the sitting crossed legged on the roof (I nearly said squatting but we all know that he can't!!) has done him no favours. All the gutters are now clear but the down pipes have to be dismantled as they are all blocked. Life is never dull here!!!!
The weather continues to be gorgeous. I actually gave up work for an hour this afternoon as it was just too nice to be indoors, and weeded the veg and planted cauliflower and broccoli. Harriette did not appreciate me working late to make up time though a she could not practice her sax.
Well I think that's all for now folks.
Now I have to tell you a little story about Paige Gooch. Paige is always referred to as Paige Gooch (as there is another Paige) and this has to be said very quickly, as this is how Paige talks. Now Paige Gooch is one of lifes wonderful characters. She is funny, all the time, and without any effort on her part. She talks incredibly quickly and I can only cope with her in small doses. She is wonderful.... and exhausting. Anyway yesterday in the interval of the quiz we had a conversation that went like this. (They have recently moved house):
M. So how do you like your new house Paige?
P. (very quickly don't forget!). Oh it's great I've got an en suite bathroom.
M. Oh that's good, one that comes off your bedroom.
P. Yes, but it's not attached, it's just down the hall.
M. Oh so you mean it's a personal bathroom all to yourself.
P. (remember, very quickly) Yeah, yeah, that's it, except I have to share with my sister. And everyone else uses it 'cos they can't be bothered to walk down the hall to the proper bathroom!
M. (LOL as is everyone else listening). So Paige you have an en suite, personal bathroom that's not attached to your room and is used by everyone else?!
P. Yeah, sort of.
The penny then drops and Paige looks totally confused but joins in with everyone else who are now rolling around on the floor just about.
I don't know if most of this is lost in translation but Carol knows Paige Gooch so I'm sure you will appreciate it. (If you ever join the rest of us who use computers Carol!!)Mom and Daddy, have you met her?
Eric is in agony this last few days with his leg. He has been repairing and clearing gutters and putting in a leaf guard and the sitting crossed legged on the roof (I nearly said squatting but we all know that he can't!!) has done him no favours. All the gutters are now clear but the down pipes have to be dismantled as they are all blocked. Life is never dull here!!!!
The weather continues to be gorgeous. I actually gave up work for an hour this afternoon as it was just too nice to be indoors, and weeded the veg and planted cauliflower and broccoli. Harriette did not appreciate me working late to make up time though a she could not practice her sax.
Well I think that's all for now folks.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Going native
Eric came home and lunchtime and said ' I nearly did it. I nearly said Kia Ora'!!! For you Poms that is Maori for Hello, not a request for a drink of squash! He did manage to stop himself just in time though. Eric despairs at the rest of us not retaining our English accents. If you listen to Alice you'd never know she ever lived in England!
I've had a blissful day doing paperwork. I know that sounds odd but I am so behind at the moment. My colleague Jude was in the area and popped in for a coffee, ooppps I mean a meeting, yes a meeting! The weather remains gorgeous but I have not been out in it today apart for a trip to the GP's to talk about my headaches. They've only been going on for about 12 years now so I finally gave in to Eric's nagging. He has started me on verapamil (Andy the doctor, not Eric). Oh well at least I shouldn't go into Atrial fib now!
Tried to get tickets for the Lions tour online to no avail so have sent an email to the ticketing company. I doubt we'll get them but it's worth a try. Anyone know anyone coming over for it?
Have enjoyed rubbing it in with the locals that Kent thrashed the Black caps. looking forward to the real thing later this week.
Not sleeping well at the moment so am shattered and am off to bed to listen to 'Not the news quiz' kindly sent to NZ by radio 4.
I've had a blissful day doing paperwork. I know that sounds odd but I am so behind at the moment. My colleague Jude was in the area and popped in for a coffee, ooppps I mean a meeting, yes a meeting! The weather remains gorgeous but I have not been out in it today apart for a trip to the GP's to talk about my headaches. They've only been going on for about 12 years now so I finally gave in to Eric's nagging. He has started me on verapamil (Andy the doctor, not Eric). Oh well at least I shouldn't go into Atrial fib now!
Tried to get tickets for the Lions tour online to no avail so have sent an email to the ticketing company. I doubt we'll get them but it's worth a try. Anyone know anyone coming over for it?
Have enjoyed rubbing it in with the locals that Kent thrashed the Black caps. looking forward to the real thing later this week.
Not sleeping well at the moment so am shattered and am off to bed to listen to 'Not the news quiz' kindly sent to NZ by radio 4.
Monday, May 17, 2004
Weather report
I am saying nothing today except that the weather has been GORGEOUS again. Bl___y cold this morning though. Wall to wall sunshine and deep blue skies and this the equivilent of a UK November!! Must enjoy it though as we have been promised a harsh winter.
Where are Carol and Helen? It's been much longer than a week Carol, and nothing from Helen in awhile. Are you both alive?
Where are Carol and Helen? It's been much longer than a week Carol, and nothing from Helen in awhile. Are you both alive?
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Gone Fishin'
What a glorious day it has been. Woke up late after a late night at Richard and Robyns (later) and laid in bed with my cup of tea looking at the bright blue sky thinking, I must get up. I didn't for a wee while I must confess!! However when I finally did get outside it was to hang up washing and rake leaves. There had been something in Alice's school magazine about an introduction to fly fishing for children and we had meant to go before but not got there. It runs 3 times a year and today was the day so we decided to give the 1pm session a go. We were very impressed. The girls started queuing as soon as we arrived and the other kids there filed in behind them. Lucky they got in when they did as those that came later looked like they were in for a very long wait. The kids are taken individually to an area of grass for so instruction on casting. They then join another queue to go down to the pond where they actually cast under the supervision of an angler. They are usually there for about 5 minutes but Alice and her man got not a bite. Eventually he passed her on to another angler and she got her fish. The first angler took a break and then got another child who also had not caught his fish by the time we left! Poor Alice was decidely bored during the time they were waiting! Anyway, they enjoyed their afternoon and came away with a special fishing licence, trout and certificate - all for $2 (70p).
When we got back I raked and burnt more leaves and went down to my veg plot. I had let some of the leeks go to seed over the summer as I like the look of them. That area has since got very overgrown so I decided to weed it. Well amongst the weeds I was pleased to find about 35 leek plants that had self-seeded. They are bigger than the leeks I have planted so should prolong the season. I was so pleased that Eric had put a topside of beef in the slow cooker earlier in the day as the evening was so nice I did not want to drag myself away to the kitchen. He had finished the guttering around Harriette's room and had gone into finish supper off. What a pleasure. The girls, who we can never get to play outside, had been playing with the rugby ball Bloo left them (or rather Eric!) and then come down to the barn, next to the veg plot, and had been building tee-pee's with sticks from the felled bluegum, bailer twine and wind protector. The 3 of us marvelled at the beautiful sunset. It was pitch dark before they came back up to the house.
Yesterday was the semifinals of the Super 12 with our local team, the Cheifs, playing the Brumbies and another kiwi team, the Crusaders, playing the S.African Stormers. The Chiefs unfortunately lost (as did the Stormers). Richard said that he doesn't think we can watch anymore rugby there as we bring bad karma. He seemed to think that the wrong side always win when we watch with them but as we watched the rugby world cup final there I can't quite agree with his opinion!!
Netball yesterday was not quite as bad as we had expected. It was pouring hard through the night and a cold wind was blowing in the morning so Alice's match was cancelled. Harriette's team lost badly - twice but again they were playing older girls. I hope they have a good win soon, she is getting a little disheartened.
Tomorrow I have an early start and after last nights late night I am heading for the shower and then my bed.
Night night all.
When we got back I raked and burnt more leaves and went down to my veg plot. I had let some of the leeks go to seed over the summer as I like the look of them. That area has since got very overgrown so I decided to weed it. Well amongst the weeds I was pleased to find about 35 leek plants that had self-seeded. They are bigger than the leeks I have planted so should prolong the season. I was so pleased that Eric had put a topside of beef in the slow cooker earlier in the day as the evening was so nice I did not want to drag myself away to the kitchen. He had finished the guttering around Harriette's room and had gone into finish supper off. What a pleasure. The girls, who we can never get to play outside, had been playing with the rugby ball Bloo left them (or rather Eric!) and then come down to the barn, next to the veg plot, and had been building tee-pee's with sticks from the felled bluegum, bailer twine and wind protector. The 3 of us marvelled at the beautiful sunset. It was pitch dark before they came back up to the house.
Yesterday was the semifinals of the Super 12 with our local team, the Cheifs, playing the Brumbies and another kiwi team, the Crusaders, playing the S.African Stormers. The Chiefs unfortunately lost (as did the Stormers). Richard said that he doesn't think we can watch anymore rugby there as we bring bad karma. He seemed to think that the wrong side always win when we watch with them but as we watched the rugby world cup final there I can't quite agree with his opinion!!
Netball yesterday was not quite as bad as we had expected. It was pouring hard through the night and a cold wind was blowing in the morning so Alice's match was cancelled. Harriette's team lost badly - twice but again they were playing older girls. I hope they have a good win soon, she is getting a little disheartened.
Tomorrow I have an early start and after last nights late night I am heading for the shower and then my bed.
Night night all.
Firth Tower and Fishing by Alice
Matamata has just been celebrating the centenial ballot. This is when they divided up the firth Estate a hundred years ago. On Thursday last week I went to the historical Firth Tower. There I was schooled for an hour as they were a hundred years ago at Gordonton School Matamata, Kiwiland. During the school hour Kurt Hillis (a very annoying boy in my class at school)almost got the strap!!!! After that I went to a spot the difference thing where you went into a house and you had to spot the things that were from modern times. In the bedroom it was pretty obvious as they had a TV, a torch and a digital clock - ha ha! Later we went and did the olden day washing. Some of you will know what this is. We shown how they used to use the copper, the dolly and the mangle.
Today we went to Rotten Rua (Rotorua) trout fishing. The local anglers showed us how to cast and supervised/instructed us while we were fishing at a hatchery. We all caught one trout. Mine weighed .585kg. It took me about 30 mins to catch one. For about 28 minutes I was very bored! But it was cool when we caught the trout.
Today we went to Rotten Rua (Rotorua) trout fishing. The local anglers showed us how to cast and supervised/instructed us while we were fishing at a hatchery. We all caught one trout. Mine weighed .585kg. It took me about 30 mins to catch one. For about 28 minutes I was very bored! But it was cool when we caught the trout.
Friday, May 14, 2004
Auckland,celeriac and immunisations
Eric is sitting on the sofa with Dusty on his chest! I think he has moved since I last blogged.
The girls are playing (nicely so far) with Barbies on the floor and all is peaceful.
This week has been Well Child Week in NZ and IMAC (my employers) have a contract for this week, which I think means we help out where we can. (There's probably more to it than that). Anyway I spent Tuesday in Paeroa (Judes patch) helping out there and today I was in Huntly with their Well Child activities. Huntly was very successful, Paeroa less so. At Paeroa I sustained an industrial injury when a child ran, full pelt into me as I was kneeling on the floor. She pushed my head back with an amazing amount of force for such a little girl and I have been suffering with a very sore neck since. As this is my first experience of Well Child Week I have taken a bit of a back seat and observed. Hopefully I will be able to be more active and involved next year.
I am chuckling! Alice is singing a pop song, word perfect and Eric commented that he would rather she put the effort into learning her tables (in fairness she has got most of them sussed) and said 'seven sixes'. After being ignored several times he said 'Alice I want to know what 7 sixes are' to which Alice replied, with emphasis, 'Diddy you know what 7 sixes are'!!!!! LOL NB Diddy is not a typo, that's what she says.
NZ is introducing a Meningococcal B vaccine (I must have mentioned this before) and it rolls out in Manakau south of Auckland in July. Well in order to store the vaccine properly it has to be kept in a fridge and there are big worries that the fridges are not up to it. So, the Ministry are introducing a system whereby GP's will have their fridge management assessed (by us at IMAC initially) and be certified before being allowed to hold the vaccine. Anyway the certification process is being piloted in Auckland and Manakau and I went up to help the girls with the pilot. God I'd forgotten what city living was like!!! We spent hours in the car. I often do here but I cover hundreds not tens of km each day. I stayed with Veronique who is the equivalent of my boss Loretta but for Auckland. Veronique has recently returned from several years working in primary healthcare in the UK, and she and her husband have bought a plot in Karapiro, 10 mins from here and will be building there so I feel we have a fair bit in common. On top of that she is lovely! Anyway Veronique lives right in the middle of Auckland but in a quiet road and getting from there to the highway at 7.30am was a joke. I thought the traffic was terrible and I was told I made good time getting to the campus!! We had a debrief regarding this pilot with a guy from the Ministry (of Health) who flew up from Wellington for the occasion.
I left about 3.45pm to start making my way home before the rush hour - or so I thought. Before heading out of town I went in pursuit of celeriac. I found celeriac a year or so ago at a delicatessen in Hamilton, but their supplied dried up (actually the grower died!) and I have not found any since (have I told you this before?). Anyway, I had been directed to a couple of grocers whom I was told might have some (not that anyone I spoke to knew what celeriac was!). After an hour of trying various grocers, and getting stuck in ridiculous traffic, I gave up and headed home. I MUST get my celeriac seeds to germinate. I am SOOOOO glad I don't live up there.
This weekend we have netball, netball and more netball! We are also going to tackle gutters, weather permitted. Gosh I can see it is going to be an exciting one! Will keep you informed.
Big hugs
The girls are playing (nicely so far) with Barbies on the floor and all is peaceful.
This week has been Well Child Week in NZ and IMAC (my employers) have a contract for this week, which I think means we help out where we can. (There's probably more to it than that). Anyway I spent Tuesday in Paeroa (Judes patch) helping out there and today I was in Huntly with their Well Child activities. Huntly was very successful, Paeroa less so. At Paeroa I sustained an industrial injury when a child ran, full pelt into me as I was kneeling on the floor. She pushed my head back with an amazing amount of force for such a little girl and I have been suffering with a very sore neck since. As this is my first experience of Well Child Week I have taken a bit of a back seat and observed. Hopefully I will be able to be more active and involved next year.
I am chuckling! Alice is singing a pop song, word perfect and Eric commented that he would rather she put the effort into learning her tables (in fairness she has got most of them sussed) and said 'seven sixes'. After being ignored several times he said 'Alice I want to know what 7 sixes are' to which Alice replied, with emphasis, 'Diddy you know what 7 sixes are'!!!!! LOL NB Diddy is not a typo, that's what she says.
NZ is introducing a Meningococcal B vaccine (I must have mentioned this before) and it rolls out in Manakau south of Auckland in July. Well in order to store the vaccine properly it has to be kept in a fridge and there are big worries that the fridges are not up to it. So, the Ministry are introducing a system whereby GP's will have their fridge management assessed (by us at IMAC initially) and be certified before being allowed to hold the vaccine. Anyway the certification process is being piloted in Auckland and Manakau and I went up to help the girls with the pilot. God I'd forgotten what city living was like!!! We spent hours in the car. I often do here but I cover hundreds not tens of km each day. I stayed with Veronique who is the equivalent of my boss Loretta but for Auckland. Veronique has recently returned from several years working in primary healthcare in the UK, and she and her husband have bought a plot in Karapiro, 10 mins from here and will be building there so I feel we have a fair bit in common. On top of that she is lovely! Anyway Veronique lives right in the middle of Auckland but in a quiet road and getting from there to the highway at 7.30am was a joke. I thought the traffic was terrible and I was told I made good time getting to the campus!! We had a debrief regarding this pilot with a guy from the Ministry (of Health) who flew up from Wellington for the occasion.
I left about 3.45pm to start making my way home before the rush hour - or so I thought. Before heading out of town I went in pursuit of celeriac. I found celeriac a year or so ago at a delicatessen in Hamilton, but their supplied dried up (actually the grower died!) and I have not found any since (have I told you this before?). Anyway, I had been directed to a couple of grocers whom I was told might have some (not that anyone I spoke to knew what celeriac was!). After an hour of trying various grocers, and getting stuck in ridiculous traffic, I gave up and headed home. I MUST get my celeriac seeds to germinate. I am SOOOOO glad I don't live up there.
This weekend we have netball, netball and more netball! We are also going to tackle gutters, weather permitted. Gosh I can see it is going to be an exciting one! Will keep you informed.
Big hugs
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Yuk. The worst meal ever.
M has disappeared off to the smoke again for an overnight stay. Once more I have been left to fend for those of us left behind. I do usually manage to create an edible meal in the evening, however, tonight with only the three of us here, I decided to have a left overs special ladled onto a fresh baked spud. The baked spud was great, a beautiful crisp outside skin. The toppings were however not so good. Alice decided she wanted the curry, some chicken korma (I thought). It had no meat in it and appart from that it had separated on defrosting and seemed to have a mind of its own when it came to remixing. Harriette wanted the Beef goulash. As this was the largest of the bags, no wonder H wanted that bag, I thought I'd go halvses with her. Number one it wasn't hot despite three minutes in the microwave so I gave it another blat for two further mins. I poured the contents over the spuds and the bits of potato in the goulash crumbled and had a texture similar to sand on mash. It was revolting. The girls somewhat surprisingly didn't complain and ate it all up. Ben dived into the cats dirt tray during the meal and I must say his disgusting habits are begining to annoy me. I have beaten him so that he is black all over and it has made no difference. He is actually black anyway, and before someone contacts the SPCA, I haven't really beaten him! These things cann get out of hand.
It has rained almost non stop today and I have not really achieved anything today. To tell the truth, I feel quite wiped out for some unknown reason. I had a particularly slow day at work, only picking up one stray and doing some admin before pushing off to the other side of the district to Te Aroha for a meeting with my immediate boss. These meetings are usually monthly and we discuss the stats we have returned and anything which affects us, legislation, bylaws etc and we can bring up our concerns or requirements. Since last July, we have impounded between the two of us some 390 dogs and have had to put down about 230 of these. It is a shame in most cases but there is no way all the dogs in the world can be kept. Today we even discussed the Council subsidising the neutering of dogs as an incentive to owners to stop the unwanted breeding which is a huge problem in some areas. I don't think it got very far as things go within Council but it may be worth revisiting. I can feel a report coming on! I'd best stop whilst I'm ahead. Strange but true, the figures for my area are not too dissimilar for the rest of the district. I only work 4 hours a day, my colleague works 8 hours plus covers the after hours call-outs. Some of my figures will be after hours dogs impounded after I've gone off, but not many. It leads me to believe that I'm not doing such a bad job after all. I sometimes get the feeling that I am up against a rising wall of non conformist owners and straying dogs, obviously, this is not the case, and that in a strange way makes me feel a bit better about it.
Well, I'm not having very coherant thoughts now which translates into me babbling away like an in patient of a home for the mentally incoherant. I digress, good-night!
It has rained almost non stop today and I have not really achieved anything today. To tell the truth, I feel quite wiped out for some unknown reason. I had a particularly slow day at work, only picking up one stray and doing some admin before pushing off to the other side of the district to Te Aroha for a meeting with my immediate boss. These meetings are usually monthly and we discuss the stats we have returned and anything which affects us, legislation, bylaws etc and we can bring up our concerns or requirements. Since last July, we have impounded between the two of us some 390 dogs and have had to put down about 230 of these. It is a shame in most cases but there is no way all the dogs in the world can be kept. Today we even discussed the Council subsidising the neutering of dogs as an incentive to owners to stop the unwanted breeding which is a huge problem in some areas. I don't think it got very far as things go within Council but it may be worth revisiting. I can feel a report coming on! I'd best stop whilst I'm ahead. Strange but true, the figures for my area are not too dissimilar for the rest of the district. I only work 4 hours a day, my colleague works 8 hours plus covers the after hours call-outs. Some of my figures will be after hours dogs impounded after I've gone off, but not many. It leads me to believe that I'm not doing such a bad job after all. I sometimes get the feeling that I am up against a rising wall of non conformist owners and straying dogs, obviously, this is not the case, and that in a strange way makes me feel a bit better about it.
Well, I'm not having very coherant thoughts now which translates into me babbling away like an in patient of a home for the mentally incoherant. I digress, good-night!
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Short post
Just got in from watching the Matamata Intermediate School production od a play written by the music teachers husband. It was hilarious, excellent. We are very impressed. It is about 3 troublesome days in the life of an incompetent NZ prime minister. All fictitious of course.
I have spent the day playing parachutes with pre-schoolers and blowing up balloons! Off to Auckland tomorrow so may not blog until Thursday or Friday. Maybe Eric will post something.
Until next time.
I have spent the day playing parachutes with pre-schoolers and blowing up balloons! Off to Auckland tomorrow so may not blog until Thursday or Friday. Maybe Eric will post something.
Until next time.
Monday, May 10, 2004
Taotaoroa Tattler Image Update
Before you ask MTx , and Before you do it don't change the template just yet I need to copy and paste the old one to save it so I can keep all your comments so far
A kitten and a puppy
Whooooooooooha. They've changed the blogger site, very disorientating. Looks better though I must admit. In case you non-bloggers don't know what I'm talking about, the site that we have to go into to write this is called blogger.
Happy Birthday Lily.
Well lack of blog entries for the last few days is a direct result of the time-waster on 4 legs called Dusty. As I type she is sleeping on Eric's chest as he is laying on the sofa telling her what a good girl she is for poo-ing in the litter tray and generally being so cute. Every stretch, purr and movement is being relayed to me. God he's such a softie! The older friends amongst you will remember that the reason we had Stumpy (not Stompi Lu, he was a S.African murdered, reportedly by Winnie Mandela's mob!!) is that when I bought Sols home I had to go back 2 hours later to get another kitten as I had not got a look in!! He who even then said we would never have cats! I had to rescue Dusty from the jaws of Inca this afternoon - literally, who has not quite established in his mind quite what the point is of this bundle of fluff that has completely upset his position in the pecking order!
So, apart from coo-ing and ahhh-ing over Dusty what have we been up to? Friday I was typing in my office (Harri's bedroom) when Alice came rushing in and relayed to me with great excitement that an Olympic hockey player had been to the school. Apparently this was planned diversionary tactics so that Eric could bring in caged kitten and all the bits without me seeing. Work obviously stopped at that point as we all fussed over the little one. She is VERY cute. Harriette had been invited to Ellice's and out with her family to a college 'It's in the bag' evening, so there was one person less saying 'it's my turn'. In fact she stayed overnight so Alice had almost unfettered access to the kitten. Next morning was netball. Because Alice and Harri are now at different schools they have different Saturday morning slots. This means that rather being on the courts for one and half hours it's more like 3 and half hours! I have suggested to Robyn that we swap a child on Friday nights and just do the early slot on alternate weekends!
After netball and getting the girls home for quick showers we went up to Juliet and Kev's. They are about 1 1/4 hours north from here at Glen Murray. The reason for the visit was this....
and to see the humans of course! Had a good afternoon there. Hannah (their 8 year old,or is she 7?) had an op on her nose on Wednesday so was a bit precious. They actually played nicely, which is an real exception. For 4 girls who are supposed to be friends Boy can they argue!! It was like a nursery there with puppy and Dusty. Of course she had to come, I couldn't abandon her at home less than 24 hours after getting her could I! Puppy is the only one produced by their blonde lab (as opposed to their black lab) Bella. They are going to be heartbroken when she goes but has already been sold.
Sunday I was woken by Alice bringing in tea - bless her. I had complained that last year they behaved no differently on Mother's Day to any other and Alice went out of her way to rectify this. I helped Eric with the feeding out as he had to move a silage bale from on top of the pile and this was quite dangerous. As I think we explained before we could not get the grass cut for hay as it was too wet so we had silage. The bales are much bigger, and being wet, an awful lot heavier. We really need a tractor but as we don't have one we have to go through the palava of wrapping a strop round the bale and using the winch on the Safari to pull the bale down onto the trailer, ensuring that it lands in the middle so as not to tip it. We then have to move the strop and Safari to position the bale properly. I hope that cows b---dy appreciate this. Harriette came down to 'help' and got to drive the Safari and trailer back to the house. She'd have done more 4 wheel driving than 2 wheel by the time she gets to do her test, at 15.
On Saturday I invited Richard and Robyn to pop in for a coffee on the Sunday but some dramas at the farm altered arrangements slightly and we went up there, and stayed for most of the afternoon. Come hometime we drove off planning to collect our girls on the way down the drive as we thought they were with Millie, their horse. However they weren't and there was no sign of them near the calving sheds. On looking as far as we could see Richard said that he thought he saw movement down at the hay barns. So we drove down the race (which we would not have got back up if we had not been in a 4x4, and found them. Moral of this story? There is a disadvantage to this rural life, calling th kids in for supper when they have a 150-200 acre garden to play in!!
Eric cooked the roast dinner but at least Harriette had helped in the morning with preparing the veg. I had got some daffodil bulbs from Alice, which I planted that day and seeds for a Kakabeak tree. H. gave me some pigskin gardening gloves. No, bought not home produced! Did I mention Eric gave me a kitten?!!!
Today I went to the polytech to do a session on immunisations for the midwifery students. I was a little apprehensive as there is a significant anti-immunisation lobby amongst NZ midwives but nobody heckled me so I reckon things went OK.
Alice came home in tears this afternoon. Now don't laugh but someone put a live mouse in her lunchbox!!! I started off being outraged and did my motherly consoling bit while Eric and Harriette fell about laughing (Carol I'm sure you can picture the scene!) but have since decided it was quite funny! Mousey had eaten some of her sandwiches so I ushered her in to give her some noodles. She had again gone to school with nothing but sandwiches as she again had not got her lunchbox sorted. Harriette has since being calling her 'Mousey Lou' in place of her usual nickname Licey Lou! She had also been teased about her weight and a teacher had made her run an extra length during fitness so I think it would be fair to say that she did not have a good day. Bless her.
Well Eric has moved into a sitting position and relinquished possession of the cat so I best go and check she's OK!!
Night night
Happy Birthday Lily.
Well lack of blog entries for the last few days is a direct result of the time-waster on 4 legs called Dusty. As I type she is sleeping on Eric's chest as he is laying on the sofa telling her what a good girl she is for poo-ing in the litter tray and generally being so cute. Every stretch, purr and movement is being relayed to me. God he's such a softie! The older friends amongst you will remember that the reason we had Stumpy (not Stompi Lu, he was a S.African murdered, reportedly by Winnie Mandela's mob!!) is that when I bought Sols home I had to go back 2 hours later to get another kitten as I had not got a look in!! He who even then said we would never have cats! I had to rescue Dusty from the jaws of Inca this afternoon - literally, who has not quite established in his mind quite what the point is of this bundle of fluff that has completely upset his position in the pecking order!
So, apart from coo-ing and ahhh-ing over Dusty what have we been up to? Friday I was typing in my office (Harri's bedroom) when Alice came rushing in and relayed to me with great excitement that an Olympic hockey player had been to the school. Apparently this was planned diversionary tactics so that Eric could bring in caged kitten and all the bits without me seeing. Work obviously stopped at that point as we all fussed over the little one. She is VERY cute. Harriette had been invited to Ellice's and out with her family to a college 'It's in the bag' evening, so there was one person less saying 'it's my turn'. In fact she stayed overnight so Alice had almost unfettered access to the kitten. Next morning was netball. Because Alice and Harri are now at different schools they have different Saturday morning slots. This means that rather being on the courts for one and half hours it's more like 3 and half hours! I have suggested to Robyn that we swap a child on Friday nights and just do the early slot on alternate weekends!
After netball and getting the girls home for quick showers we went up to Juliet and Kev's. They are about 1 1/4 hours north from here at Glen Murray. The reason for the visit was this....
and to see the humans of course! Had a good afternoon there. Hannah (their 8 year old,or is she 7?) had an op on her nose on Wednesday so was a bit precious. They actually played nicely, which is an real exception. For 4 girls who are supposed to be friends Boy can they argue!! It was like a nursery there with puppy and Dusty. Of course she had to come, I couldn't abandon her at home less than 24 hours after getting her could I! Puppy is the only one produced by their blonde lab (as opposed to their black lab) Bella. They are going to be heartbroken when she goes but has already been sold.
Sunday I was woken by Alice bringing in tea - bless her. I had complained that last year they behaved no differently on Mother's Day to any other and Alice went out of her way to rectify this. I helped Eric with the feeding out as he had to move a silage bale from on top of the pile and this was quite dangerous. As I think we explained before we could not get the grass cut for hay as it was too wet so we had silage. The bales are much bigger, and being wet, an awful lot heavier. We really need a tractor but as we don't have one we have to go through the palava of wrapping a strop round the bale and using the winch on the Safari to pull the bale down onto the trailer, ensuring that it lands in the middle so as not to tip it. We then have to move the strop and Safari to position the bale properly. I hope that cows b---dy appreciate this. Harriette came down to 'help' and got to drive the Safari and trailer back to the house. She'd have done more 4 wheel driving than 2 wheel by the time she gets to do her test, at 15.
On Saturday I invited Richard and Robyn to pop in for a coffee on the Sunday but some dramas at the farm altered arrangements slightly and we went up there, and stayed for most of the afternoon. Come hometime we drove off planning to collect our girls on the way down the drive as we thought they were with Millie, their horse. However they weren't and there was no sign of them near the calving sheds. On looking as far as we could see Richard said that he thought he saw movement down at the hay barns. So we drove down the race (which we would not have got back up if we had not been in a 4x4, and found them. Moral of this story? There is a disadvantage to this rural life, calling th kids in for supper when they have a 150-200 acre garden to play in!!
Eric cooked the roast dinner but at least Harriette had helped in the morning with preparing the veg. I had got some daffodil bulbs from Alice, which I planted that day and seeds for a Kakabeak tree. H. gave me some pigskin gardening gloves. No, bought not home produced! Did I mention Eric gave me a kitten?!!!
Today I went to the polytech to do a session on immunisations for the midwifery students. I was a little apprehensive as there is a significant anti-immunisation lobby amongst NZ midwives but nobody heckled me so I reckon things went OK.
Alice came home in tears this afternoon. Now don't laugh but someone put a live mouse in her lunchbox!!! I started off being outraged and did my motherly consoling bit while Eric and Harriette fell about laughing (Carol I'm sure you can picture the scene!) but have since decided it was quite funny! Mousey had eaten some of her sandwiches so I ushered her in to give her some noodles. She had again gone to school with nothing but sandwiches as she again had not got her lunchbox sorted. Harriette has since being calling her 'Mousey Lou' in place of her usual nickname Licey Lou! She had also been teased about her weight and a teacher had made her run an extra length during fitness so I think it would be fair to say that she did not have a good day. Bless her.
Well Eric has moved into a sitting position and relinquished possession of the cat so I best go and check she's OK!!
Night night
Sunday, May 09, 2004
Names?
Daddy your comments are going on. Sooty! I don't think so. It's looking like Dusty at the moment, maybe Misty.
Pussy and Mrs Slocombe Helen. Hmmmm! Does that mean I can dye my hair blue? Must discuss this idea with Eric!
Just off to eat my bacon and banana sandwiches prepared 'lovingly' (!!) by the daughters. Mother's Day here. Eric down at the woolshed discussing shearing with Richard. We've only just picked up the answerphone message to say Clare has him in today. We usually get our sheep done at the same time.
Back later.
Pussy and Mrs Slocombe Helen. Hmmmm! Does that mean I can dye my hair blue? Must discuss this idea with Eric!
Just off to eat my bacon and banana sandwiches prepared 'lovingly' (!!) by the daughters. Mother's Day here. Eric down at the woolshed discussing shearing with Richard. We've only just picked up the answerphone message to say Clare has him in today. We usually get our sheep done at the same time.
Back later.
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Damn and no double blast.
I was just feeding out the cows and a flight of Parries flew overhead. Wot, no shotgun! I also think that in the last clay session we had I used up most if not all of my No.5 shot shells. Having said that, I did just remember my duck loads which I saved for this very purpose. Cx, I will only shoot pairs. I know how concerned you are that they don't go into old age single. I think I'll have to take the shotgun in the morning round. Hopefully sort the pigs by next weekend. Pork for Sunday lunch.
Friday, May 07, 2004
Oh no, I've really gone and done it now...
I took the dogs in to have their annual jabs and a weigh in today after being hasseled at work by the vet nurses whilst getting a mutt put down. I had to cancel the original appointment as I had to work at very short notice, and despite being at the vets on a regular basis, I haven't got back to arrange another. Cx, are you sitting down? Ben has lost 7Kgs in total and Inca is still precisely 1kg lighter than him at 38.2 Kgs. The girls at the surgery were dead impressed. That was not all they did whilst I was there. Those buggers slipped a ickle pussy cat in a cage with all of its cards and freebees into my hands too. I don't know how to do this bit (putting in photo's), so I'll have to wait until M is available. I gave it to M as an early Mothers day present. Mothers day is this Sunday over here! I swore we wouldn't have one but the rats are getting cheeky. They come up for the walnuts and the warmth of the house rattling around in the cavity of the wall. If it isn't a good ratter, it will amuse the boys for a while. I think Inky thinks it is a wabbit, and we know what he does with them don't we children? He gobbles them all up, bones and all.
Well, I've had my say so I suppose I'll have to leave it here having softened on my non cat stance. M is planning to blog later and will fill in all of the details which I've undoubtadly missed, colour, sex blah blah blah. So, over to herself, now the proud owner of a puss cat.
Michelle here.
Too busy with this......
.......soooo busy.....
I know we don't have TV but this is ridiculous!
'Well Hello There'
Getting to know you...
......to blog. She's a complete time waster and 6 weeks old. Names please?
Well, I've had my say so I suppose I'll have to leave it here having softened on my non cat stance. M is planning to blog later and will fill in all of the details which I've undoubtadly missed, colour, sex blah blah blah. So, over to herself, now the proud owner of a puss cat.
Michelle here.
Too busy with this......
.......soooo busy.....
I know we don't have TV but this is ridiculous!
'Well Hello There'
Getting to know you...
......to blog. She's a complete time waster and 6 weeks old. Names please?
Thursday, May 06, 2004
Photo's for you Lu!
It was gorgeous this morning. I was hanging out washing at 7am and watched Eric do this:
I then took this from just behind the house:
then turned 45 degrees and took this one of the house:
Harriette off to school in previously discussed, turned up, winter uniform:
Not taken this morning but I couldn't miss Alice out! H took this a week ago.
Did not a lot today except paperwork and washing.
Eric has been told no way can he go back to uni. this year so he will have to wait until March '05 to start. I guess that blows our 2005 UK trip we'd planned! He is going to look at qualifying as a legal exec. in the meantime. From scratch it takes 3 years but we don't know how having a law degree from the UK helps - if at all.
Can't get tickets for the Super 12 match (Chiefs v. Brumbies) in Hamilton so will have to chat Richard and Robyn up to see if we can watch their sky. It's a crucial match!
Big hugs
I then took this from just behind the house:
then turned 45 degrees and took this one of the house:
Harriette off to school in previously discussed, turned up, winter uniform:
Not taken this morning but I couldn't miss Alice out! H took this a week ago.
Did not a lot today except paperwork and washing.
Eric has been told no way can he go back to uni. this year so he will have to wait until March '05 to start. I guess that blows our 2005 UK trip we'd planned! He is going to look at qualifying as a legal exec. in the meantime. From scratch it takes 3 years but we don't know how having a law degree from the UK helps - if at all.
Can't get tickets for the Super 12 match (Chiefs v. Brumbies) in Hamilton so will have to chat Richard and Robyn up to see if we can watch their sky. It's a crucial match!
Big hugs
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Persimmons - horray!!
Just had a phone call from the Scott-Mackies (Mandy and David) to say they are in Cambridge and could they pop in for coffee. Would offer them supper but the goulash won't stretch from 4 to 9!
Well this mornings meeting went OK. No paediatric consultant to my disappointment - he was quite crucial to some of the stuff I wanted to discuss, but before I could take it personally (something I'm stupidly inclined to do) I was told he had to go to Auckland (our Starship Hospital is NZ's equivilent to the UK's GOS, Great Ormond Street), so I'll forgive him! Several people had 'forgotten' (how can you do that, don't people have diarys) but we had a productive and good meeting anyway. Being 'offline' at I was not able to send the email reminders I had planned to send out. (Aaahhhhh, penny's dropped Stan. Webmail was in reference to my job computer wasn't it! Derrr!! Yes I know I can access emails from webmail but I couldn't be bothered looking up passwords etc. Actually I didn't have time) Caterers provided scrummy savoury and blueberry muffins (as in 2 different types, not savoury blueberry muffins - yuk) so I had plenty to divvy up for morning tea.
After the meeting I went to collect loggers from Ngarawahia (silent g, does that make it easier?) and came home on the country route as I needed to go to a particular surgery outside Cambridge. On the way I saw something that really pleased me, a sign saying 'Persimmons', Sharon fruit to those in the UK. Why did this please me, because persimmons are just coming into season (and I LOVE persimmons), and this was a farm direct selling so I was probably looking at a bargin. I was right, $3/kg (£60p/lb) for export quality, coming down to $1/kg later in the season! I had a long chat with the farmer. He had being farming persimmon for 20 years and looked very organised, all the orchards under fruit netting and a packing shed next to the shop. (He exports 83% of his stock to Japan). He relayed various tips after I said I had just planted a persimmon, the bit I didn't want to hear was I'd have to wait 8 years for fruit!!!!!
Prior to this I had bought leeks from a retired couple who are real rural kiwi folk, salt of the earth types. She and I sorted out all the ills of the world and came to the conclusion that if we fed our kids fresh food and ate meals as a family all would be roses in the world (the world maybe, that recipe obviously doesn't work at Cedar Lodge). This couple run a farm shop. It threw me a bit when I first went in there in response to the signs on the gate offering all sorts of veggie goodies. The 'shop' was a barn, covered with a passionfruit vine and stacked with hay bales. No veg in sight. I asked tentatively for leeks. How many? 6 please. OK, and the old feller picked up his fork and tootled off to the gardens and dug them for me. I loved it, and call in there whenever I'm passing now (which is not often). Incidently I do buy more than leeks.
I'm back online (HOORRRAAYYYY) at work I mean. New modem arrived in the post, at lunchtime, and it works. Interestingly when I took the old one out it had a sticker on the bottom saying 'No dial tone' which just happens to be the very error message I was getting!!!? Only 35 emails to wade through (many of which with documents attached) and all of last weeks paperwork to catch up on, a lecture to prepare for midwifery students at the poly, a monthly report to do and another Regional Analysis, and that's on top of the usual day to day stuff. I also have to go to Auckland again next week. We (IMAC) are doing a pilot study in Counties Manakau and I have to go up to help the Auckland girls with their information gathering. Was supposed to be for 3 days but I've managed to whittle it down to 2.
Mandy and David have been and gone. Mandy officially became a kiwi today when she got her citizenship in a ceremony led by the major of Auckland. I guess we need to start saving to apply for ours in Novemember. Apparently it costs hundreds of dollars each and they ask you to produce further copies of all the documents they got from us when we originally applied for residency. New Zealand is a wonderful country but they do seem to find so many different ways of extracting money out of immigrants. Adam (Scott-Mackie) is still in France building racing boats (or yachts as Eric has just told me - my question - Is there a difference??!!) and hanging out with everyone who's anyone in the sailing fraternity (well if they're in France anyway).
I'm shattered, I've done an 11 hour day today (excluding chats with everyday rural folk) and my bed calls. So it's only 8.30pm but the book is getting unputdownable and Eric gives me such a hard time when he keeps waking up and I'm still reading. Maybe that's why I'm so tired?!
Lu, thanks for comments, if you go back and click again I've replied!
Big Hugs.
xoxoxox
Well this mornings meeting went OK. No paediatric consultant to my disappointment - he was quite crucial to some of the stuff I wanted to discuss, but before I could take it personally (something I'm stupidly inclined to do) I was told he had to go to Auckland (our Starship Hospital is NZ's equivilent to the UK's GOS, Great Ormond Street), so I'll forgive him! Several people had 'forgotten' (how can you do that, don't people have diarys) but we had a productive and good meeting anyway. Being 'offline' at I was not able to send the email reminders I had planned to send out. (Aaahhhhh, penny's dropped Stan. Webmail was in reference to my job computer wasn't it! Derrr!! Yes I know I can access emails from webmail but I couldn't be bothered looking up passwords etc. Actually I didn't have time) Caterers provided scrummy savoury and blueberry muffins (as in 2 different types, not savoury blueberry muffins - yuk) so I had plenty to divvy up for morning tea.
After the meeting I went to collect loggers from Ngarawahia (silent g, does that make it easier?) and came home on the country route as I needed to go to a particular surgery outside Cambridge. On the way I saw something that really pleased me, a sign saying 'Persimmons', Sharon fruit to those in the UK. Why did this please me, because persimmons are just coming into season (and I LOVE persimmons), and this was a farm direct selling so I was probably looking at a bargin. I was right, $3/kg (£60p/lb) for export quality, coming down to $1/kg later in the season! I had a long chat with the farmer. He had being farming persimmon for 20 years and looked very organised, all the orchards under fruit netting and a packing shed next to the shop. (He exports 83% of his stock to Japan). He relayed various tips after I said I had just planted a persimmon, the bit I didn't want to hear was I'd have to wait 8 years for fruit!!!!!
Prior to this I had bought leeks from a retired couple who are real rural kiwi folk, salt of the earth types. She and I sorted out all the ills of the world and came to the conclusion that if we fed our kids fresh food and ate meals as a family all would be roses in the world (the world maybe, that recipe obviously doesn't work at Cedar Lodge). This couple run a farm shop. It threw me a bit when I first went in there in response to the signs on the gate offering all sorts of veggie goodies. The 'shop' was a barn, covered with a passionfruit vine and stacked with hay bales. No veg in sight. I asked tentatively for leeks. How many? 6 please. OK, and the old feller picked up his fork and tootled off to the gardens and dug them for me. I loved it, and call in there whenever I'm passing now (which is not often). Incidently I do buy more than leeks.
I'm back online (HOORRRAAYYYY) at work I mean. New modem arrived in the post, at lunchtime, and it works. Interestingly when I took the old one out it had a sticker on the bottom saying 'No dial tone' which just happens to be the very error message I was getting!!!? Only 35 emails to wade through (many of which with documents attached) and all of last weeks paperwork to catch up on, a lecture to prepare for midwifery students at the poly, a monthly report to do and another Regional Analysis, and that's on top of the usual day to day stuff. I also have to go to Auckland again next week. We (IMAC) are doing a pilot study in Counties Manakau and I have to go up to help the Auckland girls with their information gathering. Was supposed to be for 3 days but I've managed to whittle it down to 2.
Mandy and David have been and gone. Mandy officially became a kiwi today when she got her citizenship in a ceremony led by the major of Auckland. I guess we need to start saving to apply for ours in Novemember. Apparently it costs hundreds of dollars each and they ask you to produce further copies of all the documents they got from us when we originally applied for residency. New Zealand is a wonderful country but they do seem to find so many different ways of extracting money out of immigrants. Adam (Scott-Mackie) is still in France building racing boats (or yachts as Eric has just told me - my question - Is there a difference??!!) and hanging out with everyone who's anyone in the sailing fraternity (well if they're in France anyway).
I'm shattered, I've done an 11 hour day today (excluding chats with everyday rural folk) and my bed calls. So it's only 8.30pm but the book is getting unputdownable and Eric gives me such a hard time when he keeps waking up and I'm still reading. Maybe that's why I'm so tired?!
Lu, thanks for comments, if you go back and click again I've replied!
Big Hugs.
xoxoxox
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
In prison - again!
Stayed up too late on this contraption last night and am DEFINITELY hitting the sack early tonight. Book is getting really good so want to get lost in that. I have an early start tomorrow as I have an 8am meeting I've called with hospital staff and the Public Health Unit to discuss the vaccinator training course I am running in June. 8am I ask you? Means I have to leave home at 7am!! Not my doing, it's the only time one of the consultants could make so I've ordered coffee and muffins to keep us going. Never chaired a meeting on this scale before so I hope I don't make a prat of myself!! (Wanted to start this with 'Michelle here' but Darsha says that's not necessary. Is it? Answers on a postcard please to 'comments'. On that subject Daddy have you read you birthday greetings on comments? I ask as there is no reply.)
Spent the morning (which may be the 4th of May or 5th of April, who knows!!) at another meeting, this time at a large local prison (I seem to be spending a lot of time there of late!). Also called into the public health nurses at Te Awamutu and did some good networking.
Whilst doing some 'paperwork' today (almost impossible with no emails. Computer still on the blink, new modem in the post), I had a call saying I needed to go to Auckland for 3 days next week. Groan, I spent 3 days there last week. Anyway I have managed to whittle it down to 2 days, Wed and Thursday. Alice was seriously unimpressed!!
It's still raining and it can stop now Thank You God. We have had enough for now. Need sunshine now, no actually that can wait a bit, I have broken both pairs of sunglasses. The sun here is so bright I would never drive anywhere without having them in the car (fixed ones that is). (My everyday ones have a plastic frame which is broken over the left eye. In an emergency I can squeeze them together enough to hold the lens bit in as I drive but I am so worried I will forget and get out the car and be talking to someone in a professional capacity and forget I have obviously broken glasses on!) We do still need the rain. You (well maybe not you but I) think the ground should be well and truly soaked then you (I)dig the garden and find 5cm down (2" in old money) it's bone dry.
I'm rambling. Til tomorrow.
Big hugs
PS Have just spellchecked. Didn't like 'vaccinator' suggested replacing with 'backcountry' . Sorry?!?
Spent the morning (which may be the 4th of May or 5th of April, who knows!!) at another meeting, this time at a large local prison (I seem to be spending a lot of time there of late!). Also called into the public health nurses at Te Awamutu and did some good networking.
Whilst doing some 'paperwork' today (almost impossible with no emails. Computer still on the blink, new modem in the post), I had a call saying I needed to go to Auckland for 3 days next week. Groan, I spent 3 days there last week. Anyway I have managed to whittle it down to 2 days, Wed and Thursday. Alice was seriously unimpressed!!
It's still raining and it can stop now Thank You God. We have had enough for now. Need sunshine now, no actually that can wait a bit, I have broken both pairs of sunglasses. The sun here is so bright I would never drive anywhere without having them in the car (fixed ones that is). (My everyday ones have a plastic frame which is broken over the left eye. In an emergency I can squeeze them together enough to hold the lens bit in as I drive but I am so worried I will forget and get out the car and be talking to someone in a professional capacity and forget I have obviously broken glasses on!) We do still need the rain. You (well maybe not you but I) think the ground should be well and truly soaked then you (I)dig the garden and find 5cm down (2" in old money) it's bone dry.
I'm rambling. Til tomorrow.
Big hugs
PS Have just spellchecked. Didn't like 'vaccinator' suggested replacing with 'backcountry' . Sorry?!?
Another day at the office
Eees me, my iingleesh is good, I learn it from a bookch. Sorry, been one of those days. I was covering for Steve, my colleague who covers the top end of the district yesterday and when I got into work this morning, I was informed that I was it. He had decided to take another day off. I think it is fishing that draws him away. Having said that, it is four days into duck shooting season, so that could be the reason. i have decided not to bother shooting for the first week. This is for two reasons. First, the price of the licence comes down 50% after the first week and second, I think at heart I am a fair weather gunner. It was foul, no pun intended, on opening day. The rain was tipping down and that is not my idea of a great day. The bonus here is that once you have your licence, it covers you for all game birds so I may be able to get some shooting done on the forestry blocks for quail and pheasants. Bless him, Inky (the would be gun dog), was so excited and a little uncertain as to why there were the sounds of shotguns going off yet I wasn't holding one. This could prove interesting when we go out for real as anyone else shooting nearby is likely to loose anything they shoot or have a scrap dog on dog as they try to sort out to which gun the bird should go to. We'll see.
Anyway, today I had a lot of driving around, getting between A and B, then no sooner do you arrive, then someone at the other end of the district phones to make a complaint of some sort. Today, I had a nasty unpredictable dog to deal with. The owner had finally had enough and asked me to remove it and have it destroyed. I wouldn't normally do this but I think he genuinely didn't want to have it killed. A handsome pitbull x ridgeback, with the unfortunate habit of biting people in the family out of the blue. Complaints about a dog bite over the weekend and then barking dogs and a dog attack on another dog almost topped the day when I decided to slink over to Te Aroha and pick up my spare pair of shorts. I was just outside Te Aroha when I was summonsed back to Matamata to get a dog roaming in a primary school. By the time I had put that in the pound and shot home for a bite to eat, I had the paperwork to do and update the computer system. Which bought me smartly up to 5pm.
M is still working hard on a presentation she has to do tomorrow and I have started supper. Now engrossed in the keyboard, M appears to have taken over the reins in the kitchen. Well, I'll love you and leave you all, it's time for me to line my stomach walls.
Anyway, today I had a lot of driving around, getting between A and B, then no sooner do you arrive, then someone at the other end of the district phones to make a complaint of some sort. Today, I had a nasty unpredictable dog to deal with. The owner had finally had enough and asked me to remove it and have it destroyed. I wouldn't normally do this but I think he genuinely didn't want to have it killed. A handsome pitbull x ridgeback, with the unfortunate habit of biting people in the family out of the blue. Complaints about a dog bite over the weekend and then barking dogs and a dog attack on another dog almost topped the day when I decided to slink over to Te Aroha and pick up my spare pair of shorts. I was just outside Te Aroha when I was summonsed back to Matamata to get a dog roaming in a primary school. By the time I had put that in the pound and shot home for a bite to eat, I had the paperwork to do and update the computer system. Which bought me smartly up to 5pm.
M is still working hard on a presentation she has to do tomorrow and I have started supper. Now engrossed in the keyboard, M appears to have taken over the reins in the kitchen. Well, I'll love you and leave you all, it's time for me to line my stomach walls.
Monday, May 03, 2004
Food obsession??
Happy Birthday Daddy. Have just phoned and caught up on goings on in the Smith household. Have also just emailed Carol and MSN'd with Helen.
On Saturday, when the girls were at The Scotts I caught up with Sandie. Now Sandie I knew when I lived in S.Africa. She trained with Lynne who was my best friend out there (and whom,despite her total inability to write in any form, I still consider to be one of my best friends). Now Sandie married an Australian called Mark (are you with me so far?) and they emigrated to Australia, LONG before the other millions of S.Africans did their exodus. Sandie and I exchanged the Christmas 'round-robin' for years then I lost her address. Various efforts to get it out of Lynne were, predictably, unsuccessful and I couldn't do online white pages because I couldn't remember their surname. Then, a week ago or so, and totally out of the blue it came to me. I consulted the said White Pages and after entering a few different states I eventually found them. I was going to phone straight away then got cold feet thinking it would be daft. Anyway, with kids away I took the plunge. Sandie, once I had got over to her who I was, said 'Oh, Michelle I was thinking of you last week'!!!! Well we chatted for ages during which time it did occur to me 'Do we get capped calls for Auz the same as the UK - I hope so!!' Anyway, contact re-established and I really hope we can catch up with them in person before too long. Funnily enough they live near Newcastle. Isn't that where you are/going Bloo?
On the subject of Bloo, we lost Miho's (our Japanese students) email address and consulted our Visitors book (Thanks Stiv's) to see if she had put it in there. Out fell a card from Bloo. Thank you - for that, and the rest. Hope Auz is living up to expectations.
Well I think I said in Sunday mornings blog, that I was going to drag Alice out for a walk. Well 'drag' proved to be the operative word. Talk about protestations. She sulked all the way down to the sign, where she turns round. I was torn between 'stuff you, stay fat and unfit' (I didn't say that - promise!), and being a positive role model. I did neither. We will see what happens next Saturday. Came back and raked leaves. Now that might sound like a nice autumnal sort of job but you need to see where we live (if you haven't) to appreciate the enormity of that task. I know, we need a blower/sucker/vac thing. It's on the shopping list, along with a tractor, post digger, generator, electric cabling (to the barn), etc,etc,etc,etc,etc...... Eric and I then attacked the asparagus bed. Actually it looked more like a thistle bed with a few rogue asparagus. I had planted heaps in there but between the cows getting down on their knees and reaching under the electric fence and the, once free range ,(now culled) chickens, not many plants survived.
Whilst we gardened Harriette baked!!!! We were summoned to an afternoon tea of chocolate muffins with a caramel dipping sauce. Not bad, and served with great pride. She then admitted that the first caramel went wrong (hard) and she had burnt her forefinger sticking it in the caramelising sugar (ouch!!) and therefore could not wash up... including the burnt sugar saucepan!!!!!!
Dinner of roast No 47 and mixed roasted veg (I didn't grow the kumera, sweet potato to Poms, or potatoes), rounded off a reasonable Sunday. Tried to phone Juliet and Kev. Where could you have been on a Sunday evening?
Today I have been frustrated by my work laptop. It went in for upgrade,backup, new database and anything else they could think of when I was in Auckland and now I cannot get internet connection. When you work from home you are 110% reliant on emails so I was somewhat scuppered. Went into Hamilton to do a clinical assessment on a nurse who was so nervous, despite my bestest reassuring noises, that she stabbed herself with a needle. I felt so sorry for her (and passed her).
At Alice's request we had chicken and couscous tonight. She is quite staggered by the fact that none of her friends know what couscous is, or that National Radio broadcasts a children's short story every evening. To the latter Eric replied that that was because they all watched TV and weren't they (H and A) lucky to have no TV and be so worldly-wise. Alice was not impressed citing her total ignorance on the goings on at The Saddle Club as causing her huge disadvantages in her social circle!
Michelle Hudson, who stayed with us in March, called in for lunch today. I got up early and made pumpkin soup and sesame bread. It was 'orrible. I apologised and we stuck to bread after she declined tinned soup. I had used creme fraiche (yes I was surprised to get it here as well!) as had no cream in and decided that this was the mistake, and caused the bitterness. After she left I looked again at the packet and saw that it was not the new packet I thought I had bought at the weekend but expired in mid-April! Sorry Michelle, I wasn't trying to poison you - honest.
Reading this it sounds like we are obsessed with food in this house. I know Carol, Mom and Daddy would say we are, and maybe that accounts for our expanding waistlines. I like to think of it as pride in what we produce rather than obsession. Anyway, it is way past bedtime at 22.05pm so I must away. Oh Daddy the 'comments' button I said was there I can't find today. I'm sure it will come back. Nightie, night.
Michelle
xoxoxo
On Saturday, when the girls were at The Scotts I caught up with Sandie. Now Sandie I knew when I lived in S.Africa. She trained with Lynne who was my best friend out there (and whom,despite her total inability to write in any form, I still consider to be one of my best friends). Now Sandie married an Australian called Mark (are you with me so far?) and they emigrated to Australia, LONG before the other millions of S.Africans did their exodus. Sandie and I exchanged the Christmas 'round-robin' for years then I lost her address. Various efforts to get it out of Lynne were, predictably, unsuccessful and I couldn't do online white pages because I couldn't remember their surname. Then, a week ago or so, and totally out of the blue it came to me. I consulted the said White Pages and after entering a few different states I eventually found them. I was going to phone straight away then got cold feet thinking it would be daft. Anyway, with kids away I took the plunge. Sandie, once I had got over to her who I was, said 'Oh, Michelle I was thinking of you last week'!!!! Well we chatted for ages during which time it did occur to me 'Do we get capped calls for Auz the same as the UK - I hope so!!' Anyway, contact re-established and I really hope we can catch up with them in person before too long. Funnily enough they live near Newcastle. Isn't that where you are/going Bloo?
On the subject of Bloo, we lost Miho's (our Japanese students) email address and consulted our Visitors book (Thanks Stiv's) to see if she had put it in there. Out fell a card from Bloo. Thank you - for that, and the rest. Hope Auz is living up to expectations.
Well I think I said in Sunday mornings blog, that I was going to drag Alice out for a walk. Well 'drag' proved to be the operative word. Talk about protestations. She sulked all the way down to the sign, where she turns round. I was torn between 'stuff you, stay fat and unfit' (I didn't say that - promise!), and being a positive role model. I did neither. We will see what happens next Saturday. Came back and raked leaves. Now that might sound like a nice autumnal sort of job but you need to see where we live (if you haven't) to appreciate the enormity of that task. I know, we need a blower/sucker/vac thing. It's on the shopping list, along with a tractor, post digger, generator, electric cabling (to the barn), etc,etc,etc,etc,etc...... Eric and I then attacked the asparagus bed. Actually it looked more like a thistle bed with a few rogue asparagus. I had planted heaps in there but between the cows getting down on their knees and reaching under the electric fence and the, once free range ,(now culled) chickens, not many plants survived.
Whilst we gardened Harriette baked!!!! We were summoned to an afternoon tea of chocolate muffins with a caramel dipping sauce. Not bad, and served with great pride. She then admitted that the first caramel went wrong (hard) and she had burnt her forefinger sticking it in the caramelising sugar (ouch!!) and therefore could not wash up... including the burnt sugar saucepan!!!!!!
Dinner of roast No 47 and mixed roasted veg (I didn't grow the kumera, sweet potato to Poms, or potatoes), rounded off a reasonable Sunday. Tried to phone Juliet and Kev. Where could you have been on a Sunday evening?
Today I have been frustrated by my work laptop. It went in for upgrade,backup, new database and anything else they could think of when I was in Auckland and now I cannot get internet connection. When you work from home you are 110% reliant on emails so I was somewhat scuppered. Went into Hamilton to do a clinical assessment on a nurse who was so nervous, despite my bestest reassuring noises, that she stabbed herself with a needle. I felt so sorry for her (and passed her).
At Alice's request we had chicken and couscous tonight. She is quite staggered by the fact that none of her friends know what couscous is, or that National Radio broadcasts a children's short story every evening. To the latter Eric replied that that was because they all watched TV and weren't they (H and A) lucky to have no TV and be so worldly-wise. Alice was not impressed citing her total ignorance on the goings on at The Saddle Club as causing her huge disadvantages in her social circle!
Michelle Hudson, who stayed with us in March, called in for lunch today. I got up early and made pumpkin soup and sesame bread. It was 'orrible. I apologised and we stuck to bread after she declined tinned soup. I had used creme fraiche (yes I was surprised to get it here as well!) as had no cream in and decided that this was the mistake, and caused the bitterness. After she left I looked again at the packet and saw that it was not the new packet I thought I had bought at the weekend but expired in mid-April! Sorry Michelle, I wasn't trying to poison you - honest.
Reading this it sounds like we are obsessed with food in this house. I know Carol, Mom and Daddy would say we are, and maybe that accounts for our expanding waistlines. I like to think of it as pride in what we produce rather than obsession. Anyway, it is way past bedtime at 22.05pm so I must away. Oh Daddy the 'comments' button I said was there I can't find today. I'm sure it will come back. Nightie, night.
Michelle
xoxoxo
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Netball season starts here.
It's 7.30am, raining (which we desperately need), grey, I am snuggled up in bed, with tea at hand, typing with one hand as my other is round Alice who is reading. I have a clear conscience but I know Eric is laying here thinking he should get up and feed out!!
(Interruption for major stress (it couldn't possibly last could it!): Harriette, who was on the phone to her friend Bryre in the UK has come off the phone, on a capped call, so she could have talked for 2 hours, and come in to tell me she wants THIS computer to MSN the friend she has been talking to!!! Apparently Messenger is not downloaded on the desktop and we cannot get my 'work' laptop to connect since it went in for upgrading. I could easily let her take this one but I work flippin hard all week and resent my bit of relaxation being taken way - and by someone who is so lazy and resents doing the slightest bit of work! So the inevitable altercation occurred. However I am now back and she is downloading MSN elsewhere!!)
Where was I?.... Yesterday, in an effort to improve Alice's fitness I got her to come and walk with me. It's only to the end of the road and back but that is 2km. I obviously had to walk slower but left her near the end to turn round and I walked ahead and caught up with the on the way back. Got home to find Eric raking leaves as Harriette rushed out the house saying 'Where were you, I am late for netball' (Alice doesn not start until next week). So we bolted down some cereal and dashed off. Intermediate School have 19 netball teams in 2 year groups. They play in competition with 3 (smaller) schools. Yesterday they played for placings to see which team would be in which group. So we had to wait around for 6 games (on 7 courts ie 42 games. The last 2 years have been bad enough with H and A playing in different year groups at the same school. Now we will have them in different session times. The first to have the courts are the primary schools, later in the morning Intermediate, next College students and then the adults. I guess we only have 2 girls, some of our friends have children in each school. I wonder if they spend all day there or do older girls not want Mom's and Dads on the side lines? Anyway, I should not moan, we actually quite enjoy it and I guess it was because of this that we got friendly with Richard and Robyn. However yesterday I hung out the washing before we went so I guess there was no sign of rain at our house. In Matamata (about 8 miles away) it was very grey and the rain came, slowly at first but steadily worsening. It did not seem to occur to anyone to stop play so I said I would go home and get rain coats. Didn't have to though as I found them, with a brolly,in the car. Poor Harriette and Sarah (Scott) were like drowned rats at the end of play! Alice had already worked out with Kathryn that she would go back with Richard, and Sarah wanted Harriette also but I insisted she come home for a hot shower and dry clothes first. When I took her back I didn't need to have bothered as Alice had bathed with the others there and she was in different clothes anyway! Robyn, who is studying for a pre-school education degree, was away on a workshop and I was reluctant at leaving Richard with 4 children to cope with. He was quite happy though and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon pottering.
The rain was wonderful, constant and although hard at times it was not torrential stuff that runs off the land. It was the sort of rain that soaks into the ground and does some good. All we need now is the warm sun to return when the rain stops.
We bought the TV and video in from the cottage yesterday. That, in the Tanner household is the marks the official start of winter. In traditional winter fashion we ate pizzas (homemade of course) while watching a video (2 towers, Eric and I still had not seen it) before adjourning to bed.
Must go and drag Alice out for walk now.
Love to all
Michelle
xoxoxo
(Interruption for major stress (it couldn't possibly last could it!): Harriette, who was on the phone to her friend Bryre in the UK has come off the phone, on a capped call, so she could have talked for 2 hours, and come in to tell me she wants THIS computer to MSN the friend she has been talking to!!! Apparently Messenger is not downloaded on the desktop and we cannot get my 'work' laptop to connect since it went in for upgrading. I could easily let her take this one but I work flippin hard all week and resent my bit of relaxation being taken way - and by someone who is so lazy and resents doing the slightest bit of work! So the inevitable altercation occurred. However I am now back and she is downloading MSN elsewhere!!)
Where was I?.... Yesterday, in an effort to improve Alice's fitness I got her to come and walk with me. It's only to the end of the road and back but that is 2km. I obviously had to walk slower but left her near the end to turn round and I walked ahead and caught up with the on the way back. Got home to find Eric raking leaves as Harriette rushed out the house saying 'Where were you, I am late for netball' (Alice doesn not start until next week). So we bolted down some cereal and dashed off. Intermediate School have 19 netball teams in 2 year groups. They play in competition with 3 (smaller) schools. Yesterday they played for placings to see which team would be in which group. So we had to wait around for 6 games (on 7 courts ie 42 games. The last 2 years have been bad enough with H and A playing in different year groups at the same school. Now we will have them in different session times. The first to have the courts are the primary schools, later in the morning Intermediate, next College students and then the adults. I guess we only have 2 girls, some of our friends have children in each school. I wonder if they spend all day there or do older girls not want Mom's and Dads on the side lines? Anyway, I should not moan, we actually quite enjoy it and I guess it was because of this that we got friendly with Richard and Robyn. However yesterday I hung out the washing before we went so I guess there was no sign of rain at our house. In Matamata (about 8 miles away) it was very grey and the rain came, slowly at first but steadily worsening. It did not seem to occur to anyone to stop play so I said I would go home and get rain coats. Didn't have to though as I found them, with a brolly,in the car. Poor Harriette and Sarah (Scott) were like drowned rats at the end of play! Alice had already worked out with Kathryn that she would go back with Richard, and Sarah wanted Harriette also but I insisted she come home for a hot shower and dry clothes first. When I took her back I didn't need to have bothered as Alice had bathed with the others there and she was in different clothes anyway! Robyn, who is studying for a pre-school education degree, was away on a workshop and I was reluctant at leaving Richard with 4 children to cope with. He was quite happy though and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon pottering.
The rain was wonderful, constant and although hard at times it was not torrential stuff that runs off the land. It was the sort of rain that soaks into the ground and does some good. All we need now is the warm sun to return when the rain stops.
We bought the TV and video in from the cottage yesterday. That, in the Tanner household is the marks the official start of winter. In traditional winter fashion we ate pizzas (homemade of course) while watching a video (2 towers, Eric and I still had not seen it) before adjourning to bed.
Must go and drag Alice out for walk now.
Love to all
Michelle
xoxoxo
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