Eric is beginning to wind down a little now. He has caught up on some sleep, is beginning to recover from his cold and generally chill out a bit. I expect that will all be reversed tomorrow when he tries to chase all this paperwork. Still I think I said something about ‘for better or worse’ a few years ago and now he has earning potential I am not in a hurry to let him go. And, as Daddy said yesterday when he proposed a toast to Eric over lunch, “Congratulations Eric, now please go and earn enough money to keep my daughter in the fashion to which she’d like to become accustomed”, or words to that effect.
Alice and I spent Mon – Wed on music camp. All children at Intermediate who play an instrument, or are in the choir, have the chance of a camp where they have 2 days of intensive lessons and practice then they put on a concert on the Tuesday evening for hundreds of parents.
Alice is in the orange
The 3rd day is a half day of activities including that hydro-slide and then home to crash out and catch up on sleep in the afternoon. You may remember that Harriette has done the same thing over the last 2 years. Anyway I was camp nurse, and thought that I would have a quiet time, I mean how much harm can children come to playing instruments!! How wrong can I be. I was rushed off my feet!! I must have seen 50 children including asthma attacks (sent home), broken thumb (X ray then home) and dressings galore. The other parents thought it was hilarious. It did get me out of all other parental stuff though, serving meals etc. I was asked back for next year but said only on the condition I get help!!! The concert was quite good with both the junior and senior bands playing, the choir and some extras like a professional opera singer who teaches private singing lessons at the school and an ex pupil who plays oboe all over the country now (she inspired Harriette to want to change from tenor sax to oboe). The singer was fabulous but I think his choice of songs was not really appropriate, the children were obviously bored. They also had a jazz group and a rock group from the schools play. For some logistical reason at the concert Alice ended up sitting in the front row of her orchestra, (clarinets should be further back) but I was very proud of the way she sat straight, with legs together (some other girls need this pointing out to them!!) and conducted herself professionally with no chatter or waiving of instrument around. I must say Eric’s behaviou,r on the other hand, was disgraceful! I had secured us seats in the second row. Eric managed to catch Alice’s eye and had her in hysterics at one point, poor girl was trying to concentrate on her piece, follow the conductor and her music and Eric was fooling around. I don’t know what started them off but it was obvious to all around us and Eric had everyone within 10 metres of us sniggering into their programmes!
Totara Springs is a Christian camp set in beautiful bush at the base of the Kaimais. So peaceful and so well thought out, there isn’t an activity that they haven’t got there if it is possible. I walked around the perimeter on my first morning but decided not to go into the bush as I had not told anybody I was walking, let alone where I was (all in my motel unit were still asleep!). That may seem odd but the context is that almost every Monday morning the news here has some search party out looking for a tramper (walker) who has not reported in after a stroll/tramp in the bush. I reckon half the time these news making cases are found dead. Well that was my excuse for keeping it short! My plan was to take some ‘bush’ photo’s on the Wednesday morning when I wanted to use the hydro-slide but I was so busy with my field hospital outside the dining room that that never happened. And neither did my turn on the hydroslide!!! Oh well, maybe next year!!
As I mentioned we have a long weekend here, and I don’t have to cook once!!! Saturday, as usual Harriette did pizzas (I did make a wonderful, homegrown, homemade pumpkin soup for lunch), yesterday we had lunch at Mom and Daddy’s and today lunch is at Richard and Robyn’s. Eric and Richard are going turkey shooting on the farm this morning. Apparently Richards has mobs of these pests up there and is desperate to get rid of them. Harriette wants to join them and Sarah is contemplating going too. She is supposed to be at another friends but the lure of turkey shooting may be too much for her! They are supposed to be no good for eating but knowing Eric he is bound to pick a youngster to bring home and try anyway. Never one to say no to free meat.
Harriette and Eric seem to be over the worst of their colds. Alice is a bit snuffly but I think we escaped being away when they were most infectious. Harriette actually had 2 days off school this week. Eric has been working full-time as his opposite number is on leave. Steve could not have managed worse timing really taking his 3 weeks over Eric’s exams so he had to work full-time the few days before his exams (would have been nice to had the time to study) and the 2 weeks after (no time to relax, working full-time with a stinking cold). Anyway that’s done now. Harriette started her Shakespeare with the 17 yr olds last week. The first few lessons were just watching the video. She is obviously coping and even commented that a couple of ‘airheads’ in the class ‘just don’t get it’!!! She is keeping a low profile in the class and these opinions to herself I must add (just mother that broadcasts them on the worldwide web!!!).
Actually life looks to being a bit more settled, just need Eric to get a real job now to tidy it all up. He is qualified and all this horrible time sapping study has finished, my job is settled (forgot to mention that), Standard Life have agreed to demutualise so that’s our UK airfares sorted (we plan to be over there for July 2007), a tax rebate, and the NZ$ dropping against the £, has eased our money woes and life is definitely much better than it was 3 months ago.
My job. Well we had a meeting in Auckland this week. All our contracts have been renewed (by all I mean my Midland and Auckland colleagues in the same role as me) and I have a mediocre $5000 pay rise. It is enough for me to stay with IMAC so I have said No Thank You to the Tauranga job. The new terms of the contract (ie pay rises) has caused consternation in the team with most people on a slightly less salary than me and one other person, for no good reason. All our other terms remain unchanged so I am settled in this role until at least April 2007. At this point we do not know what will happen with the role after then. Hopefully by that time Eric will be working in a barr/sol role and I will have some flexibility as to how I work.
Well it’s still not raining, and doesn’t look like it’s likely to, so I best get this walk out the way. Until next time…
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