An update after my first week (must be a record - two blogs from me in one week)
I have now been working for my Company for a whole week. Haven’t got the sack which is a good start. It would seem that I still have the reverse Midas touch however. I have had a property deal collapse around my ears, another sale complicated by the presence of a tenant of whom we had no knowledge and now the statutory time limits for a notice to quit are going to mean that the completion date is going to be too early. I had to draft Wills for a young couple and I’m expecting them to die before they sign them. A nice couple so I really don’t want that to happen! Trusts are very big here in New Zealand and I have not really got to grips with them yet. I was handed a couple of trust documents and a text book on the matter. I have just finished deciphering the forms, now I have to get the people in and explain what they mean in human terms before asking them to sign them and then witness them. The office manager is sorting me out my own official stamp which is highly exciting. Well it is for me anyway! It seems strange to be witnessing the documents as a solicitor. I’m too young for that! The compulsory grey hair is being added slowly to give me just the right air of authority.
Apart from work, it is officially the first day of spring tomorrow. Hurray!!! Do you think that the grass knows? I don’t think so. We are still feeding out each day and waiting for the grass to come up. The goosers are sitting on two nests now. I just hope that the eggs are fertile this year. Last year they weren’t and we didn’t have gosling. In turn that meant no Christmas goose. Cx, guess what I’m hoping to do for Christmas dinner? Any ideas? You haven’t worked it out yet? The goslings when they are all growded up become nice fat goosers and I like eating gooser. Ideas on a postcard. The hams are curing on the deck as I type this and I think they will be good for the whole Christmas period, they are that big. Nelson is to be spared the bullet you will be glad to hear. It was touch and go for a while but I think that ‘Rowan’ is the new ‘47’. Atkinson is a little worse on the finish side so I don’t mind ‘Rowan’ being a bully and getting more than his fair share of the feed. What goes around comes around or something like that.
Harriette has just got back in from Band at 9pm. That means it is time for bed! Take care all and sleep well. I know I will.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Oh So Much To Tell
And all because I haven't blogged for so long. Just a few notes and photo's today and I'll flesh it up a bit next weekend.
Today Eric started as a solicitor.
One of the 2 partners went into hospital with chest pains and had some minor cardiac surgery so is not going to be there as much as Eric expected. He came back for his first day today. I think it has shaken them all up a bit. It seems that Eric has made a good first impression. He was given some files to review and came up with lots of comments and was immediately given something more "meaty". I was teaching in Hamilton and out the house from 7am until 5.30pm. We probably were like any other normal family but it was very strange for us. The girls have been advised that they are going to have to pull there weight and we are all going to have to be more organised. Quite a big adjustment for us all I think. Still just ubntil I retire!!!!
Eric has spent the entire weekend in pain having had another episode of gout. He found it almost impossible to walk on Friday/Sat and spent the entire weekend sitting, butchering our last pig and making 80lbs of sausages! He has given chorizo a go and they are very nice. He squeezed his poorly swollen foot into his brogue this morning and was glad to be sitting most of the day at work.
Some bits of news from Cedar Lodge from this last few weeks...
Freckles produced this beautiful bull calf.
One of twins but the heifer calf died. And Carol produced this absolutely gorgeous heifer calf:
Carol do you want to name her?
We have had so much rain that we had a lake in the front paddock again:
It lasted so long that these moved in:
Eric was forbidden to shoot them!
That's all I have the energy for at the moment.
Today Eric started as a solicitor.
One of the 2 partners went into hospital with chest pains and had some minor cardiac surgery so is not going to be there as much as Eric expected. He came back for his first day today. I think it has shaken them all up a bit. It seems that Eric has made a good first impression. He was given some files to review and came up with lots of comments and was immediately given something more "meaty". I was teaching in Hamilton and out the house from 7am until 5.30pm. We probably were like any other normal family but it was very strange for us. The girls have been advised that they are going to have to pull there weight and we are all going to have to be more organised. Quite a big adjustment for us all I think. Still just ubntil I retire!!!!
Eric has spent the entire weekend in pain having had another episode of gout. He found it almost impossible to walk on Friday/Sat and spent the entire weekend sitting, butchering our last pig and making 80lbs of sausages! He has given chorizo a go and they are very nice. He squeezed his poorly swollen foot into his brogue this morning and was glad to be sitting most of the day at work.
Some bits of news from Cedar Lodge from this last few weeks...
Freckles produced this beautiful bull calf.
One of twins but the heifer calf died. And Carol produced this absolutely gorgeous heifer calf:
Carol do you want to name her?
We have had so much rain that we had a lake in the front paddock again:
It lasted so long that these moved in:
Eric was forbidden to shoot them!
That's all I have the energy for at the moment.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Resting between jobs?
Well, I’m back in the land of the unemployed!
It has been a long time, but my four weeks notice is up! That means I have the whole weekend off in order to complete my transformation from Animal Control Officer (Kennel hand!), into a fully-fledged Lawyer. It is a time not without it’s setbacks. I am currently afflicted with the usual painful episode of gout. It started last night as a painful little toe. During the night, it became steadily more painful until I couldn’t bear the duvet weight resting on it. Easy to cure, shove the offending foot out of the bed and let it get cold. Let me tell you that it has been very cold here the last few nights. All in, I didn’t have a good nights kip. Secondly, the partner who was to have been my mentor was taken ill (in a serious way). It did however feel very strange to be phoned on Wednesday by the office manager and be told that my office is being prepared and the new office furniture is being put together ready for Monday. The good news is that I start at 0830, not 0800.
I can’t wait for the grass to come back. Now I will have to consider the condition of my hands. Now, I don’t know how many of you have ever served up cold silage by hand in the morning? Not many I’d guess. It leaves your hands smelling of what else but silage. It is hard to get rid of the smell. Also, the silage I am using is clover silage that is a bit wet. That means it smells a bit of rotting vegetation/fishy. It is quite a strange smell that I find hard to describe well. When are scratch and sniff screens going to be developed. In an attempt to avoid these strange stains and smells, didn’t I mention the staining? Every nick and crack in your hands becomes a highlighted black line, which doesn’t look very attractive. I have taken to using latex gloves. It looks really poncy and I am certain that I will be caught by a neighbour every time that I slip them on to handle the stuff.
Michelle nearly severed her finger the other day and since having the wound stitched up, it has of course, gone septic. The body is a strange thing. You would think that the puss that would come out along the line of the cut when squeezed. It doesn’t. I don’t know why not, just that for some unexplainable reason, it is determined to stay trapped in her body for good. With M’s luck, she will come down with septicaemia and be hospitalised. Never one to do things by half my dear wife. My gout has had me laid up for the weekend. Well, not quite laid up but certainly not as active as I would like to be. I have a lot to do in the fencing line and what with my tennis elbow and this foot, I can’t get on with it yet. Michelle has been a brick as ever. She has done the feeding out in the morning and evening. It is quite heavy as the silage was wet when put down. With all of the rain we have had, the paddocks are quite muddy in the gateways and pushing a wheelbarrow full of goodies through the beasts is not easy without them upsetting the silage cart.
I have just completed playing with 69lbs of sausages. I made a Spanish style Chorizo, my salami, plain pork and pork and leek. The Chorizo is supposed to be hung to dry but I made some patties out of the left overs and fried them up. It tastes so good, I put some down for straight sausages. Even the girls liked them, despite the spices. When I strung them up to dry, several of the lengths didn’t want to play and gravity took hold of them. I have to remove them next weekend as Mandy’s boys are staying over in the flat. They have a sailing event on Lake Karipiro, so rather than drive back to Tauranga on Saturday night, we are going to enjoy their company. I have to go and iron shirts and clean my shoes now so I’ll leave it here and maybe update you tomorrow evening.
It has been a long time, but my four weeks notice is up! That means I have the whole weekend off in order to complete my transformation from Animal Control Officer (Kennel hand!), into a fully-fledged Lawyer. It is a time not without it’s setbacks. I am currently afflicted with the usual painful episode of gout. It started last night as a painful little toe. During the night, it became steadily more painful until I couldn’t bear the duvet weight resting on it. Easy to cure, shove the offending foot out of the bed and let it get cold. Let me tell you that it has been very cold here the last few nights. All in, I didn’t have a good nights kip. Secondly, the partner who was to have been my mentor was taken ill (in a serious way). It did however feel very strange to be phoned on Wednesday by the office manager and be told that my office is being prepared and the new office furniture is being put together ready for Monday. The good news is that I start at 0830, not 0800.
I can’t wait for the grass to come back. Now I will have to consider the condition of my hands. Now, I don’t know how many of you have ever served up cold silage by hand in the morning? Not many I’d guess. It leaves your hands smelling of what else but silage. It is hard to get rid of the smell. Also, the silage I am using is clover silage that is a bit wet. That means it smells a bit of rotting vegetation/fishy. It is quite a strange smell that I find hard to describe well. When are scratch and sniff screens going to be developed. In an attempt to avoid these strange stains and smells, didn’t I mention the staining? Every nick and crack in your hands becomes a highlighted black line, which doesn’t look very attractive. I have taken to using latex gloves. It looks really poncy and I am certain that I will be caught by a neighbour every time that I slip them on to handle the stuff.
Michelle nearly severed her finger the other day and since having the wound stitched up, it has of course, gone septic. The body is a strange thing. You would think that the puss that would come out along the line of the cut when squeezed. It doesn’t. I don’t know why not, just that for some unexplainable reason, it is determined to stay trapped in her body for good. With M’s luck, she will come down with septicaemia and be hospitalised. Never one to do things by half my dear wife. My gout has had me laid up for the weekend. Well, not quite laid up but certainly not as active as I would like to be. I have a lot to do in the fencing line and what with my tennis elbow and this foot, I can’t get on with it yet. Michelle has been a brick as ever. She has done the feeding out in the morning and evening. It is quite heavy as the silage was wet when put down. With all of the rain we have had, the paddocks are quite muddy in the gateways and pushing a wheelbarrow full of goodies through the beasts is not easy without them upsetting the silage cart.
I have just completed playing with 69lbs of sausages. I made a Spanish style Chorizo, my salami, plain pork and pork and leek. The Chorizo is supposed to be hung to dry but I made some patties out of the left overs and fried them up. It tastes so good, I put some down for straight sausages. Even the girls liked them, despite the spices. When I strung them up to dry, several of the lengths didn’t want to play and gravity took hold of them. I have to remove them next weekend as Mandy’s boys are staying over in the flat. They have a sailing event on Lake Karipiro, so rather than drive back to Tauranga on Saturday night, we are going to enjoy their company. I have to go and iron shirts and clean my shoes now so I’ll leave it here and maybe update you tomorrow evening.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
A late addition of blog (typed in Aug posted in Oct!!)
Moving on. Typing this in a music room in a college in Hamilton while about 20 teenagers practice. I have bought Harriette and Sarah in to suss out the Waikato Band. Harri was a bit reluctant to come as she is planning to change to oboe next year and thought it wouldn’t be worth it and I was worried they (well Harriette) wouldn’t be good enough but the conductor is sooo enthusiastic, they are now joining in. We’ll see how it goes. Alice has started additional private clarinet lessons to complement her itinerant lessons at school. She is thoroughly enjoying it.
Had a meeting with Alice’s teacher last week as we get the impression that Alice is struggling. The teacher agreed and we talked about Alice not being in the accelerate class next year. Had a tearful discussion with Alice over this and she seems to be accepting of the idea now. Then today she got her Australian English results back and got a distinction (one of only 4 in her class of 38)!
Had a busy weekend. Both girls won their netball on Saturday and the girls got to watch their film. I caught up and had a coffee with Mandy and her new man (not sure if I liked him). Sunday Mom and Daddy came down. The plan was, that Daddy would help Eric take the diesel pump out the Safari and us girls (including R+R’s daughter Sarah) would go to Putaruru to watch a Russian concert pianist who was performing in the Timber Mill Museum!! As it was they couldn’t remove the pump (didn’t have a particular tool they needed) so Daddy came with us and Eric split wood (he had borrowed (a neighbour) Basil’s tractor while he was away selling a horse on the South Island). The concert was so interesting. The pianist was unbelievably talented and played some incredibly difficult pieces. I was just wishing he would play something I was familiar with when he did. The setting was just like a village hall and it was strange to think here was this pianist more used to playing in the Albert Hall playing here!! So kiwi! Afterwards we took Sarah home and Mom and Daddy came with us to see the calves. They are in the second half of calving and I think have about 200 calvings. Sarah and Katherine couldn’t understand why Mom and Daddy would want to go up to their farm to look at cows! They see them everyday, year in year out and cannot understand that most of the world has never been on a dairy farm during calving and it is therefore a novelty to them. I was planning to do dinner at about 5pm but we ended up eating at 8pm and Mom and Daddy didn’t leave until 10pm. I was very glad to see my bed that night.
All else is well here. Eric is busy working his notice, well trying not to be busy. The girls have 1 week of netball left and I am plodding on. I have several trips up to Auckland over the next few weeks, I have a conference and a symposium to attend and I have been asked to do some orientation with a new facilitator up there. So looks like I’ll be keeping busy.
Had a meeting with Alice’s teacher last week as we get the impression that Alice is struggling. The teacher agreed and we talked about Alice not being in the accelerate class next year. Had a tearful discussion with Alice over this and she seems to be accepting of the idea now. Then today she got her Australian English results back and got a distinction (one of only 4 in her class of 38)!
Had a busy weekend. Both girls won their netball on Saturday and the girls got to watch their film. I caught up and had a coffee with Mandy and her new man (not sure if I liked him). Sunday Mom and Daddy came down. The plan was, that Daddy would help Eric take the diesel pump out the Safari and us girls (including R+R’s daughter Sarah) would go to Putaruru to watch a Russian concert pianist who was performing in the Timber Mill Museum!! As it was they couldn’t remove the pump (didn’t have a particular tool they needed) so Daddy came with us and Eric split wood (he had borrowed (a neighbour) Basil’s tractor while he was away selling a horse on the South Island). The concert was so interesting. The pianist was unbelievably talented and played some incredibly difficult pieces. I was just wishing he would play something I was familiar with when he did. The setting was just like a village hall and it was strange to think here was this pianist more used to playing in the Albert Hall playing here!! So kiwi! Afterwards we took Sarah home and Mom and Daddy came with us to see the calves. They are in the second half of calving and I think have about 200 calvings. Sarah and Katherine couldn’t understand why Mom and Daddy would want to go up to their farm to look at cows! They see them everyday, year in year out and cannot understand that most of the world has never been on a dairy farm during calving and it is therefore a novelty to them. I was planning to do dinner at about 5pm but we ended up eating at 8pm and Mom and Daddy didn’t leave until 10pm. I was very glad to see my bed that night.
All else is well here. Eric is busy working his notice, well trying not to be busy. The girls have 1 week of netball left and I am plodding on. I have several trips up to Auckland over the next few weeks, I have a conference and a symposium to attend and I have been asked to do some orientation with a new facilitator up there. So looks like I’ll be keeping busy.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
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