Once again it’s Sunday morning and I’m listening to Chris Laidlaw (talking about the huge price of gold and our gold mines here). The skies are blue, not a cloud to be seen and we have a morning planned planting a row flax (given to us by Mom and Daddy’s new neighbours) and fencing it to stop the cows getting to it. They love flax. It’s going along the edge of the paddock above the bank behind the pool. Eric’s still reading a book he started in Tonga and I think the girls are still in bed. Harriette got sent to her room last night because she through a paddy when Alice ‘pinched’ her place in a game of Scrabble!!! She was planning to put a 7 letter word down but nontheless her response was horrible. Alice shortly afterwards bowed out saying she was too tired. So much for my attempts to do something social and family orientated!!
I have had an unbelievably busy week, on top of a busy few weeks. I was ill last weekend but was feeling better by Sunday evening when we went to Mom and Daddy’s for supper. (Stop for a quick dash to the phone to remind them to bring my flashdrive and sunglasses that I left there. They are popping in soon for coffee on their was to Rhuapahu for a few days.
Monday was just trying to catch up on emails and general admin, and fitting in a few visits. I still have over 60 in my Inbox that, over recent weeks, have low priority but need clearing. I hate seeing a double figured number in brackets by Inbox (indicating number of unread messages). Tuesday and Wednesday were long days teaching a Vaccinator Training Course, Thursday I was at a Well Child Day in Tokoroa (40 minutes away) and Friday meetings in Hamilton all day. I thought that next week was going to be quieter. Well it is, but I have soooo much to catch up on.
Yesterday we took the girls to see Golden Compass. Harriette was quite offended that Eric and I found it boring. When I explained that it was a movie made for children her age I think she didn’t like the inference that she wasn’t an adult!! We then went looking for a tenor sax for Harriette. We have decided to buy one for her and send her one back to the rental company and swap it for an alto sax for Alice. Juggling renting, buying and borrowing a total of 6 instruments in a cost effective fashion between them is no mean feat!!
Not a lot else to report. We are off to one of Eric’s firms partner’s places today for a social. Lunch on their farm, off to a 9 hole golf course for a game and then supper at the tavern opposite. Should be a good day.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Back From Fafa
Sunday 2nd March 9.30am. Lying in bed listening to Chris Laidlaw on the radio. Have just typed up notes from Fafa.
Well the almost perfect holiday went to pot in the last 24 hours. We were unable to stay 5 nights at Fafa and were booked at the Lagoon Lodge in Nukuo’lofa for the last night. It was horrible. Lukily the bed was OK and had a huge fan but the rest was yuk. A 2 storey self-catering apartment, but all the cupboards smelt musty and there was no resturant or shops nearby to get anything to eat or drink so we were dependant on tea and coffee. We looked around outside and found a small bit of man made beach with a few battered picnic tables with shredded shades. We got a cab into the town, about 10 minutes away and had a coffee at the one decent café and then went for a wander round the town and to the markets. That did not take long! The infastructure just does not exist there. The poverty was evident everywhere but everyone still had cellphones and drove big cars, lots of people movers and 4x4’s. Back at the hotel in the afternoon I started to get abdo pain and think I had a tummy bug. By the evening I was feeling really Yuk. I was sure it wasn’t the usual adhesions as the pain was not increasing creshendo-like. I was not drinking and vomited during the night. I looked aweful!! In the morning I went to make tea but nearly passed out. I think my dehydration had dropped my blood pressure. I got to the airport and bought a litre of water, which I managed to keep down and the cabin crew plied me with plenty of fluids on the flight. I actually felt much better by the time we got to Auckland. I am still not right several days later. We got home about 6pm on the Wednesday evening and went back to work on Thursday. I was busy that day and then had the AGM for the schools band that I manage in the evening. That has generated so much work for me! It was 1.30am by the time I got to bed and then had to get up at 5am on Friday to go to a Hepatitis Conference in Whakatane (near where we went camping in January). The conference was good, well run etc but was really aimed at doctors, very bioscience based and far too much of it went way over my head. With hindsight I think IMAC should not have sent so many people. I stayed overnight at my colleague Liz’s place. She and her husband are Scottish and have 3 gorgeous boys. They live on a raised section overlooking the harbour, so beautiful!! I was jealous as she has huge trees of, among other things; peaches, fig, feijoas, avo’s, various plums and citrus fruit. I am really struggling to get my orchard going. Mainly because of the brown beetles that hatch from grass grubs and the stock. Back to the conference. The dinner on Friday evening was excellent and I ate something for the first time since Tuesday really. I suffered during the night. Liz, Kenny and I chatted until nearly midnight then I was up 8 times during the night!! I was feeling really yuk in the morning, felt faint after I showered and decided to go home. I have a horrendously busy week this week and need to try and get over this. Slept much of yesterday and have just been taking it easy since. I have a vaccinator training course to run on Tuesday and Wednesday and have not looked at the education materials that we got in Auckland the day before I went to Tonga. I must spend some of today doing that. Don’t have to worry about cooking supper though as we are going to Mom and Daddy’s this evening.
I am so looking forward to next weekend. Nothing planned and I can spend the following week catching up on myself.
While we were away Harriette and Alice stayed with R+R for the weekend then Mom and Daddy came here so the girls could go to college from home and stick to their normal routine. Harriette didn’t see much of Mom and Daddy as she had rowing Monday and Tuesday evenings. The should have finished this week but are doing another week as they had to cancel some sessions. She and Sarah will miss the last night as they have band on Thursdays. Missing 2 weeks (as they have) is not good but 3 is taking it too far. They also have their auditions booked for this Thursday.
Alice and Harriette absolutely love being at the same school! The evening meals seem to have us seated for longer as they have so much to discuss and notes to compare on teachers etc. Harriette has started her German course through the Correspondence School and Alice has started French with their young Sicilian, and eccentric, French teacher whom they both love. Harriette has been really good helping Alice with her French and Maths homework. It is a pleasure to see the relationship they have. They have always got on, and always had fights but their closeness is even more evident now. I am still struggling to source an alto sax for Alice and a flute for Harriette for this year. I have several irons in the fire before I resort to formal hiring.
Well I think that brings us up to date. Eric is plodding on. He just had another (small) pay rise but it is all going in the right direction. He did get a good bomus at Xmas and an additional payrise in November so is doing well. MagillEarl are undergoing a re-branding exercise at the moment so there are a few changes afoot there. We have a firm social next week. BBQ at one of the partners and 9 holes of golf afterwards. I have NEVER played golf in my life!!!
Well the almost perfect holiday went to pot in the last 24 hours. We were unable to stay 5 nights at Fafa and were booked at the Lagoon Lodge in Nukuo’lofa for the last night. It was horrible. Lukily the bed was OK and had a huge fan but the rest was yuk. A 2 storey self-catering apartment, but all the cupboards smelt musty and there was no resturant or shops nearby to get anything to eat or drink so we were dependant on tea and coffee. We looked around outside and found a small bit of man made beach with a few battered picnic tables with shredded shades. We got a cab into the town, about 10 minutes away and had a coffee at the one decent café and then went for a wander round the town and to the markets. That did not take long! The infastructure just does not exist there. The poverty was evident everywhere but everyone still had cellphones and drove big cars, lots of people movers and 4x4’s. Back at the hotel in the afternoon I started to get abdo pain and think I had a tummy bug. By the evening I was feeling really Yuk. I was sure it wasn’t the usual adhesions as the pain was not increasing creshendo-like. I was not drinking and vomited during the night. I looked aweful!! In the morning I went to make tea but nearly passed out. I think my dehydration had dropped my blood pressure. I got to the airport and bought a litre of water, which I managed to keep down and the cabin crew plied me with plenty of fluids on the flight. I actually felt much better by the time we got to Auckland. I am still not right several days later. We got home about 6pm on the Wednesday evening and went back to work on Thursday. I was busy that day and then had the AGM for the schools band that I manage in the evening. That has generated so much work for me! It was 1.30am by the time I got to bed and then had to get up at 5am on Friday to go to a Hepatitis Conference in Whakatane (near where we went camping in January). The conference was good, well run etc but was really aimed at doctors, very bioscience based and far too much of it went way over my head. With hindsight I think IMAC should not have sent so many people. I stayed overnight at my colleague Liz’s place. She and her husband are Scottish and have 3 gorgeous boys. They live on a raised section overlooking the harbour, so beautiful!! I was jealous as she has huge trees of, among other things; peaches, fig, feijoas, avo’s, various plums and citrus fruit. I am really struggling to get my orchard going. Mainly because of the brown beetles that hatch from grass grubs and the stock. Back to the conference. The dinner on Friday evening was excellent and I ate something for the first time since Tuesday really. I suffered during the night. Liz, Kenny and I chatted until nearly midnight then I was up 8 times during the night!! I was feeling really yuk in the morning, felt faint after I showered and decided to go home. I have a horrendously busy week this week and need to try and get over this. Slept much of yesterday and have just been taking it easy since. I have a vaccinator training course to run on Tuesday and Wednesday and have not looked at the education materials that we got in Auckland the day before I went to Tonga. I must spend some of today doing that. Don’t have to worry about cooking supper though as we are going to Mom and Daddy’s this evening.
I am so looking forward to next weekend. Nothing planned and I can spend the following week catching up on myself.
While we were away Harriette and Alice stayed with R+R for the weekend then Mom and Daddy came here so the girls could go to college from home and stick to their normal routine. Harriette didn’t see much of Mom and Daddy as she had rowing Monday and Tuesday evenings. The should have finished this week but are doing another week as they had to cancel some sessions. She and Sarah will miss the last night as they have band on Thursdays. Missing 2 weeks (as they have) is not good but 3 is taking it too far. They also have their auditions booked for this Thursday.
Alice and Harriette absolutely love being at the same school! The evening meals seem to have us seated for longer as they have so much to discuss and notes to compare on teachers etc. Harriette has started her German course through the Correspondence School and Alice has started French with their young Sicilian, and eccentric, French teacher whom they both love. Harriette has been really good helping Alice with her French and Maths homework. It is a pleasure to see the relationship they have. They have always got on, and always had fights but their closeness is even more evident now. I am still struggling to source an alto sax for Alice and a flute for Harriette for this year. I have several irons in the fire before I resort to formal hiring.
Well I think that brings us up to date. Eric is plodding on. He just had another (small) pay rise but it is all going in the right direction. He did get a good bomus at Xmas and an additional payrise in November so is doing well. MagillEarl are undergoing a re-branding exercise at the moment so there are a few changes afoot there. We have a firm social next week. BBQ at one of the partners and 9 holes of golf afterwards. I have NEVER played golf in my life!!!
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