Sunday, May 30, 2010

At The End Of The Day

Sadly Lance and I have decided to call it a day after 18 months together. I went up to Picton on Friday with the view to sort out with him where we were heading and we mutually agreed to break up. As sad as it is for me I know it is the right thing to do. He never wants to marry or have children and I think I do - or at least I want to have the option.
We had a really nice weekend together and he held my hand while I cried and we discussed the inevitable this morning. There is no bitterness or anger.. Just a lot of tears.. from me mostly. He promised he was going to cry once I left.
I can't quite say it out loud yet without crying but I'm sure that will just take a little time.
At least now I am free to date Mark Wahlberg when he finally builds up the courage to ask me out. And a little girl waits......

I just hope I didn't look this ugly when I was crying!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Littlest Hobo

Last night was my first night at home in what seems like ages. I think Belinda had forgotten what I looked like! For the past 3 1/2 weeks I have been moving from house to house, looking after houses and pets for friends and workmates. It seems that May is holiday month around here. The last house I was in was for 9 days out at Templeton. This was about the 4th time I have house sat out there and there are chickens and sheep to tend to. I love it out there. Unfortunately this time I got tonsilitus on day 2 and was off work for 3 1/2 days but it was the perfect place to recooperate with the warm open fire, Sky tv, and toasty warm duvet on the couch. As any farmer knows there is no such thing as a sick day when you have a farm to run so even though I was knocking on deaths door, (that might be a slight exaggeration) the chickens still got fed twice a day. Some days it took a lot longer but they still got fed.
Duddy, the long haired black cat, was great company and got lots of cuddles. I love him.


Claire and Scott came out on Saturday night and Claire cooked us dinner which was really nice. By lunchtime Friday I was able to swallow again without feeling like there were shards of glass stuck in my throat and Claire's Winter Chicken Pie was just delicious! I made an apple pie too for dessert.

Last weekend I flew up to Wellington with Mel for one night only for Rachael and Dean's engagement party in Masterton. Oh what fun!! There was LOTS of laughter and fun. All three of us bridesmaids were there to help drink the wine. We're good like that.


The party started at a respectable 4.30pm and after loads of drinks, laughs, speeches, toasts, and wood fire pizzas, hilarity, dancing, singing, and general drunkeness, the last of us staggered back to the motel just after 4am. Mammoth effort I thought.

Although I was VERY shakey on Sunday. Luckily I was a lady of luxury and was driven or flowen by others all day so didn't have to worry about thinking or concentrating. Dear Claire was at the other end to pick us up from the airport and drop us home. Bless her.
Unfortunately when I arrived home I found that someone had vandalised the drivers side wiper on the front windscreen of my car. It was raining and was 6pm on a Sunday so I thought my best bet would be to call the AA (Automobile Association NOT Alcoholics Anonymous as some of you probably thought!) as the rain didn't look to be letting up anytime soon.
The nice AA man came out and tried to fix the wiper but couldn't so suggested ringing around some wreckers in the morning to source another wiper arm. The drive to Sydenham Wreckers on Monday morning in the drizzle without a wiper was VERY scary. I had to stop about 5 times and jump out and wipe the window with a rag. The kind man at the wreckers attached both wiper arms for me and I was at work by 8.45am. Only 45 minutes late. Result!
I had called my supervisor on Sunday night to say I would be a bit late and would keep him updated throughout the morning as I had no idea how long it would take to replace it.

The upside to this incident is that I found a police card in the door of my car stating that the offender had been apprehended and arrested and to give Constable Barry a call. We spoke that night and Imogen (we are on a first name basis) was very helpful. The offender went to court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty. I am hoping to get reparation of $30 back for the wiper but we will see. Belinda and I are both parking around behind the house now which makes me feel a lot better about the safety of Little Black.

It has been raining here in Christchurch for the past 4 days - steadily. Further South in Oamaru there has been terrible flooding and roads are blocked past Temuka. There are massive puddles in the carpark here at work which make me thankful for having new boots for this winter. My last boots lasted me 3 years but had small holes in the soles towards the end which I only remembered when it rained. No more wet feet for me, no sireee! It's good to have dry feet.
There is a moat completely surrounding my home tonight too. And the rain isn't letting up. It's safe to say I'm not really a fan of the rain. Rain + straightened hair = birds nest.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Konnichiwa, Enomoto san!

My Japanese penpal, Sayaka Enomoto, was in Christchurch for 5 days last week which was really great. After picking her up from the airport on Friday night we went to the Fowlers house in Heathcote where I was house sitting and had a dinner of tacos. Claire came around to join us and we had a cheeky wine to welcome Sayaka to the South Island.
For those who don't know, Sayaka and I began writing to each other when I was 12 years old and in second form at college. A class in Japan sent letters to a class in NZ and we all randomly picked a letter to reply to. That was the start of a 24 year friendship which is still going strong.

We have met before - twice. Sayaka first came to NZ in 1988 and stayed in Matamata. She came to Warkworth for a few days and was very shy and quiet - probably a little overwhelmed by such a big family! Then she came back for a year of schooling in Gisborne a few years later.
She had brought with her photos of her first visit to Warkworth which were particularly cringe-worthy. Especially the ones of the walls of my bedroom adorned with magazine cut outs of my favourtie celebrities in the 80's. Shame!

I took 3 days off work so I could show Sayaka the sights of Christchurch. We covered most things including punting on the Avon River which I had never done before, and I hope Sayaka got to see and do everything she wanted while here. At the Fowlers where we were house sitting is Floyd the black labrador-x and 4 cats. Floyd and I USED to be besties but I have now been bumped down to second best friend position in favour of Sayaka.


On Saturday night I had belated birthday drinks at Roxy Inn which turned out to be a really great night. There was a good group of people there and LOTS of laughter. Sayaka happily chatted away to everyone and now my friend Richard Hampton from work refers to her as his Japanese wife. He fell in love with her. (Understandably - she is absolutely lovely). His actual wife Julie seems not to be too worried! It really was a great night. Cameron McInnes, Sayaka and I went into town just after midnight to show Sayaka the night life. Starting, of course, at Sullivans! No town trip would be complete without a visit to Sullivans. After stopping for a pie (uh-o!!) Cameron dropped us home around 2.30am. It was very enjoyable.

Sayaka gave me a lesson on a few Japanese customs for when I am in Japan at the end of next month. I'm so worried I might unknowingly offend someone but she said I'll be fine. She said if all else fails just bow a lot.


Weight Watchers has been VERY stagnant since Christmas. I hadn't been for two weeks and yesterday I was the same weight ..... again - which was a nice surprise actually. It's fair to say I was a little bit pooping myself at the thought of having to get on those scales. I had a wee chat to the leader, Lorraine, and she issued me with a tracking challenge. I have set a goal of a 400gm weight loss by next Friday and if I accomplish it she said she will give me a free cookbook! I am determind to try hard this week and started with an hour walk this morning.

On my walk I passed a paddock with lots of cows, most of them lying down. (I thought of you Apes, and your love of cows) I remembered a saying that if more cows in one paddock were sitting down than standing it meant that it was going to rain. Sure enough it starting spitting as soon as I got home. But the weird thing was that these cows all seemed to be evenly spaced out all facing the same way - as if they were waiting for a moooo-vie to start!

I'm off house sitting for a week again this afternoon. This time in Halswell for my workmate Barry Panther (yes, that is his real name - not his 70's porn star alias!) He and his wife are off to Fiji for a week as a surprise for his wife's 60th.

On a more sombre note Alex's cat, Barbie, was killed by what Paula thinks was a dog during the week. Barbie was 17 years old and had failing health. Very sad for them all and my heart goes out to them. xx

I'm going to have a nosy at an appartment for sale in Richmond soon... What? I'm just looking.....