And over to David for the next result...

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With both of having been at work full time, it has been a very work-orientated week. Nicky has been as busy as usual at the library, with the additional task of getting the staff organised for their Christmas breakfast. This is easier said than done with a staff of over 40, most of whom are part time.


Meanwhile, I have been running the Advance Polling Facility up at the church. The proximity of the venue has made it a very easy commute, and we were much busier this week, On Thursday we were open until 8pm (we have usually been closing the doors at 4pm). To mark the occasion for myself, Briar and Kelly (my two Issuing Officers), I made some pies (tariaki salmon with kumera, courgette and spring onion) on Wednesday evening, which Nicky then reheated and brought up to us on Thursday evening. Kelly made a pavlova and the smells in the Polling Place seemed to entice even more people to come and cast their vote, while we enjoyed the food.


The on Friday we had a very hectic close down of the Polling Place and I took all the votes and remaining stationary over to Head Office in Henderson. Saturday was election day I turned my hand to being a Table Leader at Head Office counting all the Advance votes. Lucy, Stella's eldest, was one of my counters, along with four blokes and a lady who is an ex-bank teller. This made for a very good, quiet and efficient team. I hope my team next week is as good.


We finished counting about 5.30, and were brought pizza a little while later, but no one was allowed to leave until 7pm when the Polling Places closed. I was then part of the team answering the phones as the Polling Place Managers called in their results, and then I moved on to helping them unload their ballots when they arrived at Head Office. I left at about 11.30 when all but one of the Polling Places had returned their stuff, and got home in time to see the last 10 minutes of the TV coverage of the election and finally discover what had been happening elsewhere in the country.


Running the election is quite a task, and it is very interesting (though tiring) to see it from "the other side". Today I have been back at Head Office doing the Sunday Sort, which is basically organising everything to get ready for the official count. I have also done some Mac work this week in the evenings and Saturday morning, so am felling a little jaded, though I got home a bit before 5 today and had an hour or so in the sun with Nicky which was very pleasant.


Due to my abandoning her for Head Office, and taking the car with me, Nicky has been at home all weekend doing laundry and cleaning. She has managed to fit in watching the last two Harry Potter films on DVD, and Scrabble with Steven and then church this morning.


Apart from some rain on Thursday morning it has been a sunny but windy week, and with the wind coming from the south most of the time it had quite a bite to it. We noticed this very much at the Polling Place as the door which we had to keep open faced south, so we have been wearing many layers to keep warm. The temperatures are generally rising and we are now in double figures over night, but summer isn't quite here yet.


That's all for now,

Take care,

Rick

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