A tale of two elections

Elections have featured heavily this week. We watched with interest the news reports in the last few days before the independence vote in Scotland, and feel though it was probably the best result overall, we are sorry for the 45%. Here, the incumbent government was returned for a third term with a slightly increased majority. For the first time since NZ switched from first past the post to MMP, one party (the right-of-centre National Party) got a large enough proportion of the vote to govern on their own. They say they will still “co-operate” with a couple of the minor parties, but it looks like we have interesting times ahead.

Work-wise I have had another quiet week, just doing a couple of jobs, both locally so I was able to walk to them. It has been very much a sunshine and showers week with the usual repercussions for getting the laundry dry. Looks like we are in for more of the same this week. On Monday evening Jan came over for dinner again. This time I roasted a leg of lamb, did some Yorkshire pudding, and a mango crumble with 50/50 flour and oats in the crumble, which came out “very substantial”. Steve came over on Tuesday evening for some help in putting a presentation together, and on Thursday evening I popped into town for another meet up discussion with pizza. The rain eased off enough on Wednesday afternoon for me to fit in a quick trip to O’Neill’s beach which was very nice, and even though the sea is still cool (and the waves very strong), I think the water is warming slightly.

Nicky has had another busy and often noisy week in the library. She was at house group on Wednesday and then on Friday brought fish and chips home with her and we went off to Parakai for a wallow. When we got there we discovered that the naturist session had ended at 7pm (due to one of the staff using the Rock Pool for a baby shower), but we were offered a private spa instead for the same price, which we accepted. The water was quite warm, but it was good to unwind.

Yesterday was election day, and Nicky headed off to her polling booth (what in England is called a polling station) at BHB Baptist Church just after 7.30am. Her day issuing special votes and then counting after the polls closed at 7pm was long but interesting, with a steady stream of voters. 25% of the eligible voters had advanced voted in the two and and half weeks before yesterday which I think took some of the strain off the “regular” polling booths. 

I decided I didn’t fancy spending all day at home on my own, so after breakfast headed off to the Olympic Pool in Newmarket for a swim, steam and sauna. Suitably warmed and surprised by the lack of rain, I had a coffee before driving down to Silo Park on the waterfront. It was very breezy walking along the wharf but refreshing and good to be in the sun. After some excellent sushi at the fish market I drove to St Luke’s to see “Lucy” at the cinema, a sci-fi film which I enjoyed more than I expected.

When I got home I set to baking some peach and Weetbix muffins for the staff at Nicky’s polling booth, and delivered them, still warm, a little before they closed. I had my tea and crumpets ready as the election coverage started at 7. Nicky joined me a little after 9pm and we watched until the majority of the results were in before going to bed.

Today has been more of the usual with the weather, though the showers have been torrential. Nicky went off to prison first thing, and I watched the election analysis. Stella came over for Scrabble this afternoon, and the evening has been consumed by the tellybox, as more than 50% of the decent viewing airs on a Sunday evening at the moment.

Take care,

Rick