A week of firsts

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The big thing about February 1st of course, is that it is now possible to stop wishing everybody “Happy New Year” just because you haven’t seen them for awhile. Isn’t it? Along with the first of February, we have had some other firsts this week:

 Friday - heard my first cicada of the summer at home. Had heard one at a beach a little while back, but we hear loads here usually.

 Friday - bought my first hot cross buns of the year, and very nice they were too after corn on the cob for tea on Saturday. They always make me think of my sister-in-law the elder.

 Saturday - felt almost normal for the first time on a Saturday since the first weekend of the year when I had my vertigo. I was getting a little concerned that something in my routine was causing me problems which materialised on Saturdays. I will keep my hopes up for next weekend.

We started the week with a public holiday in our part of Aotearoa to celebrate Auckland Anniversary Day, and not just any old anniversary, but 175 years. This produced extra special celebrations (i.e.: even more road closures that usual) down on the waterfront. A big display of old photographs of Auckland on Quay Street was very good. Nicky also enjoyed the historical exhibition in Shed 10, while I used the ticket she had bought me for Christmas to visit the Auckland Seafood Festival. It was very hot in town (sunny) and very crowded. We met up again early afternoon and treated ourselves to pancakes before returning home for a pot of tea and some P&Q.

During the week we have had lovely hot sunny weather again. One night the low was 20°, really, and one day the high was 29°, but rain arrived during Friday night night and the weekend has been overcast and showery. Nicky has been busy at work, while I have been mainly on household duties with just one Mac job on Friday.

Our weekend has been pretty quiet. Steve collected Nicky yesterday for Scrabbling in Henderson. Today we had an early evening cruise along the Mahurangi River by invitation from a friend of mine from my Meetup group who was celebrating her 50th birthday. We all took picnics and met at the wharf in Warkworth before taking to the river for 2 hours. Although the weather was overcast it was a very enjoyable event, and we had some good conversations with people we had not met before, and a few that we had.

While waiting to collect Nicky’s repeat prescription at the pharmacy this week  I spotted a sign they had for sale: “Don’t take life too seriously. It’s not your you’re going to get out alive.” On that not dear reader I will close for this week.


Take care, Rick

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