What a week!

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Almost wall-to-wall sunshine, party after party, and the population swells by another eight.

Summer really seems to be arriving early, with the majority of the week being bathed in sunshine, and with the air above Aotearoa now warming up the temperatures are rising too. On Tuesday we hit 45°C in roof, the coolest part of the house at the time was 26°C. On Wednesday while walking up Queen Street it felt like it was hitting the mid-30’s in the sunshine. Things have started to change over the weekend with some early heavy showers yesterday (which then developed into another lovely, get the washing dry in an hour or two, day) and today has been a little cooler with a mid-afternoon downpour followed later by some drizzle.

Much pre-Christmas partying has enveloped our social world this week:
Monday: N over to Henderson for a Maranatha gathering at La Porchetta.
Tuesday: N to Greelane for a bring a plate Corrections gathering.
Wednesday: Both of us to Lai Thai in New Lynn for house group end of year social.
Thursday N was working late.
Friday we had dinner on The Rattigan.
Saturday: both of us to The Wine Box in Albany for dinner with some of the D&M “inner circle”, Kelley and her new beau Steve, Maria and James and Wendy.

Nicky feel that as the week has progressed the social events have improved. Certainly the food and company last night were excellent and we were seated on the cafés deck which though a little cool towards the end was very pleasant.

Nicky has had a good week at work, busy but not too hectic. On Friday there was a train strike so she set of early to get to work by bus, and arrived an hour early. Everybody expected the traffic to be much heavier than usual but it didn’t appear to be. My work week has been quiet with just jobs on Monday and Friday, but Friday I was in Mission Bay so had a very nice swim at Ladies Bay afterwards. Domestic duties have been completed as required, and on Friday I picked up the artwork which we had taken in for framing. It looks very good and I put two of them up yesterday (the third I won’t get back until Christmas Day). I also made Nicky’s birthday chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake which is now cooking in the fridge on Regulo 1 for 48 hours. Steve, Ros and Stella came over for Scrabble after Nicky got back from work.

We had an early start this morning (which wasn’t quite as bad as I thought it might be after last night’s late night) to get to the airport. We arrived around 7.30 and a little while afterwards Kim, Tai and Shani joined us. Around 8.30 we had lots of hugs and tears and greetings as The Adventurous Hanlon’s arrived. It was absolutely brilliant to see them. The under 40’s seemed a little shell shocked at first (though Clemmie appeared to be taking everything in with equanimity in her sibling powered buggy). After depositing the luggage in onward baggage in the International Terminal and a gentle 20 minute stroll in the fresh air to the Domestic Terminal for their onward flight they were a little more themselves. Nicky had taken drinks, fruit and books, and the default genetic response kicked in (must have been the potassium in the bananas):





We got home little after 10 and had second breakfast and Nicky readied herself for going to prison. We had a major downpour this afternoon, so the bugs will probably be increasing our bite numbers tonight. Nicky was back from prison earlier than expected and set-to making scones which we had with tea. The evening will be devoted to the tellybox.

Take care, Rick

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