Much gravity in the kitchen

 Our main exercise this week has been nipping to the loo during the footy match hydration breaks. At half time we top up with tea or coffee, ready for the second half hydration break, or de-hydration break as I think of them for us with them being more water-out than water-in. It has again been a bit of a wall-to-wall footy week, and the weather hasn’t really had the heart to tempt us outside much. Friday was particularly wet and very windy.

Shortly after we first moved into our home, and probably before the furniture arrived, we put some Commando hooks up on the eastern kitchen wall. Commando hooks are ones that stick on and have a tab to pull them off in order to try and prevent them leaving a mark when you take them down. We used them for a clock and a couple of calendars. On Monday evening the hook holding the new red clock that we bought last year gave up the ghost, and the clock crashed into the kitchen bench, shattering the glass. Nothing else was damaged, and on the up-side the clock is now much easier to read as the face itself is matt and there are no longer any reflections. We moved the clock to one of the other hooks. A couple of days later I was looking at the clock and realised it wasn’t straight. As I went to adjust it the hook came off the wall. I replaced it with a proper picture hook. The following day the third hook, now holding the calendar, gave way. I am assuming that the glue on each of them just dried out, as in the summer they do get some sun, and they have been up for over 5 years. Either that or there is a lot more gravity in that part of the kitchen.

We began the week with our 41st wedding anniversary. To start the day we finished off the croissants left over from my birthday, with bacon, scrambled egg and other goodies. It was the sunniest day of the week:

Frances came over to watch the NZ-Egypt match for which Nicky made some lovely spiced peach muffins. In the evening we had dinner out at The Rutland Arms. Nicky had steak and I had salmon and we shared a blackberry, chocolate and orange tart for dessert which was gorgeous.

After my eye check-up on Tuesday (all good) I went to the Council offices about applying for a rates rebate. A very nice lady started completing the form but needed to see my Gold Card, which I didn’t have with me. I caught a bus home and arrived just after Nicky had returned from Home Group and we enjoyed a pot of tea together. In the evening we watched the last episode of Dear England, which we have thoroughly enjoyed and can recommend, even for those without a football passion.

John and Mike both came over to watch the England match on Wednesday morning. Nicky had made bacon and cheese muffins to complement the spicy peach ones, and they were very tasty and went down very well. After the match John went off to work and Mike took us out to lunch at the Virginia Lake cafe. He spent the rest of the day with us playing Mexican Train and Trivial Pursuit before we all went off to the quiz. We came second with 99 points.

I was feeling very tired on Thursday so had a quiet day with the footy whilst Nicky staffed the Aramoho Community Library. The rain started in earnest in the evening. I popped into town on Friday morning to complete the rates rebate application with my Gold Card and was very pleased to be told that we will be getting the full rebate. I was also pleased to see the foliage on St. Hill Street where I parked:

St. Hill Street is an amusing street to use if you are being guided by Google maps, as the narrator pronounces it “Street Hill Street”. Locals say Saint Hill Street. It was named after an early Pakeha settler from England. I did a quick supermarket shop before returning home and was very pleased to be able to spend the day inside avoiding the wind and the rain.

On Saturday morning after the first matches we went to see Frances and  her chooks. Nicky made two batches of muffins (cheese & chutney and orange, pineapple & ginger) and some orange and date scones with the left over orange zest and juice. All were lovely, but the cheese and chutney were not as flavoursome as hoped. They improved upon buttering and an extra dollop of chutney.  Frances came over to watch New Zealand getting beaten 5-1. While it was a disappointing result, at least they have done better than Italy.

Nicky didn’t go to church this morning as we she woke very late, and I was already watching England’s last group match. The weather is starting to dry up, so Nicky put some laundry on as the basket is overflowing. She staffed the church upper lounge kitchen this afternoon while quizzing for the 8.30a.m. congregation.

The first knock-out round of the footy starts tomorrow. Now it starts to get serious.

Take care, Rick and Nicky.