Rick, Nicky and Claire in NZ

The major news this week is the rise in petrol prices. We knew it was coming and now it has worked its way to the pump prices. Yesterday when I filled up it cost $70. A month ago it was costing $53. That's a rise of over 30%. I don't know what is happening to UK petrol prices but I don't expect they will be coming down. Petrol is still cheaper here than in the UK, and we only fill up about once a week, but it really makes my $105 monthly rail pass look exceedingly good value. Work has been much the same for us all this week, with Claire doing another Sunday and Nicky now having started her permanent hours. This has meant no evening work which has been good, but she it still on emergency staffing Tues/Wed/Sun, and we expect her to be working most Sunday's for the foreseeable future. I organised a "works outing" for Friday evening to see the new Indiana Jones film in Newmarket. Six of us plus two other-halves went and had an enjoyable time. The film wasn't f...

I am not trying to get into a fortnightly updating habit, honest, that is just the way it is happening at the moment. Our lives seem very busy and finding time to sit and write isn't as easy as I would like it to be. Anyway.... Nicky has started doing her regular Monday at New Lynn library, and this week starts her regular Thurs/Fri/Sat at Henderson. She will still be on emergency cover for Tues/Wed and Sun. She is still being paid at casual rate which is a little higher than permanent rate because it has an allowance for holidays. Once she starts being paid as permanent staff she will get a paid holidays instead. So, she is looking forward to having 30 regular hours each week, and we think that she will no longer be doing Thursday evenings at Henderson. Claire is doing some extra hours at Whitcoulls, namely all day Friday in addition to Thurs evening and all day Saturday. She is also doing a couple of Sundays and a Monday but doesn't think that these will become regular. There...

Apologies for not updating the blog last week, but we have been a little busy, and a lot tired. Last weekend was ANZAC weekend. Even thought only the morning is an "official" public holiday for the memorial services, many businesses close for the day and many people treated it as a special weekend as it was the last public holiday for awhile. So, as all three of us were off work on the same day (a rare event these days), we had decided to have a family day. This started off with a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast. In the afternoon we went to the Auckland Museum to go and see the dome. This is a new addition to the top of the library which is rarely open to the public as it is for events, such as wedding receptions and corporate do's. On ANZAC day entry to the museum was free and the dome was open and Claire had suggested a visit. As we arrived at the museum the weather started to perk up and it wasn't long before the sun came out - about the same time that we got to t...

It has rained this week. Apparently, news of the deaths of the students and a staff member on a school outing has reached the UK. A key factor in this tragedy seems to have been that the height and flow of the river rose dramatically in just a few minutes. Some areas experienced a months' rainfall in a few hours. We all got wet at some point in the early part of the week, but survived. My new trousers worked very well. They will be put to a further test this week when they get exposed to the rain after being washed - will they work as well as before? I marvel at times at the scientific studies I undertake to expand the knowledge of men - first the handle orientation on the jug when microwaving porridge; now the water fastness of Kathmando trousers. Where will it end? This principle of empirical scientific testing has been taken up by Claire who is currently investigating taste quality and consistency of New Zealand Naturals ice cream at two different mall outlets. Anybody with a re...

Last Sunday morning we put our clocks back an our, marking the end of daylight saving, and possibly the official beginning of autumn. This now puts us just 11 hours ahead of the UK - the closest we ever get. The most obvious changes were going to work in daylight again, and the evenings darkening sooner. Walking to the station last Monday morning was light and pleasant and warm - I had removed my jumper by the time I got to the platform, even though it was only just after 7am! We have a temporary station at the moment while our new underground one is being constructed. This is a two year project which includes "dualing the line". There is a stretch of line where we are for 3 or 4kms which is only single track. With the projected increase in population in New Lynn and consequent rise in passenger numbers, this section of single track has become a major bottleneck. The view from the temporary platform, for the first time last Monday seen in daylight, offers a new perspective. T...

The weather forecasters have been telling us all week what a wonderful summer have had, and how it is going to be over any day now...... We are still getting into the low 20's but the nights are cooler, and now that we have put the clocks back it is getting dark earlier. It has been a tiring and stressful week. It started for me with a full day's modelling at Hungry Creek. This was very good, but it is the first time I have done two 3-hour sessions back-to-back. When I got home I was really tiered. Work at Ubertec has been busy, as ever, and on Thursday it was my fathers funeral. Even though we are hours ahead of the UK, it still preoccupied me during the day. Then on Saturday I did some more MacOnSite work, and bought hiking trousers in preparation for a wet winter. Nicky has been at work for some of every day this week, working 43 hours in total in four or five different libraries. Claire has had her usual week of museum, collecting Shani from school, cookery course and Whitc...

After the final relaxing day of the long weekend with Easter Monday, it was back to the normal routine. Nicky had a goodly amount of work on this week, only being at home on Friday. Claire has done her usual hours at Whitcoulls with the addition of Sunday evening stock taking, and I have been at Ubertec. The new edition of the Auckland Yellow Pages has hit to door steps this week, complete with my MacOnSite advertisement. It hasn't lead to any business as yet, but we have had three enquiries. My sister has been very busy keeping us informed and doing the arrangements for my fathers funeral. It is going to be on Thursday the 3rd at 11.15. I have decided not to return to the UK to attend and my sister, bless her, has been very understanding. On Saturday I crunched Lilly, our car, while reversing in a car park. I misjudged the location of one of those steel posts that they put in the ground low enough to prevent them being seen our of the back window - and drove into it. The damage ap...