Yesterday was another day packed with activities. I went up to visit Dad in the morning, and he suggested we take a drive out to Butcher’s Dam, a scenic spot just down the road from Alexandra. DOC have put in walking tracks around the Dam (which apparently was originally built as a reservoir to provide…
I’m down in Alexandra for a few days visiting Mum, but we decided to postpone Christmas celebrations until Brother and family get back from SIL’s parents in Middlemarch. So today was pretty much an ordinary day. Except that we decided to go over to Lauder to visit my uncle, which rapidly turned it into a…
o. The new Star Wars movie came out last week. The film I’ve been waiting for forever (I’d almost say since 1983, except back then I was waiting for Episode I. And yeah, we all know what happened there.) And I didn’t go and see it. Not because I was scared it wouldn’t be good…
own to the last few days of work before the Christmas break, and I’m seriously feeling in need of a holiday. What with boss still being away on parental leave, and several big deadlines falling in December, work hasn’t had the usual end-of-year wind-down this year – we’ve just been in full-on busy mode trying…
ecember weather is notoriously changeable in Christchurch, but it’s been outdoing itself this year – the temperature has been going from high 20s to just above freezing and back again in the space of a few days, and yesterday we had two huge storms, with thunder and hail and all sorts of drama. The first…
At Toastmasters last night, the Table Topics (impromptu speaking segment) were themed around awful and awkward Christmas gifts, and the difficulty of pretending to be grateful for them. Much hilarity ensued, with the result that it was decided that at our end of year Christmas party next week, our Secret Santa game (where everyone brings…
(Warning to family-type people who read this blog: there are Christmas-present spoilers below. If you don’t want the surprise ruined, stop reading now. Alternatively, if anything really catches your eye, let me know and I’ll make sure that one’s your present 🙂 ) anuary and the start of my masters is looming large, so I’m…
This weekend was the last of my totally-booked-out weekends of November, and it was the busiest of all (well, apart from the convention weekend, of course). First, on Saturday, after a quick attempt to clean the house, I went into town to meet up with Harvestbird and family for the Climate March. There was a…
igns are abounding that Christmas is on its way. I already have six different Christmas/end-of-year parties in my calendar (sounds like I have a really impressive social life, but the majority are work-related), and plans are being made in our corridor at work for the annual door-decorating competition (which, of course, our office won last…
hile I was in the midst of studying, every time I got invited to do anything my response would be “I’ll be free in November” – with the result that my social calendar is full to overflowing this month. Last weekend was the Auckland Uncon, of course (which I promise to write a proper blog…