Bumper 2010

What did you do in 2010 that you've never done before??

Wore platform-type wedge-ish shoes. Became aware of my thyroid. Saw a 3D movie. Had my hair coloured.

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year??

2010 was all about recovering from the car crash that was 2009, with a couple of super-stressful exams thrown in. 2011 will be about building further on that - further development of my work brain, less takeaway food, better organisation / tidiness, and losing enough weight to make some proper headway with yoga.

Did anyone close to you die?

Sweeney's grandma Joan died after a long, unfair illness.

What countries did you visit?

Good lord, I don't even think I have a passport anymore ...

What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

Well, I'm going to have full health after a wee bit of surgery and a blast of radioactivity in the next six weeks. That'll be awesome. And I don't know that I lacked this, but I will have a schoolboy in the house, come June.

What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

This is a bit sad, but it's October 1st, because it's the date the Budget personal tax cuts were implemented, and that's what most of my work life this year was about.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Workwise, I passed two exams that I convinced myself I had no chance of passing. Personalwise,

I resumed my yoga practice and I swear to all the gods that it's given me another centimetre of height.

What was your biggest failure?

I haven't decluttered nearly so much as I need to. And I totally didn't cure Sweeney of arguing with me every time I ask him to do anything / offer him anything / issue a direct order relating to his safety.

Did you suffer illness or injury?

Actually, I spent a lot of this year feeling sub-optimal. There's a muscle in my shoulder that goes out if I think a sideways thought, and the months leading up the the Great Thyroid Diagnosis were just vile. Yoga has mostly sorted the shoulder, or at least given me a way to alleviate it, and I'm embracing western medicine for the thyroid. Feel much better these days ...

What was the best thing you bought?

My Huffer raincoat. Weather is so not the boss of me anymore.

Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Everyone representing the company, the miners, their families and their community over the Pike River disaster. They were respectful, refreshingly open and honest, and held it together under devastating circumstances.

And the team I've been working with for the last six months. Man alive, they are beyond words. You got your tax cuts and increased Working for Families tax credits this year?? That's because of these people and their knowledge and their dedication to doing a quality job for the public. Management, take note.

Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Our current government, especially our so-called Social Welfare minister, Paula Bennett. Do not get me started. This latest debacle with the wee girl whose mother sought help directly from the PM and Bennett's office just makes me wish we could get a coup going ...

Where did most of your money go?

The same old chestnuts - the mortgage and preschool. With some chunks here and there for house maintenance. And a lovely holiday in November.

What did you get really, really excited about?

Seeing the Pixies in Auckland. Seeing the team through to October 1st. Sweeney's birthday.

What song will always remind you of 2010?

Celebration, by Madonna. And I Bleed, by the Pixies.

What do you wish you'd done more of?

Lego. No contest.

Did you fall in love in 2010?

Only with the apricot slice at the Cozy Cake Shop. You will, too.

What did you want and get?

I saw the Pixies, passed my exams, landed in an entirely suitable work situation, got the willow pruned.

What did you want and not get?

I keep putting off buying a new duvet. And I really have to get the hang of iTunes.

To close, I'll leave you with the most horrifying image I've seen in ages. Take care, people ...

Block Party

Ahhh, Boxing Day. According to something I read today, it's the one day on which it's acceptable to eat trifle for breakfast. I love trifle for breakfast any day of the year. Unfortunately the trifle I fancy is something that only my Mum makes. It's nothing like anything I've ever encountered anywhere else, except when my Nana was alive and she would make it. The unfortunate thing is that my Mum doesn't do deliveries ...

Today I slept in, brought coffee back to bed once I did lope downstairs, listened to the music that is someone else doing the dishes - thanks Dad!! Then Sweeney came up with part of his lego haul from yesterday and we spent what felt like twelve years putting the bottom of a speedboat together.

Then we went to a barbecue at Sweeney's Uncle Dom and Auntie Emma's house, where I found that I can beat a nine-year-old at table tennis.

Home again, and in honour of it being Boxing Day and a holiday and all, we had chips and dip for dinner and Sweeney stayed up well beyond bedtime.

And I finished off the speedboat, then felt all lego-hungry and knocked up a few other vehicles and a petrol station. In other news, preschool broke up for Christmas on Friday. To celebrate, Lana, the incredibly clever face-painter-who-also-does-the-food-for-the-kids painted all the kids up. She's the woman behind all the tigers, cheetahs, leopards, goblins, pirates and whatnot that Sweeney arrives home as. She totally researched Spiderman, just for Sweeney and his Spiderman-crazy friends. He campaigned hard to avoid the bath that night ...

Hope your Christmas is turning out just as Spidey as you'd like!! Ours is. I'm going to make an aeroplane now ...

Smitten for the Mitten

I joined in with a Christmas ornament swap. I've never done one before, and I was a bit intimidated by other people's efforts to start off with. Then I had a couple of false starts, a few u-turns.

And then I tried making some teensy-tiny mittens. Not very New Zealand, I know, but what the hey. Then, when I was faced with a pile of ten of them, they just looked kind of utilitarian and I was a little disappointed with that.

So I tried out a bit of gold thread embellishing. I thought they turned out dinky, but of course forgot to take photos of them before I packed them up. So here's a photo from Miriam's blog ...

One thing that came out of the whole experience was reminding myself that I'm rather handy at french knots, and I've never before used gold thread. Really should knock some up for ourselves, I reckon. Next post will feature the ornaments I was sent. They're all splendid.

Just one thing that completely slipped my mind until today. Have to get us a tree, don't I ...

Tell Me Why

Does my child choose to leave the house and enter society looking like this??Whyyyyyyy??? He promised he that he was putting on sandals, but when he came out of his room, he was wearing long socks and walkshorts. Good grief ...
I'd like to blame it on his recent lurgy, but no, he's actually a box of birds now. Fit as a flea. Enjoying the rudest of health.
As we walked along this morning, I realised his legs are all of a sudden about 10 feet long. Okay, maybe not 10 feet, but pretty long and even a little knobbly, as it happens.
And eating like he's starving to death. I got in this evening and he sidled up to me almost immediately with a three-pack of baked beans. Looking forward to when he can fix me a cocktail and sidle up to me with my slippers ...

In other news, yesterday was Kimberley's birthday, Dad made a lamb roast for her, Sweeney went to the cricket with his uncle Regan, and I vacuumed the floors and hosed down the steps. We set a cracking pace around here.

Burnin' Up

Sweeney's rattly cough never quite went away, and now I find his chest infection is back, and he's got a little ear and throat infection, too. Poor little guy. He mentioned a sore throat two days ago, and I put it down to a spot of hayfever, because I've got a sore throat and I reckoned to myself that it's hayfever.

Of course, it's not hayfever. We've both got our chest infections again, but not nearly so brain-wrenchingly bad as previously. I had a glass of wine after the funeral on Thursday, and woke up the next day with throbbing in the hangover portion of my head. It went on all day, then through the weekend, and on to today.

Of course, it wasn't a hangover.

So, we're all loaded up with medicine and it's going to be okay. Sweeney's got a bit of a temp, and I may have to hook him up and run the lights off his flaming core.

In other news, it looks like the run of perfect weather may be over. Which isn't so bad, because it makes the rattly coughs feel a bit more appropriate, seeing as it's windy and rainy and kind of wintery and all.

In other, other news, I'm knitting up a storm, getting my shizz together for the Christmas ornament swap. More on that later ...

Dear John

Today Sweeney and I went to a funeral for our friend John. He was 83 and had been ill for some time. John was a lovely man, always up for a chat, always smiling.

It was a great funeral, with a lovely get-together afterwards. One of John's sons was my partner for several years a long, long time ago, so most people there, I hadn't seen for aaaages.

It was sad but nice, and I look forward to seeing a bunch of them again over Christmas.

Sweeney handled the looong service rather well, although we did nip outside for fresh air a few times to break things up a bit. He went a bit mental at Makara cemetery, had to go for a long, long run, then a long, long sit under a shady tree. We popped in to Karori cemetery on the way back into town, then back to Peter and Ginny's for the get-together, where he found an attic with Lego AND Playmobil. And this was AFTER he had lemonade to drink.

In other news, I'm watching Zombieland right now. I'll never, ever let Sweeney watch it, what with the swearing and the carnage, but it's terrifically funny. That cute little girl from Little Miss Sunshine's sure grown up ...

Whale Song

Have you read Moby Dick?? It's on my list. Partly because I'm trying to pack in as much boys' own literature so as to be a good example to Sweeney, partly because I love the John Huston version with Gregory Peck as Ahab, but most recently because I stumbled across this blog tonight. What a fantabulous idea.

First day back at work was a bit of a schemozzle, but we're all still alive and I even got to my favourite yoga class for the first time in a month.

Home in time to put Sweeney to bed and have a chat about his first day back at preschool. Apparently he did nothing, played with no-one, went nowhere. Seems his ears are mysteriously full of sand from sitting still and being quiet all day ...

Back to (Real) Life

We're home, Sweeney and me. The last few days of holiday ramped up on the Hectic scale, but I think I'm the only one of us who actually threw anything approaching a tanty. It's nice to wake up to the sound of tui and Frank and Arthur next door.
Here are some highlights of our time away ...

We arrived in Christchurch, after a ferry crossing and a 6-hour car trip, incorporating many toilet breaks and runs in long grass beside SH1. Harper tried to teach himself to wink ...

We hung out a little bit with Bruno and his fine parents. These two were like peas in a pod. Which brings me to ...

Actual peas in an actual pod, from Nana's garden ...

Nana and the boys found a hedgehog trapped in the waterrace and I was despatched with a fishing net to rescue it. It's been a long time since I willingly put myself into a body of filthy water, but when it's for your family ...

The (ungrateful) hedgehog sat outside the back door for an hour or so, then we think it went under the house.

We sampled delicious local fare ... I lost my mind periodically ...

Nana made fern crowns for the boys and they showed their appreciation by doing whatever is they thought they were doing here ...Sweeney introduced Harper to the Monster Truck ride at the mall ... But mostly, we all just had a Big Relax together.

Love you, Nana!! Love you, Mum!!

Holiday

Hey, the holiday is going great. Nearly over, but still lots to do and see and we're all having a good time. This morning I went back to bed with my book and when I got up, it was lunchtime, and the boys and Nana were just arriving back from a trip to feed ducks. With ice creams for our pudding.
Now that's Good Holiday, people ...
The weather's been amazing, we've been hanging out with super people, and seeing the boys together for an extended period of time has been great. There've been a few fights, some anguish, half a million band aids and one bout of terrifying nappy rash, but I think that as long as we're all realistic about exactly when we need a nap - and I'm including myself here, peace is where it's at.
Photos when we get back home.
In other news, Miss Smith, who I can't mention without telling you how fab she is, has given me a Versatile Blogger award. Coming from one such as herself, this is high praise. Oooh, get me. I'm revelling.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to provide photo evidence of rampant versatility right now. I've been having a Big Relax, as Sweeney would say. I tend to just write about whatever takes me at the minute of writing, and I'm chuffed that there are people out there who enjoy it.

The prize comes with two jobs attached. I need to hand this prize on, which is hard because there are a grillion tasty blogs out there, beautifully written on interesting topics. So here are three ...

Clare at Green Valley Crafts

Gillybean at Gillybean's Garden

Kimberley at Special K.

Now, I need to tell you seven things you may not know about me:

1. When I was 10, I planned to grow up to be the Ambassador to Japan. Or a Speech Therapist. I'm not either of those things;
2. I don't see my friends as much as I'd like;
3. I love rollmop herrings, sardines in oil - no spring water, thank you - and most other fish-type things;
4. as scathing as I generally am about science fiction, I think Iain M. Banks is a genius. Most people I know who actually know something about science fiction think he's a dick;
5. I have at least two slightly humiliating skin conditions. Each is dealt with efficiently with steroid cream and/or hydrocortisone, but I continue to look for less evil methods;
6. when I go to work, I'm all about work. I don't call my friends or family, I hardly write any personal emails and I have an alarm to remind me to leave in time to pick Sweeney up. I never used to be like that. I rather like that I'm like that now;
7. I was recently diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, and now I have meds and blood tests and my body feels better than it has in a long, long time. I'm totally able to blast that pesky 10-15kg now ...

In other, other news, thinking good thoughts for the Pike River miners these days. We've got a long family history of West Coast mining, but no whanau are directly involved in this episode. It's looking pretty bleak right now, but you never know ...
And I passed my exam. Only just, but I passed it. And I found an awesome antiperspirant that actually works. And we're going to Costas for dinner ...
Feel that serenity ...

How Sweet It Is

I've been busy. Bizz-ay. Sorry for not being in touch.

Here's something delicious that came out of the garden. Well, I think it's delicious, and so did Sweeney once he engaged with it. Broccoli, you are the shizz ...

I also harvested what turned out to be 50grams of broad beans, gave them a wee boil, then fried them off with some bacon for a minute or so. River Cottage book called for chorizo, but there's none in the fridge right now. Turned out delish, as it happens. Turns out I like broad beans.

Here are Sweeney and Harper experiencing the shizz that is sparklers. Guy Fawkes night was a minor triumph. We got all our cracker action done before the southerly proper rounded on Wellington, and we got to take in the show in the harbour on our way back into town. I thought the chap in the car in front of me was sent from Hades to drive me insane with his slow driving, but no, he was part of a long, 30kph convoy on the motorway, doing us the lovely favour of letting us take in the show without crashing the car.

In other news, I'm going on holiday on Monday. I'm packing the car with Sweeney and Harper, and we're heading down to spend oodles of time - two weeks - with their Nana. A road trip with two fine-looking young men with all their own teeth. Every crone's dream ...

But in the meantime, I've got about three years of work to do before we head off, and there's a million things to do around the house this weekend. So tonight Kimberley and I went to see The Social Network. Turns out we were wearing matching outfits, sort of. The film was very fine. Go see it now. Even the music is great. And no-one does cold, blue cinematography like David Fincher.

And it was our dad, Sweeney and Harper's Grandad's birthday yesterday. In honour of the great event, Sweeney gave him a card with Lightning McQueen on the front and the sound of racing cars when you open it. That card is so much the shizz ...