Christmas in the Kuwilsky-Young Household

I had bought bars of organic, fair trade dark and milk chocolate for everyone from a colleague of mine, Nic John, who is starting up his own business: Divine chocolate. I designed the wrapper, which Nic suggested could work well if cropped to a heart-shape. So I spent Christmas eve cutting and cropping our Christmas present wrapping.

Barb stayed with us over Christmas, and we had a pretty relaxing time. I started Christmas day with a walk up Christian's hill. The view was pretty good!

Barb, Mike, my folks, Tessa, Matty & baby Izzy arrived for Christmas present opening at Rose Road, with a waffle brunch. Donna was unfortunately working, so only joined us later on, at her family's new business at St Arnaud.

And of course we sang commercials. Because we can. Including the Kentucky Fried Chicken ad.

That was followed by lunner (has to be lunner as it was too late for lunch, but too early for dinner) up at Lake Rotoiti with Donna's family.

Barb brought up her game, Cards Against Humanity. We had a hilarious time playing it: pants-wettingly funny. Charlie had possibly over-indulged in some of the local hop products, with the result that his attempts at reading out the cards had us in stitches. He should have perhaps borrowed my glasses, but all-in-all it was more fun without!

Jan & I took Katie & Lily to the lake for a swim - though it was QUITE cold in the lake. The sandflies were - as usual - vicious; however, we also got introduced to the concept of a roll-on deet stick which was pretty cool. 

Below is a video of some of the happenings:



Jan & Sam

Peter Whipp: this is your life photobook flipbook

I had posted a flipbook in April of the photobook that I had made for my father, but the version that was put online only showed the left-hand pages (so not so very useful). So I have looked around online and found a better, more magazine-like format! The more useful photobook as a flipbook can be found here:



Sam

2015 Christmas Greetings

I made a Christmas video based on our year, which can be viewed below:

May the summer break be restful for you all, and give you recharge time with your friends and families


Jan & Sam

A BIG catch up on the last half of 2015

So what has happened this year...?

We put Coco down at the end of August. She had a bone tumour in her elbow that, as the tumour grew, we knew would eventually weaken the bone so much that an impact would break it through the elbow joint ... and the bone did break: and then it was time to say goodbye. She is now, with her squeaky toy in her mouth, running with Fliss and Drew through the pine trees, chasing the rabbits and barking fit to bust (around "Other Bad Cuz", the squeaky)...

That left Bonnie on her own with us, until John got back from the UK. For me, it is the first time in thirty years that there is no dog in the house (for Jan only 15 years). It is very, very quiet.

I am loving my teaching, having taught pretty much a full time load in 2015. I am still seeing career clients, but have not been doing much management consultancy. I am teaching leadership, sports communications, and supervising Year 3 students in their capstone management projects. It is this latter that I so enjoy: guiding students through their research topic, question-formulation and project planning. I think we all love the process - the students as well as myself (though I think the students mostly enjoy it through their rear-vision mirrors!).

I have stepped away from most of my voluntary and community involvements. The Communications Director's role for CDANZ which I have held for the past four years came to an end this year, as I stepped of the Exec at the AGM in November.

The reason for this is that I am planning on diving back into the Post-grad pond, and doing my PhD. Better than that, though, AUT Sports Leadership programme have asked me to undertake a bit of research, and they are paying. I have supervisors. I don't have to do any pre-doc courses, as I my Masters was apparently already at doctoral level (what pulled it down was the lack of findings of 'global significance'). So I am hard at 'think' (not 'work'... yet), trying to nut out what my question should be to fit their topic of "Changing the conversation around sports leadership using case study"... which builds on my Master's work. And planning. And curating materials. And putting together research lists.

So I am as happy as a sandboy.

However, that makes only one of us.

Jan is unsettled at work, as there has been some restructuring at the end of June and, along with a few others, his role has been dropped down a level, with the introduction of a new COO, and the splitting of his old boss's role into two: one now production-oriented, and one engineering-oriented.

Jan's new boss - the new "GM Engineering" has (a) no management skills, and (b) no engineering knowledge, so the appointment of this numpty is pretty bewildering. Mind you, he does know how to glad-hand pretty well, is great at undermining others, could put a gloss on a ...er... brown log-shaped thing, and can run-up a yarn like a true-blue car salesman.

What other skills could you possibly need to manage the engineering requirements of a multi-million dollar facility?

As a result, Jan is really struggling. Not sure what will happen yet. I don't know if a job move is going to be on the cards, either here, nationally or internationally, or if he will stay. It has been good that John is back in NZ as they has been talking a lot about the whats, hows, whys and wherefores. No idea what will come of all the talk. So watch this space.

We are on a tight budget at present, busily paying off our mortgage as fast as we can so as to give ourselves more choices when Jan starts reaching some conclusions. I hope that he doesn't feel that we have to move away, as I am so enjoying my work... but we are a team, and the team stays together.

We will see what turns up.

Our families appear fit and well, so that is all good.

Earlier in the year, we caught up with Janet & Robert up in Auckland. Justine was home for a few weeks in mid-winter, so we caught up with her. Magda and David got engaged this year, then got married in Christchurch at the end of November. We went down to celebrate with them, and had a great time. We stayed with Jenny L, and also caught up with the Boots, Bertie and Dan & Rochelle.

 Please let us know when you are coming to Nelson next. We would love to see you all.

All the best for the New Year break!

Jan & Sam

A Jan & Hartmut Joint Venture

Hartmut came to visit in September and, following some earlier conversations with Jan about bringing some light into my wardrobe, had some ideas for using LEDs.

Our wardrobes were provided with wiring for lights when we built the house five and a half years ago, but the actual lighting delivery system was not thought-through or delivered. It is one of those "one day" jobs.

However, as the more urgent "one day" jobs are being ticked off, this has now risen up the priority scale. Jan had thought about it, and he and Hartmut have talked about ideas. And now that idea has finally almost come to completion.

Hartmut found that he could buy some strings of LEDs online, and thought it would be worth trying them to see if they would work as a solution. Jan installed the first half of what was required to see if it would work, and it will work perfectly, as you can see:



 Hartmut is now buying the second half :-)

Sam