Hi
everyone,
The
weather has been very settled - hardly any wind, but we did finally have our
first frost at home last Thursday. Quite crunchy underfoot on the back lawn!
We have
been flat out still in the last three weeks (surprise, surprise). Jan has sat
his final exams, and all my Applied Management students completed and handed in
their final assessments now, leaving me with a 330mm pile of reports to read
and mark. However, I finished those last Friday, along with marking my Facility
& Events Management student's exams. All done :-)
We went
to Neil & Sari's for a night of Patagonian tooth fish with Kevin and Sandra
a couple of weeks ago. We drank rather a lot of wine and had some very
toothsome delights including smoked Black Dory (which was just lovely). Sari
sourced a wide range of fish and Kevin arranged the smoking - and of course
Neil organised the wine; so Sandra, Jan and I only had to turn up and indulge.
It was wonderful. However, I came home and drank a litre of water before
falling into bed, totally sated. Sunday was a very relaxed day with lots of
reading and a dog walk down at the mudflats.
We had
another Kiwi Movie Night for the Nelson Newcomers Network (NNN), and showed a
very twee movie that one of the NNN members had recommended - one called
"Her Majesty". It is a very nice, but sanitised film. Worth a look on
a rainy Sunday afternoon - especially if you are an ex-pat. Another film we
have seen recently is "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Le
Scaphandre et le Papillon). What a fantastic film that was. I hadn't read the
book, although it was on my must read list; and perhaps it was better that I
hadn't before seeing the film as I understand there were several liberties
taken. The cinematography was fabulous... music was also wonderful and I have
downloaded all the tracks I can find. If you haven't seen the film, go along;
it is worth every penny of the admittance price.
This last
weekend we went out to the land so Jan could get some chainsawing done (he's
addicted to it!). The dogs - we have Bonnie staying again for ten days while
John & Jo are in Australia - had a great run around and were covered in
clay and wood and bark and gorse.
We went
to a Hospice Charity Ball out at the Playhouse in Mahana, which was wonderful.
Jan bid on things all over the place when we got to the charity auction end of
the night; he won a "Boys Pamper Pack" which contained some beer, a
cap, a huge umbrella, a t-shirt, and a fold-out chair on a shoulder strap with
a chilly-bag suspended underneath it. When he opened the chilly bag, he found
that there were plates, cups, cutlery and napkins all in little pockets. He was
most impressed. He also got a three month gym membership at a new gym, which
came along with a backpack, a cap, a drink bottle and a set of earphones that
plug into all the gym machines so you can plug into their entertainment system.
I won a case of Rimu Grove wines, which I was most impressed about. We had a
very good night in great company, and raised some dosh for a fabulous cause.
We also
had our Rotary 'handover' lunch (when the presidency passes from the President
to the President-elect), where Jan & I had planned on going for an hour or
so, and finally left three hours later! We had a great time, and spent so much
time talking to people the time just really got away on us. We suddenly
realised the time, shot home, picked up the dogs to take them for a run at the
mudflats and it started raining. We thought it would probably blow over, but by
the time we got there - 5 mins - it was hosing down. However, the dogs had a
wonderful time roaring around in the mud and sea grass and tussock in the
pouring rain and wind. Needless to say, by the time we left they were filthy.
So straight home and into the shower to wash out Saturday's clay and Sunday's
mud.
Next
weekend we are catching up with Sandra & Gary, whom we haven't seen in six
months despite living in the same town (!), and have a business house pool
challenge at the Shark Club, which will be fun. The weekend after that we are
off to the Playhouse yet again on Friday night for a murder mystery night with
Ian & Sharon McGuire to see "The Mystery of Irma Vep" and to Mo &
Bean's joint 40th Birthday Party on Saturday.
Jan's
Germany commissioning trip to Anthon still looks like - at the earliest - late
July. After much discussion, unless this gets pushed back to October (upon
checking, I have realised that mid-term break is really late this year), I
won't be able to go so Jan will be going on his own.
My folks
are in the UK, and are having a great time - we have had BBQ photos from Suzie
& Peter. The webmail is working - yay!
Right - I
think that's it for now. Take care & more next time. Alles liebe :-)
Sam & Jan
