Hi
everyone,
I hope
you are all fit and well.
Jan's
Greenhill Orchestra in the Golden Bay and the Nelson Symphony Solo Spotlight
concerts both went really well. We just drove over for the day for the Golden
Bay concert, to find that the dinner on the Saturday night before the concert
was being co-ordinated by Fleur, at Neil's folks new house just down the road
from their place. Awesome! I caught up with them both at a hockey match during
the day, and acted as a very rusty ball boy for those that got away.
Jan's
next concert is in November with 'Scottish Connections'
(http://www.nso.org.nz/). I think that is the last one for the year.
Jan's
study is going well, with the major chunk of his work due in three weeks time.
He will be busy for a wee while.
I have
completed three case studies, just delivered my interim project report (my
supervisor is very happy), and have had feedback on the case studies from two
senior Lecturers at AUT - both asking if they can use the cases in their
teaching next year. I am feeling very pleased about that. One of the AUT
Lecturers has passed on to me a couple of case study publishers' details, along
with the publishers' style guides. I will have a look at whether I think I can
tear my work apart and rewrite it enough to fit the mould after I get over my
interim glow of self-congratulation!
I have
also pre-enrolled in my next qualification (Diploma in Career Guidance), so I
don't get lazy & put it off. Should be relatively easy though - just
formalising some aspects of my work that I have been doing for the past fifteen
years.
Wow, it
has really been wet here recently. Rained and rained and rained. Amazing. So we
still haven't sealed our plasterwork. Our garage is looking emptier as Fleur &
Neil came over last weekend and called in for coffee on their way home. When
they left they also took a rimu bookshelf home with them. With that gone and
loads of cartons of books gone, I can see that our garage only needs another
day's work of emptying out tools into the workshop to fit my car into it. Now
that would be cool - actually having two cars in the garage!
Our house
worklist is remains pretty much the same. It all has to be done - outside
lights to install, hob stainless steel backing, sealing the plasterwork, fixing
our gas bottle, installing smoke alarms, getting our underfloor heating man's
producer statement - before our CoC can be applied for. Then there are the
things that we want to get finished - installing kitchen extractor fan cowling;
installing the house water pump & building a pump shed; build the wine rack
in the cellar; buying & installing the lounge string lights; buying &
installing the lounge speakers; getting the builder to finish the battery box
doors, fit the garage downpipe bracket, mend my wardrobe door roller and box in
the top of the bookshelf; getting the legs cut & fitted to the spare
bathroom basin; gluing up the mirror for the spare bathroom; and putting up
some of our artwork.
We
continue to generate more power than we are using; this last month we even
netted off over half of our supply charge as well. Our power bill was $14.
While I am pretty sure that the $21k that the solar power system cost will
never pay for itself, there is a nice warm glow of social good that we are
delivering to make us feel better!
This
Saturday just gone we went to see Jenny L at her folk's place in Wakefield,
which was really great. We heard all about the Christchurch quakes, and what
has happened at the University. We caught up with John Fitz at the Golden Bear
in Mapua for a burrito and a beer last Saturday avo, between the NSO practice
and the concert. Jo is in Thailand doing a Vipassana course.
Adam is
back from UK for a wedding, and we caught up for lunch yesterday. He has just
finished his Cranfield MBA, and is set to relaunch himself on the work scene in
London when he gets back. He is planning on getting back to NZ next February
for his sister's wedding, so we will hopefully have a more targeted reunion
then! It would be good to get Murray & Karen & Gilbert some of the old
gang together to swap lies & tall tales.
Happy
birthday all you Virgo babies - I hope you all have a wonderful time.
Tonight
we are heading off to Scottish Country Dancing for a bit of a laugh, this
weekend I think there is a party on Saturday night that we might go to as well.
Justine will be back in Kiwiland from the end of September until mid-October,
which will be great - she will be in Wellington for a chunk of time, but is
planning to come down to us & see the house.
OK. I
hope you all stay happy, healthy & keep in touch.
Take care
& alles liebe!
Sam
& Jan
