News from Nelson - May 2010

Hi all,

I think we are still in the same situation as we were last time I wrote; we have maybe half our stuff still in the garage. However, the wiring in the office is still unfinished which is holding up putting the rest of the furniture in place (so there are still 20 cartons of office gear in the garage not yet unpacked), the (so we can't get cars in), and some shelves in the linen cupboard (so the linen remains packed in cartons), and Michael to get the bookshelf done - later this month - so I can unpack the books. But the wardrobes now have rails in them, so it is just now us having time to unpack our clothes from the cartons; and the builders have now moved their gear out of the shed, so once we have a dry weekend, we can move Jan's workshop gear out of the garage.

I have sold a load of gear on TradeMe already - the old washing machine, microwave, vacuum cleaner, and some other kitchen equipment and double-ups. I will organise the rest of the gear slowly over winter, and anything that doesn't sell will simply be donated to the Salvation Army.

Both decks are finished, and look great. Our photo voltaic cells have all been installed on the roof, but we are still waiting for our meter so we can feed power back into the grid. Apparently there is a bit of a wait on this. Our fireplace is now fully functional and we have had it on twice thus far. We haven't really needed it, as it is not that cold yet, but we wanted to test it out. It seems to be working as we would expect.

To get our Code of Compliance from the Council, there are some tasks that have yet to be completed; plastering and sealing the plaster on the blockwork, ducting the range hood, installing the stainless steel backing for kitchen hob, installing the stair tread covering, and permanently fixing the gas bottle for the hob. Once we get those things done, we can apply to have the house signed off. Jan doesn't have to install the string lights for the lounge to get our CoC, and we won't do that until we are back from Europe.

We have also had lots of visitors since our last update - Steph Jackson, Max & Karen, Christian, Dawn & Martin. We also went to the Nelson Choir's concert last Saturday at the Cathedral - we sat with Kathleen as Frits was singing. While I am writing, Jan is practicing for the next NSO concert, which is Saturday week. I am looking forward to hearing the whole orchestra play.

Jan remains busy at work. NMIT & AUT teaching is still going well, and I am currently working on a presentation for for my second-to-last CAT unit, which I deliver to my chosen audience on 28 May.

We have more or less finalised our plans for Europe, including 5 days in Freiburg, three with Rainer & Regina, then to Ulm to see Uta and Oma Lieselotte, then Andreas & Katrin, then Holger and family, then to the Edersee for the Schütte family celebrations, Treysa, and lastly Simone & Michael before we fly out. We will catch up with most of the German contingent at the Edersee, which will be fantastic :-)

Take care & alles liebe!

Jan & Sam

News from Nelson - April 2010

Hi all,

We are still partly moved in. We have maybe half our stuff still in the garage, as we are waiting on the wardrobes to be finished (so can't unpack our clothes), some wiring in the office to be finished which is holding up putting the rest of the furniture in place (so there are still 20 cartons of office gear in the garage not yet unpacked), the builders to move their gear out of the shed, so Jan's workshop gear is still in the garage (so we can't get cars in), and some shelves in the linen cupboard (so the linen remains packed in cartons), and Michael to get the bookshelf done so I can unpack the books.

I have added to the six cartons of kitchen stuff to be sold on TradeMe - which I will organise slowly over winter.

We have Hartmut staying here at the moment. He has been working on all sorts of projects, but especially a clever compost bin that slots together using our waste timber. We were going to 'ceremonially' add the first compost to it today, but it rained, so we will do that tomorrow morning - have a compost bin warming! Jan has a huge list of jobs that he has discussed with Hartmut, but I don't think either of them realised that the list would take a month, not a week, to complete.

We have put the range hood in place, but haven't yet sorted out the added cowling that it needs, or the stainless steel to go behind the kitchen hob. Things have been so busy that there just hasn't been time yet. Michael Bender has ordered materials for the big bookcase for the lounge, and that should be complete sometime next month. We have a front deck, but ran out of decking for the rear one, so the builders have moved on to another job for the present. We have taken the last of our eucalypt to the timber yard & hope that this will be enough... we will have to wait & see when it has run & when the builders come back to finish off.

Paul Bowe, Alan H (ex-Nelson Pine sparkies) and Alan's wife Vicky came up last weekend and helped Jan with wiring up island bench, and the garage. The wiring is pretty much done now - there are some data sockets that are incomplete, and Jan hasn't yet ordered all the string lights for the lounge, but we have done enough to get by on, probably until we are back from Europe.

We have been to a BBQ down the road at Jimu Grimmet's (on the corner of Roses Road and Rosedale Road), and we are buying our organic veges & goat feta from the Lees down the valley. Becoming part of the community :-) We have also had lots of visitors - Kathleen & Frits came out for dinner, as did John & Jo, and Alan & Vicky. We are also expecting Steph Jackson to arrive here today, and stay overnight.

Jan remains busy at work, but is off at a course today. NMIT & AUT teaching is going well for me, and I have even managed to complete my second assignment for my second-to-last CAT unit. I also have a couple of new fledgling business clients, which is very interesting work.

Jan is currently practicing for the next NSO concert. He has been enjoying the pieces, even though he hasn't had much time for practice yet. He is fully intending to make plenty of time, so some of the huge list of jobs around the house just might need to wait (making music is such an excellent use of time, and good for the soul!).

We have developed the first draft of our plans for Europe, ending at the Edersee for all the Schütte family celebrations, and including 5 days in Freiburg, three with Rainer & Regina, then heading off to see Andreas & Katrin for a few days, then a couple of days with Holger, then Edersee, then and Simone & Michael & flying out. The first draft will be with the German contingent shortly to check that you are all going to be home & available :-)

Jan & Sam

News from Nelson - April 2010

Hi all,

Well, we are moved in - partly. We still have about three-quarters of our stuff down in the garage here to sort out, but we will take things quite quietly, and sort stuff out slowly over the next few weeks. We will aim to get things where we want it; and recycle the things that we no longer use. I have six cartons of kitchen stuff that is going on TradeMe as soon as the rest of our belongings are sorted!

The housewarming was a great success, and it was wonderful having so many people here to celebrate with us. Jeremy estimated at one point we had about 70 people there. We had lots of people from Roses Road come to see the house, as well as lots of friends and family. Thanks heaps to Tina & Jeremy, Mike & Birthe, Sam & Moose, Pat & Marjie, Hui-Ping, Shelley, Bertie & Warren & Tracy (and all their short people) for travelling to Nelson especially.

We moved the last of our stuff from Montrose Drive yesterday; that mostly being Jan's safe! Warren & Max came along to help, which made getting it on the trailer a five minute job. Jeremy & Jan managed to prize it off at the other end, and now the builders have said that they will help roll it into position in the basement - hopefully after Jan has had the two holes welded up on it that mean that the blasted thing is neither fire- nor water-proof.

The new carpet has been laid at Montrose Drive, and Jeremy shampooed the remaining carpets yesterday, while Tina, Jan & I cleaned the garage, weeded, harvested our pumpkins, nailed down loose deck boards & generally got the place looking tidy. The chimney is being cleaned and the grass is being cut this week. The new tenants move in this Friday.

While Tina heads home today, Jeremy, Otto & Lara are here until Saturday, so we have lots more time to enjoy their company yet. We have been to the Mapua fair, which was great. We caught up again with Warren & Trace, Max, Karen & Bertie; and Sam & Moose. Yesterday we went to lunch at Founders with Jeremy & Tina, my folks, and joining us later on, Pat, Marjie & Pat's brother Matt & wife Sarah. On Sunday avo, Rob - whom I teach with on the B.Sport & Rec at NMIT - & his wife Eileen came up to see the house. We had a very nice time sitting around & quaffing wine :-)

Yesterday Magda & Julie came out, bringing Julie's twins, Sterl & Siobhan. Julie is currently working on passing her fitness test for active fire-fighting duty; she is heading back into fulltime work now the twins are nearly 15 months old. I can't believe it has been nearly a year and a half since Sterl died, and wee Sterl is the spitting image of his dad.

I still have to organise quotes for the range hood cowling, and the stainless steel to go behind the kitchen hob bench to prevent the possibility of the gas igniting the wall - we put it off to ensure accuracy of measurement! Michael Bender will start on the big bookcase for the lounge when he gets back from holiday later this month. The builders are back tomorrow, to finish off some bits inside the house, such as architraves and handles, but mainly to get onto constructing the decks outside.

Jan is still busy at work, but he hopes to catch up with Sam today for a round of golf in the avo before Sam & Moose head back to Wellington. My students have all successfully completed their first assignments, and I am currently marking my Leadership class' first assignment. Things on my second-to-last CAT unit have been put on hold; I haven't really had time to do any more on the assignment that I have in progress. However, I will have to get onto that now as there are still two to go.

We have been to a couple of concerts - the gala performance for the new Steinway which Jan's boss Murray Sturgeon donated to the Nelson School of Music, and to the first of the Nelson Symphony concerts for the year, which Jan didn't play in (too busy with the house), with a country theme - some NZ music, Beethoven's pastoral symphony & some Weber (very enjoyable!).

We are now firming up our plans for Europe, ending at the Edersee for all the Schütte family celebrations, and including a few days in Freiburg, and visiting Rainer & Regina, then heading off to see Andreas & Katrin. We also hope to get to visit Holger, and Simone & Michael, but we haven't yet worked out how that will work! Now that we are in the house, we will spend a bit of time in planning & come back to you all with the first draft.

Jan & Sam

News from Nelson - March 2010

Hi all,

Just a short note this time - lots on.

All the fussy little jobs are underway now; the concrete sealer has gone down so the floorboards could go in; the tiling is being done; the external plaster finish is about to happening on the blockwork; the kitchen is ready to go in, but is waiting on the floor sander to do the varnishing so they can get in; the hot tank is being installed next week and the plumber comes in about 10 days to finish off. We picked up the first bathroom unit from Michael Bender, and they were beautifully finished.

I have organised quotes for the range hood cowling, and the stainless steel to go behind the kitchen hob bench to prevent the possibility of the gas igniting the wall. Everything that we were to organise is underway or on site already, which is great, with the exception of the big bookcase for the lounge; Michael is off on holiday so we have postponed it until he gets back in April.

We have moved all our gear out of Montrose Drive now; Max & Karen, Kathleen & Frits came and helped us, with the use of John F's truck, to get the bulk of the furniture to Roses Rd and stored in the garage. Then over the following week and a bit, Jan & I ferried the rest of the gear over (but not his safe yet - that thing is too darn heavy!). It was a big job, but now the house is empty and just waiting for the new carpet to go in. We have gone with a property management company called "Glenn's Vacancies" who have been recommended to us by two friends who rave about Glenn, his wife & daughter who between them and one employee run 250 properties. The house is spick and span, and Andrea has already started showing potential tenants through before the carpet goes in - they will just have to imagine what that part will be like when done!

Jan remains busy at work, and I am currently marking my Applied Management classes' first assignment. Still working on my second-to-last CAT unit, one assignment down, one in progress, two to go...

Our trip to Chch for Warren & Trace's wedding in Feb was fantastic. We had a great time, and it looked as though they did too. A great gathering of everyone, and speaking of everyone, see the a photo of everyone to the side :-)

We haven't yet firmed up our programme for Europe, but will get onto that once the house is done. Too much else on our minds at the mo with electrical stuff etc, but we are thinking about a trip to Freiburg.

We are continuing to have lots of visitors - Jan Cools & family have called out, Paul & Noreen again, Max & Karen, and Jen Ladley and her folks. We thought being in the country would mean fewer visitors, but it is not proving that way so far!

Our housewarming is still going to be on 3 April (Easter Saturday), probably not really ready, but we are cool with that :-)

Invite attached for you all - let us know if you can make it.

Take care & alles liebe!

Sam & Jan