"#I don't like Monday's...." or "#Monday, Monday...so good to me", also "#Blue Monday", erm "#Manic Monday" - mmm on balance it seems the world of music, at least that which is on my mp3 player, is against Monday and all it stands for - how was my New Zealand Monday? Well read on if you are interested, if not, thanks for stopping by...maybe come back Tuesday :)
OK, sorry I got up late again today, then I snapped at Caroline for eating too loudly, then I did not know what to eat for breakfast and seeing as it was almost 11am I thought a breakfast dinner hybrid would have been better. I assume my mood was due to checking my email and not seeing anything from either of the two jobs contacted by the agency for me last week - but that was only on Friday so it is maybe too soon...maybe...anyway I cheered up a little after some Vogel bread (Kev's new favourite food) and a fresh Pineapple & Banana smoothie.
I then spent the next few hours checking the Internet and feeling sleepy enough to have a mid afternoon doze...wow! I mean it is not as if I am really busy or anything here, OK so I did go to bed about 2am last night, but still...a mid afternoon nap? I am still 33 right, not 63? Anyway, after my little nap went to find Caroline and woke her from a similar nap - it is all fun in this house today! - 'Lets go to Island Bay!' I chirped, 'But it is 4pm now and everything will be shut' replied Caroline, 'Come on, there will be galleries open I bet!' I said whilst putting on my shoes.
So there you have it, a car journey around the bays from here to Island Bay - for those not knowing the geography of Wellington, this involved a Evans Bay, Balena Bay, Hataitai Bay, Miramar, Seatoun, Breaker Bay, Moa Point, Lyall Bay and then Island Bay (I may have missed one or two out, and the spelling is not correct for some - sorry). But without you being in the car with us, a few words on this blog does not recreate the blue seas, green mountains, rocky outcrops, bobbling white yachts, tall white washed light houses, and numerous wooden buildings clinging to the side of the land with their windows indecently exposed to the fantastic sea vistas in front of them.
I did not stop until I saw a suitable bench photo around Lyall Bay, which is actually adjacent to Wellington international airport and coincidentally the beach was the site of the very first airplane flight in Wellington back in the early 1900's. Nowadays the beach has been curtailed by the modern runway jutting into sea and is one of the few public beaches where dogs are allowed. So whilst waiting for the next planes to land for a photo idea I had in mind, yes it also involved a bench, you get a free show of 'dog fetching ball', 'dog meeting other dog', or even 'dog sniffing other dog' - anyway I did not take a photo of the dogs but I did film a plane landing for your enjoyment.
Departing the bays on the hunt for the Aro Valley fish and chip shop for an early dinner, I was again disappointed to see it was shut until tomorrow. I am not sure if I mentioned this place before, but on a food review web site, its chips came out as the best in Wellington, so of course I could only have the best. Thing was I went out there last week but failed to remember it was shut for such a long time - still it gave me the chance to cook Kumara Tuna fish cakes with oven chips...which actually were not too bad in the end.
My Monday was finished off with an unplanned walk to the cinema to see 'Death at a funeral'. I am not sure if this has been in the UK yet, but a very quick review from me would be watch it on DVD. whilst ironing and doing the kids home work at the same time as thinking about emptying the cat litter tray - then you may find it more enjoyable. Still Caroline enjoyed it and as she paid I guess I should have given it more praise...mmm stick to the Muppets Mr Oz!
OK I will finish up now with the fact that Wellington is windy, as I have mentioned before and I am sure you will know, but why is it so windy? Well thanks to the sources of Google and Wikipeda, I am satisfied with the explanation that not only is it the most southerly capital city anywhere in the world, but it is at 41deg latitude, which places it in the Roaring Forties.
The non-sailors amongst you will not have heard of these, but they are strong westerly winds which whip around the ends of the earth. This particular end has very little land mass in it to slow down these winds, only a bit of South America and basically New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. So on days like today there is an almost constant wind about you, at gust speeds which would cause Micheal Fish and that woman in Kent to panic in the UK - but here no one really bats an eye lid (except from when removing the beach volley ball sand blown into it!), and knowing that they have come from open ocean and are merely stumbling upon New Zealand as they constantly voyage around the globe, gives them a feeling of freshness and pioneering spirit to me.
Lastly tonight I have managed to call Nationwide in the UK and sort out a further holiday for my mortgage. This feared and put off task was in fact extremely easy and simple - thanks Nationwide - the only snag is not being able to send the paperword direct to me in NZ, but a simple phone call to my parents will sort out that one I hope.
Tomorrow I am helping Caroline look at a rental property and then...mmm, I guess I may pop down to the beach, oh, and possibly ring the job agency to see when I can expect a response. It is just one thing after another down here ;)