And one more

I see I didn't write about my weekend. Or on the weekend. It was quiet, well except for a trip to a place called Adrenaline Forest.  Gill had bought some tickets for us before she disappeared to the UK. Last weekend was the last time to use the tickets so Rachel, Diana and I found our way there, my navigation didn't help in this easiest of tasks. A recurring theme.

What a hoot, three women of a certain age following a group of kids around the courses. Their mums were sensible enough to be watching from the ground way, way below. I made it most of the way through excitement, trail 3. I only stopped because my friends were tired, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. It was so tiring, all that hanging onto things so I didn't fall off. Hauling myself up ropes, over wobbly bridges, movable feasts of logs and planks and ropes and the flying foxes (zip lines).

It was so much fun, something I'll do again. My muscles told me on Sunday that I'd overdone it a bit. We met for dessert, well earned dessert, that evening and retold the days dramatic, near death stories. Sunday it was open homes time. I wandered to the first one, meeting a lovely young lass in the process. We spent some time looking through it properly a bit later in the day. People have such amazing stories, Rebekah was no exception. I hope we will get to meet again, to continue our conversation.

This evening I've been enjoying a Chianti, as I was looking through my photos I found this one. Taken in a small town in Peidmont, a treat of local wine with the Barbaresco, Barolo and Nebbiolo reds from this place so famous and so very moreish. Di, Sandy, Salette and I may just have sampled a few that day of summer sunshine and vino tasting.

Peidmont, Italy 

The raw materials

Phew

That was a close call. My Mac decided to hibernate for winter last evening. It hasn't liked the cold, a tropical flower much like myself really. I've noticed, after the spectacular crash in Croatia, that my poor Mac has never quite been the same. It could be the cold, it could be being miffed that I bought a sort of replacement in Vienna. A pale imitation of a Mac this iPad thing. Not quite meeting my real needs although I do use it to potter around on.

So last evening the crash, this evening coaxing the poor old Mac to life was heart stopping. It reset back to 2001, it's not that old. I hope. Then there was no Internet so that was a whole reset process, finding and reentering my codes and password. Thankfully it worked, thankfully here I am writing on said Mac, on the Internet. All is okay in my world.

The funny thing is that a funny thing happened at work yesterday and I was opening up the Mac to write about it, and the trip it was part of. I don't feel so inspired now. I do, however, feel like a bit of a domestic goddess. Only a bit. I baked this evening, glass in hand while waiting for my roasties to roast. Yams (or little boys toes as we used to call them when there were little boys), parsnips, kumara, pumpkin, potatoes. Roasted comfort food for a chilly evening, music blasting. The blueberry muffins turned out wonderfully, unexpectedly yummy. The 12 became 11. Quality control.

Tomorrow I've got an early start and muffins will be the order of the day for us early starters. This whole winter thing is not too much fun. I'm feeling the cold, it's too cold to sail, well for me anyway. Gloves are on in the morning, two extra heaters have been purchased. An electric blanket is in constant use. I'm not really built for the cold, I need more fat on my bones one kind soul said today. It's been a really mild winter so far, they added. I didn't do them any violence, just smiled benignly while shrinking inside.

Not yet cold, mild winter. Well that is truly true when one considers how cold it's been in my old part of this place. Minus something and snow. I just need to harden up a little before I head there in a week or so. I've got some trips booked. Christchurch, Brisbane, Melbourne one weekend after another. I'm excited, Melbourne is my birthday weekend. The one I usually spend doing something completely different. This year it's family time. Meeting Frankie Beth for the first time is most certainly different, the true beginning of a wonder life long relationship. I can't wait.

So yesterday we were talking about Irish accents, I love them and there's a cute young man a few floors above us who speaks Irish. He was the object of our affection for all things Irish. Kate commented that her husband is Irish too, from Limerick. So the limericks flowed.

I got stung by bee
While driving through Tralee
The bugger flew in
I went into a spin
And killed the bugger, bugger me

This one, or something quite like it, made Kate giggle, with the other two people in the lift looking on in amazement. Trying not to giggle I suspect, although I didn't look too closely. We don't work in the sort of place where one has fun in the lift, or anywhere else for that matter.

Actually that really did happen. I giggled with relief, once the bugger stopped stinging me, at the bee in Tralee thing. He got me on the neck then ended up, not quite dead, in one of my pashminas. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at my hotel in Shannon and he flew, dazed, out the open window of my room. I needed a wee drop of something by then.

I had a lovely drive around the south of Ireland. Part of the hilarity today was about how I didn't get lost, managing to get myself around various places in the world all by myself, because I took Kate to completely the wrong place for a meeting. Twice. Don't tell her I did get lost, a lot. Part of the fun of the journey and the start of some of my finest adventures.

The white houses of Dingle Peninsula

Wild southern ocean, Dingle

A busy week

My intended entries didn't happen this week. Put it down to just being plain busy. Monday was an impromptu dinner out with a friend I don't manage to catch up with very often. A wander to my local for a relaxed meal in front of the warm fire and some mulled wine. Just what I needed. It's been chilly here, very chilly in the evenings. This hot house flower is quite enjoying the cold, although a small holiday on some tropical island might be nice.

The rest of my busy week, Tuesday was a long chat with Di on Skype and some catching up on some paperwork. Wednesday was a late one at work, an exhausted homecoming and an early night and last night I was given a ticket to see The Addams Family, a musical delight of amateur theatre. A group from work was going, one of our colleagues was in the show, and they had a spare ticket. Another time I was pleased I'd said yes. The small theatre was packed, generous glasses of wine were served and the fun began.

What a treat, Wellington is certainly the cultural capital. It was very funny in places, great singing and dancing. I was thankful I was up the back and not as close to the action as some of the group. On the stage, getting up close and personal. This evening it was after work drinks then home to talk with Nick and Frankie. Just a quick chat, I'm really looking forward to heading to Melbourne to meet her and have our first cuddle. Very exciting.

This weekend I'm planning a quiet one, probably hiring a car for Sunday so I can go out and about exploring. A walk is also on the cards, after I've checked out the weather of course. And of course some more travel entries. Well that's the plan for now.

One of the photos for my wall