DOGS TO AUCKLAND

TODAY... we are off to Auckland.

The dogs are going to spend the next week with Steve, Bex and the boys.

Such a relief we don't have to put them into a kennel.  I have never had a good experience with kennels.

The girls will LOVE LOVE LOVE being with the family in Auckland.

Archer adores Coco, it's going to be difficult getting him to give her back I reckon.

Tears will be involved I feel sure.

So, we will be leaving mid morning and getting home again mid afternoon.

Because we are expecting visitors tonight, we can't stay for dinner, but that's all good.  We will need a quiet night before the madness starts tomorrow.

Tomorrow we have to do the final packing up of everything we have been using for the past few weeks.

So in fact today will be a 'relaxing' day.  lol

TOMORROW IS DECEMBER... Our moving month. *%#  WHOOP  WHOOP  WHOOP *%#

ONWARD...

8.55 am:  And we are still fluffing around trying to get ready to leave for Auckland.
Stew is just putting our big BBQ on the trailer.
We are doing a swap with Steve and Bex.  Their small BBQ for our big one.
We just don't need or want a big one now. 

And at our new home there isn't anywhere outside to put the big one either .... well except right around the back of the house, and who wants to stand on their own out the back of the house doing the BBQ if you have visitors?

Yeah, no one. 

It is going to be a scorcher of a day.  It's already unbearably hot in the sun.

But, it is SUMMER ... so I better stop bitchin'.

ABOVE:  Tie down time.  Then we can leave.  
Must not forget the dogs....

...12.15 pm and we finally got here. It was a stressful trip. A cable broke then all four burners rattled off... so 4 times we had to stop on the side of the BUSY AS HELL road to fix things. 

ABOVE... the dogs are VERY VERY interested in the RABBITS.

The boys and Stew have gone to get some lunch now... then we will be heading home.

7.31 pm:  We are safely home again.  It was a very stressful trip up, but a good one home again.

We stopped in at Mitre 10 in Hamilton before coming home and ordered a cage for the trailer.

It will make trips like that much easier in the future, and next weekend for sure.

In no particular order:

 ABOVE:  I do believe this will be the dog's 'spot' over the next week.  Stalking the rabbits.
The just can't get enough of them... or rather, they'd like to get them.  

Not sure if they would play with them, or eat them!

 ABOVE: Archer and 'his' Coco.  Though he seems to be enjoying playing with Marley too.

 ABOVE:  Coco curled up n Steve... 

ABOVE:  And under the table with Dante. 

They didn't seem upset when we left... the little tarts.

When we left, Steve had a bushy beard and moustache.

ABOVE:  Then he sent us this photo, and asked us "Yes or NO".

I said "Nah, NOPE, NO F*@ken Way!"

So hopefully he has shaved it off.  Shudder worthy that is!

But OMG he looks like my brother Vern!!!

Don't you think so OLD MOO?

Our expected visitors just cancelled, so it's just us tonight after all that.

I'm signing off now, it's so bloody hot and muggy all I want to do now is blob out in front of the fan.

THE WHALE

ABOVE:  Yeah, that's ME in the blue.  Stew trying to shove me out to sea and some skinny bitch laughing at me.  But she's ugly, so I'm all good.

Have you heard that saying "I may be fat, but you're ugly, and I can diet" ... I love it.

Now... Obviously I'm a bit concerned about the unfavorable HbA1c blood sugar result.

I'm not stupid.  So.... *sigh*... last night I did something I vowed I'd never do again.

I re-joined Weight Watchers.

NOT to follow the 'programme',  cos they are always changing it and annoying the fuck heck outta me... but more to be accountable to more than just ME.  AND I might even meet and make some new friends too?

I think I will be a bit more determined to get the HbA1c number down and keep it down if I'm doing it with SUPPORT.  And if that support is through WW, so be it.

I clearly can't do it on my own.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT WEIGHT.  It never will be again. It's about health.

The meeting I attended last night was in the suburb we will be living in, but it's a very, very small meeting.  Last night there were 5 there, sometimes it's only 1 or 2.  So, I will attend a few meetings in various locations in Hamilton till I find a meeting I feel comfortable with.

Now, just in case ya didn't know already:

Yeah.  Three more sleeps here, three in motels then we be sleeping in our new home.  

I'm so ready for this move I tell ya!  It's going to be so awesome setting up a new home, I won't be getting bored any time soon.  *smiles*

*SQUEALS* ... getting a bit excited.

ONWARD...

Oh my it's been a busy morning.  I packed up the pantry, and only kept out on the bench what we need for the next few days.  Same with kitchen ware.
I've filled two more big boxes.

Lacy has arrived and is in here:


ABOVE:  Scrubbing out the pool again.  It went green in the past week!  I didn't put chemicals in it...  and in this weather you just have to!  So, by Tuesday it will be gorgeous again for the new owners.

I've got a few more little jobs to do today... then I can relax and do nothing.

Well... lucky I stayed home today, because I'd forgotten Stew's sister was popping in on her way up to Auckland.

It was lovely to see her and have a good yak.

ABOVE:  Our first Christmas present.  Another thing to pack up! *smiles*

Lacy has gone home, it's STINKING HOT and I'm tired from doing bugger all.
I might take a nap... it will pass a couple of hours if nothing else.

4.35 pm:  I'm feeling frustrated.  The pool has not started to clear up at all today.  The pump has been on for around 6 hours and it should have started to look clearer.  Grrrr.
Stew talked me through how to do a 'backwash' of the pump, so I've done that.  Now I hope it starts to clear.

We just had huge thunder clouds pass overhead, and now we have a little bit of rain.  It's helped cool the afternoon down a bit.  Thank god, it was getting diabolical.

Stew is going to be late home tonight (not too late though), so Brylee and I are going to have something quick and easy for dinner.  Not sure what though, cos there's virtually no food left in this house!

I'm really happy with how well I've managed to run the stocks down, so much less to unpack at the other end.

Brylee finished working at the Rest Home yesterday.

This afternoon she found out she has secured a new 'over summer, casual' job in Hamilton, which COULD turn into a more permanent job after February.

So all good there!  She can still pay her board.  ha ha ha.


Right, rant time.


BLACK FRIDAY SALES. Are we a State of the USA now?


NO. So why the hell do we 'celebrate' friggin Black Friday? (And Halloween?) (I DON'T)


Why do all the retailers have sales today?


Simple.


Greed. Money. Profits.


NO OTHER REASON.


It totally does my head in how so many people/retailers adopt American 'traditions'.


Next thing ya know we will have Thanksgiving Day here too.


How about Independence Day? Veterans Day. Columbus Day. Memorial Day. President's Day and Martin Luther King Day. And god knows what else. Let's go the whole hog!


Grrrr. Rant Over.

Stew is home from his work end of year function.

He's now off work for a week.  Next week he will be home for 'THE MOVE'.

It's now the end of the day and I'm signing off.  Now watching the finale of Master Chef Australia.  It will be really interesting to see who wins.

JUST ONE WEEK

ABOVE:  That's gunna be my bathroom in a week!  I love the lights above the vanity.  I might just put a footstool under the bench on the left hand side.... for makeup application.  *smiles*

So... back to today.  ???
I have NOTHING to do .... it's driving me mental cos I know how busy I will be in just a few days.

I might just scrub the dog's area down... the dogs are going to Auckland on Saturday so they won't get it too grubby in two days.  One less job to do next week, and something for me to do today.

And that's all from me for now... 

ONWARD...

10 am:  And I've been into town to get a couple of jobs done.
And  I kinda ended up in the gift shop again.
And saw these and just had to get them for my Christmas Garland!  Remember peeps, 50% off:

 ABOVE:  They will fit in perfectly with what I already have! And come on!  Blue berries?  Yeah.  Had to get them.

Standing, yakking to the saleslady... she asked me why we were moving... so many people do!  I think it's because we are leaving just the most lovely little town?

Anyway... I'm yakking and me phone rings.

It's from my DOCTOR.

I'm like... shit.

She says 'Christina, I have some bad news for you'... and I immediately want to die, thinking it's bad news about the needle stick results.  You know, I imagine I've got HIV or Hepatitis C right?

Then she says "Your HbA1c results are in and they are not good.  You have gone up to 94, which is very bad".... 

... by then I've started breathing again... and say "Oh is that all, phew!"

Apparently the 'other' results are not in yet.  So I still have to kinda hold my breath.  

Anyway, I tell the Doctor I'm not worried about the HbA1c at all cos I know I can turn it around.  I've done it before, I can do it again.

ABOVE: So there ya go... I've been bad and that's the proof.  Now to start fixing it.
Bye bye sugar in any form.
Except for me porridge, I'm not giving that up!

A while ago I bought some more 'patchwork' clips to use on my stall.  For holding runners on the screen and so on.  They cost me (close your eyes Stewie)... $60 for 60 clips.  I thought it was an OK price to pay.

Then Bex told me about WISH... and how they are dead cheap on there.  GRRRR.... wish I'd known about that sooner.

I ordered some and they arrived today.

ABOVE:  60 clips for.... $9.

NEVER going to buy shit without checking if it's on WISH first!  I feel utterly ripped off.

But way more clued up now. Thanks Bex.

I just finished scrubbing the dog's area and taking down the dog pen too.  One less thing to do next week.

It's now lunchtime and I'm going down the road for a club sandwich, and to do the Mail Redirection Order.  Must not forget that!

Well I got sick of looking at boxes and things to do (on the weekend)... so I went into town and did the Redirection order, then bought a sandwich and went and had it at a girlfriend's home.  We sat on the front porch and yakked for a couple of hours.  It was lovely.

Now home and I might make up more boxes so they are ready for the last minute stuff on Sunday.  I already thought I'd made up enough, but NO.  *sigh*

I'm going out tonight.  Spur of the moment decision.  Will tell ya about it tomorrow.

Gotta go, got stuff to do.  Catch ya later ... after dinner.

10.37 pm:  Well I went out for a couple of hours, came home and had dinner, which was humble Saveloys, spuds and chuck wagon corn.  But lovely all the same.  It doesn't have to be a fancy dinner to be nice for sure.

Now it's almost bedtime, so catch ya tomorrow.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENT SIGNING TODAY

So... it's 8 days till we move into our new home.

But we will actually own it in 7 days.

Today I'm going into Hamilton to sign all the documents that will make that happen next Wednesday. 

It's a REALLY BIG DUCK getting in the row!

After the signing, I will probably have lunch with Stew in town, then come home.

Actually no.  I will go to the supermarket and grab some food.  We are almost down to nothing in the freezer!  Which is what I want of course, but we still have to eat for the next 5 nights in this house.

The last time I 'cook' in this house will be on Sunday.  After that we will be in a Motel and probably eating out of tins.

Right, I'm off to get me porridge then get some washing out on the line.

ONWARD...

4 pm!!!

OMG what a day.

Got into town and met up with Stew, went to the Lawyer's office.

Because Stew was in their Boardroom last time he was there, they took us in there.  Very swish... gorgeous views.

Anyway I digress... we got the business side of the house's sale and purchase done.  Luckily that process didn't take too long.

After that we went to lunch at a cafe just across the road from the lawyers.

ABOVE:  We did what we often do now, and shared one dish.  Plenty for two that's for sure.

I then said 'Bye' to Stew and did a little grocery grab before coming home.

And that's where my day got a bit annoying.  I had to ring our Insurance company to get a certificate from them for the lawyer.  (legal shit).

First 30+ minutes I talked with a young woman who I really struggled to understand.  Her English was ...  trying to be nice here ... difficult to understand at times.  And she clearly didn't get what I wanted.  I ended up hanging up on her, with me nearly in tears with frustration and annoyance.

I rang back and got a guy who spoke perfect English, and who knew exactly what I wanted.

It still took another FORTY FIVE MINUTES to get everything sorted.  But we got there.

My head is now POUNDING... so I'm going to take some panadol and lie down for an hour!

7.45 pm:  The days are going so fast at the moment.  One minute I'm waking up, the next it's the end of the day!  Seriously... what's with that?   I know I want the days to fly by, but I didn't expect them to!

It's been stinking hot today, so that hasn't helped with the headache at all.  I didn't get to take any panadol till just before dinner either, so it's finally kicking in and helping.

Dinner was Curry Chicken Pasta for Stew, and Brylee and I had tinned Spaghetti.  Kinda a silly bugger dinner as I wasn't feeling 100%.

Another day done and dusted... catch ya tomorrow.

SINGLE DIGITS

*smiles*.... I promise not to do a number countdown every day!
But today?  Yeah.  Cos we are in single digits.

When we signed up to buy our next home, we had 8 weeks till settlement.  It seemed an eternity!

Now... we are nearly there.

So, I'm celebrating single digits. 

First up today I'm off to get me latest blood tests done.  My HbA1c count is bound to be high... cos I've not been good at all.

I'm also having the 6 month follow up blood test, for various things I was put at risk of, when I pricked my finger on a needle in the Rest Home.

I've been hanging out for the follow up test to be honest, all going well I can finally relax about all that and put it in the past.  I should have the results in a few days.

Once I'm home from that, if it's not too hot I will do some housework, washing, and so on.

Then I might read a book.  Cos well... I can.

I will now show you the garland I put together for our new home:

ABOVE:  It is very understated.  And I love it.
The 'candle' is fake, runs with a little battery.  No mess.  

edit:  just remembered we have some little fairy lights on a copper wire, perfect for wrapping around the garland!  It won't need anything else after that addition.   Hmmm... wonder what box THEY are in?

Now... off to get me porridge.  Funny how I am still loving it.

ONWARD...

Felt sick all morning.  Nerves about the blood test no doubt.  I went to the Lab and the nurse was really lovely.  She remembered me from when I went in 6 months ago after the needle stick.  She reassured me that all was bound to be OK.
But ya just never know do ya?

Anyway, as I walked away I said to myself "Another last for here in Cambridge", cos the next time I have blood tests it will be in Hamilton.

I'm feeling quite woozy now, don't know why.  Maybe I didn't sleep well AGAIN.

There's so much going on around our property now!  When we bought here 3.6 years ago it was so QUIET.   Now it's all go with new housing developments starting all around us.

 ABOVE: This is at the beginning of our road, there were once a couple of lovely old houses here.  Now they are long gone and the developers are digging up the land for ?  No doubt heaps of houses.

ABOVE:  Then over the back fence of the neighbours behind us, used to be all farm land.  We had cows as neighbours for 3 years.  Now... it too is being ripped up and sub-divided into hundred of sections/houses/shops and a new school eventually!

And this morning I woke to hear a digger two sections over from us, and it too is being ripped up ready for development.

So, kinda happy we are moving.  We won't have to listen to construction work for the next goodness knows how long, probably years.

So, as it's much cooler today, I've been washing the windowsills, and windows that need it.  Trouble is, I'm feeling sick as a dog.
I'm NOW starting to think it's the Metformin I take for diabetes.  I had stopped taking it for MONTHS, but started again about a week ago.

And I've been feeling sick for about a week... I thought it was the Tramadol, but now?  It's gotta be the Metformin.

Grrrrrr.  I suppose it's just my body getting used to it again, but still.  Just so annoying.  Very bad timing I must say.  

Now I have to ask myself... keep taking it and hope I get over feeling ill... or stop taking it again?  Hmmm.

So anyway, I'm taking a break... I've done about half the house's windowsills.  The rest can be done later on today.

And shoot me now.  I'm looking at that garland on my fireplace mantle ... and I'm already thinking "I WONDER WHERE I CAN PUT A FAKE FIREPLACE IN THE NEW HOUSE?"

Probably nowhere.  Which will please Stew no end.  But... we.  will.  see. ha ha ha

Quiet afternoon.  Did nothing.  Lacy came out and ate food.  Then packed up the wood we have for our brazier.  Then she went home again.

I'm going to Card Night soon.  I am sure it will be fun, it usually is.

Stew will be late home, he's in Rotorua today.

9.50 pm:  A lovely evening playing cards.  I was the loser tonight.  But it's all fun.  I will be still coming over for Card Night once we are in Hamilton, I enjoy it far too much to stop.  *smiles*

Signing off for the day.  Catch ya tomorrow.

ONE WEEK!

This time NEXT MONDAY we will have the moving company here... packing up the furniture/large appliances and outdoor stuff, and getting it ready to load into trucks on the Tuesday.

Today though, I'm going to go around and clean all the windows and windowsills that need it.

That is virtually ALL I can do till the movers have taken everything out of the house. 

I'm not going to move all the furniture myself just so I can vacum under it and wipe the skirting boards, tempting though that is!  It HAS to wait till next week.

So, more twiddling of me thumbs this week really.  Grrrr.

So frustrating when I know once we move I'm going to so, so busy!

I'm not a sit and do nothing sorta person, this inactivity is tiring!  

In fact, I might even go into Hamilton and do some more Christmas Shopping!  I have only bought presents for TWO grandkids so far, and they were easy ones.  Gotta look for boy stuff now.

Now that I've decided we will 'do' Christmas, I'm weirdly excited about it.

It won't be a big family affair though.  Our kids are so estranged from each other,  that makes family gatherings non-existent.

That is really sad for Stew and Me of course, but it is what it is.  We can't make them like each other!

I reckon in years to come we will do what my Mum and Dad did, and bugger off on our own over Christmas.  It will mean we avoid having to juggle visits from the various kids/grandkids, so they don't run into each other!

Hmmm... strayed off track there didn't I?
Oh well.. it's my life.  NOT PERFECT by any means, contrary to some people's opinions.

There is always shit loads of stuff hidden from public view... like an iceberg.

Right, enough blithering... I'm off to start the day.

ONWARD...

2 pm:  I made a spur of the moment decision this morning, and went on an FBG Social Walk.
I wouldn't normally as it's just too hot now, but this morning was really overcast so I decided to go.

Luckily the sun didn't come out till just as we were finishing.  It was just over 4 kms long by the time we walked to a local coffee shop for morning tea.

I just had my diet coke, I don't know how anyone can drink hot shit on summer days!

After that I came home, got changed and went into Hamilton.

So happy, I found exactly what I wanted at the Christmas shop in town... it meant buying separate bits 'n' bobs to make up my garland... but all good.

Their ready made ones were not what I wanted, and quite expensive to boot.

ABOVE:  Sadly, more stuff we will have to put in our cars next week.  I don't want to box it up cos I might not find it again before Christmas.  *smiles*

ABOVE:  The huge Christmas tree is getting erected and decorated in the middle of Hamilton City.  I think they just string lights all over it?  Not sure.

After shopping I decided to see if Lacy wanted to go to lunch.  She did, so off we went to Chartwell Square.

ABOVE:  We shared some chinese, she got to take the left overs home for her dinner.
She must have super sensitive eyes, she was all sooky over my flash.

Oh well... time to fluff around for a little while before NOT doing the windows and window sills.  I'm just not up for it today, it's so bloody hot.

I think that will end up being an evening job, once it's cooled down a bit.  



***  You know... when ya want to scream in frustration... but what's the point?  So over certain situations that keep happening over and over again.  Never believe what people say. Or what they make up to suit themselves.  ***

ABOVE:  Proof I did go walking today.  *smiles*

Dinner tonight was really lovely beef schnitzel, wedges and a lettuce salad with dehydrated onions and sundried tomato croutons sprinkled on top.  Yummo.

Signing off for the day.  Catch ya tomorrow.