LAST DAY OF APRIL

 

Today is brought to you by two sassy cats.

Lacy will get the joke.

Moving on...

It is the LAST day of April!  Tomorrow we are into MOVING MONTH.  It seems to have taken forever to get here. 

The Council did not get here yesterday to fix the water flow problem in our bathroom.  Maybe they will today?  I'm probably going to wait till the end of the week, and if they haven't turned up by then, I'll have to get a plumber to come out.  But before that, I'll ring the Council EVERY DAY to remind them that I'm having to fill my bloody loo cistern with a bucket, or wait an hour for the water to trickle in and fill it. 

Today's plan is to do the vacuuming, tidy up the garage a bit and then sew those coasters that I sure in hell didn't do yesterday.  

I tend to procrastinate sometimes ... who doesn't?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

 

My analytical/sceptical mind has pondered this question for a while now.

What is the difference between an Air Fryer and Fan Forced in your regular oven?

To me they seem to both do the same thing.

I asked Mrs Google:

They both work by circulating hot air with a fan, giving foods a more even, often crispier finish. The main difference comes down to size. Because air fryers are smaller, they heat up to a more intense heat more quickly. If you're cooking for one or two or don't mind cooking in batches, use an air fryer.

And there ya go, the answer?  Virtually NO DIFFERENCE at all.  I thought so.  My double oven's air fryer heats up SUPER QUICK, and can cook lots more, at once,  than an air fryer.

I'm rather glad I didn't succumb and buy an Air Fryer.

Now, on to today.  

I'm going out to buy a couple of large, cheap garden pots to put plants in.  The men yesterday dug out a couple of large succulent plants, and I'm now going to take them with me.

You can't even tell where they were in the garden, so they won't be missed.

After that, I have about a dozen small coasters half made, so I'll finish them off before deciding if I want or need to make anything else.

I don't want to get everything packed up in the sewing room, only to mess it up yet again.

There's now only 3 weeks and 5 days till we move.  Surely I don't need any more stock?

Lacy broke her glasses a couple of weeks ago, so hasn't been wearing them.  Her eyes started to really, really hurt from the strain.

So yesterday she taped the left lens to the broken frame.

ABOVE:  Looking less than gorgeous!  She should have her new glasses in a week or two.  Till then, she will just have to keep taping the lens in place.

8.40 am.  We got up, and the problem with water flow in the ensuite was still there.

So I rang Steve to get the number for his plumber.  Steve said as the City Council caused the problem, my first call should be to them.

I rang the City Council.  Got through straight away, which is a bloody miracle.

The lady told me to run the outside tap for 15 minutes, then an inside tap for 5 minutes, and see if they cleared an obvious blockage.  If not, repeat.  Then ring her back if it doesn't work.

So I turned on the tap out the front of the house, and went around the back to empty the dirt out of the big pot inside the pool fence.

Next thing, the tap stops flowing?  So I go out there to find a very kind person walking past has gone and turned off the tap.  lol

I turn it back on and 'guard' it for the remainder of the time.

I have now done the taps on and off twice.  It has not fixed the problem.  Off to ring the Council again.

9 am.  The Council have 'raised a job' and someone will be out 'sometime' to fix it.  They don't need to come inside apparently.  So I can go out if I want to.

Hmmmm..... I wonder how long that will take?  And if it fixes it?  Cos I don't have an infinite amount of time to get this fixed.  Slightly annoyed.

10.37 am:  I think I just took the final load over to our Storage Unit.  

ABOVE:  yes there are some gaps here and there for smaller things, but we don't have any more smaller things to put in there.  So... it's staying like that now until after we move.

Then the long, slow empty will begin.  Fun.

I am now taking a break, I've been on the go all morning.  The leg isn't feeling too bad either, but best to rest it now.

4.14 pm.  Jobs around the house got done after lunch, but not too many.  Then I decided to go outside for a small walk.  I only walked for about 9 minutes!  But it was something, better than nothing.  It is very hard to walk and consciously try not to limp.  I think I did well.  I walked through the nagging calf pain, which is not as bad as it first was.  I'm determined to get this feeling, if not 100% better by the time we move, then considerably better.

My fitness is SHOT!  Completely gone.  That is upsetting.  But I know once I can walk and swim again, I will regain it fairly quickly.  The physiotherapist who I saw yesterday agreed with me on that score.

I have some washing to fold and put away now, then I can sit and relax again.

Well the washing is done and put away, another good job done.  I cannot understand how two people can generate so much washing!  Seriously, I thought with just Stew and I the washing load would decrease.  NOPE.  Still gotta do several loads a week. 

Talking of Stew, he should be home soon.  I have missed him today.  Can't think why. 😂😊

9.58 pm:  Watching Coronation Street.... it's nothing like the 'good old days' when it was normal, clean, everyday drama.  Now it's kinda disgusting.  I am almost over it to be honest.

They have thrown everything that is sick and disgusting and violent into it now. I think I'll be giving it a miss sooner rather than later.

And on that score, I'm outta here ... catch ya tomorrow.

PHYSIO

 

At the ripe old age of 66, I am going to see a physiotherapist for the first time in my life.

I almost feel like a fraud going.

When I get up in the morning, my leg feels ALMOST all better.  Until about half an hour later, when I've been walking around for a while.  Then the pain kicks in again.

So... probably good that I am going to see a physiotherapist eh?

Hopefully she can give me the correct exercises to get it healing faster.

I am going to have a lovely day.

Physio.  Some Shopping (what fun), then home to rest my leg some more.

Before I forget:

I appreciate all the advice re:  moving into a village setting, making friends slowly and carefully, joining groups and activities with thought and so on.  We have already thought of all this ourselves, but thanks anyway.

It will be a slow and careful transition, and I will be keeping my head down and mouth SHUT for quite a while.  😂😅😊

12.05 pm:  I'm home from my morning's outing.

First up, I managed to track down some glass half domes that I want for mosaics.

Then my phone totally died... I forgot to put it on the charger overnight.

Talk about lost without it.

I tried charging it up at Stew's work while I was in town.  Stew didn't push the cord in enough.... still flat when I left there for physio.

Physio...

ABOVE: He taped me up and has given me exercises to do.  I am supposed to go back next week.

I'll wait and see how I feel about that.  I'm very sceptical about it.

After physio, I went to the supermarket for a few staples.  Now home and about to have my lunch.

And rest the leg.  😖😕😓  I'm so over my damn leg hurting.

I saw this on Facebook just now:

ABOVE:  I usually scroll on by, but today I looked at the scramble of letters to see what three I saw first.

I saw, in this order:

POWER    THROUGH   FAMILY

That's deep.  Made me think a bit.   

And now... I'm off to do something productive.

5.08 pm:   And I had a totally different sort of afternoon today.

At 2 pm there was a pounding on me front door.

So I go answer it, and it's a bloke from the City Council.

He informed me that a random sweep of the street had detected a water leak coming from our property, and they were there to dig up the path and garden until they found it!

If it was on the road side of the boundary, it was THEIR problem to fix.  If it was on MY side of the boundary, it was OUR problem to fix!

I was like... FUCK!  I sure hope it's on your side!  All I could see was massive dollar signs.   AND the potential of having our new driveway dug up.  Right before we have to move.  OMG.

I told them there had been a leak in our driveway, and it had been fixed back in 2021.

ABOVE: So, they proceed to cut a hole in the footpath concrete, and start digging holes in the garden as well... following the pipes back towards the boundary.

ABOVE:  It took them a while, but they finally came to the source of the problem.  An old water meter in the garden (on their side of the boundary thank god), that was leaking beautifully.

ABOVE:  That was the problem piece.  They took it out, replaced the pipes, put in a new water meter and cleaned up the best they could for now.

In the next few days all going well, someone will come and fix the footpath.  For now they have filled the hole with sand and gravel.

I didn't have any biscuits for them, so I gave them handfuls of chocolate bars instead!  They liked that I must say.  

I enjoyed having some nice blokes to yak to for a few hours.  lol

9.27 pm:  Heading off to bed a bit worried this evening.   All the taps in the house are working properly, EXCEPT our ensuite.  Very little water flow at all to the toilet or vanity.  The shower is OK.

So I might have to ring a plumber tomorrow to come and see what's wrong.

Grrrr, don't need this right now, just a few weeks before moving.

THERE IS A LIST

 

I am a 'list' sorta person.  I love being organised, so having a list to check things off is right up my alley.

So, unsurprisingly, I have a list for today.

Mostly mundane stuff... housework and so on.

I also intend getting cuttings from the garden into pots, so we can take them with us when we move.

Mostly succulents that I put in the garden 5 years ago, which were cuttings from the house in Cambridge!  

I tend to take plants (well cuttings from them) from one house to the next, every time we move.

It's kinda fun.

After housework/gardening we will go out and about.

I want to get a clear acrylic sign holder for market.  What I had been using, a wooden frame, kept breaking.  So Stew suggested the clear sign thingee to hold the 'Bowl Cosy' instructions in.

He also wants to find some swimming trunks to wear in the pool at our new home.  We are both determined to swim for exercise at least 3-4 times a week, after Stew gets home from work.

I'm also going to join the Aquacise sessions.  As the pool is heated, I won't quit cos it's too cold, like I did a couple of years ago at Waterworld.

If I ignore the huge 'downsize' in the home itself, there's lots of positives to our move.  I just need to keep reminding myself of that.

3 weeks and 6 days to go.  Not that I'm counting or anything.  😂😉

12.29 pm:   TICK TICK TICK.... every job is done.

Plants to go are all in pots, and they are now under the carport.

We went out and got the acrylic sign holder and Stew bought some swimming trunks.

After that we called in on Steve 'n' Bex to pick up a plank of wood for the market stall.

Home, and I made us a yummy lunch of Gnocchi, meat balls, onions and a tomato pasta sauce.

Now... I'm resting my leg and watching YouTube videos.  Usually I like to watch videos of real crimes/mysteries etc.

Stew watches sport on the telly .... of course!  lol

ABOVE:  Steve was having fun building little forts and what not for his gaming table this morning.  It will be interesting to see how they look once built and painted.

Righty ho.  It's been a lovely quiet afternoon/evening.  Ate too much crap and feel like shit now.  I'll never learn.

Looking forward to tomorrow, off to physio and hopefully find a way to speed up the recovery of my calf muscle.

Catch ya tomorrow.

FIRST TE AWAMUTU MARKET

 

Here we go again.  Trying a new market.

This time in Te Awamutu, which is a small town about 45 minutes drive from our home.

Te Awamutu is not unfamiliar to us.  We moved to Te Awamutu as a new couple (with 4 kids in tow) about 39 years ago.   Steve was born there, and Mike was conceived there, but born in Hamilton.

I really enjoyed living in Te Awamutu, it was a lovely little town.

So now, we are returning to try out their new market.  It's only been going for a few months.

The weather forecast for today is cloudy, with showers in the afternoon, so we SHOULD be OK for a 9-1 market.  Fingers crossed.

We are going with a wet market in mind though, and will set up our stall accordingly.

It worked well last weekend at Tamahere, so why not do it again.  

Alright, I better go and get dressed, grab the day bags and get out of here.

...
8.17 am. We've been set up ready to go for an hour already.  Market doesn't officially start till 9.  It's very overcast and there's been a few spits of rain. 

ABOVE: It's a nice site. Easy to access and set up at. Our car is right behind our gazebo, so very handy.

Karen... I made Stew stand out the front... just for you. 😂🤣😅

ABOVE: There's a very nice selection of stalls here. It's still fairly quiet, but it might pick up closer to lunchtime. Ya just never know from one market day to the next.  

ABOVE: 11.02 am. And... ya can't sell to people WHO ARE NOT HERE. Grrrrr.

ABOVE: Entertainment.  Were there flocks of people following them? Nope.

2.29 pm and we are home from Te Awamutu.  We will not be attending their market next month as it coincides with our moving house.

We will consult with a few other stall holders between then and the June market, to get feedback on how it goes next month in our absence.

If next month is a dud for everyone (like today was) we will be flagging it.  As in, not going again.

We made ONE sale today.  It wasn't a wet market after the first hour of light drizzle.  The sun came out and it was lovely.

But the people?  Were just not there.  It was the quietest market we have ever done.

ABOVE:  I bought this lovely succulent at the market, the first for our new gardens.  It was damn cheap as!

Now... we are awaiting some visitors, and I shall be keeping my leg up for the next few hours.  It's not been too bad today, so obviously resting it as much as possible is helping.  Maybe the heat pad is helping too?  The man at the Ultrasound clinic advised using a heat pad.

ABOVE:  Trying to get a nice photo with these two... and Em is like "Hold on Grandma!  I need to do my hair!".... 

ABOVE:  She's stunning even without 'doing' her hair!

She's such a typical teenage girl... love her to bits.

And Liam?  Such a busy boy.... he's a handful. 💙💙💙

It's now 4.23 pm, visitors have left and Stew is at the supermarket.  So some peace a quiet for a little while.  

10.30 pm:  I had a very late afternoon nap, then sat and watched TV and then YouTube.  Stew did the weekend shopping during my nap.

Now?  Time to head off to bed.  It's been a long day.

Catch ya tomorrow.

COUNTDOWN

 

Today is ANZAC DAY, a public holiday.

So clearly, Stew is home.

He plans on mowing the lawns today.

It might be his second to last mow of the lawns here. 

Once we move, he'll never have to mow lawns ever again!

He is really looking forward to that.

I am going to empty a couple of big pots that are in the pool area, so they can be moved to under the carport, in readiness for moving.

I'm also going to start taking cuttings from my hydrangeas and succulents in the gardens.  They can go in said pots.

After all that is done, the shops will be open and I would like to go and buy a heat pod for my leg.  (it's like a hot water bottle).  I meant to get one yesterday at The Chemist Warehouse, but forgot.

I reckon we will have a nice lunch out, probably at Fergus before coming home.

ABOVE:  Archer and Marley last night.... they are so cute.

Right, I'm off to get the washing on, make the bed, do some gardening, bla bla bla.

11.57:  All the morning jobs are done.   Outside is looking gorgeous.  And I finished the commissioned runner.

It was one that was ALREADY MADE, but had to be made narrower, and longer.

It was a bitch to do.

ABOVE:  If I hadn't altered it's dimensions, the lady would not have bought it.  😑  Thank god it's done.  And that is the last of the Dragonfly panels.

I am going to pack up the sewing room AGAIN in a couple of days, and not go in there again till we move!  I'm done.  I want a break.

Stew is in the shower.  Once he's ready, we will head out for a wander... slow and not too far.  Then lunch.

OH yeah, I did no gardening after all... that runner was doing my head in, and I just had to get it finished.  I hate commissions!   It's stressful.

I will take cuttings from succulents in the garden, but not the hydrangeas.  We decided just now to buy new ones once we have moved.  It's just easier, and the plants will be larger than tiny cuttings.
 

ABOVE: Lunch at Fergus was, for the first time ever, disappointing.

The chicken in the burger was grossly overcooked, and so were the fries.

ABOVE:  I didn't even need to try that chicken to know it was overdone and burnt.   Luckily, they gave me a discount.  Should really have been a refund, but never mind.

I didn't eat the fries either.

Stew ate all of his, but then, he's a bloke and will eat roadkill!   lol

"He just said, yep, that's right!" ... so funny.

We went to the Base after lunch and got our bits 'n' bobs then came home.  The traffic at the Base was diabolical.

Nice to be home, my leg is up on the hot pod.  Feels good.

In a couple of hours we will have to pack the car for market tomorrow.  

7.01 pm:  The car is packed, the day bags are ready, and we are set for tomorrow.

We need to get up around 5.30 am tomorrow as the market is in Te Awamutu, which is about 45 minutes from us.

So that means an early night for us.

Catch ya tomorrow.

APPOINTMENTS

ABOVE:  24th April, 1987.  Steve entered the world weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces.  Red headed, battered and bruised.  I took one look at him and said " Shit he's ugly, give him to his father"!   lol

He did pretty up fairly quickly I'm happy to say.

ABOVE: And here he is now, 38 years old today, and a dad to three of his own.  Have a lovely day Steve, see ya this evening.

NOW....What am I doing today?  

First up:

Making the appointments for my ultrasound and visit to a physiotherapist.  I'm gunna try and see  the same physiotherapist that Stew is going to. 

I also have to get a blood test, and pick up some medications, but that will be this afternoon, as I have Mosaics in Cambridge this morning.

Once I've done all that, I have a runner to make for a customer. 

So, I'll not be idle.  I have already done some work on the runner.  It's another Dragonfly panel, with extensions to make it longer.  'C' is going to put it on the end of her queen size bed.  So it's another fairly long one.  But NOT 3 metres thank god.

I am going to religiously wear my compression stocking today, and see how my calf feels afterwards.  Last time I wore it all day, it made no difference. 

12.23 pm:  And what a good day it is so far.

I've accomplished all I wanted to, so far.

Been to Mosaics:

ABOVE:  I'm tarting up a rock for my new garden.  I painted it first thing this morning, then started work on it at mosaics.

While there I got my ultrasound appointment organised (it's this afternoon), and my physio session (Next Monday).

The only things I've not gotten done yet is my blood test and picking up medications.   I'll do them later on today all going well.

While in Cambridge, 'S' told me our previous house there was on the market.

ABOVE: Apart from the starkness of the front, they have done some lovely improvements to it.  I looked online... I'm really impressed at what they have done. 

Right, I am going to get some lunch, then ?

3.53 pm:

ULTRASOUND:   NOT a DVT.  A muscle tear.  Not a BIG one, so should be on the mend soon?  Seeing the physiotherapist on Monday, so hopefully he/she will help.

If I'd KNOWN I'd have to take me tights off, I'd have worn cuter knickers.  Just saying.

Went to the Base to get my prescription.  The drive home from The Base usually takes 8 minutes, give or take a couple of minutes depending on traffic.

THIS AFTERNOON?   40 minutes!  Talk about gridlock.  

Worst part?  I needed to pee, and thought, yeah, I can hold on till I get home.  Didn't know home was gunna be 40 minutes away did I.  I got home and RAN/HOBBLED to the loo JUST.  IN.  TIME.   What fun.   

Coco nearly got kicked cos she got in me way too.  Never seen her move so fast.  😂😅

Try screaming  "MOVE" to a damn deaf dog.

8.42 pm:  Stew arrived home, and we promptly left for the pub.  I didn't stay with Stew or even join him later at the pub this evening, I just wanted to sit and blob out.  Which I did while chatting with Bex and the kids, and Steve once he arrived home.

I spent a lovely couple of hours with them, then Stew wandered in at around 8 pm, and we came home.

I am now going to blob out some more, watch Coronation Street when it comes on, then go to bed.  

It's been a good day.

Catch ya tomorrow.