Hiya!

Have just spent a very busy weekend doing stuff and am justifiably kn#^%$&%*^ered today!

Saturday was spent at Uni meeting up with two lovely lecturers again and my new classmates (all 6 of them - no hiding at the back of class for me then!). It was great to be back in the classroom on the other side of the desk - so to speak!

Sunday was spent in the HOT sun bowling - phew. I was playing in a singles tournament (which I have never done before) and I was slaughtered in match one, and beaten in match two (not too badly though - so am proud of myself).

Therefore, I spent this afternoon asleep and recovering - phew.

Will be off to next uni class on Weds evening (different paper) which also promises to be very interesting with a lecturer I have heard speak before, but not been taught by. He seems to be very enthusiastic about his area of interest and I am looking forward to his lectures.

This morning was spent on the usual mundane household chores such as hanging out two loads of washing in the boiling hot sunshine, studying, falling asleep listening to cicadas chirruping (or whatever noise they make) and waking up to thunder and torrential downpours in the late afternoon. Sigh. Washing is still hanging rather limply on the whirly line.

Plums are delicious at the moment and I have made lots of jam to celebrate! (Not today though).

Tata!

Uni!

Started Uni today.

It wasFAB!

Why is it?....

Hellooooo!

Have been to opticians for check up - nothing unusual in that really I hear you say - and you would be absolutely right! But - why is it that whenever they ask you to read out loud letters on a chart with one eye covered, do they then ask you to read from the EXACTLY THE SAME CHART AGAIN with the other eye covered. I mean - I know what the letters are from last time! I know I'm supposed to say if I can't see them or not - but I KNOW what they say! Is it me?!?!?

Anyway, the optometrist is a very nice man and gave a very good check up etc. Got the giggles at one point when he asked me if I could read the chart and I replied "yes" - only to be met with a long silence, with him finally (very politely) asking, "can you read it out loud please?" Funny!

The weather here has been very up and down - warm nee hot, yet with lots of sudden downpours, thunder and lightning etc. We even had some very spectacular water spouts in the harbour! Here you go - have a butchers at these photos taken on 15/02/12:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/photogallery-auckland-waterspout-4725252

This weekend has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL weatherwise and we spent this afternoon chilling out on our local beach - Eastern Beach. Gosh we are sooooo lucky!

Well - on that note - I've gotta go! Need to hang the washing out for tomorrow - back to work - PLOP!

x Sue

HOT!

This week I have been mostly HOT!

I have been very lucky having 2 x 4 day weeks and am currently dreading going back to a 5 day week (tomorrow)! Poo!

Anyhoo, have been out and about a little this Saturday and took some photos for you to peruse.

As the weather was predicted (wrongly) to be unsettled yesterday (Saturday), we decided to go out for a yummy brunch and to then just drive where we felt like. We proceeded to do this, only to be met by glorious weather the whole day and feeling hard done by that we hadn't taken our togs (swim wear to the non Kiwis) with us. Never mind, we told ourselves, there's always tomorrow for a swum- you guessed it - the weather is PANTS today! Not cold - just very humid and rainy and cloudy - PLOPS!

Still - we did have a nice (albeit hot) runabout yesterday and here are some piccies for you.

This is the very nice cafe we went to for brunch (which happens to be very close to uni - therefore handy for yummy lunches etc in a few weeks time).

After lunch, we drove to the top of this extinct volcano (Mount Eden) for some partaking fabulous Auckland views:

Here is the crater - where you are not allowed to mountain bike! Gosh - such a shame I forgot mine.....

Sky Tower and Harbour Bridge etc:

Rangitoto Island (in the distance) - which is actually a dormant volcano - sleeping giant!

University in the foreground and One Tree Hill in the distance (the bit with the memorial on).

Can you see two other volcanic hills?

Moi!

Kev.

After this lovely viewing, we drove to Devonport and met up with one of my favourite trees:

Kev and I took a leisurely stroll along the sea front, making our way to the local beach:

Can you see me having a paddle? Lol!

That's the giant of Rangitoto in the distance!

The city in front of us on the walk back:

What a lovely day - shame we missed out on a delicious swim - but fab nonetheless!

And to finish off - here is a huge tomato from my veggie plot - of which I am VERY PROUD!

Here he is with some friends:

Sorry they're a bit blurred!

Well - gotta go and cook something for tea - tata fer noo and see yas all soon. LATERS!!!!

X SUE

Another long one!

Ahem.... Long weekend I mean!

Kev and myself fell asleep after the alarm rang this morning only to be awoken an hour later (7am) by son gently tapping on the door to check all was well. Frantic showers and rushing around ensued leading to an impressive exit from the house (toast in hand) by moi at 7.30! Not bad eh? Needless to say son and hubby had already gone - but I still think it was a personal best for me....

This evening Kev fell asleep on the settee which led to son pondering the question of how he could spray paint a clown's face Zorro style (ie very quickly so as not to be noticed by said sleeping personage) on Kev's belly. Various ideas were suggested and the winner was that of using a stencil - oh, and the clown had to have curly hair and a bright red nose in the navel area. This led to much muffled giggling especially at the thought of its potential beach unveiling. Our laughing woke Kev up so alas and alack son's thoughts were hastily abandoned.

Such is life in our household.

X Sue

Sticky!

Playing with the I pad and watching Telly at 9.45 pm and it is still 20 degrees outside - lovely! Have looked at the night sky with app and now know where Jupiter is! Coooooool!