Hilary came for dinner on Sunday so we could plan our holiday in South Island in May. I was hoping to meet up with my friend Viji, who is coming to Queenstown in May, but unfortunately Hilary couldn’t get the leave at quite the right time, so we will miss each other. We are flying to Christchurch, & then driving via Lake Tekapo to Queenstown, then to Te Anau so we can go to Milford Sound, where Hilary has never been. Apparently it is beautiful if you manage to see it, the weather is often bad so you can’t! I cooked roast chicken but it took much longer than I expected, Erola hasn’t got a fan oven & I forget how much that quickens things up, must make sure to specify one!
Had my hair cut in Raumati Beach on Monday, at a hairdresser recommended by Erola, cost $48 for a cut & blow dry, so that at least is much cheaper than UK. Also, you don’t tip over here, not even in restaurants, so that makes it cheaper too. I am going to have it coloured once we’re back from the holiday, last time it cost $85 so I suppose it will be similar. Worth doing when I’m here!
Erola pulled a muscle in her back on Tuesday, & came home from work early. Unfortunately she had a benign tumour in her back a couple of years ago which meant she had to have spinal surgery and of course is worried now if she does anything connected with her back. However, she has just had a follow-up MRI scan and there were no problems, so I think she is really OK.
Had my hair cut in Raumati Beach on Monday, at a hairdresser recommended by Erola, cost $48 for a cut & blow dry, so that at least is much cheaper than UK. Also, you don’t tip over here, not even in restaurants, so that makes it cheaper too. I am going to have it coloured once we’re back from the holiday, last time it cost $85 so I suppose it will be similar. Worth doing when I’m here!
Erola pulled a muscle in her back on Tuesday, & came home from work early. Unfortunately she had a benign tumour in her back a couple of years ago which meant she had to have spinal surgery and of course is worried now if she does anything connected with her back. However, she has just had a follow-up MRI scan and there were no problems, so I think she is really OK.
I had to go to Porirua Wed, which is almost as far as Tawa, where Hilary lives, so I went there for the evening, because I wanted to look at lighting and at storage areas. I have decided to store the car, filled with all my other bits & pieces, so I have to find somewhere suitable. There is lots of self-storage around, but they don’t all have facilities for cars inside, which is what I want.
Finally heard from Wayne, the builder, who is now saying that I can’t really put off the build until November, it will have to be Sept/Oct start if I want to avoid any price rise. It is ironic that house prices are falling, at the same time as building costs are increasing. I think October will probably be OK, but I really do need to know the timeline. I have no idea how long the period is between laying foundation & the point at which I have to make final decisions re lighting, position of electrical sockets etc. That is when I really need to be back.
On Saturday it was of course the coldest & wettest day of the year so far, when we had to store the cord of wood which was delivered at 9.30. It was hailing when I went to collect my nephew Adam from the station, definitely not a good day to be doing such a task. Erola was fortunately well enough to stand in the storage area underneath the house & do the stacking, while Adam & I carried the wood from in front of the garage, through it, & then out the back of it & below. We got soaked & cold & I’m now aching all over, remind me not to do this again!
There was a spectacular sunset in the evening, there often are here, but they disappear so fast it is hard to run down to the beach & get a photo in time, but see above.
Finally heard from Wayne, the builder, who is now saying that I can’t really put off the build until November, it will have to be Sept/Oct start if I want to avoid any price rise. It is ironic that house prices are falling, at the same time as building costs are increasing. I think October will probably be OK, but I really do need to know the timeline. I have no idea how long the period is between laying foundation & the point at which I have to make final decisions re lighting, position of electrical sockets etc. That is when I really need to be back.
On Saturday it was of course the coldest & wettest day of the year so far, when we had to store the cord of wood which was delivered at 9.30. It was hailing when I went to collect my nephew Adam from the station, definitely not a good day to be doing such a task. Erola was fortunately well enough to stand in the storage area underneath the house & do the stacking, while Adam & I carried the wood from in front of the garage, through it, & then out the back of it & below. We got soaked & cold & I’m now aching all over, remind me not to do this again!
There was a spectacular sunset in the evening, there often are here, but they disappear so fast it is hard to run down to the beach & get a photo in time, but see above.
We went to a local amateur theatre production of Roger Hall’s ‘Middle-Age Spread’ which wasn’t very good, unfortunately the 2 lead players were very wooden. It was a different kind of theatre trip for me, in that the audience sat at tables and you could bring your own drinks, not uncommon here apparently and a nice way to do things.
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