fast forward

OK. I admit it. Things haven't exactly been stream of consciousness around here lately. It's time to fast forward you through the last few weeks, and let you know what's been happening in our lives...

Had a fabulous birthday on the 10th. We've nearly always gone away for our anniversary (excepting last year, when Bronwyn had viral meningitis) and so we combined my birthday with an anniversary weekend away. We returned to Peka Peka, a beachside location we'd visited in transit on our honeymoon. It was nice to return. We then spent the Sunday, my actual birthday, travelling out to the nearby Kapiti Island.

The island, seen across the water in this photo taken from in front of our accommodation, is a conservation reserve. Over the last 80 years they have gradually cleared the island of all predators, starting with deer and possums and working their way down to stoats, weasels and now rats. As a result, native bird life is flourishing. They even have around a dozen Takehe. We'd seen these once before on Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf, near Auckland. I'd recalled them as bowling balls on legs. Having seen these remarkable birds again, I can now modify my description to being purple and green bowling balls on legs. With beaks. :) This species was believed for some time to have become extinct, untilin 1948 in the depths of Fiordland they were re-discovered. The species no longer exists on the mainland, regretably, but around 150 birds continue to survive in protected offshore islands like this one, and Takehe numbers are growing. It's great.

Requests from two London correpondents lead me to publish this “bump” photo. Bronwyn refused to be barefoot for the shot, but I did manage to catch her pregnant and in the kitchen! But in my defence, I both cooked tea and washed the dishes tonight... Anyway, the pregnancy is proceeding well. We've completed three of seven antenatal classes, which we're taking down in Karori to get to know people closer to where we'll soon be living. Just as we'd decided that might be a good idea, the classes we'd booked on the coast were cancelled, so it's worked out well. Nice group, and an amusing childbirth educator. Due to various circumstances, we saw not just the one at the class but a total of three (strangers') birth videos last week. Ahh, memories of Leath Powell about to faint in 3rd or 4th form health ed!

House settlement date some time in August, all going well. We've paid a deposit, and there is little we can do now other than goad the developer and council to organise a Code of Compliance certificate for the place... Hopefully we'll get some certainty soon.

Bronwyn's had the last two weeks off work on school holidays, and we've had both her sisters and her parents to stay at various times. Apparently determined not to enjoy myself too much, however, I had two wisdom teeth extracted last Saturday. This was for cavity-related, rather than space, reasons. (Anyone who knows me would I think agree there is no shortage of space in my mouth.) Developing a "dry socket" brought its own brand of excitement, but nonetheless it was a good time having family to stay. Bronwyn's parents did an impressive job with various improvements to their property that we're living in here, with an eye to having to find further tennants again soon of course.

Meanwhile, Bronwyn returns to work on Wednesday after a course Monday-Tuesday. She's got four weeks of work left but would rather make that one week! I, meanwhile, am busy busy but enjoying what I'm doing. I'm in the right place.

Well, after a drought, that's a flood. Enough for now, and no promises of when it'll happen again. But it's only ten weeks till the baby's due, so it won't be long before instead of just a bump, the photos will be of Bubba Babbage! Cool.

strike one!

Went on strike yesterday, for the first time. Picket line and all, though that part was only planned to be for about 45 minutes. But today, back at work, the union requested that all union members, each one individually, email the Vice Chancellor with our thoughts about her last pay offer... So I did:

Fight the good fight, comrades!

explosions in london

Deeply concerned having just heard news of multiple explosions in London. What a despicable act.

We've tried to make some phone calls, but it is difficult to get through, let alone to get hold of people. To all our friends in London, please email us or leave a comment here to let us know that you are all right, and with any news about people we know.

Feeling a long way from you all... We will be praying for you all tonight.

now!

9:09pm. Now she notices... Two days, 2 hours, 37 minutes since she first saw me after I shaved off my beard. And now she notices.

And guess what made her realise? She happened to read this blog.

Obviously “pregnant brain” addles the mind even more than last year's viral meningitis!  : )

eighth anniversary

Today is our eighth wedding anniversary. We also went unconditional this afternoon on our house purchase... a great step to mark this special day. We'll be going away this weekend to celebrate that, and my birthday, and as one of our last chances to go away while the baby is still inside and thus containable! Tonight though Brownyn drove down to Wellington to be greated with flowers but only takeaways, not a candlelit dinner, as we had our first antenatal class to head to. With progress being made on the house, we'd decided last weekend we should cancel our booking for classes on the Kapiti Coast, and try to attend down in Wellington where we'd meet some other couples we'd be living near to. We arrived home to an answerphone where in a preemtive strike the local Parent's Centre had cancelled the whole course on us! Gave us a great additional reason to give to the Wellington North Parents' Centre people, who squeezed us into the local Karori course even though it was already full. We had the first of those down in Karori tonight. Seem like a nice group—twelve couples.

Finally, just to note it has been four hours so far in the annual tradition. And once again, Bronwyn hasn't noticed yet! I'll keep you posted...