As Mad As A Hatter

Unfortunately this blog starts on a sad note.  Grandad Bartlett's sister, Aunty Nancy, passed away on Sunday 21st June.  Paula and Kazio went down to Invercargill for the funeral and Gavin managed to get across from Queenstown for it also.  Paula said it was a good turn out and got to catch up with the cousins aswell.  They also got over to Queenstown the following day and looked after Annabelle while Gavin was in a meeting and Catkin was at work.  Nice quality time with the wee Princess!

I finally got out into the vege garden a few weeks back and tidied it all up for Winter.  I got all the weeds out and then covered it in compost. It was a bigger job than I had anticipated but was very pleased with my efforts. As I was digging around in the compost bin three little mice ran out and along the fence.  Cute!  Not sure where they took cover until they could return and start rebuilding their houses in the compost.  

Lynnie and Courtney had a garage sale a few weeks back so I offered to help them and thought it might be a good chance to try and sell some baby Aloe Veras too.  I sold two and made $5 BUT I spent $10 buying their old bread maker!  Ha!  I have yet to try it out on yummy bready goodness but was very happy with my purchase.

They did really well and got rid of most of the big stuff they were selling.  They were planning on having another one the following weekend out at Lynnie's mums house in Kaiapoi.

Last week we had THE most dramatic game of netball ever.  One of the guys on the opposing team was gobbing off at the ref when she penalised him for something he had done.  He wouldn't let it go and kept swearing at the ref so she sent him off.  He sat on the sideline and was still swearing at her so she stopped the game and went upstairs to get one of the guys to escort him out.  While she was upstairs the rest of the team walked off the court.  AND we were winning!  Very bad sportsmanship from the whole team!  Anyway, we won by default and some people from the sideline made up a team so we could continue our game.  We won even though the score doesn't count.  

The team that walked off were at the top of the points ladder but no longer play at Howzat so now we are at the top!!  Yipppeee! 

A couple of weeks ago Russell played for us and brought along his new girlfriend, Melissa Archer.  She seemed really nice and reminded me of a blonde Kathryn Bartlett.

Last Saturday I drove up to Picton to see my exclusive man-friend Lance.  I was planning to drive back on Sunday but when Sunday rolled around I just couldn't be bothered so we decided that I should stay another night and, seeing it is SOOO quiet at work at the moment, I rang my boss at midday to see if I could take an annual leave day on Monday. At 12:02pm I rang Claire to tell her I would be home on Monday.  At 12:05pm I had my first vodka & redbull.  Much better than driving home and having to go to work the next day!!  It was very stormy up in Picton so we stayed in and watched movies in the warmth.  Nice.

On Thursday at work we had a Mad Hatters Tea Party.  We occasionally have theme days - just our department - and this week it was decided that we would have a hat day. Everyone brought a plate for a shared morning tea and a hat.  My boss Julian had a ridiculously oversized cowboy hat which made me laugh loudly every time I looked at him.  Hilarious.  I made and took along some chocolate caramel slice which wasn't as good as usual due to the fact that I had iced it while it was hot (like I usually do) but the butter in the icing melted and kind of settled on top looking a little dodgy. Anyway, everyone was very kind and said it was yummy.  Even Barb in the cafe at work had a piece ... and then another... and then asked for the recipe.  And she's a pro!  So that's saying something.

I was invited to join cousin Patrice, Vawn, and kids for dinner on Thursday night.  They had flown to Christchurch in the afternoon and were at a motel by the airport for the night before heading off to Cairns for a 12 day holiday. Unfortunately Claire couldn't make it as she had an assignment due the following day and was around at her boss's house getting it checked.  We went down to Robbie's at Church Corner for an early dinner and catch up.  It was really nice to see them again.  AND I managed to finally win at a game of Hang Man with Dylan and Krystle.  FINALLY!  I was very happy - maybe a little too happy.  Even though they are only young they are VERY good at the game.

After dinner I went off to netball.  We won our game 14-8.  Our WA Ashley Hampton brought her whole family along for support so we had our own cheerleaders!  It was a good game considering all our defense (Karati, Sandra, Kyra) are out at the moment so we've had to find subs for the past few weeks.

This morning we got our chimney swept.  So what, you might say.  It is a big deal to us as we were getting clouds of smoke billowing out every time we opened the door.  Even setting the smoke alarm off in the hallway!  At least we know the alarm works.  Which is a good thing.  

I had thought of a cheap way of cleaning the chimney by tying a rope around one of the cats and lowering them down the chimney.  Somehow I don't think Min would see the funny side!

The chimney sweeper guy said there was the gap only about the size of an egg at the top for the smoke to pass through...  The rest was caked in soot.  Anyway, now it's all done and safe again.  

Bring on the snow!

The past few weeks have been pretty busy. The weather has been cold and a little bit miserable although this week there have been some sunny days which have allowed washing to be dried on the line... outside. You know how exciting that is at this time of year!

Claire has been busy doing her assignments which seem to be going well so far. The first assignment came back with a pass WITH merit which was very exciting. She just posted off her second assignment yesterday and we have our fingers crossed for a pass with DISTINCTION. Ooh err.

Mark ran the Christchurch Marathon on the Sunday of Queens Birthday weekend. His time was 3 hours 37 minutes which was a little more than he had hoped for but still an amazing effort none the less. He said he was at the start line when it started sleeting and hailing and briefly wondered what on earth he was doing. Claire was his number one supporter meeting him at each checkpoint with water and words of encouragement.

Paula and I went to Queenstown this weekend just past. It was the first time that Great Aunty Paula (GAP for short) had met Annabelle AND the first time in about 20 years that she had been to Qtown. We left Chch on Saturday with our standard boot load of vegetables and got to Hensman Road just after 4.30pm. It was a great trip down - I had grabbed a few of the 'Ave's Beats' CD's to listen to on the drive but we didn't need them as we chatted for the first 5 hours of the drive. I learnt some family history I didn't already know.

Annabelle was as cute as ever and had lots of big smiles for us. Although everytime I tried to take a photo she would stop smiling and then start up again as soon as the photo was taken! I did manage to get a couple of good ones though. Bless her.

Gavin and Catkin are well and happy and healthy. It was a great weekend.

Paula and I both had Monday off so we left the Southern Bartlett's house on Monday morning for our journey back to Chch. The weather was perfect - sunny but crisp. There was a sprinkling of snow over The Remarkables which looked spectacular as the sun was setting.

Last week David Bain was found NOT GUILTY of murdering his family. A verdict met with mixed emotions by the public. This week some new evidence has come to light which was not allowed during the trial. It was the 111 call made by David when he found his family dead. Some 'experts' believe he is saying 'I shot the prick' amongst laboured breathing. It was on the news last night and when Hilary Barry suggested that he actually says 'I'm out of breath' it sounded more like that to me. I think it would sound like a lot of different things if you are told what to listen for before listening to it. Anyway, Joe Caram is still his biggest supporter and tends to answer all questions directed at David. Kind of like an agent.

I was so fed up with Woman's Day last week that I wrote a letter to the Editor. I turn a blind eye to their spelling, gramatical, and factual errors but when they published a full page and a half Nivea ad of the winner of NZ's Next Top Model BEFORE the final show had aired I was LIVID!

I also mentioned that they should change their cover 'stars' occasionally as they tend to rotate between 'Brangelina', 'TomKat', Jennifer Anniston, and Posh. Every week it's one of those on the cover. Boring. I may have also had a dig at the Editor's letter the week earlier about having to have a cold shower due to running out of gas. She rang her gas company and was told there was a 4 day delay due to their work load. The way she wrote it sounded to me like she expected everyone to drop tools and cater to her needs because the world revolves around her. I got a little volcano in my tummy! Pretty certain I will switch to Woman's Weekly now for my gossip/crossword fix.

We won our netball again last night. Whoop whoop! We played against a team we hadn't played before. Final score was 25-19. Claire and I have decided that Richard Hampton is our lucky charm as both games he has brought Ashley to have been successful. We're currently trying to persuade him to come to EVERY game but he's not having any of it. I'm sure I'll find something to bribe him with. He likes carrot cake muffins and I make a mean carrot cake WITH cream cheese icing. Mmmmm..

This weekend will be pretty quiet. Claire has a workshop for her registering teachers at ours tomorrow morning so I thought it would be a good time to book in for a wax. Ouch. Might go and check out the new mezzanine floor at Riccarton Mall afterwards (if I can walk). The weather forecast is for cold Southerlies and sleet which is a shame as I was planning to get into the vege garden and clean it all up and put compost over it so it would be all ready for planting in Spring.

Still waiting for a decent snow fall so I can legitimately take a 'Snow Day' off work. Come On!!

Min and Toby say 'Feed me Meow, hiss nip'

Prrrrr.....

Last nights netball we played against 'Pring It'. They prought it. It was prung. We lost 10-23.
That's all I have to say about that.

Nameless makes a name

Good news!  We won our netball game tonight.  It was a good game and everyone played really well.  Lots of intercepts. Final score was 17-14.

This weeks team was made up of the following players:

Karati 'I Believe I Can Fly' Metcalfe (GD)

Sandra 'Broken Fingers' Metcalfe (WD)

Claire 'The Interceptor' Bartlett (C)

Kyra 'Can't Touch This' Guckert (GK)

Ashley 'Black Eye' Hampton (WA)

Alicia 'Gimme That Ball' Duggan (GA)

Danielle 'Old Yella' Bartlett (GS)

Next week will be tough as we are playing the team at the top of the ladder.  Fingers crossed.

Celebrate Good Time, Come On!!

Well, it feels like a lot of time has passed since I last updated this blog. I turned another year older a few weeks ago and had a fantastic birthday week! I arrived at work on the 21st to find my desk surrounded by balloons and a 'Birthday Girl' sign. My colleagues and I had a shared morning tea and then Claire and Mark cooked me dinner. It really was a great day.

Along with all that we also had our dear friend Renee McInnes home for 3 weeks from the UK to surprise everyone (except me and her Mum who were in on it).

A group of us went to the Lone Star for dinner on Friday night. Lance came too so got to meet some of the family. I think Kathryn & Moos just got eyes for Christmas as they seemed to be staring at us ALL night. Take a photo... actually I think they did.

Kathryn and Moos came down for one night only on the 24th before heading to Queenstown the following day to FINALLY meet Annabelle. They have added photos on Facebook and Annabelle looks more grown up than last time I saw her which was 2 weeks previous. They grow up so fast, don't they!! Still a little button though and I still want to eat her up!

Claire has taken a weeks holiday from work this week. She has had her head down/bum up doing an assignment for the papers she is doing to gain her Degree. Very busy indeed but seems to be all on track.

We lost 2 netball players from our team a few weeks back. Not really sad days to be honest. The male of the two had a terrible attitude on court and gave one of his own team mates a black eye - apparently accidently - and argued with the ref a LOT. The female is his wife so, as sad as it was to see her go, she was being loyal to her husband. We have found replacements and have been enjoying fun games again without the embarrasment of a gobby, shoulder barging player.

We finally got the outside windows painted and finished to match the lovely newly painted house. We employed Mac & Co (Eion McInnes and his brother-in-law Kev) to do the work for us. It basically took them 3 days but there were a few wet days in between which meant they couldn't work so they finished it off this week. They even gave the garage doors a fresh coat of dark green paint and they look GOOD! It should hold them together for another year or so.

I finally finished my stone carving on Monday night. Phew!! I'm very pleased with the finished product and now have to find a sunny spot in the garden for it..... and keep the area weeded so I can see it!

The MOST exciting thing is that Lynnie and I walked up the hill on Sunday - all the way to the Sign Of The Takahe and back. Phew!! An hour and a half round trip but it was well worth it. I was so proud of us both. I can now check that off my list of '50 things to do before I'm 50'.

Annabelle's Christening - The Musical

Easter weekend, this year, was spent in Queenstown. Claire and I started our road trip on Friday morning with a boot load of vegetables, and got to Qtown around 4.30pm. It was a lot cooler there than it had been in Christchurch! It had been snowing around the MacKenzie Country a few days previously and we found snow down to ground level at Lake Tekapo. Very pretty.

Mum and Dad weren't due to arrive until the next day at lunch time so Aunty Claire and Aunty D got maximum cuddle time with Annabelle until having to hand her over to her adoring grandparents.

Saturday night was Annabelle's Christening which was incorporated into the Saturday night Easter service at church. Being Easter, there was a LOT of singing - but the Priest at this particular church obviously LOVES to sing so sang pretty much the whole service. He even asked the congregation if they minded him singing - by singing it. It was nice though.

Annabelle was extremely well behaved throughout the service - except for doing a nice loud burp at one point (better out than in, though, right?) and didn't make a sound while being annointed.

The service was at 8pm so we had a beautiful meal cooked by Catkin beforehand and then went back for dessert afterwards.

Gavin's friend Graeme and Catkin's friend Amy are Godfather and Godmother. Unfortunately Amy couldn't come over from the UK so I stood in for her... as a stunt double.

Sunday was full of Easter eggs, eating, and people visiting. It was a beautiful day. Claire and I managed to roll ourselves out of the house in the afternoon to go for a walk ... just a small one. We made it up to a reservoir and sat and admired the view. Queenstown is just so beautiful!

On Monday morning Claire and I said our goodbyes and got some last cuddles before setting off back to Christchurch. We stopped at Twizel (the town of trees) and had lunch which was really yummy. There weren't too many mad people on the road either which was good. We made it home just after 4pm.

Mark, bless him, came over and cooked us dinner which was just lovely.

NETBALL UPDATE:

Last week our team was short as Sandra had to work late. As it turned out our opposition never turned up so we won by default. BUT we did manage to get a game with some of the cricketers. It was a good game - our team won 32-25 but unfortunately the score doesn't count. Good that we at least got a game though.

Mum arrives in Christchurch tomorrow afternoon and will be with us until Sunday so Claire and I are planning an action packed weekend for her. She will be able to come and watch us at netball (if she wants to) and be a cheerleader tomorrow night.

Time For A Hoolie!

Last weekend I flew up to Wellington for the wedding of PJ Solomon who I met whilst living abroad in Edinburgh. There were others there who had also lived in the 'burgh so it was a great reunion! Swayze and I flew into Wellington within half an hour of each other which worked out perfectly.

We caught a shuttle to the motel in Plimmerton where we were staying (Note to Shuttle driver: Find 5th gear, and use it!) And were enjoying our first wine just after 5pm. Brilliant!

Jeremy and Kelvin arrived separately not long after and a few more wines were had before we headed down to the marae to meet up with the others. The Solomon family had prepared a boil up which was YUMMY and we got to meet the bride for the first time. Helen is from Estonia and just 16 weeks ago had a wee boy with PJ.

Saturday was the big day and it was beautiful weather. Helen looked absolutely stunning and PJ scrubbed up well too! The wedding was held on a marae and all the friends were welcomed on and got to sit up the front - perfect viewing position. After the short ceremony there was plenty of time for photos before heading up the hill to the reception. Again, we were invited to go in first and got front row seats!! The hungi was yummy.

Speeches were good and even the Bride got up and said a few words before all the guys got up and did a haka for her - even PJ's Dad had PJ's son, Rasmuss, in his arms while he participated. It was very cool and quite emotional.

It was a great night. Lots of catching up with fellow Flat 6ers and others who had not quite been lucky enough to live there but had been there and/or heard the tales.

Swayze and I headed out to the airport on Sunday morning after an exhausting but thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

Another exciting win for us last Thursday at netball. Two for two. We better not get too cocky as we are playing the top team this Thursday. Eeek! We are third on the results ladder.

I had a weekend at home this weekend just gone. The first one in what seems like ages. I felt very productive and got lots done - including clearing the vege garden of weeds. It now resembles a garden again instead of a jungle.

Claire was feeling poorly during the weekend which wasn't good so I made her stewed apples. She is still not feeling 100% so hopefully will feel better soon. Not nice to be sick - ESPECIALLY on the weekend!

I went to Lynnie & Courtney's for dinner on Saturday night which was great. Courtney had a new 'Mike' story that went something like this: (I apologise if I get it slightly wrong)

Whilst checking in a passenger Mike looked over to Courtney and with one hand made a gesture that Courtney took as being scissors, and pretended to hold something up with the other hand. Now, any NORMAL person (Courtney) would think that perhaps he wanted a pair of scissors to cut whatever it was he was pretending to hold up, no? But NOOOOO, apparently from his silly gesture Courtney was supposed to work out that he was wanting to know where the security items are kept. What the??? The 'scissors' = 'sharp and pointy items' = 'security items'. Right.

No one can work out what he was doing with the other hand. He's a diddle.

Toby and Min say 'hi' too.