Find A Twenty, Pick It Up.........

Because it took me SO long to get time to write the last update (rubarb & cabbages – I can hear the mumbling) I have to update again with all the other NON-wedding related happenings of late.Get comfy and make yourself a nice cup of tea. Here goes…..

Mr & Mrs Metcalfe have started house hunting. Their lease at Rochester St runs until October so they have plenty of time to find the perfect place for them. They have a small checklist of important things they would like in their new house (bath, fireplace, granny flat or studio a plus!) so have been open-homing lots lately. Houses seem to be selling quickly at the moment in Christchurch - which surprised me after the last few years we’ve had – which unfortunately seems to be driving the prices up a little. Not so great for the buyer.
A few weeks ago we all (Averil, Eru, Claire, Scott, and me) went to an open home along Seddon St at number 7 – just two doors down from me. Now, that would have been perfect! It didn’t quite have everything they wanted though.

My very first new recruit with Intimo launched her business on May 9th. I felt like a nervous mother waiting up for the text to let me know how it all went. Jane has been doing well and is enjoying her new venture. It’s been a learning curve for us both.Sponsoring someone else has given much more confidence in my own business – maybe I DO know what I’m talking about? And it has made me revisit the basics again which has helped me remember why I started doing this in the first place. It’s so nice to see others succeed when you knew they could do it.

One of my 50 Things To Do Before I Reach 50 was to sponsor a child. I decided when recruiting became a reality that for every recruit I sponsor I am also going to sponsor a child. Last week I jumped online and am now the proud sponsor of Elizabeth Nyamanzunzo from Luangwa Area – Chikonwelelo in Zambia. Elizabeth is 11 years old and, due to lack of skills, her parents are peasant farmers and only make around $300 per year which isn’t enough to support their family. Thanks to Jane and Intimo, Elizabeth will have a brighter future. It feels really rewarding to be able to help someone in need.

Last week I took Monday off work to support Averil at the Motor Vehicle Tribunal Hearing she had with Nigel Thompson from Nigel Thompson Motors Ltd. For those who don’t know, a quick rundown may be required. Basically, Averil and Eru bought a car last year from Nigel Thompson Motors Ltd. As well as being a car salesman, Nigel Thompson is a little Portuguese knife (refer back to ‘Lessons Learnt In Portugal’ blog entry July 2010 if you are not sure what this means). The car, a Peugeot, never really worked properly since the day they bought it and they went back and forth trying to get it fixed and having a less than welcoming response from NigeThe Knife. Long story short, he was a rude knife so, after Averil had been MORE than patient she decided to try the Motor Vehicle Tribunal to get some sort of resolution. Unfortunately, after submitting both arguments, the case has been dismissed BUT the fact that Nigel Thompson had to go to the Motor Vehicle Tribunal is a little win in itself. So now, the car needs to be fixed and sold on. After the hearing Averil got a very nice email (a complete turn around!) from Nigel offering an olive branch and help to sell the car if that is what Averil wants. So something good may have come out of it after all. I’m just glad it’s over now as it was a very stressful time for both Averil and Eru.

I finally got rid of Young Male Flatmate too. Thank GOODNESS. After I came back from Claire & Scott’s wedding YMF was up in Auckland training for his new job. Originally he had been going up there for a month of training and had decided to move out before going, but then it turned out that the training was only for one week so, being the nice person that I am, told him to worry about moving when he got back from Auckland to save any stress he might endure. Ha – won’t be doing THAT again. When he got back from Auckland he resumed position on the couch and made no attempt to start looking for somewhere else to live – thinking he had right up until May 21st before he had to move out. He was rude to my visitors, had attitude when I asked him to do anything (twice I asked him to clear up HIS 3 day old mess) and I was generally not liking living with him. I was spending a LOT of time around at Roxy Inn or Rochester Street just to keep away. Averil and Claire talked me into having a talk with him so, after being coached by them all morning one Saturday, I went home to confront the beast…. Except he wasn’t home. Shock horror! He had actually got OFF the couch….. but he’d left the tv on which was another annoying habit of his.When he came back I asked him if he had started looking for somewhere else to live. He said he hadn’t. I said it was probably best if he found someone asap. He said ok. Easy. The next day he told me he had found a place and was moving the next weekend!! I held off on my happy dance, knowing that these things can sometimes be performed prematurely. When he brought up the subject of paying the difference in rent I said that if he was out on the Saturday he wouldn’t owe me any extra. Well, he moved out at 11pm on the Saturday night!! Really? Who does that??
I am loving going home now to my own little place. All mess is MY mess and I am in full control of the remote…. Unless Claire and Scott come over, then Scott gets the remote while Claire and I chatter. Fair exchange.

Oh yeah, I had a birthday too. I turned 38. If I whisper it it doesn’t seem so old! Averil organised a surprise day of fun for me – bless her! We started with pedicures with 4 other friends meeting us at the mall. Then we went out to Waipara to The Mudhouse Winery for lunch. The sun was out so we were able to sit outside and eat our lunch. Then back to mine, where two other friends were waiting, for a yummy carrot birthday cake. Mmmmmmm…. That night was Eion McInnes’ 60th so we went along to that and had a really good time.

Averil and I went on another whirlwind adventure to Queenstown on Saturday for the night after getting cheap flights earlier in the year. Such fun! We were there for less than 24 hours so had to make every minute count. Gavin and the girls picked us up from the airport, and within minutes were both chattering away like we were old friends. Um… well, we are! Annabelle brought out her china tea set when we got back to the house and we had a tea party. Catkin had made us real cups of tea while Annabelle made us pretend cups of tea adding imaginary salt, pepper, sugar and milk. Hmmmmm interesting.Hazel is as gorgeous as ever and follows Annabelle around trying to copy everything she does. Bless. Although she doesn’t seem to have any fear and twice jumped off the couch, missing the beanbag she had been aiming for, landing on the floor, crying, then getting back up and doing it again. Oh to be that resilient.
Catkin (always the BEST hostess) made a brilliant dinner and dessert and made us feel so welcome, as always. If Sister-In-Laws were flowers, I’d pick her.

We went for a big walk to St Joseph’s School yesterday morning to the Book Fair. On the loooooong walk there I found $20 on the road. Thank YOU! Then back home for a quick cuppa before heading back to the airport and home again.