new lodger

Posted on Fri 24 November 2006 at 08:24

Word gets around!

Following the slug freeloader we have had a very strange lodger.  I thought at first it was a bit of dirt stuck to the outside of the window – maybe flicked up by a passing car….no, the road is about  15 metres away and we have a 2 metre fence…well, what the heck, it’s dirt OK?  But dirt doesn’t move, does it?  I mentioned it to Melissa and she said that there had been something similar on the inside of the patio door track…. And then on the left curtain…. and then the window itself……and then the right curtain…  Once we looked at it properly through the window, we could see it was actually alive, it seemed to be suckered on to the window by a little mouth type thing and had a couple of little ‘threads’ coming out of it.  It didn't leave a ‘snail trail’ on the window.  How strange.  We left it and shut the curtains.  In the morning the little bastard had jimmied the lock, come in (putting the lock to rights on his way) and was back on the inside door track!!  It was about 1 inch long and looked like a bit of dried mud or moss. I posted this on the website to see if anyone knew what it was and got no helpful replies…’Is it a maori?’ ‘Is it Richard the III?’ – helpful, I think not!!  I finally identified something pretty similar on Google.  It may well be a green lacewing larvae. Melissa now refers to them as Mud Monsters.  Whatever it is, it’s neither use nor ornament, so no lodgings for you pal!

Melissa was meant to be going riding on Saturday on a 2hour trek with a friend as a birthday treat.  Meant to be… It absolutely PISSED it down again.  The stable eventually phoned us to cancel – Melissa wasn’t letting us phone them – she hid the phone!!  As you can imagine (they are both 11 and dressed from head to foot in riding gear), they were dreadfully disappointed.  The funny thing is, I never had to cancel anything for her birthday in the UK before and her birthday is in UK Autumn/Winter time.  Here it is meant to be Sring/Summer and they got rained off!!  However, all was not lost, we bought some more toy horse figures, a new riding whip and yet another new mobile phone (I think this is No. 4) and took the girls swimming instead (not that they needed the new purchases as swimming aids).  This was a first as they are considered old enough to be unaccompanied.  12 hours later…no, 2 hours later!! we picked them up and then we went to Valentines to eat.  The friend stayed overnight and we headed to the beach on Sunday.  The nicest day for beaching so far and I think Melissa enjoyed it all the more for having a friend with her.

The riding finally took place on Wednesday.  Kiwis are so laid back!  It should have started at 6.30pm – set off at 7pm.  Which meant they were riding in the dark by 8.50pm or so!  Finally finished at 9.30!!  I was a bit apprehensive when they set off as it seemed a real cowboy operation but the girls really enjoyed it so we will try it as a family next time.

I did a shift on my own ward this week and then another 2 study/orientation days. I should have been off Wed/Thurs but had to do a study day Thursday.  That means I get tomorrow off instead.  Just as well as Melissa’s super-duper wonderbed finally gets delivered then.  This is from the same place that sold us the damaged furniture – we have been waiting 6-7 weeks for delivery but we were told that when we ordered it.  It had better not be damaged in any shape, way or form or I will go absolutely daft.  To be fair, they have delivered replacements for 2 of the 3 damaged items and the other is on order, but their attention to detail could be vastly improved.   

Who says living in NZ is like going back in time?!!  Steve got landed with going shopping the other day and came back with scented toilet-paper – how modern is that!  Ok, it smelt like old ladies drawers (what’s that you say – cut out the middle-man!!).  I mean like lavender drawer or shelf liners that elderly ladies like to use, not like their knickers.  Thoroughly up-to-date and 21^st Century eh?  Pity they can’t invent a decent internet connection as well….