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Still here, still breathing, still loving NZ! :0)Posted on Wednesday 21 May 2008 at 05:46 - Post CommentWow - nearly 3 months since the last entry! Where does the time go? The last you heard our family had arrived and it was all systems go to getting them settled in. Well only a couple of weeks after they moved in with us Dominique, T's mum, arrived and we really were a full house. So full in fact, that D was in the converted garage room!
The house managed us all surprisingly well - especially considering it's a place with only one bathroom and one toilet. I think we even all adapted really well and over the two and a bit months that everyone was with us I got rather used to having familiar faces to come home to from work - and more often than not dinner on the table. Can't be bad!
That all seems so long ago now. Dominique headed home soon after Easter, and about a month ago K, C and the boys all moved into their new house in Halswell. They decided against building in Rolleston, and sold the section there super-quick to grab the great place they are now in.
Having them so close was great, but since they have moved out we have managed to spread out and take over the whole house again with little trouble. You really do expand to the size of place you have - even the garage is full of stuff now - where does it all come from?!
We've grabbed hold of having Carl around to re-decorate our bathroom. It has always looked alright on the surface but closer inspection revealed leaks , mould and some dodgy waterproofing. On stripping it all out I was expecting it to be bad - but not as bad as it was! Mould everywhere, rotten wood and plaster-board. I ended up taking the bath out too and rebuilding from the ground up - and didn't do a too bad a job of it either (even if I do say so myself
Well Carl came to the rescue and tiled the whole thing and now it's all done except for those fiddly finishing bits that'll take the most effort for the least reward, and very nice it looks too.
In addition we've had our joiner pal stick in a breakfast bar between the kitchen and dining area which is ace and looks the nuts. It's also really nicely differentiated the living/ eating/ cooking areas in our open plan living area as well as giving much needed counter space too. Finally we got Carl to tile the kitchen floor too - seeing as he was doing so much already it would've been rude not too. I dunno if he thought the same tho'
Apart from all that palava, we've also had a complete change of heart regarding building in Rolleston. After doing some serious calculations it has worked out that with the exchange rate as it is, the cost of building increases, the lower price that we had to sell our UK house for, and the increased cost of borrowing here (interest rates approaching 10%!) we quite simply can't afford it right now. Bugger. So, the section is on the market and we have made an offer on a wonderful house in Hoon Hay which has a workshop and open fire for me, a great kitchen and 5 rooms for T, and loads of scope to improve things in all sorts of ways. Let's see where the road leads.....!
Work wise I am still loving my job. I've just recently been to Sydney for a training course and whilst there I caught up with our old mate Gary from travelling. It was simply a stunning weekend, and guess what...? They're sending me back again! This time to a 5 star hotel for a 4 day, all expenses paid, conference. I have to agree with T when she tells me: You are such a jammy bastard!
Talking of the Tonster, all is well in her world too with her teaching contract having been extended (in word, if not yet in writing) to Christmas of this year. How much of a relief for her? It's changed her world around and she is the happy T I remember from years ago - what a difference an ongoing job makes! The school suits her well, and she really enjoys the kids so no complaints on that front.
On the bad side of things we have just been through a run of bad luck this past week. Firstly on Sunday morning we saw on waking up that Toni's wing mirror had been smashed off her car by some pissed up idiot, then the same day I noticed that the garage room carpet was absolutely soaked and shit myself thinking my brand new bathroom has popped a massive leak! Just before I started smashing the plaster wall out to inspect the plumbing (literally - the hammer was in my hand!) I remembered seeing next door having a load of water out front. I pop over and yup - their 1000+ litre fish tank had exploded in the night and the place was flooded! It had run downstairs and under the wall into our room, hence the carpet. Great.
Then we wake up this morning, and Toni's bike has been stolen from the front yard! This, only 1 month after MY bike was stolen from the front yard! We should have learnt but both were locked up and it seems complacency has just got the better of us. I'd love to say we expect this sort of stuff when living in a city but quite frankly - we don't. This is ChCh NZ, not central London. Ah well - nothing that can't be replaced, but a pain in the arse all the same.
So, there you go. Still here, still breathing, and still loving it. Ski season soon - I'll be sure to post up some pics.
Cheers ears, (seeing as Hutch has laid claim to laters taters A
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). In usual Andy fashion the very very first thing I did when starting the rebuild was to nearly slice off the top of my thumb with the tape measure. Only yours truly could manage this feat of ineptitude. Those that know me are right this minute shaking their heads slowly from side to side whilst chuckling.
