Then I got bored with making the boy's denim surf top again and decided to finish the hat instead.
I've also posted it on Ravelry.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Spring hat
I started this hat because I wanted a project to take to the Knit World knit-in session a while back. But I only went a couple of times because it wasn't looking promising (four people turned up the first time, three the next).
Then I got bored with making the boy's denim surf top again and decided to finish the hat instead.
It's Kiwiyarns Knits' own Cafe Hat pattern (but I stuffed up the ribbing and used different types of yarns so it's barely recognisable). Hopefully it won't be cold enough again to wear it until next autumn!
I've also posted it on Ravelry.
Then I got bored with making the boy's denim surf top again and decided to finish the hat instead.
I've also posted it on Ravelry.
Vodafone gets to live after all
In case you'd had sleepless nights worrying about how my mum is doing without her only connection to the outside world (her landline phone), you'll be relieved to know that her phone was back on around midday yesterday. So you can call off the boys with the big sticks and knuckle-dusters.
It took me three long calls and an email of complaint (and possibly another call from the sister in law) to achieve this. While they were at it, they also put the phone account in mum's name.
If they'd only done this latter task when I first asked them to (at the beginning of this month), it would have saved us all a lot of stress, frustration, wasted time on hold and in hopeless conversation and me getting unwanted instructions from family (but not the boy because he was just lovely and supportive) on how to "fix" the problem.
But at last the problem is fixed (though I still have to check they aren't going to try and bill her for two phone accounts or anything stupid like that).
It took me three long calls and an email of complaint (and possibly another call from the sister in law) to achieve this. While they were at it, they also put the phone account in mum's name.
If they'd only done this latter task when I first asked them to (at the beginning of this month), it would have saved us all a lot of stress, frustration, wasted time on hold and in hopeless conversation and me getting unwanted instructions from family (but not the boy because he was just lovely and supportive) on how to "fix" the problem.
But at last the problem is fixed (though I still have to check they aren't going to try and bill her for two phone accounts or anything stupid like that).
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Shame on you Vodafone
Hyperventilating with frustration, I have just sent Vodafone a formal email of complaint. Do you want to know why? Because they disconnected my mum's phone which is her only way to get hold of anyone, even though she's done nothing wrong.
It's because I have so far found it absolutely impossible to get my mum's phone account transferred to her name, from my sister in laws. It was in the sis in law's name because they lived with her for a while (before they left with the relationship between her and my mum in utter tatters) and set up her phone at the same time. Before that I believe it was in my brother's name.
They won't do it unless they can speak to both the sis in law and my mother. The sis in law spent an hour on hold with Vodes before being able to do her half of the transfer (get her name off the account).
We had trouble with the next step though. My mum doesn't speak English, I told them (more than once). They were sorry to hear that, because after another long wait they told me that meant they could not transfer the account to her name.
Transfer it to my name then, I said. After 20 minutes or so they said no, they can't. Because I am already a Vodes customer and I'm not allowed to have two different accounts with them (wtf?).
Okay, I said. I give up. Please lets go back the way it was. Okay, they said, we'll do that.
Then they disconnected my mum's phone. My mum, who is 90 years old, fairly deaf, frail, only conversant in Cantonese and mostly illiterate, needs her phone to be working. Not least because her medical alarm is connected through it.
But it has been impossible so far to get her phone reconnected.
What I would like to do is to take our custom away and go start an account up with a competitor - but it's quite likely we'd have to get the sis in law to talk to Vodafone again to do the first part!
And one last thing - they were going to charge my mum an extra $1.50 each month for receiving her bill in the slow mail. Pretty shoddy, considering she doesn't do email and is unlikely to suddenly start.
Shame on you Vodafone.
It's because I have so far found it absolutely impossible to get my mum's phone account transferred to her name, from my sister in laws. It was in the sis in law's name because they lived with her for a while (before they left with the relationship between her and my mum in utter tatters) and set up her phone at the same time. Before that I believe it was in my brother's name.
They won't do it unless they can speak to both the sis in law and my mother. The sis in law spent an hour on hold with Vodes before being able to do her half of the transfer (get her name off the account).
We had trouble with the next step though. My mum doesn't speak English, I told them (more than once). They were sorry to hear that, because after another long wait they told me that meant they could not transfer the account to her name.
Transfer it to my name then, I said. After 20 minutes or so they said no, they can't. Because I am already a Vodes customer and I'm not allowed to have two different accounts with them (wtf?).
Okay, I said. I give up. Please lets go back the way it was. Okay, they said, we'll do that.
Then they disconnected my mum's phone. My mum, who is 90 years old, fairly deaf, frail, only conversant in Cantonese and mostly illiterate, needs her phone to be working. Not least because her medical alarm is connected through it.
But it has been impossible so far to get her phone reconnected.
What I would like to do is to take our custom away and go start an account up with a competitor - but it's quite likely we'd have to get the sis in law to talk to Vodafone again to do the first part!
And one last thing - they were going to charge my mum an extra $1.50 each month for receiving her bill in the slow mail. Pretty shoddy, considering she doesn't do email and is unlikely to suddenly start.
Shame on you Vodafone.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
On the occasion of my fiftieth birthday...
Astonishingly (and refreshingly), there is no McDonalds on the island of Rarotonga.
If I'd been told this at the beginning of our stay, I would have expected a very un-tourist-y family holiday.
We stayed at the Edgewater, which turned out to be the largest resort on the island. With hundreds of hotel rooms and villas (we stayed in a villa), it probably covered more area and had more inhabitants than Avarua - Rarotonga' downtown. So yeah, it is touristy - but not actually not all that touristy.
Some of the resort's more charming aspects, which made our stay all the more enjoyable, include: the super friendly staff; the very attractive floral prints they wear; the free range chooks that wander about unimpeded looking for tourist-borne snacks; the tropical fish-laden lagoon and the Ika Mata (raw fish marinated in coconut cream).
The boy introduced TLM to snorkelling, which quickly became her favourite daily activity (I myself took a couple of goes to get into snorkelling - breathing through a tube whilst under water freaks me out). TLM's second favourite activity was splashing me in the pool.
I painted my own sarong, TLM and I learned how to make a head garland from the gorgeous array of tropical flowers, and we all learned more than we ever thought we'd want to know about coconuts.
We also took a tour of the sights, on our last day. I was highly amused at the "sights" that we took in - the local hospital, several schools, the Cook Island house of parliament (which looks like a low-income boarding house) and so on. But there were some highlights too - the spot where the seven waka were supposed to have launched, carrying those who would become the New Zealand Maori hundreds of years ago; the beach at Muri; and the interesting but tragic story of a particular church built from huge chunks of coral reef (sacrilege, I know), whose builders died in the hundreds from lime poisoning.
And now we are back home. It's a relatively chilly 17 degrees Celsius but at least it won't be too hot to sleep tonight.
If I'd been told this at the beginning of our stay, I would have expected a very un-tourist-y family holiday.
We stayed at the Edgewater, which turned out to be the largest resort on the island. With hundreds of hotel rooms and villas (we stayed in a villa), it probably covered more area and had more inhabitants than Avarua - Rarotonga' downtown. So yeah, it is touristy - but not actually not all that touristy.
Some of the resort's more charming aspects, which made our stay all the more enjoyable, include: the super friendly staff; the very attractive floral prints they wear; the free range chooks that wander about unimpeded looking for tourist-borne snacks; the tropical fish-laden lagoon and the Ika Mata (raw fish marinated in coconut cream).
The boy introduced TLM to snorkelling, which quickly became her favourite daily activity (I myself took a couple of goes to get into snorkelling - breathing through a tube whilst under water freaks me out). TLM's second favourite activity was splashing me in the pool.
I painted my own sarong, TLM and I learned how to make a head garland from the gorgeous array of tropical flowers, and we all learned more than we ever thought we'd want to know about coconuts.
We also took a tour of the sights, on our last day. I was highly amused at the "sights" that we took in - the local hospital, several schools, the Cook Island house of parliament (which looks like a low-income boarding house) and so on. But there were some highlights too - the spot where the seven waka were supposed to have launched, carrying those who would become the New Zealand Maori hundreds of years ago; the beach at Muri; and the interesting but tragic story of a particular church built from huge chunks of coral reef (sacrilege, I know), whose builders died in the hundreds from lime poisoning.
And now we are back home. It's a relatively chilly 17 degrees Celsius but at least it won't be too hot to sleep tonight.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
So, a no to the Kobo glo
I went and bought the Kobo glo yesterday, thinking it would be just the thing to hold half a dozen novels for our holiday in RAROTONGA.
But by the time I'd spent a couple of hours trying to set it up, with a few restarts to fix the screen freezing on me, I was no longer very enthusiastic about my new toy. All this, and I hadn't even gotten as far as registering. Then it wouldn't turn on.
So today the boy and I took it back to the shop and got a refund.
And we got a Kindle instead. The setup was so quick! And nothing went wrong! I've already downloaded several free classics and can't wait to play with it.
But by the time I'd spent a couple of hours trying to set it up, with a few restarts to fix the screen freezing on me, I was no longer very enthusiastic about my new toy. All this, and I hadn't even gotten as far as registering. Then it wouldn't turn on.
So today the boy and I took it back to the shop and got a refund.
And we got a Kindle instead. The setup was so quick! And nothing went wrong! I've already downloaded several free classics and can't wait to play with it.
Monday, October 06, 2014
e-books by gum!
I've been on a fiction-reading binge, which is really quite a change from my normal diet of knitting books, knitting magazines and Frankie magazine. And Capital magazine. (Yes, many magazines in fact).
I have, in the last few months, read a whole 4 or 5 novels, and that's a lot for me.
The one I just finished was Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, which was really good except for the breathtaking glossing over of how the heroine, her baby and her sweatshop-worker mother managed to survive while the former gained a medical degree and surgical training.
The two novels before that were a couple of ghost stories set in Alabama (or thereabouts) by RB Chesterton (which I enjoyed except they were quite match-matchy).
The one before that....actually I'll stop here.
Because the point of this post that I have decided it might finally be worth getting an e-reader, now that I'm consuming a respectable amount of text-heavy product.
I know the Kindle is very popular, but I don't want to be tied into buying only from Amazon. I want to be able to support local booksellers and local writers. I also want to be able to borrow e-books from our public libraries.
So I'm think I will get a Kobo. The boy said he'll get me one for my birthday, but seeing as he has just forked over way too much money to send us all off on holiday to Rarotonga, I would be fine with buying it myself.
And then I will check whether it's worth buying knitting magazines in e-format.
I have, in the last few months, read a whole 4 or 5 novels, and that's a lot for me.
The one I just finished was Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, which was really good except for the breathtaking glossing over of how the heroine, her baby and her sweatshop-worker mother managed to survive while the former gained a medical degree and surgical training.
The two novels before that were a couple of ghost stories set in Alabama (or thereabouts) by RB Chesterton (which I enjoyed except they were quite match-matchy).
The one before that....actually I'll stop here.
Because the point of this post that I have decided it might finally be worth getting an e-reader, now that I'm consuming a respectable amount of text-heavy product.
I know the Kindle is very popular, but I don't want to be tied into buying only from Amazon. I want to be able to support local booksellers and local writers. I also want to be able to borrow e-books from our public libraries.
So I'm think I will get a Kobo. The boy said he'll get me one for my birthday, but seeing as he has just forked over way too much money to send us all off on holiday to Rarotonga, I would be fine with buying it myself.
And then I will check whether it's worth buying knitting magazines in e-format.
Thursday, October 02, 2014
My eye, my stye and I
Not much to say (I just liked the title) - a dramatic swelling on the inner corner of my right eye, followed a night of unparalleled gunkiness...then it was all over.
Just extremely impressed at how quickly it came and went.
Just extremely impressed at how quickly it came and went.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Post-election blahs
I am still a bit depressed today, that National are not only back in government, but won so decisively. It's not so much that I think Labour would have done a fantastic job, more that I hoped more people would have voted for the Greens - and that I really hate John Key's guts.
It's not personal - our lives have been pretty comfortable and this is unlikely to change because the election results - but because in my opinion the Greens were the only party that was willing to instigate big changes for the long-term good of the country.
Also, I've seen so much evidence of dirty dealings on the Nats' part that I don't understand why it hasn't affected their popularity. Like the fact the Judith Collins had to resign because of all her dodginess while she was Ministry of Justice, yet her electorate has put her right back into Parliament!
There's also the fact that evidently the vast majority of the NZ voting public seems to disagree with me.
Blah.
It's not personal - our lives have been pretty comfortable and this is unlikely to change because the election results - but because in my opinion the Greens were the only party that was willing to instigate big changes for the long-term good of the country.
Also, I've seen so much evidence of dirty dealings on the Nats' part that I don't understand why it hasn't affected their popularity. Like the fact the Judith Collins had to resign because of all her dodginess while she was Ministry of Justice, yet her electorate has put her right back into Parliament!
There's also the fact that evidently the vast majority of the NZ voting public seems to disagree with me.
Blah.
Friday, September 19, 2014
There's a lot going on right now
I was kinda excited at the thought that Scotland might vote for independence from the UK (seeing as so many clever people were or are from there). I don't know how well they would have got on without England, but now we'll never know.
And tomorrow is Election Day in NZ. Traditionally either my brother or myself would take our mum along to vote too, after giving her a brief run-down on the two major parties' philosophies (really quick, as our Cantonese doesn't allow for sophisticated political discussion, nor witty dissing of those I don't approve of).
I wasn't sure what we would do about helping mum vote this election, since I'm far more aware these days of the other parties. It turns out that our mum is quite content with how things have been going re: state of the nation, though that's not surprising since her focus is on the size of her superannuation payments and whether she's able to get free stuff from the government.
So if she votes National then I will not stand in her way (in fact I will drive to her house, pick her up and drive her around the corner to her polling booth. Then take her grocery shopping afterwards). Even though I disagree with her and even though she is not exactly well informed about the political goings on etc over the last few years. I figure, even with her narrowly focussed viewpoint, she is probably about as well informed as the majority of voters are anyway.
Also....we are going to Rarotonga for my birthday!! It won't be for a few weeks yet, and is only for 6 nights, but we're all looking forward to our first holiday (barring long weekends) since our trip to the UK back in 2011 or 2012 (I forget).
After that, I have to prepare for three days in Auckland for work, then getting TLM ready for her Brownie camp over Labour Weekend. It's all on!
And tomorrow is Election Day in NZ. Traditionally either my brother or myself would take our mum along to vote too, after giving her a brief run-down on the two major parties' philosophies (really quick, as our Cantonese doesn't allow for sophisticated political discussion, nor witty dissing of those I don't approve of).
I wasn't sure what we would do about helping mum vote this election, since I'm far more aware these days of the other parties. It turns out that our mum is quite content with how things have been going re: state of the nation, though that's not surprising since her focus is on the size of her superannuation payments and whether she's able to get free stuff from the government.
So if she votes National then I will not stand in her way (in fact I will drive to her house, pick her up and drive her around the corner to her polling booth. Then take her grocery shopping afterwards). Even though I disagree with her and even though she is not exactly well informed about the political goings on etc over the last few years. I figure, even with her narrowly focussed viewpoint, she is probably about as well informed as the majority of voters are anyway.
Also....we are going to Rarotonga for my birthday!! It won't be for a few weeks yet, and is only for 6 nights, but we're all looking forward to our first holiday (barring long weekends) since our trip to the UK back in 2011 or 2012 (I forget).
After that, I have to prepare for three days in Auckland for work, then getting TLM ready for her Brownie camp over Labour Weekend. It's all on!
Monday, August 18, 2014
Listening to Louise Nicholas
I knew I wasn't going to enjoy it one bit, but I needed to watch the dramatisation of Louise Nicholas' story. I felt like I owed it to her to sit through the entire, horrible series of events, that it was the least I could do. Because I wasn't any use to her at the time when she most needed to be believed - when that news broke years ago it was just background noise, only dimly acknowledged as something going on beyond the edges of what was going on in my life.
During that scene, when she retells what happened in that house with those disgusting examples of human beings - and policemen - my gut curdled. The anger kept me up all night and swamped my other feelings, which were of admiration at Nicholas' bravery in speaking up.
I'll never be able to understand why she couldn't run away when Scholum turned in his car to take her to that house, nor why she kept it a secret for so long, as though it was something that was wrong with her rather than something that was wrong with those men. But it doesn't make what they did to her any less despicable. And if I were a man then at some point I would probably have apologised for being one.
During that scene, when she retells what happened in that house with those disgusting examples of human beings - and policemen - my gut curdled. The anger kept me up all night and swamped my other feelings, which were of admiration at Nicholas' bravery in speaking up.
I'll never be able to understand why she couldn't run away when Scholum turned in his car to take her to that house, nor why she kept it a secret for so long, as though it was something that was wrong with her rather than something that was wrong with those men. But it doesn't make what they did to her any less despicable. And if I were a man then at some point I would probably have apologised for being one.
Nine
TLM turned 9 last week, and we held her birthday party in the weekend - at home. At our tiny little working man's cottage in which our living room also houses the dining table and the fridge (they're the overflow).
8 girls all in the house at once, making lots of squeaky noise and competing at who could perform the most entertaining death scene.
8 girls gobbling packets and packets of popcorn and marshmallows (and sundry other snacks).
It was a beautiful day (considering it's mid-winter) and we were supposed to have an outdoor picnic, but that didn't quite work out so we ended up with a floor completely covered in bits of popcorn, hand-made "smores", raspberry lemonade and hundred & thousands that fell of the fairy bread.
And I hadn't spent so much effort cleaning the house (both before and after the party) since last spring. Exhausting!
8 girls all in the house at once, making lots of squeaky noise and competing at who could perform the most entertaining death scene.
8 girls gobbling packets and packets of popcorn and marshmallows (and sundry other snacks).
It was a beautiful day (considering it's mid-winter) and we were supposed to have an outdoor picnic, but that didn't quite work out so we ended up with a floor completely covered in bits of popcorn, hand-made "smores", raspberry lemonade and hundred & thousands that fell of the fairy bread.
And I hadn't spent so much effort cleaning the house (both before and after the party) since last spring. Exhausting!
A hat plus two and a half sweaters
Just a check-in on my knitting progress...
 |
| This is not a skirt - it's the body of a stranded knit jumper |
 |
| a cowl in Zealana heron |
 |
| the back of a surf top for the boy. It is taking a LOT of yarn and time... |
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| A short, barn-red cardigan for me |
Sunday, July 20, 2014
winter white
Have you seen those personal style books which show how certain colours - or shades of colours - can affect your look, depending on your skin tone?
Well, I have. And although I can usually see the difference when I compare the before and after photos, I don't always find it very easy to apply to myself.
I've tried draping fabrics over my chest to see whether it's "my colour" or not, and a lot of the time I can't tell.
Not so with this cream coloured cowl/scarf I blogged about recently -
When I saw the photo of the finished product in Metropolitan Knits I felt an urgent desire to possess (i.e. knit) one just like it. When I found the cream merino cashmere yarn at the Knit World sale my fate was sealed.
But when I put it on one chilly morning before work, I realised that I had fallen for that old "it looked so great on the model" trick.
Not only is my neck far too short for such a wide cowl, but the colour somehow makes my face look...unwashed. One's hand knits should not make one look fat and dirty.
Then I took it off and replaced it with my multi-coloured shawl...
...and I looked SO much prettier. And cleaner.
Well, I have. And although I can usually see the difference when I compare the before and after photos, I don't always find it very easy to apply to myself.
I've tried draping fabrics over my chest to see whether it's "my colour" or not, and a lot of the time I can't tell.
Not so with this cream coloured cowl/scarf I blogged about recently -
But when I put it on one chilly morning before work, I realised that I had fallen for that old "it looked so great on the model" trick.
Not only is my neck far too short for such a wide cowl, but the colour somehow makes my face look...unwashed. One's hand knits should not make one look fat and dirty.
Then I took it off and replaced it with my multi-coloured shawl...
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Blood on the trampoline
Taking TLM to my mum's place this Sunday is going to be slightly awkward, because of something that happened last Sunday.
For some reason, my niece's best friend has accompanied her to mum's place most Sunday's for the last few months. She's not Chinese and perhaps finds it a novelty to spend time at an elderly Chinese lady's house and eat her food.
The rest of us don't mind, though it's changed the dynamics between TLM and her cousin - and not just because TLM is more likely to get left out nowadays.
When the three of them go on the trampoline at the same time, it's damned likely that someone will get hurt.
I should have been on the alert a few weeks ago when they all got on there in the dark (post-dinner) and someone landed on her face. But TLM was - amazingly - not badly hurt.
Last Sunday, someone decided to do a handstand while they were on the trampoline. And TLM's face got in the way.
There was so much blood coming out of her nose and mouth. Once we'd got her cleaned up and calmed down enough for a good look, we found a split lip and a gash across her upper gum (right where she was growing two adult teeth).
I was quite angry and worried, but not comfortable with telling off someone is not my child - especially as I didn't see it happen so I couldn't be sure who was at fault. (The lesson here, I think, is that you don't stand behind someone unless they know you're there and you're both participating in some team-building exercise.)
About a week later, I am ready to stop being angry. But it would help a lot if just this once, a certain person didn't accompany my brother's family to Sunday night dinner.
Tuesday, July 01, 2014
A couple of new knits
Recently I made a scarf and a pair of socks. Here they are:
The pattern is from Metropolitan Knits, and is suppose to have buttons at one end so that it can be worn like a cowl. I haven't gotten around to getting the buttons, but suspect that I don't have quite the swanlike neck that this kind of accessory is made for.
The yarn is a lovely soft merino and cashmere blend which I bought for $5 per ball at the recent KnitWorld sale.
It will keep my neck warm, once it actually gets cold enough for me to need one.
Speaking of colds, I am home with one right now. That's why I've got time to blog this...
These socks were a year in the making. Right after I started (and restarted) the first sock last June, I got bored with it and put it away. I only took it out again when I had to go to Auckland for work and wanted a small knitting project to take with me. And I finished the pair in five days.
Too bad they ended up too big for me - but they fit the boy's size 11 feet perfectly! The pattern is from Blendy Knits Socks.
The pattern is from Metropolitan Knits, and is suppose to have buttons at one end so that it can be worn like a cowl. I haven't gotten around to getting the buttons, but suspect that I don't have quite the swanlike neck that this kind of accessory is made for.
The yarn is a lovely soft merino and cashmere blend which I bought for $5 per ball at the recent KnitWorld sale.
It will keep my neck warm, once it actually gets cold enough for me to need one.
Speaking of colds, I am home with one right now. That's why I've got time to blog this...
Too bad they ended up too big for me - but they fit the boy's size 11 feet perfectly! The pattern is from Blendy Knits Socks.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
In another universe I'm a tech guru...
Unless you've been reading this blog for a long time, or know me personally, you'll know that in another life (but in this universe) I worked in IT.
And that I wondered often how it is that I managed to spend about 15 years in IT without ever becoming one of those really useful people who can help when your computer stops behaving.
I mean, until recently I couldn't even work out how to get a DVD to play in our Playstation.
And yet, when it comes to my mum's Freeview television set-up, I am the guru.
My brother, who is no techie, can't fix it when my mum suddenly loses her picture.
My mum, obviously, can't fix it.
The boy probably could do it with his eyes closed, both arms lopped off at the shoulder and only one working leg. But he doesn't have to, because I have always been able to fix it.
To be honest, there are only three "fixes" in my box of tricks:
But so far I have been able to get the telly going again every time. it does feel nice to be the guru in my mum's Freeview tv universe.
And that I wondered often how it is that I managed to spend about 15 years in IT without ever becoming one of those really useful people who can help when your computer stops behaving.
I mean, until recently I couldn't even work out how to get a DVD to play in our Playstation.
And yet, when it comes to my mum's Freeview television set-up, I am the guru.
My brother, who is no techie, can't fix it when my mum suddenly loses her picture.
My mum, obviously, can't fix it.
The boy probably could do it with his eyes closed, both arms lopped off at the shoulder and only one working leg. But he doesn't have to, because I have always been able to fix it.
To be honest, there are only three "fixes" in my box of tricks:
- press the input button in case someone tried to change channels with the wrong remote
- check that the Freeview box is on, in case someone tried to turn the telly on with the wrong remote
- turn the Freeview box off and on again, in case it's neither of the above.
But so far I have been able to get the telly going again every time. it does feel nice to be the guru in my mum's Freeview tv universe.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
This year's TLM knit
Elephant girl
This is what happens when you cut up an oversized sweatshirt for your imaginative daughter to wear, because her plaster cast prevents her from wearing her normal gear... (please excuse the poor photo quality - it was taken at night without a flash)
Wednesday, May 07, 2014
Flying off the flying fox
TLM has broken her wrist (well, not broken exactly because being a kid, her bone has sort of bent rather than cracked - but in effect it's a break).
It happened in the school playground, and I got the call while I was chatting to the members of the board at work (specifically, I was trying to explain that my eyes were pink because of allergies, not because they work me too hard).
Saved by the phone, only to be told that my darling was crying her eyes out in the school office. I was very kindly given a lift to the school, where I picked her up and took her across the road to the A & E.
About three hours later we emerged into daylight again (just). TLM has a plaster cast on her right (non-writing) arm which stretches nearly to her armpit. She can't get any of her clothes on over her right arm, so it's just as well it's not that cold at the moment.
The bummer is that she was going to play her first game of netball this weekend, and now she's only able to be a supporter for the next six weeks. Plus, she's got Brownie camp in a couple of weeks so I guess archery is going to be off her schedule.
It happened in the school playground, and I got the call while I was chatting to the members of the board at work (specifically, I was trying to explain that my eyes were pink because of allergies, not because they work me too hard).
Saved by the phone, only to be told that my darling was crying her eyes out in the school office. I was very kindly given a lift to the school, where I picked her up and took her across the road to the A & E.
About three hours later we emerged into daylight again (just). TLM has a plaster cast on her right (non-writing) arm which stretches nearly to her armpit. She can't get any of her clothes on over her right arm, so it's just as well it's not that cold at the moment.
The bummer is that she was going to play her first game of netball this weekend, and now she's only able to be a supporter for the next six weeks. Plus, she's got Brownie camp in a couple of weeks so I guess archery is going to be off her schedule.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
A bach by the sea
We had a lovely time at Waitarere Beach, in a bach (seaside holiday home) big enough for two families of three.
Expecting foul weather, we packed warm clothes, raincoats and enough board games to hold a convention.
But there was plenty of sun, enough to allow trips to the beach itself, walks to the playgound, and outside play on the back lawn. TLM and her friend had a go too.
There were swelter-y moments which convinced me to forget about propriety and just roll up my jeans and sleeves and show the world my manly hiking shoes - just for the sake of getting some airflow about the limbs.
I have no photos, alas. Because we were all there to relax and I was just too relaxed to get out my phone and take any.
I did learn something though. I learned that if I leave my fully-charged phone on for two days without using it at all (except maybe twice to check the time), it will go utterly flat.
Expecting foul weather, we packed warm clothes, raincoats and enough board games to hold a convention.
But there was plenty of sun, enough to allow trips to the beach itself, walks to the playgound, and outside play on the back lawn. TLM and her friend had a go too.
There were swelter-y moments which convinced me to forget about propriety and just roll up my jeans and sleeves and show the world my manly hiking shoes - just for the sake of getting some airflow about the limbs.
I have no photos, alas. Because we were all there to relax and I was just too relaxed to get out my phone and take any.
I did learn something though. I learned that if I leave my fully-charged phone on for two days without using it at all (except maybe twice to check the time), it will go utterly flat.
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