My Dad is in hospital. I won't go into details about why, but essentially the thing that's wrong with him is really painful and as a result he finds it hard to breathe. (His lungs are already poked from years of smoking, even though he stopped over 20 years ago.) So he's taking only tiny wee breaths and can't get enough oxygen but he's too scared to take big breaths cos it starts him coughing and that hurts and then he gets scared because he can't breathe. Kind of a vicious cycle.

It hurts to see my big strong Daddy look so weak and small.

special K not little K

I found this person's blog, thinking my mate Kirsten had finally jumped on the blog-wagon.

Not so, but I'm sure Kimberley is just as lovely as little K. :)

In the continuing chain of five hard questions, these are the ones she has asked me. I will answer them later tonight:

aka Special K said...
Your questions, with love from Special K, are:

1. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to do?
Doing a reading at my Brother's funeral was pretty difficult. I cry at tissue ads, so you can imagine I was a bit of a wreck. Apparently I set everyone else going too.
Also, the confidence course at Linton army camp is a challenge. I sprained my ankle jumping off a 3m high pylon thingy when I was there in 1991, and when I went back in 1994 I couldn't even look at that part of the course without remembering how awful it was. I completed every part of it except my nemesis the 3m pylon in 1994 and I cried almost all the way through. But I *did* it!

2. What song do you sing in the mirror with a hairbrush when you think noone is looking?
Somebody to Love by Queen. I'm not really a hairbrush in the mirror girl; more often I sing it in the car when there's nobody else in the car with me. Then when I pull up at traffic lights, I get wierd looks from the other drivers. I like to do it at karaoke too. It suits my range well.

3. What was the last lie you told?
"You can have your cellphone back at the end of the day". Then I got on the phone to the kid's Mum and said I would give it back on Thursday. Meh, she can break the bad news to him. He shouldn't have been texting in class anyway, and he wouldn't have given it to me if I had told him he had to wait three days...

4. What thing do you regret doing? Or not doing?
When you visit Waitomo caves, they give a big speil about the largest underground room and they say Kiri Te Kanawa sang there one time because of the great acoustics in there. Then they ask if anyone would like to sing something. I've been there twice but I've not been brave enough either time. I would probably sing something Church-y in Latin, to suit the atmosphere. Maybe Mozart's Ave Verum, maybe Bruckner's Locus Iste. The latter piece was the one sung at our Wedding, for those who were there.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, and not be allowed to go anywhere else in your life, where would it be?
Sunrise Island, Fiji? Naah, I think I would get sick of it eventually. Umm... I think NZ in general suits me pretty well. I've only ever lived in Lower Hutt all my life, so it's hard to compare with other places that I have only visited. I think this one needs some more thinking...

Introducing...

Poppy and Lily.

Poppy is the dark one, Lily is the light one.
So cute!!
I put this last photo in because it looks (unintentionally) arty. It looks like Lily is about to be mugged by Poppy standing in the shadows. Maybe it's just me.

Going...

... going...

... gone.

Bye little pine forest!

Turns out all the trees *were* on the school side of the boundary, dammit.

Rat-tastic!

Yay! Two baby girl ratties for fish and sam!

I get them on Saturday.

Be warned Mum, not-kate, hottie: there WILL be pictures :)

fingers, rats, trees

As not-Kate mentioned in a recent post, I have had a bad run of finger injuries at netball. I now look like a character from the Simpsons with only three fingers and a thumb on each hand. Even if the middle one on each hand is twice as wide and has tape round it.

And I can't do the fingers (not that I would - I'm too well mannered for that), or sign the number two. Like last night when I tried to tell not-Kate that the money was for TWO players.

***

Still waiting on news about possible baby rats. I cleaned out the cage and set it up all nice for when I get them though :)

***

There are workmen cutting down trees along our rear boundary. Where there used to be a fence till yesterday. Till they removed it to cut the trees down. On OUR SIDE of the boundary. Wierd that we didn't get notified. Note the two tree stumps marked in yellow and the fencepost (in red).

I don't really mind as we get more light, but it would have been nice to know.

Gosh, it HAS been a while, hasn't it?

Visiting family

Sam and his Dad and (nibling) Thomas - and me all travelled to Blenheim for an airshow.

Actually I only tagged along because Carol and Murray live there, but I went to the airshow anyway. Even if I read my book for most of it.Megan is one now, and has just started walking. She has a few words too, like 'mum', 'dad' 'cat' and 'ta'. The plane is a Caribou - Canadian in origin, but it belongs to the Aussie Air Force.

Ange's birthday dinner

Matterhorn has yummy food, but it is massively overpriced - thank goodness for the Entertainment Book. Did I mention that I am selling the 2007/2008 Entertainment Book to raise funds for my netball club? Only $55. What a bargain - go out for dinner a few times and it's paid for itself! Let me know if you want to get one. I liked Mighty Mighty too - that tall fellow thought we were a bit of allright, eh Kate!

Here are photos of some people that were at dinner:

...and this is a spider that likes hanging round our back porch:

Rat News

I have just joined Rat Club so I can find two baby girls to replace Wee Man. Well, not replace him as such, but you get the idea. There are so many cute photos of all the peoples' rats! If you like that kind of thing...

Last day of term

Yeah! It is officially the end of Term One. Nine weeks of teaching/policing/mothering my students is over for two weeks. Sometimes I do feel more like a policeman/mother rather than a teacher. For example, three students have come to me so far this year to tell me they are (or might be) pregnant. Another 65 or so have had detentions with me, and I've had to chase another 20 or so that didn't go to their detentions. These kids stress me out big time sometimes.

I had a senior teacher come visit my class the other day. I'm struggling with my year 11s. They have a poor work ethic, and some of them have highly developed work avoidance strategies they have been using successfully for years. This class makes me feel like a first year teacher at times - and nothing I try with them seems to help. He has made some really good suggestions and I'm looking forward to getting them back on side next term (hopefully!).

For comparison I asked him to come see my year 10 (favourite) class, and I was really pleased by his feedback. All the things I try with the year 11s (that don't work) DO work in the year 10 class. So I'm not as useless as I thought! I will keep his feedback in my folder and whenever I am having a bad day I will remind myself to look at it.

A quote from his feedback:
"...you are IN CHARGE but still have a WONDERFUL smile! You make their day!"

and another:
"... you work HARD - you get into it with the kids, share your enthusiasm, you're involved, positive and enjoy working with them"

just one more:
" A really neat working relationship!"

What a lovely way to end the term. I love my year 10s.

I just visited the school library and got some books issued for the school holidays. I intend to do a fair bit of lazing round with a book or three these holidays. One of the perks of being a teacher :) I'll think of you working plebs while I laze round on the couch.

Lent

...is a season in the Christian calendar. Most of you lapsed Catholics out there would know what it is, but most people I come across seem not to know much about it. When I tell people that I have given up alcohol for Lent, most people say, "Why - are you pregnant?"

Like, er, no...?

By the way, did you know the 40 hour famine is done in March because it's in Lent and it echoes the "giving something up for Lent" thing? Albeit 40 hours rather than 40 days. Actually, 40 days not counting Sundays, so it's really more like 47 days.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Giving up alcohol for Lent is hard work. Especially when you go to social events at a pub (Wednesday quiz/Friday 3.15pm wind-down...) and everyone else is drinking. And it's not like I'm an alcoholic or anything, but sometimes I would just LOVE a nice cold beer with my fries and conversation. Even if I was driving I would still treat myself with ONE beer.

I have rekindled my affair with spicy tomato juice - my non-alcoholic drink of choice. There is a real art to it - not too much ice, for starters. Then lots of tobasco and Worcester sauce so it's got a lovely bite to it. The more spicy it is the less inclined I am to guzzle it down and need another one. I am also drinking a lot more Coke than I used to, due to it being cheaper than tomato juice.

* * *

It's my birthday soon. That is all.

* * *

I played in a netball tournament at the weekend. I was supposed to play three games but I pinged my finger (TWICE!) in the second game and had to sit the third one out. It held up ok at indoor last night but I had to tape it just in case.

Can I just mention to all the people who were at the game last night: I did NOT crash into that dopey blond girl on purpose! I was going for THE BALL - as one does in this game. The ref gave the ball to me afterwards so obviously it was not my contact. So there. :P

That girl sure was dopey though. She contacted me every time she went to run into the circle and seemed to have no idea what 'standing down' looked like. I'm looking forward to playing them again later on when they learn the rules a bit better. I think we will still beat them though - as long as we get to the court on time and don't lose 5 points!

Triathlon Today

I did it!!

A 400m swim, 12km bike, 4km run. And I didn't stop at all. Except when I swam into a huge bunch of kelp and had to wrest myself free. I also won a spot prize (nice coffee). So did Kirsten (wine) and Sarah (protein powder). I think K got the better deal :)

Yay me.

Netball

In about half an hour I will find out what netball team I am in this season. There is a mixture of anticipation and nervousness inside me as I wait for the meeting. Last year I was in Team 4 (out of 5) and for the two years before I was in Team 5. I am hoping to be in team 3, but team 4 will do I suppose; although I would rather be a not-so-good player in a strong team than be a strong player in a not-so-good team. I just hope the selector has seen it that way!


Sushi-riffic

Moto (our Japanese boarder) leaves next weekend. He is going to make us sushi for tea on Wednesday, which I am really looking forward to as my attempts at sushi making have not always been so successful in the past. Unfortunately this means I miss Cass's birthday celebrations which are on the same night. Poos.


Try a tri

The triathlon is also on next weekend. I feel very underprepared and unfit, but my goal is to finish, not win; even if I have to walk the run bit! At this stage I am mostly wondering how I go about the transitions. Do I wear just my togs or a wetsuit? What about a rash vest? Do I dry my feet after the swim, or do I cycle in wet socks? Shorts or leggings? What if it's raining? It's all a bit overwhelming, really.

Any advice from other tri-ers would be great... but don't even THINK about suggesting I do it pro-style and cycle/run in a bikini thingy - Greenpeace may just turn up and try to put me back in the sea.

It is finished

Wee Man is no more.

His back legs had been starting to lose function slowly since the start of the year, and by this week his back half was almost completely paralysed. He was rather a sad figure, dragging himself up and down the stairs of his cage with only his front legs. He was also losing heaps of weight despite eating normally and I think his kidneys had packed up because he was drinking all the time. So; it was the right decision to have him put down.

We took him to the vet after work yesterday, and after a final cuddle, the vet took him away. He gassed him to put him to sleep, then injected something to stop his heart. We got him back home, Sam dug a hole by the lemon tree, and we buried him there.

I cried.

Bye wee man!

Sporty Stuff

Affa-letix

...which is how you say "athletics" if you attend Upper Hutt College.

Man, today went off - what a fabulously organised and well attended event. After being stuck in third place for the last two years it was a relief to finally break the trend and come second. YAY Hillary house!! Now we have to kick butt all year in the other events and take the house trophy off smug old Blake house. Our leadership team (Year 12 and 13 kids) did an excellent job of signing people up for events and organising them to be in the right place at the right time. I'm really proud of them. The tiger outfit growled its way to being the most awesome staff costume (IMHO of course!), and I didn't get sunburned.

Netball

Netball sucked last night. We were within a whisker of winning but the opposition sunk a lucky 2 pointer on the buzzer. And they only had the ball cos I missed a pass from Sam, so really, I lost the game for us. And I was on C when I had no legs left (4th quarter). And we were top of the table - we shoulda kicked ass. But we didn't. Poos.

I have two games tonight in Petone. A good way to purge my netball demons.

Spot the difference

What difference?? They look identical to me...

Roll on athletics day.

GO YELLOW!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, Sam has already pointed out that tigers are orange not yellow. I plead colour blindness.

Back, Black, Black Caps

Back
I'm back from sunny Auckland - with 32 Waipuna pens to prove it. I had a competition with a teacher from HIBS - I lost - she got 38. I learned lots of new ways to teach the same old things kids have trouble with: algebra, fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio; and I am looking forward to trying it all out with my guinea pigs back at school.

And an old guy from the Ministry of Education made a pass at me. Flattering, but also weird.

Black
We went to a funeral today for Sam's boss's wife. Gone just a day after delivering her first daughter. Stink. I keep thinking what it would be like if it was me (or Sam) and just don't even want to go there. I cannot imagine how awful it is for the boss guy right now.

Black Caps
About time we gave someone a thrashing. Yeah.

One Love

Yeah baby. What a lovely day.

After leaving the beer at home before learning you *could* take your own, and then going via the petrol shop and the beer and food shop and then mum's place to drop off my car, and then to Kate's place to pick her up, we FINALLY made it there just in time for me to sit on my butt and soak up the sun and eat and drink and read my book.



And I got a henna tattoo on my foot.
Before (note the stick on tattoo also on my ankle):



After: (the henna has to dry then peel off, leaving a stain on the skin):

And this chick forgot to put her pants on, I think. There was definite cheek action visible when she walked. Oh Dear.

Training Notes and other things

400m swim, 12km bike, 4km run

I thought I'd better check the actual distances today and was pleasantly suprised that the run and bike legs were less than I had thought. The swim leg is longer than I thought, but 400m is a warm-up for me so no problem there.

Training Diary

So far I have been very active:

Feb 3 - walk down/up the hill
Feb 4 - walk up, run down the hill; bike ride up/down/up the hill; walk to the mall (4km)
Feb 5 - walk up, run down the hill; 1km swim; 2 games of netball
Feb 6 - walk up/down the hill; 1 game of netball

Tomorrow I will take it easy with only a walk up/down the hill in the morning. There may be a recreational swim in the river if the weather stays as fabulously hot as it was today.

Back to work (finally!)

The students start tomorrow - lots of course changes to make, and new faces to meet. We don't start teaching till Friday actually. Then next week I go on a conference for three days in Auckland. Yay! Although stink for my classes - I have to set relief when they have only just started learning stuff; not an ideal situation. I will be taking the laptop with me - be prepared for an interruption to your usual off-black service next week!

It is done

I have officially entered the Sun Latte Women's triathlon which is on 25 March.

Now I have to train for it as I stopped training just before we moved house, like, late November!

Here's the plan:

• Every morning - up at 6 for a walk/run/stagger up and down the hill and back up again. As we are kinda halfway up the hill, go up first as it is less steep than the 'uphill' from the bottom, and I need to save that bit till I'm warmed up.
• Week days - take swim gear to work and go home via the pool. Less hassle than trying to go in the morning and then get back home for brekkie: we live further from the pool than we used to. Do at least 1km, work up to 2km by 25 March.
• Mondays - indoor netball.
• Weekends - ride my bike up and down the hill and back up again. (Note: just tried that and found the second 'up' needed to be on foot. This will change!)

By the start of March I will be needing to ride on the flat for longer than the 2km of Major Drive - maybe up and down Oxford/Cambridge Terraces with the odd bridge crossing thrown in. I will also need to start taking the bike to the pool to get used to transitions, or coming home from biking and going straight out for a run.

Wish me luck!

The original model for Gollum

Megan - 39 weeks

Whaddya reckon?

VTNZ are picky buggers

Like not-kate, my car also failed its WoF. Unlike not-kate, mine will cost a lot more than $10 to fix.

I took it to VTNZ. Don't do that! They get paid per fault found, I reckon. They are uber-picky!!! They said my car needed:

• Rust repair under engine mount (approx $100 to fix)
• Rust repair under driveshaft neat the seats (approx $400 to fix)
• New tyre (about $80)

I said "bugger that" and took it to the lovely boys at Moonshine Autos, near UHC.
They said my car needed:

• New wipers ($10-ish)
• A new headlight bulb ($15-ish)
• New brakes (approx $120)

They also said, "Your tyre is borderline, but passes ok. And where's the rust supposed to be? I didn't find any."

Suck on that, VTNZ!

Funny how the different places pick up different stuff. I guess the headlight bulb blew in the week between WoFs, but the other stuff? What the hey - as long as I only have to spend about $150 rather than about $600 to get it roadworthy. Then I can sell the bastard :) It was totally worth the second opinion (and extra $40) to save $450. Especially as I am now a HOMEOWNER and don't have a lot of spare moolah.

Psst! Anyone wanna buy a Barina? One careful lady owner (and probably a few not-so-careful owners before that). :)