OUCH!!

It started out a wonderful morning.  I was finally feeling better after a few days of a runny nose and congestion.  I went out for a morning run with Rex; down to Matheson Bay, around the coastal walkway, down to harbour and back home.  I was feeling great.  We had a big day out planned with the whole gang.  First we were off to Rita's swim lesson, then into Warkworth for some shopping, a quick visit to the library, and finally finishing up with lunch at a local vineyard.  We were waiting for Rita's friend Kaya to be picked up so I peeked into the construction site of a garage downstairs to see how it was all going.  I had an idea of where to put the bar fridge and a little kitchenette setup so I called Pete over to have a look.  And that's when it happened...........We pulled the wrought iron bed out from the wall where it was leaning and SLAM: the bed frame came flying down and bashed me in the face!  I screamed, Pete and Tui looked at me in shock and blood started pouring out.  Pete grabbed a towel, mom got some ice and I went straight to the couch to try to ingest what was happening.  I kept thinking I didn't want to go to the hospital, I wanted to go out to lunch at the vineyard and pickup the library book I ordered.  Funny what runs through your head in a time of emergency and shock.  Pete asked me if I thought any of my facial bones were broken and then started in on if I was concussed and what was my name and what day was it.  I am Megan stupid and it is Saturday!  I am not concussed dammit!  Pete called the doctor and made me an appointment then took Rita to her swim lesson while I sat for over and hour with an ice pack on my face, taking copious amounts of arnica to hopefully reduce any bruising.  I was pretty certain I was in for a black eye.  The scenario was all too familiar as some years back when we were doing a ski season I was pummeled by a large Russian man and ended up with stitches across my nose and two black eyes.  The verdict this time around: quite a large slash under my eye but thank god, no stitches.  Just a few butterfly strips and off I went.  It hasn't bruised or swelled up as much as I anticipated but I do look as though I've been in a pretty good fight.
As for lunch at the vineyard, it was postponed for a day so off we go today all bandaged up and ready to taste some much needed wine!

Renovations in a small town

Project garage conversion is on the go.  (Well, actually it is probably on hold for the weekend; Pete is picking up our new boat today so I imagine he's going to want to play with the new toy for the best part of the weekend.)  Anyway back to the garage conversion.  I finally convinced Pete that instead of adding on a whole extra wing to the house all we needed to do was throw out a heap of junk that was sitting in the garage and convert it into super deluxe guest quarters.  First off was purge-o-rama.  Ute loads of stuff we no longer used were either dumped or given to op shops.  Closets cleaned, shed reorganized and new storage spaces created inside.  We scored a perfect-fit ranch slider off of trademe that happened to be just down the road from us.  When does something like that ever happen on trademe?  We usually end up truckin' down to Auckland to pick up goods!  The local electrician came by and yes he wired the whole place when it was remodelled 12 years ago so he knows the place inside and out.  He remembers so and so who used to live here, etc. etc.  He's got a plan for how to do the lighting and where to put all the switches.  The plasterer also stopped by for a cold Steiny and to add his two cents about the project.  Oh yes, he did all the plastering 12 years ago and knew the people who sold the place and why they sold and where they moved.   No worries mate, he can sort us out when the time comes.  And by the way he is the husband of the head teacher at the preschool.  Did I mention it's a very small town?  We are talking 500 people max.  Everyone knows everyone and everyone knows who's doing what.  The ranch slider gets fitted in with some help from visiting friends.  Now on to the re-lining the walls and ceiling, plastering the floor, finishing off the architrave, painting, carpeting, furnishing.....Jeez and I thought this project wasn't going to be a major!
So once it's a job done, we'd better have some visitors; invitation open......almost.

from garage......

to ripped apart half storage area cum construction zone....

at least the doors are in and we can lock it all up again!

Coming soon.........Super deluxe guest quarters completed (wishful thinking on my part).
To be continued...

Schoolol Girl

This is our very proud school girl on her first day.  We walked up to school and she shot off without a glance back towards me.  I yelled out to her twice before she actually gave me a dismissive wave.  The principal walked by at that moment and said, "it looks as if she's settling in well".  Yes indeed.  At the end of the day I picked her up eager to hear what she had to say about her first day at "big school".  "Fun as", she told me.  But she "didn't really learn that much yet".  Swimming was her favorite part and she and Pipi were the only ones who could actually swim!  There are 8 kids in her class.  Yes folks this is one very small country school.