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Showing posts from 2008

Kiwi Christmas Postcard

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T'is the season to be silly. The weather is gloriously sunny. Sail boats are out in the harbour. The Pohutukawa trees (also known as the kiwi christmas tree) are in full bloom. Despite the economic gloom, shopping bags are filled with discounted items. There is a lot to be greatful for this Christmas. And on that note, I'm heading to the fridge for a chilled beer and some steak to throw on the Barbie. Merry Christmas from the land of the long white cloud.

Indecision 08

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The race for the Whitehouse is finally over. But down under in Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, the race for the Beehive is only days away. Saturday 08 November 2008, is when New Zealand heads to the polls in what is considered to be a financially critical election. They are calling it “Decision 08”. Sadly, yours truly remains “Undecided 08”. This is the first ever election where I cannot arrive at a decision on where to place my party vote. Traditionally I’ve always leaned towards Labour, but I find myself (like a number of others) unable to align myself anymore with its policies. There are 19 political parties contesting the elections. As with most elections, the political mud-slinging between the two major parties – Labour and National have made for interesting and sometimes amusing television and press reports. However, months of this “he says/she says” has also assailed my hearing and completely clouded my ability to make an informed decision on who will best serve my

A Pampered Existence

As a single young woman living alone, you'd think I'd make the time to take better care of myself. In fact you'd probably be forgiven for thinking that I owe it to myself to make an enhanced effort with my appearance. For example, one would think that I have all the time in world to pamper myself with massages, manicures, hairstyles and the works really. But you could not be further from the truth. I do love the notion of being able to spend time being pampered. But somehow I find neither the time nor the required "spare change" to indulge in such a luxurious routine. I call it a luxury because with the high cost of living, my mortgage and escalating bills, being pampered is not really high on my list of priorities. Mind you, I don't go around looking like a fat chick in a sack. In fact I make a half decent effort at being presentable, but the truth is I simply cannot afford to get a manicure or be pampered. So when my brother bought me a two hour massage vo

It's a bit of a BOILER really.

I seem to be having a really bad run of luck lately. Just when I was starting to take pride in home ownership, I get a sharp dose of reality - an unpalatable medicine that I'd be happier not having to swallow. But sadly unforseen things happen and the costs just have to be borne. I had over the past few weeks begun to take real pride in my house. Making an effort to transition it from being a house to a home. I've put pretty plants all over and begun to adorn the walls with much loved images and I've even been saving for a new garage door as my current door has collapsed on me. All of these were things that I was planning for costs that would be expected. And then it happened....my hot water system developed a leak. I spent an entire night mopping up the place and then had to call in a plumber. The bad news is that I have to replace the entire system. The cost of a new system...a whopping $2,200+ GST. This is not just a dent in the pocket but a gaping hole in my rapdily de

Mama Mia ..the BOND cannot sing

So I went to see Mama Mia with a few of my colleagues the other day. I have to say this is a true chick flick and it did what it was supposed to ....Entertain. The film was shot in Greece and everything about the location was amazing. As far as the cast goes Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Julia Walters and Christine Baranaki were all pretty good. The fact that the cast included the lovely Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan was one of the reasons why I had waited to see this film. And in the looks department, they did not disappoint. But dear oh dear when the "BOND" one began to sing... I had COVER my ears and think that "one of us was crying, ...staring at the ceiling.. ..wishing she was somewhere else instead".

To Nana my sweet

Ten years ago, on April 13 1998, I lost the single most precious influence of my life - my darling Grandma, Muriel Valladares For as long as I can remember, my grandma had been my whole world. She was one the one I could laugh with, tell my secrets too and just be myself. She was very nuturing and loved me unconditionally. I could write a book about all the reasons why I loved her...but even that won't adequately express all that I feel for her. And so for the sake of this post, all I'll say is that I still think of her eveyday and I miss her. I hope that wherever she is, she is happy. I can only sum up what I feel by borrowing the words of EE Cummings I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart) I am never without it (anywhere I go you go,my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) I fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet) I want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always mea

A Wind-Up (or two) at Work

I’m very childish and a big prankster. So when “April Fool’s Day “rolls around, I find it to be the perfect excuse to go all loony and play as many jokes on people as I can. I must confess that this skill is an inherited one. You see I lived through years of my mum narrating all the shenanigans she pulled at work. And so, in some ways I am a product of my mother’s rearing. This year, I decided that it was about time to cause a bit of mischief at work. Of course I take my job seriously and had to ensure that I did not offend anyone. The thing with office pranks is that they have got to be done in a non-threatening inoffensive manner. A minor error could be serious and the joke could be misconstrued as being offensive and in poor taste. Having thought it through carefully, I chose my victims accordingly. My day began by swapping my poor unsuspecting boss’ cabinet with my own. I don’t think he was all that amused (as he was having a bad enough day) but he’s a tolerant sort of man (thank

New Beginnings and Promises

It's a NEW YEAR - a new beginning a time when we examine our lives and try put things into perspective. So we forward plan, set goals, make commitments and pledges. Although made with the best of intentions, some of these vows are met and others are merely created to be broken. But irrespective, we continue to follow in this glorious tradition of making New Year's Resolutions. So what are my plans for the year? I've hitched yet another ride on the weight loss wagon. I'm back at the gym and I hope that I find the resolve to go there regularly. But more importantly, I just hope that the year ahead brings me good health, joy, blessings and peace. That's really all I can wish for - both for myself and the rest of you who read this.