I am attending a workshop at Victoria University at Wellington on wireless communications. It has sessions running all day, so a few of us from work are taking the day off to be there. The bonus is that I don’t have to go all the way around to Gracefield today. This means that I didn’t have to be on a bus at 7am to go to work; that I didn’t have to be out of the gym at 6:30, nor at the front door for opening; that I didn’t have to out of bed at 5:15. Sure, I only stayed in bed an extra 15 minutes, but it really is the good life.
And tomorrow, work as usual.
It’s dangerously tempting to think that spring might be edging its way into the southern hemisphere. The days are certainly getting longer again, which could never come too soon, in my opinion, and it’s warming up enough on the weekends to be out in shorts and t-shirts1. We’d taken a couple hours on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend to lead some people on slightly longer outdoor skate routes, which gave me a bit of a chance to add to my skating photos.
It’s far from a summer-time panacea, however. Mornings are still bitterly cold when there has been a clear night. There are still southerlies that’ll bring cold wind and rain our way, as well. But there is certainly more hope this year to get outside compared to last year. Just ask the ice cream shops how much they’re selling…
I stopped in at a travel agent on the weekend to look at flights home for Christmas. I’m just about to call and confirm them, and pay for them tonight on my way home from work. The plan is to head to Edmonton on December 19th, go back to Vancouver on the 30th and return to New Zealand on January 2nd, landing on the 4th. This gives me 2 weeks in Canada and New Years Eve in Vancouver. I can still change around my internal flights, but the international flights are quite rigid. I’d hate to have to shift my Air New Zealand flight and lose the benefits.
I’ve briefly spoken to family about this trip, but knowledge of it has yet to be widely circulated. It is the first time I’ll be home for Christmas since moving to New Zealand, so I’ll understand the shock that this decision may bring, but I hope to catch up with people as time allows. Let me know what plans are afoot and I’ll do my best to make myself available.
A couple friends and I are collecting a series of routes through Wellington that can be put onto a brochure for people interested in skating around the region. Naturally, we have our normal standby paths – around the waterfront, through town – but we want to present more variety and something outside of the downtown core. We’ve discussed some possibilities and are in the process of doing some hands-on research.
It’s impossible to just look at a map and mark out routes. Road and footpath condition, hills, traffic and accessibility all play a part, which requires a visit to evaluate. With a short supply of available time during the week and iffy weather patterns, I’ll more easily get through the list by running instead of skating. It can still be hard to judge incline and decline, but it’s still possible to judge surface conditions. At a running pace, I’ve even got some time to enjoy the scenery.
I’d started this morning, looping through Newtown to Kilbirnie. My plan is to aim for two more trips through Miramar and Seatoun by the weekend.
Resurrecting the wish-list, pretty much anything from T Leaf Tea is welcome. I’ve been getting back into drinking teas in a big way – by the cup, by the pot, as it suits. I’ve got a few small infusers and we have a couple tea pots in the house already, so the best bet would be to aim for the tea blends themselves. I’d be particularly interested in the 6-flavour sampler packs. Being prone to trying anything once, many small packs of anything are fundamentally a good idea.
For those who have this year’s Entertainment book for Wellington, there is a 2-for-1 coupon in there. Note the not-so-subtle hint.
