We have moved and the new apartment is better and roomier but far from 5 star accommodation
I am not sure why there is such a shortage of comfortable apartments, I can understand if this was Sydney-New York or London but Wellington
It is still blowing a gale. We set out today to see the 'te Papa' museum, it is a musuem that predominently deals with the history of the Moari (native New Zealanders) tribes. It was very interesting and we happily spent over 5 hours there!
On the way there we came across a sculptor display where you could also watch sculptors at work, again something we had never seen before and it was very interesting.
Spoke to our children yesterday and they are well and were pleased to hear from us.
Ann you do have a busy life, sounds like a lot of fun all the things that you do.
Karen look forward to seeing you post when you have more time! Nice to 'see' you.
I best be off, I am finding it very hard to adjust to the time difference, it is only 2 1/2 hours but for some reason my body is still on Adelaide time!
Ann: The International Night sure sounded fun. All that different food. I love Greek food so thats where I would have been
MAria: That museum looks awesome. I can see why you spent so much time there. Looks like there is a lot to see! Glad the new place is roomier. Are you going to try and find another or stay there.
Maria loved the virtual trip through the museum. You always find the most interesting places to visit. Hope that you are getting adjusted to your new place. Are you missing the beach? Karen good to hear from you. Glenda hope the new pres takes it a little easier on you all. Lily aren't you supposed to be traveling soon for business? Ann you are always doing something fun. All that food sounds yummy. I still have the remains of the flu-seems to be taking forever to go away.
Hi Everybody
It is so sad about the shuttle disaster. What a terrible time this is for their families and friends. All of them such bright talented people. Maria happy to hear you have a new apartment to stay in, even if it's not 100% it's better then the other one. Thanks for posting the addy on the museum. I just peeked in there and will go back later. Peggy sorry to hear that flu is still hanging on. I remember how sick DH was with it. Hope you will soon be feeling better. Karen how was Las Vegas? Did you come home with a few extra dollars in your purse? Lily I bet you sure would like to see the glass collection by Ann Robinson at the museum that Maria sent us to. Ann for years my friend and I would host an International dinner at the lake, and everybody would bring something from a different country. We always had way more stuff then we could possibly eat. It sure was fun. Our new friend Sally has not been back. I wonder if she has had trouble getting on.
I had a little baby shower for Trudy's little grandbaby last Tuesday at our Tea Time. Trudy's daughter is a sweet lovely girl and the little one is truly an Her eyes are the most incredible blue I have ever seen. I'm not certain that I deserved it, but Trudy brought me the most gorgeous floral arrangement. I mean what could be more perfect for tea time then a floral arrangement put into a bright yellow teapot. The teapot is in the shape of a lemon. The florist arranged it so that the lid to the teapot which has a leaf on it is part of the arrangement too. The florist also tucked in package of lemon tea.
DH did not get the "gently used Toyota" with the HEATED SEATS. It's a good thing our weather has warmed up a bit.
Talk to you all later. Bye now.
Hi everyone: Had a hard time getting on today. Site kept coming up unavailable. What a shock about the shuttle. We have just taken it so much for granted. Never really think about the dangerous possiblities everytime it goes up and then lands. After listening to what the re-entry is really like from other Astronauts who have come home safely, it seems that each trip has had a bit of the miraculous about it. What a shock to all the families, waiting at the Cape to welcome them home. Hearts and prayers surely go out to all of them.
Maria: glad you found an apartment that seems to be roomier. Do you plan to keep it until you move on? All your exploring sound wonderful. I remember how hard it was for us to get used to the time change when we were traveling East to West in our Motor Home. You'll adjust before too long. And of course just have to do the reverse, when you go back home. Bet you miss the beach.
Slavika: What a thoughtful friend, Trudy. Your bouquet sounds wonderful and then you get to use the teapot.
Sally: hope we didn't discourage you.
Peggy: Hope you can soon shake the flu. It does tend to drag one down.
Glenda: Hope your new Pres. has mellowed a bit now. I remember when you started work for the new supervisor. So, this too shall pass.
Hi Trudy, Karen, Lily. I was a wimp and didn't go to weigh-in today. As a lifetimerI can go just once a month, so afater the big international night, I decided to wait until next week I've got to exercise some will-power now.
Good night all. Ann
eggy: Sorry to hear the flu is still hanging on. Not sure when Im traveling for work. I think it might be March. They havent made up there mind yet.
Slavika: What a thoughtful friend you have. That arrangment sounds so pretty! Yes I loved that glass Im still looking at that site there is a lot to see!
Trudy: Hows the new Grand daughter?
Ann: You will get that will power going! I would of skipped WI to after that party. Sure sounded good
Sally: Where are you? Hope we didnt scare you away.
DH has 'fixed' it so I have access to the net whenever I wish
We also woke up with the news of the space shuttle tragedy, such young talented people, so sad for their loved ones. I agree with Ann that each mission is really a bit of a miracle, amazing how quick it is taken for granted that astronauts just shoot off into space and come back safely again.
Your flower arrangement sounds just beautiful Slavika , what did you do to deserve this, c'mon don't be modest and tell us or Trudy you can fill us in
You and me both Ann excercising some will power! Good for you. I still have a lot of problems with my hips/back etc and I am sleeping poorly, the one thing I can do something about though is to get rid of some of this excess weight which in turn may help my overall health.
Whilst we were out today, we were very sensible and had a chicken sandwich for lunch. So often we stop for morning tea and then for lunch and before you know it the day's points are devoured in just morning tea and lunch
We went to the botanical gardens here today, some magnificent begonias on display. We also went to have a look at the historic railway station that is still in use and I asked what an interesting trip would be, so we did an hour trip through some very nice country side. At the destination we had some lunch and a bit of a look around before heading back to Wellington again.
We will stay in these apartments now till we leave next weekend. DH is hoping that we can drive to Hamilton where he will be working for most of the time. It is 400 km from here and because of the roads, a full day driving. It certainly would be an opportunity to see some of the country side.
There is a public holiday here next Thursday (some treaty with the Moaris was signed on this day) so hopefully Lucent will agree to us driving rather than flying. It would be a lot cheaper but that does not always persuade them
We are missing our home but no doubt we will soon adjust again.
Peggy I hope you can get to shake the remains of this flu soon! There is nothing worse than feeling not up to par.
Yes well where are you Sally??? We are really a nice bunch of gals surely we did not scare you away. Hope you are OK and we will soon see you post again.
I must be off and download the many photos of the begonias I took today!
Now that I am back on line, see you all tomorrow again!
Maria: Have any of your Dr.s suggested any floor exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles, which in turn will help your back and hips? I have a set that I do. I had to have epidurals on my back twice, but after I kept on with the exercises and also having a massage once a month, things are a whole lot better. When I went to the Dr. he told me my problem was not the hips, but the back and pinched nerves which travel along the pelvis to make the pain in the hips. When it gets really bad, it can go down the sciatic nerve as well. I haven't had that problem, thank God.
I also sleep with a pillow between my knees, which helps to relieve the pressure. I still do have some nights when it is hard to find a comfortable spot, and then I take the Arthritis strength tylenol. As of course, wierd me, I cannot take any of the other stuff meant for Arthritis.
I think you are getting in some wonderful sight seeing. I enjoyed the tour of the museum. I enjoy botanical gardens, and we always try to visit them on our travels. I am more interested than my DH, but he goes along anyway. A drive through the countryside should prove to be very interesting. Is there any similarity to the Maoris and the Aborignal tribes in Australia?
Peggy: Hope you are feeling better now.
Lily: Just where is your work sending you? What is happening on the job front with your dh?
Slavika: How is the Princess rash doing? What did the dermatologist say?
Hi Trudy, Glenda, Karen. Ashe . Hope I haven't forgotten anyone.
Have a good week. :wave; Ann
Thank you Ann for sharing your thoughts and experience with your hips/back.
I have also thought it may well be my back, I had a back operation about 12 years ago (sciatica), I foolishly thought I would never have back problems again, how naive can one be!
I am reluctant to try any more doctors or chiropractors, I wonder now if all the chiropractic treatment I had in Sydney is part of my problem.
If things get much worse I will HAVE to seek help but I hope with common sense and excercise etc. I'll be ok. With this in mind dh and I had a long talk last night and we got up at 6.10 this morning and went for a very vigorous walk, so vigorous that dh told me that I should wear is heart monitor tomorrow!
I felt pretty bad when we got back (30 min up hill walk) but after recovery I felt OK and pleased that we are making a serious effort.
I told dh I want to go home in three months with people saying 'boy you 2 have lost a bit of weight in New Zealand'
It is a beautiful day here today, dh came home for lunch, we had a salad sandwich, very yummy. I will go and get some fish for dinner a bit later.
Ann you also asked about the Maori people and the aboriginal people in Australia well I have to say it is really good to see how the Maori people are a very big part of society here, at least here in Wellington. They are quite different from the Australian Aborigines. They claim their ancestors came from Hawaii. Their features are more like Pacific Island people.
Many signs are in English as well as the Maori language. A number of Maoris hold public office in government and local government, all in all the Maori culture is a very big part of life here and are well respected. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about Australian Aboriginals. There is presently only one Aboriginal member of parliament. Only last week there was an interview with the first aboriginal person who is studying to be a surgeon. Aboriginal health problems are major, in the outback many aboriginal children spend their days sniffing petrol. They walk around like zombies with a can of petrol around their neck.
Of course I have only been here '5 minutes' and these are just my impressions.
Lily like Ann I have also wondered how your dh is going, I know how tough it is trying to get work when one is that little bit more mature
just letting you know that dh just rang and we are off to Hamilton tomorrow morning at 8 am. Unfortunately he is wanted there like as in yesterday so we are flying.
Just as we thought we would be here for at least a week if not 2 and I have unpacked everything, back to packing up again!
Maria you are off again. I don't think that your suitcase ever gets unpacked. Is your new place nicer? Slavika your flower arrangement sounds sooo pretty. How thoughtful of you Trudy. Quite the perfect thing for a tea. Did everyone have fun buying baby things? They certainly have cute things now. I came across a site that had the prettiest baby room I will see if I can find it. It looks like a room for a little princess. I joined a memory box artist program. We paint memory boxes for people who have lost a child to sids or were stillborn. They can put the few things they have in the box like the bracelet, pictures etc. I have my first 3 ready to send tomorrow. We send them to hospitals around the country. It is international. I know that there is a group in Australia. I am finally over the flu just have lingering cough. Walked this morning which was a first in weeks. My legs can feel it. Have been doing a lot of reading. Ann behave yourself this week so you can wi next week. Maybe Karen is dragging her winnings back from Vegas. Sure hope so. Have to go see what is going on out front. They have turned our water off for 5 hours while they are working on the road. It is a big muddy mess.
I'm sure you all thought I was never going to get back her. Our Trip to Vegas was a blast. We won some and lost some but all in all I figure we broke even. It was fun spending time with DH's sisters. One had not seen me since I lost my weight. Was she surprised. She knew that I was employed by W.W. but not having seen me in ten years. She had no clue. It was fun. We did a lot of walking around the strip. Boy has that place changed in ten years. Last time I was there You coud see down the strip. Now It is just a jumble of buildings. Very colorful. Very noisey. but a lot to see and do.
When we got home our water pipes were frozen. As soon as they got thawed we found the sewer pipe was frozen. We found this out when we flushed the toilet. Sewer water evey where and S**T in my shower. Not pretty. I of course had to leave right away the next day to begin my round of Meetings and DH had to deal with the mess. By Wednesday all was working well again and by the time I was able to call home my DH had the dishwasher going the washing machine going and was cleaning the s**t out of the shower. He is a keeper
Last week was hectic. My trusty receptionist was on vacation too so I was stuck with others not so experienced. But we made it through with only a few problems. She will be back working tomorrow I hope. Wednesday for sure The snow fall may have slowed her down.
This is the week my DD and 4 of her friends leave to go to Cancun. They are all very excited. They have made friends with some of the locals and have kept in touch over the last year. One couple just had a new baby so they are taking baby presents with them. They are being picked up at the airport by another friend.
We are talking about trying one of those all inclusive vacation packages for our next vacation. Any body tried one of those??
Maria you are off and running again. I did take a turn arount the web site you posted. Thank you for sharing.
Lily I also took a look at the glass factory you posted and there were some beautiful thing there.
Peggy, Are you sure you just had the flu? I had that awful Pneumonia in December. And I was still caughing up until last week. Awful stuff.
Ann , The park where you live sounds wonderful. I hope we can find a place we can aford like that next year when we retire.
I've told my Manager that we are planning to go south for the winter the end 2004. She is in a panic. So far ther is no one to replace me. I do have some one who will take three of my meetings but still have 5 to cover. Am thinking about cutting back this fall we'll see how it goes. I do have a new lifetime member who is to begin working with us tomorrow. She also would like to go to Leader training we will send her in May . I think she can handle 2 more of my meeting. See I am plotting to retire.
Trudy How's it going with the new baby? Don't you just have a ball buying baby girl stuff. The little dress are so cute.
Slavika, Did you ever find out what made you little GD break out?
We'll I've bent your ears long enough so I'll go away now. Want to give my Aunt in Texas a call just so she know we are thinking about her.
Hi Everybody
I thought I would just stop by for a quick read before heading to the shower. Peggy what a lovely gesture that is to make these little memory boxes. It must be just the most heart wrenching time for these Mom's/Dad's to lose their little ones....I can't even imagine. I think to have the little memory box, it would be a loving tangible reminder, that for brief period of time the little one was here. Peggy, you are so sweet to use your talents for something as nice as this. Good for you.
My little Princess has her allergy tests today at 2:30, so hopefully they will find out what has caused this. The rash is pretty much gone, but you can still see very faint markings as to where it was. Trudy and I were at Costco yesterday and we bought a big container of the most wonderful strawberries. The package was too much for one of us so we divided it. I have my grandchildren after school on Mondays and the Princess just loves strawberries. I forgot that she was not allowed "red" food until after this test today. She was really upset that her brother was getting some as she wasn't so I promised her that if she was not allergic to strawberries I would buy her some on Thursday and she could eat them to her heart's content. Of course her brother ate his berries with a great deal of oohing and aahing and lip smacking. Kids....Yikes.
I'll be back later.
Karen you sure came back to a mess. Your dh is a keeper. Slavika hope the Princess can have strawberries soon. Just like a boy and brother to rub it in a little.
Our new friend 
Her eyes are the most incredible blue I have ever seen. I'm not certain that I deserved it, but Trudy brought me the most gorgeous floral arrangement. I mean what could be more perfect for tea time then a floral arrangement put into a bright yellow teapot. The teapot is in the shape of a lemon. The florist arranged it so that the lid to the teapot which has a leaf on it is part of the arrangement too. The florist also tucked in package of lemon tea. 
A Sad Day
I've got to exercise some will-power now.
A sunny day!
A drive through the countryside should prove to be very interesting. Is there any similarity to the Maoris and the Aborignal tribes in Australia?
