Kia Ora Guys

Monday was upon us again and Mel went off to work,while the laundry was spinning away I applied for some more jobs. As much as I like riding the bike I decided that today I would walk into town to stretch my legs rather than use the good old combustible engine.

The weather was kind and I arrived back home as dry as when I left and ready to move onto my next job.As autumn has turned to winter the last few weeks it has meant that the leaves that were clinging onto the trees were now no longer defying gravity and were all over the garden,usually the responsibility for clearing up falls at the feet of our landlord but since they are on their holidays in Europe, I felt like I had to do it to keep the place tidy.

Luckily all the gadgets were at my disposal and as everything was bone dry it didn't take too long to round up the leaves with the leaf blower into a nice big pile before sucking them all up which made the lawn tidy again.

The rain was pouring down Tuesday as Mel left for work and I sat down to trawl the job sites for work,it was one of those days where it never got to full daylight and by lunchtime the rain hadn't let up and I wasn't looking forward to the walk into town,even though I had my trusty umbrella I still got a pretty good soaking although my shopping stayed dry under my coat. After a fantastic cup of tea I decided what was missing was a cookie so I set about making up a fresh batch to pass the afternoon,no sooner were the first ones out of the oven I had to do the taste test and they passed with flying colours.Soft and chewy with a crunchy edge,delicious.

I had a funny feeling some would be finding their way to Mel's work !!!!!!

It has taken around 7-8 weeks for me to feel anything like 100% and today I felt really good,I had been getting pins and needles in my arms but after a bit of background work I put it down to riding the bike as it always happens after we have been riding so it seems like that is a drawback but one worth having for the thrill of riding. Mel and I hadn't been out for over a month and usually we don't go out midweek but we decided to walk into town for a couple of drinks and it really made a nice change and both of us enjoyed it a lot,although the walk home was a little treachorous as all the street lights were out and it was pitch dark,we walked on the road to avoid tripping on the uneven paths where the trees had come through.

Now Friday was a day that didn't start too well.Apart form the rain and the grey sky I managed to lock myself out of the house while trying to hang the washing on the airer and get the car out of the garage and meet Doug to take him shopping (note to self,don't do multi-tasking!!!)

I was just praying that Mel had taken her house key to work,otherwise I would have to try and climb in through the bathroom window.I ran Doug into town and after coffee I called Mel to see if she had her key,there was no answer so it was a tense wait until she called back and while I was in the ice cream isle debating with Doug whether it should be Neapolitan or vanilla Mel called with good news,she had her key....

I drove over to Mels work to collect the key from reception,much to the amusement of the receptionist she handed over the envelope with the key I needed to get into the warmth of the house.I spent an hour with Doug later that afternoon and enjoyed a cold beer and a chat,it was cut short when Mel called wondering why the door was locked and of course I had both keys!!!!!

Later that evening after a great homemade fish masala we walked into town to meet with our friend Andy who had just got back from Fiji earlier that day to hear about his time there and catch up over a few drinks but also watch the Warriors.The walk home again was covered in darkness as the street lights were still not working....

I was sat watching an old re-run of Magnum P.I and wondering what to do with the day when Mel came in from the bedroom and reminded me that today we were shopping for glasses for me,which I had totally forgotten about.In the opticians I could only find one pair that I liked but at $715 (nearly 300 pounds) but as they were just for reading this was crazy. Luckily the optician was straight talking and suggested that because my eyesight problem was minimal I should try some ready reader glasses.

It only took us an hour or so and visits to several pharmacies and a department store to find a pair I liked and at $17 a damn sight cheaper than $715, which ,made me happy. I was in such a good mood that we tackled the shopping as well. The weather people here are like the UK and the torrential rain they had promised turned out to be a blue sky so once the groceries were packed away and Mel had grappled with her motorbike jacket zip it was time to head West for a ride.

One of our favourite places about 40 minutes from the house is Riverhead winery,they brew all their own beer and it is a cool place to hang out for a while.We pulled into the car park and as usual the place was heaving but we did manage to get a table in the bar area.Mel had a great glass of Sauvignon Blanc and I had a refreshing lemon and lime. Instead of heading back on the motorway I took the long way back through Coatesville,the East Coast Bays and Albany before arriving back in Devonport several hours after we had set off.

A great brunch in the cafes is sweetcorn fritters,and Mel had found us a recipe to try at home so that was our brunch this morning and they were delicious if not a little too thick but it was our first attempt. I spent quite some time sifting through all my Harley Davidson membership stuff that had arrived on Saturday in the mail.It was a fantastic package with touring maps and information but the most impressive things were the sew on Harley owners Group (HOG) patch and pin badge. This means that now I am officially a HOG!!!!

After a wet and windy walk into Devoport we returned to get dinner ready as we had Andy coming for Sunday lunch.

Lots of Love

M & M
xx