Kia Ora Guys

Now you avid blog readers might have noticed that for the second Sunday running I didn't post an entry,again this was down to computer trouble but this time the website wouldn't work yesterday so here goes.

Because of my interview yesterday all my chores had moved on by 24 hours,so Tuesday was my cleaning day this week.At the back of the house the arborist was in clearing all the trees to make way for a new house and the sound of the buzzing wore on all morning, which was OK for the first hour as the vacuum drowned out the noise!!!!

Mel arrived home early to rescue me from the chopping and buzzing, we just had time to head into 'Devo' and lodge my claim for an IRD (national insurance) number. The phone call I had been waiting for all day about the job never arrived although I wouldn't have heard it anyway, so we settled back in front of the T.V.

Another month in the history books and the 1st July was with us, I waved Mel off to work and was halfway in the shower when my cellphone started ringing so I had to run through the house dripping water everywhere to answer it, I was pleased to hear the lady from the council saying they would like to take my application to Stage 4., which would be checking my references.

The chainsaws started again and I decided to get away from it so took the bike for a spin as it hadn't moved for a week or so and even though it was blustery the sun was out.By the time I got back several lovely old trees had been reduced to piled of firewood. It's hard to get a good quiche here so I made a stilton and leek one myself for dinner that evening. Mel and I walked into town and had a quick pint to celebrate me moving to the next stage of the process,the week was running away with us and it would be Thursday tomorrow.

It is here that I just need to say a big thank you to my 2 referees back in the UK and thank them for the time spent on the phone giving me a good report,you know who you are. I rode up to Takapuna for a meeting with the bank to try and sort out a credit card for us as it is hard to function without one these days!!!!

Now we had our passports back from INZ I spent a while sifting through all our paperwork and getting rid of anything we had 12 copies of!!!!!

My references checked out and I had another call from the council wanting me to go for a medical check, I called to make an appointment expecting to go next week and before I knew it I was riding over the bridge heading for a midday appointment. I sat filling in the questionnaire and was then followed to a room to take a drugs test, they tested for drugs I hadn't even heard of but I was all clear.

I was quite tense and my blood pressure reading came back high, so I tried to relax myself a bit as the examination went on. Next was weighing and measuring and me getting told I was still overweight even though I have lost a stone since being here but I just let it run off me like water off a ducks back. I had just recently visited the optician and told my eyesight was good but I had trouble reading some tiny writing which I reckon most people would have struggled with. Next came the hearing test which I knew would come back poor due to me wearing hearing aids and I failed it miserably as they tested me without them in, so I was just hoping that when they read the comments they would realise that with them in I can hear people!!!

I felt like I was getting ready for a NASA mission and next I was asked for a Spirography test (lung function) and spent the next 5 minutes blowing into a tube and making myself go light headed in the process. I headed home hoping I had done enough to be accepted but wouldn't find out anything until next week.

We had a trip into Takapuna to pick up our new car license (tax disc) and by the time we got home the rain they had forecast decided to drop from the sky all in one go so we sat around a while until we had a patch of blue sky above us so we could walk into Devonport to catch the ferry. We had picked up a free coupon for the Maritime Museum and decided to visit since the weather was so crappy and it was free. After a few hours trawling around we emerged into more pouring rain and dashed across the road Danny Doolans Irish Bar for a drink. I ordered the drinks while Mel grabbed the 2 chestrefield chairs in front of the open fire, where we sat and chatted and dried out until our faces got so hot we had to leave.Needless to say there was a dash for the seats as we got up!!!!

Sunday turned into a lazy day with a visit to the mall,we had planned to walk on the beach at Milford but the rain stopped us. Back at the house we caught up with Magnum P.I until the blue sky returned and we set off for Cheltenham Beach. It seemed that everyone had the same idea as the beach was busy,we walked right along the beach and then took the stairs to North Head. It was really blustery as we walked around the Head before descending onto Torpedo Bay,the rain was back and we sheltered under a big Pohutukawa Tree to try and stay dry,the rain came quick and for a few minutes the City was out of view obstructed by a curtain of water falling from the sky.

Five minutes later the sunshine was out and we carried on our journey to Devonport where we had a browse around and a coffee.The rain came again although this time it was much lighter,we left the coffee shop and walked home as quickly as we could befor the rain came again. I started on dinner as day turned to night and we relaxed on the sofa. Another week in the books....

Lots of Love

M & M
xx