First Christmassy Weekend of 2009

bryna, jo, bex, me

Despite some impressive gale force winds, I managed to experience some sunshine this weekend and had my first Christmassy weekend of this December – strawberries and mussels and drinking too many bubbly things in the sunshine! Saturday I woke at the Boy’s and went out craft shopping for the last bits and pieces I needed to finish some presents I’ve been making (glass eyes and florist wire). While I was shopping I put down the tiny key that locks the back wheel of my bicycle and lost the key. I then had to leave my bike on Marion Street and travel home on the bus, pick up my spare set of keys, change my clothes, tidy my room and otherwise ready myself for Bryna’s family Christmas party in the evening, to which I would have to travel via the Marion Street Craft Store, where I would jump on my bicycle and ride it up to Roseneath. Did I mention how much I hate missioning about in the weekends? And also how it always ends up happening. This is a case in point as I was well organised until I lost the tiny key and my organisation went BLAM KAPUT DEAD. “UP to Roseneath” is no kind of throwaway term. Bryna assumed I was walking, gave me the “via Grass Street” directions and as I didn’t correct her I ended up carrying my bicycle (which weighs 20kg+) up an almost vertical zig zag ramp and stair walkway. There were many stairs. I didn’t count them all because I was too busy trying not to die of asphyxiation and burning muscle pain. The party itself was lovely, and although I was a bit intimidated by the glut of small baby-type people at the beginning of the evening, I found that a litre of Boysencider and four glasses of fizzy wine helped me to over come this. Peter made a Belgian feast and fed us deep fry and mayonnaise and I ate too much smoked salmon. Also, the deck was quite sheltered and we were able to enjoy some sunshine! I LOVE SUNSHINE. Summer begins very slowly in Wellington, so any chance to lounge around in beautiful Vitamin D makes me very happy. I rode (rather wobbly it must be said) from Bryna’s to the Boy’s place where his flatmate Dave was having a combined “not-Birthday” and “not-Christmas” party. Thus, it was not especially festive, but I did see Bea and Henry who I haven’t seen for ages and was very, very happy to see (there were more friendly lovely types there, but it was Bea and Henry that made me squee rapturously). Parties filled with people I haven’t seen for weeks always make me think of summer and Christmas and I feel about 50% more festive! I suspect this is due to end-of-University-people-coming-back-to-the-City associations. On Sunday I had another full day, first meeting Mon for market shopping and coffee and gossip, and then attending the Inaugural Spinsters’ Knitting Club Craftinoon Tea. The wind was still gale force but the sunshine was around (at least, I managed to convince myself I was seeing sunshine while I was being blown about. It could have been an optical illusion). After wandering about Chaffers Market, Mon and I went to Sweet Mother’s Kitchen where I ate a pulled pork po boy sandwich. By the way - OH MY GOD I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THOSE THINGS. They Taste So Good. The Craftinoon Tea was good fun, I drank many Bellini, finished some Christmas present projects and taught some (very) basic crochet skills to Megan. Bryna invited us to her apartment as the weather was due to be so awful (nixing outdoor crafting plans) and it was so sweet of her – especially as she seemed quite tired and hung over. She still managed to be a gracious host while preventing her small son from dropping buttons into glasses of gin and bashing everything in sight with bamboo knitting needles. That’s some kind of talent and I am infinitely impressed. This week is my last week of work before Christmas and I still have a bunch of Christmas presents to muddle through as well as attending the pre-Christmas festivities to which I’ve committed myself. It’s beginning to look as though it might be a busy one – thought I’d try out busyness for a change and see what it feels like.