This Weekend in Pictures

  

Saturday: Bella and affogato and sock knitting in the sunshine at Caffe Eis by the Frank Kitts Lagoon. Birthday drinks for Kate later in the evening.

Sunday: My mum, and then Bex and gin and hiding from the rain at Duke Carvell's.

Well, THAT'S a comeuppance

I'm sort of watching a French movie about Moliere, called (cunningly) Moliere. Bella is watching it and has drunk the best part of a bottle of wine. I've just finished derby training which I undertook after riding all over town, and am now gorging myself on un-iced vanilla cupcakes which are making me feel a little more than a little ill. I might stop that now.

Today I went to a library research interview course. I spoke passionately about archive accessibility to a local history librarian from Otaki, and am feeling super inspired about improving things at my own workplace. The thought that I might create things for myself to engage with outside of my regular work is novel beyond belief but I'm super pro it, I think. At least, I'm willing to give it a go and see how it works out for me. Hm.

What I did during The Six Week Convalescence

I write this with great excitement, as I am FINALLY sans-cast, not quite limber, yet strangely nostalgic (already! what a freak) for The Time I Was A Cripple.
So. Let us now take a look back at the last six weeks... and the Varied and Amazing Things I Have Done between waiting for my bones to knit, climbing up the walls and slipping over on the wet mossy concrete on the walkways and stairways of various houses. Mmm, huzzah!

• I made manymany tiny origami stars. They are pretty and pointless and you can find out how to make them here. Oh, and I used this paper for a different lot of them. Pretty pretty pretty.

• Knitting! Squares for the giant and never-ending patchwork blanket in the lounge...

• ... similarly I swathed myself in pink wool...
  
• ... and I made slippers for Shannon on my new fab thing, the Knitting Loom, which I then decorated with red and green pompoms, and gosh golly darn, didn't they look silly. Yes, they did.
  
• I have read manymany books. Mmmm, books. Here are some of them, looking pretty in a pretty pile.

• I listened to manymany Agatha Christie radio plays. I love Poirot and his use of "the Leetle Grey Cells" and I believe that, as a society, what we really need are more pantomime French accents on public broadcasting. Huzzah! 

• Keeping with the multimedia theme is the obsession that I developed with watching entire series of shows in one sitting. I've watched the first series of the Mighty Boosh, learnt parts of all three series of the League of Gentlemen off by heart, obsessed relentlessly about the 2008 series of Time Team (I am so in love with Phil Harding/Wurzel Gummidge) and felt harrowed by the entire series of Band of Brothers, leant to me by the fabulous Nat. 

• I undertook a little editing for Ange, who in turn whisked my dirty washing away and returned it clean and dry, and with my underwear impeccably folded. There is nothing like clean, dry, folded washing when you've obsessed over a growing pile of dirty laundry for a fortnight. I love her.

Mostly however, I lay in bed and demanded tea and coffee from Beatrice and Callum when staying at Shannon's flat, from Bella and Tom since I've been home and from Shannon everywhere I went. And these lovely people (amongst others too numerous too mention) totally humoured me, and checked that I hadn't fallen over whenever I made lots of noise. Lovely lovely people came to my house up fifty-million steps to visit and ended up waiting on me. I have been driven around by manymany lovelies to save me from encroaching and barely resisted insanity. My parents visited me everyday in hospital despite how much of a mission it was to get there, and made me feel I could call on them whenever I needed. I'm so lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing people. I'm so sure that I haven't mentioned all of the incredibly thoughtful things that people have done for me, from lending me magazines and DVDs to plying me with lollies and chocolate to vacuuming my lounge, but rest assured NOTHING is taken for granted.

Arohanui darlings! *mwah*

If you're super keen you can follow my Convalescence Adventures here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here - the famous Caper Caper.

What I Have Eaten

During my convalescence, my cooking ablitlies have been hampered some what as it's been such a huge mission to stand at the stove or bench, and to carry anything hot or liquid from one point to another (as I write, Bella is bringing me tea in bed. Huzzah!) However, with the help of miscellaneous unsuspecting bystanders, I've managed to cook some easy meals (not great ones) and two delicious wintery fruity crumbles, one tamarillo and apple, the other rhubarb. Shannon would disagree that the second was delicious as it turns out that he deeply dislikes spices in his fruit crumbles. Odd Boy.

This week just past was super extra exciting as it included my first meal out in at least a month! This has been infinitely better for my pocket but has also been quite dull. Back to old habits then - extras at the table that I don't really need, but gosh golly darn it was worth it, normality returning... I went to Sweet Mother's Kitchen with Jessica (yum!) where I eavesdropped on the conversation of the two American backpackers sitting next to us. They were of the opinion that the people who owned the place had totally nailed the New Orleans Diner theme. This I personally can neither confirm nor deny, but I can state that I am super pro fairy lights in the shape of plastic fruit. I have dreams of heaven that involve such amazing, beautiful, gorgeous kitsch.

Mmm, kitsch. This week coming I may go for a culinary kitsch theme. Culinary Types often has some great recipes for retro American cakes, and maybe also I could make lemonade scones, and finally try that Ham in Cola recipe of which Nigella Lawson is so fond. I've been dying to make that for ages...

Convalescence Day 13 (Lucky for Some)

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Clean out fridge
• Boy drops off Shower Stool and I have a Shower (huzzah!)
• A little writing for Derby
• Dealing with ACC -- boring
• More KM
• T-Shirt arrives in post
• Bella to buy manymany lollies for me
• Sunshine and coffee and SOUP

Glory Be for clean hair and reading in the sunshine. I am less afraid of the steps to the Laundry.

What I Have Eaten - the week in review

This week I have been away in Kaikohe - eating not very exciting food mostly. For dinner I went to Kerikeri... there is a rather decent restaurant there called Cilantro where I spent an awful lot of money, and ate affogato after affogato. Mmm, affogato with amaretto rocks my tiny world.

I've thus cooked the last two nights - Family Dinner for Dad and two youngest brothers last night and Flat Dinner for Boy and Bella and Brother this evening. Tonight I made Toad in the Hole, a la Delia Smith's online recipe, thus indulging both my love of retro food AND my love of sausages and gravy... I grew up with Delia looming large in my culinary life... clutching an egg on the cover of the massive cookery class book of my mother. I always found the perfection of her hair to be simultaneously unnerving and strangely compelling. It made me trust her, I feel. Also, I quite like caressing eggs.

The gravy was very good. Never underestimate the power of mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce. Delia encourages us as such. I will never again dismiss her worldly wisdom.

Back from Auckland

Very tired, but quite satisfied really. Hanging out in my room, geeking out on Baroque and writing Lizzie a letter on my *new* uber cutsey Japanese writing paper, which includes the profound phrase:

dear sweet dot. For the life that is ordinary with fabric of a dear sweet dot an accent

Bella has started a late night cooking mission... the house smells delicious. However, I ate everything I could in the Koru Lounge at the Airport, so I'm hardly hungry. I was struck with how anti-glam the Koru Lounge at Auckland Airport is... I'd always imagined it a bastion of high taste, an opportunity to rub shoulders with like minded types, before the Loungees hit the skies, taking their place in first class where they would sip champagne with toy dogs called Poochie perched on their knees. It was rather more like a normal flight lounge but with free food and booze and a mechanical massage chair, which I proceeded to shanghai for about three quarters of an hour... But not glam. Full of middle aged business men in suits. And starring a woman affectedly quoting Goethe in Deutsch to a German man.

Saw Hayley while I was in Auckland... she's doing a whirl wind tour of New Zealand and our paths crossed, quite fortuitously methinks. I had dinner with her and Anna at the Northern Steamship, a pub with a very talented interior designer on their design team... floor lamps tacked to the ceiling and outdoor hanging basket chairs in the window. And perfectly and deliciously mis-matched chairs. Otherwise a pretty ordinary Mac's Brewery type pub... met a sock entrepreneur... discovered that fabric technology in unpatentable (if that's a word). Spoke to accountants. And Elam graduates. Which is a fairly eclectic group of diners.

ALSO had a fab fab wonderful fab fun yakitori and sake binge with the Boy who was passing through on the way to see his fams in Tauranga for Easter. Had a surprisingly Japanese-themed trip away, really. With the glorious $3 Japan shop and Japanese pottery buying frenzy and the copious amounts of Katsu-don, Donburi, Sashimi, Tempura and Sushi consumed. Oh, and lots of Japanese bottle iced tea. Yum.

Meeting the Landlord

I met the landlord for the first time today, stayed around all morning in order to nag him to do something about the water that pours out of my roof (and more specifically, out of my light fitting)  in inclement weather. I think we've reached an understanding.

Also, I am going to the doctor's finally about the itchiness/itchy bruises. There is nothing more bizarre than an itchy bruise.

Bella moved in yesterday. I made prototype Gingerbread Broken Bones for the G&L Fair on Saturday - have to practice icing them now. The recipe I used tasted good but was very dry, I'm planning to try a different gingerbread recipe tonight and see if it is a better one. Otherwise, I would really really like to lie in bed with a book and ignore the world.

In which Sarah takes the day off work because she can

And because she has lots of annoying grown up errand type things to do. At the moment I'm waiting at home to sign a contract for the washing machine hireage. *Yawns*. I need to read some trust documents. I'm seeing a lawyer around lunch time, so sign aforementioned trust documents.

I can't get over how much like the weekend it feels. Yesterday was amazing awesome - breakfast and coffee in bed; sitting in the sun talking shit, listening to music and drinking endless pots of coffee with Henry and Mark and Callum and Isabelle and Julia and Bella; walking home in the sunshine; having Tom and Mum and Luke over for tea; dinner with Dad and Tom; a bottle of wine with Shannon... and everyone in fabulous good moods, and I feel like stretching my hands up to the sky and sighing filled with Vitamin D and deliciously satisfied.

Today I might bake a cake.

Library and BORED BORED BORED

I've been reading the Journal of the Auckland-Waikato Historical Society all day, and not only is it not really any use at all, it's also the DULLEST set of local histories I've ever had the misfortune to be obliged to read. Dull, dull, dull. Outside the weather is beautiful, amazing; warm and mild and nary a breath of wind. I felt super young-prof eating my sandwich in Parliament grounds in the sun. Buggering off at half four to go the beach with Bella, I can't wait to get in the water and splash about for a bit. I want to be outside! I don't want to work today! Meh. Grumpy. Only and hour and a half to go... just have to mission through. Seriously tho, I'm wilting from boredom. Last night I had a semi-run in with one of the Dull Ones, accusing my Kranskies of being Mystery Meat. Well, duh! Delicious, tasty, spicy, cheesy Mystery Meat, I think he'll find. I replied that there wasn't anything worse than what was in that bread he insisted on eating. You know, preservatives, additives, cereal. In fact, given the doughy pizza of Monday night with its full complement of additives, preservatives, white flour, flavour enhancer 621 and general air of uncooked-ness, I think it can be gathered that not only were my Kranskies delicious but also comparatively REAL. So, ha! Take my come-back where it hurts, non-present flatmate!

I had this dream last night

that I moved back into my first flat in Aro Valley - Adams Terrace. It was a rather decrepit old place, and if it's not condemned now, I'd be surprised. So in my dream Josh, my old Fuel workmate, was moving out and I offered to take over the lease, only remembering after I moved in how dark it could be. But I didn't panic! I merely rearranged the kitchen, so that it magically became three times the size it was previously. I also bought his BBQ from him (he was moving overseas), and it was only twelve dollars. Bargain! Bella and Jude and another girl moved in and it was happy happy times as we redecorated the house. I had a great bedroom too, much nicer than any of the bedrooms that had actually been in the Adams Terrace flat. It was a very hippy place, lots of crystals and bits of beads hanging in all the windows. I woke up suddenly and panicked: not recognising the bedroom I was in, I thought that I had actually moved back to Adams Tce and I was very very upset. Then, as I calmed down, I realised I was actually at Mum's house in the spare bedroom. Thank god.

The Very Next Day...

So, finally girded my loins and took the tiger by the tail, bull by the horns and bit the bullet. Feeling a gut wrenching nostalgia when looking at smoked almonds, Dolly Parton records, a suspicious looking stray hair, Cake For Breakfast Dishes of friday, the bag of miscellaneous Boy Stuff I have neatly prepared and left at the front door. Feeling strong and proud and relieved when talking to Mum, Bella, Bex and Nat. Again, there is someone sitting on my chest most of the time. But I know from experience that all this will pass, given enough time.

Last night, drank most of two bottles of wine and took a lot of herbal tranquillisers. I felt relieved by my lack of emotion/nerve endings if not entirely lucid and sober... And New Years this evening, hopefully easy enough to take on the same detachment, Henry's should be FAB and I want desperately to be in the present, enjoying it, and not wallowing in nostalgia and madly romanticising.

So, New Years Resolutions:

• Be gloriously and proudly Mansfield-esque independent, staunchly partner-less.
• Buying THINGS not STUFF (ie, practical application rather than the purely decorative).
• Budget seriously, pay back debts and holiday fabulously, preferably in Europe, with Liz and Charly.
• Learn to drive.
• Timetable writing evenings and stick to it.

He finds her!

The NY Girl of His Dreams... or at least, she's been identified, which is neat in itself. I am reliably informed by Mark, drunkenly, at the 90ies themed party in Thorndon, where I may or may not have (very responsibly) stage dived out the window. Amazing what a girl will do with a couple of bottles of cheap sav inside of her. Went to see the 40th anniversary performance of the New Zealand School of Dance and it was fab... discovered I enjoyed (what I think is?) neo-classical style ballet a lot, these kids up on stage are consummate performers, amazing to watch them perform such physically demanding dance with such apparent ease. I was going to make lentils for dinner after a lentil-based conversation with Bella, but I've been organised up to Brooklyn to eat dinner with Ange and Bex and so I will shower, wash of the hangover, and head up there momentarily, as some American might say. ---------------- Now playing: Arleen Augér, John Van Kesteren, Etc.; Riccardo Muti: Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus - Orff: Carmina Burana - 14. In Taberna: In Taberna Quando Sumus via FoxyTunes

Tonight is Monday! Yeah! Yeah!

I'm watching Bella cook dinner, listening to the Crystals creep me out with "He Hit Me (And it Felt Like a Kiss), and drinking g&t. Bella is leaping round the kitchen because she has had a negative waxing experience: an allergic reaction and now hives that cover the entire waxing area - not good when the wax was full leg and then bikini line. She's dancing furiously in order to stop herself itching her ENTIRELY HIVE COVERED LEGS. Having a goodbye dinner for Jude - he's heading to the Czech Republic and we're being evicted en masse by the first of December. Right now he's reading us Baudelaire's the Vampire a la teen angst, after playing us the Courtney Love version which is like, hell angst. Fireworks later. Fucking fabulous.

Saturday Morning

Is now decidedly over. It's one thirty and I have already eaten pancakes cooked by the fabulous Bella, done two loads of washing (good drying day) and applied for a job. Soon I shall put on jeans and go shopping for storage solutions at Plastic Box. Mmm. Storage solutions are fabulous. Uh - is all, methinks.

Things that Appear and Reappear

My Clothes are Haunted. I'd finally reconciled myself to the fact that my navy blue tee shirt had disappeared for good, and bloody hell, it's been sitting behind my clothes rack all along? Curiouser and curiouser, my grey pleated skirt which I thought I lost two weeks ago was clipped perilously on the same hanger as my pinstripe pants. All that remains is for my grey tee-shirting dress [on the rack on Sunday not on Monday] to reappear and I've come full circle. Bizarre. I'd kind of convinced myself that my irritating flatmate had been taking my clothes and trying them on in his room... this distressed me because he's not a petite thing and I was worried he'd stretch everything out of shape, dammit. I think I'm losing my mind completely. I'm listening to the Raveonettes. I got the CD from the Library where I had a thirteen dollar fine. Ouch. I'm reading Brighton Rock. I'm drinking with Bella tonight. I haven't seen her for ever. My other male flatmate has developed America's Cup related insomnia and is rarely in bed before I get up for work. I bought new barrettes. I wear barrettes.