Wearing masks for Covid

 In my last blog, I mentioned the trouble I had filling out a declaration sticker on a parcel, and how I kept having to go back to the NZ Post agency counter until I got it right.  Well...

A month or so ago I had a hospital appointment.  I entered the building wearing a material mask with images of cute cats cavorting.

A guy at the sign-in booth said, "You're not allowed that mask."  Briskly, he handed me a surgical one.  You know the type:  blue and white with a soft wire running inside the top hem.

 I took off my pretty cat mask and slapped on the surgical one.

" You're wearing it inside out, " said the guy.

I reversed the mask, tucked the cords safely behind my ears and patiently waited for him to write me out an entry sticker.

He said "your mask is upside down."

Everyone within hearing distance sniggered .

I'm going to have my second cataract operation tomorrow.  Wish me glad tidings that I don't do  things wrong at the hospital.  Working on my current  form, I will  probably have  to fill in the admission papers  a multitude of times.  

Postshop Declarations

 Hi there

I had wrapped up three parcels to send overseas for Christmas.  The guy at the NZ Post agency handed me three little green declaration stickers to fill in and stick on the corner of each parcel.

I sat down at a desk, filled each declaration in, and handed the stickers back to the Postshop guy, along with my parcels.

He tsk-tsked.  " No.  No.  As the sender, you must fill in your full first name.  Your first initial  won't do.   And the same goes for the people you're sending the parcels to.  No initials allowed. "

 "Um...  Ooo-kay?  I faithfully filled out three new declaration forms.

This time, the guy sighed.  "You can't put 'Eng' for 'England' and 'Aus' for 'Australia'.  Full place names please.  The Customs people have to  easily be able to read where the parcels are going ."

" But I have the full addresses - both mine and my friends' - in huge lettering on the front and back of the actual parcels, " I pointed out.

"And," he happily continued, ignoring my plaintive mewing, " You can't put ' NZ' for New Zealand."

I grabbed three new declarations and furiously filled them out. I handed over the newly-filled in stickers.

He rolled his eyes.  "You've declared the contents of each parcel as 'stationery'?

"Yes?"

"What kind of stationery? "

"That would spoil the Christmas surprise," I said.

Do it again ," he said.  Smugly 

I brought back the declarations.  "All done," I proclaimed.

 "Go back and write in the value of each present."

 I didn't even bother to argue about the surprise elements of the presents being ruined;   I filled in the values, and glumly trooped back to the counter.

 " You haven't signed the declarations, " the guy said.

I signed the three declarations, then waited till the guy was serving  someone else before I took the declarations to another assistant....

My friend had a similar time at a NZ Post agency.  She had  declared a souvenir magnet inside her parcel.  She was made to stand at the counter and take out the magnet because (who knew?)  magnets were now banned. 

Fallow Hut, Wairarapa

 Hi there

I've just had three nights in the Wairarapa, renting Fallow Hut, just fifteen minutes out of Masterton (though I took the wrong turn-off and ended up being 1 hour and 20 minutes out of Masterton!).  The hut is on a farm, way out in true kiwi country.  There was  tons of hiking - up really, really, really high hills.  But there was also flat land.  And a river.  There were a few walking  tracks and because the farm had what seemed like millions of acres I could wander anywhere on their property. hiking on sheep tracks or pounding through grass.

And oh, those sheep and lambs.  So adorable.  The funny thing about sheep is how like cats they are.  You know when a cat suddenly goes statue-like and just stares at you?  Well, sheep are the same, except they do it en masse. They stare... and stare... and stare...  Then they turn tail, in perfect synchronisation, and run away

It was possible to see deer.  I didn't see any but it didn't matter; the lambs made up for seeing any deer.  I did climb up to the top of one of the highest hills , and then when I tried the utmost highest one, I had to give up about 20 paces to the top....

The hut had an en suite, fridge, microwave, most mod cons.  It stood in a paddock with sheep all around.

 

below:  the fallow hut

below: taken from the deck of the Fallow Hut

below:  the hut from a distance.  It was once a woolshed and there are some old farm sheds beside it.