That was the worst week that was

 Hi there

Last week I was on holiday in Nelson, South Island of New Zealand.

I arrived there on Friday 13th.  Yes well...  I didn't believe in that hocus pocus stuff.

On the following Monday there was a HUGE storm in Wellington, maybe the worst on record. Me? - I was swimming and sunbathing at the beautiful Tahunanui Beach.  The air temperature was a balmy 22c, there was no wind and everything was great.  I didn't find out about Wellington's storm until I was watching the news that evening.

I found out through a neighbour at home that my small aluminium-sided garden shed was absolutely crushed, my personal stuff scattered around the yard.  

I wanted to get home as fast as I could.  There was a backlog of travellers waiting to fly to Wellington, as the storm had vetoed all flights into the capital.   Not a hope for a seat until Thursday.  I was due to leave on Friday so it was suggested I stick to my schedule. 

I was a complete and utter nervous anxiety-ridden hopeless tearful wreck the rest of the time I was in Nelson.  What was happening to my stuff?  Unlike most people, I didn't keep garden implements in the shed; I had quite a few personal papers and important textbooks. 

Arriving home devastated me.  I couldn't do anything until I'd got in touch with two insurance companies.  When I'd finally got through to them I was told that sheds weren't included in either policy.  I contacted a young guy who had helped previously tidying up my garden.  He said he'd be there on the next day, Saturday, to help me clean up the yard.

 He never turned up.

Oh, and before I forget to tell you, my four loyal readers, I had visited the doctor within a couple of hours of my arrival home to find I had an infection that required rest and lots of pills. I also arrived home with a broken tooth from chomping into the overly battered fish at the Tahunanui fish and chip shop.

On Sunday I decided I had to tidy up everything by myself.  The first time I bent to the ground to pick up some rubbish, I ricked my back.  From then on, I used one of those tall sticks with claws on the end to pick up stuff.  Thanks, Jean, for that long ago sorry-you've-sprained-your-ankle gift.

It took me four painful hours, and seven big rubbish bags, to tidy up all the scattered stuff in my yard.  Thankfully my precious items had all been encased in plastic and only got slightly damp.  And the gardener young man did finally turn up; yesterday he'd been surfing and partying.  He kindly stacked the shed panels against the fence for me so as I could get to my clothesline.

Then I got in a row with my neighbour who didn't want the aluminium shed panels resting on our shared fence. 

Now I've had another tearful night because I don't know how to get rid of those darn panels

Altogether now, let's blame Friday the 13th..

I was so traumatised in Nelson that I never even thought to take photos.  Sitting around the airport, I took a photo of a plane, similar to the one I would be taking home.  Note the propellers.

Well, what a crappy place Wellington has become?

 Hi there

Its bad enough that the Wellington CBD has become a ghost town with so many empty shops ... and that the hardly-used and hated bicycle lanes are breeding ... and that many of my beloved cafes have closed in the last six months ... and that the Reading picture theatre has been shut down for years, since the earthquake ... and that the road around Hataitai Beach has been surrounded by roadworks for well over a year and probably will be for another year ... and that the weather has been pretty atrocious this summer...

... AND THAT the sewage plant at Moa Point will probably be discharging a huge and varied amount of sewage waste for months to come. Right into the Wellington coastal sea.

Since the catastrophe a week or so ago, when the plant's discharge pipe got blocked and the building flooded, south coast beaches have been closed for swimming:  no scuba diving, no fishing, no seafood gathering, no dogs on beaches ...

The hazardous water hasn't reached the inner harbour and Hataitai Beach yet.

 For daily information about the state of Wellington beach swimming, you can look up LAWA (land air water info).  You can follow the situation through the online news outlet Stuff.co.nz.  

Wahlburgers Sydney

 Hi there

above:  the path leading up to the Sydney Opera House.  Restaurants, including Wahlburgers, are on the right.

When I was in Sydney about four years back, I went to the USA-born restaurant chain Wahlburgers on Circular Quay, and ordered an apple sundae.  My goodness, it was the best sundae ever!  

I did have a fraction of trouble ordering that sundae because it was one of those restaurants where there is a phone barcode on each customer table.  The gentleman behind the bar counter couldn't quite understand that I wanted to order my sundae without ordering it through the bar code, that my older phone couldn't do the action.  Eventually, however, everything was ok and I've raved about that apple sundae ever since.

Before I went to Las Vegas in 2024 I read the online Wahlburgers menu.  No apple sundae on it.  I was devastated.  

When I went to Sydney last year, I rushed to Wahlburgers down on Circular Quay (it is just before the Opera House).  Aha! - apple sundae was on the menu.

By this time my old phone was completely useless.  Australia had already changed to 4G and me, being the most lazy person ever, was waiting until the last moment to buy the new model in New Zealand.

 So, I went inside to verbally order my sundae.

"I'm sorry?".  The guy at the counter looked puzzled.

"I want an apple sundae please," I repeated.

"You have to sit down and order it through the phone code."

"I don't have a phone," I said. "I'll pay with a card."

"You have to sit down - "

"Will the server come to me?" I asked.

"Um... Yes?"

I sat down at an outside table.  There was a beautiful view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

I waited.

And waited.

Finally, I called out to a passing server, "May I order please?"

He indicated the phone bar code on the table.  "You have to order through that."

"My phone isn't working," I said. 

"Ah...  I'll see what you'll have to do."  And he was gone

I waited for something to happen.

And I waited.  And waited.

I accosted another server.  "You have to order through this."  He pointed to the bar code on the table.

"Yes, I know that, but my phone isn't working."

"What do you want to order?" he asked.

"An apple sundae," I said.  Hooray, everything was going to work out.

"I'll see what I can do."

I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

I accosted another server.  "Please, please, please can I have the apple sundae that I asked for?"

"I'll see what I can do."

I waited a long time.  I accosted another server.  "Where's my apple sundae?" I said.

I waited some more.

"I want my apple sundae!!!"

It finally arrived.  It wasn't ice cream.  It was complete liquid, 

I didn't ask for a straw to drink it.  I couldn't be bothered to argue with servers, chef, management.  I paid and  left the premises.  I stopped at a kiosk  further along the walkway and bought an ice cream cone ...