Swimming in winter

Hi there

It's difficult swimming between storms, no changing shed, lunches with friends, appointments, etc. But I have managed seven swims this month.  The last three swims have been soooooo cold.  For several hours after my swim, my fingers were soooooo freezing and stiff.  I felt that if I bent them, they'd break.

I'm beginning to think I'm too old for this winter swimming lark. I arrive at the beach in my bathiing suit and a bathrobe.  But it's so difficult to dress myself when there's no operable changing shed at Hataitai Beach.  After a swim,  I now wrap a towel around my bathing suit, a bathrobe on top, slip into my psuedo crocs (with fleecy insides - yay, I found them at No 1 Shoes), all of this done with fingers that won't work and a body so cold I think I'm standing in a fridge.   Then it's into the car and off home.   Freezing.  All I can hope is that my car never breaks down and I have to hike somewhere in my Sylvester Cat-patterned bathrobe.

The Wellington City Council changing shed/toilets at Hataitai Beach were supposed to be revamped by end of June.  The council have just now told us it will be end of August. 

A visit to the doctor

Hi there

I went to a doctor a couple of months back.  I hadn't been for a year or so.  And I had a list.

There were four things on my list, four symptoms/illnesses/what-have-you with nothing at all to do with each other and in no particular order.

The doctor saw me pull out my list -

"Just tell me the most important thing," said the doctor.  "Come back other times with the other things on your list.  We've only got fifteen minutes."

What?  W-h-a-a-a-t!!!"  I was flabbergasted.  Flustered, I opted for the symptom at the top of the list .

Doctors study for - what? - maybe seven years?  Yet this doctor expected me, the patient, to know the order of importance of  the symptoms of four illnesses, even though I'd never had one iota of medical training?

Is it just the money the surgery could make from seeing me four separate times?  Who knows?

I did go back to a doctor a few weeks ago about a completely unrelated matter to my original list (it was when I almost fell in the fridge at Countdown, pulling a side muscle in the process).  This time, I was too scared to bring out my list.

So that's three medical worries I still have...

I am so miffed.

Visitors

Hi there

What!  I've got visitors coming this afternoon?  Oh dear.

I love my friends to bits but having them visit in one big swag is frightening.  If I was one if those women who shout, "Whoopee, visitors!  I can hardly wait to clean up the house for them," I would be ecstatic.  But I hate cleaning and that is why I almost live hermit status.  Who would choose to let visitors visit their  place to see dusty skirting boards, carpets that should have been vacuumed three weeks ago, non-essential papers strewn about, dull Venetian blinds, basins and sinks that could look more shiny,  a ring around the bath, a soapy shower-box, fingerprints on the fridge, and dust bunnies under the beds (everyone knows that Unwritten Rule No 2 When Visiting is to peer under the beds).

Well, I certainly wouldn't want visitors to visit if I had a place like that.  Oh, wait I do have a place like that!  Again, oh dear...

 In my bathroom vanity, in all three drawers, reaching about four layers high, and in no particular shoved-in order, there are explosions of jars, combs, emery boards, pegs, soaps, cotton wool, bandages, plasters, safety pins, brushes,  perfumes, powders and lipsticks.   Unwritten Rule No 1 When Visiting is to always, without exception, open every drawer and cupboard in a bathroom.  Have I said "Oh dear" before?  If not, I'll scream it now.

This morning, I am going to be busy.  Obviously, for hours.  With bucket, mop and duster.  And vacuum cleaner.  And empty rubbish bags.  And coughing and sneezing and wearing one of those masks that builders wear.  I got tested by an allergy company a few years' back and I have an allergy to cleaning - yes,yes, I know a lot of us feel allergic to cleaning in a completely emotional way but I am actually allergic to household cleaning products, as well as dust.  The gods are so cruel -

++++

PS:  two hours before my visitors were due to arrive,  my vacuum cleaner finally gave up the ghost.  I had to run out and buy a new one.  The afternoon went as, well as could be expected.

Walkies!!

Hi there

 The pulled muscle in my side is gradually getting better.  I went to the gym last week vowing not to twist my body.  The instructor gave us some twisting stretches and I automatically twisted.   I felt my side pull sore again.  Darn.

Anyway I went for a stroll around the bays to Oriental Bay.  Usually I walk over the Hataitai hill to get there, but the wind was in the right direction, the sun was out, I was in a happy mood ...

In between NIWA (the reseach station for all things aqua) and Balaena Bay I passed a short path close to the water's edge that has been blessed as an official dog walk.  There's always been a 'Woof woof ruff ruff' notice on the fence but now there is another sign that reads "Dogs are like potato crisps.  It's hard to have just one".  Obviously a dog lover set the sign there -

Supermarket Shopping, it's a reach

Hi there

Two weeks ago, I was looking for a certain something in Countdown Supermarket, Kilbirnie.  Everyone, of course, knows that when you're on a diet, oven wedges are essential to a healthy way of living!

The bag of wedges were in one of those long low-down lean-across fridges. The wedges were at the very back.  There were only two bags left which would necessitate me not only reaching across the fridge, but I would have to reach down as well.

"Uhhhh-!"  Nope, I was too short to do the deed.

I tried again.  My fingers were tantalisingly close to the prize.   I tried one last time, but still couldn't reach the wedges.  There was no-one around to help me.

So, I gave up and walked away.  I got as far as the processed cheeses and turned back.  I wasn't going to be beaten.  This challenge  was there to be won.

With a huge effort - my feet actually lifted off the ground for a second or two - I pushed myself across that fridge and with a gigantic Olympic-type-gold-medal reach, I grabbed at the bag of  wedges.

There was a sudden explosion in my left side.  It was as if all my innards were being rammed in different directions.

I fell back in pain, clawing at my side, and silently screaming a very naughty word.  I can only hope that Countdown staff don't accumulate all their unusual customer videos in a compilation and show them at their staff Christmas party to the accompaniment of  jaunty circus music??

The outcome?  I had to go to the doctor, was given a truckload of pills, and told not to do the twist for a few weeks.  Cold sea swimming was good, providing I did breast-stroke.

A note of warning to height-challenged shoppers:  beware of tantalising wedges in supermarket fridges ....

Government House tour, Wellington, New Zealand

https://gg.govt.nz/government-house/government-house-wellington/government-house-tours

Hi there

On one day a year, Government House, the home of the Governor-General of New Zealand (the officially non-political  representative of the Queen) is open to the public.  People queue for hours, like a long snake weaving down the driveway, almost to the main street.

What I didn't know until a couple of weeks ago was that anyone can go on a guided tour of the building.  You only have to book in advance (see link above; it might work!).  I went with a group from my gym class - about a dozen of us.  Solo snoopers can enjoy the tour too!   All are security-checked in advance.

The stories told by our guide about the history of the house, the previous governors-general, the china, furniture, paintings were so interesting, and some stories were quite funny. Many of the paintings are rotated from Te Papa Museum or other galleries;  a GG often picks the paintings she/he would temporarily like for the house. The Governor-General has her private rooms upstairs but, naturally we didn't go up there.

I did find out that if New Zealanders have, say, a 50th wedding anniversary or a one hundredth birthday coming up then they should just fill in a form to get official recognition.

below:  back view of Government House. After going through security and iron gates we entered via  this way into the house.  Tradesmen's entrance?

below: the 'throne" room.  Investitures, balls ,cocktail parties take place in here.  They've tried to keep the decor as it was from the beginning.

below: part of a reception room

 below:  a painted screen.  I think, but I'm not sure, it was painted by war artist Peter McIntyre.  A past Governor-General was sad he couldn't see Wellington Harbour from Goverment House so he asked for a screen to be painted.  One side is a day view of the harbour and the other side, a night view.  The screen would be turned around depending on whether it was daytime or nighttme.

below: a very small section of the grounds

Shortest Day Swim at Hataitai Beach

Hi there

Today, in New Zealand, it is Thursday 21 June, The Shortest Day. 

The Young One, J, and I managed to rope in about ten other mad-cough-cough-I--mean-'brave' swimmers to accompany us on the shortest day winter swim.  The air temperature was 8c when we got in the water.

It was cold, and the water was choppy.  There was a magnificent rainbow over the beach, some sirens (celebrating our  shortest day victory, naturally!), and as a fire engine driver passed the beach he gave us a couple of toots.

Below:  a pic of some of the mid-winter  swimmers entering the water at Hataitai Beach, Wellington, New Zealand, 21 June 2018.

Photo taken by J's personal paparazzi.