Saturday 4 December 2010

What, no November postings?!!

Sorry for the delay - was too busy growing my Movember 'tash to do any blogging during my birthday month. Actually, I was so busy pruning it every day that it just never took hold!

Anyway, glad to be back on Blogger - even if Maria thinks it's a waste of time!

It's actually been a busy few weeks, as you will no doubt see if you bother to read the rest of this post....

End of October saw me build up the mileage again on the bike in preparation for the Sourse to sea event. I had a couple of 100+ km rides - one with Maria for the first 70km before heading over the Summit Road for a punishing 40km back-end and then a 125km Rangiora/Oxford loop with the 'S-2-S team'.

I also squeezed a 1-Day i2i course in on 30th October. My proposed venue fell through at the last minute but landlady Nicky came to the rescue and we held the event in 'The Studio' - the other house on this section, with an atrium-style, full glass fronted place on the banks of the Avon. It was a perfect setting and the course went well.

Early November saw Maria organising a couple of teams from Solid Energy to run in the Corporate Challenge 5km event at Hagley Park.


The men's team won the team event, and one of the guys - Rowan - actually won the race.

We also hosted Chris and Veronica Ashworth for dinner - Maria's uncle and aunt - who are over visiting Matt and Lou for a month or so. We introduced them to Hell's Pizzas - not quite the same as Jack's homemade efforts - but tasty and convenient in the circumstances.

I took a day's leave on my birthday and headed out to complete the real Long Bays ride for the first time - just before the Southerly blew in and turned it very autumnal for 24 hours or so. I headed out to Darfield - epicentre of the recent Earthquake - for a lunchtime rendezvous with Maria. Lovely bakery-com-cafe there - I'd recommend it. Maria and I headed to the Twisted Hop in Litchfield Lanes for a few bevvies and fish and chips. Perfect. Added bonus was watching Canterbury Rugby win the ITM cup on the TV - bonus being the fact that we hadn't bought tickets and had to sit in the freezing cold and rain!

The following week was 'Cup Week' here in Christchurch. I suppose it's the Canterbury equivalent of Ascot week. Last year, I had been invited to the races by Ashley Cooper and had met quite a few people who I have remained in contact with since and who have proved useful work contacts. As a result of one of those contacts, this year I was working - so didn't get to see any racing!

Friday 12th was Canterbury Anniversary Day - another Bank Holiday here in Christchurch - as well as Chris' 19th birthday. After an early morning bike ride with some of the 'S-2-S' boys, Maria, Chris, Sarah and I headed north to Kaikoura for a couple of nights with the Ashworths.



We had hire a bach just north of the town centre, not far from the beach and had made plans to go on a fishing trip on the Saturday morning.


The fishing trip was fantastic - although there were a few of the party that might not describe it quite so positively. Maybe it was their regurgitated and vomitted breakfast that attracted the fish towards our boat and helped us catch plenty?!



After the nautical experience, I took the 2 Chrises and Vron up to Ohau to see if the seal cubs were still in their 'training pool'. Unfortunately there was only 1 pup that had not ventured out to sea yet - but he was doing his best to entertain the crowd that had assembled.

Dinner, of course, was a BBQ with our freshly caught blue cod and perch on the menu, plus a couple of cray fish that we had also pulled out of the sea.


After dinner, we headed down to the beach and lit a bonfire - a week late, but great, nonetheless. A truely fantastic day. And even then there was more, as we watch NZ beat the Aussies in Rugby League (on TV), literally with the last attack of the match!



During the weekend, Chris also heard that he had been offered a new job as Shift Supervisor in training at the new Wendy's 'Old Fashioned Burgers' Restaurant opening soon in Christchurch. A pleasant birthday 'gift' for him.

The following week saw Saz getting her head down for a few exams at school - which she did very well in - plus she was putting a few more hours in at the dance school she attends in preparation for an end of term show plus a 'Tour of the West Coast' with the troupe! She also had an end of term piano recital on the 20th Nov - but unfortunately I missed it - because it was finnaly Source to Sea weekend!

8 of us - 6 competitors and 2 drivers - headed up to St Arnaud on Friday 19th ready for the 160km ride on the Saturday. 'Captain Carlos' was quite alarmed that I was prepared to have a couple of beers in the bar the night before the event. It was only then that it became clear that the other 5 of us were intended to be his domestiques so that he could get a sub-5 hour time for the event.




As it happened, he didn't need our support as he latched on to a much faster bunch than us and achieved a 4 and a half hour time for his efforts. Much to my surprise - and elation - I wasn't that far behind him at the end - coming in at 4 hours 37 mins. Even more suprising was how strong I felt at the end - managing to hold off my bunch of 14 or so for the final sprint in to the line at Westport and then feeling that I could pull on the trainers and head off on the final leg of a triathlon (OK, I missed the swim leg, but I think you get the idea?).

That weekend had been when the Pike River Mine tragedy occured - just down the road neat Greymouth. The following Monday I was booked in for a couple of days of work at the Fulton Hogan depot there. It was a very strange and sad experience indeed. Due to the small size of the town, 'everybody knows everybody' and it was clear that everyone had been affected one way or another. It was obviously on everyone's mind all the time. There was still hope of a recovery whilst I was there - it was only after I had left that there was a 2nd explosion in the mine. It must have been dreadful for them all.

It was whilst I was in Greymouth that I heard the news that Lance Armstrong was planning to come to NZ to compete in a sprint triathlon in Rotorua on 30th Jan. Only one thing to do, for sure. Be on the start line with him! So once Maria had confirmed an entry for me, my training regime kicked up a step! Damn - I'd need to go swimming again - after 3 years out of the pool! More swimming in treacle!

For the 4th week running, I failed to complete 5 full days of work as I took the Friday off to head up to Auckland with Maria to see U2 on their 360' Tour. We stayed at the Stamford Plaza Hotel downtown and enjoyed a great 24 hours in the City of Sails. The concert - out at Mount Smart Stadium - was stupendous! Fantastic light show and great sound. We had to put up with a bit of Jay-Z and his Auckland fan club - but it was worth it.






It seems that party season is now upon us in full earnest. Saturday after the U2 show we were back in Christchurch and at a BBQ with my immediate work mates. We then were out for dinner the following night with the Ashworths - at the Poseidon Restaurant on the beach in Sumner. Tuesday was then the PTA end-of-year bash at Winnie-Bagoes Pizzeria in Ferrymead.

Tuesday was not a great day on the work front, unfortunately, as I was informed that Fulton Hogan were not planning to make the role (that I have been working) permanent going forward. So as of 17th December, I'm back on the market. But as one door shuts, another door will surely open. So maybe not that bad?

Maria was out with the local branch of the NZ Occupational Health Group on Wednesday - whilst I was cycling up over Summit Road trying to burn off some of the previous evenings Pizza - and then a 'farewell BBQ' at the Ashworths on Thursday to say cherrio to Chris and Vron who headed back to the sub-zero temperatures of the UK on Friday!

And so to last Friday. I woke up and headed straight for the lap-top to see if England had been awarded the 2018 World Cup. It was Russia....and Qatar for 2022?? Not quite a tragedy on the same scale as the one in Greymouth the fortnight before, but a tragedy nonetheless! I was banking on a ticket for the Final from Andy Anson!
No-one at work seemed to understand my malaise. I think they all thought it was due to my impending 'redundancy'! Besides, they were probably still reflecting upon the memorial service that had been held the day before for the Greymouth miners. Besides, no-one had died at Zurich - just the dream. Fortunately it was the department's Christmas Night out that evening so Maria and I got our glad rags on and headed out to an evening of Mousakka, lamb kebabs and Ouzo at Santorini's Greek restaurant!

The rest of the weekend has been quite relaxed. I headed down to McCormack's Bay to watch the finish of the Festival of Cycling Harbour Ride on Saturday morning. Paul Odlin - a guy I have been mentoring for a year or so - was competing - I think he came in around 10th, or so he reckoned yesterday. Sarah has been tied up most of the weekend with final rehearsals for the end-of term dance recital - which we have just attended. Very good it was too.

So Christmas is looming - actually it's accelerating towards us fast. A couple more parties planned next weekend. You need some serious amounts of stamina to keep going - I'll let you know how we get on soon!