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Both girls had the flu last week. Sarah missed her special performance at school, but Rachael made it for hers on Wednesday. She came back even more bouncing than usual, and didn't get to sleep until really late. Paid for it the next morning!
We've had some of the AFS (American Field Service) coordinators to visit us yesterday, and sort out the paperwork. We've picked a Norwegian student who lives about 50km north east of Trondheim. There's nothing else there. Just Trondheim. She wanted a place that wasn't "too rural". I think we qualify on that. I can see the Auckland Sky Tower from the top of the hill.
We're in the final preparations for the conference at work. It'll be in a local grammar school again, with over 250 teachers from all over the country. We've been struggling to get the final bugs sorted so we can have something to show off. However, I think we probably need to hold off on that next week, because there's always that temptation to slip in another bit and create another bug...
The new band room is due to be moved in October. I've always marvelled about the way Kiwis move house... literally. It's finally going to be installed on the existing foundations, and the old building moved round the corner for the Pony Club to use. We've also got two fireworks concerts, at least 4 Santa parades, and two Bavarian nights. Plus carolling and the rest. So it'll be busy. Apparently our conductor threw a wobbly this week, when people wouldn't stop talking and weren't listening. Pity I missed it. I arrived late after completely forgetting it was Friday, when Bronwyn said the immortal words "Aren't you going to band?"
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( 3 / 2085 )Before you ask, our house is still standing. Christchurch is near the other end of the country. We spent a night there when we were travelling, so I've seen some of the places that got damaged in the earthquake. I've felt a few earthquakes since we moved here, but all of them were in the central north island where the main fault runs through.
At the brass band contest today, we had a different judge because the original one was down in Christchurch clearing the rubble off the pile of music we'd given him. Fortunately the motorway opened at noon, so we had no trouble driving down. We came fourth, but we were up against some very good bands so we were just there to have fun!
Both girls haven't been well, and Rachael's chipped a tooth, so she'll be visiting the dental nurse at some point to have it smoothed over. It seems that even when she's ill, she can still bounce around so much that she does herself an injury!
We're thinking of hosting an overseas student next year, so we've been given a few profiles to look over. Bronwyn came home today with some tester pots of paint, so I feel some redecorating is on the cards, as well as a lot of work to clear the spare room!
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( 2.9 / 1881 )Rachael's not well. She's got a sore throat and is feeling generally dreadful. She's also a lot quieter than normal, which is highly unusual. Sounds like she's got the flu. Possibly the same one as last year because Bronwyn and me are fine. Sarah wasn't too well a week ago, but she's better now.
Next week, I'll be going to south Auckland for the brass band contest. Unfortunately, it's also the weekend that they're closing the southern motorway, so virtually all traffic from north to south is going down a different road instead. Hopefully we'll all get there eventually. At least the road north will be fine - they're only closing the southbound side, in order to dismantle a large gantry over a new section of flyover.
At work, we keep moving the goalposts. About 7 schools have been given test versions of the new software. The bug list is up to 65, but we're only planning to fix the worst of them for next week. I'll be glad when it's all over...
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( 3 / 2096 )Bronwyn got stung by a wasp on Wednesday. She was just dropping off the girls to school. She had an allergic reaction and collapsed, and someone called an ambulance. By the time it arrived, she was coherent again, so they took her to the doctors. She was there for two hours, barely aware of what was going on, and was still weak and tired the following day. So she's now carrying antihistamines around in her bag, and keeping an eye open!
Rachael entered exams for writing and for spelling. She's just got the results for writing, and for the writing exam she came first (equal with another girl) in the school! So she's off on a trip on the ferry across the Auckland harbour with Auntie Claire for the afternoon. Haven't got the results for spelling yet, but she did pretty well last year.
At work, the light at the end of the tunnel keeps moving further away, but we're getting closer. We have spent 1300 hours restructuring the whole system. We let a few teachers have a look, and their comment was that nothing much had changed! So we spent 15 hours changing the appearance, and everyone's amazed. We've got a few obstacles to go, but hopefully everything should be ready Real Soon Now.
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( 2.9 / 2152 )Time ceased to have meaning this week. I spent most of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the office; we were trying to finish the latest software ready for next week. We had a chart on the wall of all the bugs, and coloured stars so we could mark which ones we'd done. Got to bed at 12:40am on Wednesday. Or is that Thursday? I'd lost track.
But at least I have a car again. It starts first time, and it's got a warrant. It's great to sit in the car and just turn the key again. The mechanic made me promise to give it a good wash and treat it well, now that it has a new engine in it. Bronwyn's car has come back from the panel beaters but it still needs the seatbelt, cam belt and steering done. Although the steering is now working again, so we might leave that for now.
Sarah has been asking if I've gone on holiday this week; she hasn't seen a lot of me. So we all went to the museum yesterday. Rachael and Sarah spent ages in the kid's section, examining bones and beetles and all sorts of things. We also went in the volcano exhibit, where they had a mock house set up that had a television and a big window, showing you what it might be like if a volcano erupted under Auckland. Rather scary, but at least there's no hot spots under the farm. Well, not last time they checked, anyway.
The band has a contest coming up, so we're going to have two extra rehearsals and a trombone sectional coming up. The contest is on the same weekend that they're blocking the southern motorway for roadworks. It's going to be chaos. There's an alternative route, but it's going to be just about the only route through Auckland, so it could be interesting.
Kiwi make-it-last-longer no. 103:
The chemical shed. It's at the back of what used to be the tractor shed, which is still standing, mostly. The chemical shed appears to have been tacked on at the back, badly. The doorway has completely fallen out, as has part of the wall. Arthur the sheep is using it as a hideaway, so I arranged the door as a ramp to allow him to hobble in and out.
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