This posting probably would have a narrow appeal, to a single house in Dublin.
All the Qs were pitchside for Poneke(Pon-e-key) versus Marist St. Pats, two of the Wellington club competition teams, and situated across the road from each other.
For Marist read “left footers”, and the club attracts its players from the city boys college(high school), left foot variety. I have watched club rugby for last three years and never taken to Poneke, though their quality tends to be reliable.
We arrived just before end of the first half with MSP leading. We were treated to a great second half, with entertaining rugby as MSP ripped ’em up, with great running from their backs, beautifully executed attacks and good link work with the forwards.
Poneke were “whipped” 30-21.
I am sure this “sectarian” support is bad for you!
Author: migrant
Outdoor Life
Today it was a trip to one of our favourite places in Wellington, Owhiro Bay. It is on the south coast of the city and was previously a quarry. It is beautiful in its bleakness, rocky zones, tall cliffs and “volcanic” sand, often with big waves.
http://www.wn.co.nz/cameras/cam04.php
Today, though the weather was due to turn, and has, though when we were there it was the most calm we have seen it. A good walk, photos taken an the boys having Mum and Dad time as EQ was off at the cinema with a mate.
We has a deserved drink at the brewery after the walk.
As mentioned, the weather has turned, and now the house is being lashed by driving rain, and cold powerful southerlies. Not so nice, but one of those times to enjoy as you are inside and warm as the weather is vile and cold outside.
Chillier Times
Last night I took the tiger out again to look at Jupiter. Easily found but of course would prefer larger equipment to see better. Also, the cold nights are an issue currently, even if it is conveniently dark earlier in the night. Will have to squeeze in a bit more before I return the telescope to the society.
A cold night last night, 4 Celsius. Which is significant inside a NZ house!
On the upside though clear beautiful morning and afternoon.
This weekend is a long one. Monday is a holiday-Queen’s Birthday. What is all that about?
How peculiar that such a holiday is still on the calender here. I think also in Oz. It is a relief though that no one “celebrates’ if that is what one is meant to do.
We will be living our middle class idyll by doing the gardening again.
Time in the suburbs
So, a funny old weekend.
Joe’s rugby cancelled as it poured down overnight. Super 14 final ruined as a game and spectator event by the all enveloping fog, which of course would not have happened if it had been due to play in Wellington.
A Sunday trip to the club followed by Confirmation session for EQ.
Then parents did their gardening stint to spruce up the place, and felt all the better for it afterwards. This was followed by a walk at Oriental Bay and a “well earned pint”.
Middle class bliss?
Is it the FA Cup?
Super 14 final today, which features The Hurricanes and The Crusaders, two Kiwi teams. A big event and so continual talk and newspaper articles all week. The enemy are the favourites. Nearly a domestic competition, or at least a mini -international one that NZ teams do well in.
As an event I suppose close to FA Cup, or maybe Champions League final.
Go the “Canes”.
The inevitable march of time?
Back to the knee then.
Saw the bone doctor yesterday and arthroscopy booked for June 29th as long as ACC approve. ACC?-essentially an alternative health and support service if your problems are accident related. I did mine intially sailing, then a whole ot worse when I went running and knee went “squeeelch!”
I certianly cannot run at monment and even walking is limiting, and pain at night…….
So a bit of repair to the ageing body.
The most worrying bit of seeing the man yesterday was how he noted the muscle wasting around my knee that I was not aware of.
Sara’s biggest concern was that I was not wearing my best pants.
Saturday Pattern
Rugby was not rained off this weekend, so trip to Ian Galloway Park to see the U-11s do their stuff, which in the first half was not upto scratch. This was noted by the coach
at his half-time team talk ” as individuals your are playing well, but as a team you are crap”-no punches pulled then. And yes they were crap; poor tackling, too many “lone rangers” and trying to run around the other team, rather than straight. A better “second 40” (actually 25 minutes), saw two tries to our one, better team work and commitment.
Lots of shouting from sideline involved the usual “tackle”, “run straight” and “keep up with the ball”.
Joe apparently suffered some “stomping”. Someone stood on his achilles in a ruck.
A good Saturday morning.
Doom and Gloom
Monday morning gloom. It has been miserable weather since yesterday with freezing strong winds from the south west with large dollops of rain. Woken in the night by the wind howling around the house and chucking the garden furniture around on the deck. Next up was the shaking for about five seconds.
“A five magnitude quake has rattled the lower North Island this morning.
There are no reports of damage or injuries following the shake, which struck at 5:32am.
Seismologists say it was located 40 kilometres northwest of Porirua, at a depth of 60 kilometres.
The earthquake is the second to be felt in the Wellington region in the last 24 hours. At 7.26 last night, a 3.8 magnitude quake was felt in the capital and Marlborough.”
Then to get up and check out the BBC and find Brentford lost to the Swans…….
A welcome to Brighton due next season.
Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me…………..
I bet the postman(woman actually) is dreading taking all those parcels and cards to our house today.
Goodies so far-Arctic Monkeys CD, U2 collection CD, a book “The Silk Riders” about a trip by an NZ economist and his mates who drove BMW bikes tracing the route of Marco Polo to China, and a pair of Bart and Homer slippers.
Can’t say fairer than that.
Kapiti Island
Or a trip to ‘cup of tea ” island in some peoples’ vernacular.
It was a trip orgnaised by the family group we belong to through St. Ben’s.
These are monthly events to make for social contact.
So off to the island via Paraparaumu beach and to an island that is a DOC reserve.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/001~Other-Places/008~Wellington/Kapiti-Island-Nature-Reserve/index.asp
All pests such as rats and possums have been eradicated to allow the native bird live to flourish. So the bird life is varied, plentiful and keen to interact with the visitors.
We walked up to the top of the island despite the knee(more later I am sure), taking an hour and half to the then look out from the top into mist. There was nothing much to see!
Down we went (not good for the knee), and the children played children stuff on the beach.
A fun Sunday with a little detour to Waikanae for beer and fish and chips.
Waikanae appears to be a great place for the stars being small, flat and much reduced light pollution.