Moochy Monday

Have been feeling guilty that the dipsomaniacs amongst you may be flailing against the universe unequipped.

Here, try one of these....

La Conga

1 and a half ounces of tequila
2 tsp pinapple juice
2 dashes Agostura bitters
Soda water for topping up

Garnish - 1 slice of lemon

Mix all ingredient, except soda water, together with ice cubes in the glass. Add soda water to taste and stir briefly. Perch the slice of lemon on the rim of the glass.

Silent Sunday

Blog renovations

Same hotel as in last post, but blogvonated.....

and tarted up a bit! What do you say, shall we do it?

Here, there and somewhere else

My mother lives on the east coast of our Island. She is about 3 hours straight driving from where we live. About 10 minutes from her place a few weeks ago I took this photo, can you almost smell the sea air?

In the town of Oamaru, this old hotel has stood abandoned for many years, such a shame but I am CERTAIN that one or two of my fellow bloggers would welcome the chance to help me renovate this place and we would then have a moving in party of gigantic proportions - what do you say? A lick of paint, some new glass and Bob's yer Uncle...I'll bring the drinks for the working bee.

If that place is too big, here's an organically air-conditioned property about an hours drive from my city, just mow the lawns and you're ready for the country life.

Not far from that place, you can buy some wonderful local produce and pies.....while you're eating that and having a quiet beer you can also join in with one of New Zealand's old stalwart bands Hello Sailor!

Silent Sunday

I need a drink

I know. I shouldn't. But I do. But only because of extreme provocation!!

Last week when I had literally just gotten off the plane and arrived home, within seconds Ernie staggered out from undeer the deck sporting a very large puffy back paw. Of course, we zoomed off to the vet. Bad news. he had been bitten by something vicious almost to the bone, he had to stay overnight at Pet A & E, have an operation the next day and be on antobiotics for 5 days.  Z
KERCHING, KERCHING.

Picked him up from the Vet's on the Friday afternoon and handed over my hard earned cash.

Saturday morning had to take the rabbit (Daisy) to the vet to have his wonky tooth lasered. At this point I figured I may as well leave my wallet at the vets - I offered that but Vet claimed my wallet was empty. Note to self: check what type of car he drives.

This week when i got back from my tripping about, took Ernie back to vet to have the drain removed from his paw. Antibiotics don't appear to have worked as well as they had hoped. They decided to weigh him to see if they had the dosage right. Nope. he weighs in at 5.3kgs...more antibiotics but stronger dose. At least the wee fella is happy to eat them up and we don't have to hide them in food etc.

This morning I notice that Daisy is off his tucker. he also has a dodgy eye. Back to vet where we extract a large grass seed. KERCHING. KERCHING.  He now needs eye drops 4 times a day to ward off any possible ulcer.

I need a drink.

Perhaps a VELVET HAMMER:-

3/4 ounce Tia Maria 9or other coffee flavoured liqueur)
3/4 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce light cream

Shake all ingredients together with ice, strain into cocktail glass.
Actually, if you've had a few days like mine maybe double the recipe!!

I took this photo while in Dunedin last week. You might even find me in there...I'm looking into all phone boxes incase Dr Who is there!

Silent Sunday

Playing about

During my trip down south I took a few photos but mostly of sheep! Now that I'm home and the Scowly Teen is off out and has left the seat at the PC unduarded, I stole the opportunity to visit Picnik (thanks to Violet Sky I found that site) and played about until my sheep looked like this! What do you think?

Driving towards Dyunedin from Balclutha I have often passed this fence and always thought "Must get a photo of that" and this time I actually did! For some reason someone tied a pair of shoes to this fence, then someone else did and then another and another...you get the idea. I wonder why the fence owners never 'shooed" them away, maybe they didn't want to be heels? Maybe it gives their property soul?

I have been away most of last week. I will be away Monday to Thursday night of the new week. It hasn't hit me yet but I love this band.

Here and there

I have mentioned the native Kea before, they are a parrot native to New Zealand and they are super cheeky. At the usualy stopping place (or 'comfy stops" as my dad would call them) of Arthur's Pass the tea rooms are a magnet for the Kea. The tourists who don't keep an eye on their food or drinks will often lose them! I had been watching a german couple taking photos of two kea who were intent on getting their pies when I heard a clinking sound beside me...this fellow had sneaked up on my cuppa tea!!

Further along, in Otira I saw this cotage, sorry Owen and Lynne but I think it is already inhabited!

This one near Greymouth may also be inhabited but you could always sneak a bath in the outdoor tub - can you see it?

The angle of this photo makes it look like those 3 sparrows on the roof are very heavy....(again, I think this house is already lived in...)

This place was all alone, at the foot of the climb up to otira and on over to Arthur's Pass. Nobody lives in this one...

or in this one! I was rather taken by the moss growing on the end wall and then realised it was all round the old shed. However, I am sure a clever handyperson or a willing 'fixer-upper' could work their magic with this place! I reckon that with all this wild old country and cattle grazin' in the background that this could be a goody to fade out on....

Manic Monday

This week is the start of a crazy few months for me, you will be pleased to know that I won't be posting as much drivvel or indeed as much of anything...I am starting on a round of training courses which take me all over the country and leaves me with about only one day a week in the office for the next 2 months.
That is a good thing as I quite enjoy getting out and about, meeting and greeting - but as much as I enjoy having my meals cooked for me and getting my room made up for me, and having sole charge of the TV remote I do miss being at home. And I miss the kids. And I miss The Stud. And I will miss access to a reliable computer to see what you're all up to while I'm away.

I won't miss the ironing, or cleaning out the rabbit hutches.

Catch you when I can...

Silent Sunday

Torchwood

I have been watching Torchwood - Children of  Earth these past few weeks, final was on last night. I have to say I have actually enjoyed these episodes.  The 456 actually seem real, not like there is a bit of 'invisible string' making them work as was the case with a few past monsters.

The cast has been outstanding, and I'm much happier now that Monkey Face has gone! Sorry to any fans he might have, but frankly he irritated the bejesus outta me.

Anyway, last nights episode almost had the Scowly and I in tears, when Jack lost his bloke...so sad. However we cheered ourselves up by trying to guess the exact moment that Jack would give his 'born again' gasp - in earlier episodes this was a great galloping affair but in this one it was more a flutter.

I'm not sure when we will get our next 'does' of Torchwood, but am looking forward to it. I just wish there was some way that the programmers would put it on earlier at night. 10.30pm is a bit late for me during the week - I can't believe that there is any reason for it to be on so late unless there are still homophobes out there about the boy-action. Somehow for me this only adds to the programmes appeal - no idea why, and I know it's not the main part of the storyline. I get annoyed with hetero-stuff if I feel it detracts from the 'real' story (hence my difficulty in watching those ol' wetserns where the good guy gets the gal...), it's why some of the more recent Dr Who lines did my head in as much as I adore DT.

So, thumbs up so far for the Torchwood writers, looks like they finally took advice from some of you in blog-land and got their acts together. I am eagerly awaiting the next series...in fact, I'm fired up and jiggy....

Tuesday Tipple

Today I am mixing up a 'winter warmer' for my blog buddies in the Northern Hemisphere, and because I have not been keeping very good records of what I have or have not posted before I hope this one will at least come as a surprise?

Gluhwein

1 bottle of red wine (unless you're inviting me as well in which case you had best double the whole recipe!)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 slices of lemon
2 slices of orange
1 cinnamon stick

Warm all ingredients in a saucepan until very hot. Do not boil (mustn't waste any of the alcohol)

Serve in a heated glass, and kick back and listen to this guy who has been around for years but never seemed to gain momentum outside of my lounge. I don't know why, as I think he's a great writer and has a nice gravelly voice....ladies and gents I give you "Mark Germino".....

Alert fatigue?

Not sure if the news of the 8.8 'quake in Chile has made it onto your news pages? And the following Tsunami alerts that were following in hot pursuit?

We all slept through the earthquake and the news reports, the first I heard of it was when i got a text from my sister-in-law saying they were taking my mum and her husband to higher ground. (Fair enough, they live about 400 metres from the beach on the east Coast of our 'Shaky Isles".) My mum is getting on a bit and has knee trouble, her husband has a few health issues - they need a good 2 hours of advance notice to run.

They were fine, had a great cooked breakfast quite a good distance away from the seashore and eventually returned home. Excitement over.

Today however, the news hounds are talking 'Alert fatigue' - you know, the modern equivalent to the boy who cried "Wolf". They reckon that humans will get complacent if they are warned too often and "Nothing happens". To be fair, even with this alert there are reports of quite a few people going 'rubber necking' to the foreshore anyway - they want to see the Tsunami and presumably play chicken with it. I have always thought that if you can see the thing, it's likely to get ya!

Maybe it's because I'm in health & safety anyway, maybe it's because I prefer to be safe over sorry but alert fatigue? I don't think so, I still appreciate the fact that the airports all have fire engines at the ready for take-offs and landings "just in case". If 'alert fatigue' is real, maybe the dummies who rush down to the waterfront at the mere sniff of a Tsunami will get it and the collective IQ of the planet may increase if they are allowed to stay to watch big waves, instead of being shooed away. That can't be a bad thing, can it?