Protest Day

You know, Europe is not the only place which seems to be having it's fair share of protests. Our city's elected are also getting it in their collective necks for taking so long to rebuild peoples homes. It's pretty much all "Central Business District" that appears to have the priority. I accept that there is a balance to be had but at this time the 'balance' is only in the favour of the companies, the insurances and the fat cats.

I am all for shops and offices - but not at the expense of people who are living in garages, 'couch surfing' or sleeping in their cars at night! Like many, many others in the city we are still having to pay full rates for houses we cannot live in and some people cannot even access their homes. I applaud the actions of those who highlight the plight of our citizens who are in dire straits. The elderly, some as old as 80, are being told to get a mortgage to finance a move if they can't afford it. This is utterly outrageous. The council and CERA must re-home these people as a priority.

So, as the city plants the seed of protest for social improvements (and what place in the world has never done that eh?) I also managed to plant some of these in pots as I'm not convinced that I will be in a new home by Christmas or spring time!! I might take bets on what comes up first, my bulbs or my house!

Whistle Wetting Wednesday

Our nights are getting colder, to match our soggy mornings. These days I need something to warm the cockles of my heart (yes, I do have one)....it would be even better if I had a nice warm fireplace to nestle beside but (thanks Mother Nature) I don't. So, the heat pump and I have a date tonight, and I'll be drinking this....


Autumn Slumber Toddy

• 2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz creme de cassis
• dash of simple syrup
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• hot water

Preparation:

1. In an Irish coffee glass pour the liquors, syrup and lemon.
2. Top with hot water.
3. Stir.

Now then, once you've got your glass and you're in your onesie pj's, how about some music to slurp to?

Upon Reflection

The view from a restaurant window, in Wellington recently.

"You smell nice"

"Thats probably becuase teenagers like the smell of a wallet opening.."

"No, you smell...like a Mum"

"You what?"

"And I love you and I'm going to hug you right here in this shop!"

Maybe, just maybe, after 17 years I am finally getting good at this mothering thing...

Whistle Wetting Wednesday

It's ANZAC Day here, let's just settle for a beer!

Looking backwards and forwards at the same time

Do you play the piano? Here is just one of the ideas springing up around our city in the form of 'gap fillers' projects. This piano actually does work, if you don't mind it being off key in some parts - which if you sing like me then you won't mind at all! Some empty sections which once housed buildings or shops or houses have activities such as Petanque, or an old fridge converted into a library and then one's like this with a piano! Great idea don't you think? 

Here is Mother Mary reflecting over what is left of her Basillica....

And here is another exhibit, 185 chairs - marking the number of deaths in the February 2011 earthquake, there are even some baby seats and high chairs..very sobering. What impresses me the most is that there does not appear to be even a shred of graffiti on any of these things! We still have our soul.

On the home front, we finally received a payment from EQC for the damage done to our home in the 7.1 shake in Sept 2010 (the evil beasty that started this chain of events) - progress methnks. Plus they have decided (well, this week anyway) that our home IS 'buggered' afterall and we will now go back to being on track for a demolition and rebuild! Talk about two steps forward and five steps back...however am cautiously optimistic that all the past month of meetings and firm dicsussions have paid off this time!

Update

This is a photo of a set of windows in the downstairs part of our munted house. This was taken in early December 2011. It has gotten worse, as you would expect with the amount of shaking that has gone on.

We were all set for a rebuild - our insurance company had been very helpful but had gone as far as they could without the Earth Quake Commission signing us off their books and making the over-cap payment they owe for their share of the damage. You can imagine our horror when, just this week mind you, we discovered that the REAL reason EQC haven't paid out yet is because someone has decided that the house can be repaired. Yeah. A 2 story house on at least an 8 degree lean, on land that requires new foundation standards (our original foundations were put down in 1923) - REPAIRED? What a load of bollocks. Suffice to say we're not happy and not convinced that anyone at EQC knows what they are doing. For months now they have fobbed us off with a different excuse each time about the non-payment. Perhaps they don't have the money? Its clear they don't have the brains. Why go and review a house 6 months after they had made the decision to hand it over for rebuild.

We know we are not the only ones in this situation - which actually makes it worse, doesn't it!