Fun and busy-ness in NZ

In light of the rather nice posts of Jono and Inti from their NZ trip (finally!), I think I should let readers know what we've been up to.

We've spent quite a lot of time this week catching up with lovely Mealys and Evelz' and other friends for lunches, and little sisters Ellie / Steph / Mekie as well. Even if we dragged aforementioned little sisters through every mens shop on Lambton and Willis looking for the perfect Brendan summer jacket (no easy task since all the shops are preparing for winter).

The rest of the time has been spent doing wedding-related stuff, with lots of Julie's (Brendan's mum's) help (and how could we forget Ellie and Jonny!). Suffice to say we're pretty busy, and Wellington has been traversed in search of various items, and hair and makeup trials. I even went to Wainuiomata!

I am also doing lots of sewing of table runners, meeting various Brendan relatives and trying to work out a ceremony compromise between Brendans and priests. Ouch.

So. Yes, to everyone, we would totally love to have lunch with you. I'm just a bit more busy for Thurs and Fri. Try after Wed of next week.

The apartment is full of little chinese boxes which need labels and have been stanped. They look very pretty. And I am trying not to open all the packets of American lollies we bought. Some have already been sacrificed to the brave cause of the Ida and Tina and Brendan hunger for peanut butter cups and chocolate.

We also had to buy shoes today since Brendan left his formal ones in America. Yay for Shoe Warehouse! My shoes are hurting already - wish I'd brought them to America to practice wearing them. I wore them to the Subway at the bottom of the building and that was sore. Amazingly, we have only been to Subway once. I am not joking. Unless Brendan's hiding the evidence...

I miss our warm Californian weather as it's a freezing southerly right now. I do NOT miss the Wellington wind by any stretch of the imagination. Brrr. All my "warm weather" stuff only just makes the cut. It's supposed to be fine on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - here's hoping the weather report is right!!

It's also starting to feel more normal being back, and I don't notice accents anymore.

I've spent vast amounts of time sewing these black table runners, and I've only done 4 out of 11. Hope to do some more tomorrow. It's depressing. I managed to score some amazing jet beads for Julie to borrow - 100 years old, they belonged to her great-great or something aunt Ellie. And they look just like my black ones that Julie likes.

Last night I drove Julie's car down this tiny, steep, windy one-way street from Northland to Glenmore - it was a shortcut. I've only ever walked down it before. The cars are the other way around from America inside as well.