G&B UpOver

Friday, January 20, 2006

Hi all,

Well the big news this week is that our stuff finally arrived from NZ. Remarkable really - it left at the end of October and has only just made it to our house. We had hoped to get it before Christmas but because we didn't send enough stuff (?!), they had to fill the container with other people's stuff and the container made a long trip to the other side of the world, stopping off at a significant number of ports on the way. So our CDs are now more 'traveled' than we are!!!

It arrived on Tuesday and morning and I took the day off work so Bridge and I could sort it together. I must admit I have been quite desperate to get our stuff around us. New house, new furniture and only our clothes with us - bit like living out of a suitcase in a glorified motel!


Anyway, all 42 boxes arrived and basically filled up our dining room. We had enormous fun unwrapping everything - finally our Christmas arrived. We couldn't remember what we had sent over so each parcel was a surprise.

It was great to get all our nic nacs, CDs, stereo, tools, cutlery, paintings etc around us. It took all day to unpack it all and we slept exceptionally well that night.

We had a great evening and had the Nature's Best CD (filled with NZ songs) blaring on the stereo, had a beautiful bottle of Muddy Water from Jane (Bridge's sister) and Mike's winery in Wairarapa, paintings of Lake Hayes and Rangitoto around us and a fantastic meal eaten off our plates, mats and cutlery...stunning!


We only had one breakage - the computer of all things - everytime you turn it on, it beeps like crazy and obviously doesn't like being in UK at all! Our movers are busy trying to organise to get it fixed.

That's been our week really...weather - very nice day on Tuesday (and I was home - yeah!) and today (Friday) so looking forward to a very nice weekend - might pop up to Oxford for a look see.

Take care everyone - blog back please!

Ciao

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Just had to pop on and say, for the first time since before Christmas, the sun was shining today - it's been absolutely glorious (into a winter sort of way). Bright sun, no clouds, re-invigorates the soul doe-nnit!

Ciao!

Friday, January 06, 2006

Shame on you G&B - so long without a post!

Okay, okay, okay...Christmas and New Year and work and stress and ...I'm on it.

Right a month to catch up on...hmmm...let's make it brief shall we?

Week One:

  • Filled with jetlag - 5pm bedtimes and 3am wakeups. Think the neighbours thought we were vampires. And a little hard to concentrate at work!
  • First weekend included a trip to London to visit the queen
  • Saw:
  • Big Ben, String Quartet in Covent Garden, Chestnuts roasting over a rubbish bin, Oxford St Christmas lights, more people than I have ever seen in my life (Oxford St), inside on an English Pub in Soho, and a West End Show - High Society (bit pants actually)
  • Trip home was nasty - left Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue a little after 10 and after tube to Paddington, Train to Reading, one hour wait in freezing cold -4, Slow train to Newbury and drive home - we got in after 1am - pooey!

Week Two:

  • Filled with better sleep patterns and a bit of settling in to the place
  • Although...did pop along to see a little movie called KING KONG!
  • Bridge and I went to Windsor (you know where the queen lives) - Elton John
  • Man - another cold one
  • Then went to Reading (the town in England not the cinema in Wellington) to see KING KONG - so excited.

Think this needs it's own special section: KING KONG

  • Geoff in his first ever Hollywood MovieTM
  • Can't believe we had to wait for over two hours for my starring moment
  • My heart was in my mouth. I started recognising people coming in the Theatre (onscreen) and could see the cameras flashing but the edits were so quick I couldn't see me.
  • Slowly it came to the point where my lines were and...
  • great shots of me but lines CUT!!!!
  • Shame but there you go.
  • Didn't stay for credits but heard from my little cousin Anna that my name is up there in lights which is kind of cool...have to wait for DVD to get a good old lookysee
  • Maybe I'll be in the 'Deleted Scenes' section???
  • They released another set of publicity stills just before the movie premiered and guess what - I'm in one of them...stunning!

  • How good is that!!!!
  • Okay okay...this is the actual version...but I am in there...in the back!

  • So what did actually think of the movie - the man's a genius...but some bits were a bit long. All the bits without me in actually!
  • One last thing - had a secret santa at work and I got these brilliant King Kong gloves that growl and scream when you punch them. Here's Micky from work modelling them - and the weirdest looking pixie hat known to man!
  • They've got pride of place on either side of my screen my desk at work

WEEK THREE:

  • Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house...the cupboard was bare
  • This week we found out that all our stuff (they guaranteed would be delivered in time for Christmas) would not be here until the new year
  • So apart from music, books, stereo, cutlery, crockery, basically anything apart from what we bought over in suitcases - we were also going to be without Christmas decorations, Christmas tree and some Christmas presents - suck!
  • Cendant Mobility and Vanlines certainly got an earful from me (never, ever, ever use NZ Vanlines - pants!)
  • On the last shopping day before Christmas we popped into Newbury town and did a spot of shopping
  • We decided to buy some Christmas decorations but couldn't really find anything - then we had a brain wave and decided to make our own
  • So we bought a small Xmas Tree from the £ shop (like the $2 shop) and some red plastic flowers
  • We cut some holly from the hedge at the back of our house and, hey presto, Christmas decorations!!!
  • How bloody clever are we!

CHRISTMAS DAY:

  • Bridge and I had a very relaxed Christmas
  • Rose late
  • Went to the local church for the Christmas service
  • Great presents. Me - Christmas decoration, chocolate, Books x2 (Audrey Hepburn and Judi Dench). Bridge - Christmas Decoration, Antique Kitchen thing we found in an antique shop in Hungerford, bird feeding equipment (we have so many birds out here in the country and so got bird feeders, seeds, nuts etc) and more chocolate
  • Cooked a lovely salmon fillet for lunch
  • Had great afternoon - very pleasant

WEEK FOUR:

  • I had the week off so spent time hanging round the house
  • Caught up with a friend from NZ, Laura
  • Visited Reading, Basingstoke and Marlborough
  • Went to Avebury - the poor man's Stonehenge, but at least we could walk up to the stones and touch them

  • Basically a very relaxing holiday
  • And back at work this week

So there you have it - our life in UK so far...and finally absolutely an up to date blog.

Hope everyone out there is well - post a comment and say hi!

Take care all

Blog back soon

Ciao