Collegiality, Teamwork and Each Other's Back

I am in union mode and run an interesting meeting on what to do about the attack on teacher autonomy, especially over our professional development, by the Teaching Council. None of us  understand the power dynamic in our professional lives. There's us, the Teaching Council, the Ministry of Education and the government. Education becomes a political football all too often. During time for drafting submissions various of us google these organisations but we're still in the dark at meeting's end. I think that's because things keep changing... behind closed doors. My theory anyway. You never know who is talking to whom, nor what deals they will come up with. Until they issue the next edict, policy change or, in this case, the bill.
Back at the house, the solar panels and hot water system are installed on the roof while the scaffolding is up, the windows and doors go in, and the boys knock up batons and do other house building things. I drop in on Pete at Ambrose Heal cos it's time I sorted out the ensuite vanity. He has carefully stored rimu planks from the old house and talks me into having him make the kitchen island. Like I had intended originally. Nicki's view is that it should all be done by the same joiner. We will have to have a discussion as I can see Pete's view too and my original vision.
There's a nor wester blowing and I go for a swim at North Beach. At volleyball for the first time in three weeks. I collide with a team mate and give him a bleeding finger. I come home with a bruised knuckle. Meanwhile Chris is watching over his father in palliative care.

The laundry door

Back garden

Pete at work with wood

Rimu

Wednesday, Rallying Resources

It's hot and I'm happy when lunchtime comes and I have a free afternoon where I can catch up. Stock markets around the world are taking a hit as the coronavirus spreads. Talk here centres on our education and tourism sectors, both of which have significant Chinese input. I'm catching up on classroom work and organising resources for a PPTA meeting which I'm running tomorrow. This centres on money too. We don't want to pay for professional development which we haven't asked for and which originated in an election promise made by Labour.

At the site, there's a guy from NK Windows installing the frames. He's Ukranian. Says, "Your parents immigrated here too." He's sort of right. My mother is fourth generation on her mother's side. My great great grandmother from London was Jewish and married a Gentile. They sailed to New Zealand in the 1860's and Eliza had her first baby on the ship. She went on to have 11 more. 

Parking space is tight and I take the liberty of parking up the tennis court driveway. These neighbours are fine with me parking across the driveway as they don't use it much. But my south side neighbour sees me and tells me he'll have me towed. The last time he talked to me he made the threat of painting over a tidy up job I was doing on the fence after he had splashed paint over my side. V different colour. Suffice to say, we're not on talking terms. He's also stung Kevin, the demo guy, $1600 for a mark on his decking when a piece of roofing iron hit it while my old house was being demolished. Hmmmm. 

I swim off the juju's then check in with Fiona. She's dealing with a terminally ill parent and has life in perspective. She also has a fridge full of eggs from her chickens. Good on ya, Fi.

Kitchen window

Ensuite window

Cooling down, not slowing down

I'm writing this on Saturday. The week has been so hectic I haven't had time to draw breath and am concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other to meet deadlines. 

Lights and doors come together. NK Windows start dropping off the glass and frames for installation. I call in to Lighthouse to check on last details for the lighting plan. Turns out Nicki and Finlay are neighbours...two degrees of separation in the South Island. Nicki was trying to track down the home of a stray black rabbit which turned up on her building site when she knocked on Finlay's door. Alan, the boss at Lighthouse says he's ok with helping me onsell the large chandelier. It's just too big for the living room. Takes me a while to drive through traffic to get to Cashmere. Makes me appreciate living and working in the same community and riding my bike as a main means of transport.

When I arrive at Taylor's Mistake there's a flock of paragliders in the sky. A young man wants to use my phone to call his girlfriend to pick him up. Says there are a lot of internationals up there. I'm the only one at the beach. It's overcast and cool and the surf is marginal. I appreciate the space.

Bollicine, Venetian glass, intended for the dining room

Progress at Scoff's

A Hectic Start to the Week

English office, PHS

I text Kirk early to start the ball rolling with the hall skylight. I duck out of school for an on site meeting during form time and interval. There's a flurry of phone calls against a soundscape of buzzing saws and pounding hammers. Kay, the aluminium framer, Kirk and I. No...you can't reduce the glass size of the lead lights. No, no, no. Questions, instructions, negotiations. Saws screeching, hammers pounding. By the time I rush back to school I'm hopeful people know what I'm aiming for. And where. I point to the overhead ceiling space. Kirk says he'll sort it. He'll have to replace a sheet of roofing iron though. 

I drive into the car park. No kids. So interval's over. Upstairs my Year 10 class are sitting in the classroom waiting quietly with the lights off. Angels or maybe they're trying to fly under the radar too. I am genuinely surprised and heap on the praise, stoked with their self-management. 

Back at College Ave, the boys are continuing with the verandah ceiling, and other stuff. It's a happening scene. I thank the neighbour for putting out food for Pierre. I suspect he's no longer around though and can only keep my fingers crossed he comes back when we do. 

Last engagement of the day, UC Music Dept Songs of Politics, Protest and Power. Naomi the nightingale and book group organiser extraordinaire is first up. Uplifting.

Kitchen window space

College Ave neighbours

Lead lights from the living room of the old house

Organising main bathroom lead lights

Nightingale Naomi

Sunday in the Sun

I take the morning to organise. I've been so busy lately boxes are piling up in my room. So is my washing. I'd like to get rid of stuff so put some items on Marketplace. Sharyn is keen to see the build so I pick her up and take her over. She sits in the bay window of my room with the next door cat. I manage a little garden tidying...I've been ignoring the garden lately. This is ok in summer but when rain comes I will need to dig and move plants again. Sharyn spots numerous nails lying on the floor and goes into eco-warrior mode, picking them up so she can recycle the metal. There's a lot of rubbish generated by a build. Packaging especially. And the builders drop stuff when they're finished with it. A concession, they put their food packaging in the bin, mostly.
I'm happy to be back on my coastline where there are waves.... and an easterly. The water temperature is pleasant and very swimmable. Going home, I drop in on Nicki to see her panel design: kowhai pods and a pillar, like the ones she is putting at the front of her deck. Cool design feature. Go Nicki.

Sharyn recycling nails

North Beach

Nicki's screen design- kowhai pods and a classical column

Good to be back home again

PPTA business is finished by lunchtime and we're at the airport shortly after. Flying into Ōtautahi I'm surprised how dry it is.Burnt off and summery but in the age of unpredictable weather, slightly ominous. I'm happy to be home after two nights in a hotel. My first impulse is to head to the beach. Robyn and I brave some big waves at Taylor's. The water is lovely. It starts to rain as I drive to College Ave to see progress with the roof. It's two thirds on so the inside is mainly dry. Walking down the hall I notice the skylight which is going to have the leadlights is in the north wall at an angle. Not how I imagined it. Another thing to sort. The roof is on above it so I'm wondering how sortable it's going to be. Damn.

The rain sets in and a night of Romeo and Juliet outdoors with colleagues is off. I'm ok with that. Some time to unpack and slow down is what I need. The house is coming on and I can see some milestones requiring organisation up ahead.

Robyn's harakeke sculpture

Down the hall to my room

The back garden from my room

Looking through the bedrooms

Living room

Living room bay window

This is what happens when you put a cut onion in a plastic bag and leave it for several weeks in the fridge.