100% New Zealand Owned

We talk about Covid in the car on the way to school. Yesterday the global total reached 16 million, that's double 6 weeks ago. We're so removed from the drama here in Aotearoa, having had no community transmission for over 80 days. And we're watching from a distance, seemingly uninvolved. While Kahu and I make dinner in the kitchen each night we watch the Beeb and get an update on Europe. I tune in to CNN briefly before bed to check on the ridiculousness of the USA. Don't think we can blame it all on Trump but, to quote Julius on Remember the Titans, "Attitude reflects leadership, captain." Covid has recently been spotted in North Korea but I doubt we'll know their story for some time.

Today's fairly normal. School then house. Lance is painting flat out, Pete and team are busy on the laundry, and Kahu and I run around checking up and ticking off jobs. I drop in to Radcliffs to order one each of the light switch and the socket I'm considering. At the door I bump into another ex-student. I was talking about him at the ball the other night cos the best music we ever had was a live band which Sam and his dad played in. They played covers but the live element got everyone up. So Sam remembered he hadn't done anything in Form 5, School Cert, this is under the old system, in the late 90's, then was in my class the next year repeating. And, according to him, did nothing and spent the year at the back of the room talking to his mate. Sam's in his 30's now and a sparky, just getting another band started. It's a laugh catching up. Never burn your bridges...my motto since teaching in Christchurch. Your past always comes back to haunt you.

 

The Hot Water Cylinder

Ease into the week. It's the middle of winter and we're going slowly, especially on a Monday. I've organised Gary to hook up the hot water cylinder. He arrives and is on site when I arrive after school. Happy in his work, perched on a short step ladder sorting out the pipes. They work. Water pours out the pipe on the outside. I suppose it's all going to get tidied up eventually. 

Further in the fumes are thick. Lance is busy with a paint sprayer. Ceilings are the order of the day. I send Kahu in to get some pictures. He emerges unscathed. Lance does too. He's covered in a miasma of Half Bianca. Thank God he wants to do that. I couldn't. The house is taking shape. I make another trip to Interior Effects to sort out door handles. Benita's not there so my front door is handless yet.

Book Club Christmas Lunch

We open the laundry and dining room doors to the breeze. Kahu goes off to do personal errands and I spend four hours eating and drinking with the book club 'ladies'. Very civilised and the food is amazing. Sarah brings potions and pots from her garden and general foraging. I discover more we have in common. When I get a garage again I'm going to fill shelves with rows of chutneys, pickles, and alcohol steeped in fruit. Like I used to. I'm just coming to the end of the stash from the old garage. I no longer know what's in it nor when it was made, but there's so much vinegar and sugar in everything it doesn't go off.  Book club is one of my favourite activities, always around food and wine. Today the emphasis is on filling our guts, motherhood, family and, lastly, books. One each from Secret Santa.

On the way home I lock up and take a quick run through the house which has gassed off a bit with the open doors. It's coming along nicely. 

Sunshine Saturday

I sleep in. A week of 6:20 starts and the ball have finished me off. Kahu and I drive to the Tannery and spot activity at Scoff's building site. It's coming on in leaps and bounds and looking good in the sunshine. We help with unloading Scoff's very heavy tiles. He's barely communicative, he's got so many house errands in his brain. Best to leave him to it. At ours we open a door to give the house some air but Lance has taped up all but the living room doors so it's a token effort. We mooch around then head home. I stop in at Noel Leeming to pay the balance off the appliances. Another $2,000. Money's a bit like water these days. But I can tick off another build payment.

I bake Sharyn a birthday cake and leave Kahu to watch rugby. His mates are drinking and it's too difficult one way or another.

Equal Pay is Legalised

In the morning news, the passing of the Equal Pay Amendment Bill by Parliament is announced. The PPTA currently is fighting a court case, nearly four years and over one million dollars, to get part timers' paid non-contact in proportion to our full time counterparts. This piece of legislation owes much to the fight of Kristine Bartlett, an aged care worker who argued that the low pay she was receiving was because her work as a carer was largely performed by women. Our argument with the Ministry of Education is that since most part time teachers are women ours is a pay equity case. This legislation will provide a clearer pathway and it would be nice to think that we will finally be remunerated on an equal pay scale with our full time colleagues.

Tonight is the formal so Years 12 and 13 are dismissed at midday. I use my free, non paid, periods to catch up on marking. And buy some food as I've volunteered to host pre-ball drinks at Chris's. It was a late offer so there will only be 5 of us. Nevertheless I need to put on a spread. 

The boys are nearly finished the verandah. It's a purple standout. Kahu asks if it's going to stay this colour. Bless. I think I've got more colour sense but he's obviously unsure. Lance is hard at work inside and I stay at the door because the fumes would knock over an elephant.

Kahu gets the vacuum out and generally helps get the house ready. He's quiet about not going to the ball and so am I. It's at Wigram, a cavernous airplane hangar, operational during WWII, and now a museum. The kids rattle round in the space and there's plenty of room for throwing limbs around on the dance floor. There's some solo efforts which provoke lots of cheering. An all round good vibe and I take pics with my Year 13's, a fabulous group of 14 girls who I'm getting to know and love. "No child left behind." (Hunt for the Wilderpeople)