Sunday, March 6, 2011

Something Trivial

Pinched from Lynda & Kate because I am bored.

A. Age: 40 mumble (not because I am embarassed but because I always forget

B. Bed size: king

C. Chore you hate:  most of them

D. Dogs:  I am a cat person, not that we have one since the last one disappeared.

E. Essential start to your day: watching the 7am news

F. Favorite colour: purple

G. Gold or silver: silver usually

H. Height: 5'2"

I. Instruments you play: none, apart from the recorder in standard 2 (which from memory I was not very good)

J. Job title:  Company Director, Office manager, broker

K. Kids: 2, an amazingly talented son and an absolutely beautiful daughter

L. Live: Auckland - originally from Christchurch

M. Mum's name: Margaret

N. Nicknames: Tray (parents, husband & 2 best friends only) or Trace and the most important "Mum".

O. Overnight hospital stays:  two for childbirth, 

P. Pet peeve: Loads, I am trying to be more tolerant

Q. Quote from a movie: "You can't handle the truth" No idea why. Poor husband gets that one every time he asks me to buy him the Truth newspaper.

R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.

S. Siblings: 1 brother (also have 2 half brothers on my birth mothers side)

T. Time you wake up: at 7.00 am (to watch the news), or 6am to go for a walk with my son.

U. Underwear:  of course

V. Vegetables you dislike: I can't think of a vegetable I don't like.

W. What makes you run late: Nothing - I am so on time all the time.  Can't help it, always been that way.  Funny though I have lots of nightmares about things holding me up and making me late.  I'm sure I could pay a psychiatrist a lot of money to figure that one out. (pinching this one word for word from Lynda, I HATE being late).

X. X-rays you've had: Apart from dental (and that was a loooooong time ago).

Y. Yummy food you make: most things are pretty good.

Z. Zoo animal favorite: depends on my mood. I love the cheetahs & the tigers.

Fished as a part

Saturday night Samyson went to Forbidden Broadwaywith the Riegels. I dropped him off at their house at 5 & they took him out to dinner before the show.

At 7.28 I have the following text conversation with my 13 year old son:
S; I just had a shot. Lol
Me: Of what?
S: Lemon cream stuff
Me: I assume non alcoholic?

I didn't get a reply & thought nothing more of it, was quite confident the people he was with were not plying him with tequila shots or bottles of wine.

Anyway about 10.30 they drop him home, Meg gets out of the car giggling (perfectly normal for her), then Samyson gets out, stumbles between the cars & over to me at the door way slurring his words & hugging me saying "I love yooooou Mum' and falling at my feet. Doris leaps out of the car & says "I have to explain ..."

At that exact time Samyson was on the ground beside me & I farted (classy I know) - act over.

Poor Doris is trying to explain & the kids are pissing themselves laughing.

Apparantly the place they went for dinner provide a complimentary drink of Limoncello and cream at the end of the meal. She said there was only a tiny bit of Limocello in so she figured it wouldn't do the kids any harm*. She had no idea Samyson would text me then put on the drunken act so I would think he was trollied.

It was a brilliant act, poor Doris couldn't get out of the car fast enough to explain he was not in fact pissed he was just acting, I assured her I guessed Samyson was just playing around & that I a) had no problem with them having a wee drink like that at the end of a meal (all part of growing up & learning to be responsible), and b) I did not think for 1 minute they were plying him with hard liquor.


Sometimes that childs acting skill are too good.

* I would have made the exact same call with the teens and assured poor Doris of this.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Something positive

The last few days the kids have both come up with some quite surprising comments.

Firstly Samyson on Wednesday, he had Theatresports which ran til 4.30 & he intended to walk home but it was raining so he sent Gary a text to come & get him. Apparantly on the way home he told his Dad that he is quite glad he is not doing NYTC this show because he gets to hang out a bit more with his friends & also we get to do family stuff too. This from the kid who on Sunday was whinging because he didn't want to go out with us to the Zoo & MOTAT.

Because Samyson was going to be late home on Wednesday Siobhan had to walk to Garys work after school instead of catching the bus. She informed me the next day that "since Dad enjoyed the company" she is going to do that every Wednesday. This from the girl who went to school on Friday in tears because I did not have change for the bus so told her to go to her Dads work and she was upset because she couldn't hang out with her friends on the bus.

I love the fact that they enjoy spending time as a family and I also know it will not be long before they will be spending more & more time with their friends.

I have been spending some quality time with Samyson lately as we have been getting up & going for a walk 2 or 3 mornings a week, it is only about 20 minutes but it is nice spending that time with him, some mornings not much is said & others there is lots of chat.

Anyway this weekend is busy, I have to sort out some books to donate to a group having a garage sale raising funds for Christchurch, Gary wants to go to the Pascifika Festival, I have Samysons school shorts to pick up from the repairer, goodness knows how many loads of washing to do, Samyson to be dropped at his friends in Parnell at 5 on Saturday & presumably picked up either form there or the theatre (he is going to Forbidden Broadway his friend Megs sister Kate is in it). Sunday I am hoping to get to yoga, probabaly finish the washing I did not get done on Saturday & hopefully get some time to read.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Earthquake update

Mum & Dad arrived home on Saturday to see what sort of damage has been done .... 1 broken wine glass!!! That's it, a few things fell over but only the wine glass broke (and it is not one they ever use anyway). Talk about lucky.

I spoke to them last night Dad says it is really quiet and almost no work for him (he is a taxi driver), he has had to apply for the Government assistance because no work means no income, that is what worries me with them now but I can help out if need be, and if they let me.

Mum managed to get hold of Val my Godmother, her house was very badly damaged in the first quake & is much worse this time, she has no power or water & is staying with her cousin in Rangiora. She is not sure if her house can be saved, she lives in Avonside. Mum also got hold of Glenys because she couldn't get any reply from Bet who is an elderly friend. Bets son Dixon & his wife Glenys are staying with one of their daughters as it looks like their house will go, they had managed to find a place in a rest home for Bet and Mum will go & visit her this week as it is close to where they live.

I read the reports and watch the news but I still cannot really fathom what it must be like, even for the lucky ones like Mum & Dad who suffered almost no damage, let alone those who have no jobs, no homes & in too many cases have family or friends who died or were badly injured. It almost seems wrong to be carrying on as normal. I was dropping a guy in the central city on Friday night and it was just a typical sunny Friday, people rushing to catch buses & trains, waiting in traffic jams, at the bar with work colleagues having a few drinks after work, it suddenly hit me that Christchurch will not be doing that, it almost seemed wrong.

Siobhan has donated $ 10 from her bank account, she wanted to donate $ 100 but Mum & Dad said it was too much for a wee girl & that $ 10 is very generous for her.

Anyway, as things do have to carry on as normal here I best get back to work.