Stardate: 83081.73 29 January, 2006
Posted in Life and Times! at 10:13 pm by Marg
It’s funny how a little bang can get you going…. 
This evening R said – and I am putting it very politely and not quoting exactly – “What on earth was that dear?” — all of you who know him can imagine the exact phrase – including the “what” and a “the” and the “F” word…
So, being the dutiful wife, I investigated what all the noise was about. Out onto the deck I went in trying to trace the source of the now very large banging noises. Turns out that Auckland for their Anniversary weekend (yes, we currently have a holiday weekend here to celebrate our city’s birthday) had all sorts of festivities going on down at the Viaduct and the resulting fireworks display was just awesome! we could even see it from our deck.
I must congratulate whoever organised it, as it is the best display we have seen from our place. There are apparently going to be more on Wednesday when Sky City turns 10 years old. We used to be able to see the Sky Tower from the deck, but our Golden Elm tree has got too big and we can’t see it anymore. I really don’t think we will see the display on Wednesday, but – oh well, you never know. 
The smoke is still hanging in the air —
The brilliance of the display still fresh in the mind!
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Stardate: 83070.26 25 January, 2006
Posted in Life and Times! at 5:24 pm by Marg
As if I don’t have enough to keep me busy for all of my waking hours, I have decided to add another hobby/sport to my list!
Now it is ten-pin bowling!!!
John and Val (our good mates) have been playing in a league for a few years now and R and I have always made noises about joining them. So, with the New Year begun and promises to be more active still fresh in the mind, we have joined Tenpin-Takapuna.
We had a really good time and I am getting better – I think! Let’s put it this way, my scores went up every game, so there is hope for me yet.
Val and Lee’s team is called “The Pinnies”, and I was hoping to join their team, but they already have a third player named Yvonne who wasn’t there last night, so I got to be a “Pinnie”. If Yvonne doesn’t come back this year, perhaps they will make me a “Pinnie-in-Training”??? – Then again, they may want to win the league and with me in tow, that would hardly be likely… 
Anyway, watch this space to see if I get any better. Last night’s high score for me was a measly 72 – but after all it is only about the 3rd time in my life that I have ever hurled a bowling ball towards 10 objects at the end of a very long highly-polished surface!
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Stardate: 83067.51 24 January, 2006
Posted in Life and Times! at 5:14 pm by Marg
Ok, so we are back in the “Big Smoke” after our 4 days in Christchurch!
Wow! The Doobies still know how to rock! It has to have been the BEST concert that we have ever been to, and just when I thought that no-one could top John Fogerty after we saw him earlier this year! So, now the order of my all-time fave concerts is: (drum-roll please)
1. The Doobie Brothers
2. John Fogerty
3. Peter Frampton
Hmmm, makes you think. All of the above are really getting on in life, but are still not too old to play their music and still love what they do. I challenge any of today’s lot to still be around and still popular in 35 years time! Ross saw Iggy Pop here in Auckland at the “Big Day Out 2006″ – yet another artist from my heydays – he’ was still going strong, throwing himself around the stage and playing up to the (mostly younger) crowd. We had two young blonde girls sitting in front of us at the Doobies concert (R drooling as usual…pervert!) and when I asked them how old they were and why they had come, they told me that they were both 22 and they grew up listening to their parents playing the Doobie’s and they have grown up loving their music. They knew all the songs and were up dancing and clapping along with all us oldies. Good rock never dies, the fans just get more varied in ages!
Met a great couple (Lynn and Patrick) who sat next to us and we went for a drink afterwards with them. Hope to keep in touch with them.
Till later… will tell more on the trip…
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Stardate: 83047.66 17 January, 2006
Posted in Life and Times! at 10:49 am by Marg
Well, on Friday after getting the news that the Doobie Brother’s concert had been moved to the Christchurch Town Hall, I was furious cos our tickets were 3rd row front centre and this meant that we didn’t know where we would be sitting now! We booked the tickets last October and our flights, car and accommodation, so imagine my frustration. Something that I was soooooo looking forward to was about to lose some of it’s magic!
Waited patiently till Monday and rang Ticketek in ChCh only to be told that seating will be on a “first come, first served” basis! What???? Blood boiling I tried every way that I possibly could to get proper seats… All to no avail! Phoned the events co-ordinator at the ChCh Town Hall – sypathetic, but no help. Emailed higher beings at Ticketek, R rang her – still no joy. I emailed the promoter in Oz – some comfort and a promise that someone from Ticketek would contact me to organise new seats.
Then today! Yayyy! A wonderful person called Peter McFee emailed me (I think someone to do with the promoters – don’t think he’s any relation to John McFee of the Doobies) to say that he will personally let us choose our seats!! I have renewed faith in the planet – There are ACTUALLY some folk out there who still believe that fans need to be nurtured, no matter how big the band is!
So! Off to ChCh on Thursday, smiling once more!
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Stardate: 83030.91 11 January, 2006
Posted in Life and Times! at 7:37 am by Marg
This has happened over the Christmas/New Year break. Bored with the fruit cake, ham and looking at R transfixed to the horseracing on TV, I decided to try an “Very Easy” Sudoku grid that was in the weekend newspaper’s “Bumper Fun Supplement”. Thought that it should be called SODuku! But never one to be beaten (especially knowing that Murray and Helen do these bloody things and get them out sometimes, so I should be able to… ) I persevered and eventually got one out! Yayy! But that was me hooked!
I rushed out and bought a book full of them when the “Bumper Fun Supplement” ran out. I have started stealing pages from Murray’s Page-a-Day Sudoku Calendar that Andrea gave him at Christmas. I grab the newspaper not to read it – just looking for a Sudoku fix….
I’ve got it BAD!
Last night I completed 3 “Fiendish” ones with no problem whatsoever. Now I’m better than Murray and Helen, I think I’ll give up…:-)
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Stardate: 83012.59 04 January, 2006
Posted in Life and Times! at 2:37 pm by Marg
Happy New Year!
At last it is upon us and loads of exciting days ahead! Kate had a boy on 31st, and I am looking forward to receiving pics of him soon!
Helped Murray book his flight to Birmingham today, so that should please a certain someone… He’s looking mighty pleased too!
Have become totally addicted to Sudoku and every spare moment I have pencil in hand working out numbers from one to nine there is no hope for me!
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