Day Thirty-One (Saturday 25th April) - Anzac Day, Sand and Quiz
Another beautiful day dawned - but I did not see this 2020 Anzac Day dawn.
I did, however, see Anzac Day in as a new day (at nighttime).
I went out on the deck around 12:30am Saturday morning 25th to pay my ANZAC Day respects. I looked up into the inky sky - there was just one star shining brightly up there and I saluted it. And then went to bed.
I can report that the floors did indeed get a spruce up today, as did the lawns. Keeping on top of the sand that gets into the house here is a never-ending chore. Clean it away - it's back within the hour, and somehow this happens even when you don't even go outside! It gets on every surface. It gets in the grooves of everything. It gets in the sheets.
But hey, we're at a beach place ... "And would you like sand with that?"
We narrowly avoided a broken ranch slider today - Michael was mowing the lawns when a huge stone flew up and out at bullet speed. Thankfully it hit the LPG gas tank. Half a metre to the left and we'd have had a mass of shattered glass.
Otherwise the day was largely uneventful. I spent the least amount of time on my computer of the whole lockdown, consciously avoiding any sort of work or projects, but with an eye on the Aussie racing through the afternoon.
I'm not quite sure what exactly I did today, but that's okay, it was one of those fiddle-faddle days where you pfaff about but aren't quite sure what you're achieving. It was the first such day like this for me during lockdown so I guess that's pretty good going!
Michael's mowing stone could have come in useful as a method to get a gull. Several large gulls spent about an hour swooping menacingly around our house early afternoon. They kept circling, swooping in close to the house and the deck, and then would come in to land on the roof. It was perturbing and definitely menacing. When I went out, they scarpered noisily. I guess some gull or other had stowed some kill up there on the roof and now the whole gull neighbourhood was coming to peck so territorial issues were now at play too. They didn't like me coming out every five minutes and buggered off - they must have eventually either consumed the kill or transferred it to another roof of an unoccupied house.
I made an expedition to Matakana for supplies mid-afternoon.
Today's beach photo is of the estuary, on my way back from Matakana. The tide is out and it's not at its best that way - but it's how we often see it as we cross that causeway. Yachts moored in the distance, the golf course to the right, hills behind. It's not an unpleasant sight. Whangateau is over there somewhere.
Brunch: Scrambled eggs, baked beans (both with a splash of worcestershire sauce) and hash browns
Dinner: Chicken chili-teriyaki on brown rice with caramalised aubergine, sizzled new potatoes, green beans and capsicum.
I noticed that the local food delivery operation is gearing up for Level 3 next week, with signage out by the roundabout. They deliver food to Omaha and environs from the various local restaurants. I suspect they'll be very busy from Tuesday as people grow weary of the obligation to cook.
I enjoy cooking and am loving having the time to devote to it - and what's more, in a fab new kitchen. But ... a night off could be good - and support a local food biz.
SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Quiz ... I love it!
So this week, OMG, I've done FIVE quiz sessions - Sunday (hospice fundraiser), Tuesday (our team get together online quiz just for us), Wednesday (joining a national online quiz), Thursday (trialling a new corporate quiz format), and today Saturday (a larger retrial of corporate quiz).
At 8pm tonight I joined Believe It Or Not (BION) quiz trial - an online quiz geared towards corporates that is being refined as an online offering. Very good it is too. A few glitches ironed out, and some constructive and positive feedback offered. Good fun. A trial group from far and wide. My team had a couple who live in Chiang Mai, Thailand - nice to meet and chat with them and find out a bit about Covid restrictions over there. Kids have been home from schools since January. And alcohol is banned! Gulp. (That was me sipping a nice red wine off camera so they didn't have to witness what they can't do!)
Added bonus for extra fun - The Chaser, the Dark Destroyer Shaun Wallace, joined us from his UK home. He's a true bona fide BION associate now. I've met him a couple of times. Lovely chap. Having him along adds another layer of smile!
Quiz is, first and foremost, about learning rather than knowing.
During lockdown, I've had a heap of online fun and connection.
And lots of learning.
Could you recognise the Botswana flag!?!?
I did, however, see Anzac Day in as a new day (at nighttime).
I went out on the deck around 12:30am Saturday morning 25th to pay my ANZAC Day respects. I looked up into the inky sky - there was just one star shining brightly up there and I saluted it. And then went to bed.
I can report that the floors did indeed get a spruce up today, as did the lawns. Keeping on top of the sand that gets into the house here is a never-ending chore. Clean it away - it's back within the hour, and somehow this happens even when you don't even go outside! It gets on every surface. It gets in the grooves of everything. It gets in the sheets.
But hey, we're at a beach place ... "And would you like sand with that?"
We narrowly avoided a broken ranch slider today - Michael was mowing the lawns when a huge stone flew up and out at bullet speed. Thankfully it hit the LPG gas tank. Half a metre to the left and we'd have had a mass of shattered glass.
Otherwise the day was largely uneventful. I spent the least amount of time on my computer of the whole lockdown, consciously avoiding any sort of work or projects, but with an eye on the Aussie racing through the afternoon.
I'm not quite sure what exactly I did today, but that's okay, it was one of those fiddle-faddle days where you pfaff about but aren't quite sure what you're achieving. It was the first such day like this for me during lockdown so I guess that's pretty good going!
Michael's mowing stone could have come in useful as a method to get a gull. Several large gulls spent about an hour swooping menacingly around our house early afternoon. They kept circling, swooping in close to the house and the deck, and then would come in to land on the roof. It was perturbing and definitely menacing. When I went out, they scarpered noisily. I guess some gull or other had stowed some kill up there on the roof and now the whole gull neighbourhood was coming to peck so territorial issues were now at play too. They didn't like me coming out every five minutes and buggered off - they must have eventually either consumed the kill or transferred it to another roof of an unoccupied house.
I made an expedition to Matakana for supplies mid-afternoon.
Today's beach photo is of the estuary, on my way back from Matakana. The tide is out and it's not at its best that way - but it's how we often see it as we cross that causeway. Yachts moored in the distance, the golf course to the right, hills behind. It's not an unpleasant sight. Whangateau is over there somewhere.
 |
| Omaha Beach photo of the day - the estuary at low tide |
Dinner: Chicken chili-teriyaki on brown rice with caramalised aubergine, sizzled new potatoes, green beans and capsicum.
I noticed that the local food delivery operation is gearing up for Level 3 next week, with signage out by the roundabout. They deliver food to Omaha and environs from the various local restaurants. I suspect they'll be very busy from Tuesday as people grow weary of the obligation to cook.
I enjoy cooking and am loving having the time to devote to it - and what's more, in a fab new kitchen. But ... a night off could be good - and support a local food biz.
SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Quiz ... I love it!
So this week, OMG, I've done FIVE quiz sessions - Sunday (hospice fundraiser), Tuesday (our team get together online quiz just for us), Wednesday (joining a national online quiz), Thursday (trialling a new corporate quiz format), and today Saturday (a larger retrial of corporate quiz).
At 8pm tonight I joined Believe It Or Not (BION) quiz trial - an online quiz geared towards corporates that is being refined as an online offering. Very good it is too. A few glitches ironed out, and some constructive and positive feedback offered. Good fun. A trial group from far and wide. My team had a couple who live in Chiang Mai, Thailand - nice to meet and chat with them and find out a bit about Covid restrictions over there. Kids have been home from schools since January. And alcohol is banned! Gulp. (That was me sipping a nice red wine off camera so they didn't have to witness what they can't do!)
Added bonus for extra fun - The Chaser, the Dark Destroyer Shaun Wallace, joined us from his UK home. He's a true bona fide BION associate now. I've met him a couple of times. Lovely chap. Having him along adds another layer of smile!
Quiz is, first and foremost, about learning rather than knowing.
During lockdown, I've had a heap of online fun and connection.
And lots of learning.
Could you recognise the Botswana flag!?!?
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