My first ever SNOW DAY

I was going to post about my fabulous weekend with my friends from school (of which we left 22 years ago!) but then today happened.  Disclaimer for poor quality photos, I was trying to work on the farm AND take photos so was just pointing and shooting lickity split, which is NOT good in snow.  Oh, and I have been in snow, many many times, just not where I have been able to take the day off because of it.

So, I had no idea that today was different to any other work day, except for when I went out the door to head off for work and encountered this .....

Last time it snowed here was about 3 years ago, and it was about 8pm at night, and all gone by morning.  Today it actually was still snowing at lunch-time.  I did drive very slowly into work, leaving at 5.20am and arriving a bit late at 6.08, only to have the boss ring up at 7.40am to say she would not be in for work due to the snow, and that those of us who lived in her area, and further north, were to go home as it was still snowing and we might get stuck.  Turns out we would have been fine, but I don't turn down days off work, plus TJL really needed me on the farm today so I think I may have come home anyway.

My first job was to feed the Stachurski Twins (we got them from Trents Sister, and that's their surname ... I always did like to stir up a bit of trouble).  TJL's boss's house, and then our house are in the background.  

Stella the Snow Dawg, she had a BLAST.  Love it, and tried to catch the snowflakes and ...

generally rolling around in the freezing cold stuff.  Crazy dawg!

The springer cows tucking into their hay (excuse the snow splodges on the lens).  They are turning their heads as they were getting pelted with snow, and it was quite hard!  (Springer cows are the ones who are due to have their babies sooner rather than later).

Springer mob with Stella Dawg in the foreground.

A bit hard to see in this piccy but we had 4 calves born in this 'awful' weather (awful for newborns, awesome too look at).  These calves were freezing, and I though we might lose a couple of them.  One of the two 'danger zone' ones had a good drink, which warmed him right up so I knew he would be fine.  The other one was much worse and would not drink.  After drying all the bub's off with towels, I wrapped them all up in hay blankets (two are pictured, the dark blobs are their heads).  The blankets worked a treat, as when we went back down to give them their afternoon feed (at 3pmish) they were all up and moving around, so a fantastic success.  And they all had a fantastic drink, so totally rapt!  Only one more calf was born today.  Poor bubba was covered in mud, so he got a wash in warm water, dried off, and is now in a hay blanket in the shed with all the other bubbas.

And finally TJL decided to make a snow angel, with Stella Dawg helped with great enthusiasm.  Crazy, crazy day, and totally awesome too!

Maps are printed, I'm good to go ... hopefully

I am off on a very quick road-trip today.  First stop will be to pick up my best friend from High School, C, in Cambridge.  I do not need a map on how to get there (although I did last time since we hardly ever see each other).

Next stop, hopefully a car park in Auckland that is not too much of a walk from Vector Arena, for the ice-hockey tonight.  I do hope that, since I have not been back to Auckland since my marriage break-up (unless you count the airport), I don't get too lost.  Auckland is one confusion of a big city for me.

Then back to C's for a 'sleep over' (which I am NOT very good at doing!  Home, I'm fine (obviously), sisters house, parents house, all fine.  Motels, hotels, fine.  Other peoples houses, not so good (I like a private bathroom ... lol)).

Tomorrow first stop, hopefully a bakery in Cambridge for some Choc. Eclairs or Donuts.  Next stop, my other best friend from High School, H, in rural Morrinsville.  Haven't been there for DONKEYS!  Not since her second child was born, which I don't know is how long ago!

And then back home to TJL.  I so wish he was coming, it would make the trip so much more enjoyable for me.  But we are just too busy on the farm so he needs to stay :-(  It's only one night, and he will LOVE having the bed all to himself, but still ....

Yes! But no ....

So I invited my old school friend H to accompany my other old school friend C and I to an ice-hockey match this weekend (USA v Canada - not the actual representative teams, just exhibition teams).  She said yes!  And I was so excited as I have not seen her for YEARS.  Then they had some chaos on the farm so now she is unable to come ... BOOOO!  But I am still going to call around and see her on Sunday, so that's something.  Of course, since I am around 25kg heavier than the last time she saw me I am feeling a lot nervous, I know she will be just as gorgeous and glamorous as ever.  Why oh why am I always so insecure!  Blah!!

Another frost and we are out of gas

It was pretty cold this morning.  Unfortunately we are Out. Of. Gas which means the heating was not working, which meant brrrrrr until the sun got up enough to stream through the windows and I could sit in a warm, sunny spot.

I got a bit carried away doing the dishes this morning.  I ended up cleaning the oven (boy did it need it, and it probably needs to be done again).  And then I got TJL to pull the oven away from the wall and I cleaned under and behind it - talk about manky - manky - manky!!  Ewwwww!  Not to mention the extraction fan. Practically impossible to clean in-between the venty bits.  I used a nail brush as well as a dish brush, and it still wasn't perfectly clean, but hey any cleaner is better than no cleaner.  And I cleaned the bathtub/shower.

We went into Stratty for lunch, which wasn't terribly flash.  I also went into Paper Plus and purchased Bear Grylls latest book, which I am keen to get started.  I read his first book (I think it was) about his ascent of Everest, and it was the best ever climbing book I have read.  Of course I lent it to someone, who lent it to someone and now it's gone, but I do have a rule that I don't lend anything I am not prepared to lose so que serra or whatever it is.  Before I can begin this book I need to finish Tony Hawks book, which shouldn't take me too long.

This afternoon TJL and I took Stella Dawg for a walk down the farm.  TJL said to the cows, c'mon girls, time to get calving!  And I said, one has, hasn't it?  That hawk just picked up some afterbirth? (sorry if that is too disgusting but it is what happened).  TJL told me it was an old one, but perhaps we should go up and check it out.  He checked it out from over the fence and said, its and old one.  To which I said no its not, the calf is up there with it's mother.  One to me!  Yes!  Not that I'm keeping score or anything ... lol.  So thats 4 calves in (the one today is a bobby, which we have to keep and feed up for the next month due to TJLs wee drenching hiccup).

I made a stir-fry for dinner tonights tea.  Chicken coated in chinese five spice and flour, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, corgette, and mushroom, with a bit of garlic and ginger.  Was scrummy!!  Unfortunately TJL had to leave 5 minutes before it was ready so that annoyed me quite a bit.  Sometimes his friend says 'jump' and TJL jumps *sigh*.  He said something about a trailer and daylight *bah*.

So I am home, alone, with no gas for the heater as the delivery truck did not come today, but I do have my candles lit and a good book to read, so all is pretty right with the world.

UGH!!

Woke up at 4am, and felt sick.  But at that time of the morning you never really know, ah?!  So when I woke back up at the correct time of 4.45am I wasn't as bad, so thought I might get better the later it got.  I took a neurofen in the hopes I would feel better and headed off to work.  Didn't work!  I ended up leaving at 7.45am to get back home.  I feel bad as I have let my manager down due to the fact I was supposed to be interviewing today, but there was no way I could interview anyone, my mind just wasn't there - thumping headache and nausea.

Thus I have spent the day on the couch, watching bad TV and falling asleep.  Unfortunately TJL's mother decided to arrive with two of our nieces, which wasn't perfect timing and I was a  TERRIBLE  host.  I don't like being caught out by surprise, and my instant reaction is to be angry.  Thus I 'apologised' and said that I was sick before they even got out of the car!  AWESOME  WELCOME  MJJ!  So they came in and TJL hosted them while I sat on the couch feeling sorry for myself that my day of 'relaxation' on the couch had been interrupted.  And then, as I sat on the couch, I realised what an idiot I was being, but then it was too late to pop up and decide that I wasn't as sick as I was making out.  ARGHHHHH!  Why do I do this?  It is almost like a panic reaction when things aren't going as I 'planned'.  Part of it is that the house is in a constant state of mess, and I am embarrassed.  Part of it is that I am quite a loner, and I struggle with working with people for 12 hours, and then dealing with people on my days off, and I just never, ever get any real alone time, and by alone time I mean a few days to a week all. by. myself!  I hope that my outlook changes when I get to quit my job in a few months time and become a farmers wife.  Hopefully, as I won't be surrounded by people, I will begin to want more human contact and be more open to visitors.  It is definitely an area I need to work on.  Definitely one of my biggest failings.

I am such a terrible sinner, I am so glad that God gives us such grace, I definitely need more than my fair share!

Back on roster - bah humbug

We went back on roster yesterday.  The other laboratories where I work didn't.  This meant that the lab that delivers the products for us to test, were not at work yesterday.  This means I didn't have anything to test (aside from 30 cheese's for moistures left over from Friday).  And when you are rostered to work from 6am-6pm, and you have no leave left, this makes for an EXTREMELY  LONG day!  I managed to last until 3.45pm, so took 2.25 hours as leave without pay.  Today was better though, and I managed to work the entire 6am-6pm day *phew!*   And the bonus to being back on roster is that tomorrow is my last day, before 4. Days.  Off!   Yeah!  Actually I have five, as I am heading up North on Saturday to catch some ice-hockey and won't be able to return until Sunday.

My manager is going to see what he can do re back-pay for my degree.  He said it's not looking good and HR said that I should have read all of the literature and found out for myself what extra payments I could get.  I said that I trusted my employer to let me know what I was entitled to.  Especially since my manager at the time of the interview KNEW I had a degree and NEGLECTED to tell me I would get an extra payment, when everyone else had/has been advised.  But I shall let my current manager do his best, and then let it go.  It's only money.

And now I am going to have a hot lemon drink to try and get rid of this slight cold I have.  Tomorrow I am assisting in interviews of our potential future employees and trying to interview while blowing ones nose constantly does not make a good impression.

My one day off

I had such a fun day off.  We got up really late, like around 8am!  Whoops!

After breakfast this morning I headed into H-town to do our supermarket shop.  Bought lots of fresh veges, and a few more GladWare containers, and who knows what else as it cost me over $200.00.  I also planned to get some photos printed off, but the lab was shut when I was there, so it will have to be sometime during the week.

After I got home TJL and I headed into NP to go to Puke Ariki for the Peter Bush exhibition.  Peter Bush is the worlds top rugby photographer and TJL being a rugby fan, and me being a photo fan, it was the perfect exhibition.  I was a little disappointed that it was only his rugby photographs on display (but I guess that IS what the exhibition was about) and it was also a shame there were none of the 1981 Springboks Tour that resulted in mass demonstrations and rioting due to the apartheid rule in South Africa at the time.  There are some awesome photos Spingbok Tour Riots 1981 about.

I was 10 at the time, and I distinctly remember my dad heading off to the match at Hamilton's Rugby Park, only to have him return home not having seen anything as riots got the game cancelled.  Dad said, in later years, he thinks the protestors were in the right, but with games against South Africa not occurring as often as they do now, and the fact they were the All Blacks (ironic that our national team is named the All Blacks, playing a white apartheid SA team (our team are named after their jersey colour just in case there is any confusion out there)) then it was a game all keen rugby fans wanted to see (depended on whether your idea for social justice outweighed your love of the game or not!)

Any way, back on track.  After enjoying the exhibition we had lunch at Puke Ariki's cafe.  It was DELICIOUS!  A bit expensive, but what the heck, we have two incomes and no kids, gotta be some benefits somewhere!

After lunch we went to Briscoes, as I wanted a wok, and I was keen to see what the prices were.  One thing about Briscoes, you never buy anything from there unless it's on sale, and they are just about ALWAYS having a sale.  So I found a cast-iron wok (which is what I wanted as heat in cast-iron is unbeatable, IMO).  And what would you know, the cast-iron wok was $69.99 and had a discount of $41.99 so a BARGAIN at $28.00  SOLD!!  I also saw 'mink' blankets (well a lady had one coming out as we were heading in), so I tracked them down.  Now TJL thinks they are 'tacky' but ohhh, they are so cosy to sit under on the couch in winter ... like NOW!  So I saw some advertised for $35.00, and while TJL nearly talked me out of it, he didn't and I now have my tacky 'mink' blanket!  The only choice of colours was either cream (which I got) or bright lime green.  I didn't know the discount until I got home.  Mink blanket was $109.99 with a discount of $74.99!  YES!!  Such a profitable day.

Once we got home I made some Leek and Potato Soup, and cooked up some old apples for puree (to add flavour to my porridge), and I walked the dog before putting her to bed.  TJL has gone out to the local rugby club as his old team was playing today.  He still had not returned home as yet, so perhaps I should have put the farm bike away (too dark and cold now!)

And so my 1 day off this week is almost over, back on roster tomorrow, how I am going to manage a 12 hour day is beyond me, but I shall have to tough it out, as I have no leave left ... boo hoo!

Goals for the year

In no particular order ...

1.  Grow closer and more knowledgeable with God
         Daily:  10 minutes allowing God to speak to me
                     10 minutes bible reading
         Weekly:  Church
         Monthly:  Christian reading in addition to the bible

2.  Get fit and healthy
         Daily: Walk 30 minutes
                    Eat more fruit and vegetable, less sugar including soft drinks
         Weekly:  Walk 1-1.5 hours
         Monthly:  0.5-1.0 day tramp

3.  Grow closer and more intimate with TJL
         Daily:  Kiss him like I mean it
                     Tell him that I love him
         Weekly:  Lunch date
         Monthly:  Dinner date

4.  Spend more time with Stella-Dog
          Daily:  Walk 30 minutes
                      Feed
         Weekly:  Game and/or training
                        Clean and tidy kennel
          Monthly:  Walk somewhere off-farm

5.  Improve the house and garden
          Daily:  Dishes
                      General pick-up
         Weekly:  Floors
                        Bathroom
                        Vegetable garden
          Monthly:  Windows
                           Dust
                           Flower garden

6.  Increase farm knowledge and skills
           Daily:  Records
                       Calves on days off
           Weekly:  Milk x 2 (x 1 until house/farmers wife)
           Monthly:  Farm walk with plate meter to measure grass

Wish me God's grace to achieve all of this!

Not impressed

I learned today that, for the past three years, I should have been getting an extra payment at work for having a degree.  It sounds like I WON'T be able to get this in back pay.  I feel ripped off.  I hope that people are wrong and my lab co-ordinator can get it sorted for me tomorrow.  To make myself feel better, I know I was in the wrong mindset the last three years, and I would have just spent it anyway, but still ... *sigh*  I am still a bit gutted by the whole thing.  At least I will get the payment for my last 11 weeks at work, and that's something.

TJL and I went in and had our blood tests today.  I don't know how long it will take for the results to come in.  I hope, and pray that all will be fine.  I won't completely relax until I get the results.  Once this is done, hopefully we can get onto the IVF waiting list.  Please, oh please, oh please let it all run as smoothly as possible!!

The weather is still awful.  I ended up driving at around 60kph on a 100kph road today, I just could not see through the rain on the windscreen, I couldn't even see enough to pull over safely, so I just drove super slowly along the road.  Everyone else must have been struggling too, as no one ended up on my back bumper, so that took a bit of pressure off of me.

Two more days of work, one day off, three days of work then FIVE  DAYS  OFF!!  I  CAN'T  WAIT!!

IVF journey begins, perhaps

Had my mid-cycle scan with Dr Fufu this afternoon.  Lucky I made it there in one piece as the weather was atrocious!  Wind and hardcore rain, twas a slow journey.

So I have two follicles that are a bit on the small side.  Might mature by Friday but Dr Fufu didn't sound very hopeful.  If I am not preggers this month, then she will refer us for IVF.  She has to refer us now as I am fast approaching 40, and we need to get onto the list before then, or we can't get our first cycle free.

Today, for the first time, she said my lining was not uniformly 'thick'.  Usually I am told that my lining is great.  She thought it was a bit 'bumpy' today, which could mean polyps which will have to be removed before IVF. Apparently these can prevent the implantation into the wall.

Another 'before we can get on the list' we have to have an HIV test each.  Now this makes me nervous, simply because, in my past life, I wasn't exactly well behaved, and while I really don't think I will test positive, I do still worry, because there is a remote chance I picked up something nasty way, way, way back in my early 20's.

I also have to have a BMI of less than 32.  She said that mine was currently 31, so just in.  I think I might be a bit heavier now so I actually think I am 33.  That said, the diet starts NOW.  Surely this will inspire me to lose weight.  If this doesn't nothing will.  I only have to lose, bah ha ha ONLY, yeah right, I have to lose around 5kg to get under the threshold, but I am SURE if I lose the weight, and more, it can only help our pregnancy chances.

If we do manage to get onto the waiting list it could be 12-18 MONTHS!  Really!! Not impressed!!!  However, should this be the case we can go private, which will cost $11,000.00, so that might end up being our best option ... TJL didn't say a heck of a lot when I mentioned it, but he takes a bit of time and 'thinks about it' whereas I give my initial reaction straight away.

So a bit of a disappointing appointment today, but onward and upward we go.  The only one who has any influence on our situation is the good Lord above, and I have to trust that He know's what He's doing and that it will be the right thing for us.  Patience, MJJ, Patience!

Work place gossip

What is it about humans that we love to gossip, in fact I think some people even crave it.  It drives me nuts at work, the amount of gossip there is.  What drives me nuts further is that I can't control myself and willingly participate.

Image from Google Images

So why do I do it?  I actually think that it stems from a wanting to 'belong', because even though I say I 'don't care' that I don't fit in, and I 'don't care' what others think of me, and I actually don't envision myself being 'friends' with the vast majority of them, I still want to be accepted as one of them.  What is it about the human condition that means we crave acceptance, even from those we don't particularly like?    I do manage to go for periods of time where I don't participate in these conversations, but it really just means that I work mostly in silence, and even then it doesn't stop people approaching and engaging me in gossip conversations.  I guess I just have to work harder in driving conversations in other directions.  What I need is a list of topics to achieve this .... oh it might just be easier to stay quiet.

All the gossip also means that the work environment is split into cliques, which is what happens at High School, not a workplace full of women from their 20's to their 60's, and to be perfectly honest it tends to be the older ones who gossip the most.  Not to mention the 'nastiness' that they direct towards others in the company - people who they deem to eat too much 'that guy always has a HUGE breakfast, look at how many eggs he has', people who have conditions such as turrets, it's just total juvenile behaviour and it makes me really uncomfortable.  

I am just clinging onto the fact that I only have 12 weeks to go!  Hooray!  I just have to keep my mouth shut, and my brain active until then (well beyond then too!)  Starting with tomorrow, I shall not gossip!  I shall not speak ill of anyone (including other drivers on the road)!  And I shall change my train of thought each time I get judgemental about people engaging in activities that I do not agree with, and each time I get jealous of other people, I shall direct my train of thought towards my many blessings.

Whirlwind trip to see the Fam.

This is our 4 year old niece T.  A cheeky, yet sensitive soul.  Please excuse the quality of photos, for some reason my on camera flash won't work, very frustrating!

We did a quick, one night trip, to see my family in Waipukurau, this weekend.  It had to be this weekend as I work 5 days this week, and only have one day off before resuming my roster with 3 days on.  TJL will be on calving duty by the 20th July, so it was this weekend, or no go until May (for TJL) to get over.

This is our 2 (in three weeks time) year old nephew C.  He is very much a mumma's boy, who uses a pitiful 'hep me, hep me' when he wants to be picked up, from anywhere, definitely gets what he wants most of the time.

We also caught up with my parents, they cooked us a delicious roast lamb dinner with kumera, and spud, etc.  Was scrummy!  

This is our 7 year old niece G.  Poor thing had been horribly sick, but was perking up a bit before we left.

The weather was terrible, so lucky the company was great!  Not to mention we slept in until 10.00 this morning!  Feel soooo guilty, but it felt sooooo good!

Rainy days and free plants

Today it has been raining.  A lot.  Real heavy rain.  It's not unusual for Taranaki.  Especially now we are right in the middle of Winter!  A lot of rain means mud.  Driving the tractor means tractor mud tracks.  Proof that TJL has been busy.

It also means that the cows pug the paddocks.  When this happens, once the grass has 'taken off' a bit, one needs to 'roll' the paddocks (one being TJL) to reduce the pug marks, as once they set in Summer it is quite easy to roll your ankle in one as they end up like concrete.

Fortunately it did stop raining long enough to walk Stella the Wonder Dog.  She's a classic!  She makes me laugh every day, especially with her love of her toys.  So CUTE!  

Work wanted to get rid of a spider plant today.  Me being the 'Ohhhh I'll take it' kind of person that I am said 'Ohhhh I'll take it!'.  This is what it looked like, all one sided with lots of babies hanging off of it.  The pot beside the plant contains the remains of a plant I have killed earlier.

After a bit of 'separating' I now have two pots of spider plants.  Time will tell if they take or die, as I was quite brutal with their root systems.  All the baby plants I have stuck back in the original pot and put under the eves of the house.  If they survive, they survive - hopefully being under the eves the frosts won't get them.  I just don't have the space available inside, at present, to house them all without them overpowering and crowding the place.

And last but not least, Cluck Cluck (well I think it's Cluck Cluck, it might be Maggie) one of our three delightful chickens.  They are such characters, and currently very involved in consuming the remaining beetroot plants in the vege garden.  I LOVE my chickens!  Not that keen on their calling cards or their destruction of our garden, but the eggs!  Wonderful!

Plus I have booked an Acupuncture appointment, for October!  Yes she is booked up until then.  I figure that means she is a great practicioner (oh the spelling on that one may be WAY off!)  Hopefully it might help with our fertility woes, AND my weight problems.  I know  what I am doing wrong but I need the motivation to STOP consuming harmful things, like sugar and fats, and start being more kind to my body.

Hopefully when I finish work in October I will feel far more motivated to get moving, a lot faster than I do for the dog walks, and the weight will come off.

And now I patiently await the return of TJL with tea .... YUM!

Cook my little leftovers, cook

TJL was out rolling paddocks when I got home today, Stella the dog and I discovered him when we went for our walk.  So, being the housewife in training, I decided that I would cook tonights dinner.

Super easy!

We had leftover potato, carrot, broccoli and cauliflower so I have whacked that all into a dish, with a bit of onion and covered it with cheese sauce and put it into the oven.  I made the cheese sauce a little thick, but never mind.  I could have thinned it with a bit more milk I guess - oh well too late now!  I use Edam Cheese, which is a low fat cheese that I like BUT thinking about it today I do use A LOT in dishes to get a bit more flavour in.  I think I might get a small block of tasty or similar next time I am shopping, that way I can mix the two so we get a bit more flavour, as well as a decent consistency.

It addition to our vege bake I am going to make Chinese 5 Spice Chicken.  Super easy, chop up some chicken (I use skinless boneless thighs, cheaper and more succulent than breast), and chuck it in a bag of flour mixed with Chinese 5 Spice, and then I fry.  Hmmmmm, I might try doing them in the oven for a low fat version.  Since I have the oven on 'n' all.  Hopefully TJL won't complain TOO much ... lol.  He did say he wanted fried, but it can't hurt to try it just the once.

And so, thus, I must go and prepare the chicken .....

Taxes are done! Yes!

I finally got off my chuff and got my taxes all done and ready to post off tomorrow, and since they don't have to be there until the 7th I am actually ahead of time this year.  Last year I did them online the night before - talk about making ones life more stressful than it needs to be.

As per usual I have told myself that THIS year I will keep on top of it throughout the year, so they will be all good to go early, time will tell if I manage to achieve this, or not.  No doubt my transition from 'lab technician' to 'farmers housewife' will enable this.  I just can't wait for this to happen.  Time and energy to really get our home clean and decorated, to get our vege garden productive and flower gardens overflowing, to cook nice, healthy meals for TJL and I every day, and to have time to exercise and get fit.  Have I said that I CAN'T WAIT!!??  Not to mention time to actually plan my blog posts, rather than my incoherrent ramblings.

I have also finally got everything 'packed away' from our holiday.  Not quite perfect, I mean my clothes are in a tidy pile on my dressing table and not in the drawers, but this is mostly due to the fact nothing else will fit in my drawers.  I really do need to do a full on throw out, again.  Plus it is a gorgeous winters day today, so my washing is out in the hopes that it will mostly dry, and I will just need to use the dryer as a finish off.

And my work desk is kinda tidy too!  Tidy enough to be able to fit my computer onto it, so I MUST use that area as my office, instead of dragging everything out to the living room and making a gigantic mess in there.  I must stop putting everything that I plan to 'file away later' on my desk, and file it at the time.  It took me HOURS yesterday to get it sorted, surely 1 minute filing at the time is SO MUCH EASIER!  Perhaps I need to write myself a sign to put over my desk that tells me that.

Today we are off to a basketball game (2nd to last of the season), and since the game is early, at 4.00pm, then we plan to head out to dinner afterwards - JOY!  Speaking of which I must head off and get myself showered and ready to go, I'm so excited!  I love going out for dinner.