photos and things

This is probably about the last thing I should be doing right now, because I have an exam on Saturday afternoon. The weather outside is very lovely, and about 17 degrees, which is quite warm. In fact, I have my new summer dress on, with a short-sleeved cardigan. Summer, indeed. I have been working hard all morning, except for when I went to the post shop and did some chores, although I guess that counts as working in a different way.

(I took this photo from by our house a few weeks ago, but it pretty much looks like this today too, although the sea is quite milky actually)

I spent half an hour this morning trying to find a doctor who would make an appointment for Jeremy. I rung a surgery in Hataitai, who said they only take patients who live in Hataitai, and the People's Centre aren't taking new clients. Eventually, I got him an appointment on Monday morning at Courtenay Medical, which is right next to his work, so it's all sorted in the end. But sheesh - it's like you are some sort of medical pariah if you haven't lived here all your life and/or have used Student Health in the past. I think it may be because of the new PHO system, which means you have to specifically enrol with a particular doctor.

Our trip to Auckland was pretty great, and some exciting things happened. And also some not-exciting but still nice things, like eating biscuits and reading lots of newspapers and watching silly movies on television. We did some exciting shopping too, about which I'll write when things are more definite. Jeremy and my brother went to a golf-driving range, while my sister and mother and I went shopping, and I bought the aforementioned summer dress. It is probably my most favourite piece of clothing right now. You know how you just have some clothes that make you feel good, and look good (simultaneously holding everything in and flattening the bits that need to be flattened, and flattering the bits which may possibly be worth flattering) - well, this new dress is it. And talking of new, I won a free bra last week! I somewhere saw an ad for the bendon website, and if you signed up to their mailing list, you would go into a draw for one of one thousand of their new "invisible" bras. And I won one, and it is rose pink, and it is real, not invisible! They cost about $50 in the shops, so there was no way I was going to buy it myself.

I had better go back to my books. But it is still nice and sunny, a good day for pootling around outside. Perhaps I will wander down the road and give Maranui my custom, in exchange for an excellent flat white.. Jeremy and I had considered holding our wedding reception there, but the staff were quite unhelpful and it was going to cost way more money than we wanted to spend, plus the reception would have had to be held after 5pm. And that didn't work because the wedding was in July so 5pm means almost dark, and that would have negated the whole reason for going there... as seen in this photo taken from their website (although it doesn't do the view justice - in real life there is a 180 degree view out to the bay):

Oh, here is one photo of Jeremy from our trip. We were in Ike's, this cool shop filled with so many weird things, and lots of fabric and buttons and ribbons (my favourite part). And lots of dressups and costumes...

I'll try to post more Auckland photos tomorrow..