More Power! Power tool heaven - 06/09/99

Hard to know where to start really.
We got mains pressure and gas hot water in the house on Tuesday. Wednesday morning I got thrown across the shower cubicle as I tried to adjust the direction of the shower head, dropped the soap (and I was ALONE) and knocked the thing onto cold and was blasted with cold water to add insult to injury. For the rest of the week I showered in my wetsuit with a bullet-proof vest and my lifejacket, with the soap on a piece of string.
Two dead blokes in Henderson on Tuesday turned out to be a house owner who fell victim to his new flatmate (a recently discharged -against medical advice- psychopath). The owner was axed and then the psycho gassed himself in a car. Not a gay murder suicide as first thought by some of the more cynical members of the community (not me, honest). Second murder by a psycho in Henderson in a couple of months (the guy who did the ACC woman was also a looney tune).
Little fusses about APEC all week, god please let it finish. One week until APEC, so the mail might be late next week. Police have been searching sewers, roof's, wheelie bins, used fag packets, you name it. Choppers overhead so often it is boring.
A chicken processing factory keeps getting faxes from US security people, been somewhat entertaining.
News also today that more gas is good, so men world over can feel less guilt about farting. However, they are also supposed to use the stairs more and lose the remote control to increase their exercise.
In sport, the Warriors definitely did not play. Sydney City lost (wallies), Melbourne lost, Brisbane lost, Newcastle Knights lost, so Sydney City get to stay for the next round (Brisbane and Newcastle are out).
Northland won their first game since 1997, beating Wellington. Canterbury beat Counties 82-22, with a few records set during the match. Auckland beat Southland 35-7, Taranaki lost in a ranfurly shield game to Waikato who continue to hold it. Otago only just beat North Harbour who were unlucky to lose with a penalty at the death, a game with three penalty tries awarded (a record).
Horse Trials in Burleigh. Mark Todd was innocent, coming 1st and 3rd. Imagine in motorsport if Mikka Hakkinen could do that. Anyway, Blythe's Taits horse was guilty of breaking Bylthe's leg and another rider was killed - the fourth in recent months. Equestrian is more dangerous than competition scrabble now.

In politics, Shipley, with a horrendous case of athletes tongue, managed to get the boss of Lotto to resign after divulging he earned over $400,000 pa (second highest paid govt employee). National are down heaps and I am beginning to seriously consider voting Labour just to keep Winston out and minimise Jim's influence.
News this morning that Labour has leaped to 43.8%, Alliance has slumped to 5%. National on 35.7, NZ First surged to 5.5% (what did I tell you a while back, typical). News also that the Alliance, Act and United (like they count for anything) will not leap into be with NZ First. That offers some hope, I suppose. The Nats issued their list over the weekend and a number of dorks are not on it at all, after feeling a little miffed at being somewhere in the 120's. Murray McCully (former Tourism screw up) and Ian Revell (the dork with the car parking problem a while back) are both now officially "listless", perhaps they need to take vitamins.
The Ben & Olivia trial goes into summing up this week I think. Some progress on the Kirsty Bentley murder last new year, but not an arrest. Sentencing for the four people that killed Angela thingy with neglect, one person still has name suppression, like to know why.
The independence vote in East Timor proceeded, heaps of violence and bloodshed. An NZ policeman rescued a couple of others with a coffee table (this is fair dinkum). They were being pelted with rocks and stuff, and he used the furniture as a shield. It is rumoured he broke off a couple of the legs and chased the mob with them. Heralded as something of a hero, he was mentioned by US Person Madeleine Allbright so he must famous. Now we will have copycat heroism with other items. "Family rescued by youth with tallboy" is likely. Angry mobs will probably start brandishing furniture polish or little boxes with borer or termites. Oh, the vote was overwhelmingly for independence by the way.

Personally, it was a full-on weekend. Had the Smiths over on Friday night. Is looking like me and Peter might start working from home, save a bucketful in rent. Might be kind of nice too.
Then, Saturday, I assisted Symon in the removal of bits around the old back door and we now have a floor, and weatherboards and a new window. Will make that bit heaps bigger. He even let me use some of his tools (nail gun and the Ramset!). Sent Rory under the house to help out at one stage, wasn't keen but didn't want to come out. Thoroughly stuffed on Saturday night, but successfully defended my Father's Day sticky date pudding from all comers. Thomas came over and brought his parents with him. He is increasingly mobile and understands quite a lot now. "No" means go faster before it goes away.
Sunday was Father's Day, which begun with a short lie-in, then had to empty the former outside cupboard for work that day, then prepare for returning soccer gear. Last soccer games on Sunday, beat the Bats 3-0, hat-trick for Harry. Rory played well and Joseph was awesome in defence, they pushed us pretty hard. Then had a picnic at Coyle Park and the kids beat the parents 5-4 with some vary dubious decisions all round. The parents had three goalies at once. Diana scored the first goal for the parents, and Rory the first for the Orcas. Was a good match. So, completely and utterly stuffed and am at work for a rest.
We (Rory and I) also finished Ape Escape on the PlayStation over the weekend. We took some marbles to school on Friday morning and built a tower that you roll marbles down that was taller than me. A marble took over a minute to complete the journey from top to bottom. It was a lot of fun, was a bit late for work that day.
Anyway, lots of things to do in the house during the week in preparation for the weekends construction. Hope everyone is happy.