Dramatic improvement in the weather.
LOCAL NEWS
More issues with the foreshore and seabed debate. The Hikoi (a land march), in this case a huckory hikoi (because they only walked through towns and used buses and things in between) arrived at Helengrad on Wednesday. Helen made herself look small and petty on Monday (again). When asked why she met that bloody sheep (that shall not be named) outside Parliament but wouldn't meet the Hikoi she said tritely "the sheep is better company". Labour were in throes of losing another Maori MP this week, which would trim their majority to the smallest you can have and still have a majority (ie 1). Meanwhile, some of the "dignitaries" of the Hikoi chose to spit on the ground in front of the MPs who were willing to come out from Parliament to meet them. The whole thing was pathetic.
The woman that deliberately ran into a crowd and killed a person outside a party with her car was found guilty of manslaughter. How that was possible, I don't know. Manslaughter is accidental and the only accidental part was she was trying to hurt someone else instead.
An unlicensed Chinese man that killed a woman in a car accident received a sentence of 21 months in prison. The family of the woman were not happy.
A young teenage boy died of a gunshot wound in Morrisville on Sunday.
An accident involving three cars and a truck has seven people in hospital, but only one was seriously hurt. Must have been quite an accident.
The eighth fire in Gore in a week has resulted in a country music museum being destroyed. Now, a lot of people don't like country music, so this isn't all bad news. No one was hurt.
I'm not really sure what the local news agencies will do to fill the gap once New Zealand Idol is finished tonight. The girls in the soccer team are always talking about it. Sensible people ignore it. There should be laws against the mistreatment of good music (and even bad music). The winner is announced tonight.
WORLD NEWS
The "torture" photos were published in the paper this week. They were kind of funny. I really don't see what the fuss is all about. They were anonymous, it could have been worse. It certainly won't make the American soldiers any friends, but I am sure Saddam's death squads did worse.
REAL SPORT
We arrived at polo practice late this week because Rory, like half the other 11 year olds, didn't read the notice that said who was in their team and what time practice was.
Rory had his first water polo match on Friday night. He scored one goal, made some good intercepts and set up some other goals. They only play two quarters each, but he said they needed the rest in between. His team won 12-0.
Hannah's team were playing a team they should have beaten. They beat a team that beat the team they were playing. They certainly had more attacking power, but just weren't getting close to the goal. It was 0-0 at half time, and while we were attacking a lot, the defenders were coming out too far and the opposition defenders were hanging around off-side waiting for a break. Finally, in the second half, we scored a goal (Hayley, who plays goal in the first half). We had some close moments where we nearly let in a goal in the second half but not as many as the wet game the week before. Another win, three out of four, they are going to be shocking at training.
I didn't get to see Rory's game (even though we had two home games, they were at the same time on separate parks, I am a bit grumpy about that because I asked a week earlier if a game could get shifted and there was nobody playing on the field before Hannah's team so they could have started at 10 without hurting anyone), but it was a team they should have beaten, too. They were all over the opposition but weren't finishing well. Final score was 2-2.
On Sunday afternoon, we had a practice game. The girls had a great time. They went for nearly an hour and half. It was with the other two girls teams, neither of which has had a win yet, and you could see them improving over the game with the practice.
SPORT
The Crusaders had already made the semi-finals so they got beaten by the Hurricanes 37-20. The Blues got their win with a bonus point, but needed other results to go their way, which they did except the last one, so the Blues finish fifth. The Chiefs needed a point from their game against the Brumbies, which they got in a low scoring match they lost 12-15 but it was enough. The semi-finals have the Chiefs playing the Brumbies in Canberra, and the Stormers playing the Crusaders in Christchurch. This is the first semi-finals for the Chiefs ever.
Warriors lost again. They always lose to the Cowboys.
Man Utd drew 1-1 with Chelsea, the Arse beat Fulham 1-0 and are almost unbeaten for the season now, Newcastle drew 1-1 with the Wolves, and Leeds had a 3-3 draw with Charlton. Liverpool beat Birmingham 3-0. Leeds are now bottom of the table.
Triathlete Torrenzo Bozzone stopped to help an New Zealand team mate in trouble from an asthma attack during a race, costing him a chance to compete for the title.
MY SAD LIFE
The cats have been interesting. They discovered Jim next door this week, and are now visiting him regularly. Pandora seems to especially get on well with him. She was on the garage roof on Saturday, then leapt from the top of a post on the playground to the trampoline about eight feet away (and got a shock when she discovered the tramp was soft). Ollie continues to venture down the driveway despite attempts to put him off the idea.
Rory got his first school report, and the bad news was his parents didn't comprehend a sodding thing in it. What the heck are "statines"? We had no idea if he is doing well, poorly, or what. Wonder what it will say on our report card.
The kid that burned his face off with a firework last year took a lump of wood with seven nails hammered through it to school this week. He didn't take it out at school, but proceeded to hit random objects with it on the way home off the bus. He told the principal it was a "massage device". Fatal massage perhaps?
No news on Ben the bump, but he's due within a week or so now.
Diana disappeared on Thursday, went to work, then straight to a shopping spree for work to fit out an apartment. We found her at home after training, then she disappeared to the book coven. I ended up driving all over the show to get stragglers to soccer practice, had a full car, dropped four kids off, went away and picked up another one, came back (if Diana had been home, could have used her car, would have been heaps easier). On the way home Rory asked Stephen where he was from (he's Samoan, also had Amanuel, who's Ethiopian in the car) then proceeded to tell jokes about Maoris and KFC (I pointed out later that Samoans really like KFC too) but Stephen was laughing at the jokes so I suppose it was okay. Rory also sang "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" in an Indian accent). It was a bizarre trip in the car. Hannah helped out with the song, as well, so it was in stereo.
Gavin's thumb has improved considerably and he is returning to work today, with caution. He was sounding a lot happier the day he got the good news, he even came over the other day for the first time in ages.
I had to get a passport photo taken (mine ran out a year ago), and Diana said I had to get a haircut first. So I went into the Barber's, explained what I wanted. I then went and got my photo taken. While it was drying, I returned to the Barber's and got the mohawk down the middle of my head shaved off. The barber didn't mind, he said the second trim was the quickest $10 he's ever made. I was inspired by Marc, from Stuttgart, who's passport photo has to be seen to be believed. Mine isn't too bad, but it made me feel good. The kids thought it was funny. Diana wasn't impressed.
The kids did breakfast for Diana on Mother's Day, then we went to Mission Bay for lunch, had pizza on the beach. Saw a few kids from Pt Chev there, the place was pretty busy. Rory and I did some throws, water polo style, of a soccer ball. Hannah found a coconut washed up on the beach, she wanted to open it so I biffed it against a rock and it just burst. Rory was playing with a large stick, then after he left it on the ground a dog came and dragged it off (the same dog went over to Diana first, shook the water off himself, and wandered away, was kind of funny).
We are starting to use the new outdoor furniture, which has had plenty of rinsing in the last fortnight. Had dinner at it on Friday, the kids played monopoly on it on Sunday. I don't think the lawn mowing guy is too happy about it so we should move it onto the deck (which was the plan, anyway).
It is my Mother's birthday on Friday, also George Lucas's (he is three years her junior).
Yesterday we finally booked a trip away. We are going to harass Paul in San Francisco, and so if he is wise he will go into hiding about mid-September. Rory will be an adult by then so the airfares are horrendous (unlike some people, we have to pay money for out flights). We've been mulling it over for ages, and I wanted to do something big and this is about as big as it gets without getting another mortgage.
Well, better go, Diana wants to read this before she has a shower so she knows what she's been doing.
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