While I would love to hog this exhibition and auction, it is for a good cause so I'll share.
http://www.ihc.org.nz/NEWS/Art%20Awards%202005/Finals/ArtEVENTS.ASP
It is so good, and the website does the pictures no justice. You really ought to go and see the pieces in the flesh. They're absolutely brilliant. Artists strive really hard for the purity and clarity that these paintings convey. Brilliant use of colour. Brilliant.
Me and the boys had just the best morning. A friend has got herself a house, but the house was in a place it couldn't stay. Friend had to get architects and quantity surveyors and crane operators and house relocators and council blokes and all manner of very clever and expensive people to take the house to Waikanae, build some piles and the drive the house to Johnsonville. And today it all came together. There is something so great about seeing a house cut in two being swung through the air by a crane, and lowered down. I guess it makes me appreciate that while renovating our place has been hard work, it hasn't been THAT bad.
Anyway, it was a good time for all of us. I like houses and cranes, Finn likes cranes and trucks, and Malo just likes being around me and Finn.
Perfect morning. And the house has made it, and in 3 months (and probably another 100k) will be liveable.
Yay
Glen and I thought that we didn't want to be the perfect married family with 2 kids and a house in the burbs, when Pastor Tamaki hit the Wellington streets. We really don't want Pastor Tamaki's approval.
Watching Pastor Tamaki tonight on Campbell live I realised that it isn't really an issue. He'll never let me into heaven.
So I'd like to be a celebrant. Ages ago I thought of it, and now there is this whole new gay, civil union market opening up I may just have to jump on the bandwagon. If you've been reading this blog for more than 2 days though you'll realise that I'm a total schemer, and not necessarily always going to follow through with these hairbrained plans.
Not to mention that I feel like I'm about 12 years old and I'd giggle. Not cool.
Today was art group day. It comes around every 2 1/2 months or so and is always very convivial.
Art group consists of 5 couples, and we all buy a piece of art a year. It then gets shared around the group for a year before returning to the roost. There is no money making agenda to the group. It is purely an opportunity to share in other peoples taste.
This time we've scored something from Locust Jones at Grodentz. They have a website so if you wanna nose you can check it out. I tried to create a frickin link. Usual story.
The pieces we've bought over the years have been by Saffronn Te Ratana (www.ferner.co.nz), Sam Broad (www.sambroad.co.nz) and our latest is by Karyn Stevens at Grodentz (www.grodentz.co.nz).
The group started off with quite an earnest agenda of talking about art and exhibitions, but since there are now 9 children amongst us it has deteriorated a bit. Today was very sophis though with oysters and bubbly and chocolate cake and yummy yummy dips.
I recommend everyone has a lovely rainy holiday afternoon like it.
We're having a motoring type evening in. Watching Top Gear and pretending one day we'll have the option of choosing between the Jag and the Porsche.
Anyhow, there is this amazing ad on for a Citroen which changes like a Transformer and dances like Michael Jackson.
Glen muttered "bet that is false advertising". I remain optimistic that soon the streets will be full of cars grooving to Thriller.
Quite often in my head I'm Homer Simpson. I'm having one of those moments now. We've ordered a Hungry Kiwis pizza for dinner, and in the spirit of hungover people we've ordered one called all day brunch. It features scrambled eggs, bacon, chorizo, some vergetably type stuff and hollandaise. Now, not only is this a recipe for a heart-attack, but also inexcusable as I haven't got a hangover at all from the one heineken I had yesterday with the builder.
I do have a unique kind of hangover that comes from feeding one small son at 3am, then having to get up with said son at 5am, as he was totally over sleeping.
We've had a lovely day in the Wairarapa despite fatigue. I got a bit nervous as we drove into Greytown and it was full of big flash 4x4s and lots of bobbed blond hair, designer jeans and sunglasses. I felt like we'd jolted ourselves up to Mission Bay. We got through it all unscathed (apart from an attack of french bakery goodies).
Had a blissful day stomping around paddocks and reading the Listener.
Anyway, Homer time. Mmm pizza.
I love the car so much. It is lovely and clever and one of the better things in our possession. Seat warmers - genius, beep beep - genius, tan fuzzy ceiling - genius, little gizmo that tells you how much fuel you're using - potentially enough to make you go crazy with thrift. Bless Japanese imports for giving povos like us the opportunity to own a nice wagon.
I drove down to the children's bookshop for Spot's birthday party in the car. Normally I would walk the whole 5 blocks.
The party was nice. Spot was big and cute and Finn hugged him (aw, where's the camera?). There was story reading and lollipops. All very convivial (if you're 2 anyway).
Here is a glimpse into the secret world of coffee groups. We spend a goodly amount of time discussing which Wiggle you would do.
Murray - the guitar playing Wiggle
Greg - the singing Wiggle
Antony - the eating Wiggle
Jeff - the sleepy Wiggle
Captain Feathersword - the feather toting pirate
One would think the dangerous life of a pirate would appeal. Unfortunately anyone who has seen Captain Feathersword without his patch can attest that he is better off with it. Perhaps the crooner would rattle your dags? But Greg wears yellow - not an easy colour to pull off.
The truth is that women like a man they can feed. Antony wins the Wiggle love war.
Nothing to do with the fact he is a little bit handsome.
We tried the same discussion about Hi 5, but the fact is nobody wanted to do any of them.
Without One Before to look at I don't really know what to think about the Pope situation. Presumably Sarah has battened down the hatches and is waiting for the Apocalypse.
Oh well, Ratzinger got in, and he is Benedict the 16th. Pretty underwhelming name.
I did like the white smoke thing. Nice and dramatic, although red may have stood out better against the -ahem- white sky.
We've done our worst piece of bargaining yet - or perhaps our best. Having missed out on 2 houses and a cafe in the last 3 months we were pretty keen not to miss out on the car of our dreams. Of course this means we have gone well over budget and could have bought a Reuben Paterson painting after all. Never mind. Our new car is lovely and has one of those beep beep things that opens the doors.
A car salesman type person asked me what I wanted in a car, and looked a bit superior when I said I wanted one that wasn't dark coloured and had a beep beep door opener. Honestly who gives a shit about ABS and EFI and bloody fat exhausts. I want a car that doesn't look filthy all the time and I don't have to walk around three times with a toddler and 7 month old to lock and unlock the doors.
That said our wee number has 17" rims and low profile tyres. I don't really know what that means, but everyone that does has looked kind of impressed. When we told the chap we're buying it off that we'd like to put normal tyres on he looked fairly flabbergasted. Can you look fairly flabbergasted? So we think perhaps we'll keep them and go for drags up and down the Esplanade.
I thought I'd start an illness meme. Just cos.
1. Have you ever almost cut your finger off and passed out at the thought of stitches and fallen over and hit your head and had a seizure and gone in an ambulance to the hospital and then found everything to be fine and you didn't need the stitches anyway?
Yes I have as it happens.
End of meme.
Thought I'd jump on the secret boyfriend bandwagon, and share my first secret boyfriend Reuben Paterson
www.gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz/artists/ltom/rpate.asp.
Of course he is gay, and I am happily married but I guess that is the point.
Basically I want him for his art. He is so damn clever. Check out the titles of his paintings, they're so cool and kitsch and clever and rock n roll.
Oh Reuben.
We have just spent...urghhh...feel queasy... $1750 on a pantry and laundry cupboard. This was by far the cheapest we could find too.
House renovations are mad. We spend most of our time acting a bit frugal and poor, and then when something needs doing on the house we just shell out the most insane amounts of money.
I want to go and spend $1750 on a painting, or some nice shoes, or a coat.
Better damn well enjoy our food storage facility and dirty clothes cleaner holder.
On a more positive note. The builder is a legend and the place is looking gorgeous.
Imagine having Don Brash around for tea, or Helen for that matter. Can you imagine how tedious it would be? The only person I think might be bearable is Winston Peters, because even though he seems like a bit of a wanker, I'm sure he'd at least get pissed.
David Lange would've been great.
This is where I totally loose my credibility and respect.
Confession.
I like to go to the Warehouse after the children are in bed.
Tonight I went because I needed some batteries and a paper.
I bought:
2 AAA batteries (good)
Paper (good, need paper to find a car and keep up with world events)
Pinky (good, Glen likes them. This is why he is so skinny)
Jellybeans (good for a little energy burst to manage the drive home)
Beck CD (good because the young guy asked what music I'm into, which means I don't look too old)
Feather duster (good for tickling my neck while I shopped)
The beauty of the whole venture is that I get to mooch around, look at every item imaginable, come home and the dishes are done. I look good because I've bought a chocolate offering (even if it is a Pinky), and a CD gift (he'll never suspect it's really for me). I sit down and get made a nice cuppa, listen to the new music and I've only spent $32.
Here endeth my confession.
We're having a little mid life crisis in our house. Is that what it is called when you buy a red porsche? We haven't got a porsche - just a nice red vespa. Glen got his licence today, so he is going out for a ride now - legally for a change. I was all fired up to get one too, until the beast arrived. For a scooter it is very big and heavy and a little scary.
Nice for Glen to be a bit dangerous though. Makes him the most rock n roll scientist in Petone.
I woke up this morning and the disappointment about our cafe had gone. This may have had something to do with the fact that I had been awake since 4am, and having to go and make cakes and filled rolls would have been fairly tedious.
Anyhow, the sun was shiny and the birds were singy and I dropped Glen at work. Afterwards I had to drive into Hutt City (doesn't the new name make it sound just so much more zingy?) to buy some lights. As we passed Ripe Coffee Co I asked Finn if he'd like to go there. He said "mummy needs a coffee" which goes to show what a genius the child is.
It was so nice. Finn played with toys, I drank a coffee and ate a cupcake and read the paper and Malo sat on the window seat and got smiled at by passers by.
I've had the day that 3 years ago I thought I'd have every day when I had children.
Well we didn't get the Mt Cook cafe. Quite sad really, but someone out-offered us. It's strange because we were quite ambivalent about it, but now some other lucky bastard has it we're feeling devastated.
This is the third offer we've made that we've missed out on. First 2 were houses. They weren't that important. I got a bit obsessed with Petone apparently liquifying in an earthquake after the tsunami, and started seeking higher ground. I'm not so worried about liquification nowand the houses don't seem to matter as much - and I love Petone all over again.
I bloody love the Mt Cook cafe though, so this may take some getting over.
Malo at 6 months has just got his first tooth. It explains why he has been quite grouchy lately. I was dreading the day the wee fella started to grow up, but by jingo, when I felt that little toothy peg I was as proud as punch. We went to the Dowse and had some cake to celebrate.
Of course, the next day it had gone. Such is the fickle nature of these early achievements. It will reappear in its own good time.
Finn also is growing fast. At 2 1/2 he seems to have hit his teens - although I guess that is why everyoone has been going on about terrible 2's all this time? The woman at Storytime bookshop said that their behaviour at this age indicates what they'll be like for the rest of their life. Pah I say to that.
There seem to be a lot of good Pauls around at the moment, and a couple who have just died.
Paul our builder
Paul Hester
Pope John Paul
My uncle Paul
Paul Hogan (bless you Croc Dundee)
Paul Henry (mmm yummy)
Paul Holmes (list getting dire)
Really I'm just looking for excuses to use my new found linking talent, but I can't really be arsed linking them all.
Big day here in the house of dust. We now have no conservatory/laundry. Can no longer sit by the the filthy aluminium ranchslider looking at the last of the sun while the nappies go through the spin cycle.
onion
I'm so desperate to get this linking thing right there will probably be about a million posts of not very interesting things. Not that they're not interesting. Quite the opposite. They're very lovely.
I am now going to try a link. Almost peeing my pants with the excitement of it all.
http://www.wandaharland.fanspace.com/index.html
How do I make this look a different colour and write something witty about it?
Anyway the link is to a terrible website I made when I was at work about 4 years ago. I wish I could say it was 10 years ago so it doesn't seem so dorky. Be warned if you check it out it pulls up heaps of really horrible ads. Also if anyone wanted to stalk me it contains pictures of me ON MY WEDDING DAY. I know. So exciting.
I am feeling marvellously victorious. I have managed to add links. Give me another few months and I'll be bloody running microsoft.
Not getting this cafe has had an unexpected result. I've turned into a lush, and a big spender. I've had wine now on 3 consecutive nights - three! And today I bought boots and a jacket and 2 tops. Honestly, out of hand.
My dear friend Megan and I spent the morning with one baby each, being ladies of leisure. We cruised into town in her work car (vital as petrol is now some outlandish expense). Parked under the library, and went straight for the Old Bank Arcade. We started relatively slowly. Bit of trying on hats, bags and accessories in general (well, hats and bags). It wasn't til we got to Ruby that I forgot about being a sensible, frugal mother of 2 from the Hutt. I can't resist a charming 20 year old shop girl telling you that you look good in youf clothes.
After all the hip threads action we went to Smiths the Grocer and calmed down with some choc and caffeine. Supre followed which is HILARIOUS, and full of stuff for 12 year olds and Kylie Minogue. Tried as hard as I might to forget I was at the 80s first time round, but just couldn't do the fricken pink and blue striped baggy v necked jumper.
Moving on, got myself some rock n roll genuine Wanda Harland hooker boots. 'Cept responsible ones without stiletto heels. All this crazy shopping action was prompted by the whole going out scenario tonight. However... found out my friend was flying in at 9pm. Now, I know I'm kinda out of the loop, but going into town at 10pm? Puh-lease. So I went to my parents and drank wine with them instead.
End of being rock n roll, though my mum liked my boots.
