I'm in Wellington.

Arrived in Wellington yesterday to glorious weather and one very excited grandson (with his parents) met me at the airport. I don't think he drew breath for the rest of the day as he caught me up with all his news, LOL.



First stop was the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club at Lyall Bay which is also a VERY popular cafe for a graze. The food was extremely tasty and the view was fantastic across the bay. We did the obligatory throw several rocks in the tide from the beach thing that you do with small boys before taking the scenic route back to Karori where the family reside. It was then time to meet Mojo - the chocolate labarador/Chesapeake American gun dog - who obligingly leapt about with excitement to see everyone home again. I am not a dog person but in 24 hours have had a tummy rubbing session, had dog asleep on my feet, taken the dog and boy for a walk (or was it the other way round, lol), been licked and had tug of wars with favourite toy! with the aforementioned canine!!!.

The next bit of excitement was opening the belated Christmas presents. The boy had been wonderfully restrained about even hoping there was something in my suitcase but could not resist asking as I put it in the bedroom, what did I have in there, lol. He was thrilled with all his bits and pieces - the whoopee cushion, fake teeth and glasses being the immediate hit, followed by the Ben 10 stickers and sox coming pretty equal with two other sticker books he received. The photo frame was the perfect size for his baby footprints!. We haven't got to the 2008 Boy's Annual yet but have all week to investigate that book, lol.



As time was marching on we decided to walk up the road and get some things for a barbeque so had pork chops, prawns, courgette and capscicum kebabs and sweet corn, with fresh French stick bread for dinner followed by watermelon and gosh, apart from the kebabs, everything was the boys's favourite!! (funny that, lol). The evening was still pleasantly warm so we went for a walk around the block with Mojo before coming back for some quiet time and bed. Then, once the lad was in bed, I came across one of his toys - Wii - the next version up from playstation, that is an interactive computer gaming thingie. I WANT ONE!!! No 1 son had had a go first and I thought the 10 pin bowling game looked fun and it was. It is very bizarre to stand in front of a TV screen with something like a solid remote in your hands, doing bowling motions in mid air so to speak. Well, would you believe it, I did brilliantly (she says modestly, lol). I got 4 strikes!!! and then had to have another go just to make sure. I then thought I would have a go at the tennis game and that was hilarious - I actually won both my games on that but as the degree of difficulty was increasing with my winning I decided to quit while ahead heh, heh. Next was baseball, and I have to admit, I failed miserably here. I was taught to start to swing as the ball left the bowlers hand but on this programme that meant I struck too early, so had to slow down and wait until the ball reached the edge of the pitch before I actually connected bat and ball for a strike, and then it was a foul, lol. I stopped then as my arm was aching from all the unused to activity but could have had a go at golf and boxing if I so wished. You can actually work up a sweat (sorry ladies, a glow, lol) playing these games which were especially designed to get kids up off the couch and get moving. It has kept the grandson occupied and moving while recouperating from his broken elbow and of course helps expend much of his energy on those Wellington days that prove to be inclement (and of course then Dad can play as well, lol). There is an elastic band that goes around your wrist connected to the controls because when the game was first invented, numerous TVs were wrecked when controls would fly out of players hands with excitement. NB if this makes you want to race out and buy one - take into consideration the placement of lights in your ceiling heh, heh as they can be casualties too when doing a serve in tennis for example.

Have had a reasonably relaxed day today. Have been up to the library to get a couple of DVD's and lost a game of memory playing with Superman cards AGAIN! (They all look the same to me, lol). Had another yummy dinner tonight - this time barbequed hapuka caught by No 1 son himself last weekend in the Hawkes Bay (it had been frozen in the meantime, lol). It was the fattest fillet of hapuka I have seen and was totally sweet and melted in the mouth. More grilled capscicums, courgettes, sweetcorn, with tomatoes and eggplant as well. Depending on the weather, the grandson and I could be heading to the movies tomorrow and maybe a look at Te Papa. Will let you know how it all goes.