Famous last words. (Okay not exactly last words. It’s not like I was Oates stepping out of the tent saying “I’m going outside, I may be some time")
But nonetheless the southerly did come through mid-morning instead of mid-afternoon. Which meant we were halfway up Mt Lowry when the wind and hail hit.
Mind you, even calling the thing a mountain is something of an exaggeration. 373m may technically be a mountain, but it only takes just over an hour to tramp/scramble to the top. Even in pouring rain and bouncing hail.
And it did clear up before we got to the top. The trip down was mostly in sunshine. And the views are SPECTACULAR.
Pics to come. Haven’t downloaded yet.
Oh – and I don’t have a phone yet, either.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
How do yours score?
I’ve had my fair share of dealing with institutions – both public and private – in the last couple of weeks.
It started with the burglary at our place. That was on a Tuesday. Now, I get it that our police force is really busy, and burglaries are a low priority (to them, not to the people whose house got broken in to), but I really would have expected to see someone before Sunday. And maybe even someone who was old enough to shave.
So, once we got the police out of the way, it was time for the insurance claim. Just thinking about it makes you heave a sigh and roll your eyes, doesn’t it?
We sent the claim through on Tuesday and it was approved on Wednesday. That’s right, the next day. We even had a call from the appliance store Wednesday afternoon to say they had our TV model in stock and it was ready to pick up. Impressive work.*
After dealing with all this, it was time to make our home more secure, so we’ve installed a burglar alarm. That part was pretty simple. But to have your alarm monitored, you need a telephone – and we’ve never bothered with a home phone. Fair enough, time to join the grown up world and have the phone put on.
I rang the phone company on Friday and arranged for the installer to come on Tuesday morning – and to ring half an hour in advance so I can meet them there. On Monday afternoon the phone company rang to confirm the installation for the next day. On Monday evening the phone company rang to say my account hadn’t yet been approved and I had to fax them two forms of identification. I did that on Tuesday morning then rang to follow up. They had no record of that request and said my account had been approved on Monday morning and my installation would still happen on Tuesday. No call from the installer on Tuesday – but got home to find a card in the letterbox saying they had been but I wasn’t home. No shit, Sherlock!
Rang them again this morning and now the phone won’t go in till Thursday.
So, my scorecard goes:
NZ Police – 6 out of 10 (because I know they’re doing their best)
NZI Insurance – 10 out of 10
Telstraclear – 2 out of 10 (and I don’t actually have my phone yet, so that could still go down)
*Just a word on this – keep all your receipts and take photos of stuff. Our claim included a receipt for the TV, a photo of the TV, and a photo of the space where the TV used to be. Bombard them with information and they really can’t argue.
It started with the burglary at our place. That was on a Tuesday. Now, I get it that our police force is really busy, and burglaries are a low priority (to them, not to the people whose house got broken in to), but I really would have expected to see someone before Sunday. And maybe even someone who was old enough to shave.
So, once we got the police out of the way, it was time for the insurance claim. Just thinking about it makes you heave a sigh and roll your eyes, doesn’t it?
We sent the claim through on Tuesday and it was approved on Wednesday. That’s right, the next day. We even had a call from the appliance store Wednesday afternoon to say they had our TV model in stock and it was ready to pick up. Impressive work.*
After dealing with all this, it was time to make our home more secure, so we’ve installed a burglar alarm. That part was pretty simple. But to have your alarm monitored, you need a telephone – and we’ve never bothered with a home phone. Fair enough, time to join the grown up world and have the phone put on.
I rang the phone company on Friday and arranged for the installer to come on Tuesday morning – and to ring half an hour in advance so I can meet them there. On Monday afternoon the phone company rang to confirm the installation for the next day. On Monday evening the phone company rang to say my account hadn’t yet been approved and I had to fax them two forms of identification. I did that on Tuesday morning then rang to follow up. They had no record of that request and said my account had been approved on Monday morning and my installation would still happen on Tuesday. No call from the installer on Tuesday – but got home to find a card in the letterbox saying they had been but I wasn’t home. No shit, Sherlock!
Rang them again this morning and now the phone won’t go in till Thursday.
So, my scorecard goes:
NZ Police – 6 out of 10 (because I know they’re doing their best)
NZI Insurance – 10 out of 10
Telstraclear – 2 out of 10 (and I don’t actually have my phone yet, so that could still go down)
*Just a word on this – keep all your receipts and take photos of stuff. Our claim included a receipt for the TV, a photo of the TV, and a photo of the space where the TV used to be. Bombard them with information and they really can’t argue.
Monday, May 4, 2009
What's up with Outward Bound?
The couples’ course is a new thing for Outward Bound – I’m having a bit of trouble getting my head around it as I’d always thought of OB as being very much about self-realisation, so going with your partner must add a WHOLE new dimension!
I love this line from the website:
‘The course does not offer any counseling services and is not intended to serve couples in crisis.’
So if you’re already at each other’s throats – don’t bother dropping in. We can’t help you.
One of the things I'm enjoying about this is I get to buy huge numbers of the most un-sexy things you’ve ever seen. If the tramping boots to make my legs resemble tree trunks aren’t enough, how about woolly hats that remind me of my geography teacher on a field trip?
Don’t believe me? Well, if you can’t see what I look like on the swing bridge in my profile shot, check out this gorgeous pic from our hike up Mt Taranaki at Easter. It’s no wonder Craig can’t keep his hands off me!
Our aim is to be as fit as possible before we go – the fitter we are the more we should enjoy it. The minimum fitness requirement is to be able to do 3km in 25 minutes (I can walk that if I have to), be capable of a full day’s activity (think we’ve got that covered) and swim 20m (I’m choosing not to think about that – we’re talking about the Marlborough sounds in June. It’s going to be bloody cold. Trust me. Beyond cold).
So our exercise lives at the moment go something like this:
Monday – gym (PT for me, workout for Craig)
Tuesday – gym
Wednesday – nothing. Traditionally this is Hump Day. No, that doesn’t mean we go home and hump. It means we celebrate getting over the hump of the work week by relaxing with a few quiets.
Thursday – gym (PT for Craig, workout for me)
Friday – just me, lunchtime session with the PT
Saturday – a nice long tramp somewhere
Sunday – maybe drag ourselves down to the waterfront for a walk/jog
A couple of weeks ago we had a crack at one of those indoor climbing walls – neither of us having done it before. It was kinda fun – not something I’d fall in love with and want to do all the time, but enough fun that I’d do it occasionally. It certainly used a few muscles that hadn’t had much work for a while. And gave me the opportunity to wear more un-sexy stuff – although I think guys look worse in those harnesses than us girls do.
See how great my life is - outdoor slogging, gym torture, unflattering clothes. Oh, and I have to have short fingernails so I don't rip the ends off my fingers on a rock wall!
That's okay - I chose this!
I love this line from the website:
‘The course does not offer any counseling services and is not intended to serve couples in crisis.’
So if you’re already at each other’s throats – don’t bother dropping in. We can’t help you.
One of the things I'm enjoying about this is I get to buy huge numbers of the most un-sexy things you’ve ever seen. If the tramping boots to make my legs resemble tree trunks aren’t enough, how about woolly hats that remind me of my geography teacher on a field trip?
Don’t believe me? Well, if you can’t see what I look like on the swing bridge in my profile shot, check out this gorgeous pic from our hike up Mt Taranaki at Easter. It’s no wonder Craig can’t keep his hands off me!
Our aim is to be as fit as possible before we go – the fitter we are the more we should enjoy it. The minimum fitness requirement is to be able to do 3km in 25 minutes (I can walk that if I have to), be capable of a full day’s activity (think we’ve got that covered) and swim 20m (I’m choosing not to think about that – we’re talking about the Marlborough sounds in June. It’s going to be bloody cold. Trust me. Beyond cold).
So our exercise lives at the moment go something like this:
Monday – gym (PT for me, workout for Craig)
Tuesday – gym
Wednesday – nothing. Traditionally this is Hump Day. No, that doesn’t mean we go home and hump. It means we celebrate getting over the hump of the work week by relaxing with a few quiets.
Thursday – gym (PT for Craig, workout for me)
Friday – just me, lunchtime session with the PT
Saturday – a nice long tramp somewhere
Sunday – maybe drag ourselves down to the waterfront for a walk/jog
A couple of weeks ago we had a crack at one of those indoor climbing walls – neither of us having done it before. It was kinda fun – not something I’d fall in love with and want to do all the time, but enough fun that I’d do it occasionally. It certainly used a few muscles that hadn’t had much work for a while. And gave me the opportunity to wear more un-sexy stuff – although I think guys look worse in those harnesses than us girls do.
See how great my life is - outdoor slogging, gym torture, unflattering clothes. Oh, and I have to have short fingernails so I don't rip the ends off my fingers on a rock wall!
That's okay - I chose this!
Bounding?
Seems a silly title for a blog, doesn't it.
But it describes my current outlook - I'm bounding through life. Yep, taking it in leaps and bounds, trying to fit in everything at once and having a bloody great time doing it.
Also, the name is partially inspired by Outward Bound. This is the next adventure we've got lined up - the one week couples' course in June.
So this blog is going to be about all sorts of things. Our adventures in the outdoors. Our caravan trips. The renovations we're about to start on our cottage.
No promises on regularity of posts or entertainment value. But there will be photos!
But it describes my current outlook - I'm bounding through life. Yep, taking it in leaps and bounds, trying to fit in everything at once and having a bloody great time doing it.
Also, the name is partially inspired by Outward Bound. This is the next adventure we've got lined up - the one week couples' course in June.
So this blog is going to be about all sorts of things. Our adventures in the outdoors. Our caravan trips. The renovations we're about to start on our cottage.
No promises on regularity of posts or entertainment value. But there will be photos!
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