Did you think I wanted to talk?

Well I’m in Auckland.

I’ve not been here for about 2+ years. I realise that’s before I joined Ontri and found some great interesting and inspiring like-minded people. I probably should have said I’m coming and arranged to meet some.

Still I’m back in July for another course I’m running so I’ve got another chance to pull my finger out.

I had a very chatty cab driver in Christchurch. We were talking about the Target show last night where they surveyed taxi drivers from Auckland. I didn’t mind yacking away to her, but the cab driver in Auckland, I really didn’t want to talk at all.

Unfortunately I get car sick easily, and with the Auckland traffic stop/starting all the way down the motorway my car sickness kicks in real early.

To combat this I ask to sit in the front of the taxi. Unfortunately this was taken to be some unwritten code for “lets have a lovely chat and shoot the breeze”.

Umm, no, that’s not what it means.

I had a man of Indian decent. I would have felt better in the back since I wouldn’t have seen how many times he drove with no hands on the wheel. This might impress some but not me.

He then gets a phone call and jabbers away. I’m thankful at this stage he’s got someone to talk to and hope he will have used all his 2000 words for the day in that conversation and run out of things to talk about with me.

Unfortunately it was his wife – so he told me. He probably didn’t want to talk to her. Meanwhile he’s putting his phone back into his jacket pocket leaving the steering wheel to do as it pleases. Then proceeds to tell me a bunch of stuff which ends with a question. If only he spoke slow enough for me to decipher his accent and reply with something appropriate.

When he dropped me off he was asking if I’d like to book him for my return to the airport on Friday. I had to think fast to avoid giving the impression that I’d rather not if you don’t mind.

I love Auckland for all the beautiful flowers it has at this time of year which have long since disappeared from Christchurch.

There’s the grand manors along past Epsom Girls Grammar.

But man, I wouldn’t want my house to be so close to the pavement of one of the busiest roads. No thanks, you can keep the beautiful flowers and grand homes.

When I arrived at the apartment I’m staying at – which has cooking facilities – I asked where the closest supermarket was. Down Church Hill Road I was told. It’s at the bottom of the hill. 10 minutes to get there and about twice as long to return was the estimate I was given.

I wasn’t really thinking about the hill until I had to look over my shoulder to make sure the road was clear before I stepped out to cross a side street. Then I realised that it’s a decent hill and would give Hackthorne Road a run for it’s money.

On my way back I saw a lone cyclist, it wasn’t a fast trip for him, but for me I put my head down and power walked.

Have you ever worn an A-line skirt with lining under a straight long coat? By the time I got 1/2 way I realised that my skirt was slowly working it’s way around my body and the lining wasn’t following. It was getting all bunched and uncomfortable.

Anyway, the walk up the hill was uneventful other than the skirt thing and I certainly felt my calves burn. If I had the coat on for warmth, it wasn’t needed.

It was nice to feel as if I was doing something slightly more strenuous than the nothing that’s been going on over the past 1.5 weeks.

Tell you what, the apartment I’m at is really nice. It’s even got a new F&P Dish Drawer. Not that I want to make enough mess to need it.

Ok, well it’s about time to read some documentation for work then onto Beach Road, a new book by James Patterson and Peter de Jong that I’ve just picked up.

Not sure if I mentioned that I had finished the Harlan Coben book I was reading on my way back from Wellington last week. It was a great story.

Too hectic to write

Life seems to be spinning by. I thought I’d easily manage to post once a day but then life becomes manic and everything seems to collide and before you know it, it’s been a couple of days without a post.

Here I am sitting in the Qantas departure lounge waiting for a flight to Auckland. I really don’t like Auckland.

Can you believe I hummed and haaa’d about whether to pack my umbrella. Silly right. Everyone knows there are unpredictable showers every day in Auckland.

Murphy’s Law if I hadn’t packed it I would definitely need it. Now that I’ve packed it, it’ll be fine every time I head outdoors.

I’m hoping there’s late night shopping in Ponsonby. Usually the training is held at Cliftons & Associates in Queen Street. This time I’ve chosen to run the training from Auldhouse which is on Ponsonby Road and I’m staying quite close and can easily walk.

I’m in a bit of a pickle with what to wear to Dad’s wedding. He hasn’t been much help with trying to figure out what type of “mood” the wedding will be. I know it’s not a glitzy affair with evening dresses.

So that leaves my work clothes, which I think are quite smart. But I don’t want to wear what I wear every day for their wedding and I don’t really have a stash of cash to splurge on new clothes.

However, I do have a little bit tucked away which I could spend. I’m hoping the shops will be open late on Thursday so that I can snoop around and see if there’s something there that I couldn’t get in Christchurch.

It’s a terrible time to look for clothes. The middle of winter. Everything seems so drab and I don’t want to look like I’ve come ready for a funeral. Need to find something with some life in it.

Work is very hectic. Just about Australian year end and wouldn’t you know it, I’m away right at the time they want to release to market and I’m the one that puts the stuff on the website. Monday’s the day. I’ve been trying to get as much sorted before left the office today and have given numerous instructions to a good many people.

And then everyone wanted to talk to me right before I needed to call for a cab. I ignored my phone. How rude of me. And then my boss decided he needed some other EO month information which I wasn’t planning on and that took a good chunk of my morning. No wonder I’m feeling a bit behind the eight ball.

I rode to/from work yesterday. Still at my recreational pace. While it’s been nice having time out from training, I’m not really eating any less. Usually I’d have a chocolate bar or something similar and not worry about it because the training would make up for it. Now I’m not training I’m starting to wonder if I’ll see the chocolate on my body. Arrrgh, the body conscious

Just a few minutes now before they ask us to board so I better cut this short and get it away.

Oh, I posted off my registration for the Greta Valley Trail Run today. Looking forward to it.