The Mister found a website dedicated to this brilliant cartoon I’ve had on my wall since 2005. Perhaps not so relevant in my job now but I’ve worked on plenty of projects and wherever I was in 2005 it was relevant!

http://www.projectcartoon.com/

Next day … found it. My location in October 2005. I was at ERMA (Environmental Risk Management Authority) as a kind of group project manager/analyst doing everything from preparing Board and Ministerial reports to managing implementation and testing of a database upgrade to the Notified Toxic Substances register. How about that!

The general election date was announced over the weekend so our drive back today was marked with a significant increase in billboards and signs hammered onto people’s roadside fences – the ‘vote for me’ kind. And to note – they were ALL BLUE. Did not see a red one the entire 500km journey.

I’m now the proud owner of a branded derriere (on the day I wear these jeans)!

After a few days in Awakeri we’ve had to come home for a rest! As well as working and tending to Mother (post shoulder procedure) and making the batch of jam we did tonnes of stuff *outside* as well which is petty much unheard of for us. But Mother did need a walk …

We all headed out on Saturday morning and the Mister lit a fire and then he and Father proceeded to spend the morning collecting and throwing stuff onto it …

… and I helped once or twice (although this looks like some kind of farm yoga!)

The next morning after giving the fire a poke we filled in the time waiting for it to die down by walking to the top of the Bay of Plenty and down again…

… and replanting and weeding Mother’s patio pots …

… and exploring the garden to say hi to my clivia – which is now planted out in a real garden and about to have it’s SECOND flower since going to live up there mere months ago!!

Especially for Jiff (because during some random conversation I ended up educating him as to how lambs lost their tails) I went to the big scary shed and found some docking rings …

… and Dad showed me the tool that stretches them so they fit over the lamb’s tail and in the case of the boy lambs their ‘purse’ (apparently) as well.

On Sunday evening we put the Sunday roast for dinner in the oven then went to take a last look at the fire … by now the Mister was too exhausted to do anything but stand and watch.

And we finally got to see the stunning Mt Ruapehu for the first time this winter on the way home today … last rumour was there’d be skiing to January!