In our house we’ve got pairs of cups and saucers that sit on top of the coffee machine, latte cups and espresso cups, and we use them every day because there’s always 2 of us having cups of coffee … as you know, one of my favourite pastimes is to have a coffee and bikkie gathering. But, there are a couple of one-offs: a Ritzenhoff latte glass that Basel Lisa sent me years ago and my new present from New York, a ceramic version of the classic blue New York takeaway cup.

I only get to use either of these cups when the Mister is not around – so typically once every 4-6 weeks when there’s a Xero product release and he has to get up in the wee hours of the morning to go into work, or stay there all night like he did last night – and because a) I have to drink my morning coffee alone and b) because the cups don’t have a mate, they’re referred to as a ’sad cup’.

Maiden voyage for the New York sad cup this morning. Good brew too!

Great weekend in Blenheim with urban family but MAN it was cold there. Who knew that within a 20 minute flight the weather could be so different. We just about got blown away with vertical needles of driving southerly rain to get out to the plane on Saturday morning, took off to the south and with such strong wind gusts the pilot had barely reach max run-up speed when we leapt into the air and arrived in Blenheim 20 minutes later to a gorgeous sunny still morning. And a really crunchy frost! Similar thing coming back yesterday – left a beautiful cold orange bathed scene as we flew over wintry vines into the sunset into a wall of black cloud just off the coast of Wellington into one of the roughest landings I can remember, and I’m pretty good at the flying sideways landings but last night’s was particularly horrifying because we touched down and cruised on the 2 back wheels for quite a while before they could bring the nose down to taxi. Again the howling southerly! We had sub-zero temperatures on Saturday night and they had -4 last night!

Here’s the lovely orange sunset back over the Marlborough Sounds

However got to catch up and eat baking and delicious corn fritters and walk the dogs and have lots of lovely Aidan & family time.

Reading is still a favourite

As is posing for the camera (check out his cool new cap)

And here he is making his second favourite noise to DA!, bla-dle-la-dle-la-dle-la.