Days 166 - infinity......

Continued.... Day 166 - Andy & I took off to Hanmer Springs. Absolutely beautiful place, and relaxing to boot. I had booked accommodation pre EQ for Andy's birthday - this was exceptional timing for getting out of Christchurch. We hot pooled, got massaged, drank, ate lemon meringue pie and fantasied about living here. Happy birthday Andy! Day 167 - still in Sumner I ate Kedgeree for breakfast and then we walked up to Conical Hill Lookout. Simply breathtaking views. Day 168 and back in shaky Christchurch and my first Riccarton Mall shopping experience. I should explain, I hate malls. They're so identikit with high street shops and they offer nothing unique; they are inhabited by groups of teenagers and harassed families all moving along at a zombie pace. ARGH! Just thinking about them makes me irate. Unfortunately with the loss of Christchurch's main shopping area everything is spread far apart. Needless to say it wasn't a joyful experience, more a trip to the dentist than a trip to New York. Looking forward to when I control the car and can drive from the vintage shops of Woolston to the top quality op shops of Merivale! Day 169 - I discovered and devoured the new Cadbury's chocolate Mousse. Day 170 - My i-player habit is Steve Lamaqc. I never listen to anything else! Today I made myself - so I listened to the lovely Lauren Lavere and the super Welsh Cerys Matthews. I would listen to both again actually, though Cerys had very eclectic taste but it's always good to be introduced to new music. Day 171 - I put the xmas tree up for our first Smithmas in Christchurch! Day 172- went to End of Month drinks and challenged myself to talk to 5 people I'd never had a conversation with before. Big tick! Day 173 was our first Smithmas in Christchurch with the friends that could make it down - Nathan & C and Steve & Michelle (damn you Jetstar with your ash cloud related laziness!). It was excellent and fun evening. I made special Smithmas pies for my meal - roots veggies in a tomato-ey sauce and yummy puff pastry. Excellent! No show from any of the celebs we invited but it didn't matter. A good time was had by all. Day 174 was really quiet unsurprisingly but I rode my bike for the first time to the shops! Day 175- I made turnip curry!!!! Who knew it actually exists as an Indian dish? Not I, until wondering what to do with all the turnip we had left over.....I added it to our Chinese curry sauce and it was good, but not a repeat dish I think. Or so I did think until... Day 176 - still lots of turnip left and rooting in the cupboard I found a korma sauce so I threw in some peas and kumara and had another evening of turnip inspired curry.....probably never again though. Day 177 - I discovered a new bar in Sumner "Clink" - think it had only just reopened after the earthquake. Andy & I popped down for a pre pay day drink and it was very lovely. A fire, comfortable sofas and lovely staff. Could have stayed here all night....I smell a new local coming on.... Day 178 - My first Power yoga class - hot! As in it was 38 degrees.....very good though; lots of sun salutations - you know, downward dog, low plank, warrior 1........I want so much to be flexible, graceful and have good abs so I have to persevere but my bones are so creaky and muscles so tight these days. Maybe after the 2013 NYC 1/2 marathon I'll give up running and become a yoga queen instead. Day 179 - I had my first proper yum char experience! I realise now even more than ever, the Chinese do not do vegetarian. Even radish cakes and spring rolls contained meat! Still, it was lovely hanging out with work colleagues and the pumpkin cakes were to die for. (as this was the 1st July, it was also the start of Dry July....) Day 180 I picked us out a walk in Kaituna Valley - to the Packhorse hut and back. Absolutely stunning setting (though unsure of stream crossings!) - we'll definitely come back here as part of a longer walk as the hut was so gorgeous and with good facilities for an overnight stay. Right, we are into July now so I'll take a break!

MUSIC UPDATE.....// Since my first fortnightly music purchase update - I had a freak out in Auckland's Real Groovy trying to decide what vinyl to buy and ended up only with Cold Roses (which apparently I've owned before but Al sold.....). Shopping impotence at its worst. I have discovered Audiobooks - in particular Richard Armitage's delicious reading of Georgette Heyer's novels and I am hopeful he will do more because I don't want to buy Robin Hood audiobooks just to get my fix.... I have bought from i-tunes both albums by Lawrence Arabia and Drab Do Riffs - both of whom I saw at Christchurch Arts Festival and they blew my mind. This week I bought a dress instead.

Oh my word....

Can't believe it's been 3 months since I last updated - that is proper rubbish of me!

This could be a looooooong post.....

So last time I was at Yoga on day 152.....

Day 153 - I ran the Christchurch half marathon. Only it wasn't in Christchurch proper, but Lincoln which is a student suburb outside that has a nice pie shop - but my god it is dull to run around! Bear in mind also that it was windy, cold and sometimes wet it wasn't my greatest half marathon experience. That said, despite not enjoying it so much I ran a pb of 2hrs 7mins. Then I went home and slept.

Day 154 - thankfully it was a public holiday so no work for my aching muscles. Instead I got to work making a baby cosmetics bag for my friend Pat who has now had a baby, but hadn't at the time.

Day 155 - hmmmm.....lame. I took a different bus home......

Day 156 - I made Terriyaki Tofu (though I have written in brackets "sort of"!)

Day 157 - I ran around Hagley Park on my lunch with a work colleague. She's now left, but since this day a hardy group of 4 of us have started to run every Tuesday and Thursday lunch (mostly). Excellent way to chat and exercise and get fresh air!

Day 158 - Tried Indian Blues restuarant in Sumner. Knew we shouldn't - Indian Sumner is soooooo good! But thought we ought to really. Alarms bells started ringing when they asked if Andy wanted his jalfrezi Kiwi hot, and how spicy did I wanted my korma. Oh dear. Not great food. Not bad, just not anything to write home about.

Day 159 - I made rhurbarb crumble!!! I love rhurbarb crumble, mum always made the best puddings ever, and this was right up there. It overstewed the rhurbarb and didn't crumble the crumble enough - but hey it was a good first effort.

Day 160 - I made Veg Cornish pasties. Very yummy filling, but put a bit too much sugar in the pastry....

Day 161 - Had a facon & salad wrap. As someone who has been a vegequarian for a long time I've never eaten a BLT - I know, I'm a freak - so this was my veggie attempt. Very nice it was too! Ha, have just re-read my diary entry for this day, turns out this was June 13th - 6 mg EQ day!! Must have been when we finally got electricity back on in the evening!

Day 162 - I watched The Road. Shit the bed, that is one depressing film.

Day 163 - was due to be my first book club in Christchurch, but there were no buses running......so, how about I ate Thorntons Chocolate eggs instead?

Day 164 - I put my new bike together! It arrived with the front wheel separate and other complicated things to put back together. I don't know how many angry hours I worked on it, but I'm happy to say I got there in the end with immense satisfaction.

Day 165 - I went to the Ballantynes Sale. BIG department store in Christchurch, store munted in Feb EQ - selling off all it non damaged stock before re-stocking for re-opening before Xmas. Fun!

Think that will do for now...