10/09/2006
Posted in News at 8:49 am by Mags
99 days to go 
Well added to the downer of being back at work I came home Thursday to find my dining room window put through and some toe rags had swiped some of my dvds and my camera and printer 
Apart from the inconvenience of having to clear up enough glass to make 2 windows (and I’m still finding it! 
) I take heart in that it was not as bad as when I was ‘done over’ before (about 10 years ago) – I haven’t got much and what I have isn’t really valuable except to me …
I’m puzzled as to a) what was taken – cos they left stuff they could have got more money for and b) that my house has been empty for 4 weeks but they came after I was back … (my sister 
thinks it could be some kid I’ve ‘upset’ at school in the past so waited til they knew I’d be out all day …)
CSI didn’t use ultra violet or lasers 
– but I did have my prints taken 
– I asked if the GB police has a data base like CODIS on CSI – we do but its not as good as theirs – and the way they can find a perp from a partial is alittle bit stretching it apparently … 
My house now has extra locks!!!
The high’s come about because on Friday thanks to Salford – and in particular an ex Wigan player – My Warriors have performed ‘The Great Escape’ 
having lain at the bottom of the league where ‘THAT man’ took us we are now mathematically safe from relegation!!! 
Off to the London game to join the party – I will be wearing my well travelled Great Escape Tshirt (an idea Barb had and everyone loved so much – she’s taken part of the credits from the film and changed the names to the teams … its pretty cool – even some of the players have been presented with them … 
) – I took mine to NZ hoping to wear it there but they waited for me to come home …
There is going to be much playing of the theme tune on kazoo’s this afternoon too … and of course I’m joining in!!!! 
Better go take my asthma sprays to make sure I have enough puff …
4 now
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Posted in News at 11:34 am by Mags
Woke very reluctantly … and started to put things in me case even more reluctantly ….. 
First event of the day was to watch the All Blacks beat the Springboks in the company of Richard … 
Following the All Blacks is definately a religion here … 
EVERYONE watches it
(Found a kindred spirit with Auntie Margaret too – she’s mad about both kinds of rugby !!!!)
Then we went to see M’s Mum and Dad … followed by a last trip to Glenfield shopping mall ( beats shopping in rugby any day!) and a legendary raspberry and white chocolate shake … very very yum!! 
Back at Margs was a little ‘Welcome Home Bon Voyage’ soiree … met more lovely people – had very special vege muffin/pie and some gorgeous peach voddie … 
and the deserts to die for … couldn’t choose so had banoffe pie/Pavlova/carrot cake and peanut butter bites (VERY rich! ) all in the same bowl 
All were home made too – so if I come out here to live I’ll have to brush up on my culinary skills …
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Posted in News at 10:24 am by Mags
After a nice lie in and a walk around the bits of Auckland round Sky City we headed back to Glenfield to pick up Marg and go to Takapuna Tenpin!!!
Yes I went bowlling 
!!!!
There’s no danger of me getting my name on the honours board … well unless its was for ‘Worst ‘ !!!!
Though I did get a strike!!!!! dunno how – there was no skill involved at all – and I certainly couldn’t give coaching tips as to how you do it …
It was a good laugh though 
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Posted in News at 10:17 am by Mags
Woke up this morning to be told it was my early birthday 
and we were going to be having dinner in the revolving restaurant of the Sky Tower and spending the night in the Sky City Hotel!!!!
Isn’t he just the VERY BEST???? 
Sky City
and that was on top of going to see a production of Porgie and Bess that I already knew about!!!
We had early dinner because of going to the theatre so we headed up the tower about 5 ish to the observation lounge – the view is spectacular…
I had a cocktail called Heaven Bound (kiwifruit voddie and cranberry juice and something else … it was delish 
) which I did have to finish a bit quick before we went even higher to the Orbit restaurant .
it took me a couple of secs to realise the part of the restaurant where the tables were was moving and it wasn’t me … 
It was quite something to see Auckland from above and as the sun went down …
very romantic ….
and the food was wonderful too …
Porgie and Bess was good – it was a bit more warbly than I remembered but the Gershwin music was fab … and My Murray manfully sat through it without dropping off bless him!! 
Then it was a stroll through the casinos 
at Sky City (we didn’t hit the tables – It was fascinating to watch tho …) before going back to the room to finish off the complementary champers … 
It was a very special day – and I can’t really put into words how special it made me feel – and how lucky I am to have Murray in my life now … 
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Posted in News at 9:52 am by Mags
We had a pretty quiet day today – just a bit of shopping (not that I could bring many things home! 
) and catching up with Richard and Marg’s news – we went for lunch and almost got heatstroke the sun was so strong 
!!
M and me went to the cinema again – this time to see Hoodwinked – its a version of the Red Riding Hood story animated like Shrek and really funny – gets a triple 
from me!!!
If you can go see it …
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Posted in News at 9:47 am by Mags
Marg and Richard returned from their voyage 
They had flown back via the States (had a few cool days in Las Vegas ) but their experiences at LA X were not good!
the first thing that hit them was the complete difference in temperature 
It was good to see them again …
Murray , his Mum and me took a trip to Auntie Margaret’s on the coast … or as I have now christened it ‘Paradise’ – a beautiful house in a beautiful setting (the garden goes down to the beach!) and even the rain didn’t spoil it because there were some fabulous rainbows for me to photograph 
Then it was back up to Auckland to get ready to go out for Cindy’s birthday – complete with big surprise as Craig had been flown up to Auckland before going out to East Timore with the NZ army so he was able to come out with us too
We went to a restaurant called Monsoon Poon which serves a selection of Oriental and Asian dishes – and you can watch them garnish the dishes through a mirror over the serving hatch and guess what they are using … (ok I conceed it was a carrot – but it did look like a fish fillet the way it was sliced (or a piece of fern!!! You know I’m not Masterchef!! 
)
I like the restaurants slogan Love You long Time Have a look…
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here I am back where I started … 
met loads of lovely people 
gathered lots of brilliant memories 
but on the other hand its my last day 
but me and Marg had a ball 
