1st Dec- 6th Dec
Thursday and after a flurry of phone calls from housing new Zealand (HNZ) we moved from asking me to hold off on making a decision to offering me a job. It was very much like having one bird in the hand and two in the bush. Put that way HNZ agreed to offer me the housing access manager job but in not so subtle language suggested they may like me for the tenancy manager job which they were interviewing for the following week. I agreed that beauracracy was difficult and I would be amenable to either option. Result… I have a proper job at last. Yippee.
Friday and I am up bright and early and off to do some more voluntary work at Hank and Johns. Today’s manual labour was filling in a large trench. Oh the joy of being hot and sweaty and doing something practical. Payment… a dip for me James and Roger in their new $25,000 dollar hot pool. Oh if we had some spare cash and were going to live permanently in NZ we would so have one of these!
Post manual grunt work Roger, James and I hit the beach for some body boarding. For us brits it was a beautiful if not a little windy day. 30degrees and sunny. Apparently the kiwis thought we were mad as we had the beach almost to ourselves. A true kiwi does not venture to the beach before the Christmas holidays. Madness I say. Back home the beach would have been packed, everyone pissed and no one in work on Monday. Oh yes and they train tracks would have melted but as they don’t have trains in this part that’s not a worry.
Post beach it was to Roger and Ross’ for dinner. But alas my abscess was back and being on medication I could not drink. For once in my life I actually volunteers to drive. Normally we would walk or get a taxi back not that I am a dipsomaniac or anything!
Saturday,7.30am and I was trying to sell Ross’ wine tours to the cruise ship visitors. The week before I had filled his bus in 40 minutes using a combination of a strong Brit accent, a loud blazer and lots of eye contact. Alas these customers were keeping their wallets firmly in their pockets. I was not too disheartened though as none was selling anything to anyone.
With James still tucked up in bed I hit the beach with Hamish (a Brit doctor from James ward) and went body boarding. Again another nice and sunny day and the beach deserted. Kiwis should NEVER come to the UK as they would be somewhat disappointed with the temperature and could well freeze.
Back home for midday and after a bout of house cleaning we had a friend over. Reclining in the sun, playing cards and doing not very much apart from eating some dinner somehow lead to midnight. Bliss.
Sunday and it was off to the farmers market to stock up on supplies. Ethically great as everything’s local. Financially even better as it’s cheaper and what’s more after three months of searching we found someone to make us some bacon chops (bacon cut 2cm thick). Yummy. The afternoon well more sitting really and planning the next few months ahead.
Monday and it was my first day at work. OK so I don’t officially work there yet, I am working for free and taking the time as paid leave when mum comes and I am not sure which role I will be taking but never the less it was nice to be back in a housing roll. As a brucie bonus the computer system was the same as I used back home. The day revolved around meeting customers and assessing their need for housing. As a trial I applied and despite my fictitious self-earning only 150 quid per week, suffering from domestic violence and living in a garage I was not eligible. They would however help me with a bond for the private rented sector!
Post work James, Tory and I hit the gym before heading home to watch our other lover on the TV…Harry from spooks!
Tuesday- well work and gym really not much to report.
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