Christmas in an earthquake zone is interesting.

Christmas Day has come and gone, and the earth has quieten down a little, so we are enjoying the peace. It was a peaceful  family Christmas, but little in the way of presents, not because of any idealogical reasons, but because the post was late or to be honest non existent after Friday afternoon's earthquakes, everything stopped and closed and everyone went home, traffic jams everywhere, just as well as we had a further 5.3 then a 6. They have been all from the same fault line and there have been over 35 shakes since the initial one. From the same stretch of  coast and all very shallow, the beach suburbs have been hit badly again. 

Aj was very well looked after by the company he works for, I picked him up on Wednesday and he and his colleagues came out smiling, carrying bags of meat, the boss had done a cull of his cattle and given the meat to his employees, they each got a ham for Christmas as well,  and Angus won a bottle of Port, got a DVD from his secret Santa and crackers and mints from his immediate boss. He is off with his mates to a music festival for 2 days, it's Dub something music, he played  me some, I admit too not understanding it all, his father ran from the room screaming. 

Tom worked yesterday and is working tomorrow, while waiting for Uni to confirm his subjects for next year, all very stressful. 

Who cares about earthquakes when the weather is stunning.

I'm venturing to the Mall, the only Westfield Mall in Christchurch, which in a earthquake is a scary place to be, my friend Mare was there on the second floor on Friday, only her second time in the mall since February and now she is too terrified to go back. But we are given vouchers for Westfields by our boss, every Christmas and so I shall go tomorrow and hop in and out quickly, the Contessa told me to send her the voucher and she,ll use it up North, quite a fiendish plot to do me out of my voucher while being concerned about by safety. I'm on to her though. Wish me luck for tomorrow. Hell's teeth as I sit here we have had another one, bloody hell I shall still go to the mall and will post tomorrow just to prove I made it home, Love Aunt Bee.

Another earthquake, just now.

Another big quake, sitting here while the earth shakes, at least I did the shopping this morning. Bugger. It was 5.9, and shallow, sorry for this, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Love Aunt Bee. Sorry we had got a bit happier thinking we were over them. Thank God we weren't at work.

Isn't it grand

There was a bit of a melee getting up the stairs to the top

the view from the double decker bus

Isn't it wonderful, our work "do" for our clients and their families was out of the city. We went in style in a double decker bus, kindly provided by a former colleague who lives in England, her friends and family raised funds for us to have a treat after the earthquake and this is what we did. Oh the excitement of a dd bus, we all wanted to be up the top, I of course took no prisons's and sat up the very front with Linds and Di. We regretted this on the way as we came that close to a power pole and numerous trees, a double decker bus is unusual in NZ we didn''t have them here, till people started importing them for "booze and party buses", so they are a novelty. Of course the state of our roads made the trip interesting, there was lots of arghhhhhh and ohhhhhhhhs along the way. I decided to let someone else sit in the front on the way back, something about a tree almost giving me a facial made the decision for me.
 We shared the lovely venue with a funeral which was more disconcerting to them than us. We had a great day as you can see it was wet but humid, the weather has been terrible,  rain, humidity, cold (had the heater on ), hot and flooding and landslips in Nelson.I am keeping an eye on the sky in case I spot falling frogs, as the weather is definitely strange.
We finish Thursday our clients finish Wednesday, everyone is a bit flat it's been the worst year, we are all hoping and praying that 2012 will be better, till someone mentioned that Mayan calendar, then someone else said don't worry it all kicks off at the end of 2012, so we can have a good year till the end. Madness or I work with mad people, but then how many Mayan's are their around to talk too about their stupid calendar, as I suspect none, now what does that tell you. On that merry note I leave you before  blogger has another hissy fit. Love to all Aunt Bee.

I have something to tell you but it has to remain a secret.

Bloody blogger has eaten my post, holding it in drafts but not letting me post it. I think sometimes I'll switch to typepad, did you hear me blogger I'll move unless you get your act together. Well that told it, I shall attempt the post tomorrow when we have both calmed down.

Feeling poorly.

I shall be resting on my sick couch if anyone wants me.

Unfortunately I have another bug and the voice has gone again, this is going to be a problem as tonight we are having our work "do" at the races. I've never been to the races in NZ must be the only one, but of course I have been to Ascot, me and the Queen, not that she invited me but we were  there together at the same time. 1978, I think it was, I won some money on Fingal's Cave, the Queen Mothers horse, isn't it weird what you remember. I don't remember what Baz told me 10 minutes ago, but I remember a horse I won money on all those years ago. I hope I can enjoy myself as I'm feeling rubbish at the moment, we have to be there at 5.30, bugger that's to early and the last race is after 10pm. Yesterday I had lunch out with 2 of my guys, at our Gentle Exercise group Christmas "do", next week is  work's client Christmas "do" and the week after that staff Christmas breakfast.I'm tired just thinking about it. I am taking myself off for a lie down and a brandy, lemon juice and honey toddy, doesn't cure, but puts a smile on my face. Aunt Bee.

A beautiful start to Summer, long may it continue.

It's only temporary,( that means a few years) but this was one of the busiest  thoroughfares in town.

Pop up mall made of shipping containers were once was Cashel Mall.

Looking directly into the heart of the city, to the ruin of the Anglican Cathedral

The Rose Garden.

Trying for an artistic shot here.

The herbaceous border in all it's glory.

The hideous fountain looked quite nice in the gorgeous  sun

The Contessa and the Yorkshire Terrier are down for a few days, the Terrier to work and Contessa to visit the family. We had a lovely day yesterday visiting the Botanic gardens (cue lots of photos of Roses), the new container shopping area in town and a quick lunch in a Mall near our house. Aj and I met up with them for dinner,later that night, which was lovely. In the container area, Johnsons the the best old style grocers shop in the world and New Zealand, has re- opened, as the old shop was demolished, Contessa and I bought things we loved to eat when we were living in London, I of course was delighted to pick up a 6 pack of Walnut Whirls, (heaven), and a Yorkie bar (not for ladies, sorry for the trip down old advertisment lane), Contessa bought pork scratchings for the Terrier and a Fry's Peppermint bar for herself. We stopped at the Northlands Mall in a fruitless search for Yorkshire Gold tea and discovered the supermarket has just started selling English food items, I could have bought my Walnut Whirls for $3.00 cheaper. They had sold out of Yorkshire tea  but stocked other things that tempted us, I said to the Contessa we were eating memories and that is the truth. Our days of our big OE, were some of the happiest days of our lives, I include the Yorkshire Terrier because we met him, while living in London and he was from Scunthorpe which was overseas, in comparison to London if you know what I mean. I shall go back to bed now, it's 4.26 am and I have a busy day tomorrow. Love Aunt Bee.