Spring is here

Luckily my Beloved didn't spot my previous blog on her addiction (almost female universal) to shoes of many colours, so I can enjoy the beautiful New Zealand Spring.

Weather (4)

I think I've done something to offend the Weather Gods of Aoteroa.

First was the School Sports Fiasco (see here) where I ended up standing under pouring rain, wearing nothing but a large floppy sun hat, blue shirt (School House Colours), dependable shorts, SF 50 sunblock(washing of in the rain) sandals and a half smile/half grimace.

The student's type of Javelin

My type of Javelin

Second was when the alternate Sports Day was cancelled, and the weather turned out to be gorgeous on the day.  On the day I was timetabled to take 5 classes, and was really looking forward to directing our students in the finer points of throwing the javelin (don't go over the white line, don't ever point it at me, and never, never put it through your foot) while I lolled under a large umbrella sipping re-hydrating fluids, and took the rest of the day off.

Government House

Third was today.  We had bought tickets to go to the Dominion Post Summer Concert.  This is an outdoor performance of the NZ Symphony Orchestra with some famous soloists added.  The usual pieces, Berlioz, Verdi and many others, finishing with the 1812 (with cannons).  We had planned this for months, and we were taking a lovely elderly friend with us, as her birthday (82) treat.  Weather has been good, and Friday was lovely, hot and sunny, but the forecast wasn't too flash, and this morning (Saturday) it's steadily raining.  The website says it's off. Obviously, being an outdoor event, the organizers have planned for bas weather.  There is an alternate outdoor day on Sunday, but the forecast for tomorrow is much worse than today, so the third alternate is activated, which means we go to a concert hall (Michael Fowler Centre) on Sunday instead.  We'll still get our music and even our pre-paid picnic hampers (A euphemism for a brown paper bag containing:

• Pasta salad in a plastic box
• A Muffin
• A slice of cheesecake
• An apple
• A plastic bottle of an anonymous white wine from somewhere in the southern hemisphere

Wonderful)
 But it won't be the same indoors, and I was looking forward to seeing Government House after it's major refurbishment.

Damn all Gods
Now I'll have to stay at home and vacuum, wash and clean.
A man's work is never done.

Snow Sucks

We were supposed to jet off from sunny NZ to cold, freezing Scotland on Christmas Day, but the huge snowstorms which have closed Heathrow and other European airports has thrown a spanner in the works.

It is now extremely doubtful if we're going to get away on time, if at all.  Air NZ is now warning their passengers that if they choose to fly (we're going via LAX) then Air NZ will not be responsible for any accommodation or other help if we get stranded half-way.  They are offering a refund on the tickets, which is I suppose quite reasonable, but I want to see my daughter and my Dad.

We'll just have to wait and see, but the latest news from Heathrow doesn't look too good; they're saying that any delays will continue well past the 25th.  Bugger.

How is it every year the UK gets caught out.

Minister of Transport thinking "What's that white stuff"

Every year that it snows, the powers that be look up and say, "What's that funny white stuff?" and the whole of the UK comes to a grinding halt.
Cars, buses, trains and now aeroplanes.

You think they'd learn that heavy snow =  transport chaos.

Airports in Norway, Sweden, Finland and even Russia are managing to stay open, but not good old blighty.  The spirit of Colonel Blimp is alive and well, "Don't worry Lads, we'll muddle through somehow".

Well they haven't

Here's a nice picture to cheer me up.

Can I open my present now?