Another day...

I've been atrocious at blogging once again. Hmm... I've been doing a bit of study - this to gear up over the next 2 weeks until my final on 11 November.

It was the first long weekend in about 4 and a half months, just past. I spent the Sunday cruising in a very large and nice boat- the Foxy Lady. It had a proper shower & toilet, as well as a kitchen and sleeping area. It was Jo & Ron's 60th birthday parties and they hired it out for a cruise. We had a very large potlock lunch, and I ate too much. We had a friend out for part of the weekend and it was her first fishing experience. She caught a few spotties successfully. I was pleased and proud to try out the lovely new pink fishing rod for the first time- it looked amazing with a pink softbait on as bait. I caught and (of course) released some blue cod. The blue cod are under a 4 year (I think it is) protection in the Inner Sounds. The numbers were insufficient so the Ministry of Fisheries dropped the limit to 0 from 1 October. Hopefully the population increases over this period.

It's almost election time in New Zealand. Here is a little bit of the timetable:

Friday 7 November
Enrolments cease.
Last day to enrol for the election.
Advance Voting ceases at 6.00pm.
Friday 7 November
Midnight: all political advertising ceases and election signs taken down
Saturday 8 November
Election Day: Polling places open from 9.00am to 7.00pm.
Election Night: Preliminary results released progressively from 7.00pm.
Targets for release:
* by 8.30pm all advance vote results
* by 10.00pm results from 50 per cent of polling places
* by 11.30pm results from 100 per cent of polling places.
Saturday 22 November
Official results declared (including special declaration votes). (2pm target.)

The election environment also has the NZ laid back feel to it. Ive seen hardly any TV advertising. I have seen few candidate signs (other than clusters of them scattered along roadways). It is a MMP election- meaning you get a local vote and a party vote- and there are "list" MPs. I've not volunteered, unfortuately.

I should run. It might just be time to head out for a run, for the first time in months.

Random facts...

I've come across, in the blogosphere, the idea of having to post random facts on your blog to let your readers know more about you. All of my readers know me, as far as I know (tell me if I'm wrong on this one here, by comment.)

My random facts:
1- I try to pump my gas to the exact dollar (meaningless really- when I then use a 4 cent off grocery coupon- and at least half the time purchase a vanilla coke- my special treat to myself. Yum!)
2- When I was young I had an imaginary friend named GG. And he had a friend name Jana.
3- I hardly ever remember my dreams
4- My car is green (hardly my ideal choice- but I was looking for a Camry and it was good value).
5- I never went to Kindergarten- I would've been on the bus about 2 1/2 hours a day- a lot for a youngster.
6- I'm pathetic on a bike. I've only been on one twice since childhood. One was a short bike rental in Ireland, and another was wine touring in Blenheim. I was frightened of tipping over!
7- I had arranged a 2 year transfer with my company to New Zealand, but cancelled that, resigned my job, and came here on my own
8- Leo McGarry was my favourite West Wing character- I didn't discover West Wing until about Season 3 or 4. I'm just finishing off the final season on DVD having been in transit when it aired.
9-- Another favourite- this time a book: Steve Paikin's "The Life: the Seductive Call of Politics".
10- After living with a Burmese cat, I would never own a Burmese cat- unless I owned two of them!