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.