Hmm...

What should I blog about? It hasn't been a particularly exciting week. Work has been rather brisk, and heading into month end its going to be another very busy couple of weeks. However there are 2 holiday days coming up- Monday is Nelson Anniversary, and Next Friday is Waitangi Day. The plan is to go camping out Golden Bay way next weekend- I hope the weather is fine. I have no exciting plans this weekend, other than hanging out in my flat, and going to the market.

I'm finally starting to feel settled. My internet (first wireline- and now wireless) is hooked up and working, despite the letter from vodafone saying that I had requested it be cancelled. When I rang vodafone to tell them I didn't want it shut off, they informed me that they had already reversed that call. It wasn't being cancelled. I do have one more thing to fix- right now I have either broadband or telephone at any one time, not both. The splitter brings down the broadband. I can go buy a $16 phone cord and plug it into the second jack and hope it works. If not, I'll have to constantly unplug and plug in.

I'm still looking for something like a yukka for outside, and a nice big painting for the wall that runs the length of the apartment. Then I'll feel pretty much settled. Yay.

I love it here. Since I've been in NZ I first lived in a flat with one other person who was hardly ever home, then in a flat with 3 other girls where we shared cooking responsibilities, then in a house with 4 others, then by myself in a wee cottage, then with one other and now on my own again. It is SO nice to be living alone again. My plan is to ultimately look for a flatmate, but I'll do that after family comes to visit. I'm treating myself with this period without a flattie. A few of the things I'm liking about living alone: 1) Doing morning exercise videos without feeling stupid 2) More Fridge / freezer space 3) Being able to leave out magazines/papers/books that I'm in the middle of reading without feeling guilty 4) Being able to play my radio station and Josh Groban CDs :) 5) Having a parking spot- rather than having to park on the street and have my car get hit by people driving by (yes, it was a skinny street.)

Apartment wise, I love the view. I'm not going to say I love the morning runs before work- but I do love the beach than I run to. It's week 3 of morning jogs- I'm hoping in another 2 or 3 it will have gotten easier! I love not having to cut grass! I don't love the traffic noise, but that's a willing compromise for living so close to the sea.

In NZ news, the Reserve Bank cut the official bank rate to 3.5% today. Interest rates were high until several months ago. I was getting over 8% on my normal deposit account at the peak. That'll be way down now to more like 3, I suspect. Ugg. Good for those with debt. Bad for those like me trying to save, not borrow.

In Aus news, it is too hot! Melbourne is in a heat wave of 40+, with it cooling down to something like 30 overnight. Yuck! The NZ high either today or yesterday was 26 degrees, by comparison.