A wee update...

I got a letter in the mail today and it was addressed to "Kelly K. CA". It was from the NZ Cas. I'd completed the study requirements to be a reciprocal member, and now I am. Yay.

I'm also dangerously close to having a contract signed with work for permanent employment.

The days are getting longer, but definitely not noticeably so. I'm finding it a challenge to get outside in the dark for exercise. Soon- soon the sun will be back a bit earlier and later in the day.

Happy Canada day tomorrow- all you Canadians!

Of ice and hoar frost...

It's been cold here by Nelson standards. We're talking the coldest in 20 years, according to today's paper. There have been 8 and 9 degree frosts over the past few nights. Overnight air temp lows are forecast at about -1 for the next few nights and it even dipped to -2 recently. I'm still toasty warm in my nice apartment. At work, however, it is freezing unless we keep the heat pump on the go. I did manage to find some winter sweaters on sale on the weekend so I don't have to go to work and sit in my puffer jacket all day long.

I went for a walk on the weekend up the Aniseed Valley (near Nelson) and it was absolutely delightful. Hoar frost, big icicles on the creek, and frozen over mud puddles. It reminded me of spring in Saskatchewan when we'd jump on the ice and fall through- and then eventually get into the garden in rubber boots with hefty amounts of mud. Ah it was so very nice to walk in the "white" of the frosts. I so should have brought my camera. I'll have to try again another time and share some photo evidence of how very lovely it is to have a bit of frost without all the snow!!

There have been amazing sunsets in the last week or two. I'll try and post some photos next time I do a download. They've been SO stunning. It's hard to beat a beautiful sunset, but a beautiful sunset over water does it.

A new experience

I've had my first insurance claim in New Zealand. I went to drive my car Monday morning and noted a large crack down the windshield (or windscreen as they are known here). Most likely a stone chip caused crack- caused by changing weather conditions. I called my insurance company Monday night, their repair-er contacted me yesterday- and I dropped and picked up my car today- and I have a shiny new front window. A + for the ease of the insurance claims process.

There is going to be a referendum in New Zealand about smacking. The question is a loaded one (Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a crime in NZ- or something like that). - It is citizen initiated, but non binding, in response to public disapproval over the new anti smacking law introduced last year. The news just indicated it will cost $9M. And in response to the referendum there is now going to be a private members bill wanting to limit citizen initiated referendums.

Another new thing for me this week- I've just bought my first ever Big Wednesday ticket- I had to take a chance for the $25M possibility. Hopefully I'll be lucky. :) Ha.

Car history...

My flattie discovered this really cool car website in NZ. Here- read up on my car:
http://www.carjam.co.nz/car/?plate=DSG91&search=Check

All you need to do is enter the number plate.

I can see when my warrant expires, and how many kms between warrants.

Very cool... I don't think anything like this exists in Sask.

An email forward...

Mom sent me this link. Read on: http://www.bellsouthpwp.net/c/o/couchmt/cardofweek/today.html

A pretty good message- it's easy to get stuck in the detail and forget to step back and remember the big picture. Carpe diem.

Brr.

It was -1 overnight. I parked outside last night as my flattie and I have to play musical cars in the parking lot otherwise. I was able to use my lovely window scraper from Canada for the first time this year. Sunny Nelson winter beats the heaps of snow and -40 of Saskatchewan, but I'm still a little chilly sitting in my normally warm apartment. I'll definitely put on the electric blanket tonight.

I spoke with my parents on the weekend and learned they have got a new cat- she who was a stray. I continue to miss Milo & George, the cats of my last flattie. I'm sure George is continuing to be a naughty character for Jill. :)

I worked "normal" hours today- I left at 5. Hurray. I hope the rest of the week will be similarly under control. Time will tell.

Bits of this and that

I'm tired of working. Ugg. Annual plan combined with month end = no fun.

I haven't been doing much of late, my cold hangs on- coming and going. Hopefully after month end finishes this coming week I'll be down to a more normal work week and I can recover.

I went to the Founders Book sale today and bought heaps of mags and books for $13. It reminded me of the Regina Public Library dispersal at the curling club when I lived at Gladmer Park in Regina where you bought by the pound. Here most books were either 50 c or $1! Such a deal for an expensive book country.

I've been exasperating myself working on a puzzle of the Canadian parliament buildings. Surprisingly it wasn't a hot seller in NZ and I found it for a bargain $5 at the grocery store. Finally all that's left is the sky- but its a big sky. ...

If you're on twitter- my name is KellyaCanadian. No exciting posts from me so far so far. :) But I love keeping current on some political happenings/ current events by being a follower.

Time is relative...

I know this is true. My cold has taught me!! Time passes so slowly when your nose is runny and your head feels not normal. Can't wait for it to pass but it's taking its time. Last weekend it came on and I felt miserable all weekend- I slept through most of it. I felt bad enough to take part of Monday and Tuesday off. By Wednesday I was feeling like it was beginning to turn the corner, and Thursday through Saturday were not too bad. But it came back on Sunday, and yesterday I also felt crummy, but not as crummy as today! Work day 1 and with annual plan due is not a great time for an accountant to feel sick. I worked a 10 1/2 hour day but it felt much, much longer. Ugg. Tomorrow doesn't look any more promising.

In other news, last Monday or Tuesday was it I got told I would have a position after the restructure at work. The contract and paperwork are not yet done. I thought I'd delay posting until it was official, but who knows when that will be.

I spent the long weekend (and the last long weekend until late October- yikes!) with a group of friends at Ligar Bay (Golden Bay). We rented a bach there. We did the group team cooking thing- which meant a pair of us would cook for the other 6 and we took turns with meals. This means we ate very fine! Yum. We went for a nice walk on Sunday up a hill towards the Abel Tasman. We went back to that cool Wh. (can't spell it) beach near Collingwood for a short visit on Monday. It was amazingly calm- the polar opposite of our last visit. I love it there... Plus I'm sure I improved my "taboo" skills. Certainly not my pictionary ones though. And Jenga- I'd never played that before- I'm even worse at that than at pictionary.

Can't wait for this cold to pass...

In other cold news, I read in the paper tonight (Ooh yes, I finally subscribed to the Nelson Mail last week- I've wanted to for ages, but waited until I knew I had a job to do so. I got a 40% discount coupon in my quarter marathon race pack- so it seemed like a great deal.) that May was a very cold month for Nelson. It was -3 degrees the other night. The average temp for May was only 8.6 c, a full 1.9 c below average! I've been toasty warm in my flat though. Yay. And I must say even though I am in a warm flat, when I was feeling yucky and achy at bed time last night, having the electric blanket on sure made me feel better.

Hopefully by next post I'll be feeling more fine... Stay tuned.