This is most frustrating.
I had wanted to post my regular 365 in 2013 photos and also tell you about changing my job and, you know, BUYING A HOUSE, but Flickr decided to lock me out of my account for 12 hours.
So you will have to wait. I’m sorry. Here I am surprising you with buying a house and then … nothing.
Well. Not quite nothing.
Please enjoy these instagram photos of our new apartment.
(I pretty much wandered through open homes asking myself “but is this place instagrammable enough?”)
9 days ago (what? I forgot to hit publish!) I went bowling.
Like, old person bowling.
It was not as much like pétanque as I had hoped.
But we played & cheered & drank ridiculously priced booze and it really wasn’t that bad after all.
Sunday
The purple wasn’t fading fast enough so I just put bright PINK over the top.
Monday
I love that 26C (78F) is a ‘heatwave’ in Wellington
Tuesday
I really quite like these cushions.
Wednesday
Up early to go for a run before work.
Thursday
Co-opted into taking a few last-minute photos for Bard in the Yard.
Friday
I hate the ‘I sleep with’ t-shirts in the window but I do like the DIY aesthetic of the sign.
Saturday
13 friends and I headed out to Newtown to play bowls and drink very very cheap alcohol.
Just after Christmas 7 of my favourite people and I travelled to a fancy mansion in the middle of almost-nowhere* to have a fantastically bourgeois time of reading, tweeting, lounging, croquet, woodfired pizza, & drinking**.
We had a day of rain, a day of blistering sunshine and a lot of in-between
(the boys took to the spa in the rain)
The mansion even came with pre-arranged wildlife.
The rooster decided that his favourite place in the world was right outside Craig & my bedroom window. It was not the best. Stupid rooster.
On New Year’s Eve we all dressed up fancy
Which quickly devolved into
Duckfaces
Grumpycats
Squish!
But I think my favourite photo may be this one:
YES. I AM THAT SHORT AND I AM THE ONLY ONE IN HEELS.
No but actually
Cutest friends.
On the first day of 2013 as I lay in bed I tweeted
It seems I started 2011 off with a run. I ran a lot in 2011. I didn’t start 2012 with a run. Barely ran. Uh-oh. #precedent
— Sarahsaurus-Rex (@ohsarahrose) December 31, 2012
So a couple of hours later, Laura, Craig and I set off to walk to Waikawa Beach.
Not because it seemed particularly enticing, but because on google maps it didn’t look that far and the directions were ‘at the end of the Mansion House driveway, turn right. At the end of that street, turn left. Continue until you hit the edge of the country.’ Or, you know, something like that.
Incidentally? In the two weeks since this walk? I have been for 8 runs, 2 big walks, and to the gym (THE GYM) three times.
We walked and we walked and we walked. We guessed that the beach would be beyond each turn and rise in the road. We were always, always wrong.
Realising, with dismay, that we were probably only halfway.
BUT WE MADE IT EVENTUALLY.
Waikawa beach was not so much a Beach as a Stream. It was very disappointing.
Craig disappeared off into the forest. Laura called after him “don’t go too far” to which he replied “okay mum” THEN WE LOST HIM FOR HALF AN HOUR.
After climbing three hills in our attempts to find my wayward husband, and realising that Waikawa Beach didn’t even have a corner store at which to purchase something, anything to drink, we called back to the house and begged them to drive down and collect us.
The final day at Mansion House was grey and humid.
We spread cushions over the floor of the television room and drank whisky and watched Cabin in the Woods and Pitch Perfect. There was much excitement when Cobb the wandering Hund came to visit
We ended the holiday by attempting to consume all of the leftover perishable foods in the house and driving away in cars laden with empty bottles.
It was kind of the best holiday I’ve ever had in a teeny tiny town close to home.
I like hanging with people where I can use a hashtag in real life and they don’t laugh at me #cityprincess
— Sarahsaurus-Rex (@ohsarahrose) January 1, 2013
* Manakau in the Horowhenua district. Otherwise known as the town that I did not know existed. Despite having driven through it countless times. I knew Otaki, I knew Levin, and in between? Manakau, apparently.
** there was a lot of day drinking. The day we started drinking whisky at 11am was a particular favourite.
Sunday
I made, ate, and uploaded the recipe for marshmallow-hot-chocolate-candy-cane-coco-pop treats.
Monday
Boredom and almost too much time on my hands and the end of the year and all of a sudden I was bleaching the end of my hair? I’m not sure how that happened either.
Tuesday
I’m doing Bard in the Yard again! I’m playing Maria in Twelfth Night!
The night of the first read through was soft with heavy fog.
Wednesday
Annual Mulligan holiday season trip to the Kirk’s Christmas shop.
Thursday
Pretty flowers in green bins on Cuba Street.
Friday
Flying to Auckland for Christmas, darling Craig was already getting in the spirit of the season… accidentally of course.
Saturday
We escaped the North Shore almost immediately and headed for the city & the Art Gallery.
Sunday
I think Auckland is just messing with me – the weather is pretty much always rubbish when I hope for it to be good. Though I know from … friends and the news and everything that the weather up there is purportedly quite good. MESSING WITH ME.
Monday
It didn’t feel very Christmassy for whatever reason. So Craig and I bought bits to make gingerbread cookies and then we watched Die Hard 1.
Christmas traditions.
Tuesday
Craig’s family are big into their family photos. It takes quite a lot of time.
Wednesday
My family are more into just taking photos of each other hanging out.
(We made it back from Auckland to spend Boxing Day with my family)
Thursday
My flatmate, ladies and gentleman, is the kind of guy who will buy 3 kilos of gummi bears just because. You’re jealous, I know.
Friday
Today Craig and I took our Christmas tree down for yet another year.
I wonder where we’ll be spending Christmas in 2013.
Who knows.
Oh oh! Tomorrow Craig and I are heading off to Levin to spend New Years with friends in a fabulous villa with a wood fired pizza oven. It should be fantastic. But I shan’t have proper internet access so it might also be the worst thing ever.
(it won’t be)
As you read this I am, all things going to plan, somewhere in the air between Wellington and New Plymouth.
I am super excited for this trip. And that is not something you often hear someone on their way to New Plymouth say. But I can explain
So here’s the thing. Somehow I have ended up with a two week period of my life where, again, I’m getting three tattoos. I am so excited.
It’s not quite like July/August where they were all relatively small & most of them were arranged at relatively short notice, these upcoming appointments have been booked for months and are two three hour sessions and one … well, one session that may be two hours or may be three. I have no idea. But they were … opportunities I couldn’t turn down.
In two weeks time I will have fewer annoying blank spaces when I look in the mirror.
(I will also have had 10 tattoos in 2012. Sorry mum)
It’s all because of Laura & the upcoming Tattoo Festival. Why they chose to hold it in New Plymouth, I couldn’t possibly guess. But in New Plymouth it is being held, and to New Plymouth Laura and I are travelling.
(I’m coming straight from Wellington and Laura’s coming from Cambodia and Myanmar/Burma, but that’s an entirely different story)
To be completely fair, part of this did start in December last year.
I’ve been admiring Rose Hardy’s work for almost as long as I’ve been proactively interested in tattoos. When I heard that she was planning to do a guest session at Sacred Tattoo in July I had my name on the waiting list as fast as I could possibly manage it, while still looking cool (I never look cool).
They said they would get back to me when they had dates sorted.
A few months passed and, across a bar one night, Laura suggested we road trip up to New Plymouth for the festival in November. That turned into flying but, you know, Cambodia and whatnot. Also: laziness & my inability to drive. But that’s beside the point.
We started researching tattoo artists at the festival & both decided on Toby Gawler. I booked in with him in June.
At the beginning of July I found out that Rose had cancelled her planned mid-year guest session in Auckland. But she was going to the Festival in November.
Agony! I was really looking forward to getting work done by Toby & the last thing I wanted to do was cancel. I would have to let the time with Rose pass. Until they told me that she might be staying on in Auckland for a turn at Sacred. AH!
It wasn’t until the end of October when I found out that yes, Rose was going to Sacred after the festival. But only for a week. But, if I wanted, I could have an appointment. I said yes immediately and started booking flights to Auckland like a mad thing. I also purchased some immune-boosting vitamins on my way home.
I’ve been waiting on this appointment for most of a year! It very exciting.
Then came Troy.
Troy was pretty close to the top of my tattoo artist shortlist, if Toby didn’t have space for me then … but Toby did have space.
THEN I HEARD TROY WAS COMING TO WELLINGTON.
Then Laura told him about my cat face tattoo idea.
Then somehow, through instagram, while I was at a book fair, I had a tentative appointment booked with Troy.
I just … died a little thinking about how all of these improbable appointments came to be.
Today I am on my way to New Plymouth to get tattooed by Toby Gawler. Next Thursday I am going to Auckland to get tattooed by Rose Hardy. On the following Monday I am walking 7 minutes from my house to get tattooed by Destroy Troy.
I’m pretty fucking lucky.
I’ll be taking my immunofort every damn day.
Vit-Omens.
Almost two weeks ago my friends Rajeev and Dawa got married.
They had a small service on the Friday night and then on the Saturday had the big party with all all all of their family and friends. It was great.
The hall was strung with fairy lights and every table had handmade table runners and groups of handmade candle holders. They worked on a budget and did so much themselves. It was thoroughly impressive.
The other two members of ICW Productions, Chris and Andy, gave lovely speeches but the best part?
The best part came just after Rajeev and Dawa spoke to thank everyone for attending.
It was at that point that Rajeev brought out the video he had made in secret to surprise Dawa.
It worked. Pretty much no one, save for the cameraman, knew that this was going to happen. It is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen and I ended up making ugly faces trying to not weep openly.
Also: future Rajeev has pretty sweet dance moves.
Sunday
At the Airport to welcome home Laura and Tim, Weta’s Gollum was appropriately terrifying.
Monday
Before a screening of Jurassic Park at The Embassy we had dinner at a fabled new restaurant in Wellington – Pickle. It entirely lived up to the hype. The pulled pork and mac n cheese sliders were amazing. I can’t wait to go back.
Tuesday
My newest tattoo was still swollen and bruised the day after.
(oh yes – I got another tattoo! more on that when it heals)
Wednesday
My cousin Rose turned 16 and the family decamped to their house for a home-made pizza party. Their puppy, Rowan, is one of the cutest puppies around.
Thursday
Russell Brand is performing in Wellington.
There’s not really much else I can say about that. I am torn.
Friday
I made this headdress for the Day of the Dead party in all of about 5 minutes using a headband, a lei, a pair of scissors, and some thread. It came out pretty well if I do say so myself.
Saturday
The decorations for the Halloween Party were entirely excellent. Also made by Weta (bookended!) & borrowed from Jo’s work for the night.
&
Sunday
I was hungover to hell and back after my Cry-Baby party (the punch will go down in history). This demon-skull tequila bottle was a present from Tom. An excellent present.
Monday
It was a long weekend so our family dinner was on Monday night.
Tuesday
We have a building site across the road – they’ve demolished the garage and the strip club.
Wednesday
Instant coffee is too bleak for words.
Thursday
Shopping for basics. Doesn’t everyone need a studded acid wash denim vest?
Friday
I had planned on a quiet night in after my bat tattoo, but we had ciders and beers and then I went to a bar and … it was not so quiet after all.
Saturday
At the wedding of two of my favourite friends. Magnus, another friend’s baby, was there and seemed perplexed by the whole business.
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