Correction – am back to Europe in July (3 days time) not in August as I had said!

So – on the 27th June my wonderful (but old) Grandfather (mums side) passed away. While it is always sad when these things happen – he was almost 95, and healthy and lucid right up to the end.

I wasn’t planning on going home – but Dad suggested that they could help out a bit, and 6 hours later I’d booked my flights back. I arrive into Europe on the 11th July into Heathrow. Will spend about 8 days in England at the funeral, and then back to Ireland for the rest.

About a year ago the family had booked a cottage in Co. Clare (West coast of Ireland) for a week… everyone was going to be there – my parents, my siblings & husbands, wives, and children. Rather a large party. But no me. But now I can make it (yay)… so really really looking forward to that one.

Guinness will be drunk, games will be played, traditional music listened to…. and a reasonable amount of promoting the New Zealand lifestyle. I hope to meet up with as many friends as I can while I’m over there…

On Sunday went for a hike up Mt. Richardson with Mark & Christine and Maaike. Lots of fun and great to be out in the snow. Maaike is getting a few interviews now so that’s been great… hopefully by the time I get back she’ll be in a new exciting job :)

So… just chatting with my wonderful (and fluky at Scrabble) cousin Thomas… who informs me that my brother Matthew & wife Helene now have a red MG.

These are things one ought to hear first hand.

Finally… an addition from Matt’s PhD Supervisor (David MacKay) on Climate Change. Seems to be saying that Nuclear is the way to go as a stopgap..

Would someone clever please invent (cold) fusion. Soon. Like.. now..

Odd’s ‘n ends post this one. Firstly – a panorama from a most enjoyable walk on the Port Hills with Maaike… good to get out and stretch the legs at the weekend – even if not quite managing to get away from the city.

This week I had a trip up to Auckland for meetings… it was a ridiculously early start (05:40 flight). Still, I was in town by 07:30 so had time for a nice chai latte before work.

On the way back down I saw the following picture – which I thought was quite hilarious. I should have shown you the full picture as there was a mural spanning all around the room….

So…. there are three pretty cool things of note..

Glynn and Jayne have got engaged. This is really awesome news… they’re both incredibly lucky to have eachother… and I’m pretty psyched that it looks like they might stay in NZ for a while (unless the bay area sucks them in).

Also great is that Dave Aubrey has entered the world of Blogging – and also has found himself exactly the job he was holding out for… Good on him.

Only Slightly Less Incredible news – is that the picture below (apparently of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves) made it to become picture of the week on metvuw. Quite happy about that one.

This weekend we be takin’ a voyage of discovery over the seas (up the coast) to the little cove of Lake Daniels… Where there be pirates. And Rum. And more rum.

And no pictures of me… unless Steve posts one.. In the meantime, here’s a picture of Steve having eye-liner applied… and the pirate table .. AAARRRRR

Maaike was unfortunately unable to come – as she has started where I started… in a Contact Centre.. but by all accounts is enjoying it (except for having to work one day of the weekend…)

Saw some pretty stunning clouds on the way home – it had snowed (and one of the cars did a 180 on the way home… with a small collision)

What else… my work contract expires in 2 weeks so I have to apply for my job. So hopefully that works out… apparently I’ll get the word ‘Senior’ in my title.. cool eh. I’ll have to change the title of this blog to ‘Patrick’s Senior New Zealand Weblog’. Perhaps. ARRRRRRR

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRR

It’s great being a pirate.