Murderous pensioners

I've been slack updating, but work's been somewhat stressful since I had to get heaps done before taking next week off, what with the new website launch approaching. We couldn't resist the chance of taking the three days between Easter and Anzac Day to get 10 days off, and I suspect a lot of the country has done the same.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago on the way to the library, I passed a classic crime scene: police tape, cars, and a guy standing there in one of those white non-contaminating outfits. The first one I've actually seen. It was by some pensioner housing, and I heard a few days later that a 77-year-old had killed a 70-year-old. I don't know what it was about but the killer had anger issues and not much English which might have made it easier to communicate with a knife.

Daylight saving went off around the same time and that always makes me feel sad. Even though it's still warm, coming home in the dark drives it home that winter is coming. Long, grey, wet, lacking in bright festive spots, its only advantage is the absence of flies and mozzies.

But: ten days off! Maybe I'll even write my trope bingo stories.

Wild weather and a rat

Whaddaya know - another post!

We had a company planning day yesterday, held down at Westhaven Marina. When I woke, I could hear howling wind and rain, and suspected it wouldn't be the pleasant seaside day we were hoping for. I'd intended to travel along the waterfront via Tamaki Drive but I could see the traffic heading that way wasn't moving so tried another route down toward the sea. That was blocked too so I had to take to the motorway. And that was scary enough in driving rain and 130kph winds that rocked the car. I took an hour to get to the marina; it should have been 20-25 minutes. The company directors however had started a lot earlier and actually made it to the waterfront, a mistake which made their journey two hours. Some of us spent the morning barefoot as we'd got soaked from the knees down just getting inside even though we'd parked right outside the building.

Yep, this was the sort of storm they predicted recently that was a bit of a fizzer. Where were the warnings this week?

What was happening on Tamaki Drive that caused traffic chaos?

( This! )

The day started an hour late but we got everything done, then had dinner at Billfish; cajun spicy fish and salad for me; yum! I was exhausted after storm and full-on talk and presentations and was looking forward to bed, but when I got there, the almost solid smell in the kitchen/dining area (which I had to pass to get to the stairs) drove me back into the living room.

It was Jasmin's rat. She brought in a big one about three nights ago and released it in the kitchen and it promptly ran behind the dishwasher. We'd hoped it had got out the hole in the floor for the pipes but no. Greg had the dishwasher out, then the fridge, and finally found it behind the oven. Ugh.

Today is sunny and calm. I hope it stays that way; I know two lots of people who are camping out over the break.