Friday night was a blur

And not a good blur. My back is not happy. Turns out carrying a load of logs from one part of the garden to the other, isn't the best thing to do. I found walking harder and harder as Monday wore on. I was very good, stayed away from work on Tuesday and went to the physio. Excellent, feeling much better. So why not be rather stupid, and do loads of housework. Funnily enough, Wednesday wasn't as good. I did office work on the Thursday and went back to the physio, to be told off. However, whatever he did, by Thursday evening I really really couldn't walk. So Friday was a blur of pain, struggle and lots of pain killers. I watched movies though. 3 in fact. What else could I do. 

First Position - of course watching a documentary about dance when you can't move is a great idea

Iron Man 3 - this is better, facing my demons and rebuilding myself. 

All The Presidents Men - just one of my favourite films, that's all

My greatest achievement was moving from the sofa to the TV.  Those little things we take for granted, and then they are gone. I'm impatient, frustrated and angry. 

Let's have a calming photo of Karekare Beach from a trip a few weeks ago - when I could walk. 

What super power do you wish for?

That question can come up from time to time, usually as a 'getting to know you' type session, or a drunken conversation or maybe just for fun. I use it to also get a point across. It's litter. There is no need and my super power would be in the form of a litter monitor. Maybe I would drop in as the litter drops and vanquish the foolish people with some stunning ray of light….or maybe, as I do now, just pick the litter up and put it in a bin. 
I thought I was the only soul with this passion but it appears not. There are folks who got out more armed and prepared than me. Real super heroes. Take a peak at Instagram and the #DoNotLitter, look here in particular and join in, 

This litter was all piked up on a little stroll around Cornwall Park on a stunning Saturday morning,not too much, but still, no need. 

Balance finding me

Some rather amazing things have been happening in my non work life and I'm beginning to feel that balance may be finding me. Not that I'm managing it very well, but nevertheless I am making progress.
First up, I was honoured to be collaborating here. This post was shared as part of the Weekends Collected. Thank you Leonie, Ive never written with the intention of being shared before. I was nervous but it was me and that after all is all we have and all we can give. I went a little into internet shut down. Rather than running with it and creating more, I ran and hid, made excuses and hunkered down into serious coffee drinking and reading. Forgive me. 
Next up, a total bolt from the blue. A random phone call at 4pm on Tuesday tells me I have won second place in the Auckland Photo Day Competition, which is part of the Auckland Festival of Photography. Stoked does not even come close. Super excited, pleased as punch and totally blown away. Yep, the prize is cool, but wow, second place in a competion. 

Wow indeed. 
Now…any top tips for using a Nikon. 

Friday night was sofa night

Another Friday, another Friday of complete exhaustion and to be honest all I wanted was a night in, with wine, food and movie. Plus the cats, happy in front of the fire. During the drive home I was mentally trying to think of what I could possibly cook. Take away was not in my mind, but neither was shopping.
The work mantle was shrugged off by loudly sharing a particularly joyous playlist that involved us singing and dancing around the house, all accompanied by giggles.
We managed to knock up a very tasty meal and sank into the sofa (that lovely new sofa that was desecrated this week by one of the cats and still has a 'odour' that I need to resolve this weekend).
As for the movies, we finished watching this movie that we had started on Thursday night and then this movie came on TV. I can remember Sean Connery playing golf, but was fast asleep with a cat on my lap and the wine glass empty.

Friday night was not movie night

This Monday-Friday has taken a while to get used to but I have firmly embraced the great feeling of starting the weekend on Friday evening.  It is one of the reasons for our Friday night being movie night. We make the weekend seem a little longer, turn on to the outside world, that is on the periphery while we are at work.
This Friday there was no movie, not even a movie at home. There was an event, a start the weekend event. We farewelled a colleague with pizza and wine (maybe a little too much wine but more on that later). This place is her usual Friday night place and we've been a few times and there is nothing wrong and everything right with the atmosphere, the service and most importantly the pizza. Thank you and farewell (see you around really)

Friday night was movie night for Adam

I don't know about you, but in our little part of the world, this has been a really long short week, so when Friday rolled around it was a feeling of joy indeed. We chose to stop for a drink on the way home and boy did that go down well. We talked about all sorts and ridded ourselves of our working week. Adam was driving (of course) so I really enjoyed the wine. So much so, that no real decision over real food could be made. While waiting for our pizza to be made we went over our movie options. Action adventure was to the genre, we narrowed it down to Indiana Jones and then further to this one.

No, not the best of the Indiana Jones movies I grant you, totally stupid story line, cheesy lines and a bizarre concoction of characters. It still has this at the beginning so it can't be all bad and yes, I am biased. 

It's true in life, you base feelings and decisions on past experiences and can forgive a movie for being pants because of past greatness associated with it. What if this had been the first Indiana Jones movie (I know that would make no sense). I guess I mean, what if the first Indiana Jones had been ridiculous, would any more have been made? How many dodgy movies do you forgive and overlook because of the wonder of Star Wars? Let's not even think about what the world would look like if the Star Wars movies had been made in chronological order. 

What we've got is where we are and why I will always have a soft spot for LucasFilm movies. Star Wars rocked and that's the end of it. As for the crystal skull, I made it as far as this scene and was then curled up fast asleep on the wonderfully comfy new sofa. 

Adam made it to the end (then kindly woke me up to send me to bed) and was 'entertained' as much as you need on a Friday night. I was probably dreaming of DisneyLand (Paris) and this 

From this site

Cusp. What every woman should know

 

From 2007, one of the oldest photos I could find. After my Masters and not in Brighton but in honor of the Go Red Campaigns

In 2003 I started a Masters in Cardiology at the University of Brighton. The very first essay I had to write was entitled 'The anatomy of the aortic valve'. The aortic valve usually has three cusps, half moon shaped in appearance. I have no idea where that essay is anymore so I will stop with the lesson now, but Google can tell all you want to know about the valves in your heart. In 2005 I completed my masters and and I still work in cardiac care. Every day I care for men and women experiencing the effects of heart disease in one way or another. Let's think about the women. 

From the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Campaign

General statistics

• Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.
• Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.
• An estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease.
• Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
• Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease.
• The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and are often misunderstood.
• While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease.
• Only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat.
• Women comprise only 24 percent of participants in all heart-related studies.

For us here in the southern hemisphere the New Zealand heart foundation also have a Go Red campaign they estimate about 7 women a day die from heart disease in New Zealand.

So back to the cusps. This page (also thanks to the American Heart Association) is a great for start for learning about your valves but for starters have this picture while I go look for that essay. Writing with the June Prompts

Surprise Saturday

Our challenge through the winter months and to prevent Auckland fever that can sometimes hit, we have devised Surprise Saturday. The Saturday after each pay day - (now UK folks that is fortnightly for me, six years on I cannot imagine how I coped with monthly pay) we take it in turns to arrange a day trip

Adam was first up and was feeling the pressure, when we stepped out into a glorious day he doubted his choice but stuck with his plan. I had my suspicions as to where we were heading, but no, we are driving past the Domain and and into the city. 

We haven't been to the Maritime Museum for years and I have long said it is a favorite of mine. True, it's the immigration stories rather than the boat 'stuff' that mean the most to me.....I wonder why.

The question of 'why' is as pertinent now as it was then. The people and the stories are real. My own story is easy when you look at the bunks the people slept in for weeks at a time, the time the journey took is incredible when we now just hop on a plane and wish we were closer than 24hours to our family and friends. 

This trip I was also engrossed in the navigation details (all my Antarctic reading perhaps) and the new exhibition on Sir Peter Blake, an iconic kiwi who until Saturday I knew very little about. 

The highlight of the surprise, as the sun glistened on the water was a journey out onto the waters on the Ted Asbhy.  

Ted Ashby is a ketch-rigged deck scow, typical of the fleet of scows that once operated in northern New Zealand waters.

Thank you Maritime Museum but I have no idea what those words mean. To me it was a boat with lots of sails, that looked very flash in the sun. 

Time in or on the water is restorative and when you add in a lively crew, the opportunity to help hoist the sails (seven of them) you are onto a winner. The logistics and the ropes fascinated me, mesmerised I almost missed the bungee jumpers as we sailed under the harbor bridge.

We ended our Saturday with this movie to keep to our maritime theme and in a fortnights time it's my turn to find the surprise.