Op-Thomas Prime

So it appears I have slacked off again with my writing. However I have a valid excuse - I haven't really been up to much.

The weekend following where the last entry concluded was Queen's Birthday weekend - which was a welcome 3-day weekend, but is always the last bastion before the long-haul to the next holiday, Labour day in October. We went to the beach, Dad and I replaced the driver's seat in my car (it was wearing out - a steel bit had worn through). And my mate Baz & I investigated an issue with my heater. Other than that, I laxed back.

A couple of weeks later, I went to the Fielddays - another one of those things that I had put on my To Do list, as I hadn't been there since 2005, before I went to Japan. It was nice to get back to my rural roots, got some cool stuff, some junk information, and a bit of food. That night was our church's 50th anniversary. That was alright too, afterwards a group of us that had been in the youth group circa 2000-2002 got to gather and had a good time catching up.

The following Monday night, there was a salsa lesson in our church hall. One of my ex-youth group friends is going (back) to Mexico to work in an orphanage, so to fundraise she has put on salsa lessons. I liked the idea, but initially was hesitant, as previously I would have jumped at the chance to meet women, but now I'm a taken man, I don't want to do anything to jeopardise that, and naturally my girlfriend can't do them with me, being 19,000 miles away from me. Anyhow, after consulting with her, she was like 'Yeah! go do it, and then you can teach me!' so I did.

I finished at the Wananga on the Friday, and received a nice afternoon tea and bag of goodies. I had lunch and dinner with my mate Dave, since it wouldn't be as convenient from then on, not being in Te Awamutu. In the weekend I caught up with Scott, who is home from Kuwait for the holidays, and Sunday went out for lunch for my mate Graham's 40th birthday.

The subsequent week I worked 4 days, and had an interview. Friday I had off. Saturday I went paintballing, and then went to the Salsa night - not so fun with sore legs and multiple paintball wounds. Sunday I had a Maori test, and then in the evening had dinner at my Auntie's with my cousins.

The following week I didn't work, and caught up with Scott at the pub on Friday night.

And here we are. Today I started a new job, there is a code of conduct that says I can't advertise where I am working, so I will suffice to say that it is a similar job to what I did the majority of last year in the UK.

So, where to from here? again, I just wish I was 19,000 miles closer to my baby. But in the short-term I have a few things to look forward to, two weeks off from my Maori class, a trip to Hawkes Bay, the World cup - although it's too expensive to get a ticket.