Tuesday May 12th 2020….our kiwi world reopens.

The government announced yesterday that on Wednesday at 11.59pm most of our world can reopen….shops, malls, hairdressers, gyms, pools, cafes and bars a week later.

Not sure how I feel about this, I know the young ones are itching to go, but the bubble life has been a blessing for me right now. While I cannot travel for some time, for the first time in years, I have had time…time to really work out the important things in life and to rediscover adventures buried deep in my memories. Time to really get to know the people in my neighbourhood, their names, their kindness and time to listen to their stories!

As I sat with my friend (three meters apart) at the end of the day and gazed out at a stormy sea, we discussed how lucky we are to be in a place that every day provides us with a different view. How it is small enough to ignore those who choose to break the rules and put others at risk, and also for us, a place we have stayed and lived in all our lives.

We both have motor boats, but the last six weeks, without the sound of a motor churning up the sea, has brought a new world back to Waiwera, a world where the birds and ducks provide the noises that wake us up, make us jump and make us smile! I kind of now understand the human affection for sailboats as opposed to motor boats.

A home cooked roast lamb on a Monday night (working at home allows this luxury). No beers, two beers or six beers, no one actually counts!

So many good things have come out of “the Lockdown” but I think most important for me in my world is…I know how to stop and I can actually put stuff off until tomorrow!

Time to get up and start my 2nd to last lockdown day, and enjoy every moment before the floodgates open! If a sunny Saturday in lockdown 3 is any indication, I hate to think what a fine weekend in lockdown 2 will look like. Maybe, we should go to Hamilton, everyone will be racing to get out of there after 7 weeks!

Sunday, May 10th – Mother’s Day 2020….

A couple of firsts for this mum here….

I won’t be taking my mum for a coffee this year, and I don’t have Russ to share the day with….

Also, First time in years I have all three boys on my doorstep even in this lockdown, luckier than a lot of mums who live in different towns and can’t see their offspring today!

Having a daughter in law just adds another wonderful dimension. Jaxon and Steph hosted a Mother’s Day quiz night bbq at their house last night, down the road in my double bubble. As they could only invite Trudi and I, George and Dan (our bubble), it was a very exclusive event. Trudi and I (the mums) came in a close 2nd to Dan and George (the sons) with a little help from the quiz masters (Jaxon and Steph). We really needed Russ’s help, especially on the sports section (and the history section, and famous places…actually most of it) The entertainment was followed by the traditional pulled pork cooked on Jaxs Bbq, plus steak and sausages, salads etc… great night out!

Roll back to Saturday morning, sea of glass, full tide, the level three adventurers came out to play! The morning seashore was littered with fishermen, their torpedoes shooting lines out towards the island. Further out and around the bay, a number of kayakers we’re enjoying the calm sea. I suspect also fishing.

George and I had a supermarket job to do, and our Saturday distance cuppa with Dad and Sandy. Driving through Orewa it was so busy with summer like crowds. The cafes all open for takeaways and the streets pumping once more. We thought we would see if our favourite bakery was open and buy dad a treat, apple turnover! I couldn’t resist a sausage roll, which I tasted all day as it repeated on me. First non homemade food in 7 weeks. Equally Dad enjoyed his treat!

On our return to Waiwera, the word had certainly got out that this is the best place to be…..visitors cars lined the streets, overflowing into the old pools car park. At low tide (by now) the beach was teaming with non local faces and families. I think the level 3 (essential travel, stay local) directive flew out the window yesterday, both in Orewa and our sleepy little town of Waiwera! It actually felt like this lockdown had never occurred with the human activity yesterday!

Last night, however, when we walked back up the road about 8.30 to our beds (I know early night – old girls) the streets were once again deserted! No cars, no campers no stray humans or dogs! Level three rules apply when the sun goes down and every sunburnt, happy, beach going, visitor person is tucked back up in their respective bubble!

Saturday, 9th May, 2020. A day off in our world where every day is a monday, online business doesn’t know the meaning of a weekend and it is three weeks since I have not turned my computer on!

Today is Saturday and today is a day off!

Every day I look out this window and sit at my kitchen table that has become my office desk. This is about to change and I will move work, move me, move george ….they say moving house is as stressful as someone dying….guess we’re getting used to stress!

It will be a change, why should we get too comfortable, when others can’t use their cottages because the government says so! Nope don’t leave Sue in peace….But wait….it’s not all about her!

On a positive note….it’s a day off! I can clean and shop and ring my friends! By all accounts the sun will shine!

As we soar towards Level 2 next week, where shops can open, haircuts can be had (by other than mums and wives), cafes and bars can open (to a point), social distance with strangers and small hugs with loved ones….we will realise the impact the economic freeze has had on our lives and find out if we still have jobs!

The aftermath

And now we gasp
To keep abreast
Of mortgages, bills and money stress

The working day
That’s flying past
Might actually be
Our very last

We work from home
We work apart
We work in hope
It’s just the start

The more we read
The more we know
The loss of jobs
Will start to show

Homes may be lost
Rents may be high
But we have each other
And we didn’t die!

Thursday 8th May 2020…..Monday and Tuesday zero cases but Wednesday one of the first clusters is still active. Two new cases and another death. Seems like this will not go away.

Meanwhile in the waiting room….

We are enjoying Autumn calm and…..

A perfect space to lift weights, medicine balls, laugh and cool off in the last of the summer wine! Gave the boys a couple of hours of eye candy to pass the iso afternoon!

No story yesterday and the day brought more late Autumn sunshine, cool breezes, thermals and puffer jackets. Another bi weekly trip to a very congested supermarket, work and a huge celebration! My oldest son has signed off his building apprenticeship (pending a first aid course that had to be postponed in the lockdown!) So proud and so would Russ have been! We knew you could do it!

So beach fishing is all go and my beautiful daughter in law is making the most of her teaching stand down….

A few hookups and throwbacks as the sun set in our little patch of paradise!

And to finish the day an almost full moon…

Bubble happy hour is now a small group and in the chilly evening, the moon heralded in the clear evening from our bubble vantage point.

Meanwhile, I asked our waterfront isolation buddy to snap the moon in the clear sky above sugarloaf island….while the walls are closing in, nature is providing us with beauty and hope!

Riverhaven (the camp) is a beautiful place, but unfortunately a place where there are rules for some and rules for others! There’s broken legs 12 month stint, and not forgetting the 12 months (or more) some stayed while they built a house, or worked up here! Now I’m being told that from the 25th of June my cottage cannot be used! Talk about keyboard warriors…

It is time for the free spirited to let the small stuff go and surround ourselves with positive motivated and beautiful humans, with BIG plans and lots of ambition! The Bonnici-Carter’s leading the charge, Russ and Mum right up front!

Roll on 2021 and a Covid free world where we can once again spread our kiwi wings. And the world will be a better place, because we have all learned to wash our hands (of any unkindness) while backing off on the random act of hugging! I think the art of conversation is making a comeback!

Tuesday 5th May, 2020. While the person next door may be feeling the pressure, and things are not what they seem in lockdown 3, it’s more important now than ever to show a little kindness…

The camera just snapped this one, but it kind of says it all, the jandals are waiting for the next journey and we are all facing uncertainty. Our plans, our dreams, our hopes for the future are all changed in a covid19 controlled world.

Yesterday, hit me with a flat white (packet variety), flat battery, easily fixed with the loan of some jumper leads from a kind neighbour. The keyboard warrior at work for most of the day, answering kiwis trying to make a dollar in the online world. The day was littered with sunshine, rain, warmth and chills from the sky’s above and the humans around us.

Just another work day in a world where only some things are certain…a dog will always want a cuddle and is always excited by food (left over mashed potato a hit). Some things will always be a surprise (not always a good one), but humans are humans and we don’t know their stories or their tipping point (sounds like a game show), so even if their unkindness is a surprise, we need to let it go and just be there if they need help or support.

The words all along have been, stay home, stay safe and be kind. I have done my best to help all those around me, but it certainly appears it is time to move on, and we look forward to the next chapter in the story.

NZ you have done an amazing job of not letting this virus take control(first day with zero new cases)!but the cost of the economy and personal freedom is certainly taking its toll on the mere humans……but this little bubble will not give up because the glass is half full, right?

Sunday, May 3rd….much awaited rain is predicted, and off to pack up more (hopefully all) showroom. Work is kind of a seven day thing right now as business days are any days!

Yesterday afternoon, Jaxon and Steph hit the sand and hooked a nice Trevally…for their dinner, meanwhile I made a smoked fish pie with our fish from the birthday haul.

The day slid by with screen time, face time, food time and bed time.

The drop from level 4 lockdown to level 3, lockdown is not a word you can use for level 3! Roads are full of cars, beaches are full of people, the McDonald’s drive thru is stil over a mile long and there are many unfamiliar faces in our local area! The stay home, stay safe essential travel only advice has washed straight over many kiwis heads – there’ll be a lot of bald kiwis after this….either from putting their heads in the sand or allowing crucial advice to sweep over their heads!

Today is looking like an inside day, perfect for packing and essential work as the carrier comes on Wednesday! Happy Sunday, at least the rain may limit the stupid humans to essential travel only!

Saturday, May 2nd, 2020.. No longer counting the days, I’m counting the memories…

Let’s Roll back to Thursday, As we are now allowed to fish in the sea, so long as our feet are on the ground, a couple of the bubble buddies decided to plant the net in the river at low tide Thursday evening.

Yesterday morning, they dragged it in with a haul of Kawhai!

The proposed first fish and chips takeaway meal (since March) as a birthday treat….now only needed to be chips. The birthday boy was smoking fresh fish!

We will leave them there dealing with the fish, as another trauma was unfolding in my bubble number two!

The babysitter, or dog sitter rang in a panic around 8am….Dan had gone to work and Floyd was missing! Oh oh, first thought was that he’d got out and taken himself for a beach run! But the property has 6ft fences and he never leaves without his humans. George and I hightailed it down the road to be met by a very panicked Jaxon. After another thorough property search, inside, outside and under houses, a frightened little head was spied peeping from behind the only bushed area (1 meter wide) of the driveway! Floyd had hidden there, after having trouble with his morning ablutions. Having not digested the grass and wood he had added to his diet the day before he needed his father (Daniel) to do the clean up job. Being something that couldn’t wait, yours truly got the honours in this case!

At least Floyd stayed home and stayed safe! Slowly calming down after a big drink of water and a couple of mandarins!

Time to start work! It’s sort of a seven day a week job at the moment….as retailers processing online orders just lose track of days and hours too.

I walked away from my screen about 3.30 pm. Trudi the undertaken the job of taking everyone’s chip, burger, sausage etc order, which was rung through before I collapsed at happy distancing hour with my bubble buddies at 4.00pm. George was the courier driver for the 5.00pm pick up Orewa. The fresh smoked fish waiting to be joined by the chips!

Early dinner, fresh smoked Kawhai, takeaway chips from Captain Kerr’s, and bubbles supplied by the birthday boy!

Bubble lockdown birthday, and no rules were broken! All outdoor, own plates, tongs used, own glasses, own fish, only our bubble and no extensions! This will be a birthday to remember, as many people have had bubble birthdays during this time..bet they didn’t have fresh smoked fish!

1st May, 2020, day 4 level 3, and a third of 2020 is done!

We are racing through this year without realising how many days we have used! As every day seems the same. Friday night drinks have lost their punch, catch up with friends is just a phone call…and crawling out of bed, two steps to work station, don’t need to get dressed….and bang it’s Friday night again.

Floyd loves George – you can see the family resemblance in the hair colour at least! Now Dan is back at work, Floyd is hanging out at Jaxs place…

And doing a bit of gardening – the grape vine needs chopping back.

George did the Orewa run yesterday, as I was glued to my work chair from 7.30am…with a 10 minute break to make a quick vege pie for dinner…..which as it turned out was lucky…

As the Sun goes down, and the band won’t play….all of Waiweras power went off right on dinner time!

Not being a candle girl, one of those folks who has those strategically placed smelly candles around the house, I had to hightail it home from happy hour (while there was still light) and dig around in bins for emergency supplies. Couldn’t find a torch, but…

Bathroom lighting was rather relaxing…

George had just finished his self exercise plan and wondered if we would have hot water. “Of course” I said, “our hot water is on gas”. Shower by candlelight!

I was about to dish our cold slab of vege pie and George emerged, in all his winter woollies, and told me I lied! No hot water! Ok, I thought, I need to change the gas bottle (same one for four months must be run out- mum logic)

Out I go with a candle, flick the switch over, there you go….still no hot water! Having exhausted all female plumbing knowledge, I called Dan, who was happily cooking hot food on BBQ and, blow me down….one needs electricity to spark the gas! How would the end user know that?

We were about to launch into our chilled dinner (which is actually much better hot) when boom – there was light! (Heat, hot water and all that goes with it)

Alls well that ends well, hot shower, hot dinner and warm cottage….

Thursday 30th April, day three level 3….my 114th day at Riverhaven for 2020, including an extra 35 days enforced by the NZ government- shoot me if I shift! Not quite, but the “sleep where you got stuck” mantra was, by Law, what we had to live by, with two days notice, from 26th March….way back in Summer!

We are now rolling into our 6th week of lockdown, with not much changed from day one, except we are being asked about our future…at Riverhaven! Its a bit like being asked what my future plans are to travel!!! We will just park both these questions.

Social distance drinks last night included Larry and his GF hanging out with us…a bubble of four was increased to six when these guys joined us. The social bubble (activity) limit is 5? Larry might need to ditch his GF if he wants to join.

Broken leg, came back to collect stuff, watched by the Miss Marples on arrival ( he is allowed a visit but no staying) and spotted by the Miss Marples on departure!

Dan is back at work, Jaxon still working from home, and George and I are permanently working from home….the last two days have seen some really positive action in the Carrybag / box industry!

On that note, time to get up and get at it, so nice being able to stay in my Jammies for half the work day!

Wednesday, April 29 day 2 – lockdown level 3 – or is it?

Yesterday, while I stayed home and worked all day, one of the busiest days I have had for a while, the humans all decided level three meant get out and get going! While some had to travel to their workplaces, you can’t tell me that queuing for 3 hours at Macdonald’s or KFC was a pleasant experience!

Carless streets are over, there was a constant stream of traffic to and from and parked up at Waiwera…with walkers, swimmers, kayakers and fishers arriving and settling in….the directive of, “you can drive to your nearest beach and exercise” seems to have been translated into “go hang out at your favourite beach and set up camp”.

From my work window, I felt safer inside my gate..watching a raft of unfamiliar faces and vehicles come and go, it appears many have decided to break out of their Bubbles and push into other bubbles, I do hope that this unnecessary activity doesn’t push us all back into lockdown 4 again as the second wave hits!

On a more positive note, there are a large group of people changing the way they work, firing shots and emails from behind the “screens” working up a storm with online sales enthusiasm….after yesterday’s keyboard contacts, I am proud of the innovative and fighting spirit of our small Kiwi business operators, many a one man band! Those who come out richer from this experience will not be the ones lining up for McDonald’s or spending the day at the beach in someone else’s bubble!

Riverhaven bach owners who have been unable to come to their Bach’s for five weeks are now able to come and check them during the day, I’m guessing there will be an influx of humans around here over the next few weeks….we will need to be diligent with public areas and keep the gate locked, so many hands are not touching!

The playground is taped to deter the temptation for day visitors to share their bubbles, can’t really do a sign in book for children so we can be diligent with contact tracing! That’s a thought – if the McDonald’s food deliverer (at the window) tests positive – how is the govt going to contact trace just one hour..let alone one day? I am so not going….home cooking has become a good habit!

Today will see a trip to the supermarket, as it is five days since last stock up and we have munched our way through everything green!

After an undisturbed night and a good sleep, I can hit the keyboard early and the supermarket at opening time. Let’s see if the humans of AUCKLAND can behave today and show some respect for others who actually don’t want to undo all the good we have done!