Everyone's a winner!

In workplaces across the country, all week, the Terrible Tackle of Sonny Bill was discussed ad nauseum, with the red card decision unanimously supported (but WHY? What was he thinking?). Meanwhile the press labelled the final Test a 'World Cup Final-level match' which of course sent the country into a complete jitter. 

You could have been fooled into thinking there was nothing else going on, but there was: we went swimming, and there was a work quiz which my team won entirely due to knowing the shipping company that owned the Titanic and the shipping company that built the Titanic.*

On Friday Roger gathered almost all his Wellington friends (Rich and Lucy were up in Auckland) for a delicious birthday curry at a local Malaysian and South Indian restaurant followed by a drink at a pub with grumpy regulars - very un-Wellington. 

On Saturday I joined Laura, Alyse, Sam, Menari and Elaine for Elaine's civilised hen do: first stop EscapeMate, where we worked seamlessly as a team of special agents to solve codes, crack riddles, gather evidence and ultimately make the time machine work to escape the lab of the kidnapped bio-weapons scientist.

Next, the special agents went to high tea at Hippopotamus, one of the best (and most high end) restaurants in Wellington. There was bottomless tea, fruity bubbles, excellent wedding chat and the best tasting savoury and sweet petits fours I think I've ever had (with apologies to the Ritz, Kuala Lumpur, where Becky and I had cream tea - the tea was better in KL!). 

The classy apres-midi was topped off by a James Bond worthy cocktail at the Library, a sort-of-hidden bar lined with books and populated with armchairs and sofas. The agent hens were joined by a few more and we headed to the infamous Green Man for the rugby and cheesy curry fries.

Everyone's a winner

The odds on a draw were 40-1! The lively pub was left murmuring in surprise at the final whistle, and with another referee decision to debate. Historics and histrionics aside, a drawn series felt like a fair result. 

Roger's Sunday birthday kicked off with eggs, pastry, coffee and orange juice at the flat and his birthday cards, which I'd been hiding. We then did his favourite activity of getting jobs done, but added in a walk up Colonial Knob (a hill) in Porirua in the wind and almost-rain. The birthday dinner starred roast lamb and banana cake (see pics). Happy 27th Roger!

This week we are all hunkering down as an icy blast sweeps the country, and I return to choir. 





*White Star Line and Harland & Wolff