Inherited madness

Sod it - it's on. Drinks with KiwiGirl are happening tomoza.

Mother's influence is a worry...

Long overdue though. Kiwigirl is nuts, I am sultanas at best - so who knows?

What I do know is that I need a home game for this one - Belsize Park or nothing. Assuming I don't wake up in some Stephen King type nightmare - more to follow...

Whistling down the wind

After rugby and lunch with the ladies (Chaff and Mum); Ma and I got a taste of the West End tonight. To say we 'scored tickets' to a show would be an afront to even the most corrupt of ticket sellers. We scooted in the 'stage door' courtesy of Mike, the second male lead. A bottle of booze crossed the palm of 'the sound guy' - and we were in.

The Palace Theatre was great. The show, solid, not mind blowing - but very enjoyable. Ma liked it and we had a beer with Mike afterwards, all very civil and nice.

Time with my Chaff to blog about tomorrow. How me and this girl have not got it together by now is a constant niggle and mystery - but all time spent with her is a pleasure.

More QT with Chaff and Ma tomoza.

Drama over - mother has landed...

And well have a ruddy UK cell phone in her bag as of tomoza - will let you know the number then so you can keep in touch!

Let me tell you what happens...

When your mother has had a heart attack and comes to visit you in big bad London town.

You worry.

You worry a lot - quite irratioanlly perhaps. Condescendingly even.

But I am sat here at home and Ma was due back from Norwich an hour ago. And I'm worried.

I know all about the unreliability of the trains, she has my mobile, she is with Auntie L - who also has my number. But I am sat here - worried.

And she's probably down the road having a wine!

Tax

Cullen and Dunne released a research paper advocating cuts in the company tax rate today, the money quote:

The objective, said Finance Minister Michael Cullen and Revenue Minister Peter Dunne yesterday, is to "provide better incentives for productivity gains and improved competitiveness with Australia."

Ahhhh, it is so much easier out of the Election cycle isn't it? Brash was talking personal and company tax rates - but does anyone remember Helen hissing at Brash dismissively when he raised the 'competitiveness with Australia' point during the Election - barking, 'If it's so much better there, why doesn't he move there'.

Hhhmmmm

I'm sure Helen didn't influence Margaret...

National was last night furious Ms Wilson declined to send Mr Field to the privileges committee, but could not say whether it would ask other committees to investigate.

Ms Wilson said the allegations against Mr Field, including claims a Thai overstayer tiled for free a house he was building in Samoa while Mr Field helped him get a work visa, were not matters of privilege.

National leader Don Brash asked Ms Wilson to send Mr Field to the privileges committee after the Noel Ingram inquiry left unanswered questions.

Dr Ingram found Mr Field had no conflict of interest in his dealings with the tiler, Sunan Siriwan, though he made errors of judgment. He could not rule on other allegations about Thai overstayers working for Mr Field for free or little pay while he helped with their immigration because key witnesses would not co-operate. Ms Wilson said the privileges committee could not investigate as its powers were limited to an MP's conduct in the House.

If you want to be a borderline taxpayer funded criminal - join a Labour administration with a wafer thin majority - there nobody can touch you.

But why, pray tell me why, can't the Nats make the mud stick? Shipley was rolled for a dinner party with a non contributing high achieving New Zealander.

Home cooking - hazzah!

Prawn stir fry on the table as I walked through the door - I could get used to this!

Ma is good - filling her days with walks, shopping and a number of cold baths! She is off to Norfolk tomorrow for a relies reunion and will be back on Friday.

No news from me - just looking forward to 'the deal' going through so everyone at work can collect their collective heads!

Nice to see Winston waging war against the media back home - haven't seen too many people win that one. He really is a figure that history will simply overlook. Thank God for that.

Late - must go.

MJD - will be in touch tomoza.

An evening in the park

Mum came to watch me play softball in Regents Park tonight. Lovely park and massive - so I was only halan hour late after getting completely lost.





I then proceeded to disgrace myself. Dire, woeful, dismal and pathetic would be a fair summary. Bring your mother to London and then make her ashamed. Nice work Frit!

15 months, 1 day - London Done

Today:

London Tour

Westminster Abbe

Thames Cruise

Tower Bridge

St Pauls Cathedral - Evensong Service

Lunch on Thames - literally on the Thames

Tower of London

And plenty more. Just bought a digy cam on eBay and have some pics to post tomoza. Over a year here and I have just become a tourist.

Loving it.

The State Visit commences!

Hi all,

8.45pm on Friday night and Ma has arrived and is safe and looking exceptionally well. Which to be honest - is a concern you have before seeing someone who had a heart attack a year ago and has just travelled half way round the planet!

But look jet lagged on arrival - Didi's - not a bit of it! Fanbloodytastic.

She is establishing herself in the West Wing (Night Camp) as we speak. There was even genuine approval of Camp 2 Doors! Ma is a bit tired - so tonight we will just have a wine at home and Ma will try to sort the body clock out a bit. But straight into it tomorrow!

Me thinks there may be a guest blog or two on the way! Commentary at the very least...

Love to all back home - can't say how nice it is to have some 'blood' here. Brilliant.

OK OK

There have been a few comments re the meeting of the potential inky I posted about a few days ago.

I will meet you have way and stick to the tried and true 'pre-arranged chance meeting'. No need to show ones hand too early!

The eagle has taken off!

Ma is in the air as I type; I pick her up from Heathrow tomoza!

The new mattress for Night Camp arrived today - so things are in order for the State Visit to C 2 D's.

Apart from the cruise - no plans are made at this point [Now there's a shock - Ed], but we will spend the weekend sorting out the four weeks we have prior to the Love Boat.

Mark (the Boss) is back on Monday - so work should chill a little and allow me some time to take a few days to spend with Ma doing 'London things'.

All in all - happy days!

Pot - Kettle - Black

I kid you not - these words actuallu came from the lips of our erstwhile Minister of Foreign Affairs:

"Frankly it was the most embarrassing, arrogant and insulting behaviour I have ever seen."

From him, unbelievable. Prick.

It is NOT just me!

Here is a letter from this mornings Metro - it appears that I am not alone when it comes to this pet loathing! Reproduced word for word - as I could not have possibly put it better.

LOVE AND HAITCH:For years, I've silently suffered those people who believe that the letter 'h' is enunciated as 'haitch' even though the English dictionary describes the letter as 'aitch'. But when I recently heard an announcer suggesting that a programme was available on 'Haitch D', I snapped. When did this appaling habit start? I was taught at school that the letter was as per the dictionary's version. Surely the circles of academia didn't decide to throw good diction to the four cardinal winds of heaven and encourage the further demise of the English language?

Barry, Essex

Barry - sir, I salute you.

Hot - damn hot

London town is treating me well - but 34 degrees booted and suited is coming close to my temperature threshold! Hell it's hot. Mid thirties all week - calming down a touch for Ma's arrival on Friday.

Work wise I am hoping that things calm down at the same time. They should do.

Other than that - not much to report.

Thinking about following up on my chance meeting with a potential inky - but if I stay true to form - that follow up should be mid 2007... I'm sure Ma will rattle that cage when she gets here!

Toast - Toasted, but not baked

A fantastic day yesterday. Partying in the park to Macs Gold, Church Road and Dave Dobbyn. All good. Very good.

And I think I may have meet someone that interests me. She was absolutley delightful. Insightful, interesting and graceful. Unreal.

And I am fully aware that that last para positions me the 18th century Henry, but sod that. We are all judgemental, and she ticked all the boxes.

There may be more.

AND I WENT AN ENTIRE DAY OUT IN THE SUN WITHOUT GETTING BURNT!!!!!!!!!

Shock, sodding horror - he's gay

One thing that has stood out in the news for me recently is the elevation of Labours latest MP (replacing Jim Mutton) - and the relentless obsession with the fact that he is gay.




From Stuff:

'Charles Chauvel, 37, is a gay, meticulously groomed lawyer from Wellington. At 44 on Labour's list, he is first cab off the rank to enter Parliament.'

I worked with his partner Dave for a number of years and met Charles a few times - and bugger me [I'm assuming that was deliberate - Ed]- the man is normal.

The guy has had a few arrows thrown at him stemming from his time at the Lotteries Commission (on tax payers time) - that might be news worthy. But the fact that he is gay?!?! Is that really news these days?

Catching up

After a bit of pressure over the last few days, last night it was time to get back to Earth by seeking familiar voices. So the mobile bill took a hammering (the landline for broadband purposes is very purposely run up against the wall - white tacked in key (out of sight) places; it didn't seem to warrant disturbing that for the sake of 50 quid).

Anyways - that is by the by. I had a great catch up with Nick and the girls - no one warned me that Georgia (N&D's youngest) was going to get on the blower and actually talk to me! Very cute; and a sure way to make the home sick pangs kick in.

Then Ma, making arrangements for when she is here. I finished the conversation with 'no probs Ma, lovely to talk. I'll check out your travel plans and ring to confirm things next week'. To which she delicately replied - 'you daft git - I'll be on my way by then!' Gods toenails - wheels are turning quickly - and I'm asleep at the wheel at the moment. One week to get Camp 2 Doors in order (as we all know, it will take less than two minutes. Order is to life as Belief is to religion after all.)

MJD got the last conversation - hic! Long day and the tail end of a bottle of wine - I'm not surprised 'his pager went off'. I'm not hurt MJD - but if you are going to beat a hasty retreat - then at least put some effort into the excuse! Who has a pager these days? Really!

But it sounds like all is well back home, and all is well here - a few wines and dinner with the Jones Girl tonight reminded me of what life was like. The Toast Festival (massive Kiwi piss up cultural festival this weekend with Boy et al) - things are looking up.

Bedtime, before I each for the mobile and start texting ex's!

Big day

A big few days in truth - but enjoyable stress.

Will do a decent update once I get home with wine in hand.

Ma - counting in days not weeks now!!

More later.

'Edgey'?

Or just bad taste?




Not particularly funny either way really.

File under 'I' for 'irony'

From Stuff:

A New Zealand peace activist has been arrested in London and charged with punching a rising teenage pop star and putting him in a coma.

Christiaan Taylor Briggs, 30, is accused of punching Billy Leeson, 19, the lead singer of young British band Les Incompetents after an argument on a city bus.

Generally, Activists are not far above Fundamentalists in my estimation!

Frit - this is your day

From: Frit
Sent: 05 July 2006 09:07
To: Team
Cc: XXX; XXX; XXX; XXX
Subject: You know it is going to be a good day when this is the first email....

Team

Please do not expect any email response from Supplier this morning; they have been hit by lightening.

Roy is not in, and Peter is offsite, so for now could you please channel any queries through me and I will call Gus/Eunice etc. I will let you know when things are back to normal (or as normal as normal is!).

Thanks
Frit

Me thinks it is going to be a long one.

When too busy to blog

It is just as well I can rely on Ma to send through some cute pics! The boys have had a fair outing here, so it is with great pleasure I introduce N&D's eldest! Online debut for Milikens!



No real news to report - just very busy. The Management Buyout rumbles on - but should all be signed up by the time Ma and I are due to head away on holiday. I can not put into words how much I am looking forward to that.

I had a menage a messenger with JY and Dooley last night - the usual banter - but a nice taste and reminder of home.

Seeing the most recent photo's of the kids from home, and the fact that the Poms get a little uptight about accumulating leave, has me thinking of a fly-by week back home in Feb!

Madness? Probably. Burning money? Certainly. Random? Absolutely.

Which makes it all the more likely to happen!

Viiiiiiiiiizzzzzzzz winkle, a normalised polkadot and two stripes of a fizzy hotdog. I think you know what I mean.

Ixnay on the tino talk Tari

Tucked away in an otherwise non-descript speech by Tariana Turia was this quote;

And our goal must be firmly on taking control of our destiny, achieving tino rangatiratanga in economic development, in cultural revitalization, in social opportunities.

Crucial to our self-determination must be the knowledge that this requires our own leadership and initiative.

Could someone please tell her that tino rangatiratanga is a non-starter, full stop. Not going to happen, shouldn't happen and despite the best of motives and intentions - immediately cast the speaker as a seperatist radical.

Later in the same speech, she adds;

We are coming to the last month of the campaign to promote the Maori Electoral Option and have been trying to talk to as many people as possible about doing exactly that. Taking the stand, making sure their whanau are all enrolled, being on the roll to take charge of our destiny. If every Maori person enrolled on the Maori roll we could have thirteen seats in Parliament -tino rangatiratanga becoming a reality in our lifetimes.

The Maori Party are never going to court the mainstream Pakeha vote, nor should they. But this sort of outmoded senstimentalism will have only one result - driving many people to National and Act, or any party, that backs axing the race based seats.

Many times since their formation I hae praised the Maori Party for working constructively within the system to advance their causes. Driving a wedge through that system, or cherry picking what suits and refusing to recognise what does not, from the fringes within ain't going to get you far.

England out, oh well.

My World Cup is over with England emulating a Newcastle like penalty shoot out performance. Never mind - no more cause to spend a 30 degree plus day indoors. No bad thing I suppose.

Less than three weeks 'til Ma gets here, and not much longer after that until I start taking in Europe on the Love Boat! If any of you think that being on a cruise with your mother was going to be an impediment to hooking up - think again. I suspect mother has been researching the ancient art of the 'accidental bumping into', the thoughtful 'I think I have left the bath running, I'll just leave you two alone', and that old time fav, 'you two girls are far too pretty to be here on your own - don't you think love?' Should be a laugh. What goes on vessel stays on vessel I'm afraid!

God knows I am ready for a break; I might even leave the wife (lappy) at home - assuming I have my new email enabled phone that is! (Subtle Mark?!?!).

Newbie starts tomorrow, so I am thinking about how structure tomorrow morning. Need to ensure he doesn't feel out of his depth too early on. But seriously, 'Mines white no sugar', how hard can it be? Sure he will cope.