Summary of June 2014

Edit: I've decided to do Dry July this year. I usually only drink a couple of times a month if that, but mingling in Auckland totally sober will be outside my comfort zone! If you want to donate, click here.

This month last year

Was a lot colder than this year, from memory. I've only worn my big woolly scarf twice so far this winter. Using Instagram to jog my memory, highlights were The Last of Us and getting the big bookshelves for our lounge.

Entertained by

I went to the Ellie Goulding concert in Wellington with a few of my old work colleagues, and loved it. Enjoyed Broods' opening performance too, and have bought tickets to go see them again in August.

My sister Emily and I went to see The Fault in our Stars, and oh my gosh the tears. It was fantastic, I liked it a lot better than the book for once. I wrote a blog post after the movie that's still in my drafts because I was crazy emotional and I'm not sure it should be published. Also Charlie and I saw What We Do in the Shadows which I did enjoy, though not sure I'll watch it again.

I read Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey which is brilliant, and sad, and satisfying.

Charlie and I watched all of Roswell over a couple of weeks. I do not understand why I thought Max and Liz were so fantastic when I watched it on TV back in the day, they are the most annoying characters. And Kyle was clearly the best.

I've been listening to Ellie, Broods, and Jasmine Thompson.

Purchased

An Ellie shirt from the concert and two dresses. Elizabeth is Missing as mentioned above, and Mr Mercedes by Stephen King.

Highlights

Ellie! Getting dressed up for the Gold Awards. Spending a couple of hours wandering around Te Papa with Charlie - I hadn't really been for a proper visit since I worked in the cafe there in 2007, so it was interesting again. Dylan visited us for one night which was fun, always great to see him. And on Saturday just gone the weather was stunning, so we went to Porirua with some friends and played mini putt, then came back into Wellington for fish and chips at the beach.

Also I got a grant to go to NetHui in Auckland next month! The first NetHui was being planned when I left InternetNZ in 2010, and I've always wanted to go since but hadn't been in roles where my attendance was relevant.

Lowlights

Flying back from a meeting in Auckland my ear blocked up SO BAD, and I couldn't hear out of it for the next 24 hours. And a few days ago I pulled my achilles tendon - not very badly, but enough to make slopes and steps pretty painful.

Art progress new category!

I did a quick drawing of my niece, Isobel, who turned 13 this month.

Looking forward to

NetHui! Also I'm semi-looking-forward-to Charlie starting his new work schedule, which will be quite different to mine. It's been wonderful being able to meet him after work every day to go out somewhere or walk home together. But I think it will probably be good for me to be alone a bit more to work on my art, and exercise, and probably eat healthier (not even remotely his fault that I've been so bad at those things, it's my lazy self).