Back in Wellington...

...after a quick trip to Sydney and Grassy Head, NSW. Talk about pack it in.

The renovation carried on while we were out of the house, so we came back to a brilliantly polished floor in the living room and kitchen, and most of the kitchen installed. We're not cooking with gas yet, maybe tonight!

Mish is very happy with her stainless steel kitchen, apart from some glitches in the interpretation of design and a tiddly bit of damage. It does look good. A designer did it. There is shelf stacking of pots, pans and cans going on at the moment, and cursing of short arms that can't get to the back of some shelves.

The builder is installing our new clothes line today (a John Reid rope production), and tomorrow our backyard of concrete is being jackhammered. Weather permitting - we've got the heaters on today and it is grey and blowy out there. That's funny after 36 in Sydney. Two days until summer (that's the old calendar, before global warming).

It's been SO blowy that, up here on the hill, lots of recycling bins blew over yesterday. Lots. Met our new neighbour on the south side as we picked up papers 'n' plastic together on the street. Scored a postcard from 15A's bin with a nice Mauritus stamp on it, amongst a whole lot of crap of course. Papers and unwashed no name milk containers all over the street, ugh. I did learn that we can put the bins wherever we like to protect them from the wind, and if the mechanical arm can't reach it a collector will joyfully leap out of the truck and manually empty it. That helps - we have a handy tree back from the street and we won't lose ours again. The things you find out from your neighbours.

I hear the clothes line is up - off to have a squizz.