Lethal weapon

It was Friday and I was on my way home from work and looking forward to the Monday holiday and the long weekend. What happens? A massive traffic jam – that’s what.

Some light relief appeared in the form of this sign on the back of the van in front. I love new words and this is a gem..... delilious.

Can you image the ad? Finger-licking delilious ... yum!

The traffic chaos was the result of an accident on one of the slip roads to the motorway. As it turns out no one was seriously hurt but the alarming number of drivers that treat their vehicles like toys rather than the lethal weapons that they are scares me.

CAR PARK - EMPTY

My first thought was ‘alarm clock malfunction’.

No, it’s definitely 9am Friday morning. So why is the car park still empty? Maybe the aliens have finally landed.

I climb the stairs to the office, dump my bag and head for the coffee machine.

Ah, now I remember! Monday is a public holiday.

Think long weekend and there's no need to guess where everyone has gone … headed early for the beaches no doubt .... and yes ... I'm jealous ... so there!

Table/chair combo

This piece of street sculpture has fascinated me for a long time. I pass it regularly on my journey to work.

Look at the table – not only does it have legs – it has hands and feet as well!

Wait a minute! Look at that! It’s something I hadn’t noticed until I stopped to take the photo – not hands and feet but one hand and three feet!

How strange! I wonder what the artist was thinking.

Google tells me that ‘(three feet) - (one hand) = 81.28 centimetres’. Fascinating!

Moody Mountain

The sun was shining through the clouds and I just had to stop and take a photo of my mountain. I pass it every day on my way to work. It was looking a little moody this morning.

It’s called a mountain but it isn’t really. It’s one of the Auckland’s many volcanoes - only 106metres high. It can be really windy but the view from the top is pretty special.

Seeing pink

I’ve made my one and only resolution for 2008. A positive one I hope. To try to be more aware of all the things and people around me and try to appreciate the commonplace a bit more … so here goes!

On a quick trip down to the supermarket to get some bread and stuff …. what do I notice? There's a pink trend in the neighbourhood that I had missed till now and here’s the evidence.

… newly painted pink gate at the entrance of the local school

…. a slightly rusty pink letter box

…. and a camouflaged pink van on a drive way

Not a bad haul on a 5 minute trip.

But then the pièce de résistance … I get back, park my car in the drive and notice that my neighbour across the fence is out sunning his baby son. I go to say hello and then I notice it. The dad’s wearing pink flip-flops! I swear! No photo though. I couldn't stop smiling long enough to take the picture .. and I didn't have the courage.

I walk back hoping that the pink flowers in our garden will be enough to give me membership of the club.

UPDATE: You're not going to believe what I saw today on my way to work .... a pink house! And here's the proof ...

Looks like some kind of pink take over and I've just discovered the Headquarters. Sssshhh!

The big clean

There’s no getting away from it! I’ve been feeling guilty about it for weeks.

It’s New Year’s resolution time so I just have to do it … clean up the fish pond. The pond’s a mess and the water is so murky that it’s impossible to tell whether or not the four fish that we had are still in there or not.

And I’m pretty sure that the Buddha has been frowning disapprovingly at me!

So, equipment is at the ready, all I have to do is empty the pond and find the fish.

Hours later ….. OK … including a lunch break ..

and …

Miracle of miracles … the four are still alive and well! Although the colour of the water is quite disturbing!

The pond gets a good scrub.. and there we are … four happy fish … my new year gift to them.

Now where was that fish food?