They’ve renamed Upper Hutt to Bogan Town for the week ahead of a music festival this weekend.

Given that the typical bogan has a mullet, listens to heavy metal, wears a black vest, has dodgy tattoos and teeth and drinks the cheapest beer he/she can buy I don’t think I’d fit the demographic (apart from the heavy metal and dodgy teeth) so I’ll give that one a miss.

I’m currently reading a book on a Japanese concept called Ikigai about finding your purpose and leading a long, fulfilled life. You can read an introduction here – https://www.calm.com/blog/ikigai

After a difficult week at work and home I’ve been feeling quite down over the weekend and wondering why I have rarely if ever felt a sense of fulfilment in this – or any previous – job in IT, and whether it’s even a reasonable expectation in the modern office environment. I’d suggest I sit in the “profession” section of the Venn diagram, and once AI fully kicks in I suspect I will get squeezed out of the “What you can get paid for” circle too.

Have I wasted my life going down a career path that suited my skills but that I never really wanted? Is there a multiverse version of me that opted to go into journalism and writing and loves what they do? Or would they have felt just the same about having to file newspaper stories of minor traffic accidents and school fairs?

To try and break me out of my ennui Wor Lass decided we should get out of the house and spend some time together, even if it’s just wandering round the shops, so that’s what we did.

Even though we only visited the local mall it did pick me up a bit, then I stumbled across something that redeemed the whole weekend – Post-It Notes!

I know that’s a really pathetic thing to get excited about, however they are one of my small obsessions. My daily routine involves filling in a large Post-It note as I start work, listing each the tasks I need to complete that day, in order of importance, and that helps me prioritize and stay organized. If I don’t have a Post-It note list made up I feel lost all day.

New Zealand has always been poor at stocking genuine branded Post-Its, typically selling the generic cheapos that don’t stick properly or have completely the wrong shade of yellow (yeah I know!). I’ve spent hours on previous trips to the UK seeking out the right size of Post-It note and stocking up on them when I do. But today I found some – and in UPPER HUTT! – AND they were cheaper than they are in the UK!! Naturally I grabbed a handful, which should last me a year at least. Another little obsession is good quality pens – they must be black ink, have a comfortable grip, and have a satisfying on/off clicker. I treat myself to a pack of those so I’m never without something to write with, and to top it off a new roll of proper Sellotape that doesn’t split or come loose within a few hours like the cheap stuff.

I might not have found my ikigai just yet, but least I can look at my stationery drawer and feel a little spike of happiness.

Well the pergola was nice while it lasted. It’s now been taken over by this monster and we can’t leave the house any more. Please send food parcels.

Can’t believe our little furbaby is 9 already! Thankfully she is still full of energy and (touch wood) healthy, hoping she stays that way for many years to come.

She’s not a fan of getting dressed up though!

At last, some sport on ESPN I could actually participate in – spreadsheets!

Pasting the link for a news page as it has the best video and fun to watch for the theme music alone.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360564940/hype-and-intensity-microsoft-excel-world-championships

They do say you turn into.your parents as you get older.  Dad puns, Hawaiian shirt, falling asleep with the remote – tick, tick, tick!

Saddest thing is that we bought the shirt with the intention of taking it for Dad then thought “actually I quite like this”.

After years of planning and failed attempts we’ve finally got our pergola done, or at least we now have a usable space (The Duchess is still working with the builder on a few snagging items before she’ll sign it off).

It took most of the Christmas and New Year break to get things finished – we were out oiling it on Christmas Day since it was a good weather day – but this weekend saw the decking go down and the lights go up so we can finally post some pictures.

The Duchess has made her annual batch of chicken liver pate ready to hand out to friends (though sadly we can’t make it as far as Cromwell). Yum!

Most notable for me this year were Rob Burrow and Steve Wright (loved the show, Steve) – both about four rows back and to the right. Oh and of course The OG Duchess Maggie Smith.

The Duchess is very happy with how the new pergola has turned out, even before we have finished furnishing it. Rugs and lighting still to come but here is a taste of where we will be spending most of the Summer (well the 30% of days it isn’t a howling gale cos Wellington)