Easter Saturday and Sunday

Easter Saturday saw me head up to Featherston to play at being a boy with toys. Had lunch with Murray, and then we played with his catapults.

First we set up the Mangonel, which uses twisted ropes as its power. The first go around we didn’t twist it too tight but the four croquet balls still made a good 240 feet or so.

Then we swapped to the Trebuchet which uses a pail of stones as its counterweight. This had less power but more accuracy and made around 200 feet.

Finally back to the Mangonel. This time it was wrenched to full power. And Jesus when released it lets out an almighty bang, crashing into its base. The ball soars into the air and when it finally comes down it has broken 300 feet. Very nice for a relatively small device.

A few kids watching at this stage. Strangely they left when I started speculating on how far it could throw a five year old. I was convinced we could clear the fence easily.

A nice drive back over the Rimutakas just in time to change for a big night out with Pamziewamzie and friends. We started off at Hope Brothers and the party got bigger as people we know walked past, like the esteemed Salient editor. Spent several hours there doing beer, then wine, then shots.

We then headed back to the flat Pam was staying at (was a friend of a friend’s) which was just metres away on Eva Street. Now the flat was great – a seven bedroom flat which used to be some sort of commercial or industrial office. There’s one huge room in the middle with the seven bedrooms all off it. The seven flatmates were all early 20s either working of finishing study. It was almost like being back in Dunedin again.

We had a few more drinks there and then headed back into town. Can’t recall the name of the bar we spent most time at, but it was cool. There were five of us – me and four of the girls, two of them down from Auckland and two locals. I tried to sit out the dancing but hey when there’s four lovely people to dance with, it’s not too hard to persuade me to make a fool of myself.

But then Jesus struck, and the bar had to close as it was midnight, and now Easter Sunday. So we headed out onto the streets. The girls then ran into someone handing out fliers for a bar which wasn’t closing, and insisted we head there – especially as they got free entry. Yes it was one of those sort of bars, and no it wasn’t my idea. In fact this was my first (and probably last) ever visit to that establishment. And the irony is it only happened because the other bars had to shut because of Easter Sunday. There must be a moral lesson in there somewhere.

We headed up, and grabbed some more drinks. The prices weren’t too outrageous and we watched some dancing, and then the umm wrestling. Most of our conversation was speculating on whether one of the wrestlers was in fact female or not. I thought she was female based on Adam’s Apple but some of the girls thought she had male facial structure. No-one offered to find out for sure. Funniest moment was leaving as poor Pamzie slipped on some jelly on the floor and landed on her rear in a painful manoeuvre.

The five of us then left and headed back to the flat. Oh yes we also grabbed some Subway which was the first food of the night, and it was now 1 am. I got home a bit before 2 am which wasn’t too bad except bloody Kiwigirl phoned me later that morning, from Vienna, to find out the cricket score. Grrr.

We all then caught up again over lunch, and as it was a brilliantly sunny day, I took everyone up to Massey Memorial. As expected it was a stunning view from up there, and the Aucklanders were suitably impressed (and the Wellingtonians). A wedding party was also up there doing their formal photos.

After that we then did the long drive around the bays, from Shelley to Owhiro Bay, and then up to the Brooklyn wind turbine while the sun was still up. Again a great way to enjoy this late summer we are having.

Finally in the evening we had a huge vegetarian dinner at the flat, cooked nicely by Alex. With hanger ons there were a dozen or so of us, all around the large makeshift table on various couches and arm chairs – very Dunedinish. Dinner and drinks went of for quite a few hours, and it was an ideal end to two very hectic days. Always fun to meet new people, and party with them. Allows me to pretend my chronological age is just an mathematical error.

Monday was much more sedate – recovery day. Housework, blogging, TV, accounts etc.