Is pretty much how I feel at the moment.  Christmas is still 20 days away, but the silly season has well and truly started here at Casa Alberta.

I am living proof that you can exercise plenty, but if you are putting the badness in, it will hang around and stick on your ass or in my case puku.  But “I couldn’t possibly have another glass of champagne or half a pig” simply isn’t an option.  My liver and digestive system can take a break in 2016.

It isn’t quite that bad, but it does seem that now the weather is warmer, I feel a bit like Mole in the Wind in the Willows, coming out of a dark burrow,  saying ‘Bother!’ and ‘O blow!’ and also ‘Hang spring-cleaning*!’   And I am now ready to get out in the big wide world, and if there is a friend with a laden picnic basket even better.

One activity that Mr Brett and I have done that was fabulous was going to see Hudson and Halls Live at the Herald Theatre.  The wonderful Simon Wilson gave it a great review in Metro – far better than I could ever dream of, so take it away Simon

http://www.metromag.co.nz/culture/stage/hudson-halls-live-review/

But one thing Simon did neglect to do was “take a selfie bro” with Chris Parker playing David Halls at intermission.  I however availed myself of the opportunity.  One of us may have been drinking – ahem

Honestly a wonderful, funny and moving show and if you ever get a chance to see it – highly recommended.  You don’t even need to be drinking bubbles to enjoy it – but it doesn’t hurt.

On the domestic goddess scale I reckon I would rate a 2 (on a good day), but I do have one thing that I do make an effort with is making Christmas cakes.  I do it mainly for two reasons, Mr Brett loves Christmas cake and he deserves a little bit of happiness for putting up with me and my shenanigans every year.  I also know he has Santa’s private number.  And it also reminds me of my Granny, who made Christmas cakes so laden with fruit that you could slip into a diabetic coma just looking at it.

My cakes don’t always work out that well, last years effort was a bit dry – boo.  Getting the oven temperature and timing right can be a challenge.  But I am very happy with this year’s effort.

Lookee there, my Port and Dark Chocolate Christmas cake ready for some industrious feeding (of more port) before Christmas comes around.

It hasn’t all been port and chocolate and bubbles (mostly but not all)

This morning I decided to take my alcohol soaked butter ball self on an excursion.  The sun was shining and Auckland has a new thing.  There is now a hot pink cycle and walking path that connects the existing  North Western cycleways to Nelson Street.

Here is another article from the excellent Metro magazine by Chris Barton, which once again gives a far better description than I ever could.

http://www.metromag.co.nz/city-life/urban-design/nelson-street-cycleway-a-route-with-a-view/

It opened on Thursday, and I decided it would be a “fun” thing to run from Pt Chev into town, so I could go on it.  But what I didn’t allow for was the fact a lot of it was uphill, and there has been a detour to make it 500 metres longer.  That sucked the “fun’ out of it I tells ya.

But when I finally got there it was so worth it.  What an amazing addition to the Super City.  I freaken loves it.  I got a bit teary, in fact.  This may be due to the fact that I was struggling to breathe and my legs were hurty.  Damn you extra 500 metres.  But it really is cool.  I can’t wait to walk it at night – no running in from Pt Chev before hand.

I can’t really describe why I like it so much, but it’s pink, there is cool Maori art on some of the side panels, it is a space created for walkers, and cyclists and families, and you can see Red Peak as you go along.  Perfect.

One of my Auckland must do’s.  So if you live in, or when you next visit Auckland Do.

Anyway I would like to stay and chat, but I have another Sunday excursion plan.  This one involves visiting friends and eating and drinking.  The butter ball needs feeding 🙂

 

*I so say “Hang spring-cleaning” most weeks to be fair.