after the party

The Parks and Gardens Christmas party wasn't too bad. Plenty of drinking involved and lots of lies told between old acquaintances. The venue, Marist St Pats club rooms, looked out over most of Kilburnie and beyond with clear view of Saint Patrick’s College, which I attended in the dim dark ages before people spent time writing largely ignored blogs (1979-1981).

There are still changes happening around Wellington. It seems that road workers are forever digging up perfectly good sections of road and infuriating motorists and pedestrians to hell for no real apparent reason. Keep up the good work guys!

Can't think of anything else to write about.

I'm presently reading "The Innocent Man" by John Grissam (true story about the American injustice system putting one innocent man to death and incarcerating another for life. I've only just stated reading it a couple of days ago but it seems quite a wizard read so far.

Kick-ass Tenpin Bowling.

You will be thrilled to know that the 10 pin bowling team I am in (we call ourselves Whatever) came first in the finals this year. We've been at it for a number of years now and this is our first "First Place Achievement. Bowling has finished for the year and will resume at the end of January 07. Prize givings next week in the Petone Workingmans' Club. They usually put on a good feed and a healthy bar tab.

Speaking of alcohol the Parks and Reserves are holding thier Christmas Party tomorrow, that aught to be fun, I guess and next Friday is the Cemetery Christmas party. Plenty of Blog type material to put into this blog thingy. So keep tuned to this space.

City Improvements

Changes. Wellington seems the windy city of change. Over the past few months, things have changed, changed, changed. One of the latest is that of another Wellington icons have disappeared. Unable to compete with the "New World Supermarket" that has got the go ahead to be constructed in Wellington Railway Station the Kiosk has been forced to close down.

Karori has been inundated with a plethora of speed humps and road islands, not to mention a number of traffic lights. The Karori Park upgrade is nearing completion and with any luck should be finished before the end of the century, and who knows so may Transmission Gully.

You will all be pleased to know that the city bypass and the Makara wind farms are going ahead, as are plans for the new Stadium in Auckland. It is also comforting to know that Wellington taxpayers are going to take such pride in partially financing it. I only hope it is as dictatorial as the cake tin with its rules and regulations.

So all in all we are proud of our changes and look forward to a better tomorrow when we have done away with everything that originally gave Wellington it’s charm and character.

another poem

-Psycho Kitty-

Come listen to my ditty about a psycho kitty,
A Persian pretty in a dirt box gritty,
Feeling no pity for the strays of the city
Sweet Mr Bitty turned Psycho Kitty

Both bird and bat are prey for this cat
His Tummy so fat; full of mice and rat
In house and flat, he’s an impish brat
He’s a one pus-frat, doesn’t need no pat

There’s an insidious growl when he’s on the prowl
As his hungry eyes scowl at the raven and owl
With breath so foul reeking of fish and fowl
If vocals would allow, at the full moon he’d howl

In the heart of the city in a dirt box so gritty
Sits our vicious pretty with no charity or pity
Singing: "Do Wa Diddy", getting to the nitty-gritty
Sweet Mr Bitty turned Psycho Kitty

An A to Z story

ZANY BARBECUE
By
Leslie Blackwell
(An A-Z Short Story)

Another barbecue
Copious drinking, eating.
Flatulent Grandfather hollering in Japanese.
Kinfolk laughing.
More neighbours, obnoxious plebes; quaffing rum, staggering, talking, urinating
"Vodka, whiskey, xtra Yams!
ZANY!
-Ends Here-

Poem One

I could not think of anything interesting to say so I thought I might just add a couple of poems to this blog

Ode to Peanut Butter
I like peanut butter
Eating peanut-butter,
Yummy peanut-butter
Mmmmmm peanut butter!

Some say that I’m a "nutter",
Sitting in the gutter,
Eating peanut-butter,
Nutter Peanut-butter
Mmmmmm peanut butter!

I see them close the shutter
When they see me in the gutter
With my bread and peanut butter
Eating peanut-butter,
Gutter Peanut-butter,
Mmmmmm peanut butter!

Oft times I hear them mutter
So awkwardly they stutter
About the man inside the gutter
Eating crunchy peanut butter,
Eating peanut-butter,
Mutter-Stutter Peanut-butter
Mmmmmm peanut butter!

My heart goes flitter-flutter
As I spread it with a putter
Not a single word I utter
Then I think about Calcutta
Eating peanut-butter,
Calcutta peanut-butter
Mmmmmm peanut butter!

Check out this for size!
You may well think its lies?
"But when you search the skies
You’ll find no Peanut-Butterflies"
Eating peanut-butter,
Yummy peanut-butter
Mmmmmm peanut butter!
(Ends)

sick kitty

We have a sick cat that does not look as if it will ever get better, but maybe it will prove me wrong. It has started eating again which is a good sign I guess. I will up date you about its progress. I am sure you are concerned.

back after absence.

Hi
On the off chance you happened across this blog and was wondering if it was going to ever get off the ground well the good news is that I have decided to have another go at trying to keep bloggin on a regular basis.

I thought I would kick off the blog with an account of a recent tramping trip I did in Kaitoke (Wellington)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dobsons-Tauherekikau Trip Report
-SUNDAY 2nd July, 2006-

Our party of nine, comprising of seven TTC members and two non- members left Wellington Railway Station at 9am and made our way to Kaitoke. There had been reports of vehicles being interfered with in the car park at the end of Merchant Road so we parked at Kiwi Ranch Youth Camp instead.
We geared up and started on our way just before 10am, crossing a small bridge then climbing a number of steps and eventually intercepting the Puffer Track, which we followed until we reached the Alpha Hut turn-off.
Planning a clockwise Dobsons Loop tramp we headed up the Merchant Track and stopped briefly at Brown’s track, alongside a trio of botanists who had also stopped for a cuppa. Suitably regenerated we continued climbing upwards. The track became boggy in parts and led into areas of dense bush.
Time past and after rising and descending and rising once more we finally arrived at Dobsons Shelter just before 12pm. Here we had a late morning tea and helped celebrate Bob Cyffer’s birthday with slices a fruitcake.
We made a decision to take the Merchant Stream track instead of descending the Puffer. This was going to add about 20 minutes to the tramp but it seemed a safer and less slippery alternative than risking a steep descent on such a slippery track.
Unfortunately about five minutes along the track, Marris fell and cut his right shin. The wound was quite deep and left him unable to walk. After tending to his injury we aided him to a burnt spur, while Lindsay cell phoned for assistance. We placed packs behind for him to rest his back against, then made a footstool from tree derbies to keep his leg elevated.
The Westpac Helicopter arrived about forty minutes later and though the burnt spur was spacious it was not suitable for landing so a paramedic abseiled to the ground. Marris’s pack was lifted first after which a harness was placed around him and he was airlifted with the paramedic and taken to Wellington Hospital where he received five stitches.
It was nearing 2pm by now and we still had a long way to go. Even if we had opted for the original Puffer descent it seemed doubtful we would make it back before dark so we decided to return the way we had come. Misfortune struck again, another member of our party, Christine, fell on her outstretched hand causing what is known as a Colles Fracture. A temporary sling was made for her from a scarf.
John, Lindsay and I went back to Kiwi Ranch while the others accompanied Christine to the Merchant Road top car park where John picked them up and took them back to the Ranch. We paid a small fee for the privilege of parking our vehicles at the campgrounds then made our way back to Wellington and that brought an end to our Easy Medium day trip to Dobsons.
A compilation of photos taken of the airlift by Christine Leighs and Leslie Blackwell maybe viewed on the following webpage:

http://mynamelez.com/graphical/image_index.html

-ENDS HERE-

Hi welcome to my new blog. I started one last year but got a bit sick of doing it. Hopefully this one will turn out a bit better. Perhaps I should start by telling you a bit about me. I live in the wind swept city of Wellington; bottom of the North Island New Zealand and work for the local city council. My interests include chess, ten pin bowling, tramping (hiking) and creative writing.

I spend a lot of my time these days behind a laptop trying to create stories and at present I am working my way through a continuing story called "Plebian Sentiments" which features on my website www.geocities.com/mynamelez

Late last year and early this year I published some of my work on the writers forum of www.eastoftheweb.com/uncut It has sicne been disolved but the stories still remain on my website.

I also have another webpage on www.spoiedink.com you may wish to check out sometime.

Anyhow that's about all I can think of saying for now.

Blog you later.