that was Friday!

Well, another Friday bites the dust....I took the Twins to Playcentre this morning; where we had a grandparents' morning.....I'd forgotten all about it...but then, the kids' grandparents live over a 160km away, in both directions (north & south, that is)....

...picked up Jamie after school, & the kids all behaved themselves really well, for a change; while I made the Tea - Chicken Korma, with Poppadums...& sour cream in the Korma sauce - yum! Oh, & later on...after we all went to the Supermarket...I drew a picture for Ally. Hope you liked it, Ally!

Thursday.....

Well, today's highlight was going to School!....to see my oldest perform on the stage, that is! :) The play was entitled, "How the Kiwi Lost its Wings," and was performed by aprox. 166 five and six year olds. There were kids playing the parts of Birds, Frogs, Dancing Rain, Bugs, Trees, and principal characters...ie, the Pukeko, the Tui, and.....the KIWI! ;) Jamie played a Bug, and did it very well. His friend, Caleb, was a Bird.....with a very wiggly tush.... ::)...& his friend Isaac was a Frog. The six-year-olds got to play the principal parts - and chorus parts, with actions (ie, Bugs, Frogs, Birds etc) - while the 5-year-olds just sang en masse. They practiced for this event for several months, & did very well.

"Red Letter" Day

Got something rather interesting in today's mail...a First Day Cover, from the 2nd Series of the new Doctor Who! Featuring David Tennant, Billie Piper & characters from the episode, New Earth, it makes a handsome addition to my collection. I've framed it; it's the 10th first day cover I've got so far.

I also picked up some photos...I got some printed off the 'net by a digital service; they included Caroline John, and Bonnie Langford. I've had them enlarged, by a copying place...but I wasn't impressed. My favourite old copier, Murray, was an excellent bloke - he could enlarge anything to any size - within reason. This one I went to today, could only make them too big, or too small! ::) Oh, well...

More importantly, (yes, dear readers...there are more important things than Dr.Who!), our new Kitchen arrived this afternoon! My wife was very pleased...I'll be well pleased, too, when it's installed...in the meantime, it looks very nice.

Tuesday

Today, I took my Twins to Playgroup; Zoe is getting better at handling temporary absences - as in, ten mins out of the room, to help with the dishes - she said as I left the room, "Bye-bye, Daddy!" :) I was soon back & took them home...this afternoon, Jamie had a friend home for Tea; this meant the Twins were even more hyped up than usual...! Just about lost my sanity...I went out to a Craft Evening; where I painted tiny little 1" figures of, yes, you guessed it...Dr.Who characters! Mixed some red-brown with one drop of pure red, to make Ginger for one of the Who Girl's hair. Overall, an exhausting day...but I have my more relaxing day tomorrow!

The Fourth Mouse...!

Margaret & Jamie captured the fourth...and, let's hope final, Mouse! - last night! It's currently in a plastic jar...we'll release it into the Wild, probably later on today.

In the meantime, on my TV, I've devoured series 7, 8 & 9 of A Touch of Frost.....can't afford to buy series 10 at the mo, so I'll just have to return to watching my complete collection of Inspector Morse! :)

Sunday Night

Haven't blogged 4 several days...Friday was a long day, with looking after my kids, making Tea (another tasty curry!), and the Show...then Saturday was interesting; in the morning, we visited some folks who might become new friends...he's a Kiwi; she's Japanese & they have 2 kids, one's about the Twins' age...nice to meet them! Then, coming home, we stopped & bought 18 handles for our new Kitchen; plus a sink, & tap combo.

Last night was the last performance of Opportunity Knocks; I'm already missing it...it was SUCH fun! Afterwards, we had the wrap-party; food, drink (though I didn't), speeches, & everyone got pressies. Had too many Won-Tons to eat....never mind; they ARE yummy! :)
...I hope to be in another show at The Mill Theatre in the near future; maybe this year, maybe next. The director took more photos on my camera; I'll get 'em developed, and choose the best ones to get posted on here :D)

Three Dead Mice!

I should've mentiuoned this a while back; I think I was too embarrassed...we had several Mischievous Mice raiding our cupboards & drawers, these past few weeks...finally managed to convince Jamie that the Mice must DIE....after they'd chewed through our emergency supplies, into a coupla blocks o' Chocolate, & thru both ends of a large bag of Chips (I think that was the last straw for Jamie!). Margaret stood on one of the Mice (SPLAT!), & the other 2 fell victim to regular household traps :)

Another Good Day.....To Be...

...A Fan!!! The new Doctor Who Magazine arrived, featuring David Tennant & Billie Piper on the cover in Fifties garb; and - the very latest DVD - INFERNO! It includes an interview from classic-Who Stuntman, Derek Ware; Derek's a real character! :)

Just Thought I'd Mention...

Recently, I asked my oldest child to draw a picture for the BBC, of the TARDIS, Dr.Who & Rose; his "bribe" was a Matchbox car :) He drew it very well.....I scanned it, & e-mailed it to the Official BBC Doctor Who website! :D)

Monday

Briefly about Sunday....our one & only Matinee show went pretty well, though I was a bit nervous, as I knew two elderly couples in the audience! I'm glad of four nights off, before the next performance on Thurday.....

TODAY began well, with Mainly Music for the Twins - which is why I had to break off sending messages to a far-away friend! At M.M., I met a guy who might become a new friend...he has kids my Twins can play with, and it's good to meet another Househusband! The kids behaved well this afternoon, and I made Enchiladas for Tea.

Tonight

Tonight, my mother, my wife, & my wife's parents were in the audience; my mum had driven 200km north today to see the show (not bad for a lady who was born just a few years after WWI), & my in-laws hd come 156km south...so I feel honoured! They all enjoyed the performance; & after, I showed them around backstage. The show went very well tonight; I changed my glasses to play the Dectective Inspector (took the lenses out of my old specs), and made him sound older, too! :D)

Last Night......

On Friday night, the Show went pretty well.....I finally managed to put the fake mo on, in a way that was perfect...& it got a laugh! I was pleased! The only mistake I made, was a big one....I forgot to go on stage in Walking Back To Happiness, as a backing-vocals singer! CLANG! Apart from that, it was all good.....the crowd was a full house, & were appreciative.

About Thursday....!

Yesterday, I had a rubbish morning, feeling all alone in the world...and then to top it off, my favourite Massage Therapist sent me a txt, to say she couldn't come to The Show...as she's snowed in! :( ...After Mrs.Nev came home for lunch...she lifted me up...in the afternoon, I made a couple o' calls; went out & got new tickets for my Massage Therapist so she can see the Show next Thursday (YAY!!!), and saw some friends we haven't seen for ages, at Chipmunks (an indoor adventure playground). Came home, had Tea....

....went out and took part in the opening night for Opportunity Knocks......it went really well! I only forgot one word! I'll remember it tonight!!! After the Show, a lot of us had a meal together, with some of the food left from the buffet. It was GRRRREAT! :D)

Wednesday Report

Today was another Oddball Day; it began with pushing my wife's car onto the road through the snow, with the help of two neighbours, from opposite sides of the street...then I got the fire going, and set about entertaining the kids. I managed to find a Thunderbirds story the kids hasn't seen for ages (featuring a robotic Mouse), so that made the morning go a lot smoother... also, we popped next door to visit our neighbours (the new ones behind us), and that was nice - they have kids like ours, in a way....a boy that's 7 years old, and 4 year old Twins (!). It was lovely to see our lot & theirs playing so nicely!

Did a little Shopping this afternoon; and then tonoght, we had The Dress Rehearsal....didn't go too bad; it'll be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow night.....I got my friend Paula's husband to take some snaps; he's a good bloke, is Rob. :)

An ODD Tuesday.....

Well, the Snow is still here. Its beginning to be a bit of a Pain! Mrs.Nev managed to find the Paper...white on white, it didn't exactly stand out in the Snow! There are at least 9 pages of photographs from around the region: Roofs that have collapsed(this includes some rather large buildings); folk snowboarding behind cars; trees snapped off (can relate to that!); people skiing to work; shovelling driveways - did that myself today...for the very first time! Hope to finish it tomorrow...

The headline in the paper screamed, "Heaviest Timaru Snowfall in 60 Years." And there are still people without Power...my friend Brad (my youngest regular amigo), rang to say that he's been snowed-in without electrickery ( ;) ), and he & his housemates have been surviving by using the gas barbecue! For my overseas readers...I'll just elucidate my point: here in NZ, people in the major towns & cities usually have ONE day of snow a year...and sometimes not even that! And then, the snow is usually gone by the afternoon! ::)

Snow Report Part 3

Well, the snow's still here; but not for much longer, as the sun's out now...everything is still closed, including many shops & doctor's surgeries....but it looks like I'll be able to go to the dress rehearsal tonight, which is good :)

Snow Report part 2

Went over to the neighbours' place tonight; we had a yarn, & discussed how we'll clear my driveway tomorrow...Lindsay has some ideas for clearing fallen trees away; he's a bit more practical than I! He went into town in his car this arvo; reckoned quite a few young lads were being picked up by the police for dangerous driving on the snowy roads..........the snow @ our house reached a depth of 175mm (7 inches)....we'll see if it's still there tomorrow!

Snow Report...

Well, we all went out in the snow this morning...for the Twins, it was the first time they'd ever seen any up close! For proper protection from the wet & cold, I donned a one-piece motorcycle suit, gloves, and helmet! We built a little snowman, and enjoyed the novelty. :D)

We also pondered what to do, about this troublesome Snowfall.....yes, it does have irritating side! Our driveway is blocked by one of trees that fell under the weight of the white stuff; and the wooden post that held up one end of the clothesline has snapped off! The Schools are all closed tomorrow, too......I've taken some photos - I'm sure you'l be amused by the sight of what I wear to play in the Snow :)

Winter Wonderland!

Got up to the Littlest Room, at 2:30am....wondered why it was so light out...up again at 7am (briefly), Mrs.Nev said, "Look outside..." Rather surprised to see 120 - 150mm of fluffy white SNOW.....everywhere! And it's STILL snowing......not going anywhere today; not none of us.... further reports later!

Mics, Make-up & Lippy....!

WOW! The Show is finally coming together....after TWELVE HOURS of rehearsals today, it's looking a LOT better! This afternoon, for the first time, I used a Head-Mic....taped onto my head, (and to the back of my neck), with a radio unit clipped onto the back of my clothing, I was FINALLY wearing a Head-Mic! (I've wanted to wear one for YEARS. Well, it seems like years...). I'm one of those unusual people....that finds their confidence INCREASE with a microphone! I suppose it helps, knowing what to say.....but I was so THRILLED to hear my character's voices over the speakers, sounding good! (NB: note, I said, my CHARACTERS voice!).

Also, it was the first time I'd worn theatre make-up in a local production, with lippy, too. Helps to cover up blemishes.... ;)

Tired now......I wonder why.......

Friday's Highlights....

Friday began with taking the Twins to Playcentre; there were some new people there, and a total of nine children, several more than usual. I gave Tania a smart little baby suit, for her tiny son, Jesse James; it was part of the bale of clothes that'll be used for rags in the Show.

At lunchtime, I showed the Twins The Idiot's Lantern, the latest episode of Dr.Who, sent over from our rellies in the UK. It was rather light-entertainment; the next two episodes will be very scary, getting back to what DW does best.

At teatime, I served up a delicious meal of Korma Chicken, with loads of Poppadums., on a pillow of boiled rice. We must change the brand of rice we use...this "budget" brand takes ages to cook....

After tea, we all drove into town, to find me a Dodgy Geezer (burglar) costume; I also picked up a pair of black track pants with zips, for my cellphone. We also got Jamie a top for his "How the Kiwi Lost its Wings" school play. When we got home, I went out to visit Rob & Paula and their son, Alex; I brought them some Poppadums & home-brewed Ginger Beer, and we enjoyed watching a two-part Dr.Who story, from last year's series.

A Great Day to be a Fan!

This morning, not one, but TWO new episodes from the new series of Dr.Who arrived in the mail, fresh off our rellies' TV screen....what a feast! And no screaming kids to spoil my viewing pleasure...! HUP, HUP, HUZZAH!

More on Last Night....!

Last night, we had another of those "dance-in-front-of-the-mirror" rehearsals; at the Playhouse, as opposed to The Mill...at one point, I said to our Choreographer, "I'm just going off with Michelle to the Wardobe..!" Michelle & I went next door (across the fence) to the Wardrobe building, and began the search for a pair of Black trou to go with me black skivvy & black boots & black balaclava; for my "Crim" character...and do you think we could find one?!? Nope! Tried on 3 pairs of trews, one got the comment from Michelle "Oh...I think they're womens!" DEFINITELY too tight.....she even got me to try on a satin jumpsuit..... "Suit you, sir! Suit you!"
...not in a MILLION years!! "We'll just have to buy you a pair," Michelle from Wardobe sighed....not easy to get clothes to fit Nev.... ::)

Wednesday

Today's highlight.... was taking tea with a little old lady, a stalwart of many years in the Drama League; lovely to see her! I'm off to bed now.....time to stack some Zeds.........more tomorrow...

Rubbish Day with Bright Ending!

WHAT a day...had a rotten night's sleep; then a miserable morning, with bad news.....had lunch with the Twins as Margaret had a meeting to go to, so she couldn't come home for lunch....I made Fajitas with mince for tea tonight; which was yummy foodage, if I do say so myself! ...another rehearsal tonight; I wasn't really into it, but I had a pray before doing my "Inspector Winterbottom" part on stage, and that seemed to help....someone told me I was very good tonight, in everything I did on stage, so that was VERY encouraging! :D) Nice way to end a not-so-nice day! ...actually, tea-time was very pleasant too; not always the case with three small children. When my oldest child said "What's for Tea Dad?" I said "Fajitas," & he replied, "YAY!" ...most pleasing!

P is for...PHEW!

Exhausted! This morning was pretty cruisy...watched Motor Racing from Winton (Australia), which i taped last night; the Ford Falcons came in 1 - 2, which is always nice...! Had a quick lunch, and got picked up by Paula for rehearsal...WHAT a long day; over 8 hours later and I'm home...the show is coming together, though it still needs some polishing...time for snooze...g'night, all........

Interesting Sunday...

Today, there several highlights; I took Jamie to church, and he was very well-behaved...afterwards, we visited our Russian friends in their new home...they were thrilled to receive our house-warming gift! They now have a house of their own, and although it's nothing flash, it's much better than the place they had. We'll miss them though, as they were the best neighbours we EVER had...sniff! Our kids will miss their kids; so we'll have to visit them often. Their baby is due next month; I pray the delivery will be a good one...

We had a young friend, Brad, come for lunch today; it's always good to see him...he's going to see Opportunity Knocks on the 22nd June, so I hope he & whoever he brings will enjoy it...

...tonight at church (the other one, St.Peter's) the Vicar there offered to help me with my singing, so I'm hoping that will assist me in future auditions...well, if you don't try you don't win! ;)

Would You Believe It?!

Something I should have mentioned yesterday, is...about the Home Theatre System, that I put in to get repaired: we bought it on the 31st may 2005....and it broke down on 31st May 2006!!! How strange is that? If it'd been one more day.....!

Tonight, my wonderful wife is painting more of my 1 Inch white metal Dr.Who figurines; I've got about 60 of them now, including all 3 of my childrens' namesakes.....

A Pleasant Thursday!

Well, this morning I couldn't see Tabitha, as she was called in to work @ short notice; so after dropping the Twins off at Daycare, I popped in to visit our Russian friends, in their new home. It was good to see Olena & Marsha; Sergei was sleeping after a long evening shift at the freezing works. I did some errands today, including buying tickets for My Fair Lady - my wife & I are both going, so that's cool - and I took the Home Theatre System in for repair. This afternoon, I watched a movie with my Twins, Ice Age, which Zoe loves! I cooked Fish 'n' Chips for tea. After tea I went to rehearsal, which was a happy one tonight; lots of fun. On the way home, I was stopped I breath-tested by a WPC...the police lights were blue & red, all over the road; I said to her, "I like your Christmas Tree!" She quipped, "Yeah, I can be the Angel on the top!!" :D)