Blog Excuses – Domestic Executive

In the land of Geeks

Domestic Executive — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 07:51:00 +0000

It seems that I have reached the point in my blogging life where Iâ€™d like my blog to look better, have more features and go faster. The common wisdom on these matters is that you need to go it alone and build your own.

As if I havenâ€™t had enough of building things I’ve taken the plunge and got myself a new virtual Domestic Executive HQ. Let’s just say it’s going to take time and given I’m in Geek territory and it’s all news to me I’m sure there’ll be lots of experimentation before I get it right.

I’ll tell you where to find me in at my new web-place when I’m not going to embarress myself!

Normal blogging resumes tomorrow.

Domestic Executive tensions

Domestic Executive — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:16:00 +0000

Being a Domestic Executive is not always as simple as people might think. The dream was an idyllic lifestyle pottering around at home, doing a few chores and fitting in a spot of paid work occasionally.

Seems that the pressures to complete both Domestic and the Executive are not that dissimilar from how it’s been in my past employed life. There is always more to do than there is time to do it.

Having struggled a bit in the last three weeks to get on top of my massive to do list I’ve decided I need a new way of tackling things. As you might expect from a list obesssive the key thing is to find a new way of organising the list to make it seem more achievable and enable you to tick more things off.

Has it worked? Partly. I’ve actually got through more of the list this week so it feels like more progress but it doesn’t get away from the fact that the days still pass in a flash and the list gets added to each night making the list the same length as the day before.

So the plan from now is to actually get the chores done as early in the day before I sit down to work through the office work. If I don’t it can be lunch time and the day is running out.

I’m also trying out a new routine for catering. Taking a leaf from Nigella’s express cooking techniques I’m trying to get ahead of the arrangements so that it doesn’t seem like such a rush in the evenings to feed and walk dogs, do commuter run and get a fantastic supper on the table that would be worthy of a TV series.

So bloggers it’s a poor excuse for getting behind with my blog posts this week but blogging comes after washing, cleaning, office work but before ironing!

PS – I start the new blogging routine next week!

Easter break

Domestic Executive — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:59:00 +0000

Ophs, sorry bloggers, forgot to tell you I was taking a break. You guessed it, to Hawkes Bay. We returned to Cape South where we’ve been going every Easter since we came to NZ to live. Once again it didn’t disappoint.

We dined at Craggy Range Winery (reported as one of the world’s best dining spots), went to the cricket, watched the sea at Ocean Beach and generally chilled out in one of the most idyllic places you can find.

Lots to blog about so hold onto your hats!

Bloggers welcome

Domestic Executive — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:20:00 +0000

Just in case you’ve been visiting this week and found not much to read you should now be able to catch up with the domestic-executive musings as I’ve finally got the blog posts up to date. Sorry about the interuption in service, hopefully things will be better from today!

Photoblogging backlog

Domestic Executive — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 04:44:00 +0000

Well bloggers I’m afraid that my holiday photoblogging is going to be pretty restricted until Bob comes back from his South Island tour – he’s been the master photographer and I need to pinch some of his images to give you a real flavour of Golden Bay. In the meantime, here’s a taste of the marvellous views.

Abel Tasman from the Headland Walk

Golden Bay looking across the deer farm

Ligar Bay from the veranda where I spent a lot of time!

That’s when I wasn’t in classic sofa pose – yes had required inside for the sun which kept streaming in!

Out of â€œblogâ€ message

Domestic Executive — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:51:00 +0000

It’s time for this Domestic Executive to take a holiday â€“ yes a proper, get away from it all â€“ break away from home. We’re taking Fortnum and Mason back to their first home to live with another 7 basset hounds for the week whilst MT, I and parents head off to Golden Bay.

Golden Bay is in one of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand, top of the south island. For more see http://www.goldenbay.net.nz/en/guide.html We’re staying in the Villars of Legar Bay and you can check this out at http://www.villasofligarbay.co.nz/

There is no sky TV, no DVD so we’re packing the radio, petanque set and maybe a pack of cards. Not to mention the mountain of magazines and books I’ve been longing to read but never seem awake enough or have enough time to curl up and enjoy.

Whilst we are away the house is being invaded by builders again. They are going to remedy the broken under tile heating, dodgy plastering and wallpapering and hopefully completing the painting outside and in. I imagine that it will take a couple of days to take the dust away from the rest of the house when we’re back. Fingers crossed that they manage to complete everything without any major hitches.

Since my last blog it’s been the usual domestic executive business. I’ve got back into coaching with my two private clients and spent a day with Catapult colleagues, firstly, listening to Australia’s youngest person to climb Mount Everest and then an afternoon bonding as a team. It was so tiring to engage the brain in ways that I haven’t done for a while. It was fun too but I think it was my in-laws who had the most fun back at base puppy sitting with Fortnum and Mason. By all accounts they were terribly well behaved (the puppies that is) and a good time was had by all.

Brace yourself for when I return and there will be a mountain load of photo blogging from Golden Bay and tales of Fortnum and Mason’s return to their roots.

Festive Domesticity

Domestic Executive — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:49:00 +0000

I know that this sounds like a cheap excuse for not blogging but it really has been full on. Festive domesticity is always a challenge but for this domestic executive in this year it’s been more challenging than most.

Fortunatly my just in time methodology served me well and we didn’t miss out on any of the essential festive treats. We had presents to unwrap, food to scoff and plenty to drink. Also, we found the fancy china from our secret storage place and dusted off the Christmas decorations to put a bit of festive cheer.

Now I am ready to relax. To live for the moment and not the ones coming up. I am officially on domestic executive leave and looking forward to enjoying some sights and r&r to recharge the batteries.

With this new found time I might actually find some time to do some blogging more regularly, now that would be a novelty eh!

Spring cold

Domestic Executive — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:01:00 +0000

It’s an official excuse for not blogging for a few days – I’ve been struck down with a lurgy. I think it’s just a bad cold but as you get older you get less resilient to even the common cold. Having been as grumpy as a girl can be I became officially ill on Monday and have been off work ever since.

Weekend was productive, if not that much fun.

We went furniture shopping to Masterton (on other side of hill about 1.5 hours drive) and found exactly what we wanted without much fuss. Beats trogging up and down Thorndon Quay, the lifestyle quarter of Wellington. Looks like we can afford two set of sofas for the price of one we looked at in Wellington. The best thing is that they do curtains and stuff too so we’re getting a price for them to get them made up and fitted too. Since we don’t have close neighbours these are less of a priority but nevertheless I am sure that even the sheep want some privacy from us parading around the bathroom!

Sunday was birthday treat for Naomi. We’re so over buying useless presents for each other I treated us both to seeing the NZ ballet instead. It was a smashing performance of Cinderella – a real crowd pleaser! I was finding it hard to breathe by this point and even turned down ice cream in the interval (that’s how rotten I felt). The last time I saw ballet it was Â£5 tickets during Paul Hamlyn Week at the Royal Opera House – Giselle I think. We had stall tickets about 4 rows back so it was real close up. At the St James Theatre New Zealand we were up in the god seats that gave you vertigo to look down (or maybe that was the cold kicking in). Still, good night was had by all.

Am sure I’ll be back on the mend and may break myself gently tomorrow by working from home. Let’s see if I can improve blogging performance again!

Yup, still here

Domestic Executive — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:10:00 +0000

I know it’s been a while. I’ve been crook. Flu don’t you know. So bad I had to stay off work.

But I’m back and entering that manic phase a couple of days before a holiday trying to get everything done in time and kidding myself in the process that I really will get it all done. Yes, we’re off to a warmer place for a week.

This domestic executive hasn’t been loitering though. I’m full steam ahead with my countdown to life post 26 September. I know people didn’t believe I would but I’ve decided to cut lose of the clutches of full time employment and fly solo as planned. I am going to put together a proposal for my new boss on some project work I can continue with on a part time flexible basis but otherwise I’m handing the reins to someone else on for the day to day management of the Communications Office.

It’s all rather exciting really as I’ve managed to hook up with a couple of branding boys who do fantastic work and they’ve asked me to join their team. I’ll still work self employed and build my personal brand but otherwise leave the empire building to them. After all, I’ve got visitors to think about!

With flu, major presentations at work and thinking about the future it has been a hectic time. Another poor excuse for not blogging but really, it’s been very dull. I’m still hunting paint colours, carpets and wallpaper but that is almost done too!

The house is still there and progress being made. The painter rang to check outside paint colours so I know there are still people working up there. We’ve not been up recently because the weather has just simply been awful and because we can’t get inside the thought of peering through windows isn’t my idea of fun. I’m working on the principle that seeing progress next time we’ll get a real sense of things moving on. I do know that the wall linings with Gib Board (plasterboard) has started and this was a worry because it’s been so we we weren’t sure if the council would give sign off. But, the lovely Upper Hutt Council building inspectors did!

Talking about Council’s we’ve just put in for planning permission to build our barn/garage. It’s going to be a red heritage barn. OK its not quite the boutique accommodation I was planning but we need something to garage the car and keep all Martin’s new outdoor boys toys safe and sound in. There is plenty of room to expand the accommodation on site but for the moment we’re going to stick to putting up the barn. Hopefully we’ll get the go ahead pretty quickly and work can start on site.

In the wider kiwi world not much happening apart from wintery weather. Oh yes and public scandal where political advisors intervened on the appointment of a Communications Manager in the Ministry of Environment. The kiwi $ is sailing higher and higher which is good for me but hopefully by the time visitors start arriving someone will have got a grip on the economy. Winter sales are on in the shops and people at work are taking very long holidays for trips to the northern hemisphere. Pity its been raining in the UK too!

Anyway, won’t ramble any more but thought it was time to show a presence. Will see if we can improve the photoblogging with reports from the Great Barrier Reef, Tropical Rainforest and well just the beach! Palm Cove here I come!

Not gone walkabout

Domestic Executive — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:42:00 +0000

No I’m not gone Australian and gone walkabout. It’s been a difficult last week or so with bitterly cold weather, gadding about to Christchurch, rubbish time at work and a busy weekend at the Theatre and choosing stuff for house.

Excuses, excuses I hear you cry. No, just reasons.

No houseblogging this week either. The short story to that is that they have now locked down the house and we’re unable to access it until we’ve agreed terms with the builder about when we can do this. We’re suposed to be accompanied on all our visits which is quite challenging given that we can’t get up there during the week.

Good news is that we’ve concluded most of the decisions on the house. Just need to choose paint colours and kitchen tiles and that will be it for the immediacy. Can’t face the paint colours yet that requires a level of stamina that I just don’t have at the moment!

I need a few days to clear the space in my head and hopefully I can get back into more regular blogging with news and views about kiwi land. For the moment, you’ll just have to accept my apologies and look forward to my reports of going to Hamilton on Thursday, a new adventure to look forward to.

Only hope the tornados and torrential rain have gone by then.