So it's now October and New Plymouth is more and more familiar. We keep making adjustments to our place so we're getting more comfortable there. (Little things like Dustin using his carpentry skills to make the doors and cupboards close properly...)
I got a job on Friday. She called in the morning and I went in for an interview which was more of a "this is the job, please take it?" kind of meeting. They have a woman who was injured on the job and hasn't been able to return to full duties yet so they were really happy that I was just looking for something temporary. That way after a couple months she will be getting better and they won't have to employ someone who wants more work than they can offer. So far I've found them to be a great workplace and to be very supportive. I am working in a Retirement Village in a suburb up the highway called Bell Block. It maybe takes about 10 minutes to drive there, a bit more to come home since it's usually busier through town then. The job is part time so it's 4 shifts a week which is spread over a 14 day roster so I end up working every second weekend but hey work is work and then Dustin has some free time sans me. We are far from being tired of each other but considering that we'll be spending every waking minute together after we hit the road in December, it's good to have some of that free time now. Our social life still needs a kick whereas at home we both would spend time without the other with friends but that's not really happening here.
So I've worked two days at this point and work again on Saturday/Sunday. It's a busy day with lots to do but hopefully I'll get the hang of it. The job is kind of a kitchen/run-around position. I have to transport food and carts between the buildings and the main kitchen a few times a day but the bulk of my time is spend in the Hospital building. It's not a typical hospital but it houses the people who have the highest care needs. Most of them cannot walk on their own and many of them are unable to speak due to strokes or MS or other health issues. There are around 30-40 people living in that building and there's many others in the other rest home building and surrounding villas. What I do is arrange the morning snack, take it around to residents and then serve the lunch - and of course all of the cleaning/organizing details to do with any of that. So far it's been good but Saturday will be my first day on my own to start and then the trainer will come in part way through my shift. The big piece I will be learning is who all the residents are and what their likes/dislikes/allergies are. The woman training me knows them well so she knows how they take their tea/coffee, what cookies they like and all that. She also knows how to communicate with them if they aren't able to speak, which will take some time for me to learn. They each have their own mannerisms so it will be something to get familiar with what they mean. Luckily there's also a team of maybe 6 or so caregivers on the floor so I should generally be able to ask them if I need to.
Over the weekend Dustin worked on Saturday and I went out to more garage sales. We are nearly set to camp! We just need a stove/cooker and maybe a big tarp. Aside from that we should be able to cover the basics. We did some shopping around for fishing gear and I think Dustin has zeroed in on the rod he's going to get. You don't need a licence to fish in the ocean here! We can just head down to the breakwater at the port and apparently should be able to catch fish there. But there's heaps of fishing spots around of course and I found a guide at the library so maybe we'll be eating more fresh fish soon! You do need a licence for the lakes and I think the rivers - but you're allowed to fish the estuaries without one or something. I think it's about $144 for the year for a licence so we'll probably just stick to the sea! That's ok, I'm not a big trout fan and that's one of the major fish in the lakes here. We just have to figure out exactly where you can fish at a rivermouth without a licence. Last weekend we headed over to the Waiwhakaiho River where there's a lovely park and the city's coastal walkway ends up there. It was absolutely gorgeous in that area so I'm sure we'll head back for a longer walk - hopefully with a picnic!
We also decided to get our surfing last weekend as well. So after Dustin was off work Saturday, we went down the the surf shop to borrow a demo board from the shaper. We went down to Oakura and paddled out together and kept our hair dry even. Then the set came in. And I freaked out. Not a good idea. It was a small swell for this area and it had been dropping for a while so it was maybe only a few feet high? I don't know, all I know is that I couldn't see anything past it and I couldn't touch the bottom and I decided I wanted to go in - immediately. Unfortunately if I tried to just paddle in I would have been rocked around by the waves crashing over me so I had to wait out the set and dive under the waves. Dustin was patient with me and kept telling me what to do so it was ok. But even when the set passed and we paddled in a bit, I still didn't want to get off the board even though I could touch the bottom by then. Dustin has reminded me of all of the "funny" things I said and he gets a big kick out of it. But, as he said, at least I saved us about $1000 since this means we probably won't buy a second board now. haha. I'll be happy enough to do as I have done and just play in the wash with Dustin's board. Maybe I'll get keen again and paddle out somewhere that's a bit gentler. Of course I had to explain all of this to the shaper when I returned the board and he asked how it went...
Dustin went out on Tuesday night and had a really good ride! We've had lots of sunshine this week too so it's been lovely. A little chilly still but today I was able to just wear a hoody out and not be too cold. Gotta remember our sunscreen though - even this early in spring the UV index is high.
In this beautiful weather I walked down to the beach the other day to read. I found a little nook among the rocks that line the bottom of the cliff and the tide was way out. I have read a couple great books lately. I just finished "Love is a Mixtape" by Rob Sheffield. He told the story of him and his late wife's relationship using mix tapes that were the soundtrack for certain times and places. I really enjoyed it even though it was sad! I really recommend it for any music lover because it's interesting to read about the mixes. Then a couple weeks ago I finished "Adventures in Caravanastan" by Greg Bearup which was about him and his wife taking a year to travel around Australia with their year old son. It was neat because we went to a few of the places they stopped as well and since they are both journalists, they met all sorts of interesting people to interview along the way.
For my job I have to drive a little Suzuki van around the property and it's a manual transmission. I have had a couple flings with driving standard but neither of them have worked out well in the past. The last time I tried was probably our little rental car in Tasmania but Tuesday morning first thing I had to get in and go. I managed alright and I had warned the trainer that I wasn't all that experienced with manuals. She got a few laughs out of it but was very supportive anyways. Then on Wednesday I was on my own for the pick-ups/drop-offs and didn't do too bad. I will get better at it and I'm sure by the time we leave I'll be confident enough to actually drive a manual! Hopefully! In the complex though there's not much traffic of course and I can take my time to think about what to do next but in traffic might be a little too much pressure.
It's funny, Dustin was running red lights like crazy when we first got here. You know how at home you can turn right on a red light if all is clear? Well, he figured that turning left on a red was similar here. I can't remember if we had learned last time about that or not but I started watching other people and it seemed like nobody turned left on reds. So I think he brought it up at work and found out that red means stop. So he is now a law abiding driver, waiting it out with the rest of 'em. Then the law that we thought they had here doesn't seem to apply anymore. Before we got some road rage directed at us for not stopping when someone from the oncoming lane wanted to turn across our lane. That was the rule, you let the car turn across and then continue along. I've heard chatter about the law being changed but supposedly it still applies though it's very hit and miss. I kind of prefer it though. I will have to look up if it still is in effect.
The last home rugby game of the season is this Saturday but I'm not sure if we'll go because kick off is 2:30pm and I am off work at 2:15pm up in Bell Block. And because my uniform is so attractive, I would have to change before we went so I think we might just decide that day and end up missing the first ten minutes or so. Maybe we'll go watch at a pub instead. Taranaki has been doing well and we watched them (from home on TV) beat an undefeated team last weekend! So maybe there will be some playoff games we can go to.
Well I am going to find a nice beach to sit at and read so I should head home from the library and enjoy the rest of my day off! I also have some boysenberry scones to bake. I have been wanting to go out to a few public orchards they have in the city so maybe tomorrow. You can just go and pick whatever you want and all they ask is that you're reasonable in what you take and that it's just for your family's needs. I am not sure which trees are fruiting now but I have seen lots of different citrus trees full of fruit around the city. I certainly love the feel of a farming influence in life here. At work we put all of the food scraps in a bucket so that the owner's son can feed it to his pigs. They love the gravies from lunches!
I got a job on Friday. She called in the morning and I went in for an interview which was more of a "this is the job, please take it?" kind of meeting. They have a woman who was injured on the job and hasn't been able to return to full duties yet so they were really happy that I was just looking for something temporary. That way after a couple months she will be getting better and they won't have to employ someone who wants more work than they can offer. So far I've found them to be a great workplace and to be very supportive. I am working in a Retirement Village in a suburb up the highway called Bell Block. It maybe takes about 10 minutes to drive there, a bit more to come home since it's usually busier through town then. The job is part time so it's 4 shifts a week which is spread over a 14 day roster so I end up working every second weekend but hey work is work and then Dustin has some free time sans me. We are far from being tired of each other but considering that we'll be spending every waking minute together after we hit the road in December, it's good to have some of that free time now. Our social life still needs a kick whereas at home we both would spend time without the other with friends but that's not really happening here.
So I've worked two days at this point and work again on Saturday/Sunday. It's a busy day with lots to do but hopefully I'll get the hang of it. The job is kind of a kitchen/run-around position. I have to transport food and carts between the buildings and the main kitchen a few times a day but the bulk of my time is spend in the Hospital building. It's not a typical hospital but it houses the people who have the highest care needs. Most of them cannot walk on their own and many of them are unable to speak due to strokes or MS or other health issues. There are around 30-40 people living in that building and there's many others in the other rest home building and surrounding villas. What I do is arrange the morning snack, take it around to residents and then serve the lunch - and of course all of the cleaning/organizing details to do with any of that. So far it's been good but Saturday will be my first day on my own to start and then the trainer will come in part way through my shift. The big piece I will be learning is who all the residents are and what their likes/dislikes/allergies are. The woman training me knows them well so she knows how they take their tea/coffee, what cookies they like and all that. She also knows how to communicate with them if they aren't able to speak, which will take some time for me to learn. They each have their own mannerisms so it will be something to get familiar with what they mean. Luckily there's also a team of maybe 6 or so caregivers on the floor so I should generally be able to ask them if I need to.
Over the weekend Dustin worked on Saturday and I went out to more garage sales. We are nearly set to camp! We just need a stove/cooker and maybe a big tarp. Aside from that we should be able to cover the basics. We did some shopping around for fishing gear and I think Dustin has zeroed in on the rod he's going to get. You don't need a licence to fish in the ocean here! We can just head down to the breakwater at the port and apparently should be able to catch fish there. But there's heaps of fishing spots around of course and I found a guide at the library so maybe we'll be eating more fresh fish soon! You do need a licence for the lakes and I think the rivers - but you're allowed to fish the estuaries without one or something. I think it's about $144 for the year for a licence so we'll probably just stick to the sea! That's ok, I'm not a big trout fan and that's one of the major fish in the lakes here. We just have to figure out exactly where you can fish at a rivermouth without a licence. Last weekend we headed over to the Waiwhakaiho River where there's a lovely park and the city's coastal walkway ends up there. It was absolutely gorgeous in that area so I'm sure we'll head back for a longer walk - hopefully with a picnic!
We also decided to get our surfing last weekend as well. So after Dustin was off work Saturday, we went down the the surf shop to borrow a demo board from the shaper. We went down to Oakura and paddled out together and kept our hair dry even. Then the set came in. And I freaked out. Not a good idea. It was a small swell for this area and it had been dropping for a while so it was maybe only a few feet high? I don't know, all I know is that I couldn't see anything past it and I couldn't touch the bottom and I decided I wanted to go in - immediately. Unfortunately if I tried to just paddle in I would have been rocked around by the waves crashing over me so I had to wait out the set and dive under the waves. Dustin was patient with me and kept telling me what to do so it was ok. But even when the set passed and we paddled in a bit, I still didn't want to get off the board even though I could touch the bottom by then. Dustin has reminded me of all of the "funny" things I said and he gets a big kick out of it. But, as he said, at least I saved us about $1000 since this means we probably won't buy a second board now. haha. I'll be happy enough to do as I have done and just play in the wash with Dustin's board. Maybe I'll get keen again and paddle out somewhere that's a bit gentler. Of course I had to explain all of this to the shaper when I returned the board and he asked how it went...
Dustin went out on Tuesday night and had a really good ride! We've had lots of sunshine this week too so it's been lovely. A little chilly still but today I was able to just wear a hoody out and not be too cold. Gotta remember our sunscreen though - even this early in spring the UV index is high.
In this beautiful weather I walked down to the beach the other day to read. I found a little nook among the rocks that line the bottom of the cliff and the tide was way out. I have read a couple great books lately. I just finished "Love is a Mixtape" by Rob Sheffield. He told the story of him and his late wife's relationship using mix tapes that were the soundtrack for certain times and places. I really enjoyed it even though it was sad! I really recommend it for any music lover because it's interesting to read about the mixes. Then a couple weeks ago I finished "Adventures in Caravanastan" by Greg Bearup which was about him and his wife taking a year to travel around Australia with their year old son. It was neat because we went to a few of the places they stopped as well and since they are both journalists, they met all sorts of interesting people to interview along the way.
For my job I have to drive a little Suzuki van around the property and it's a manual transmission. I have had a couple flings with driving standard but neither of them have worked out well in the past. The last time I tried was probably our little rental car in Tasmania but Tuesday morning first thing I had to get in and go. I managed alright and I had warned the trainer that I wasn't all that experienced with manuals. She got a few laughs out of it but was very supportive anyways. Then on Wednesday I was on my own for the pick-ups/drop-offs and didn't do too bad. I will get better at it and I'm sure by the time we leave I'll be confident enough to actually drive a manual! Hopefully! In the complex though there's not much traffic of course and I can take my time to think about what to do next but in traffic might be a little too much pressure.
It's funny, Dustin was running red lights like crazy when we first got here. You know how at home you can turn right on a red light if all is clear? Well, he figured that turning left on a red was similar here. I can't remember if we had learned last time about that or not but I started watching other people and it seemed like nobody turned left on reds. So I think he brought it up at work and found out that red means stop. So he is now a law abiding driver, waiting it out with the rest of 'em. Then the law that we thought they had here doesn't seem to apply anymore. Before we got some road rage directed at us for not stopping when someone from the oncoming lane wanted to turn across our lane. That was the rule, you let the car turn across and then continue along. I've heard chatter about the law being changed but supposedly it still applies though it's very hit and miss. I kind of prefer it though. I will have to look up if it still is in effect.
The last home rugby game of the season is this Saturday but I'm not sure if we'll go because kick off is 2:30pm and I am off work at 2:15pm up in Bell Block. And because my uniform is so attractive, I would have to change before we went so I think we might just decide that day and end up missing the first ten minutes or so. Maybe we'll go watch at a pub instead. Taranaki has been doing well and we watched them (from home on TV) beat an undefeated team last weekend! So maybe there will be some playoff games we can go to.
Well I am going to find a nice beach to sit at and read so I should head home from the library and enjoy the rest of my day off! I also have some boysenberry scones to bake. I have been wanting to go out to a few public orchards they have in the city so maybe tomorrow. You can just go and pick whatever you want and all they ask is that you're reasonable in what you take and that it's just for your family's needs. I am not sure which trees are fruiting now but I have seen lots of different citrus trees full of fruit around the city. I certainly love the feel of a farming influence in life here. At work we put all of the food scraps in a bucket so that the owner's son can feed it to his pigs. They love the gravies from lunches!
YAY! I'm so happy that you were able to find a job :-) Congrats!
ReplyDeleteSo great that you have found a job and now we will be able to swap old folks stories.Also good job with the driving but don't get too good or you may end up with another manual here when you get back.N&F Mom
ReplyDelete