Haircut

Tired of having to schlep His Highness across town to the groomer every few months, we decided to employ a little of that famed Kiwi DIY and have a go ourselves.

Earlier this week, the Animator bought a men's electric razor and, after a couple of practice runs, this morning we did the deed. Bristol was, as ever, a model client, sitting still while his overgrown locks were tidied up. He may even have have whispered a quiet thanks to us for saving him from a visit to the groomer which is, after the vet, possibly his least favourite place in the world.

Check him out - he's what I believe is known in the trade as 'a looker'.

Interior Magazine

My first ever piece in Interior Magazine, from the Urbis stable, is out today (click here to read).

   

Today in bullets

An exceedingly good Friday, notable for helping to restore my faith in humanity which, for reasons far too tedious to go into here, has received somewhat of a battering lately. It was made of:

•  A two-hour catchup with a woman I went to high-school with who I ran into the other day. She's in marketing and we've been on each others' professional radars over the years but it was sooooo good to sit down, drink coffee and catch up. And toss around possible work projects that we can collaborate on.

• My second free lunch of the week - this time with a travel editor I've worked with for years. The  kedgeree at Nikau NEVER fails to disappoint. And a glass of shiraz at lunchtime is a vastly under-rated pleasure. 

• Finishing a story that's been plaguing me for weeks. Good to finally get that off to the editor.

• Being commissioned two more features for a glossy weekly mag. Both are on subjects I'm interested in, so that always helps.

• The sniff of another travel famil. A couple have fallen over lately (shakes fist at the recession) so am determined to nail this one.

• An afternoon walk with Lorna and Dobbie (her dog) - and the discovery of this fabulous table on the side of the road. Lorna and her partner have just bought their first home so are in the market for some furniture - and this fits the bill nicely. Two girls, two dogs and one table - somehow we all managed to make it back to her place.

     

New Zealand International Film Festival

Sometimes I love my job.

Like tonight when I get to drink wine, eat nibbles and check out the fabulous Sarah Polley movie, Stories We Tell  at the launch of the 2103 festival programme.

And yes, the Animator gets to come along too. Just the thing for a grim June night.

Lunch

About a year ago, I was invited to be part of a media panel for the suppliers and producers behind Visa Wellington on a Plate, walking them through issues such as how to gain publicity for their event/brand, the best time to ring a journo, etc.

Payment was a nice bottle of wine and lunch. It has taken 12 whole months for me and the lovely Ange from Positively Wellington Tourism to align our respective diaries for that lunch but today we finally did it.

There was delectable smoked fish (me) and a haloumi burger for her at the always fabulous Ti Kouka cafe.
There was also a year's gossip to get through and the identification of Welly stories for me to cover.

In other news, the sun shone, there was a dog walk in the town belt and I finally spent a book voucher I was given as a leaving gift from a long-forgotten contract that I discovered burrowed in a corner of my wallet this morning.

All of which qualifies as a good day in Shazzyland...  

(Pic credit: Ti Kouka)

Bad Mummy

I wondered why the little man was looking so sad and mooching around the dining room cabinet.

And then I remembered that when friends came over the other day, I tidied away his manky, spittle-encrusted toys. And, like the emotionally abusive madre that I am, I forgot to return them.

This is what a happy dog looks like.

       

We all scream for ice cream

A wise woman I once interviewed said, 'Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary?'

Which is kind of why I get a kick out of swimming against the tide: keeping my maiden name  (tick), refusing to bring any kids into this overpopulated, resource-hungry planet (tick) and living life on my own terms (big, fat tick).

It's also why I signed to up an ice cream testing panel in the middle of winter. My good friend Donna of Feast and Vine, who I've collaborated with on a couple of stories, is launching a range of artisanal ice-creams and needed some 'expert' opinions. Being an ice-cream lover was, apparently, the only qualification required.

Fortunately days of rain were followed by bright winter sunshine, so 12 of us schlepped out to the beautiful Ohariu Farm to rate 24 flavours on their taste, texture and composition. I can't reveal the flavours (a state secret until the launch) or the packaging that the Animator took pics of but I can say they were the tastiest morsels to pass these lips in a long time.

We chased our ice-cream coma with lunch - including a delicious kumera and coconut soup - and, just in case we hadn't filled our bellies with enough dairy products, made our own sundaes. Three hours of calorific heaven.