Life Lately #12
Last week was a stressful one, made slightly better by a long weekend. If I didn’t write this down today, I probably would’ve forgotten all the problems we dealt with the week before.
My last Life Lately post was about our trip to Putaruru Blue Springs — and I didn’t mention this then, but there were roadworks during our drive. Fresh gravel had been laid on some roads around Tokoroa, and a few tiny rocks managed to lodge themselves underneath our car. So last week, driving anywhere meant listening to the car screech like something was very, very wrong.
Our friends suggested the classic fix — throw the car into drive or reverse and brake suddenly to shake the rocks loose. We tried. Nothing. So off to the mechanics it went, because there was really no other choice. They were able to fix it — thank God! We definitely don’t have the money to buy a new car! Still, the fix cost us around $500, which hurt just enough to sting.
And while we’re on the topic of things breaking… our water heater decided it was also done with life and started leaking. We called a few plumbers to check it out, and while we’re still waiting on official quotes, the verdict was unanimous: it needs to be replaced. May cost around $3,000–$5,000. Yikes! So yes, last week involved a lot of stressing about money and quietly realising how absurdly expensive it is to maintain a house. Still, I had to remind myself — at least we have a house. This is what we’ve been dreaming of for years, and this is simply part of owning one.
But don’t despair dear reader — Friday was a holiday, and the extra day off lifted my spirits. On Thursday night, John had a boys’ night at our old place. He and our workmates had a mini party — karaoke, a few beers, the usual chaos. I stayed home and finally tackled the thing I’d been avoiding for far too long: putting away the Christmas tree and decorations. It’s February. I had officially run out of excuses.
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| Living room after removing the Christmas decors |
I turned my speakers on and blasted AC/DC. It took me a few hours to clean everything up on my own, but it was oddly rewarding. By 9 p.m., I finally had time to relax, so I played WWZ and The Sims 4 for a couple of hours while waiting for John to get home. I ended up falling asleep on the couch — not sure what time he arrived, as it was all a blur. All I remember was dragging myself to bed and immediately falling asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.
6th February
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| Heavy breakfast for Cleaning day |
Friday became full-on general cleaning day. I made dumpling soup using our dying cabbage from the fridge, plus tocino — a sweetened Filipino pork dish usually paired with fried rice for breakfast. After eating, we launched into chores. I handled the laundry, changed the sheets, and vacuumed the whole house, while John worked outside mowing the lawn, clearing my weed-filled plant box, and tidying up outside the house. By mid-afternoon, we were starving, so we made a quick Pak’nSave run, grilled steaks when we got home, and then drove to the lake — because it felt illegal to waste a sunny day on chores alone.
7th February
Saturday was basically chores: the sequel. More gardening, more weeding. I repotted my peace lily, which had officially outgrown its original pot, while John trimmed the bushes out front. It was hot, so naturally, we escaped to the lake again. Just past 3 p.m., we stopped at McDonald’s — or Maccas, as the Kiwis say — grabbed burgers, fries, and sundaes for takeaway, and drove to Lake Terrace. Parking was a nightmare (tourists everywhere!), but we eventually found some shade, laid out our picnic blanket, and ate while people-watching. We read for a couple of hours — John with Red Rising (his birthday gift from me), and me with Six of Crows, courtesy of the library. After reading, napping, and staring at the blue sky long enough, we finally went for a swim. Dinner was grilled fish back home, and that was that.
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| The comfiest place for a nap ð€ |
8th February
Sunday was officially a rest day and our 4th Wedding Anniversary! We're trying to save money, so instead of going to an expensive restaurant, we headed to Taupo Market Central for brunch. Predictably packed with tourists, we shared a truffle mascarpone burger from FIRE by Facundo (still the best burgers we’ve tried in Taupo) along with some pork skewers. John ran a few errands afterwards, including dropping off the green waste from the branches we’d cut the day before. Then, for the third day in a row, we found ourselves back at the lake — this time at Wharewaka Point Reserve. The water there is deeper than at spots like Lake Terrace, so we swam farther out, peering at fish and reefs beneath us, well past the point where our feet could touch the sand.
Another lovely day. Stressful week, redeemed. Long weekend very well spent!
No Rhyme, Just Reason is a TaupÅ, New Zealand–based blog by Ariane about books, good food, long walks, and unapologetic naps.
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