I know I'm fairly low down the food chain but....

My house was lucky enough to escape relatively unscathed in the Christchurch earthquakes.  A few superficial cracks, some sunken tiles in the courtyard, a water tank that needed securing and some wobbly bricks. All in all, I have been incredibly lucky.

However there have been a couple of plumbing bills to EQC and they managed to get round to do their first inspection in October. In June, they'd told me to get the minor stuff fixed and then flick them an invoice -which I did - however since I hadn't been reimbursed, yesterday I rang to see how I was progressing through the system.

Me:'Hi just wondering how close you were to paying that invoice I sent you for those minor plumbing jobs?'

EQC:'Yes, I can see them, they're waiting to be paid. They're on a priority list.'

Me: 'But that's what you said when I called you in October.'

EQC: 'Well, they're still on a priority list.'

Me:'Can you give me any idea when I might be paid?'

EQC:'No, we can't.'

Me:'But it's only $200, it seems ridiculous that you can't just pay it. All my friends seem to be getting reimbursed. Is there a problem with the invoice?'

EQC:'No, there doesn't seem to be a problem.'

Me:'Just you can't tell me when you're going to pay me...'

EQC:'Yes'.

About now I'm starting to get frustrated, but I'm thinking to myself, 'In the scheme of things you're so so lucky, so just just the front door and  suck it up'. 


Me: 'Now about my house, has there been any movement on that ? It was assessed in October and I got a letter telling me I would be informed officially in five weeks about the assessment and...it's now February'.

EQC:'Sorry, all I can tell you is that it's been assessed and it's being processed...'

Me: '...and you can't tell me when I will officially hear?'

EQC:'Exactly.'

Me: 'Except I know that it's been assessed to have $5000 worth of damage'.

EQC:'How do you know that ?'

Me:'Because one of you guys told me when I rang at the end of October to ask about the unpaid invoices.'

EQC:'I'm sorry but all I can tell you is that it's still being processed and you will hear in due course'.

Me:'And I'm picking you can't tell me when that will be....?'

EQC:'Exactly'.

Me:'Isn't there anybody who could give me a clearer idea?'

EQC:'Sorry, no.'

I have to say I had to quell the urge to get a bit grumpy and stampy about the fact that I seem to be trapped in EQC never-never land, however I calmly thanked the nice lady and hung up.

It's at times like this I believe you've to live by the 'Look-at-what-you-have-got' mantra. As opposed to living by the Look-at-what-you-don't-have manta.

Cause if I lived by the dont-have mantra I'd be really pissed off I didn't have wings (and that $200 EQC owes me).

Things that make you smile #473.

Finding the pair of shoes that you lusted over at the beginning of the season and thought 'I'm not paying that much for that little!' on sale for half price.

Let me count the ways I adore not paying for at least one of the middle men.

She's one hell of a kip!

Oh look what I found over at Popbitch. Just far too cute.

It looks like the doormouse has either just run a marathon or cleaned up Auntie Nora's sherry.

Happy Friday.

Things you'd rather not discover...

...that the silly little black sundress that you thought was quite acceptable to wear to work in the height of summer and had already worn to work a number of times is, in fact, see through.

Needless to say, that little sucker is now banished to the beach. 

Have you heard about the incredible jumping donkey?

Right then, today I have to share with you last night's dream. (They're not dull when they're your own, believe me). 

I dreamt that I was standing in a paddock - possibly part-paddock, part-orchard. Anyway, it felt like home. And suddenly a donkey came crashing through the branches of the tree (some sort of fruit tree I think) and landed with an almighty WHARR-RUMPH! on the ground. It would have winded the life out of the poor fella - he landed on his side.

And I looked over at the donkey and remembered it was a habit of his and I thought, 'When is he going to learn that he can't land on the top of the tree and think the branches will hold him?'

I just had to share that with you as my dream brain has yet again scared me. Where does it come from? Aliens must have planted it, cause I can't come up with this myself - surely?

Anyhou, I shall stop going on -'tis a gorgeous day in Auckland  and, even better, public holiday - what more could a girl ask for ? 

It's off to the beach, for me.

*Runs out of the room before objects start getting thrown in her direction.*

Take Two.

So there I was last week asking you not to hate me while I bragged about how I managed to have beautiful weather on my holiday as well as grab an extra week away.

And then what does a girl do?

After three and a half days back at work takes herself off on a ‘pudding’ holiday.

Hello Wanaka.

You can hate me now. But you’d have to stand in line, my bank account is considering filing for divorce. 

And finally !

And Happy New Year ! Granted, I am rather late to the 'Happy New Year' party, but when your boss asks if you want to take an extra week off, what's a girl to do?

I'll tell you what she does, she takes it, runs with it, and happily suspends reality for an extra week. Bliss.

Unfortunately the downside of all that blissful reality-suspension is that after two days back at the coal face, I'm a touch knackered and desperate to shut whoever invented the concept of work in a sound proof cupboard and throw away the key.

Oh well.

I've had a beautiful break and managed to be one of the jammy few who managed to fluke stunning weather for most of my time off (please don't hate me).

I caught up with some very dear friends who were out from the UK,(their nine year old is my godson and I have no idea why he calls me Princess Bonkers). My godson's mother is from NZ, and her family have holidayed in Arrowtown all her life. But after over fifteen years living in the UK she has decided that New Zealand is like the afterlife.

'Ya what?' Says I.

'It's like the afterlife!' Says she.

'Do I look like a ghost?'

'No, but if you want to go for a swim, we drive to Lake Hayes, we get a park and we go for a swim. It's stunning, it's clean.'

'Hmmmm?'

'And if we want a coffee, we drive to Arrowtown, get a park outside a great cafe and go and get a fantastic coffee. It's like the afterlife should be!'
                                         

I feel she has vaguely got a point. Not that I shall superglue myself to that point, otherwise people may think I'm a bit of a mental(and you lot in the cheap seats can keep your traps shut). However I now feel it is my duty to phone NZ Tourism and suggest a new slogan for their 2012 NZ marketing campaign. 

New Zealand - it's like the afterlife.