The Boys folks used to live in New Plymouth for years and years and years. I’m grateful that they live closer now, it’s reassuring I think to have them in the same city as us. It also means more home cooked meals and puppy love for Quinn.

While we were in New Plymouth we collected up a bunch of driftwood for them. Apparently they used to have a bunch on their porch in NP. So we got some for their porch in Auckland too.

It was a pretty nice way to spend such a grey afternoon, in wind clambering over rocks and things. Selecting the dry, white branches bleached white by the salt and sun.

I love Sundays. They seem to be days reserved for sleeping in, and meeting friends and generally just good times!

This Sunday I spent with my super good friend Stevie. He’s really great – we used to live together till I decided I wanted to go back to uni and re-educate myself. He’s always been super encouraging, and is always willing to share his brains and help with whatever project I have on hand (case in point he’s helping me build a brand spanking new computer this week. Woo!)

Anyway, we did another one of those ‘spontaneous’ meets. First we went up Mt Eden to admire the pretty, pretty view:

And then into Mt Eden Village where we visited my favourite bookstore (I came out with more books wrapped in brown paper – hurrah), and then to CircusCircus for cake and dinner (I love that Stevie indulges me so – we had dessert before our dinner!)

CircusCircus is really fantastic – the food is always phenomenal, and they have enough statues around for the place to be super whimsical :)

The other great thing about Stevie, is that he has no problem with stopping in the alley on the way back to the car to be a camwhore with me:

Sundays like that one really make the weekend :) Hope your weekend was just as grand!!

I spent my Sunday with The Square eating good food, playing anti-chess, laxing AND swimming at the beach. What better day could be spent?

First The Fourth Quarter collected me from The Boys, and we went to Revel (one of my very favourite cafe’s) where we enjoyed iced chocolates, eggs and anti-chess.

I also encouraged the use of lines on the barrister with the fantastic attitude, but The Fourth Quarter wasn’t having it. He did humour me by listening to my argument with the grace I wish I had. Ah well. From there we went the Third Quarters partners place to admire the purchase of a very fine house and to lounge around outside on the porch on beanbags.

As the day cooled off, we all packed up and went down to the local beach. We are SO lucky to live within ten/fifteen minutes of places like this! The water was a little too cold for my tastes, but The Fourth Quarter was happy to flop around like a fish in the water. :)

It was an epic epic day – the best of its kind really. Good food, good friends, good weather. Gorgeous weather, actually. We definitely tried to make the most of it – I’m hopeful it’ll hold out till the long weekend. Fingers crossed, anyway. :)

On Sunday a bunch of us caught the ferry out to Waiheke Island for the day. Not only was the weather phenomenal, we had a really brilliant day. The company was awesome, the ginger beer delicious, and it was great last hurrah to summer.

The Fourth Quarter and I only just made it to the ferry (we ran from his apartment in town, having decided last minute that we were still keen). It was a pretty awesome ferry ride out, we met a bunch of people (I recognized one of the girls from my past – she was going out with one of my ex’s friends! It was a pretty crazy reminder of that time)

Our first stop was Wild On Waiheke, which allowed you to do something like 8 tastings for $6. It was pretty fantastic (I fell in love with their ginger beer, actually). We ended up outside in the sun, playing anti-chess (which the Third Quarter totally pwned at) and tetherball (until alas, I got all enthusiastic and broke the silly thing. The Fourth Quarter fixed it so no one would know!)

From there it was a looong walk up a dusty driveway to get to Stoneyridge, which was by far the most overpriced stuck up place I’d ever been. Lucky for them their bruschetta and their brut was absolutely gorgeous.

After lounging and gossiping over lunch, we caught the bus back to the beach, where we spent the afternoon playing beach soccer, swimming, sunbathing and indulging in some frisbee before getting back on the ferry home.

It was an fantastic way to spend the day. So incredibly relaxing and very much a ‘enjoy the last of summer’ day. Hurrah!