A stormy commute

I love a good storm. Today, we had my favourite kind of storm: heavy rain, thunder and lightning with an absence of wind and cold. The only problem was that we had it while at work. Actually, that wasn't exactly the problem as it was fun looking out our big windows and counting the seconds between the lightning flashes and thunderbolts. The real problem came an hour or so later when we started hearing reports of flooding, rising river levels and road closures. Uh oh. Maybe this was a bit more serious than we first thought.

A colleague and I made a spontaneous decision to jump in her car and try our luck getting home, along with everyone other commuter in Wellington. Trains were being cancelled and buses in rare supply. Signs on the motorway said that State Highway 2 was closed to Petone, but traffic seemed to be moving so we took our chances. We were guided by regular updates from people in Petone and the Hutt, along with various transport and emergency websites. Still, we were surprised at how slowly we crawled along the motorway and became increasingly aware of the change in scenery around us.

Here are a few pics of State Highway 2, taken from out the passenger window (and front windscreen) of the car between 12.30 and 2.30 pm today. This patch of highway from Ngauranga Interchange to the Petone turnoff is about 5 km long; the journey took us nearly two hours.

Run off from Horokiwi hill, before the BP station.
Rocks and debris fell as well as water!

Horokiwi on ramp

Between Horokiwi and Petone.
(This is a hillside, not a river.)

Petone off ramp

I'm pleased to say that we got home safely and had a warm, dry afternoon. I have no plans to leave the house any time soon and feel relieved that most of my team also made it to their various destinations safely, apart from one who is stuck on this side of the Rimutaka Hill but now camped up comfortably in a workmate's spare room. It's been raining constantly for several hours and apparently another deluge is on the way either overnight or tomorrow. I'm really thankful that we're all ok here - and that I can work from home tomorrow.

Solar powered

Wellington has had a pretty rocky start to summer this year. The conversation on everybody's lips goes something like this: "You call this summer?" "It's almost embarrassing how cold/wet/windy it's been!" "I hope the tourists in town stay for longer than just a few days. I'd hate for them to think it's always like this." "We had summer last Tuesday." "Remember how good the drought was two years ago?"

Wishful thinking in Wellington

But it's true that you can't beat Wellington on a good day and today was certainly one of those. I got to enjoy some time off in lieu and planned a full day of baking and catching up on things at home. What a brilliant day for it!

I don't know if it's my imagination, but I am so much more productive, inspired, creative and motivated on sunny days. Warm sunny days are a bonus. Warm sunny days without wind are the rare pot of gold for Wellingtonions (although we also happily settle for warm wind, like today). Somehow, possibilities are endless on sunny days.

The benefits of Vitamin D3 are well documented, yet Vitamin D deficiency continues to be a hot topic, especially in a country where being sun smart is an essential way of life and we quite rightly err on the side of caution. I think we are all affected by seasonal affective disorder (SADS) to some degree - I certainly am.

Today's productivity mostly involved Christmas baking, which made a huge dent in the mountain of butter and sugar I'd stocked up on. Here's what I've managed to produce so far:

• A second mountain of chocolate truffles.
• A double batch of Tim-Tam truffles.
• 2 dozen spiced vanilla buttermilk cupcakes and a big batch of buttercream frosting for decorating at a work Christmas activity tomorrow.
• A large decadent mud cake, which will be turned into a Christmas present cake for my whānau on Christmas day.
• A batch of shortbread in the fridge, ready for rolling out and baking.

Along with that, I've taken time out for coffee on the new deck, bagged up homemade Christmas gifts for my team at work, attacked various chores in and around the house, plus read several chapters of my book in the sun.

It's confirmed, then: I must be solar powered. Bring on the summer holidays!

Things to do in a storm

The weather frequently makes the news here in New Zealand. We love impending weather bombs. Then there was that time it snowed in Wellington. It may seem trivial, but I'm actually grateful that we live in a country where there is little 'real' news.

We're used to a bit of wind in Wellington. Sometimes the trees really do look like the ones in this picture. We certainly saw (and felt) a lot of it while driving home last night, as well as a huge flash that took out the street lights in several blocks close to home. Clichés like "the worst storm in 40 years" really grate on me, but we really did experience that in Wellington overnight. The point of reference is the infamous storm of 1968 when the Wahine sank and passengers were washed up on the rocks near Eastbourne, with 53 losing their lives. Apparently the strongest wind gust (admittedly up a hill) was 2 kmh over those experienced in 1968. That's serious stuff.

Our house held up really well. Being concrete, it's pretty solid and we escaped with only minor damage to the garage door. The new roof pretty much paid for itself last night. We also manage to avoid a power cut, but 30,000 other homes in the region weren't so lucky. The roads into town were a mess and damage along Island Bay's coastline is phenomenal.

Due to the chaos hitting roads and rail this morning, I'm working from home and enjoying the super-productivity that results when there are no interruptions and no commuting to fuss with.

Things to do during a storm:

• Work from home in your jamies and dressing gown. No-one will know.
• Have a(nother) shower to warm up and get dressed in front of the heater, just like you did when you were a kid.
• Eat vegetable soup. I'm really glad I made a huge batch a while ago and filled my freezer with it.
• Drink six shots of espresso. (Ok, that's not ideal, but my 3-cup caffettiera is at work so I used my 6-cup one instead. At least I didn't use my 9-cup!)
• Listen to Ella Fitzgerald while you're working. She's awesome. Especially when she makes up the words.

Have I forgotten anything?

Weather bomb

The weather is often a leading conversation starter but the subject on everyone's lips tonight has a pretty extreme name: weather bomb. Wow! We had lots of rain followed by a great weather bomb a couple of years ago and last year it snowed in Wellington. (Yes, we're still talking about it.) Tonight, we have been promised a spectacular storm that seems to be gaining speed, rather than petering out as it crosses the Tasman Sea on its way towards us. Imagine the stories that we'll be able to tell in a few days' time! Anyone silly enough to venture outdoors with an umbrella this weekend is likely to end up looking like this poor woman.

Now, I actually love a good storm - but under certain conditions. There is nothing quite like lying in bed, snug and warm while the rain taps down on the roof. There's even a pretty cheesy song about it. I remember wet, wintery days when we were kids; we'd close the curtains, sit by the fireplace reading books all day, drinking hot chocolate and eating vegetable soup - very cosy.

So normally I'd look forward to some extreme weather, provided that I was planning to be at home and had enough coffee and books to last the distance. But this time it is different. We have had plans for many months to be away for the weekend, with some of those plans involving outdoor activities. We will be driving in the direction of the storm and it is expected to be intense for most of our time away. No doubt it will last until we arrive home and head back to work on Monday. Typical.

Are you in the path of the weather bomb? What are your plans for the weekend?

That time it snowed in Wellington

Yesterday, 14 August, shall forever be referred to as That Time it Snowed in Wellington. There's even a Facebook page set up to commemorate the event. Living half a block from the beach, I could see snow flurries in amongst the falling rain but nothing that could settle on the ground so I didn't feel qualified to join it. Today, however, is a different story. It actually snowed at work - and not just up in the hills! I might join that group after all. ;-)

Let me explain. Wellington has its hills but, being nestled around a harbour, snow is about a once in a decade occurrence - and even then we're just talking about light flurries and a chill in the air. It is extremely rare for us to see this icon on the weather report and snow days are simply unheard of. Not today, though. We have real snow today.

I was having a serious meeting with an external delegate this morning discussing exciting things like financial obligations, contracts and senior management sign off when suddenly my guest looked past me out the window and said, "is that pollen falling or is it snowing?" We jumped up to check out the icy bits falling, our faces a picture of glee. Snow - real snow! Later, back in my office, we noticed the snow flakes getting heavier and starting to settle. The three of us found another window with a better view and were pressed up against it just like kids. True, we weren't exactly making snow angels on our cars, but the excitement of snow practically at sea level is enough to bring out the inner six year old in all of us.

The snow got heavier this afternoon and staff members were advised to leave early and drive safely if they thought there was any risk involved in leaving work later in the day. Daycare centres were closed and parents were called to pick up their children so everyone could get home safely. It's all terribly exciting for those of us used to life at sea level.

A Russian colleague is simply laughing at us carrying on like a bunch of over-hyped children; she maintains that what we are experiencing barely resembles snow at all and that it quickly becomes a nuisance rather than a novelty when you experience it every day for several years. Spoil sport.

Are you snowed in? Or even close to it? (Go on, indulge us. We're loving it!)

Stormy weather

For a couple of days, we have been warned that the biggest storm on the planet is making its way towards New Zealand. The size of Australia, this storm has promised severe wind and weather conditions up and down the country - bad even for Wellingtonians, who are used to being blown around a bit.

We waited. We got a bit of rain. The sun came out. It was fine. And then the storm hit at lunch time. Cool!

I seemed to be the only one in my office actually excited by the storm. I counted the seconds between the lightning and thunderbolts (the storm was practically right above us at one point!) and looked out the window at the hail pelting the cars in the car park. I jumped out of my chair and whooped in delight at one particularly long flash of lightning but looked around the office to see everybody else with their heads down, hunched over their computers and pounding away at 'important' work. Is nobody else excited by thunder and lightning?

I realise that storms aren't everybody's idea of a fun day. Let me qualify my love of thunderstorms by saying that they are great when I'm safely inside, warm and dry, and in no risk of damage. Today's storm (I'm not sure if it's finished yet) is a great example.

As a teacher, I spent more than my fair share of time in a classroom with around 30 youngsters during wet and stormy weather. I remember one particularly bad storm. Most of my class of 7-8 year olds had their noses pressed up against the window watching the rain drive down and counting the seconds between the lightning flashes and thunder bolts. Some were less interested and a few were a little scared.

One 8-year-old boy was absolutely terrified. Having spent the first six years of his life in a Russian orphanage after being abandoned by his gypsy mother in the snow one night, wrapped only in a blanket, he had experienced horrors beyond what most of us could ever imagine. The sound of thunder conjured up memories of army tanks for him; I don't know why, and he couldn't explain it to me. I just knew that his terror was real, even in the safety of his school on the other side of the world. He and I spent many storms huddled on the floor while he shook, sobbing in my arms.

And now the skies are blue and the wind has died down, although the temperature has noticeably dropped and I can see the clouds regathering. Did the weather bomb hit you, or is it still on its way? Does that scare or excite you (or neither)?

It's raining

It's raining. Again. Although we haven't been subjected to extreme heavy rain and floods like some areas, it has been raining non-stop almost all week and doesn't look likely to change any time soon. It's not bitterly cold (yet) or extremely windy, but the rain has been constant and quite heavy. And winter isn't due to officially start until Tuesday.

Today would make a great duvet day, if it weren't for the cabin fever resulting from several days cooped up inside. Luckily I've been working from home this week and haven't had to brave the elements very often. Still, there are some good things about being inside at home on a wintry weekend: vegetable soup with French sour dough bread and fresh coffee, movies, hot chocolate at a local café and reading while curled up by the heater. Unfortunately, most of these still require at least some attempt to leave the house, as the only thing I could do right now is read one of the many books I've got handy.

We're planning to leave the house at some stage and maybe even catch a movie tonight. In the meantime, I can't help having a few themed songs going through my head.



It's Raining Again - Supertramp



Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics



Rain - Dragon

What are you up to this weekend? Is it raining where you are?