rivettingKateTaylor

You know it’s wet when you have to drive your kids 50m to catch the school bus. The wind had blown one of the gates closed and I got soaked just sneaking out to push it open, not to mention the small river running down the driveway.

The news is full of stories this morning about the damage this second storm is doing around the country. Northland isn’t too happy and it’s moving it’s way down the Island. Big explanation needed this morning about the train system being down in Wellington because of a slip near Waterloo – the kids have been on the trains down there a couple of times, which of course makes them experts on where everything is.

The heater’s on in the office, I have a hot cup of coffee in hand and lots of work will be done this morning, unexpectedly, as I should be at golf. Not only do I not have the appropriate wet weather gear yet (just started playing earlier this year) I’m just simply not going outside today!

I feel sorry for the people who have to work out in this weather – particularly Civil Defence, power and council staff, farmers… journalists (hehe).  I interviewed some farmers north of Napier yesterday who had between 95mm and 125mm in the first storm but we only had 30mm here and we’re well on the way to that again already. But it’s good rain for this area, farmer hubby says, as it’s not cold and will be filling up the dams. But even he admits it could be followed with substantial sunshine now. Now. Any time soon. Please. Can solar panels rust through lack of sun shine?

I’m supposed to be running a PTA meeting after school today while many of the kids are at rugby practice or playing on the playground. Now they won’t be. Nothing’s here to make life easier is it? It will give some parents an excuse to ditch having to take responsibility for fundraising while the same handful do all the work. I’m not bitter (honestly).

We have a big quiz night and auction coming up in Term 4 to raise money for a new senior playground. Now the good thing here is that most of the parents currently involved in the PTA have children in the junior school so at least we’ll get the benefit! We’re looking for all sorts of donations of goods and services to give away as spot prizes, team prizes or to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The last time I did one of these it was for Playcentre in 2006 and we raised about $5000 in one night. It was awesome. Here’s to the same success again. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Our Scholastic Book Fair sold over $1000 worth of books which meant we got 30% to spend on books for our school library. The librarian was thrilled – as were the kids!

I was going to launch into a spiel about how much schools are expected to fundraise over and above their operating budget. But the weather’s bad enough without adding that kind of negativity to the morning.

Stay dry.