Today I finally got to visit the Ōpuke thermal pools in Methven and wow, what a lovely spot for a bit of relaxation. I spend two hours there with a couple of friends, floating lazily as we watched the weather turn from thunder and rain to blazing sunshine and mountain views.

I was reminded this morning of the Re:START mall we had in central Christchurch after the earthquakes. Shipping containers for everything - shops, banks, and cafes as you can see here being carefully repositioned! I think this was when everything was shifted to make room for Riverside construction.

Today I spent a few hours walking 12km through a chunk of the Banks Peninsula with 24 other people and am feeling far better for it, after a week of moping around the house feeling isolated and unenthused.

Saturday 3 Jan has so far been just as dreary and drizzly as every other day of 2026. Seriously contemplating just going back to bed. It's helpful that I am still in my pyjamas at almost noon so I could just slide right back under the covers 😆

Feeling a bit depressed and mopey today so I had an afternoon nap and then cleaned the kitchen and have just had a little bounce on my new mini trampoline ($79 from Kmart, jury's out on how long it will keep me above floor level when I jump on it!). Now a bit less mopey *and* the kitchen is clean.

huh so Google is kicking off the new year by pissing off knitters that’s fun

Just making sure that 2025 is definitely over

I had a very quiet NYE last night but I did have a surprise visitor when @adzebill.bsky.social turned up on my doorstep with a lemon pig to bring me luck in 2026. Hopefully it'll do the job 🍋🐷😆 Happy New Year to those who celebrate 😁

He is Coming

I come from the field of evolutionary biology, and every colleague I know supports trans rights. There are many who are trans as well. My knowledge of evolution is what taught me sex isn't a binary designed by some creator Richard Dawkins is just a loud asshole with a minority opinion

Some days I am *super* cool, cruising down Bealey Ave with Skindred blasting on the stereo and one arm casually out the car window, and some days I appear to have got dressed in the dark, and some days both things are going on simultaneously. Thankfully I was only going to Kmart 😆

How to end the year right: come up with your own personal rituals

Meri Kirihimete ki a koutou, merry Christmas to you all!

Yomp!

I found a forgotten $20 in the glovebox when I was cleaning the car, shoved it in my pocket, and think I lost it again already when pulling out my wallet at the filling station. I'm okay with that. Happy Christmas to whoever finds it blowing around on Ferry Road 🎄

WTF?! I'm glad I clicked through on this even though I am not and have never been a British citizen, because this also affects Irish citizens and not just Britain but the whole of the UK. Guess I'll never be flying in to Belfast on my Kiwi passport...

Well, I am officially done with work and I'm now unemployed until at least June 2026! Hopefully it won't take too long to go from my current state ("WTF have I done, how will I survive?! 😬") to the desirable future state ("FREEDOM!!!!! Time to enjoy travel and see where the wind blows me! 😄").

Randomly dreamed about my first love, so when I woke up I Facebook stalked him. Turns out he looks good in glasses, still has the same hairstyle he had when we met in 1993, and named two of his kids the names we discussed for hypothetical future children when we were together.

“It's not my duty as Mayor to make sure you have a parking spot. For me it's the same as if you bought a cow, or a refrigerator, and then asked me where you're going to put them.” — Mayor of Pontevedra, Spain (re-elected 6 times)

I only own four Christmas decorations (and no tree) but I think I made that work.

I made a Chrome extension that swaps Times New Roman for Calibri on every site or just .gov. It also had Open Sans and Open Dyslexic, because f**k these people. I’m waiting for Google’s approval for it to install automatically, but you can download it and install it in 90 seconds. Instructions 👇

Very pleased with myself because I finally took the initiative to pry off a small part of my car's interior trim and deal with some cabling issues that have been annoying me for literally years now, as well as prying off the holder for some sort of long-gone sensor that only worked in Japan.

People Watching: Dan's Traditional Barber Shop, Karangahape Rd, Auckland, on a hot Friday afternoon

Adoration of the Maggi®

The Thing (1982, John Carpenter)

Further to my previous post, I will now drink a lot of vodka and search for audiobooks to entertain myself on my upcoming travels, which will include thousands of KMs of solo driving around NZ, some extremely long flights, and two months in rural Ireland. I will need many hours of entertainment 😂

Feeling lots of feelings at the mo. My job, one I truly enjoy and have many lovely workmates (some of whom have become real friends) finishes next Friday. Nothing else lined up. I am travelling so much between now and June that I'm effectively unemployable until then.

I find myself completely fascinated by coriander flowers (florets, I suppose) this week. They're so DELICATE. And my hands smell great after picking some for photography purposes 😁

Thank you Christchurch City Council for planting wildflowers in our parks. My local park is mostly a barren wasteland of closely-mown playing fields but there are two patches of absolute joy. The bees love them, the butterflies love them, and I love them 😍

LOL thanks Google, that was worth remembering.

In a bold move that is likely to trigger a nationwide return to cold wet weather, I have taken the electric blanket off the bed. Sorry folks if this ruins your summer entirely.

"At length an oak chest, that had long lain hid, Was found in the castle — they raised the lid, And a skeleton form lay mouldering there In the bridal wreath of that lady fair!" www.clausnet.com/articles/lit...

Well SOMEBODY is having a good time in my garden today. So many flowers to visit!

Ugh it's all gone back into boxes mentally labelled "misc" to be dealt with when it's not 30c.

I decided to sort out my outdoor gear and now I'm completely overwhelmed. How do I efficiently store things that could belong in multiple categories? Rubber mallet: tent equipment or hammock equipment? They both use it. Water filter: camping gear or tramping gear? They both use it. AARGH.

Pack it up, folks that’s it for the construction industry

Cradled NZ have just come out with a frankly BANGER line of merch in support of PATHA’s legal action! Get yourself a "WOKE IDEOLOGICAL FERAL" t-shirt! cradlednz.digitees.co.nz/shop/categor...

I got a new telly recently, and so far one of the best features I hadn't known I wanted is the ability to connect Bluetooth earphones so I don't have to hear the doof doof doof of music from a party next door interfering with my show.

Friends, I seek recommendations! I'm going to be on the North Island (of NZ) for a 3-week driving holiday in February. I'm keen to hone my photography skills. Where would you go if you were me? I know Wellington pretty well (and Zealandia 😍🐦), other places not so well. Not keen on Wairarapa.

It's only the evening of 2 December and my poor NZ Post courier driver was still out delivering packages at 7:45pm. He's Sikh so I don't even know if he gets to have fun of Christmas or just a month of drudgery leading up to it. Poor guy!

Coronation Street is making me very anxious 😆 Theo is so awful. Poor Todd 🥺

This is perfect 😄

The alt text is the icing on the cake 🧁

Much to my astonishment, I found fresh ripe raspberries in my garden. The main cause for this astonishment is that I did not realise I had any raspberry plants in my garden 😆

Bzzzzzz

Well this is new and confusing. Maybe I am really *not* human. What icon? Different from what??

The calendar may not agree quite yet, but I know it is already summer in NZ because I've had my first barefoot visit to the supermarket.

Fun job to get: can design for a new Garage Project beer celebrating the incredible work of old mates Capital Kiwi Project bringing brown kiwi back into the hills of Wellington. Legends

There's a great sale on Skinnies at the mo but I thought I had better check first to see if I actually need sunscreen just now. Very glad I did because I very clearly don't 😆 All the ones at the back are completely full. I do recommend Skinnies though; it's very effective. skinnies.co.nz