A very sociable weekend.

The Stokes & kids arrived on Friday night, then last night, Michelle got to employ her catering skills to the maximum when the Frews arrived. Dad Dave, Mum Veronica & three kids, John, Rochelle & Sophie. The Frews are the epitome of Kiwi dairy farmers. Loud, friendly & weatherbeaten. The kids teased Dad about his jokes & when they left Kevin observed that is sounded more like a couple of thousand of people leaving rather than 5.

Apparently they were much quieter than usual. I can only imagine what they are like when they are full on.

Alice had spent the afternoon parading around with her knickers over her tracksuit bottoms & wasn't in the least concerned about it. When the Frews arrived with their 13 yr old son John in tow, Alice came running indoors a very fetching shade of pink shouting

'Oh no - John's seen me in my undies'

She was mortified.

The Stokes brought their 2 labradors Bella & Jazz much to the delight of Bin & Inca.
The boys spent a very exhausting Friday evening trying to bonk them. It was quite disconcerting trying to chat whilst Inca was humping away in a very amateurish but enthusiastic fashion. Jazz was underwhelmed & mostly slept through his attentions.

He got himself so worked up that sometimes as he walked along & nowhere near the object of his affections he would still be making little thrusting motions as if he was a canine Ricky Martin. Poor love, we found him very amusing.

Bin has behaved a bit oddly in the last few days & has been having a bit of an anti-social 'kevin' weekend. It began on Thursday evening, with Eric trying to clip the dogs nails. Inca was a bit pathetic & kept snatching his paw from Eric's hand but Bin definitely didnt like it

He began with rumbling growls & ended by snapping at Eric. Needless to say, Eric was not amused & Bin was sent to the kennel which is called his 'hole'. The next morning when the dogs were let out of their kennel they had their usual 5 mad minutes & attacked each other whilst racing around like loonies.

On this occasion, the fight, instigated by Bin, got a bit out of hand & ended with Inca running down the driveway. Inca wouldn't come anywhere near me until I put Bin in the hole. Bin continued his anti-social theme by fighting with the other dogs at feeding time yesterday morning. He seems a bit out of sorts & unsure of himself for want of a better phrase. Perhaps he will grow out of it.

Well, after 4 years of waiting, it's finally here & the best thing about having a back injury means I should be able to watch all the games for this 1st week at least. I don't know if I'm just miserable but I thought the opening ceremony the usual waste of time & money. I think each hosting country should donate all the money it spends on opening ceremonies to families who can't afford to get to see a World Cup game.

I watched the Aus-Arg game until it was obvious that Arg would definitely lose then went to bed shattered. I must have been the only person in NZ rooting for the Ozzies. The NZ-Italy game was a predictable whitewash but amusing nevertheless.

I think the video is being set here tonight for the Eng-Georgia game, I doubt anyone will be awake enough to watch it.

It is very peaceful here this afternoon. Kevin & Eric have gone into Matamata to get videos for the kids & some bits & pieces for dinner. Juliet is reading, and Michelle is arranging her office which is situated in a corner of Alice's room.

Michelle seems to be really enjoying her new job although the 1st couple of weeks have been meeting her colleagues, a lot of driving & setting up her office. Yesterday, she took delivery of a an exciting package of stationery. She even got a whole pack of hi-lighters, having only asked for one.

The kids are playing (suspiciously quietly) whilst seated at the dining room table. They are colouring something & Harriette seems to be organising things.

The kids were all supposed to be doing an introduction to fly-fishing this morning at Rotorua. The torrential rain put paid to that idea, although, needless to say, as soon as the decision had been taken not to go, the weather brightened.

Yesterday I read an article in a local paper which made me laugh out loud.

If you live here it sounds completely normal but I will try & find a way to copy it onto Blog so that you 'non-Kiwi' people can read it. I don't think it needs any introduction or explanation.

Enjoy.