Mike Riversdale

With creaking and cracking heard throughout the room the Holy Head of Antelope turned upon all those gathered. Someone will die tonight.  

My favourite meal, the one I'd like to be my last before they wheel me away, is just-cooked crusty bread, soft butter, and cheese.

Taken in July 2017 near the old Scorpio Books location I can't work out if these are new Christchurch buildings or ones that survived the quake. Anyone?

It's been a tough 24 hours for Mike and his wobbly brain. Through the love and timely words of friends and family (❤️) I am definitely coming out the other side. It also feels like I've turned a massive corner in my stuckness of the past year and am no longer living in the past but looking to the future. I am experiencing an exciting newness and hope that I've not had for far too long. Out of adversity comes hope, out of hope comes action.  On a scale of 1 to 10 I have ranged from 1 and am, as I write this, climbing to a 5. Never alone. #BeKind

Some days the weather reflects the mood, but the greyness will drift away and the green trees and blue skies will visible. But not right now.

What design colour class are you?

Roses are Red Bacon Is Red Poems are hard Bacon.

Details from the National Library mural, "Te wehenga o Rangi rāua ko Papa" , by Te Whānau-ā-Apanui artist Cliff Whiting.

Never be afraid to go outside and experience this world in all its colours ... pithy enough?

As James Shaw asked recently , "What is happening with Molly Malone's?", will we ever get to dance to the tune of Guinness again?

Wellington sunrises can often feel other worldy. Te Motu Kairangi (Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa) sunrise [June 2017]

Or, "Just hanging around" Or, "Stuck" Or, "Give us a kiss"

Heavily edited view of a faux Edwardian Cuba Mall. We can put on any vibe when we want eh (photo from June 2017).

The great battle had gone the way all the known seers had prophesied. It was swift, everywhere, and all encompassing. The following day was quiet, many would sleep long with the sun cradling the aftermaths of revelries. The enemy had slunk back into the shadows, planning their return, and planning their revenge. All seemed calm across the land.

There's endless talk about Shelley Bay but very little about the vast amounts of land above it and around the northern tip of Miramar Peninsula. It's up here, where the movies are made, the gun emplacements are coloured in, and the prisoners once roamed that the real views are to be found. What will happen to this land? Who knows, the latest official 'plan ' is from December 2016 and no local councillors are willing to talk about it. However, there is a fantastic 'national park' design from the Motukairangi Design Group that many support. I do.

Come one, come all to gaze upon the Strathmore Obelisk. Behold it's obelisk-ness, wonder at its planes, be enchanted by how it tells you where you are. Ladies and gentlepersons I give you, the Strathmore Obelisk (just over the road from the dairy and up from the cafe).

Name any one of his [ac]claimed 20? (I'll be honest, he's not a singing sensation I've been previously aware of)

"You two! Stop that fighting at once, we're at war for heaven's sake!"

Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War at Te Papa is an exhibition of conflicting feelings. After a visit I have always cried. Lieutenant Spencer Westmacott

Between the Wellington high-rises the people wander.

I've heard many origins of the word Pom / Pommie as given in affection and insult to someone from the UK, especially to the English* You may have heard of Prisoner Of [his] Majesty. I'm reading The Word Detective : Searching for the Meaning of It All at the Oxford English Dictionary by former OED editor John Simpson and he states the following convoluted path: * I suspect it was anyone from the UK originally as they were, and still are, called "English" or "from England" by many in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. This has changed since I've been in the southern hemisphere as it much more now connected with English as highlighted by how people apologise when I'm actually from Wales.

I've always called these 'God Rays' but they're just sunbeams . Crepuscular rays only happen when the sun is below the horizon. Every day is a school day eh.

There's no reason for beautiful things and yet they bring so much into our lives. Find yourself a couple of truly gorgeous items. Take time during the hurly burly of the day and have them flow over and through you. You'll feel so much more able to face it all.

Are you going to the cinema to watch movies? Are there any movies out there to be watched?

There is a Twitter hashtag #NZHellHole that people use to jokingly taunt those in other countries that dare to criticise how well we've done dealing with COVID-19. This fits 👍

There are many garages hanging onto the hills of Wellington. They wait for a shake to bring them crashing down on whatever is below. This is one I used to own, madness.

It's easy to tell people what they should do from a position of internalised perceived power, Pop-Up Leader does it all the time. With  Chlöe Swarbrick and all the current Green MPs (+ a few of the Labour Party MPs) you don't get to be mothered, you get to see the reality of power and are asked to make a difference yourself.  Vote!

Shocked and horrified I was.

"Ah, you're awake, finally."

Situation Report 2-June-2017 (Friday): Staff member #35 required IT assistance, the Mayoral Helpdesk was contacted, Mike attended. Situation resolved. (many thanks to Justin Lester, Wellington City Councils Mayor at the time, for being a great sport)

The sunrise rainbow over the Hutt Valley and Wellington Harbour looking out from The City To Sea Bridge totally captivated me on Friday 2nd June, 2017 ... I have so many photos.

Morena Wellington, have a great day

It's a wall poster in the lift of The Churchill faux English pub here in Wellington.  Made me laugh, no idea of the poster is still there (photo taken in May 2017)