Buff and Beef (17/18th July)

Saturday started out and stayed wet and a little windy but thankfully the forecast got it right for once and the showers mostly died out by the evening in time for the rugby. I spent most of the day anticipating I was going to be cold, wet and therefore miserable but hoorah that it was not so. I got to the stadium about 7 wrapped up in my full waterproof gear and any apprehension that had hovered was dissolved when I discovered my seat was 4 rows from the front, on an aisle and the All Blacks were warming up right in front of me.

Heaven! I had been debating for at least a week whether to go to the match on me tod you see as everyone I knew was either already going, couldn’t go or just plain crazily didn’t want to. Finally on Thursday I decided to bite the bullet as the All Blacks weren’t playing in Wellington again until who knows when and I’ve always wanted to see them play, and do the Haka. They didn’t let me down. The Haka was awesome to see, I just wish I could remember it as clearly as I’d like to (sometimes I put so much pressure on myself to remember something the pressure blocks it out - crazy). The game was fab, the crowd just as much as the match, and I wish it could have gone on for longer.

The way South Africa played I couldn’t believe they were the world champions, although in the years following 2003 I suppose the same could have been said about England. At the end of the match they announced that the All Blacks would be staying on the pitch to sign autographs etc (which I don’t think would ever happen at an international in the UK) and so I popped down onto the pitch to see who I could snap (only one player it would seem!).
Anyhoo, that was my adventure on Saturday. On Sunday I had the girls round for a Christmas dinner of Roast Beef, roasted vegetables (Kumara, Pumpkin, Butternut and carrots), Jamie Olivers roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, yorkshire puds and gravy. Apart from the beef being a little chewy it was delicious and the Christmas music and decorations added the finishing touches. Melissa had made a chocolate orange almond cake for pudding which smelled (and tasted) delicious. We spent the afternoon playing Cluedo and Cranium and a jolly time was had by each and every one. I’m very sad that I forgot to take pictures of my first ever roast attempt as it was pretty successful in the grand scheme of things, but I will always remember it. Yum.

And just to round things off here is a pic of myself and Susanne with a few of the All Blacks on the Friday before the game.....