For the first time in months, Betty and the boy person friend drove down to Hamilton. It was yesterday, the day before Betty’s birthday, which made it all the more exciting, and they were driving the great friend’s car (he calls it the Knight Rider, Betty recently discovered) — this, too, tended to be somewhat exciting. However, all interested parties survived the journey.

It was rather a busy day — Betty taught a couple of clients in the morning, then did the advanced mat class, and then went for a speedy coffee with a visiting instructor who had come to do the class. Massimo, usually exemplary, forgot the soy, and so it took about half an hour to actually receive the coffee; then Betty ran home, got ready in record time, and leaped into the car to collect the boy person. They arrived at the University of Betty’s youth only slightly late, and slipped in to watch the end-of-year piano concert, featuring two of Betty’s sisters on piano and cello.

Both of them were quite remarkably good. Following the concert, Betty and the boy person walked around the university, to which he had never been, and then went to the south end of town to have lunch in a cafe.

The curly fries were excellent. Following lunch, the pair went to Betty’s home and had a cup of tea, followed by a premature unwrapping in honour of Betty’s birthday, which was tomorrow, at the time; then they went to Smokey’s house and ate ravioli while watching the musical episode of Buffy and chucking Betty’s niece beneath the chin. These things are for another post. Patience is a virtue.

Hamilton from the Absolutely Positively Wellington balloon

This is where I used to live: not literally, but in the general vicinity. Though I don’t live there any more, and generally don’t miss the landscape very much, I have to say: pretty.