"That's not writing, that's typing."

I would say it's noticeable I've been MIA for a little while, with the exception of reviewing. Life has been rather hectic the last few months, and then it settled, and now it's back up and busy. Unfortunately the work I've been producing recently has looked more like typing than writing, so hopefully things will settle soon. Bit of a rant below, you have been warned. 

So in November my year of publishing came to a close, and while it was one of the most fantastic years of my life, it was also the busiest ever. Four and a half years at university did not prepare me for how busy I would be this year. I spent the year editing copy, checking images in Photoshop, learning very quickly how to use inDesign, creating marketing and publicity plans, dealing with clients, and everything in between.
The year ended with a pretty sweet party, and luckily I was able to find a job before Studylink stopped lending me money. Until mid-March, you'll find me in the Tower building on Customhouse Quay in the offices of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. I'm helping out with proofreading, so you'll see me reading for eight hours a day, my eyes are loving me this summer. They're in the middle of publishing technical standards and needed some extra eyes to proof. NZICA has been a really fantastic place to work so far; while the content isn't the most riveting, the people I work with are simply great. They've been wonderful at making me feel welcome, and I'll be sad to be leaving when that day comes.

So I had from 21st December until 7th January off work. A nice decent break to spend with the family, and mostly just sitting around, reading and not doing much in general. Christmas was an adventurous time - drove to Taupo on Christmas Eve for the night, and come home to Wellington via Masterton on Christmas Day. My brother and sister-in-law were here from Philadelphia, the first time I've seen them since 2010, so that was pretty excellent. New Years was spent quietly at a friend's in Petone, having a BBQ, some cider and sitting on the island in the middle of the road waiting for the fireworks. They never came.

Oh, I did get to go and hang out with some meerkats at Wellington Zoo before New Years. That was choice. Here's a photo. 

There are more new and exciting things coming up: moving flats, some new reviews and adventures. Stay tuned.

K.