davetapson

The missus was on a call with a colleague from Queenstown - he said that he reckons 30% of the patients he's come into contact with have lost their jobs - given loss of tourism. That cannot have no effect on that region. It's when the mortgage holiday comes to an end that things will start to become apparent. Be interesting to see how the govt are going to handle that one.

1995

So what we have is sub 3% mortgage rates, things are going to be lined up to save current property prices as far as is possible, and get new property owners on the wagon. Then, come the time the interest rate rises by a percent or two - snot and trane because those marginal borrowers (puts hand up) get squeezed. By squeezed I mean reamed. Been there before, not so keen to be there again.

The missus is desperate for a house of her own - I'm trying to hold her back to see what transpires. If 'can't afford' can be called 'holding back'... This might just allow us to get a toe on the property ladder. Edit: I'm not saying this in any happy way, take note.

Yeah, that's the sum of it. But then again, hindsight is 20/20.

I think the effectiveness of the NZ lockdown has caught everyone by surprise. That we are likely to eliminate it rather than 'flatten the curve' has caught everyone by surprise - and probably caused some consternaton and confusion. The ideal is we're all exposed, but at very low viral loads so that most of us live - and then we can face the rest of the world. But now we're like Kiwis and just about all the other NZ other native fauna - at risk of anything coming across the border as we don't have the tools to resist it!

How are we all doing peeps?

Buddy of mine is an analytical type. Reckons that the number of new cases per day in NZ is effectively constant (compared to exponential growth) and that where lockdown has been instituted, the daily number of new cases starts dropping from about day 9 to 14. Given that we are effectively there, all things being equal, we may be not far off the peak. If that is the case, it's been a bloody good job by NZ. The effect of basically being a rule following nation. We, of course, may well revisit this post and laugh. Or whatever.

Harsh way to start, but well done. Maybe they needed a saffa to do that! Good luck.

Bottle stores closed, but supermarket booze still available - wine and beer etc. My current office. Computer stuff belongs to previous company I was contacting at. Will be replacing with my own way less flash stuff for starting new permanent job on Monday until I can get in to office and get the stuff they will issue to me. Not sure if will be as nice as this. 80% of previous income and no tax breaks - which were huge. The pinch is going to be noticeable, but better then no income.

We're doing pretty well. Some quality family time, eating more cr@p than is strictly healthy, odd run / ride, walk with the kids. Did a cycle around the neighbourhood - it's like paradise - little traffic out, families out for family walks. It's a pretty privileged time especially for those with kids - never again (?) is the government going to say "Go spend a month with your family doing family stuff." At the back of my mind tho, is that the silence is the sound of the economy crashing. But whatever, we will get through it, one way or another.

Excuse, or tipping point. For sure.

Edcon going down the tubes. Not going to pay suppliers. It's going to get hectic in SA. First time I've put a transfer through to my mom for > 10:1

Listening to wife laying off the staff in her business in SA. She ran it like a family. Doing her best to give them as much as possible. I'm a cynical f*ck at the best of times but this is heart breaking. She was speaking to one of the doctors who used to work for her. Says they are seeing so many sick people with COVID like symptoms. Tests have a week long turn around and those people are going out into the general population. She's sick herself.

Re the leave thing here - the guys where I work now were all told to take leave, including the contractors. The contracts are all short term, so it's the equivalent of avoiding the contractors' notice period - we're not giving you notice, but you can't come to work, and if you don't come to work, you can't charge, we don't have to pay you. Not completely kosher.

Shoo - had a call at current work about conditions going forward. Everyone to take leave they have outstanding etc. Pretty bleak stuff. Edit: ditto what Wayne said.

Well, there we go. Going to be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks. The missus's clinic has been closed, they're going to get 80% pay for two weeks then review. However, she's going back to GP'ing so will still have an income - but at what cost. I have new job offer allegedly on the table, going to be interesting to see if they pull the trigger given we can't face-2-face for the next four weeks...

Greenhithe / Glenfield / Northcote / Birkenhead all fine. Property price seems to be inversely related to distance from the beach. Took my kid to Sanders Reserve cycle park and saw kids on boats in the bay having a hell of a time, so one shouldn't get too hooked up about living on beach side. We do live near the beach in Murrays Bay - it is really nice to be that close - even if you do a short run, you can run along the beach etc. I'm unconvinced what we pay in rent is worth it tho. Dairy Flats / Coatsville may make more sense. Or Greenhithe

My father phoned me at 2am to tell me they've decided not to come - after I had told him Qantas keep dropping my call to rebook (I'm rebooking off flight credit so can't do it online) after 3hrs. I don't know why 2am, but it's their new goto time to call. We'd prefer them here than Grahamstown, but figure that they have less chance of catching it in their complex rather than our house which has a lot of coming and going. But if they do get it.... Have a company making me an offer today - my current contract has been canned due to current business being airport logistics related and probably going to get punished. I'm surprised how much hiring is still going on.

I can imagine that went down like a cup of cold sick...

Been struggling to get a visa for the folks since December - came through about two weeks ago, just in time for everything to become really squirrelly. We've decided to get them out regardless, the main reason being that we'd prefer them to be sick here rather than Grahamstown. However they say they can't be ready to travel for 10 days so who knows what the situation will be by then. Two weeks isolation isn't much of a stress as they're gonna be hammered by the flights anyway. Just a shame they will not be able to enjoy NZ properly. A part of me says that stashed away in their retirement home they might be less exposed than in a family situation here, esp with a potential plague monkey student - but if they got sick there, then there are problems. Edit: They only got two months - I thought they were supposed to get 9 months during the next 18 months?

That is a score! My 'cover all bases' thought process would probably add - 'if this job goes south, what would my chances of getting another job in the area be?' and add that to my list of pro's and cons. But damn. Well done. Edit: the software architect at the place I'm working resigned and left for CHC, so there must be a bit of something happening there...

Engineer talk...

That's what my buddy was first trying to get me to do - maybe the Whaka is the easy way out... But this is on the bucket list... As well as Lake Hawea - another buddy did it last year and said it was awesome.

Deal. Let's do it then...