Each Sunday morning across December WeatherWatch.co.nz will be bringing you a new column from Kellie Watkinson, Creative Writer in the radio industry, recent first time Mum and lifetime weather enthusiast.

This is Kellie’s final column in this series

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Envy may be a nasty emotion – but it sure is a productive one.

A few weeks back Auckland turned on an absolute scorcher. The sun shone brilliantly all day, the wind was but a gentle warm whisper upon one’s cheek, and the thermometer steadily rose throughout the day.

Naturally as a sun lover I had to take advantage of this glorious day, so I bundled old Daisy up so nary a streak of sun would touch her delicate skin. Meanwhile I popped on my shortest shorts and a tank top, slopped on a bit of sunscreen, forgot the hat and went on a walk around our neighbourhood. And that’s when envy began to weave its way into my soul.

All around me were the sounds of children splashing in pools.

Yahooo! Wahooo! Splish, splash, splosh. Yahoooooooo! SPLASH.

It was torture.

My inner Pa Bear from the Hillbilly Bears came out. ‘grumble grumble, grumble, youngins havin’ fun! Grumble grumble grumble. Should’ve bought a house with a POOL. Grumble grumble grumble. I’m hot bothered and DRY!’ (If you don’t know who Pa Bear is check this out )

Yep, being envious of children was not my finest moment. But it did spur me into action, to which my daughter bore witness: ‘Daisy, this is unacceptable. Clearly you need a paddling pool!’.

So I popped her into the car and we went to The Warehouse, where I found the paddling pool. Long enough for Daisy to stretch out in. Deep enough that she will be fully immersed, and big enough that it’ll last her many many many summers. (In other words, long enough for Mummy to stretch out in. Deep enough that Mummy will be fully immersed, and big enough that it’ll last Mummy and Daisy many many many summers.)

Happy ending yes? Not quite.

I got it home and was all ready to blow it up and get into it. I mean, I was all ready to get DAISY into it when I realized it needed to be pumped up with an air pump machine of some sort.

I seriously pondered blowing it up by mouth.

But sanity saved me from trying and laziness prevented me from making another trip to The Warehouse, so I quickly logged onto TradeMe and bought a manual air pump thingamajig.

Luckily the weather turned so the wait for the air pump didn’t drive me crazy. Time passed. The pump arrived. The weather remained unswimmable. I pumped up the pool and popped it on the deck. A tornado tore through Whenuapai and Hobsonville, clipping my suburb and flipping over the paddling pool. And then the sun shone. And we got paddling.

As for that old productive feeling called envy. it’s sated…for the moment. But whenever it sees the water glistening in the sun in the neighbour’’s big beautiful deep pool I can feel its seductive tendrils start to squirm.

 

 

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