The big question - what's best out of summer and winter?
The big question - what's best out of summer or winter?
Weather eh? It happens all the time and we kiwis certainly can't stop talking about it.
But what's the best - do you prefer the crackle of the roaring fire or the urgent whining of a heat pump? This week, your favourite Friday morning newsletter lays out the case for both - what's the best out of summer and winter?
Summer
What's great
Swims, they're brilliant
Your dress jandals will get you in pretty much anywhere in Aotearoa
Planning all movements around proximity to radio cricket commentary
Getting hosted at the tennis, being completely hosed by 10.45am, getting the bus home for a shower and a snooze and making it back for the evening session and some outstanding salt and pepper calamari
Draining heat means there are very low expectations around doing work and jobs and that
What's rubbish
Sunburn - in the 80's it was all good to turn up at the restaurant the same shade as Magnum's Ferrari, but it's generally frowned on these days, especially for kids
Breaking your favourite, worn-in jandals on the first day in December
People turning up back at the office with beards
Waiting for the car air con to start up - two minutes of sitting in a box hotter than Hades' sauna while being blasted in the face with hot air, just magic
Having to draw the curtains to watch the big screen. Actually, that's quite good
Winter
What's great
Wearing clothes, with pockets
Watching sport with a milo and blanket more acceptable
Telling everyone at work what you have in the slow cooker all day
A pie and a sneaky hipflask at the rugby
Midwinter blast of Tour de France with fantastic helicopter shots of cyclists vomiting and little french chateaus and that
Six months off deodourant, lovely (just jokes!)
What's rubbish
Watching rugby through driving rain in your face while turning into a popsicle 'cos you're going into town after the game and you didn't want to bring a coat
Getting sick of doing no exercise for four months, then finally getting out for a jog only to find it's pretty cold out there
Kids' sport that inevitably starts at 6.15am at a school two hours' drive away
Beanie hat hair is the worst hat hair
Thanks for reading - Richard
The week's best NZ sport writing
Frankie Mackay has made every post a winner this domestic women's cricket season with the bat, ball - and microphone, where she's made a huge impression. She talks to Suzanne McFadden [Lockerroom]
Stunning text, images and video story of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, his sidestep and his Dad [Stuff]
Marc Ellison was lucky enough to have the great man Martin Crowe give him some throw downs, along with some very sage batting advice [LinkedIn]
Oscar Kightley's sporting idol is Sir Richard Hadlee (same) [Stuff]
Enjoy the now - Andrew Goff on Mark Rudan. He's on the upswing and Phoenix fans are hoping he'll take them with him for a while longer yet [Sportsfreak]
Video nasty
If the waves aren't breaking, just make your own. Forward it up to about two minutes!
Long read
The next chess boom is here, but it's younger and less Russian [The Ringer]
Selected weekend fixtures
BK Super Smash - the big one this weekend is the women's Grand Final between the Blaze and the Magicians, it's on Sunday afternoon at 4pm at Eden Park Outer Oval (see you there!), and it's on SKY. There's also Firebirds v Aces tonight at 4 at the Basin, Stags v Kings tomorrow at 7.00 at McLean Park and Aces v Volts at Eden Park tomorrow at 12.30 (yes, men before the women)
Aussie Open tennis is on and at ideal viewing times, here's the draw, it's all on SKY
The Phoenix play Melbourne Victory on Sunday at 5pm, it's on SKY
Oh and Beauden Barrett is getting married this weekend so probably best to log out of Instagram
Bring back the gif
The first time you realised heat pumps could go cold as well as hot.