So there we were, ready to hit the skifield again this weekend after just a whole bunch of snow fell last week and what happens? I catch me a cold. Bugger it.
Still, thankful enough it isn`t Chicken Flu which people are terrified about over here at the moment. The menu has been getting shorter and shorter recently, with beef off the menu following BSE in the States, eggs getting a sideways look after some dude got arrested for selling tens of thousands of eggs that had been refrigerated for 6 months...eeeeewwww, and now chickens are sneezing and getting thrown in incinerators by the billion. It really is a good time to be a pig farmer...Mmmmm bacon.
So no snowboarding this weekend- Nic and Tom were all set to go on Saturday but the roads were closed because of heavy snowfall - which surely bodes well for this coming weekend.
Things are settling back in after coming back from our winter holidays in the NZ, January almost over eh? It`ll be April before you know it...
Over and Out.
Berin and Nic.
Monday, January 26, 2004
Monday, January 19, 2004
More of that holiday carry-on...
So after a thoroughly relaxing knees-up in Christchurch, it was back to Auckland for some more dashing about doing this and doing that for the April hoolie-bash. That out of the way (and not a moment too soon) it was off to Whangapoua for the some concerted sitting. and barbequeing. and drinking of the beer. and sitting. Ooooh willikers it was swell. Crap-o weather on the 29th going up there followed by a week of the bluest of the blue skies and sweet no wind weather. Ooooooh Crikey. There was beach cricket, daily swims, inordinate amounts of barbequed meats, Shane and Al plaited flax to make a net for beach volley-ball, strolls hither and yon, some reeeeeaaaallll relaaaaaaaxed sitting, barbequed meats, hand crafted loaves of bread (few fishes however) from the Paul, good times, good beer, good meats barbequed well, natters, sunburn, sand here and there, sand castles, digging tunnels in the sand, barbequing meats, swimming in the briny.....Boy oh boy. Good times did abound. And the nature!!! By Crikey, more of the nature than you could shake a stick at...Oft was the time I just stood there and looked around and ended up giggling like a schoolgirl at just how sweet the NZ is...
All too soon it was time to come on back to the Japan, a last BBQ extravaganza at Ari and Donnas` on the Sunday night topped it all off and then it was off to the airport at god-knows-what-time-but-it-really-was-too-early on the Monday.
Thats when we learned a lesson.
Excess baggage charges can add up veeeewy, veeewy quickwy....
NZD460 later we got on the plane and headed out. We negotiated trains, planes and RVR`s on our way back and settled into some particularly cold weather. Nice to be back though, and we trekked away snowboarding on the Wednesday, leaving the strange situation of having been sitting on the beach in the Coromandel sunshine on Sunday afternoon and snowboarding in the Japan Alps on Wednesday morning. It was a nice day, and felt good to be back on the board after almost a year off.
We went again last weekend with Tom and are planning shooting back up next weekend and many more after that also- wOopWooP. Snowboarding is nifty.
So that was our holiday in NZ. Thanks to all that took part, my favorite part was the pies. and the beer. Have some fun out there people.
Berin Age 28.
All too soon it was time to come on back to the Japan, a last BBQ extravaganza at Ari and Donnas` on the Sunday night topped it all off and then it was off to the airport at god-knows-what-time-but-it-really-was-too-early on the Monday.
Thats when we learned a lesson.
Excess baggage charges can add up veeeewy, veeewy quickwy....
NZD460 later we got on the plane and headed out. We negotiated trains, planes and RVR`s on our way back and settled into some particularly cold weather. Nice to be back though, and we trekked away snowboarding on the Wednesday, leaving the strange situation of having been sitting on the beach in the Coromandel sunshine on Sunday afternoon and snowboarding in the Japan Alps on Wednesday morning. It was a nice day, and felt good to be back on the board after almost a year off.
We went again last weekend with Tom and are planning shooting back up next weekend and many more after that also- wOopWooP. Snowboarding is nifty.
So that was our holiday in NZ. Thanks to all that took part, my favorite part was the pies. and the beer. Have some fun out there people.
Berin Age 28.
Friday, January 16, 2004
Dice...
So I bought a packet of 12 die right? I`m sick of them disappearing. They are all fine looking die....apart from one. It has two "2"`s and no "3". Who makes a dice with two "2"`s? Odd.
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Wow. New Zealand totally rules...
Here we are, back again.
Writing a little late, seeing as we arrived home last Monday, but still, we have been exceptionally busy fitting ourselves back into our social schedules. Oh. That and sitting around doing very, very little....
So...How was your holiday??
Rad.
We arrived in the NZ on the 21st of December, Nic arriving a few hours ahead of me, as I flew through Singapore (mental note - throttle travel agent - three flights for NZ left while I was enduring my 5 hour stopover in Singapore Airport. Grrrr. Grrrrrrr.) Still, a nice enough airport to be trapped screaming for five hours. I took advantage of the showers (SNG$8.00), inadvertantly leaving my trusty cap there. Grrr Grrrr Grrrrr. That cap has seen me through and through for the last five years since Nic bought it for herself anf I promptly appropriated it. It will be sorely missed. Still, I have high hopes for my new cap, given to me by Darren "call me Darren" Ede by way of a Chrissy present after he heard of my capless plight. Thanks big fella.
Anywhoo, the Singapore Airport also had free massage chairs. Mmmmmmm. Free massage chairs. The recommended maximum time to spend in the chairs was 15 minutes, I threw capless caution to the wind and rode the lightning for a full 45 - talk about living dangerously. Some base-jumpers saw what I was doing and stood there agog, yeeep, live on the edge baby- otherwise your taking up too much space....
Anyway - NZ. Nic had commandered Dazza's car and come to the airport accompanied by Mr P. Barron, Mathlete. Breathing in the grassy smells of Auckland airport we wandered to the formerly humble abode of Jon Smith (not his real name). His house looked very nice indeed, including his x-rated shower, which I took advantage of before sitting on the back deck drinking the Summer Ales kindly provided by "Little" Shane (one of the Merry Men), and the Monteiths Brewing Company. Mmmmmmmmmm. Summer Ale. Beer with flavour.
Who should we also see there? Recent arrival from Japan, one Michael Knight, formerly of both Knight Industries and Access Technology. Lovely to see him unwind like a coiled serpent in the NZ sunshine.
The next two days were taken up by organisation of wedding hooha. Running hither and yon, stopping only for pies, L&P, Mandarin MiZone and pies. Things seemed to come together well and Nic and I are still sort of looking at each other waiting for someting to hit the fan as the organisation of this shindig has been quite, quite painless thus far.
Speaking of the hoolibash- invites are being sent out presently - better late than never people.
A fine catch up party back at the Browning Street followed, with an enormous bonfire and some top shelf barbeque action. The evening peaked with Paul "I Teach the Young" Barron toasting one and all with a Jon and Berin special; the processed cheese martini (one part gin, one part vodka, garnish with processed cheese).
Then it was off to Christchurch to see Nics folks and extended rowdy clan for Chrissy. Some bumpy jiggling coming over the hills followed by quite the thumpy landing saw us in the ChCh on the evening of the 23rd. A right nice place to relax down there. The sheep, the wiiiiiide open spaces and the canterbury weather/scenery combo took care of any lingering Japanese winter blues we may have been experiencing. Last minute Christmas shopping was accomplished fairly painlessly the following day and then, following an outrageously hot Thai dinner, it was a couple of drinks then off to bed-y bies and eyes shut tight waiting for the jolly man in the red sut to arrive. Yippee!!! Next morning, up at the crack of 10:30, some grand pressie opening, then the set-up for the arrival of some of the Ede clan. A good old K1W1 chrissy lunch followed, washed down with lashings of petanque on the lawn and seconds and thirds and the ubiquitous Summer Ale. The weather was grand, the food was excellent, the company jovial - it really was a top day. Marred only by the breaking of the nose of my polystyrene rubber-band-launched stealth fighter on its third test flight. that was soon doctered and it was promptly sent off into the trees to be lost. A grand Xmas all round. More later.
Hope all are well, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Writing a little late, seeing as we arrived home last Monday, but still, we have been exceptionally busy fitting ourselves back into our social schedules. Oh. That and sitting around doing very, very little....
So...How was your holiday??
Rad.
We arrived in the NZ on the 21st of December, Nic arriving a few hours ahead of me, as I flew through Singapore (mental note - throttle travel agent - three flights for NZ left while I was enduring my 5 hour stopover in Singapore Airport. Grrrr. Grrrrrrr.) Still, a nice enough airport to be trapped screaming for five hours. I took advantage of the showers (SNG$8.00), inadvertantly leaving my trusty cap there. Grrr Grrrr Grrrrr. That cap has seen me through and through for the last five years since Nic bought it for herself anf I promptly appropriated it. It will be sorely missed. Still, I have high hopes for my new cap, given to me by Darren "call me Darren" Ede by way of a Chrissy present after he heard of my capless plight. Thanks big fella.
Anywhoo, the Singapore Airport also had free massage chairs. Mmmmmmm. Free massage chairs. The recommended maximum time to spend in the chairs was 15 minutes, I threw capless caution to the wind and rode the lightning for a full 45 - talk about living dangerously. Some base-jumpers saw what I was doing and stood there agog, yeeep, live on the edge baby- otherwise your taking up too much space....
Anyway - NZ. Nic had commandered Dazza's car and come to the airport accompanied by Mr P. Barron, Mathlete. Breathing in the grassy smells of Auckland airport we wandered to the formerly humble abode of Jon Smith (not his real name). His house looked very nice indeed, including his x-rated shower, which I took advantage of before sitting on the back deck drinking the Summer Ales kindly provided by "Little" Shane (one of the Merry Men), and the Monteiths Brewing Company. Mmmmmmmmmm. Summer Ale. Beer with flavour.
Who should we also see there? Recent arrival from Japan, one Michael Knight, formerly of both Knight Industries and Access Technology. Lovely to see him unwind like a coiled serpent in the NZ sunshine.
The next two days were taken up by organisation of wedding hooha. Running hither and yon, stopping only for pies, L&P, Mandarin MiZone and pies. Things seemed to come together well and Nic and I are still sort of looking at each other waiting for someting to hit the fan as the organisation of this shindig has been quite, quite painless thus far.
Speaking of the hoolibash- invites are being sent out presently - better late than never people.
A fine catch up party back at the Browning Street followed, with an enormous bonfire and some top shelf barbeque action. The evening peaked with Paul "I Teach the Young" Barron toasting one and all with a Jon and Berin special; the processed cheese martini (one part gin, one part vodka, garnish with processed cheese).
Then it was off to Christchurch to see Nics folks and extended rowdy clan for Chrissy. Some bumpy jiggling coming over the hills followed by quite the thumpy landing saw us in the ChCh on the evening of the 23rd. A right nice place to relax down there. The sheep, the wiiiiiide open spaces and the canterbury weather/scenery combo took care of any lingering Japanese winter blues we may have been experiencing. Last minute Christmas shopping was accomplished fairly painlessly the following day and then, following an outrageously hot Thai dinner, it was a couple of drinks then off to bed-y bies and eyes shut tight waiting for the jolly man in the red sut to arrive. Yippee!!! Next morning, up at the crack of 10:30, some grand pressie opening, then the set-up for the arrival of some of the Ede clan. A good old K1W1 chrissy lunch followed, washed down with lashings of petanque on the lawn and seconds and thirds and the ubiquitous Summer Ale. The weather was grand, the food was excellent, the company jovial - it really was a top day. Marred only by the breaking of the nose of my polystyrene rubber-band-launched stealth fighter on its third test flight. that was soon doctered and it was promptly sent off into the trees to be lost. A grand Xmas all round. More later.
Hope all are well, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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