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Published: January 4th 2007
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Crazy house
This was a rare room as you can see floor ah...a week off work. Unfortunately this is not as exciting as you would think due to my lack of ability to do anything. So we start with a small trip to see how I get on. I had heared rumours of a house. This house is a 2 hour drive, south from here and literally in the middle of no where. I drag most of the others on this trip with me (luckily Ali was at work so couldn't come). We pick them up for work and off we go. My directions to the house were also a little sketchy - turn left at the school, go over 2 stop signs and it's opposite a field. We did make it. Angela crashed our beloved car into a fence upon parking - another bump to add to his many. The house however, was worth it.
On our entrance to the garden we found 12 sheds assembled, with different scenes adorning each eg. the village hospital, pig shed, police station etc). Bea-u-ti-ful. Then we paid 5 smackaroonies to enter her humble abode - she even threw a Christmas truffle into the bargain, which I must admit I was a little scared to eat
Highway 1
Yes, as the name of this road suggests, Highway 1 is the major road in NZ, and look at it! after seeing the kitchen. On the inside of this house there were cuddly toys covering every surface 4 deep, and hanging from her ceiling on strings about 6 to a row. It was surreal. In the living room there was just a little TV poking through them all in the corner, and the kitchen had a wee sink and not much else. Classic times I'm sure you'll agree. There is no picture on my camera that could fully capture the scene before us. I was sooooo thankful she did not follow us around but let us dander around by ourselves for fear or cracking up. The bathroom was my favourite though, as there were themed cuddly toys - dolphins, octopuses etc. - on all the surfaces. How they don't go mouldy with all the water and steam is still a mystery to me. Anyhow, I could talk about this house forever, and she wants us to send her a huge Scotland flag to go up, so if anyone wants to provide one... Then we went to the nearby town's pub. We asked for cider, vodka, diet coke, and lemonade, to be told they didn't have any.
We settled on
Christmas arrives
Christmas day in the sun beer. The night got a little random when a group of fencers (of the wood variety, not swords) serenaded us with a piano on their Chrimbo night out, but we got back up the road allrighty to survive another trip. Actually beer is one of the many things NZ has taught me. Unable to touch the stuff on departure, it's about all I drink now. I feel grown up.
Our next road trip ventured North to Kaikora. Now our car, I mentionned we'd had trouble with before. I forgot to mention that we were told it had a WOF (MOT) on purchase, with the accompanying certificate. It was forged and needed many a twiddle to get it right. We were so mad with the boyo we bought the car off, we shake our fists at the mere thought of him. We also considered calling his mother in the USA to get her to sort him out. Anyways, the point is we thought all these things had been fixed. On this particular trip along Highway 1 it started chucking it down. Emma was driving (poor lass). Our windscreen wiper flew off into the oblivion. It was unfortunately the one on
New Year
celebrations were well under way - hence the blur factor of the photo. Poor Angela had just completed a challenge from Alison at this point...poor lass her side, so I had to tell her when a curve was coming until we found a garage. Thankfully it stopped until arrival in this town where we saw seals and went to a loverly vineyard. Emma also slammed on the brakes at one point (at least they work), exclaiming that there was a penguin on a rock just off our coastal road we were driving along. Disappointment followed when it was realised it was just a shag - I hadn't seen one yet so that was pretty cool. We also planned to go to watch some sheep shearing competitions or a Maori cave after some grub was consumed. Unfortunately, it started raining again, so we had to get the windscreen wiper done then and there. Turning the car towards the local garage however, Emma still couldn't see and another bump was added to the car from an ill positioned fence. The wiper got fixed, by which time, we'd missed both the sheep and the cave tours so turned round in the rain, went home and decided to drown our sorrows from the day up town.
I started back at work the next day, and tis so tricky with
We had fireworks
yep..t'was a loverly night here one hand. A couple of days later though and T'was the night before Christmas, and all about the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Except that this was not the case in our house, where our mouse has been causing riot! Our wee mouse must be the most forward mouse in the world. It scurries past without blinking an eye, over feet, computers and blankets. Saying this, I have taken to driving it away with a broom - kind of like the lady in Tom and Jerry now I think about it. It's quite well behaved though. The only things it'd destroyed (up until today when it gnawed its way through Emma's stocking), was one of Angela's ear plugs, and why it would want to eat that is quite beyond me. We can't find a humane trap, and can't bear the thought of squishing it in a conventional trap. This means we have improvised - Angela perches on a stool armed with empty ice cream tub. There's a bar of chocolate and an ear plug at her feet (there's no accounting for taste). the trap has yet to work. I doubt it ever will personally, but it's funny to watch.
On Christmas Eve we went to a kiwi band's concert which was pretty rock'n'roll but the bass when you can feel it in your tummy, shakes your bones too, which proved to be particularly uncomfortable when your's are broken. We also had to keep it cool towards the back of the venue. Christmas day was nice and sunny. We'd bought a turkey - which hadn't quite defrosted that morn, but thankfully due to the sun had by 12 - and cooked it to perfection. No sprouts though; you just don't get them here. Another weird kiwi thing is green glace cherries - always scary in a Christmas cake. Half a case of wine had been sent to us by a wonderful friend along with champagne in a hamper from the rents (much obliged) which we worked our way through before heading out to Ali's bosses party that evening. That was our Christmas over!
A further trip to the mountainous scenery associated with Lord of the Rings brought us more rain. New Year was clear and dry though unlike most of you, and we even had fireworks! So back at work now. Got a visitor from Oz staying with us who'll be put on mouse watch now Angela's back at work so could be an interesting few days.
Hope y'all had groovy a Christmas and New Years despite the rain. All the best for 2007. Lock and load...
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Gordon Shields
non-member comment
Hay
It would be to easy to send you an email so thought i would just leave you with a comment.........Word up Mofo. Alot of time and thought went in to said comment but i think it was worth it. XXXXmwehXX O