Wellington

Wellington is well known for its cafes. They have the best ambiance and yummy food too. A woman at work loves to show off the best cafes to me and some of my other coworkers. She recently took some of us out to Havanna cafe, a cool spot that you would pass right by if you didn't know it was there. Tucked into a wide alley, the tiny place is full of light and is filled with old fashioned furniture and espresso machines. I took Bryce there today, he loved it.

Right now summer turns on and off like a switch-- we sat by a beach for as long as we could until stormy weather forced us out.

NZ birds and paua shells

Busy day-- went to work in Porirua while Bryce, Erin, and Dave got to stay home and have fun. Work is pretty fun still over the holidays-- I got lots of work done and found out cool things like the NZ birds on Boardmaker:

Bryce had an interview today and took Erin and Dave in to town so they could tour and shop around Cuba Street. Then they picked me up from work and we went shell hunting at along a beach in Porirua. Erin won the prize for finding the coolest paua shell-- huge with vivid blues, purples, and greens. People catch the paua (abalone) offshore, pry the meat off, and toss the shells back into water so tourists like us can pick them up. I like using mine as a soapdish, it's purty. I just ignore the scrape marks in the center of the shell where the shellfish was pried out ;-) Bryce got a call that he didn't get the interview, which wasn't the worst news in the world because he had an interview with another agency lined up for Monday. We stopped by Doug and Laura's place to say hello, and then went to yummy wonderful Noodle Canteen for some honey chicken noodles and nasi goreng. Our last night with the four of us hanging out together; Dave and Erin take the campervan on to the north end of the North Island. We will miss them, it was pretty easy living and vacationing with them.

Oh Happy Day

Erin and Dave arrived today in Christchurch!! We met them at the tui campervan park, where Erin presented Bryce with the camera he ordered and had sent to her (cameras are MUCH cheaper in the US than in NZ). What a happy Bryce.

We all piled into the campervan that would be all of our home for the next week (two weeks for Dave and Erin).
We did a clock-wise tour of the South Island, starting with Lake Tekapo.

Earth and Sky tours picked us up at our holiday park to take us to Mount John, the location of several huge telescopes. It was an amazing tour. The town of Tekapo is legally required to use lights that only shine downward so as to make the night sky even more clear. We saw small clouds that were really galaxies (NOT the Milky Way), found where several constellations including the Southern Cross were, and looked through powerful telescopes to see nebulae, the moon and Mars. Here's a picture (that Bryce took using a special revolving tripod available on Mt John) of the Southern Cross (the 4 brightest stars to the left that form a box...or form the end points of a cross). We all loved the night sky tour. We were really happy we got to go as it had been cloudy all day, but managed to clear up by evening. I was so happy that Erin and Dave had such an awesome first day in NZ-- it was definitely one of my favorite days! Best friends, beautiful sights, and telescopes!!

Happy Places

I have a few places that I consider my happy place. When I think back on these happy places, I wonder, why did I ever leave? Why didn't I stay there all day? Besides the ever present and wonderful happy place of Bryce's yummy bear hugs, my happy places are:

• Sailing in the middle of Union Bay, alone or with a friend, relaxing in the sun.
• Drifting off to sleep on the beach in Rio; the matronly, confident women lounging around me making me comfortable to wear a bikini in public for the first time since I was 12.
• Laying on a warm, flat rock in the sun in the middle of Denny Creek.
• Standing at the alter, watching the waves crashing and being married.
• Watching the sea turtles swimming near me on the beach at Kealakeua Bay.
  
• Sitting in the thermal wonderfulness of Kerosene Creek in Rotorua.
• Relaxing in the waves in Coromandel Bay and Cathedral Cove, thinking how much my mom would love this!

Didn't realize that the list would all have to do with water! Should have known.

Just had the Rotorua and Coromandel experience during this last road trip. That means that that was a high scoring trip! Just think that we weren't going to do the trip because of budget constraints. Bryce and I remembered that when we had more money, time was what we wanted the most.

Nice warm creek-- about 95 degrees F

Merry Christmas!

People at work have asked me if I'm missing home around the holidays; and although yes I wish we could hang out with the people we love; Christmas isn't necessarily making me feel all wistful. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all here, and frankly I feel like it was coming 'round a bit too often. I don't think I mind this Christmas-every-other-year type of thing. Our goal for the holiday-- find a nice beach to relax on. That may be a difficult goal as the weather hasn't been too nice lately. But we're heading north to warmer temperatures so we're doing all the right things.





Hope everyone is doing well; have some nog and grogg for me! ~jx





NOTE: this picture is actually in full colour. eek huh?

Another month gone by

I need to try to post a bit more regularly I think.
Well since our last post was Halloween I've got a lot to catch up on.

The weekend after Halloween we went sking/snowboarding. Our newest 'home' mountain of Turoa had the last closing day of the season November 7th. We went and took part in their "Snovember", not much snow left, but we still had a good time of it. I think they had to truck this snow down to the base area for people to put their gear on before they loaded the lifts.
We got the clearest views yet of Mt Ruapehu, the large active volcano we ski on.






The following week contained my Birthday and one of our new friends, Dervla, as well. We celebrated at our new favorite haunt, The Southern Cross. It's large, has outdoors(including fireplaces) and almost always busy). Our group included 4 Americans, 1 Irish(wo)man, 2 Spaniards, and 1 Kiwi. Plenty of beer was enjoyed and we took advantage of the public transportation of greater Wellington.

The next weekend(11/22-23) we went to go walk down to the nearest lighthouses. There are two of them, one on the short line and one about 300ft above it on a bluff. It's about a 2 hour walk each way, but when we got there I noticed the bike stand and jokingly said, 'we should rent bikes'. Julie took me serious and I'm glad. It was a windy day(like most), the bikes made it much more fun despite occasionally feeling like we were standing still. You haven't experienced NZ until you've seen Sheep on the Beach. Man do they scamper when they see me barrelling down the dirt road trying to bunny hop mud puddles. (can you tell someone likes biking?).

Finally Thanksgiving. We decided to celebrate on Friday so we could share the day with you Americans who are a day behind us. Turkeys weren't too hard to find, but at 5-7$ a pound, they weren't cheap. We decided to enjoy the day just the two us partially due to space limitations but partially just to have it to ourselves.
I whipped up the following while Julie worked:

• 6lb Turkey
• Mashed potatoes
• Mixed Mushroom and Brioche stuffing
• Real Turkey gravy
• Hand whipped cream to go on

The real Pumpkin Pie made from real whole pumpkin which Julie made the night before

It was quite a feast. I think we managed to stretch if for barely three days though(my voracious appetite certainly helped.)

Since then it's been a bit more low key, we've gone a few short walks on the beaches. Attended our first Net-ball game(like basketball, but completely different) to support a friend.
I'm prepping up for our first 'tramping' trip, which is like backpacking, but you stay in enclosed huts(imagine a super rudimentary cabin in the woods). Not carrying a tent and the sleep pads(leaving 10lbs of ... stuff... behind), sounds like an activity we can both get behind.

Halloween, down under-er

So in our discussions with our Kiwi friends, we established that Halloween is known, but not heartily celebrated.
We, the Kiwis as well, decided that we need to have a little get together to share the joys of Halloween. Plus Jules and I are always looking for an excuse to host and have fun.
First the joys of pumpkin procurement. For most the world pumpkins are like any other vegetable, they're produce, they're for eating. Not just pumpkin pie, roast pumpkin is quite good and pumpkin soup is something the Kiwis are especially fond of. (though neither Jules or I care for it).
As a result of this recognition of produce as... produce, the pumpkins are small, thick, meaty and mostly available pre-quartered for ease of consumption. They would never be found in mounds beach ball sized orange squash outside of a store. The best ones are right by the kumara(sweet potato), around the corner from the onions.
After selecting three greenish/orangish beauts from the produce section I proceed to the check out. While in line I hear, "a little bit of pumpkins soup, eh? Good stuff" "nothing wrong with pumpkin soup.
I offered back a muffled, 'yis' (fake kiwi accent).
This elderly man , possibly even looking for an invite for the massive amount of soup I'd be able to make from three large pumpkins, added. "good ole pumpkin soup"
I didn't want to break his heart and let him know that wasteful Americans actually bought pumpkins simply to hack to pieces and let rot on the front step. That be like telling me that in China they use beer to clean drains and not to drink.
So I gave him a smile back and quickly and quietly checked out.

As our party neared we prepared for our night by decorating our pumpkins.
Julie opted for the easier drawn pumpkin.









I meanwhile carved an apple as part of an odd tradition I started with Ryan and Amy. It's a bit trickier than a pumpkin, but it's still fun. Plus you can eat most of what you carve out.



Finally the moment had come. Time to take the knife to my green-orange veggie.

I scooped and scooped. Guts, pumpkin meat, IT ALL MUST GO!







After a warm up beer, it's finally time for the carving. Equal parts determination to saw through the thick skin and determination not to saw off a digit in the process...
Tada.







But of course I've done this before. We had to have some rookies give it a try.

Dervla, representing Ireland.









Laua, representing the UK.





Amy, also from the UK, and on her way to Australia




We enjoyed a good night of our guests company over a few beverages and tons of snacks.
Saturday, beginning a bit late in the Wood household, is mostly spent relaxing.
At 5:30, as I open the door to get a stronger cell signal for a text,. I see what appears to be a trident reaching across our door-step to poke my prized pumpkin. I'm perplexed until the owner of the red pitchfork appears decked out as a devil with three costumed accomplices.
TRICK OR TREAT!
'Oh, of course. Um, uh. We don't have any candy. I don't know what we have for treats.'
Thankfully my quick thinking wife called from her relaxed position of reading a book.
'Give them popsicles'
'Yes, um I hope there's enough unopened ones'(I hate pineapple popsicles and they package each popsicle in opaque packaging to confound me).
Luckily there were exactly 4.
I heard the children brag from accross the street as they opened their popsicles.
'I got red'
'I got green'
(drat those could have been mine, now I only have opened pineapple).

Well Julie sent me to the store after to take care of our candy shortage.
Now we've got a stock pot filled with mini-chocolates and a properly decorated house.

Happy Halloween