I've got over 1200 photos... plus a few zillion more that my mom took. I don't know where to start.
I've started sprinkling things in to my past blog entries, hope to get that finished tonight. But aside from that, what do you want to see??
Friday, May 4, 2007
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Re-Americanizing Myself
I slept in until noon today. But I'd been up for umpteen zillion hours before that, so I think I'm allowed. I also let my daughter skip school today. Don't tell.
So tonight, for the first time in 2 weeks I got behind the steering wheel, drove a car - on the right side of the road - dropped my daughter off at Girl Scouts, went to Taco Bell, and then shopped at Kroger. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I've also taught Delaynie how to say "Oh buggar! I about got skittled when I was down at the B-N-Zed!"
Things seemed to have gone along quite nicely without me. I came home to discover my husband installed FOUR new light fixtures for me - which I'd bought 2 months ago and we didn't ever seem to have the time to install. My cleaning lady took excellent care of the house, and it doesn't appear that Delaynie is flunking school. All is good. At least until I tackle the mountain of work awaiting me tomorrow.
I was met last night with a "Welcome Home" sign that Laynie had made and had her friends all sign, and a single white rose. I came home to discover (as if the light fixtures weren't enough!) a huge vase with more roses surrounded by caramel hershey's kisses. I'm one lucky lady!
I was hoping to get a few pictures up tonight, but something between my camera and my computer is corrupting pictures, so I'm afraid to try to do anything with my NZ photos. Although fortunately, all but the last dozen or so have already been loaded onto my brother's laptop, so at least there is a backup copy.
So tonight, for the first time in 2 weeks I got behind the steering wheel, drove a car - on the right side of the road - dropped my daughter off at Girl Scouts, went to Taco Bell, and then shopped at Kroger. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I've also taught Delaynie how to say "Oh buggar! I about got skittled when I was down at the B-N-Zed!"
Things seemed to have gone along quite nicely without me. I came home to discover my husband installed FOUR new light fixtures for me - which I'd bought 2 months ago and we didn't ever seem to have the time to install. My cleaning lady took excellent care of the house, and it doesn't appear that Delaynie is flunking school. All is good. At least until I tackle the mountain of work awaiting me tomorrow.
I was met last night with a "Welcome Home" sign that Laynie had made and had her friends all sign, and a single white rose. I came home to discover (as if the light fixtures weren't enough!) a huge vase with more roses surrounded by caramel hershey's kisses. I'm one lucky lady!
I was hoping to get a few pictures up tonight, but something between my camera and my computer is corrupting pictures, so I'm afraid to try to do anything with my NZ photos. Although fortunately, all but the last dozen or so have already been loaded onto my brother's laptop, so at least there is a backup copy.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Back on American Soil!
Greetings once again from Los Angeles, where I just collided with Deanna Carter and her son in the airport. 
This would be the plane that got me here, safe and sound.
Since last we talked, my little brother has bungy jumped off the Auckland Harbor Bridge. And I, who's deathly afraid of driving off a bridge and drowning, walked out to the bungy point in the middle of the bridge and watched him. They could have made a killing by selling valium along the way.
See the walkway under the bridge?
<---
Not fun.
Not fun at all.
I also had lunch in the revolving restaurant at the top of the Sky Tower and took a last look at the city. Awesome views and I was able to pick out alot of places I'd been.
My Wednesday lasts 42 hours today. About 36 of it I will have been awake. Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight!
I'm at LAX for the next several hours... cell phone is on if you're bored!
This would be the plane that got me here, safe and sound.
Since last we talked, my little brother has bungy jumped off the Auckland Harbor Bridge. And I, who's deathly afraid of driving off a bridge and drowning, walked out to the bungy point in the middle of the bridge and watched him. They could have made a killing by selling valium along the way.
See the walkway under the bridge?
<---
Not fun.
Not fun at all.
I also had lunch in the revolving restaurant at the top of the Sky Tower and took a last look at the city. Awesome views and I was able to pick out alot of places I'd been.
My Wednesday lasts 42 hours today. About 36 of it I will have been awake. Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight!
I'm at LAX for the next several hours... cell phone is on if you're bored!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Time's Almost Up!
I can't believe how fast this trip has gone - but at the same time I can't believe all the things I've done in the past 2 weeks!
I've gotten to see a ton of things in Auckland - The City of Sails - thanks to my awesome kiwi tour guide, Debbie. She has proven that Garth Nutts ROCK the world over.
We got into Auckland Sunday afternoon, after a teary goodbye with my rellies at the airport. Didn't do anything but find dinner and unpack. We have an apartment here, which is very spacious, although the combination washer / dryer is completely beyond our comprehension.
Debbie picked mom and I up yesterday morrning and chauffered us all over the city. We saw beaches, mountains, cattle and sheep. She took us to a couple of high points in the city where we had amazing views - both in daylight and at night. She even took us to the grocery store so we didn't starve! Totally went above and beyond, and we had a ton of fun (well at least I did) playing the "do you have this, do you have that?" game and comparing what we called things and how things were in the states. She was really a trooper.
OH! And TOTAL bonus - I got my dress for the ACM's, and paid about $11.25 usd for it. Score!
Today mom and I went to the Zoo, which was fabulous, and I got to feed a giraffe. We shopped and I got the last of my souvenir shopping done. Tomorrow I head home, it's the day I get two Wednesdays. So it better be a good day!
Next time I talk to you it will be from LAX!
P.S. Filled up that 2gb memory card!
I've gotten to see a ton of things in Auckland - The City of Sails - thanks to my awesome kiwi tour guide, Debbie. She has proven that Garth Nutts ROCK the world over.
We got into Auckland Sunday afternoon, after a teary goodbye with my rellies at the airport. Didn't do anything but find dinner and unpack. We have an apartment here, which is very spacious, although the combination washer / dryer is completely beyond our comprehension.
Debbie picked mom and I up yesterday morrning and chauffered us all over the city. We saw beaches, mountains, cattle and sheep. She took us to a couple of high points in the city where we had amazing views - both in daylight and at night. She even took us to the grocery store so we didn't starve! Totally went above and beyond, and we had a ton of fun (well at least I did) playing the "do you have this, do you have that?" game and comparing what we called things and how things were in the states. She was really a trooper.
OH! And TOTAL bonus - I got my dress for the ACM's, and paid about $11.25 usd for it. Score!Today mom and I went to the Zoo, which was fabulous, and I got to feed a giraffe. We shopped and I got the last of my souvenir shopping done. Tomorrow I head home, it's the day I get two Wednesdays. So it better be a good day!
Next time I talk to you it will be from LAX!
P.S. Filled up that 2gb memory card!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Headed to Auckland!
My last morning to wake up and have coffee by the ocean. This afternoon we're headed to Auckland for my last few days down under.
We took our leftover bread down and fed the sea gulls this morning - along with a ton of other birds that congregated once the word got out of what we were up to.Debbie - I shall call you tonight!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Rain Rain Go Away!
I was supposed to climb Mt. Maunganui today. (And for the record, not only can I spell it, I can pronounce it too!) However, we've had hours worth of torrential rains, so it would be a muddy slippery mess. Buggar!
Our pavlova experiment went well, but we're going to try again tonight. Because you can never have too much pav. I've also aquired my Aunt's recipe for chocolate fudge cake, so I'm bringing back that, and some wine biscuits to make it. Another thing I'm bringing back - Pea, Pie & Pud. Yummy!
Toured a kiwi fruit farm yesterday, and got to see the packing plant where they were sorting and packing boxes to ship all over New Zealand. The area I'm staying in is called the Bay of Plenty. They have tons and tons of fruit that gets exported from here, from Tangelos to Avacados. I tried the feijoa Debbie - yummy! I liked it much better than the passion fruit. My dad and brother took a helicopter ride over the Bay of Plenty and said it was awesome.
We also got to play in the ocean a little yesterday. I think I preferred the beach in Dunedin, but we found lots of pretty shells, including a paua shell! I've bought a lot of paua jewlery on this trip.
I talked to Delaynie this morning, Gary pulled her out of school Friday at lunch time and took her out to lunch and to play glo-golf. I'm going to come home and she's going to be spoiled rotten.
Oh - I sent a bunch of postcards in Dunedin, the mail system here is SO confusing -- I wound up buying stamps for 2 different systems without knowing it. Either way, it's $1.50 to mail a postcard! So I'm not getting to send as many as I'd like. If anyone reading this gets one, you'll have to let me know when it arrived, and we'll see which mail system is faster. ;-)
Tomorrow afternoon we leave here and head to Auckland for our last few days.
Our pavlova experiment went well, but we're going to try again tonight. Because you can never have too much pav. I've also aquired my Aunt's recipe for chocolate fudge cake, so I'm bringing back that, and some wine biscuits to make it. Another thing I'm bringing back - Pea, Pie & Pud. Yummy!
Toured a kiwi fruit farm yesterday, and got to see the packing plant where they were sorting and packing boxes to ship all over New Zealand. The area I'm staying in is called the Bay of Plenty. They have tons and tons of fruit that gets exported from here, from Tangelos to Avacados. I tried the feijoa Debbie - yummy! I liked it much better than the passion fruit. My dad and brother took a helicopter ride over the Bay of Plenty and said it was awesome.We also got to play in the ocean a little yesterday. I think I preferred the beach in Dunedin, but we found lots of pretty shells, including a paua shell! I've bought a lot of paua jewlery on this trip.
I talked to Delaynie this morning, Gary pulled her out of school Friday at lunch time and took her out to lunch and to play glo-golf. I'm going to come home and she's going to be spoiled rotten.
Oh - I sent a bunch of postcards in Dunedin, the mail system here is SO confusing -- I wound up buying stamps for 2 different systems without knowing it. Either way, it's $1.50 to mail a postcard! So I'm not getting to send as many as I'd like. If anyone reading this gets one, you'll have to let me know when it arrived, and we'll see which mail system is faster. ;-)
Tomorrow afternoon we leave here and head to Auckland for our last few days.
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