Melbourne here I come

Yeah yeah, heading to Melbourne, can not wait!!
Heading over for four days, haven't been back for about 8 years, did I mention I cant wait!
Taking Dave with me, so it is a good opportunity to take him around all my old haunts (although I doubt they will still be there, so we get to make some new old haunts)

Kaitaki Plus

So, we ended up having a lovely wedding for Dad, Cat looked gorgeous, and the weather in Nelson held out (I hear that is the norm for there).
Drove from Nelson to Picton this morning in the pouring rain, and to be honest with the amount of traffic on the road, didnt think it was going to happen.
The upshot is, if you are on the Kaitaki ferry crossing the straight, and the ship is chokka and it is raining so you cant hang outside, the best thing you can do is invest $60 each and get into Kaitaki Plus lounge...free beer and wine and nibbles, internet access (this is how you blog while crossing the straight) and it has seats available!!!!!

Unashamed plug for Picton Accomodation

So, you always start out with the best intentions, however some how you never get to blog as often as you would like.
So here I am, sick and on a mini break traveling our way to Nelson for Dad's wedding, first stop Picton.
Found this B&B on Wotif (an excellent source of accomodation).

McCormick House, a lovely villa in Picton with absolutely wonderful hosts who make you feel like they really have taken you under their wing and into their house.
Beautifully manicured lawns just inviting you to walk around bare feet (felt nervous when we took Rocco for a walk, you didn't think we left him behind did you?)
Jeanne and Carl spent 2 years with no income renovating the place, and the end result is just awesome.
Will definitely stay again.

We stayed in the Palm room...just heaven!

Husband Neglect?

I found this rather amusing... serves him right

Dozy film-goer left in the dark
The Press Friday, 07 March 2008
A Christchurch man paid the price for dozing off while on a date with his wife last night.
Radio reports say a husband and wife were at the film PS I Love You at Hoyts Cinema in Northlands Mall, when the man nodded off.
His annoyed wife decided not bother to wake him up at the end of the movie and went home alone.
She woke at 3am to discover her husband had still not made it home so rang his cellphone and woke him up.
The man then set off the mall's alarm system when he tried to leave.
Radio said police arrived to find a very embarrassed couple.
A police spokesman said it sounded like a case of "husband neglect'' to him.
A Hoyts Cinemas representative could not be reached for comment.

2008 America's make or break decision

So its Saturday night, and my Internet connection is not working (well lets be fair, my Ethernet cable is poked so is not working) so I have to watch Larry King. Inevitably, at a late hour one always likes to have thoughts on things, that at the end of the day no one will ever ask me about. Ah, the joy of the blog.

So Hillary/Obama/McCain, and I know you all want to know my thoughts:

First of all, doubtless of how convinced I am that McCain would actually make a good president; America is not ready for another republican at the moment, so that was quick.

In fact, America is not ready for a president but a visionary. There is a lot of hurt that needs to be healed not just externally, but more than anything within America. If America is not whole, with the power that it can wield, it becomes a toddler, with toy throwing issues (just more people can loose their lives).

Personally, Barak is required, nay essential, for the first term, to reunite America, and get dialogue moving on a level that is not laced with disdain with America. This is important, fundamentally so. If all that happens in his term was that America becomes the United States of America again, it will have been the most important geopolitical, economical and most orientated towards peace effort that America would have done so far this century.

Hillary is going to be an awesome president. She has the nonce and more importantly the ability to actually be a president to move forward. Just not now, she needs the foundation that Obama would create, for no platform, democrat or republican can effectively be attempted without unity.

America first needs to be cohesive (Obama) then it can move forward economically and geo-politically (Clinton).

NZ is so hot right now!

Courtesy of the Apple Website, I would like to introduce you all to Eagle vs Shark. One of the funniest NZ films in, like, ages.
A wry comedy that chronicles the quirky romance of two awkward misfits, Lily (Loren Horsley), a shy fast-food restaurant cashier, and her crush, Jarrod (Jemaine Clement, HBO’s One Night Stand: the Fight of the Conchords), an electronic store clerk. On the day Lily gets fired from her job at Meaty Boy, she musters up the courage to attend Jarrod’s annual “come as your favorite animal” costume party. The dressy affair sparks the beginnings of a romance as well as a small journey for the pair to Jarrod’s quiet hometown.

Business Time?

For those of you with your heads in the sand, or are just new to the whole internet thing, you have to check out Flight of the Concords. An awesome NZ folk parody group (they just won an emmy). They are huge on you tube, so have a look at all their hilarious clips.

Did I mention how cute he is?

English language not required

There are some amazing blogs in this world, and some insanely talented people. Here is a blog that has some of the most crystal clear stunning photos I have ever seen. Don't understand a word of it, however the images transcend the need.

Always check your childrens homework

Blow up dolls - not always safe sex

ARKANSAS CITY (AP) -- A Little Rock woman was killed yesterday after leaping through her moving car's sun roof during an incident best described as "a mistaken rapture" by dozens of eye witnesses. Thirteen other people were injured after a twenty-car pile up resulted from people trying to avoid hitting the woman who was apparently convinced that the rapture was occurring when she saw twelve people floating up into the air, and then passed a man on the side of the road who she claimed was Jesus.

"She started screaming "He's back, He's back" and climbed right out of the sunroof and jumped off the roof of the car," said Everet Williams, husband of 28-year-old Georgann Williams who was pronounced dead at the scene. "I was slowing down but she wouldn't wait till I stopped," Williams said. She thought the rapture was happening and was convinced that Jesus was gonna lift her up into the sky," he went on to say.

"This is the strangest thing I've seen since I've been on the force,"said Paul Madison, first officer on the scene. Madison questioned the man who looked like Jesus and discovered that he was dressed up as Jesus and was on his way to a toga costume party when the tarp covering the bed of his pickup truck came loose and released twelve blowup dolls filled with helium which floated up into the air.

Ernie Jenkins, 32, of Fort Smith, who's been told by several of his friends that he looks like Jesus, pulled over and lifted his arms into the air in frustration, and said "Come back here," just as the Williams' car passed him.

Mrs. Williams was sure that it was Jesus lifting people up into the sky as they passed by him, according to her husband, who says his wife loved Jesus more than anything else.

When asked for comments about the twelve dolls, Jenkins replied "This is all just too weird for me. I never expected anything like this to happen."

By the way, the story is false, in case you needed verification. Check out Urban Legends for further humorous stories like this one.

Puppies and Flowers rock

I love this blog.
The other day I was reading about the weird Germans and the cannibalism that they do (well gross generalization, however from the article I was reading, the defense lawyer made it sound so common place, that I assume there are restaurants) and it was icking me out, so went to good old google, and the first thing I typed into the search engine was a great blog to take your mind off things. Since then, I visit religiously.

One of the fascinating articles at Puppies and Flowers
Restaurant sorry of the F Word

Some of the reasons why I Love New Zealand

For those of you from Australia, no nice possums were hurt in these photo's

I have my own Mogwai!

And he has his own post where you can see "A running Jumping commentary of one mogwai's life"
Critically acclaimed writing (I critique it, its great)
Check it out for his daily happenings.

Melbourne Trip

Oh my goodness, Melbourne was just as fantastic as I remember it was!
Caught up with the Cousins and Aunt on the first day which was awesome, then spent the Monday cruising on the Yarrah river and walking around City CBD.