Happy Halloween

This is the first time in my life that Halloween has passed by virtually unnoticed. Apart from a few websites having neat jack-o-lantern designs and my fave NZ tv show having a halloween party, there was nothing. No delcious candy in orange and black wrappers, no isles filled with halloween junk, no fake spiderwebs strung in corners, and no trick or treaters. The closest halloweenie thing that happened today was the sky at dusk. It was pretty neat. Did I mention that Halloween is my favorite holiday?

flashback from last year (creativity with white sheets)

wee garden

We have been hammered by spring rains for the last few weeks and our wee garden plants have handled it better than I expected them to. In this particular bed we put in a few different kinds of lettuce, hot peppers and some spinach. The tomatoes, basil and more peppers are sprouting in containers in the house. In a few more weeks they will be ready to go in and hopefully the weather will be warm enough to make them flourish. Our herbs and lavender (mmm my fave) are also doing well in pots. This is our first real garden (outside of pots on the back porch). Now all we need is to figure out where to put up the hammock so we can sit, swing, and gaze at the fruits of our labors.

Not sure what this flower is but it popped up along our sidewalk :D

Nerd Report

After hearing a discussion on the radio about egg production and how much better free range eggs are we decided to buy some slightly more expensive free range eggs. After frying a few up the verdict is in, they are delicious. Not only are they larger than the 'normal' ones (although I don't think that there is much about the production of those eggs), they are tastier too mmm mmm.

However, according to wikipedia, the laws concerning free range eggs in the U.S. are all willynilly and labeling eggs free range doesn't really mean they have to be free range. Lame.

One more egg note: when you get a fried egg at a restaurant here it is always sunny side up. If you are someone who despises runny yolks make sure you remember to say something when ordering eggs while visiting me (unless you are having breakfast at my place - don't worry, i'll cook your yolk).

Sundays are for...

sleeping in, drinking large cups of coffee, watching the kitty traffic parade through the back yard, eating omelets and cheese scones, world cup footie reruns, and dreaming of new patterns to knit.

Last night we hauled ourselves over to the wunderbar which was a treat in itself (be sure to check out the 360 images of both inside and out on their site). We we were there to watch the band of this guy that I work with, insurgents. They opened for this band from Auckland the situations. Although turnout for the show wasn't great and the sets were short, both of us enjoyed the music and being out and about. On the downside it made me feel really old. All the kids in insurgents are 18 and they and all their friends dress like they are living in the 80s, especially the girls!!! They all had so much spunk and uncontained energy, it was impressive and entertaining. But back to the 80s dress code, why Why WHY??? Is it this bad back in the states? Did all those awful styles really make it back? I guess none of them experienced it for the first time so it is new and novel for them. All the same I pray it is short-lived (because it is making me feel old and crabby lol).

itch to knit

Although I have switched hemispheres and therefore reversed all the seasons, the season for the itch to knit still coincides with autumn in the northern hemisphere (which isn't very convenient if you think about it). But thanks to maepress I have found this fab pattern that I have an itch to knit. Tomorrow I am going to the lys and picking up some skeins of yarn and maybe some longer circular needles (if I can find them).

Over the weekend blue and I were working on the banks peninsula and even though it is spring here, we still needed the wood stove at the lodge. I took advantage of the ambiance and worked a few rows on a washcloth that has been on the needles for an embarrassingly long time.


This was sunrise on sunday morning, the beautiful morning sky resulted in nasty cold, rainy, foggy weather for the rest of the day (that we had to work in). Thankfully there were some beautiful moments that redeemed it!

bowl o' plenty

fruits, originally uploaded by mmm gin.

Our local produce store (The Funky Pumpkin) has been supplying us with delicious and interesting new fruits and vegetables. In this bowl there were a few new items for us: Longans (the little brown guys) they had this white opaque fruit with a cherry pit like seed under the easy to peel skin, tamarillos (the red oblongs ones) these are fun to squish up, bite the end off and suck out the inside (apparently that is how the kids 'round here eat them), pluots (the ones that look like a combo between a plum and apricot), and purple passion fruit (the purple one) yum. We have also had a few persimmons (the orange guy in the back) and enjoyed the golden kiwis common here (the skin is a little easier to eat :)

mmmmmm fruit

I picked this can of salmon out because of the sweet label. Blue said the label is the very reason he did not pick it out. But I reckon it must be delicious, it's from Canadia.

hike hike hike hike hike hike hike

or if you are speaking kiwi: tramp tramp tramp tramp tramp tramp tramp. Yeah, they call hiking or backpacking tramping here. According to wikipedia, tramping involves camping, but from what I can tell from talking to kiwis, a hearty day hike can also be considered a tramp.

Anyhoo, there has been a lot of tramping going on here the last few weekends. 2 weeks ago we headed north to Hanmer Springs were we did a long day hike to the top of mt isobel and back (the above pic is me at the top). It wasn't as cold as the larger mountains in the background make it appear. There was some snow (as seen in the foreground) but the breeze was only slight and it was sunny and nice. After the long hours on the trail we headed to the town's hot springs to relax for a few hours before driving back to Christchurch. We decided that all long hikes should end in a few relaxing hours of thermal pools, it helped ease the soreness more than expected. sooooo wonderful...

September???

Holy Wow, it is September! Where did June, July, and August go??? Anyone? Well at least that means that spring is here/just around the corner, unfortunately that means that autumn is just around the corner up there. Eventually I may get used to this complete switch of seasons, but for now it still seems like it should be hot, humid summer weather.
The past few days have brought these wonderful northwesterly winds that are all warm and springlike. The sun has been shining and the lambs frolicking. Tomorrow blue and I are headed out on the (banks) peninsula to do some field work. It should be a great change of pace from being stuck behind an espresso machine all day (or behind a computer)!

*no rain no rain no rain*
*big sunshine big sunshine*
*no rain*

here's hoping for some warm weather

I haven't been home in the day light to take photos of the place, but this one was taken by blue before some items were added/arranged (note the upgraded couch).

And this is our new kitchen which seems to be working out quite well. We entertained over the weekend and all four of us mingled comfortably.

Not much else is new here, just workin' for the man (or the woman, 50/50 really). I don't have to work this Saturday and am happy to have my first 2 day weekend in a month! HURRAY! Wish I could say that we have something planned, but as of yet that is not the case. Perhaps we will work on the garden or at least on the garden plan. It has been cold here all week and I am hoping for a warm spell in our future, this weekend does not look promising in that respect.

New Flat

We are moved in to the new place, but are still collecting goods, mostly purchased via internet auction. Unfortunately when we moved in the place had not been cleaned so we have been doing that and unpacking/accumulating things to make it more comfortable. Today we picked up the desk for our office and a larger area heater. The photo below is of our 'love seat' and coffee table aka our living room furniture as of now (total cost $31). This weekend we will pick up the couch and borrowed washer and kitchen table/chairs.
Once we are settled in I will post some more photos!

sheep drives

So today I got caught in my second sheep drive...ON MY BIKE!!! I wasn't really sure what to do (either time) and since I was going with the flow of sheep I just scootched by on the side of the road. The sheep got freaked out, as sheep do, and ran away from me as I approached them. Although, I did get a good scare from one who stopped not too far in front of me and stared at me, but she moved just in the knick of time.
My first sheep drive occurred last week, but I was in the car and moving against the flow of sheep. Again I just scootched around them, but I had to drive on the right side of the road. I couldn't help but take the opportunity to snap a pic through my dirty windshield! Oh and right after the first sheep drive, there was a cattle drive, it too was funny and entertaining, but just not as cool as the sheep.
Many of the local sheep are lambing right now, so I got to see some cute little lambs on my ride today too and some momma sheep with loads of milk hangin' low.

some pics

These are the socks that I finished probably a month ago and haven't taken a picture of them until just now. I used my computer camera because I am too lazy to to use a real camera and then upload it. But these socks are great, made with yarn that was gifted to me about a year ago (thanks sk) I used a grumperina pattern that was in the spring interweave (i think).

This next pic I took when we first got here. Our hotel was right by this tutu shop and I thought it was hilarious. I also thought my sis kiki would think it was funny, so this one is for you!



And lastly, this is one of me making a funny face, on a windy windy day in lyttleton (with texas hair - rache take some tips!).

A dearly missed 4th of July :(

I missed the 4th of July this year. There were no boca brats, potato chips, fire works, sparklers or alcoholic binges this year. There was also no hot weather or swimming either. Ah, but there was one good thing this year - a job! I had an interview in the morning and was offered the job in the afternoon. It is only a part time position, but comes with some good perks. Now instead of blue working in my lab on projects similar to mine, I will be working in his department on projects similar to his! Should be fun and I am excited to work on invasive species stuff since I never have before! I will still keep my cafe job which will be good for the bank account!

In other recent events, we have found a bigger apartment, in a more central location. It is not too far from the beach, at the base of the hill (at the top of which are hiking and biking trails), and it is a lot closer to the city center. We will now have to commute into Lincoln for work, but it is so boring here, I think it will be worth it. We move in 3 weeks and I am very excited about the prospect of having a bathtub and a garden :)

British Comedy, FUNNY?

This weekend Blue and I did a little touring around Christchurch. We happened by a park that had some sort of historical/cultural event going on. There was food, people in costumes, and pinwheels. We tried a kabob and did a little people watching. The pic to the left is some weird clock downtown. Doesn't it look like two completely different pieces? (not to mention that building in the background) Maybe it is, I didn't stop to see if there was public indication of it. Oh, and I took it while I was driving :D (much to blue's chagrin).

I have also discovered a hilarious british comedy tv show (yeah I know sounds like an oxymoron). It is called Man Stroke Woman and is a skit show (much funnier than SNL). I wasn't able to watch the clips on the official page. But youtube has some great clips. This is one of my fave's.

Pasha Bulker

A few weeks ago a storm off the coast of australia successfully beached the pasha bulker on a popular swimming beach in Newcastle. It is quite a sight and the australian news we get is constantly talking about it, especially since there is a big storm coming and they are afraid it is going to break open and spew oil all over the place. They are hoping to wait until next month when the tide is higher to try and pull it out, but in the mean time sand is accumulating all around it and it is becoming more and more stuck. It looks pretty cool though!
There are some cool pics if you click here.

Fibre art

I recognized this song from an ipod commercial, but didn't know the artist or that they were from NZ. Interstingly enough, they apparently are into the fiber art. (it is Steriogram - Walkie Talkie Man)

Kiwi phrases, top 7 (cause that is all i can think of):

7: Good as gold (We have this saying in the states, but it isn't used at the same frequency as it is here)

6: Mate (yeah you've all heard this one, it mean friend, but is used constantly)

5: mmm (a low grumbly noise made in agreement)

4: Tartlet (a derogatory comment used between females)

3: Cheers (This word pretty much means anything, but mostly thanks and good bye)

2: Good onya (means "good for you" but is used much more casually and often than you would say good for you)

1: Ta (I just noticed this one yesterday, but then heard it nonstop. Maybe I was tuning it out before. Anyway it means "thanks" and I like it the best :) I asked where it originated from, but the kiwis I work with didn't know)

Finally, the coast

I've picked up extra shifts and will be working all weekend so blue and I decided to take a little morning adventure today. We headed towards the closest coast and captured some photos on the way (check out the fickr account). We ended up stopping at a few beaches including Shag Rock on Sumner Beach and Taylors Mistake, a local surfing beach. The sun was out today which made the sea breezes tolerable, I would even call it pleasant (with a jacket). I tested the water and it was a bit chilly, ok it was COLD! But there were some brave surfers out trying to catch a wave (I didn't see anyone actually catch one).

Blue also put up some pics from our jaunt to Lake Tekapo a few weeks ago. Click here to view. Check out my sweet rainbow pic :D

if you ever wondered

how to make a 'beverage can stove' go here. Oh wikihow, how great you are. There's lots of great stuff on there, I can see myself wasting a lot of time learning how to do/make stuff that I will never make.

So despite the one girl that works once a week trying to boss me around on the day that she is there, my little barista job is working out pretty well. I have been picking up extra shifts, making delicious coffees, and I even got paid time and half on monday for the "queen's birthday" (which is supposedly actually in april...) In order to make up for the extra pay that employees get, we had to charge the customers an extra 10% on all purchases. It was weird, but luckily easy math (the registers aren't capable of it apparently). Oh and also, since I work the closing shift, I get to take home lots of food that doesn't get sold (like pies, bread and desserts). This also means, less grocery shopping for me. Hurray! I hate grocery shopping here, it is so stressful. On top of having to decide what to buy and what brand to choose, I have to decide if the item is worth the price (and everything just seems SO expensive!) So yeah! free food :D

Not much else has been going on here besides work. No knitting. However, blue gave me a gift certificate to a local knitting store. Maybe I'll pick out some inspirational yarn this weekend to get me going again.


Here is a picture of some trees to demonstrate how autumn like it is here. Very windy (and chilly) today.