Nevilland

When One Blog Closes...

2009-08-18T23:28:00.002+12:00

... another opens in its place!

So, followers of Nev's blog who are wondering what has happened to the Kiwi, fear no more!

Basically, he lost his password and what-have-you for posting here, so his blog has been regenerated (to borrow one of his Doctor Who terms) and you can join him here:

Shootin' The Breeze

The layout and colour scheme might get the odd little cosmetic tweak here and there, but the above address will be its new and permanent home.

Welcome back to the Blogging World, Neville!

Heat Wave!!

2009-01-23T22:48:00.002+13:00

Time again to flog the Blog. MAN it is hot!! Reminds me of some lines from Good Morning, Vietnam - "Fool, why it's HOT, I told you again!!! What were you born on the SUN? It's DANG hot!" "What's the weather like right now?" "You got a window? Open it." Hot, hot, hot....I've had three cans of pop; three bottles of lager; I've startin' on the Scotch.....I might de-tox over the Weekend......we'll see...

Today, I drove the local Model T Railcar for the first time, with my own passengers, since 2005!!! Has it really been that long?! I only had 6 passengers over the whole day, but they were attentive & interesting! Tomorrow, I plan to get snapped in LOADS of t-shirts, for a new online photo album. AND - maybe a little Auditioning!

Cheeseburger Thursday

2008-12-11T18:09:00.002+13:00

Tonight, I made Cheeseburgers from scratch, while wearing my McDonalds top. I bought this many years ago; it looks like I'm on the McDonalds crew! ...which I was, of course, back in the early '90s. However, I'll admit, I couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen! - so I got out, to work elsewhere in the building.

I've been really missing my sister today. I played her music on her old Radio/CD player; and posted a framed photo of her to my brother. There are reminders of her everywhere here, of course; since we got quite a few things from her house. Also, if I haven't mentioned it before, I bought a couple of CDs by The Hollies in memory of Gwen; to get one particular song. Surprisingly, of the 20 or so CDs they have available on t'internet, only one has the song I wanted!!!

Health Update

2008-11-29T18:19:00.002+13:00

Well, my blood pressure has been monitored by my wife over the past couple of weeks; and yesterday, I saw my Doctor (about my knee). She checked my BP; it concerned her that it's so high, so she reviewed my meds...now I'm on 7.5mg of Inhibace, and she's doubled my dose of Felodipine to combat my high BP.

My Left Knee
When we lived on the Isle of Wight, my right knee became twisted, while I worked at McD's. Now, 11 years later, I've knocked my LEFT knee! It was X-Rayed last Thursday week; the bones are fine, but the ligaments and cartilage are suspect. She wants me to see an Orthopod.
I'll keep you posted.....

Mail Update

2008-11-28T08:15:00.002+13:00

OK, so some of my friends may be aware...I keep a keen eye out for Val, our Postie - for the letters, packets & parcels she brings! Last Saturday, my patience (or lack thereof) was rewarded...I got TWO CDs in the mail, plus 1 Dalek t-shirt for Zoe! OK, it's not Pink, like I thought it was...it's White...so I'll dye it Pink for her. Then, I had to wait 'til yesterday, to get more...another CD, and another t-shirt; this time for little Ben! I could see one packet sticking out of the Mailbox from the kitchen window, and I was pretty confident there would be another, so I took Ben with me to carry them in...he enjoys that kind of thing... Okay it wasn't quite as exciting as when the Talking Dalek Hot Water Bottle Cover arrived two weeks ago, but hey, I love getting parcels!!!

There are still about 7 things due in the Mail...more CDs, an Alex Borstein DVD - Drop Dead Gorgeous, in a Down To Earth Kind of Way - two more t-shirts, and a Christmas present!

Freaky Friday!!!

2008-11-21T11:16:00.002+13:00

OK, so why is today Freaky Friday? It's 'cos, like, I was in the shower this morning, and I got thinking about yesterday....

So, I walked into this shop to buy some socks for my brother (and some for me). And floating down from the mezzanine floor, I hear the words, "Dr.Who.....Daleks...." So I called up to the floor above, "Did I hear the words, "Doctor Who?"...and this man looks down and says, "what" & I repeated the Q., and he says, "Aww g'day! We were just talking about you and your Dr.Who collection!!" *** I don't know these people...so I was surprised to hear this!! OK, I did bring in my talking Dalek slippers, to get some Possum Fur insoles; maybe that was it....

Anyway, the upshot is, now they want me to bring in my Dalek Hot Water Bottle, so I can get her to talk to them. Funny old world, innit!

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Naturally, I've been keeping an eye on the Money Markets. The $US has fallen by more than 23 cents against the $NZ since August, which is not good. It'll be quite a while before I buy another big box of Dr. Who goodies from the USA! The Pound, on the other hand, is looking much better.

Thirsty Thursday

2008-11-20T19:02:00.002+13:00

Well, yesterday came & went; and not one CD was found in our Mailbox... :-( However, one WAS found in it today - the musical soundtrack of Dr.Who, Series 4! Hoorah! I'll play it on our way to see my Mum on Saturday; it's a drive of about 150 mins.

Today, I got my knee X-rayed; I'm hoping to find out what's wrong with it soon!

Wacky Wednesday!

2008-11-19T07:21:00.002+13:00

I'm feeling a little Wacky on this sunny summer Wednesday!! I've come to realise that I'll have to delve into my savings account to pay my credit card bill this month; more's the pity...good thing I haven't ordered much this month! I'd planned on ordering Zoe a Sonic Lipstick in addition to the stuff I've already got her for Christmas, but that'll have to wait now.

I have high hopes for the Mail today! No less than six Dr.Who CDs are on their way, from Sendit.com and eBay; so there's a lot coming to enjoy!! Two are stories read by ex-companions - Liz Shaw and Romana II, respectively; two more are Paul McGann & Sheridan Smith audiop plays; one is a classic story featuring Jamie, Zoe and the 2nd Doctor; and finally...the music from Series 4!!! YUMMY, SCRUMMY!!!! ;-p

I got something in the mail yesterday from the University, but it was only a newsletter from the Department of History & Philosophy.

My Exam....

2008-11-16T20:47:00.002+13:00

...my first for 12 years!!! :-o

How'd it go?? Well Ally (and any other readers), I got there, finally having found out precisely where the local Poly is; and found the right lecture block. I asked "What happens if I wanna go to the loo?" The lady said, "Well...you can't! Can you go now?" I did; then (shortly later) it was time for the Blockbusters and Biopics Exam to start! There were two sections: (1) Short Answers - choose 10 questions of 30 and answer 'em quick!, and (2) - Short Essays. The Short Answers were easy questions like, "Who directed Doctor Strangelove?" and "Who played the Queen in Elizabeth?" Then I moved onto the three Short Essay questions. I wrote a lot about Mississippi Burning; and not quite so much about Elizabeth and Saving Private Ryan - but I think I may have passed!

After my Exam, I went to have my first-ever lunch in the Poly Cafe. I saw a huge dog there, on a lead, with a young woman - honestly, this canine would make a great sofa for a coupla 3-year-olds! I went up to pat him, but I stopped short when I saw the patches on his jacket that said, "Don't Pat Me, I'm Working." Fair enough, mate - you're doing a good job! I wonder how much the doggie makes b4 Tax....in case you're wondering, he was a Psychiatric Services Dog.

49 Hours To Go

2008-10-27T08:04:00.002+13:00

Just 49 hours to go; then I'll sit my first exam in over 12 years! I'm nervous, and a little excited. I feel like I'll get my life back in the afternoon of the 29th October!!! To prepare, I've watched Doctor Strangelove (for the sixth time, at least); Vera Drake (a really well-done '50s Brit drama); and Elizabeth - The Golden Years (a beautiful, if rather misleading film about the later years of the "Virgin Queen's" reign). I've also read about "the Royals in the Movies", and found out something fascinating...movies about the Royals are heavily influenced by the times! Obvious, one would think; but I've never thought of movies about Royalty like that. For example, The Madness of King George and Mrs. Brown were made in the 90s; they reflect royal scandal (or the hint of one), and the 90s were rife with scandal in the House of Windsor.

On Saturday, we went to the wedding of Brad & Joanne; Brad had asked me to come in my Dr.Who costume. One friend asked, "What makes it Dr Who?" So, I showed her my 35th Anniversary Gold-plated pocket watch; my TARDIS tie; and of course, the Tom Baker scarf (how could she miss it?).

A Bad Cold!

2008-10-22T08:12:00.002+13:00

Past coupla days, I've had a worsening cold....going through hankies & tissues like nobody's business...my ears have been blocked, I have a croaky voice....if I didn't have to study for my exam, I'd spend all of today in bed....!

A Visitor

2008-10-22T08:06:00.002+13:00

The last couple of days have been very pleasant; an old friend has come to visit! I met Jack about 28 years ago. He drove up from my home town of Dunedin. On Monday, he had lunch here, and we watched the pilot of The Sarah Jane Adventures. In the evening, I took him to meet some local friends of mine; we watched the DVD of Mississippi Burning, which is part of my course work. Then yesterday, we went out to the Shearers' Quarters, a nice little cafe in the country. It was good to catch up with Jack!

Pleasant Valley Sunday

2008-10-19T22:25:00.002+13:00

Nice day, today...went to a combined service, in the city, this morning....parked outside Toyworld. It began at 10am. I commented to the woman behind us, whose kids have often babysat for us: "I'm not looking forward to getting up early, for 9am services next year...it'll be difficult..." After the service, she said: "It's alright for you Townies..." she stopped herself just in time from saying "You don't have lives," but carried on: "We got up early anyway, being country folk, so it's no problem to us!" We live right on the edge on town; they are 1/2 a mile further out.

This arvo, our Russian/Ukrainan friends came round; it was good to see them. I talked with Sergei, and drank his home brew, while our children played on our trampoline. A lovely afternoon.

Saturday in Timaru

2008-10-18T19:03:00.003+13:00

We have a new Minister coming to our Church soon; and so today, I mowed the lawn around the Church Manse. It was the first time I've done this. I commented to Don, the bloke who introduced me to the Manse mower, "It's a good thing I don't have arthritis, so I can crouch down as I mow under the tree!" :) It only took half an hour; and the blustery wind had lessened a bit by the time I started, at 10:05am.

This afternoon, we went to visit a little old lady in town, who's like an honorary Grandma for me. The kids like her, and her little dog! She wasn't quite with it today. I noticed how stale the air was in her house, and decided to comment on it: "You might want to get some fresh air in here," I quipped, shortly before leaving. "Why?" she chirped, "Did you fart?" Honestly! The old people these today..... :-D

Back to School :)

2008-10-17T20:02:00.002+13:00

What did I Do Today....I wrote to my Mum; watched an episode of Dr Who with the commentary on; made meself a cut lunch, and went to School to have lunch with my Children! Ben looked really chuffed to see me! It was lovely, sitting there on the grass at their School, nibbling on me peanut-butter-and-cheese sarnies (37 years & still lovin' 'em!). It was the Parents & Grandparents, Join Your Kids for Lunch day at the School. I only noticed 8 or so other parents, but I guess with a lot of families, both parents work. After a few minutes, Margaret joined us, so that was neat!

As Arkwright Said....

2008-10-16T22:54:00.002+13:00

"It's been a funny day," as old Arkwright said. (for those who don't know, it's from Open All Hours, a venerable BBC telly programme, about a stuttering Yorkshire shopkeeper). I had a headache off & on today; it's off now. Didn't get any study done! I'll do some tomorrow; definite.

I haven't done any Dalek building for ages....wifey & I will do more on our Dalek project, after my exam (29th Oct).

Meanwhile, the traders are still doing the Wall Street Shuffle (10cc song). Surprisingly, the US Dollar held firm during the last 24 hours; only dropping 0.06c. This, despite the markets all doing their impression of Olympic synchronised diving!!! I googled "Economic Deflation" today; it didn't make good reading!

I'm doing well at selling excess goods; sold 3 more items this week :) Ah well, bedtime....

US Dollar Recovering...

2008-10-15T22:07:00.002+13:00

I've been meaning to write about this for a while...the shaky US Dollar gave me a heck of a fright last week, when it fell 3 cents in one day!! As a small-time importer, I was concerned...well, after all, the more their dollar falls, the more it costs me! I ordered more US goods two days later, before it fell much further! I think it was at about NZ 64c.

Well, the goods arrived TODAY....fantastic! There were a LOT of things for other people, who are paying me to get them Dr.Who gear. Also, toys that are gonna be Christmas presents for my kids!

Meanwhile, on the US share markets are starting to bounce back. I cannot believe, that Hank Paulson isn't unemployed yet! I don't usually get political on here, but, man alive - the guy started this whole world-wide financial meltdown, and he's STILL the US Treasury Secretary!
Well, I hope the Bird of Paradise flies up HIS nose.....

Family Bereavement

2008-09-17T22:30:00.002+12:00

I'm still in shock...my brother just rang to let me know, my Sister died Today. I can't believe it... she wasn't even 60. We don't know yet why she passed away. If it was lack of exercise, I'd better get moving! I haven't exactly been a ball of fire lately. We often argued, my sister & me....but on the bright side, our last visit to Dunedin (where most of my family lives) was very pleasant. Gwen & I parted on good terms. Just the other day, I took photos of the kids for her; when they were on little horses at the Racetrack....

Our Winter Holiday, Day 4

2008-08-22T12:26:00.002+12:00

Well, the day dawned bright & sunny.....we did a little shopping before leaving for points East. I bought a DVD for myself; and another for the kids - Stingray. Around 11am, we left Palmerston North for Hawkes Bay. We stopped for a while in Dannevirke; it's a special little town, as it was settled by Norwegians...! There is a place there called Dave's Den; I bought a reproduction Matchbox car there that I remember owning 35 years ago, but which I had sold, or somehow lost. Dave has 8000 model cars in his Den. We go there whenever we're in Dannevirke. If one of my children is with me when I'm about to leave Dave's Den, I buy him or her a model car; this time Ben was the lucky one.

We back-tracked a little way into Dannevirke looking for somewhere to have a picnic lunch; we stopped at a large park. I went off in search of a public toilet. My mission successful, I drove back to find one of my boys playing with a lad who was the adopted son of a nice couple; Dave & Marthe (their names were something like that). Dave is from Yorkshire; Marthe is from Germany. It was nice to meet them. After lunch, we carried on to Hastings; it was wonderful to see our good friends, Wendee and Mitch, again! And their children! They had written a welcome on the driveway for us; with our names, and footprints we had to follow, to get to their House. We had Soup & Toast (home-made bread) for Tea. It was a lovely evening!

Winter Holiday, 2008 - Day 3!

2008-08-02T11:32:00.002+12:00

OK, so here we are, Tuesday the 8th July. I decided to begin the day with a Swim...so relaxing! First, a little history - many years ago, while living in Palmy, the Council said they would upgrade The Lido (the local swimming pool complex). I thought I'd check it out! Apparently it was upgraded in 2002...only 6 years after we left Palmerston North...

Anyway, so I arrived at the lovely new Lido; I paid the admission to Holly, a chunky, attractive young woman, with lovely teeth. I then tried to put my valuables into a Locker...I couldn't work it! So, I found a poolside attendant, Sara, a pretty, slim blonde, who happily looked after my glasses, wallet & watch for me. So helpful! I had a swim...and a circuit or two, of the Lazy River...then got my stuff back from Sara, showered, and adjourned to the Cafe, where I bought a Cappucino & a cookie from Glennis. Read a Tom Sharpe novel for a while, before heading back to the camp.

Margaret drove me to the University; where, in the extra-mural class, we all watched Went The Day Well? , a WWII British propaganda film. In the film, a group of German paratroopers impersonate British soldiers, and take over a village in southern England. The villagers band together to fight back, until their Army arrives. It was made at a time when England might have been invaded; though when it was released, the danger had passed.

I bought three copies of the Vet Students calendar at the Shop; I thought, I bet I can sell one within 10 mins!...and sure enough, I did!! I had lunch with women from my class, as well as the lady who bought a calendar. The afternoon passed quickly.....then, Massey was over for me, for the time being, again....

We had our Tea with Philip & Judy and their children, in Feilding. We've known them many years. It was good to see them!

Our Winter Holiday 2008 - Day 2

2008-07-29T18:49:00.002+12:00

Many years ago, I studied at Massey University (History, German History, German, English, Human Development) in Palmerston North. Here we were, back in "Palmy", and I was here to attend a 2-day course at the Old Main Building at Massey - the building is officially titled the "Humanities". The irony was, I was doing my Contact Course in the same room where I began studying at Massey, 14 years ago!! The Old Main Building has changed very little. The Student Union building, however, has changed quite a bit. It now has a new Foodcourt at the East end of the building, on the ground floor; also, the building now boasts a Bank, a Phamacy, a Shop, a Bookshop, a Travel Agent, and so on. I had lectures from 9 - 12 noon; then had lunch with Di - the oldest student in the class, over 60 - and then had more lectures from 1 - 5pm.

Margaret & the kids had dropped me off at Massey at about 9am, so she would have the car, to take the children places that would keep them entertained. She picked me up when I txted her. We had Tea at the Motor Camp; then I rang old friends we knew from many years ago.

Before going socialising, we went to Heroes for Sale, a comic & sci-fi shop. I knew the owner, Ian, from many, many visits there in the "old days!" Jamie asked for some Yu-Gi-Oh cards; I don't like that, so I didn't buy him any. However, I decided to buy him a tin for his Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
I bought a book called Dr Who - The Sting of the Zygons; it was $24.95, and the tin was $5 - but when bought together with the book, the price was reduced to just $1. Meanwhile, Margaret offered to buy Jamie some Yu-Gi-Oh cards, so with the tin and the cards, he was a happy boy.
I also bought a Dr.Who Keyring (the Seal of Rassilon) for a friend back in Timaru.

I arranged for us to see the Woods; I knew Peter from the days when I collected Dr.Who trading cards. We had supper at their house. I gave Peter some Torchwood on disc; and gave his daughter some Sarah Jane Adventures discs. She told me, "I'm a bigger Dr.Who Fan than my Dad!!!" She certainly seemed to know a lot about the Show, both new series & classic! My boys enjoyed playing games with Peter's son on the Family Lap-top.

Overall, the first day back in Palmy was very satisfying.

Our 2008 Winter Holiday - Day 1

2008-07-28T07:49:00.002+12:00

Well, here's for a few lines. We set off from Timaru on Sunday 6th July; just after lunch - about 12:30pm. Drove the 2 hours to Christchurch; and visited friends of ours, the Armstrong-Gales. I had repaired a radio-control Dalek owned by one of their children; she was delighted to get it back, all working again. We then carried on to our relatives' house, where we transferred all our gear to their van - my people-mover stayed at their place while we were away. Our sister-in-law drove us to the Airport & dropped us off. It was very exciting for the kids to be going on an aeroplane; especially the Twins! I gave Ben the window seat; he held my hand during the take-off! I didn't have anything on the 'Plane...I did NOT fancy buying a drink, or a souvenir, at a $10 minimum! ::-)

WE arrived in Wellington, our capital, at around 5:30pm. We got an Airport Shuttle bus...it was a long & winding route through the hill suburbs! Finally arrived at the Ace Car Rental office; it was CLOSED! We had sent them an email saying we would need them to open up, for us...they hadn't bothered to do it! Margaret rang them; the bloke, Kerryn, said he would "Be there in 15 minutes." 25 minutes later, he still hadn't arrived. Zoe said to me, "Daddy, I don't want to live here!" Aww, bless her! A minute later, Kerryn arrived. He let us have a 2002 Toyota Estima, which was very good. It wasn't the diesel van I had requested; but that vehicle is, apparently, very unreliable! We got to our relations' house in Petone for a late Tea; it was good to see them.

We carried on to Palmerston North, where the holiday camp we stayed at was cold, cold, so cold...and we were in a Cabin, which meant walking 50 metres to the toilets...oh well! We were in Palmy!

The PAUA SHELL HOUSE

2008-07-04T22:49:00.002+12:00

Anyone heard of the Paua Shell? Similar to an Abalone, the Paua shell is arguably the most beautiful shell in the world. Over 40 years ago, Fred & Myrtle Flutey began collecting Paua shells. They became so numerous, that they began to nail them to the walls of their home!
Soon, there were hundreds - and visitors began to visit the "Paua House." Tourists came too, visiting something uniquely New Zealand.

When the Fluteys died, their grandson removed the Paua shells, and put the house up for sale. He donated the shells to the Canterbury Museum; located in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Museum decided to re-create the original home that the shells adorned; right down to the positioning of the Paua shells on the walls, and the pattern of the carpets! I look forward to visiting the new Paua House one day in the near future. Some say the shells should have remained in Bluff (the most southerly village of NZ); but honestly...I'm more likely to go to Christchurch than Bluff, anyway! :)

My Four-Year-Old Wants to Use My Computer...!

2008-07-04T22:44:00.002+12:00

"Daddy, Can I Use the Computer when I Get Home?" "In a little while, Ben..." "Oh, in a little while. OK." It seems like Alvin Toffler's Future Shock has come true - not only can we buy things on our computers, and experience Video Calls, etc, etc...but our children - our PRE-SCHOOL children, want Computer Time! :) They have to be watched; however...we only bought a new Mouse a few weeks ago; and our 2 boys killed it today!! ::-)

In Loving Memory...

2008-04-25T05:26:00.002+12:00

Thursday Morning...preparations...

2008-04-24T13:07:00.002+12:00

Well, the highlight of this morning was hiring Margaret's costume for the sci-fi convention! She's going as Romana - the 2nd one; the girl who married "her" Doctor! For any Dr.Who fans out there, she'll be wearing an approximation of the cossie from City of Death - the story filmed in Paris. I'll be dressed as Tom Baker's Doctor, of course. The convention is called ARMAGEDDON 2008; and will feature stars from Stargate SG1; Star Trek: Enterprise; and Heroes. I've been asked to get the autograph of Christopher Judge from Stargate, so I get to meet another celeb - it's a fun job, being a Dr.Who freak! :)

I'm really looking forward to having a "Who-Girl" on my arm at Armageddon...last year I was brave; went on my own! Well, I think I was brave - wandering around amongst thousands of people looking like something out of the TARDIS takes a bit o' courage!

The Burial of Slinkypuss

2008-04-23T12:35:00.002+12:00

Well, this morning we dug a hole under The Cherry Tree, for Slinkypuss's remains. This wasn't an easy task, as the ground was as hard to shift as Robert Mugabe. After going down 3 - 4 inches, we filled the hole with water for an hour or so, to try & soften the earth. Eventually, this worked, and we dug down another 8 inches; then Margaret tipped what was left of Slinky in. Margaret said "Quick! Cover him up!" So Jamie & I shovelled dirt upon his remains quickly, so Ben couldn't see the guts & organs that were formerly Slinky. Ouch. Honestly, I could only be sure it was him, 'cause of his collar... I'll miss him very much. Pantherpuss was smarter, because he'd never cross the road - Slinky tried to cross NZ's main Highway when it was busy, which is scary enough for us humans! We might try & replace him in the Spring...or mid-Summer. Bye bye, Slinkypuss.....you won't be forgotten. I'll try & find a nice pic of him to post.

R.I.P. Slinkypuss

2008-04-22T19:02:00.002+12:00

About an hour ago, I got a call from a neighbour..he thought it was our cat, Slinky, out on the main road....State Highway 1 is very busy. By the time I got there, he must have been run over hundreds of times......poor little puss...he was a lovely cat...he would always came when I called him.....I'll really miss him!

McCarthy, McCarthy, McCarthy...Joe McCarthy!

2008-04-12T08:26:00.002+12:00

OK, I'll admit it....I haven't found this first semester back studying, so easy...and I've stuffed up...a bit! However, I'm recovering.....

The Situation
I'm embarrassed to admit it; but when I saw the words "Reading 1" in my 'varsity binder, I didn't click that I was required to Take Notes - hey, it's been 12 years since I've studied, OK?
I used to roll in to lectures, sit down, and take notes! I'll definitely take notes on the Readings I get, next Semester.... Anyway, I finished reading all the Readings on Thursday; and I thought it would be a good idea to ring up the Course Controller, to "touch base", and get some ideas about writing the first Assignment! So, I rang him - Kerry - at Massey University, which is aprox. 380 miles away. He was very helpful, saying I was welcome to send him a First Draft of my Assignment by email, and he would give me some notes/suggestions on it. They really go outta there way to encourage Extra-Mural students! :)

Last night, I put 2 more items on Trademe; a Family Guy can cooler, and a Spiky Light...and I was DETERMINED to begin my Assignment. And I Did!! I am now so much more relaxed. This Assignment won't be a breeze - but I will Get It Done. And that's the important thing! Getting started was always the hardest part! What's it about? Well, my brief is to write about the relationship between McCarthyism and Hollywood; and whether or not Tinseltown (H/wood) was more the perpetrator or the victim of McCarthyism. Any comments are welcome!

Hedgehog Used As Weapon

2008-04-12T08:14:00.002+12:00

Oh, wow......this headline is right up there with "Cow Stuck In Washing Machine!" LOL! A 27-year-old man (a North Islander, fortunately - I'd be embarrassed if a Mainlander did this) threw a Hedgehog at the leg of a 15-year-old boy! There was no word as to the status of the Hedgehog at the time of the attack, but soon after, the poor li'l creature was dead. A huge red welt appeared on the boys' leg, and the attacker appeared in court. Personally, I have a soft spot for Hedgehogs...I think they are one of nature's more interesting little animals. I've seen them scurrying around our property at night, and they are welcome here.

School Classroom is...a Japanese Restaurant?!?

2008-04-12T07:59:00.002+12:00

OK, it's been a LONG time since I've blogged...and I have no excuse!! So, I thought, the first thing I'd write about, would be the experience we had recently at Jamie's school.

About 9 days ago, we popped along to Jamie's school - Waimataitai Primary School - to check out the "Japanese Restaurant" in Jamie's classroom! They had been studying Japanese culture. We had to book in advance; and tell an 8-year-old child what we wanted. She didn't quite understand my wife, so our separate bookings ended up being written down as a double booking!
The waitress (a child dressed in a dressing gown) came over and asked, "Do you want two chickens, two cheesecakes & two coffees?" "No," I answered patiently, "My wife is coming later. I want ONE chicken teriaki; ONE cheesecake, and ONE coffee." The diminutive waitress disappeared over to the "kitchen," returned, and said: "So - you want 2 chickens, 2 cheesecakes, and 2 coffees?" ::) Got it sorted eventually....
Never mind... I ended up sitting with a couple we know, which made the experience a bit easier. I had the Chicken Teriaki, which is a kind of Sushi. I'd never had Sushi before, and it was....okay! I'm not a fan of cold food, but it was kind of quite nice. I also had cheesecake for dessert ,& instant coffee.
Oh, how education has changed.

Photos from my (mini) Exhibition

2008-03-04T10:16:00.006+13:00

Featured on the pin-board...a Radio Times cover from the 2005 UK election.

Posters from Dr.Who Magazine...

My TARDIS Playset was a draw...

Some static models on display...

A mix of old & new Dr.Who "toys"...

The relatively rare Destroyed Cyberman toy.

Displaying the Collection!

2008-03-02T08:47:00.003+13:00

I was very nervous yesterday morning...I'd been invited to display my Dr.Who Collection at a big local event - it was 40 years since the closing of the branch line to Fairlie, a town about 50km from here. It was a BIG event...the Army was there, demonstrating a .50 calibre machine gun, and firing a much bigger gun; many vintage cars turned up; a flight simulator was just outside; etc, etc....

It was the first time I'd EVER displayed my Collection; so I was very nervous! I took out my half-completed Dalek, Delia (I later sat in her, eating my lunch). I was blessed, as I'd been able to pick out my own spot (a benefit of being a volunteer at the Railway Museum where the event was held). So, I had a large pin-board right behind me!! I put up framed photos, posters, framed covers from the Radio Times, calendar centrefolds (Dr.Who of course!), and so on... Altogether, I had THREE trestle tables - I only expected to have two, but someone didn't turn up, so I had a third to demonstrate R/C Daleks & K9 on! There was a lot of interest; I spoke to many people, telling them about my hobby, showing them pics of the characters/actors who inspired our childrens' names, giving them a demo of my TARDIS playset, and showing off my gold-plated Dr.Who fob watch! I dressed in my costume for the event - many of the public also dressed up, in clothes that would have been in fashion 60 years ago. It was great! :D Watch this space, for pics of the display!

STRANGE Cat!

2008-03-02T08:31:00.002+13:00

Recently, I went with my beautiful little boy, Ben, to look for Slinkypuss...we sache-d up to Number 24; and knocked on the door...no-one home! We noticed Frosty, their snow-white feline, gazing up at up with a "what are you two doing here again" look...man alive, is she one STRANGE pussycat! She looked at us with one yellow eye, & one blue eye. Hopefully at the same time...never know with that one! :) We toddled on down to the back yard, and we called Slinky...again, and again, and again.....no joy! He didn't hear us....or DID he? We strolled home... ten mins later, Slinky arrived home...it was like he heard us, but thought, "Hmmm...I'll come home (miaow) after I've licked myself (yawn) and watched traffic (stretch) - I'll wander home now...!"

On Second Thoughts...

2008-03-02T08:26:00.002+13:00

On second thoughts, I think I do have a party piece... I can do a very good rendition of I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek, complete with the Dalek voice! :) Now I just need a party... ;-)

Ally's Challenge

2008-02-21T20:37:00.002+13:00

01: Where were you born? Dunedin.

02: In what year? 1962.

03. What color is your hair? Brown – but going grey...I won't be able to
kid myself I'm a young man for much longer!

04. What color are your eyes? Blue.

05. How tall are you? 5’ 4-and-a-half"

06. What size are your feet? 7 - 8. Are they ticklish? Very.

08. What's your favorite movie? How long have you got?...currently, The Life & Death of Peter Sellers.

09. Whats your favorite TV show? Doctor Who, of course!

10. Who's your favorite actor? David Tennant.

11. Actress? Sarah Alexander

12. Type of music? Pop, Rock, Classical, and a little Ska...R & B, Jazz.

13. Artist/band? Lots...I like Bruce Hornsby; Dire Straits, Billy Joel....

14. Last album you purchased/downloaded (legally)? OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE - the TV Soundtrack.

15. Colour? Orange

16. Sport? You mean exercise, don't you.... I s'pose Swimming...

17. Food? Deep fried Scallops, followed by Butter Chicken with 3 large Poppudoms.

18. Season? Winter

19. School Subject? History.

20. Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi? Coke - but I buy Pepsi.

21. Last 3 songs you listened to? On the 'puter? Ode to Billy Jo - Bobby Gentry; Rain Down - Phil Collins; Rain - Madonna

22. Last 3 things you typed into Google? Wacky Races; Why the KKK?; SHADO 2 Mobile.

23. Dogs or cats? Cats, unless the dog’s a Pyrenean Mountain Dog.

24. Favourite soap (TV not to wash with) Coronation St.

25. Whats the furthest from home you've been? Kirkwall, Orkney Islands.

26. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? Le Mans, to show my kids the 24 Heures du Mans.

27. Who was the last person who said hi to you? A "yummy Mummy" at Kindergarten.

28. Made you mad? My children. ::)

29. Helped you fix something? Can't recall...

30. Drove you somewhere? Uncle Robert & Auntie Cherryl drove me to Rangiora, to see their son in a play.

31. Bought you something? My wife bought me some new speakers for my car; bless her.

32. You called? Andy.

33. You Messaged? If you mean txt; that's be Ev, my brother.

34. Sang to you? Stuart Hughes

35. Read to you? My wife, Margaret.

36. Have you ever laughed so much milk came out of your nose? Yes.

37. Got gum caught in your hair? I think I have, but it's only a vague memory.

38. Ate Dog/Cat Food? No, I can usually afford human food

39. Kissed a dog? Define "dog"....

40. Aced a test? Not for a long time.

41. Stayed up all night? Not since 1987.

42. Gone a day without eating? Only when fundraising...

43. Gone 2 days without brushing your teeth? No...

44. Can you pat your stomach and rub your head in a circle at the same time? Yes, but I wouldn't like to try it after several bottles of Old Speckled Hen!

45. Stand on your hands?

46. Wiggle your ears? What, do I look like Fozzi Bear?

47. Speak another language? A little German.

48. Make a wine glass hum with your fingers? No.

49. Whistle? After a fashion.

50. Do you have a party trick? No.

Are Eight Enough?

2008-02-06T22:17:00.000+13:00

Early-ish this morning, I rang my new neighbour, a nice bloke from South Africa. He asked me to call back in 15 mins; I did, and he invited me to bring my car 'round. I drove to his house - it's directly behind ours - and he kindly installed my CD Car Stereo for me; that I bought off my brother, Evan. It was good to chat with him. He & his wife are happy to be living here in Timaru, which is a lot safer than Johannesburg... It was impressive to see how he soldered connections swiftly right there in the car. I gave him a dozen bottles of chilled lager.

At lunchtime, our new friends arrived for a meal & a social time; the Klazinga family, and 6 of their children, arrived for lunch. I cooked soft Tacos for them; with Re-fried Beans, and garlic instead of onion, as Jim doesn't like onions. Luckily for us, both Jim & Julie like Doctor Who! :) They viewed my collection with interest. We managed to get many people round our table!

Heat Wave

2008-01-13T17:56:00.000+13:00

Heat? "OH, yes!!" - as David Tennant's Dr.Who would say! It's been the hottest January on record here in South Canterbury; and Timaru has had the highest temperature in the country - twice - in the past week!!

We've just got back from a mini-camping-holiday, in sunny Waimate. We stayed at the Kelcey's Bush Holiday Park, which is blessed with a LOT of animals!! We saw Turkeys, Wallabies, a big fat Pig, Possums, a Horse, Alpacas, Emus, Ducks....oh, and many others! I'll get some photos up soon. I took photos of Gobbo the happy Pig; and some pretty good ones (if I say so myself) of the Possums.

We stayed in our tent; it was only the 2nd time we had done so. Kelcey's Bush holiday park is a bit of a relic; I admit to making a crack about their antique playground - I wouldn't be surprised if Sir Ed Hilary (R.I.P) played on it, many years before attempting Everest! However, the kids loved it, and I 'spose that's what counts. They invented a game about breaking rocks, finding Gold inside 'em, and selling the result. Before arriving at the Camp, we stopped in the town of Waimate, so I could buy some drink...I bought 14 cans, mixed (soft & lager). Must admit to drinking a few too many Lagers, due to the heat! :)

Early January

2008-01-06T22:38:00.000+13:00

As I've said before, January is a difficult month...however, Jan 2008 is going well so far. I think the fact that Christmas 2K7 was pretty good, combined with having something to do - ie, building Delia the Dalek - is making January more bearable than in past years. I've been making good progress on the Dalek; lately I've been working hard on the Hemispheres (hereon referred to as Hemis). Also known as "Dalek Bumps", they're a lot more work than you might think! I've had to fill in holes in them; sand them, make wooden discs for them, seal them, etc...but it'll all be worth it!

The kids are enjoying their new Trampoline, which we have up again, after having a family of Dr.Who fans come to stay with us in the past week; they stayed in our tent, it was lovely to have them here.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T21:48:00.000+13:00

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful 2008!

Slot Car Model Raceway.....

2007-11-30T21:48:00.000+13:00

Recently, as you know, I've been fund-raising for the Child Cancer Foundation...the last few nights, we've been going round the cul-de-sacs in west Timaru - and with quite a bit of success, I might add!

Apart from that, however, I've been building up a slot-car model raceway. I've always wanted a slot-car set; but as with the model trains, I never had the dosh...until recently! I've bought a number of cars on Trademe, some track, and now this evening, we've got it going. We still have quite a bit to learn about slot cars, but we'll get there. The kind I have is HO scale ~ same size as Matchbox cars, just a lot more expensive. I bought two Scalextric slot-cars (well, motorcycle side-cars, actually) many years ago, on the Isle of Wight, with the intention of getting into the bigger scale; but that didn't eventuate. We wouldn't have the space for that scale anyway...but, these little cars are cute :)

Our Bushwalk!

2007-11-27T08:03:00.000+13:00

On Sunday morning, we went for a Bushwalk to see the local waterfall, before the day got too hot! As I'm a social & friendly guy, I introduced myself to people we met on the way. As we approached the waterfall, there was a place to stop & rest...there, I met Henrik from Sweden (and his three friends); plus, while walking back from the majestic waterfall, I met Jentzl & Andreas from Germany...I spoke with them for about 8 minutes.

Once back at the Camp, I met a young lady from Scotland, Elaine from Edinburgh, who was making a fry-up for lunch, for her partner & herself. "Is this the 3rd degree?" she quipped, as she fought with the stove. She told me how she doesn't watch much TV, & loves outdoor sports...but there's no way she was going bungee-jumping! :)

Also there from Geraldine, were Alf & Jean, and Dave & Noeleen. They enjoyed a rather decadent (and fantastic!) Champagne breakfast!

Oh, yeah - before we got to the Camp, we paid for our stay at the local shop (but not just for local people). While there, I bought myself a bag of Pork Scratchings...I love those!!!

The weather, friendliness of the other campers, greenness of our surroundings, and general atmos were all FANTASTIC. I learned what I'd forgotten to bring...Beer; a Torch; Jandals; Pants; Shaving Gel...oh, and a Hammer. I recommend Camping!

Camping Fun

2007-11-25T20:51:00.000+13:00

We've just had our first weekend Camping, as a family! We travelled to Peel Forest to try out our new 8-person Tent, before going camping at Christmas time in Dunedin (my home city).
We arrived at about 4pm on Saturday, just in time to put up the Tent, and make Tea. The evening meal was sausages & noodles. I got a bit "down" by 8pm, and went to bed. The Camp was pretty basic - just an amenities block, and what one brings with one.

The Night
Well, it was a pretty good night's sleep! Got up in the middle of the night - 1:32am - to answer a call of nature; forgot my torch, but the Moon was so bright, I didn't need it! I'd NEVER seen such a bright moon. Lovely! More details tomorrow....

ALL before 9am!

2007-11-23T09:23:00.000+13:00

This morning, I got up at 6:40am, switched on the 'puter, fed Polly-puss, got the Washing going, chased the neighbour's cat (Tabitha) out the door & squirted her with my water-pistol (always on stand-by now!), made some toast for Zoe, hung out the washing, got Margaret's car out for her, chased the neighbour's OTHER cat (Shadow) out the door & squirted her, too; lent the neighbour my jumper-leads to get her car going; and comforted Zoe when her big brothers hassled her...!

Slinky Came HOME!

2007-11-21T19:44:00.000+13:00

...well, OK..I brought him home! I discovered him at No.24, wayyy up the street; made himself at home, he had! But HERE is his HOME...I carried him most of the way back; then put him down & he followed me.....

He'd not been seen here since last Thursday. We've been getting more & more worried about him! I rang the SPCA the other day...we're SO pleased he's back! The other family have a white cat he's been playing with; so he'll probably visit there occasionally...I think a combo of our kids & the cats from next door had put him off! Hopefully, he'll stay now...we'll have to get a collar for him!

"You're A Good Driver"

2007-11-20T22:09:00.000+13:00

Our old Nanny, Maree, paid me a compliment today...she said I'm a good driver!! And, she asked me to drive her car....in reverse....with a trailer hooked on the back! She'd bought a fridge-freezer, and as it was near the end of a long driveway - the seller lived in flat #15 in a row of eighteen - she wasn't confident to back it out. I was slightly nervous about the prospect; it's a long time since I'd driven a car with a trailer on...but I managed it! The car - for those of you who like cars - was a '92 Toyota Celica automatic. Quite a contrast to my people-mover!

This evening, we went to the party of the folks behind us. Now, it's interesting...we've been invited now to parties at #2, #4 & #6, though the folks at all those addresses don't like each other!!! It's like we're the "neutral" ones.....

Fundraising is TOPS!

2007-11-20T07:44:00.000+13:00

I must say, I'm surprised that not one reader has commented on my intention to shave my head for charity... unless all of you lot out there, have gone on holiday simultaneously, and haven't read the last post yet.... I'm doing quite well; one person, Bear, from Sausagenet, has donated; he was my first Online donor! Kudos to you, my fuzzy friend. Meanwhile, in summery Timaru, I was given $10 by Neville Twaddell, the owner of the newsagent I go to. He'd had an operation to remove a cancer a couple of years ago. And on Sunday, my littlest son, Ben, and I hit the streets once more, meeting more neighbours & raising more funds for the Child Cancer Foundation. One elderly lady said, "Can I see your house from here?" "Well, let's go out the back," said I. (Meanwhile, Ben was happily playing with toys their grandchildren play with). We stood on her patio, and I intoned, "You see the house with the green roof? That's my house." "Ahh," she smiled, "Your wife's the Doctor!" I grinned!

Ah, well. The last few days, have been excellent washing weather. I put out a load yesterday, after going around the town, paying for various items I'd bought on Trademe (the local auction website). In the evening, I went 'round to see some old folks; I showed the man "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels." They always put on a good supper there :)

Child Cancer Funrazor!

2007-11-18T08:38:00.000+13:00

Well folks, here's the latest...I'm going to shave me head! :) No, really! It's to raise money for the Child Cancer Foundation. I got my Funrazor Sponorship Pack yesterday; and now I'm looking for Sponsors. Anyone can sponsor me...anywhere in the world! I'll be canvassing for sponsors noth offline AND online. I began yesterday, by hitting the mean streets of Washdyke ;) ... I got 16 sponsors, some of whom will give later - and quite a few gave immediately! So, offline, I've raised $53.90 so far. I'm doing this as part of a national effort; they hope to get 1000 peop. to "shave their lid for a kid", all on the SAME DAY - the 6th of December! I'll go along to have my noggin buzzed at the Speights Ale House here in Timaru, at 5:30pm on the first Thursday next month. If all of you out there would like to donate to this very worthy cause, here's my Funrzor website's address:

http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/NevWalker/

Go to my page, make a donation of $5, Five Quid, Seven Canadian Dollars, Eight Greenbacks, or several of whatever currency you use! I take Visa, Mastercard, Diners...and remember, I make NOTHING outta this...except the embarrassment of wandering around with a suddenly nude nut! I'll also be doing an extra Blog, on my Funrazor (fund raiser) page itself.

Photos from the Cubs/Scouts Soapbox Racer Day

2007-11-17T01:08:00.000+13:00

Getting "the Flyer" ready for launching!
This time, one of the Scout Leaders is going to have a go!! If memory serves, the trolley on the left suffering a technical failure, & one of the wheels fell off!!!

Yesterday...

2007-11-16T09:01:00.000+13:00

Well, yesterday I got my new Family Guy CD in the morning mail; a good laugh it is, too! It's an audio CD, with a DVD of the making of it on anther disc...if you like that kind o' thing...

My friend, Stefan, has been unwell for the last 3 - 4 years; yesterday I took him out to a nice little Cafe in the country. It was a pleasant time; and the 1st time I'd seen him outside his home. He's much better nowadays.

I forgot! I was supposed to go to the Doctor yesterday; and have my stitches out, from when the moles were removed...however, Wifey to the rescue...Margaret plucked the stitches oot 4 me :)

Soapbox Racers

2007-11-12T22:59:00.000+13:00

On Sunday, we went to the Cubs (& Scouts) Soapbox Racer event. It was held at a farm about 18km (near enough to 10 Miles) west of here; on a long hillside, ideal for racing...with two lanes mowed. Well! You would not believe, the variety of little vehicles that trundled up to the start line! Small wheels, medium-sized wheels, three wheels, four wheels...pram wheels; bicycle wheels; motorbike wheels.....just amazing! More than once, the wheels fell off the "Racer" at the bottom of the hill; prompting laughs, cheers & jeers! Jamie won his opening race; I saw him in another, where he gave it a go. More soon!

Too Much Petrol?!

2007-11-10T22:46:00.000+13:00

There was Too Much Petrol in the car today; so we went for a Drive to see rellies in another town.....

OK, I'll explain. Recently, I was ripped off by a nearby garage. A large chunk of me vowed that this SHOULD NOT happen again. I resolved to stick up for myself more. So, the other day, when I dropped off my car at the Panelbeaters & picked up the Courtesy Car, I listened & inwardly digested the following message from the manager:

"That car has no hardly any petrol in it. If you put $20 worth in it, use it up & return to us empty."

Well, as I wrote earlier (I think) - this is one Thirsty turbocharged car! I put in (aprox) $20 of fuel - it only lasted 2 days on that! So, I put in another $44 of premium gas yesterday...then, the big lug of a manager calls me up, "Hi, your car is ready...." "Hold on," says I, "You said it wouldn't be ready 'til Tuesday!" "Oh...well it's ready now." (skip to the end...) Anyway, he agreed I could hold on to their car for another 60 hours or so, and use up the petrol....so I decided it would be nice to visit Auntie Valmae & Uncle Earnie, who live in Ashburton; that's about 1 hour north of here. I prayed that the car - well, let's be honest. It's more of a refugee from Rent-A-Dent. The engine runs as smoothly as a netball team running thru a minefield. At slow speeds, the steering shudders & shakes like the NZ Finance Minister, when the PM informed him he'll HAVE to make some Tax Cuts in his next budget (true). I had to fold in the electric mirrors at 60mph, to stop them shaking themselves to pieces. ...anyway, I prayed the "car" would make it there & back (it did). It was good to see Val & Earnie again....they've been married 64 years! They used to be Farmers, but they moved into town to retire. I recalled on the way home, that back in 1977, Uncle Earnie taught me how to drive...

Another thing about the petrol issue is, the bloomin' PRICE has been going thru the roof!! I mean, now it's about the same as it was when we spent a year in the UK! (1996/97)

It's OFFICIAL!

2007-11-10T22:43:00.000+13:00

It's OFFICIAL! What I've been saying is true/will be true, now actually IS true - my 4-year-old daughter is the SAME WEIGHT as my 8-year-old Son! LOL LOL LOL LOL! Not sure whether to be concerned, or laugh my nuts off.....

Coffee in Geraldine...

2007-11-09T22:36:00.000+13:00

Yesterday, I drove out to Geraldine, a quiet little town 10 miles off State Highway 1. On the way, I dropped a clanger...

There was a house coming along the road, on the back of a truck. I switched the engine off (that was my mistake...can you see where this is going?). All the traffic was stopped; waiting, waiting...the house was nearly passing me...I noticed the traffic was moving; went to start the car, nothing! Zip! I moved to dial the AA... Guys from the Oversized Vehicle Motorcade asked me "What's up?" "She won't start!" "OK, we'll just push you off to the side...stick it in neutral, alright?" I popped it in neutral; they started pushing the car (the Subaru Estate Turbo) - I idly turned the ignition, and VOILA! It hit me like a cream pie in a clown's mush...I'd left it in Drive! D'OH! Me not used to Automatics..... (insert embarrassed smiley here, staff!).

Anyway, I asked around when I got out to Geraldine (some folk refer to it as "Gerald-vegas") - found a nice Cafe with Comfy Chairs (little Monty Python reference there...). Just about finished reading the script of Arsenic & Old Lace. Cruised back to Timaru, in time to pick up the twins from Kindergarten.....

Quiet Day.....

2007-11-07T22:41:00.000+13:00

Today, I took my car to the Panelbeaters, as Margaret backed it into our babysitter's car a couple of months ago...being Timaru, it's shouldn't surprise people when they Bump Into someone they know!!! The panelbeaters guys photographed my car about 6 weeks ago, and I rang them last week - "Oh, right, you're you, right...sorry, there's been a change in staff," etc!
::) I got there early-ish this morning, & they tried to loan me a Mitsi RVR - "A nice little car" - "4-door, is it?" I enquired. "No, no, two-door." "Well," says I,"I need four doors, with three children..." So, they loaned me a reasonable Subaru Turbo estate, which understeers a bit (an Exxon supertanker probably turns more quickly) - but it goes OK, and it has a good sound system...

I bought an old NZ Half-Crown yesterday...minted the same year as I was! :-)

TV Trivia Game

2007-11-06T09:13:00.000+13:00

Well, on Saturday, I reached the next level on the Facebook game, "TV Trivia", after scoring over 400,000 points. I went from "Enlightened Master" to "Exalted Mind", but there were no extra benefits, no bonuses...I can still edit people's questions, but I don't have any more power...I'm still correcting spelling, grammar, and occasionally, correcting an "correct" incorrect answer. On the plus side, however, I did have a whole day of not playing at all, on Sunday :)

Guy Fawkes Night!

2007-11-05T22:58:00.000+13:00

Tonight we had Guy Fawkes; as usual, being the pyro I am, I was the one who detonated the Fireworks! We had three fireworks early - about 8:30pm - while it was still light, so the Twins could see them before they went to bed; they stayed up a little later than usual. Then, about an hour or so later, we had the rest. Jamie was VERY excited! I lit quite a few with my pistol-shaped lighter; the last few, I lit with a taper. The box of aprox. 14 fireworks cost around $20.

Minor Surgery...

2007-11-05T20:53:00.000+13:00

Today, I went to see our Doctor to get some moles removed. She wasn't confident of her ability to do it - she actually wanted to send me to the Hospital! ::-) Margaret (who, of course, is a GP herself) persuaded Liesl she could do it, and soon she was giving me THREE local anaesthetic injections; and two 6cm (about 2.5") cuts! It felt a bit painful having the injections, and weird feeling the scalpel slice into me. I got six stitches. Liesl said I'm a model patient - quite approprite really, as I'm a guy who likes Models ;-)

Family Visit

2007-11-05T20:36:00.000+13:00

Yesterday, we had a visit from my family, who travelled up from Dunedin. My Mother, Brother, his wife, and my oldest Sister gave us a visit, along with Mum's old dog, Sophie. It was good to see them all, and I had a few games of pool with my brother, Hugh. Mum's in pretty good shape for her age (she's 84).

Phone Call!

2007-11-03T21:44:00.000+13:00

Well, today I rang two new friends, Doreen & Bryan, who live in Germantown, Wisconsin. It was a great conversation! I can't really remember much of it, but we chatted for 105 minutes, so we must have talked about something!! I met Doreen & her hubby on MySpace.

KNICKER VICAR SAVES INGLEWOOD!

2007-11-03T08:09:00.000+13:00

The tiny North Island town of Inglewood has become international news, when a local clothing store stopped selling lingerie!

At the local Anglican church, after a mid-week meeting, some folk talked with the Vicar about the lack of undies available in Inglewood. The Vicar, Rev.Husband, approached the Council about supplying a bus to New Plymouth, for the purpose of purchasing panties. The Council agreed, and so the Bloomer Bus (for biddies to buy briefs & bras) was created! A television crew went along for the ride. If any one leaves me comments on this, I'll happily email them the Video (I have the add of both my regular readers ;)

FRIDAY 2nd NOV 2K7

2007-11-02T21:23:00.000+13:00

Goodness! There seems to be someone interested in what I've been up to....how nice!!

FAMILY COURT

Well, for one thing, I went to Family Court as a witness for the...er...Accused? What it was, was that a good friend of mine, Jeff, had been accused of all sorts of unsavoury acts by his estranged wife. Things looked bad for her, seeing as Jeff had 5 winesses to back him up; and she had, er - Zero! Anyway, it was a landslide victory, which Jeff & his Mum celebrated with a glass of Red; I celebrated with a bottle Jeff bought me - Monty Python's Holy Ale!

It was a LONG day....we got to Court before 10am...I said to the Lawyer, "So, we'll still be here at 4pm?" He quipped, "No, no. You should be in & out by 2, at the latest." Well, 6 hours later, we were still waiting...! We had lunch at The Bard, an English (style) pub. They had Old Speckled Hen ON TAP! I was about to order some, but Jeff admonished me, "No beer before court! AFTER court!" I reluctantly agreed....

This was all in Christchurch, one of our biggest cities; about 160km north of here.

TODAY: Kindergarten Disco with Bubbles

This afternoon, I took all three of my kids to the Kindy Disco, it was complete with police lights - supplied by a policeman I know! I spent over 30mins on the BBQ, cooking sausages & onions.
Later, I danced with my daughter, and played selected songs on the stereo ~ Barbie Girl; Kiss Me; Hippy Hippy Shake; Girls Just Wanna Have Fun; etc.

There'll be more blogging later...you can encourage me to blog, by writing comments....I'm close to achieving my goal ~ the Next Level on TV Trivia, so I may be doing more blogging anyway :)

Where's Nev?

2007-10-30T04:15:00.000+13:00

No, really... Where are you, Nev?

Surely SOMETHING must have happened in NZ in the last 3 weeks!

On Any SUNDAY

2007-10-07T13:21:00.000+13:00

Well, it's a VERY exciting Sunday; THREE major sporting events, none of them in NZ, but all of interest to many NZers! First up was the New Zealand vs. France world cup quarter-final; once again, the French have shown that they can come up with the goods when required! I really feel for the All Blacks, they must be gutted. I admit, I didn't think NZ would win this year's World Cup - but it was still bitterly disappointing to see it for myself! Roll on the World Cup of 2011; I may even be able to attend a game with my sons (it's right here in Aotearoa).

This afternoon, it's the SUPER CHEAP AUTO BATHURST 1000! Ford Falcon V8s vs. Holden Commodores; it's the most excitement that can be seen on the motor racing calendar, Down Under! I'll be watching that race, ALL arvo!!! It go for 7 Hours! More on that later.......

Tonight, on Sky (it's being recorded for me) is the Chinese Grand Prix; COME ON, LEWIS HAMILTON!!! The Brit rookie is set to be the FIRST rookie to win a Championship!!!!!! So, a BIG day........

"How are you?"

2007-10-05T09:02:00.000+13:00

This morning, I waltzed out to the Mailbox on the street; and Val the Postie was just arriving there..."MORNING!" I cheerily greeted her! "How are you?" she replied. "Let's see, shall we?"
I quipped, as I lifted up the lid. (Nev picks up small packet) "I'm happy now!!" I exclaimed, looking fondly at the Dr.Who CD encased in cardboard! :-) :-D

EMOTIONAL.......

2007-10-04T15:11:00.000+13:00

I'm feeling rather Emotional today......I mean, two weeks ago, I thought, "The pre-school activities the Twins (affectionately called TTC, or "Those Twin Clowns") go to are all over now....but I've still got four more sessions of Daycare to take them to!" ...I get on well with the Teachers at ABC Daycare, and they've been taking care of my kids for 6 years now.

At 12:30pm today, I picked up Zoe & Ben from ABC Daycare, for (possibly) the Last Time. They've had regular sessions of 3 hours each Wednesday & Thursday morning for the last two years, to give me a break. I'll miss taking them there...from now on, they'll be going to morning Kindy. All the activities that I've taken them to over the last 4 years, are over now...still, things change........and there'll be a similar post 12 months from now, when they finish Kindy & begin going to School...

On the plus side, I got another DVD in the mail today...RED DWARF V :-)

Hello, readers......

2007-09-16T22:28:00.000+12:00

Sorry I've been rather slack on the bloggie front recently.....oh, I got mt first phone call on my new Motorola 3VX 3G today...only had it 11 days...how sad is that?! Oh well. ::) I'm still a lucky guy :) - I like my new phone!

My Twins are having their final week of pre-school activities (with their Dad) this week...it's all gonna change.....(sigh)

Jolly Green Nev

2007-09-06T06:32:00.000+12:00

Here I am, getting into the spirit of the kids' dress-up party!! I hired this costume for the event! :)

Twins

2007-09-05T08:06:00.001+12:00

Pusses

2007-09-05T08:03:00.000+12:00

Here is Polly, hoeing into her Tea! I like her colours...
.....and HERE are Slinkypuss & Polly, with the voacious Polly sniffing Slinky's bowl...

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3...

2007-09-04T09:14:00.000+12:00

Hey! It works!

Hello, Doc's blog readers! I'm Ally...

Snow on the Mountains

2007-08-30T23:02:00.000+12:00

This morning, I took the Twins to Daycare; they have 2 three-hour sessions there each week, to give me a break...on the way home, I saw the snow on the mountains; it's just beautiful! Reminds me what a great place this is to live!

I think I've answered at least 4000 questions on TV Trivia so far this week, perhaps I should slow down a bit huh? I've written quite a few, too...about 50 or so...

I adjusted the steering column on my car today - this means that I don't bump my knees any more, when getting out of the car! YAY! :)

Facebook, and A New Addiction

2007-08-29T22:10:00.001+12:00

Well, currently I'm getting a little more into Facebook, as some of my 'Net friends have invited me on there. We've exchanged virtual "drinks," gifts, etc...and now I'm hooked on TV Trivia! Answering questions correctly is fun, as long as it's NOT Lost, King of Queens, Scrubs, Roseanne, Heroes, Charmed, Buffy, Angel, Gilmore Girls, CSI or Grey's Anatomy. However, I'm GREAT at answering Q's on Sex and the City, M*A*S*H, The Simpsons, Coronation St, Friends, Full House, Family Guy, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Golden Girls and even Doctor Who....so far, I'm up to Virtuoso level.....

Lunar Eclipse

2007-08-29T10:30:00.000+12:00

BRRRR! GOLLY-GOSH, it's cooollllld this morning! I've got the heater on now, it's taken the chill off the air....

Last night, Margaret, Jamie & I stepped outside to see the Lunar Eclipse! It was the first one I can recall seeing, though I have seen other astral phenomena in the past...like, seeing the comet, Hally Bop on the Isle of Wight! It was a bit cloudy, but we could definitely see it. Interesting!

More UNDIE 500 News!

2007-08-28T08:14:00.000+12:00

Well, after an amusing Friday night meeting & observing various Undie 500 students, it was sad to see that some of those that I saw were involved in a riot in Dunedin (my home city) on Saturday night; they fought with the cops & set fire to cars, putting the future of the Southern UNDIE 500 in doubt. You'll note that I typed the "Southern" Undie 500...YES....there's one up North, too! On the Offshore Island! ;) (I say the Offshore Island, because here in NZ the South Island is the "Mainland"; so the more populous North Island must be the Offshore Island :D )
The Northern UNDIE 500 is rather different...while those in the Southern event wear undergarments as part of a team costume (quite rare), the idea of the Southern events name is, as I recounted in the earlier blog, 'cos the cars are supposed to be bought for under $500. However, in Auckland, it's a quick 500 metre race for teams of students in their Undies!! Teams often wear matching knickers/briefs. I'll try & get a pic to show what I'm on about :)

The UNDIE 500

2007-08-24T20:28:00.000+12:00

Tonight, we took 7 kids for tea at KFC; while there, hundreds of Canterbury (and some Otago) University students descended on Ashbury (otherwise known as "Takeaway Alley!" - in one small area, you can get KFC, McD's, Pizza Hut (spee-ew), Indian, Fish 'n' Chips, etc). The UNDIE 500 is an annual event for students.....to quote the TV news:

More than 150 vehicles valued at under $500 each entered the alcohol-fuelled road trip, which has five pub stops along the way. But in the midst of the madness there is commonsense and every car is registered and warranted and must have a sober driver.

I interviewed 5 young women at the Timaru KFC who were involved in the Undie 500 - they were comely wenches with a good sense of humour (this is for any Friesians who are reading!).
Two of them - Sophie (Business studies) and Amanda (Medicine) - were dressed as Friesian Cows; complete with Udders! It's great how many bad jokes can be wrung out of such costumes.
ie, One of the "Cows" said, "It's impressive you can remember all of our names.......but what if we sat in different places?" Nev: "Well, that's easy - Amanda's udder hangs low; while Sophie's udder sits high!!" :D
Mind you, I think my having just read Rule No.5 - NO SEX ON THE BUS (Brian Thacker) may have helped my banter; as if I needed any!! ::) Going clockwise around the table, Andrea (Accounting) was what I'd call "the girl who hoses down the cows," or a Milkmaid. Next up were Laura (Law), and Shannon (Forrestry), who were Managers of the Herd. All these were titles I bestowed upon them, and they took it with good grace. I chatted with them for a while, until Wifey said "Eat your tea...we've gotta go!" :) We then headed over to McDonalds, where the kids had ice cream, and I quaffed a large Cappucino. Then, the Circus came to town....the kids had never seen anything like it!! There were guys dressed as Goldfish; Ninja Turtles; US Soldiers; Chefs (dudes dressed only in matching aprons & g-strings); Sailor Girls; Princesses; Kenny dudes (from the movie KENNY - google it); Paris Hilton; etc, etc. I didn't do any more interviews, but it was great to see the many costumes. It reminded me of my Uni days - I must finish my degree some day.....

On the way back to my car from McDonalds, the kids had to avoid puke from one of the "Undie" girls.....where was Andrea when I needed her? Oh, of course...she's not paid to hose down drunk undergraduates! LOL! *** I'd love to know what those peop. spent on their costumes... the body make-up alone would've cost a fortune. Some guys painted each other up to look black; which shows dedication (I know - I was once painted orange to look like on of the Fantastic Four, for a fellow student's 20th Birthday. This was just 12 years ago). *** And the vehicles... the Cows had their Estate painted like a bovine, which was cute; less cute was the Penis Flytrap van ::) - others were accessorised with corrugated iron; old blankets; cardboard wings; beer kegs & other inventive decs.

Jamie's Birthday

2007-08-24T20:17:00.000+12:00

Today is Jamie's 8th Birthday! It all seems to happen in August....the Twins' Birthdays; our Anniversary; and now the birthday of our eldest child!! He got a couple of ace toy presents before he went to school - diecast Dr.Who toys :) He was very pleased that his birthday fell on a Mufti Day this year!! He went to School clad in Cam trousers; Cam t-shirt; Cam hoodie; Cam wellies; Cam jacket, and Cub scarf & woggle! Tonight, he's having a sleepover with two of his fave friends. But first, we're all going to KFC for Tea.....then ice-cream at McDonalds!

Beyond Disappointment.....

2007-08-24T20:04:00.000+12:00

Well, today I went out to the Mailbox; calling a cheery "Hi, Val!" to Mrs.Postie (you can tell I live in a small town, right?). She put a handful of letters in our new letterbox, after a friendly exchange. I saw one letter which looked suspiciously like a Rejection letter...and I was right!
:( Am I a pessimist? Perhaps....I've spent the day trying to find ways to cheer myself up. Watched a Dr.Who DVD, with the hilarious Commentary on.....Peter Davison & his co-stars really ripped the p*ss out of their story, "Time Flight!"

I've decided that I'll try out for more Shows next year; do maybe 3 or 4 more Auditions...& if I don't get into another Play or Musical Comedy, I'll give it away.

Sunday: final Audition for the Year

2007-08-21T09:27:00.000+12:00

Well, Sunday dawned bright & clear; we went to Church, where the Annual General Meeting was humming along quite nicely, 'till someone threw a red herring into the mix ::) - well - it was more of a Spanner in the works, I guess. Oh, BROTHER! (rolls eyes several times)

In the arvo, I attended the Audition I've been gearing up for, for many weeks...some folks there had obviously been preparing for it, as I had; others didn't need to (nearly at professional level), and others didn't have a clue, bless 'em. I was only one of two men who dressed as a Cowboy for the audition :) My song went quite well, though I maybe should have sung it a little slower... my dancing needs tidying up...but my acting seemed OK to me....... Now, I wait.

Saturday: a Birthday, and Dancing Jellyfish

2007-08-21T08:44:00.000+12:00

On Saturday, we were invited to a Birthday party for a child that lives in one of the houses behind us; a Maori family. We were the only ones from the street invited to his birthday; so we felt quite honoured! The little boy turned 5, so he starts school this week. He's had a lot of health problems, illness & hospitalisations, so his family are very pleased he's made it to his 5th birthday. I managed to find him a gift from some boxed toys I have upstairs, and found a card for a 5-year-old in our stash of B/day cards. We arrived at about 1:20pm, and stayed for about 20mins...the kids enjoyed the little Bouncy Castle that was there...we had to go to Finding Nemo, the stage play; it was put on at Mountainview High School. Three of our friends were in the show; my mate, Andy, played Gill, and two of his daughters were Dancing Jellyfish - one of them played two other roles, as well! The show was very impressive.

After seeing Nemo, we went home - I had a rest, then went back to the little boy's Birthday party; there was a pallet outside for dancing, and I danced for a little bit with my daughter. There was also a tent and a gazebo. The hostess of the party kindly gave me a couple of beers. I stayed for a time, and my wife & children also came back to the Party. It was a good time :)

Our Anniversary

2007-08-18T23:10:00.000+12:00

Friday night, was very special...we went to a Health Studio and enjoyed a Spa pool for 45 minutes; then had an Aromatherapy Massage for 90 minutes, each with our own Finnish Massage Therapist. Fantastic!!! The staff made us feel very welcome. The neat thing was, since it's August, they had special deals...ie, pay for 1 hour massage, get another 30 minutes free! :D

Afterwards, we went to a nice Cafe/Bar for hot drinks, and shared some cake. A lovely night out.

FRIDAY 17th AUGUST! :)

2007-08-17T09:30:00.001+12:00

Today is our 16TH ANNIVERSARY! WOO-HOOOOO! :D

More on Thursday

2007-08-17T09:25:00.000+12:00

Well, Thursday night was the Pre-Audition Meeting for Beyond Rawhide, a show I would VERY much like to be in...I've been practicing a Waylon Jennings number, "Bob Wills is Still the King," for many weeks....I went along, and discovered many people there; some I knew, some I didn't. I've read the script (a Director I met last week gave me a script), and it's got about 72 gags - not bad for a two - hour show, with around 16 song-and-dance numbers! Auditions are this Sunday afternoon...

Thursdays - What to do with them??

2007-08-16T15:59:00.000+12:00

Today, was an unremarkable one - oh, I watched a new DVD...The Castle; about an Australian family facing the loss of their home, when an Airport authority want to extend the runway. Most of the Western world would call it a "David vs. Goliath" story...but Australians see it as an "Aussie Battler" film. I find it hard to believe that people as naive and good-hearted as the Kerrigan family exist, but I 'spose it's possible... Anyway, it's a good film. A number of well-known Oz Soap actors feature.

Ally - thanks for the birthday cards for our Bairns :)

The lovely 2nd-hand monitor arrived today, that I got on an online auction... but we won't throw out the old monitor; far too many computer monitors have been thrown out worldwide lately, making for an almost unthinkable amount of toxic waste :(

Another walloping Wednesday...

2007-08-15T19:56:00.000+12:00

Well, today started off well enough; and overall, it was a good 'un... took the Twins to Daycare; then went & bought 5 breast-feeding pillows for the Multiple Birth Club...I had to canvas Club Committee members to convince the Secretary we needed 5...they're brilliant for women who have enough milk to feed both Twins at once! Then, I paid for yet another auction win on TadeMe; and went off to buy a "Ben" loco for my son...got home, and started watching Red Dwarf 7, episode: Tikka To Ride....
............went to Northtown mall, and paid for yet another auction item; then bought an Anniversary card for Wifey....

Following the White Rabbit down a hole...

2007-08-14T20:28:00.000+12:00

The last few days haven't been too exciting; probably a good thing, bearing in mind how full a day I had on Saturday! OH - I hired a costume the other day; made me look like Peter Pan (or Robin Hood, or the Jolly Green Giant...depending on your point of view!). It cost me nothing to hire the cossie (black tights, long green tunic, studded belt & hat w/red feather), as I'm a member of the Drama Society. The costume was for a Colour Party at the Twins' Mainly Music group; I went as Green; Zoe went as Pink; and Ben...well, Ben was supposed to be going as Red, but he refused to wear his older brothers' red top, so he was Blue ::) I had pics taken....I'll try & post one when they arrive!

Oh, and Ally, I've started taking pics of Slinkypuss & Polly; they're not always very cooperative...so I have to take what I can get....

At the moment, I'm blogging in spite of my migraine....at least I haven't had one of these for a looonnnnng time...

This afternoon, Wifey & I went to visit Kayo & her baby Twins; it was lovely to hold one, and he fell asleep on my chest, snuffling quietly to himself. So nice to see them all....

WHAT a Day!

2007-08-11T23:16:00.000+12:00

Well, that was a Day, that was....mostly fun, but Exhausting! :)

This morning, we went to Jamie's last Hockey game for the season...and he got Player of the Day! He WAS pleased, and we were proud of him! The team lost the game, but he played well and tried his best, and we can't ask more than that - he did great!

Then, it was off to the Twins' Birthday Party, at Chipmunks (an indoor adventure playground, and cafe). The Twins had a wonderful time, and their little friends, Anton & Marsha, came to wish them a Happy Birthday....my cappucino was cleared away before I'd finished the last drop, so I got another for Free (I do love my Cappucinos!). The cafe has improved; their car mags are right up-to-date now!

We then had a short break, to go home & get our towels, to go out swimming, & have a Fish'n'Chip Tea....I was getting a bit tired by this stage ::) - but we still enjoyed some great moments, in the water at the old Century Pool....

THEN, after an hour or so at home to re-charge our batteries, Wifey & I went out to see the Chicago stage show, that I'd auditioned for months ago.....it was FANTASTIC!

So, a tiring, but lovely day - PHEW!

"Does it come in Diet?"

2007-08-10T13:05:00.001+12:00

Oh, I nearly forgot - on Wednesday night, I went to see Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix with my mate, Chris. It was excellent. And, contrary to some reviews, it DOES have humour in it!

Friday

This morning, I spent two hours at the Hospital, having THREE Blood Tests done, during which I was required to frink a bottled Glucose solution....I asked, "Does it come in Diet?" Oh well - the 2nd nurse I told it to, laughed! :) Then, I raced over to the Playcentre, for the Twins' Birthday Morning Tea. Spent ten minutes there; then charged home to be on-time for my mate Wally's arrival - he's a Funeral Director, so we watched Six Feet Under. That's Friday so far....I've just fried up 10 Puppdoms to go with tonight's Tea, so Friday is going well so far :)

Thursday

2007-08-10T12:57:00.000+12:00

Well, yesterday was busy, busy, busy; paid for an item I bought on TradeMe; and dashed here & there in the morning. In the afternoon, I snuggled with our mottled torty, Polly, for a while; then picked up the kids from School & Kindy. I took them to Tai & Rita's fishing shop, where I bought a float for Jamie; then we all headed next door to The Purple Lizard. People were impressed with how well the kids behaved! :)

Wednesday....

2007-08-08T22:24:00.000+12:00

It's been a funny sort of day...I had an interesting morning; pottered about in Town, got into Red Dwarf.....got series 8....anybody else like the Dwarf? Watched the DVDs? If so, you'll have found it's not easy finding the Easter Eggs...!! But worth it, once you have ;)

Had a fairly restful afternoon....lost my cool a bit, at Tea-time.....however, I had a Coffee at the Red Rocket cafe with my mate Chris after Tea; and then we went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. We enjoyed it! Brilliant film....whoever says it's lacking in humour, needs to open their eyes! ::)

I'm spending time these days, practicing a song for next weeks audition....it's a bit scary, but I'm quite confident.....the song is rather apt for the Show, as the play is set in Texas, and the name of that state is mentioned 5 times in the song!!! :)

Under Starters' Orders!!!

2007-08-07T08:34:00.000+12:00

I've been ordered off eBay & Trademe, and onto Bloggie! Wifey says I'm
"hooked on Auctions," I can't see it meself, but then, as the Seventh Doctor
says, "There's none so blind as those that clutch at straws..." ;)

Yesterday, I was flat-out like a lizard drinkin'; charging here & there....one
thing that amuses me, is that I bought boxers for my brother-in-law's birthday,
and explained it to a cute ex-pat British woman: "Our sister-in-law insists that
all the males in her Household wear Boxers, so she can iron them!" This amused
her....comment if it makes you smile, too :)

OUR FISHIES

2007-08-04T22:46:00.000+12:00

Last night, I installed an Air Stone inro our little Aquarium for the 2 goldfish, while watched by Jamie. I'd already done the groundwork...ie, made an elbow junction out of a T-junction, by inserting a Model Car screw into one end of a T-junction, then cut off a small section of tube, to connect the elbow to the Air Stone. Then I went & got Jamie, and he looked on as I jammed the tube from the Pump onto the elbow. The Fishies now have a lovely curtain of bubbles to play in! :)

I've started watching Red Dwarf, to take my mind (yes, I've got a mind) off Dr.Who....it's working quite well, so far....

Playcentre

2007-08-03T12:29:00.000+12:00

This morning, the Wifey & I took the Twins to Playcentre...we had a reasonably Quiet Argument over my wanting to buy Ben a Dr.Who lunchbox; I can't see what the problem is... she has this funny idea that it's getting too much; I suppose she might be right, in her own way... (whispered aside: it gets a bit much for me, too, sometimes!) ::)

I played with the Playdough with Ben & Zoe; making stars & hearts....I never had any pre-school things to go to as a child - perhaps that's why I've compensated a bit my our kids... they've been taken to: Coffee Morning Groups; Playgroups; Mini-playgroups; Mainly Music; Cafes; Soft-play areas (ie Chipmunks); Playcentre & Kindergarten! (insert cheesy grin!).

MORE ON K9...

2007-08-02T21:09:00.000+12:00

If there's any Dr.Who fans reading this, let me tell ya...I am so glad the 12" R/C K9 was made by Character Options, and not Product Enterprise!! CO have properly researched K9, making him into a really good Model (or Toy, if you wish!). His ears waggle when he moves... his internal blue lights power up, when he boots up...and he spins faster than a pink sock in a washing machine! :)

It's a little embarrassing...I've been checking our back door, before Breakfast (that's where & when large parcels appear) 6 days a week, for the past 9 months...so it's good that he's finally here now! :D

I'm Back Again.....

2007-08-02T11:24:00.000+12:00

Back Again....could be for good this time!! I've been meaning to post Blogs for AGES...all sorts of odd & interesting things have been happening here - for instance:

K9!

Over a year ago, I ordered a Radio-Controlled, 12" K9 model.....IT ARRIVED TODAY! WOO_HOO! YIP_E! Oh, SPIN my nipple-nuts and send me to Alaska!!! Heh-hee! It
talks, it moves quickly, it extends its little Nose! It took quite a while to get it out of its wrapper, but now I've got it going, and I Ham Pleased! (insert smug smiley)

A Wee MOAN!! :(

2007-08-02T11:22:00.000+12:00

WHY is it that I always have to enter my user name whenever I do a new Blog Post?! Everything else I go on - ie, Sausagenet; MySpace - they remember who I am....but not Bloggie; OH no! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Friday - Socialising

2007-07-13T19:48:00.000+12:00

On Friday morning, we went out to see our flame-haired sis-in-law, Fiona, and her 4 kids; it was good to see them all. While there, Fiona's daughter, Grace, asked me to draw a flower - I drew one, and said, "This is half-tree, half-flower, and it eats giant flying insects!! Like, insects that are about 30cms across...and land on Earth & come out of spaceships!" She ran off, came back, and said, "You mean like this?" , pointing at an entry in a book about Dangerous Plants - the Venus Flytrap! "Yes, exactly like that," I smiled. "We have one at home!" After visiting there for a couple of hours, we went off & bought a Tent (scary!). On the way back to the car, I met another Dr.Who fan, for the first time - hope to meet him & his properly some time. He asked for my email address, so we may yet meet up in the future!

This arvo, we all went to the Park 'round the corner from here; Jamie went "Fishing;" mostly he caught leaves, but he didn't mind! :) Before he started, I met a stranger there - Kristin, from Jackson, Michigan. She is here in Christchurch visiting her grandchildren.

Thursday - Embryo, Embryo...!

2007-07-13T19:41:00.000+12:00

We went to the Fertility Clinic on Thursday while my Daddy-in-law watched the ankle-biters; we had to discuss with a Counsellor, the possibility of donating our excess Frozen Embryos to another couple. Now, this has only just become legal in NZ; so it's all very NEW. The meeting went on for over 90 minutes!! We were asked to specify what kind of people we would like our embryos to go to; whether we'd like contact with any children that may result from the process; and so on...since we have about a Dozen excess embryos, we were told ours would be in demand, so it'll be interesting to see what develops!

Later, we went to Northlands shopping mall (a huge shopping centre), and I bought a discounted Dr.Who Toy; also bought a birthday present for our sis-in-law.

WEDNESDAY

2007-07-13T19:31:00.000+12:00

On Wednesday, we set off for Christchurch city; we left about 10:30am...after I'd finally found my car keys!! I have SEVERAL sets of car keys, but these are THE most important - my licence is attached to them! M. found them upstairs. Phew!

We arrived in Chch. at 12:17pm, which was a quick trip for the 156km journey (no motorway - tho there WERE 9 passing lanes). I was on time to meet my mate, Jeff, for lunch at the Uni of Canterbury; we lunched at the Cafe 101. A nice time! M. dropped me off & picked me up, having taken the kids to their grandparents in the meantime. On the way to Cashmere - where the in-laws live - we detoured into town, so I could visit the local sci-fi shop & buy a 2.5" R/C K9 - a reasonable buy at $70? "Affirmative, Master!"

That night, I went out & met a new bunch of friends..the Armstrong family. WHAT a lovely welcome!! The kids had drawn around 14 pictures for me - I was most impressed, that on 3 of the pics they had co-operated - the pic would be drawn by one, and coloured in by the other. How sweet! They'd even put Dr Who posters on the wall, to "Who-up" the flat for my arrival... they had been borrowed from the library! We look forward to swimming with them in the Atlantis-themed QE2 pools on Saturday.

Monday, Monday

2007-07-09T22:09:00.000+12:00

This morning, we woke up to a whopper of a frost...frozen windows; frozen pipes...had breakfast (eventually); got my new Dr.Who Satchel (YAY!!!! cue celebratory dance!) - and went out with our ex-Nanny to the Shearers' Quarters, where I had an early Brunch of Nachos, and the kids played Mini-Golf, Maree (the ex-Nanny) had a scone, and we enjoyed feeding the animals! I hand-fed a Goat, two Donkeys and a Shetland Pony! :) A happy time...except for Zoe's 6-minute sulk, 'cos she wasn't allowed to hold the bag of animal feed pellets ::)

After lunch, I went to town, and exchanged something at a department store; also deposited some money to pay for something I'd bought on Trademe. Then I went for a Massage at the Chiropracter's Clinic. Oh, I also took TWO sheepskin rugs with me....as last time I was there, the massage table was a bit on the hard side.....hey, I'm an individual, you know? :)