BOO!!

The number one question I've been asked lately "Is how do Kiwi's celebrate Halloween?" Well, hate to break it to ya, is they really don't. I asked a co-worker why there is no pumpkin carving, trick or treating, and "fun sized" candy! And he just replied with "Americans need an excuse to drink, where Kiwi's just drink". I about fell out of my chair I laughed so hard, but it's really true!

However, on Saturday night, Simon (Seka's boyfriend) had some friends that were throwing a costume party so that afternoon Seka, Simon, Nicky, and I hit up the $2 store for some costume props. I decided against the Secert Spy and decided White Trash was alot more fun. But "White Trash" ended up being "Gangsta Girl". I donned black converse, jeans with the wife beater and black bra underneath, red bandanna tied around my leg, fake tattoos, a bling-bling necklace, a trucker hat to the side, and really heavy makeup with black nail polish. Oh, I also had a pair of handcuffs around on wrist. The party was alot of fun and I met some really cool people, but due to having to work the next day after one beer I called it a early night and was in bed by midnight. The Devil (Simon) went down to Georgia!
You shoot ONE ex-boyfriend in the leg and the Feds (Nicky) are all over ya!
I'm so ready for Mo-vember!

(By the way, November is prostate awareness month and males are suppose to show support by growing mustaches. (hence the name "MO-vember) You start clean shaven on the 1st of November and on the last day of the month you shave your hair into something ridiculous. All the lifeguards at the pool are having a contest...it is a huge event here in New Zealand.)

On Sunday, Nicky and I ended up siting on her balcony sunning ourselves and talking all day. Seka came over and we ended up watching girlie movies and eating pizza and having a Girls Day. The weather has been beautiful lately and I'm really excited to be having ACTUAL weather!

At least my feet will be tan!

So that is about it for now. Work is going really well now that I've gotten into the groove. I coach the Haitaitai water polo team on Friday mornings (co-ed 11-13 year olds) and their games are on Monday nights but I can't go because I'm at Raumati, but I got an email from the teacher that hired me to coach (she coaches them during the games) and she says that they have grown leaps and bounds over the last few weeks and are even winning their games on Mondays! Yay! Go me! I actually DO know what I'm doing!

What a beautiful day....

....not a cloud in sight. So, I guess I'm doin' alright!

After spending an entire day in bed, drinking tea and juice and watching 80's movies (what is it about Sixteen Candles and Jake Ryan that turns a cold around?), I'm feeling ALOT better. It was a great day here in New Zealand. Jo and I even took our lunches out to the park behind WRAC and layed out in our suits. It was so great! Blue Sky! No Clouds! NO WIND! YAY!!

Work was awesome, too. I'm coaching more Flippaball classes and my Thursday kids are great. I'm still a wee bit congested with a cough but I'm feeling better. Thank goodness I brought DayQuil and NyQuil with me.

I don't really have plans for the weekend. I'm on call for Saturday morning and I'm working for 2 hours on Sunday. I was invited to a Halloween party on Saturday night but depending on how I'm feeling, I might not go. Plus, I really don't have a costume. I could go as a spy (black pants, black shirt, trench coat, and sunglasses).....or is that more Jackie O? Haha.

I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my cousin Aly! I was so out of it on Monday (her Sunday) that I forgot to include it in my last blog. I love you so much Aly! I hope you have a fantastic day, filled with all sort of Texas things to do. I miss you and you deserve the best Birthday ever!! HUGS!

Ohh, the insanity!

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

After spending the entire day sick and working, I come home to the stove broken and a cell phone message from Frazer, my flatmate, that said "Ya, we broke the stove. The guy is coming to fix it tomorrow. In the mean time you are more then welcome to come to my parents house with Katrin and I for the night." The starter on the stove that ignites the fire is broken so its emits really loud, obnoxious CLICK noise. I have to decline the invitation to stay at Frazer's parents house due to the fact that I'm really sick.

The good thing about being sick is that I actually don't know what my fever is. I know I have a fever because all the swim instructors that are moms kept feeling my forehead today at work and telling me how hot and clammy I was and how my eyes had this glazed over look that only they can see and tell if a kid is really sick. Wow, the gifts you get when you shoot a human being out of your womb. Basically, I spent the day going through the motions and the kiddy pool at WRAC felt like a sauna and the pool at Raumati just made my throat wrecked. I'm officially taking my first SICK day tomorrow. (but it might end up being a INSANITY day with the click, click, click, click of the stove!) It is times like this that I really miss my own bed with my own pottery barn sheets with my own pillow and my own CABLE tv! At least I have my own sock monkey flannel pajamas. *sigh*

Also, the top story on New Zealand's ten o'clock news was "Firestorm takes California". I yelled out "HOME!" when I heard the story. The information is pretty vague but I'm doing my best to stay on top of the news with abc7.com. The news showed a satellite picture of all the fires and the smoke and I can't believe it. It's so sad, sadly though, I have to admit I'm glad to be missing it. The ash, the smoke smell, the air....glad I'm not there to have to take a constant shower to feel clean. Please, everyone stay safe and don't inhale.

Anyways, off to bed with two doors shut and a pillow over my head the "clicking" isn't too bad.

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

AAARRGGHHH!

Are you on fire, again?!?

The Malibu fires made our top news story here this morning. I then had to explain to my flatmates why it was such a big deal, where Malibu was, and what Santa Ana winds are.

Today is Labour Day so no work for me. Instead I'm being lazy and sick (sick being cough, headache, sore throat). This is our fourth AWESOME day in a row...Sunny, puffy white clouds, little wind, and it's even in the high 60's and low 70's.

This weekend was pretty fun. On Friday night, a bunch of the coaches (Nicky, Adrian from Barbados, Eamon from New Zealand, and Seka and her boyfriend) all went out to our new favorite pub, Hope Brothers. It was a great time. I have to admit, the pubs here play the best music. Its good old classic rock!

On Saturday, James and I went out to dinner and then he took me around to a few cool places around Wellington. We watched the sunset from across the harbor and then headed to this beach called Red Rock, where all the kiwi's go to motocross, ATV, camp, etc. Then we headed off to the movies.

One of the many Maori Statues in the city. I just like how cool the sun looked behind it.Watching the sunset behind the city.

Part of Wellington. Reminds me of San Fran, big city on the water.The view over looking Red Rock, with the South Island in the distance. (VERY rare to see!)

Sunday was a BBQ at Jim's house. We did steak, chicken, sausages and watch a new episode of CSI! (WHOO!!) We then walked his two greyhounds on the beach. It was really warm and was a great day for a BBQ.

I have a few travel plans coming up. In December, Nicky's family is going to come over and they have pleasantly invited me to come along on a week long adventure of the South Island with them. So I will be gone in mid-December.

My Dad and I have also worked out a trip for when he comes in April! We are going to spend a week in Wellington, 10 days in Sydney, and then head to Maui for two weeks!! I can't wait! I know it's still 6 months off, but I'm so excited (and for my Dad to take a month off work is HUGE!! Thanks, TOM!) I also found some great priced airfare....about $1,100 for the entire thing.

So heading back to work tomorrow, but at least it's a short week. But wait, I already get Mondays off. Haha.

Be careful over there and remember, only you can prevent forest fires!

Do'h!

Today I was suppose to drive the Raumati water polo kids from Raumati Pool down to WRAC for a water polo game using their High School's van. So, I leave practice, head over to their school, get the keys for the van, get in the van and....

.....its a stick shift! OPPS! I don't know how to drive a manual. My parents don't even know this story: The one time someone decided to teach me, was a boyfriend when I was 16 (when I didn't even have a license) in the El Modena parking lot. Well, I ended up running his car into a pole. OPPS! The car and the pole were fine but I've never had access to a stick shift (and if you think I'm going to learn on my dad's VW bus, then you are kidding yourself!) and both cars I've owned have been automatics. I guess I need to learn, eventually. (By the way, the other assistant coach took the kids and I ended up feeling like a doofus for the rest of my evening.)

The swim instructors at WRAC will do anything to keep themselves entertained, or on the verge of sane and insane. We started a game called "PEGGED" today in our mist of boredom waiting for a school to show up. Basically, you take a clothes pin (or a "peg" as kiwi's call them) and you have to get it on someones clothing without them noticing. The lifeguards, swim instructors, and even reception people were covered in pegs today. It was pretty hysterical. I came home and found them in my shoes, jeans, and purse. I think we've been inhaling to much pool chemicals.... (Next on the list is a game called "Assassin". We are just trying to see how many people we can get to play before we start that one. Plastic dart guns are involved!)

So far, so good in the work department. Even though I'm in the water ALOT, the kids are really cool, which makes the job easier. *knocks on wood* I don't want to jinx it.

The weather was great today. It had to be at least 62/63 degress with a bright blue sky, white puffy clouds, and green rolling hills (with sheep). It was great....no rain! (at least for today).

Anyways, going out on Friday night to celebrate Labour Day Weekend (NO LABOURING!) and there is a BBQ at Jim's on Sunday. Wanna go?

What a GREAT day!

So after a week of nothing but testing kids ("So...can you blow bubbles?" "I don't wanna!!" "Okay...Level 1 for you." Multiply that by about 500!) and arranging classes, I needed a DAY off. (I also had a swim meet on Saturday and covered a shift at WRAC on Sunday morning) So yesterday, Nicky, Seka, and I decided to call it a GIRLS DAY and Mother Nature wanted to come out and play too!
We ended up driving around the coast to a cafe in Miramar called "The Chocolate Fish", this is where the Lord of the Rings cast hung out for a majority of their three years in New Zealand. They filmed a TON in his area. I had the vanilla risotto, which was DELICIOUS!! The cafe is right on the water and you can watch the inter-island ferries come in and out of the harbor.

The Chocolate Fish. At the Cafe, they have this HUGE wall design made up of sea shells. So, here I am being silly with King Titan!
Miramar Bay. (and yes we played in the water, but only up to our knees!)

Standing on a rock in the middle of New Zealand!

On the way back, the three of us stopped at the studios where Lord of the Rings was created. It doesn't look like much, and honestly, it isn't. Sorry to disappoint ya, Brian!

So then we headed back into the city and looked around and decided to "Culture-ize" ourselves and see a French film about the famous singer, Edith Paif. It was really interesting and she had quite the life.

It was an AMAZING day, probably one of the best since I've been here. I'm so relieved the weather was nice. Yea, it rains alot here, but nothing beats a sunny day in Wellington.

Coming up this week: work, work, and more work! But this weekend is Labour Day! So...NO WORK! I plan on hitting up the town on Friday and Saturday night with my co-workers and then maybe a BBQ at Jim's house on Sunday or Monday. Should be pretty cool!

P.S. I used the public restroom (or TOILET!) at Miramar Bay and I can offically say they are cleaner/better then the US. I felt like I was using the ones in Nordstrom they were so nice! HAHA!

Make Money Money!

Back to the grind.

My work schedule is pretty much as follows:
Monday- 5-7
Tuesday through Friday 9-8 (I have an hour commute to Raumati)

It is looking like alot of water instruction. Blech! And ALOT of younger kids (ages 4-6). I do have 2 water polo classes and I am coaching the Haitaitai Water Polo team on Friday mornings.

After about 3 days solid of rain, it finally cleared up on my way home from Raumati and due to the time change last week, I now get to drive home at SUNSET! YAY! On my drive home tonight I was literally looking at the pink sky with the ocean on one side and green rolling hills...and I thought "MAN! I'm in New Zealand!"

So thats it for now. I have a swim meet for Raumati on Saturday and I sub-teaching on Sunday.

Night. Night.

Anything bigger then a few inches is a SNAKE!

Firstly, I want to apologize for screaming in my sisters ear yesterday why we were webcaming. Duffi and I were chatting about the meaning of life (i.e. chocolate) and I hear a knock on my door and Frazer asking me if I wanted some gummy worm candies. Of course I said "Yea! Come in" and he opens the door and shoves a 12 inch+ earth worm in my face. I freaked out because anything longer then a few inches isn't an earthworm....it's a snake! Gosh...living with male gender sure gets interesting. I wouldn't have been surprised if I wasn't home and the "snake" ended up in my bed.

Friday night ended up being ladies night! Nicky, Jo, Seka, two of Seka's friends, and myself met up at a pub called "Hope Bros" because I get a discount due to my status working with the City. So after a few drinks we headed over to this great 80's dance bar called "Electric Avenue" and we danced to Bon Jovi, Cindy Lauper, Madonna, Kenny Loggins, and New Kids On the Block. It was a blast! Nicky and I both decided we were tired and looked at our clocks and it was 2am. How convenient since that is the "last call" in the states. We are wussies!

I spent the night at Nicky's new place which just happens to be up the street from WRAC and we woke up to a windless, cloudless, blue sky the next morning. We could not let this day get away! So we headed out to breakfast and ended up making the 5 minute walk to Lyall Bay (Wellington's surf spot) to enjoy the "70" degree weather we were having (it was really only 62!) Being reflective at Lyall Bay....don't you love my Pirate cuff? I got that at Electric Avenue the night before.

The next night Jim, Ivana, Adrian (the new coach from Barbados), Nicky, Jess (one of Jim's friends), and I headed out for dinner at Monsoon and then to the Gold Lounge to see the "new" Jamie Fox movie "The Kingdom" (and I say "new" because we get movies about two months later then then the States). The movie was alright, typical guy movie, and kinda left me tired so after a beer at this bar called the "Lotus Lounge" I headed home. I have my own take-away (aka to-go) place!

I woke up this morning to pouring wind and rain (where's the weather????), went grocery shopping, and now I'm just hanging out before 10 weeks of chaos start all over again. The All Blacks rugby team lost to France this morning in the World Cup so all the kiwi's were really angry at the grocery store this morning....reminded me of shopping in the states ;-)

Oh, and I totally have conquered public transportation! Yes, I have taken the bus. It's easier to take the bus from Nicky's house into town for $2.50 then trying to find parking then having to pay 10 bucks for it!

So that's about it....my holiday break in a few words and pictures. It was a nice relaxing holiday but I'm looking forward to teaching again...with WEEKENDS OFF!!

$40 for Mexican food....

...is TOTALLY WORTH IT!! Thanks to the observant finding of Nicky while riding on the bus she texted me yesterday and asked "You want Mexican?" and the next thing I know I have a delicious plate of beef enchiladas, rice, and beans in front me. As Nicky said "It was a good attempt at Mexican." But when you haven't had it in 3 months anything will do. We even had chips and dip and I had flan for dessert. YAY! I was so excited. FINALLY!!

The last three days at WRAC have been training, a water polo clinic that I ran on Wednesday, a butterfly/breaststroke clinic I ran today and tomorrow is Kayaking, which I am NOT running. We also had 5meter pool training today, which basically translates into play time for the instructors. We got to jump off the diving boards and the platforms...oh, and the BUBBLE machine. I have learned to contort my body into amazing forms so the massive air bubble launches me into the air. I even got fulling airborne on one. It was alot of fun to not be the only person over the age of 12 that enjoys the Bubble Machine.
Ohhhh.....BIG Bubbles!! (You can't see me because I'm underwater...to the left of the pic)This is a giant slide the lifeguards set up during holiday break. Yes, I played on it and yes, I recieved a HUGE wedgie!

The weather has been total, excuse my language but it's the only way to describe it, CRAP! We've been having 80-100mph gusts of constant wind, which I discovered if you can time it between rain burst, gets your laundry dry in about 5.8 seconds. I can't wait till the sunshine comes because 65 degrees will feel like summer and it also means the country side will be stunning shades of green.

This weekend looks like Girls Night tomorrow with Alexia, Jo, Seka, and Nicky and then on Saturday night I might be going to a reggae concert with Jo and Alexia.

I want to send out my prayers to my Grandpa Morrison who is having surgery this Friday. Grandpa, I LOVE YOU soooo much and I'm thinking about you always. I pray for the doctors and a speedy recovery. MISS YOU!

Rain. Rain. Go away. Come again....NEVER!

Arg! I hate rain! We've had about three southerly storms come through New Zealand from Antarctica over the last week and we still have at least one more coming though. Another 3 days of 45 degrees and rain. I guess this is normal because this is the cold, unstable time of year for Antarctica. I need to do laundry in a BAD way! I'm so glad I packed 3 pairs of jeans. In the meantime, Jimmy Buffett and a space heater is going to have to bring me back to summer time.

Over the past week I basically have mellowed out, enjoying watching the Ellen show on TV and wearing my pj's all day. I do have training in the afternoons and today I'm running a water polo workshop.

Friday night, Jo's birthday party, was nuts! Kiwi's have a leg up on the social scene over here. About 20 people showed up from WRAC and we basically danced and bar hopped into the wee hours of the morning. It was a BLAST! But I'm getting to old to do it every night of every weekend. So here are some pictures from Friday:

Cheers from NEW ZEALAND!!

Even my boss, Ali, likes to hang out with us.

We call ourselves the International Tripod....The Yank, The Pom, and The Kiwi.

Smile! (Aaron and Drew in the back)

Two American Girls trying to make it in the South Pacific (Nicky).

Smiles with American James.

I'm a Star 24 hours a day.

This saying is at every intersection on Courtney and Cuba street. It cracks me up everytime. There is one in the Central Business District that says "Stop. LOOK RIGHT. Live"....tourists are idiots.

So that's about it. We get our Bubble Machine training on Thursday and I was going to borrow Jim's underwater camera for that but I won't have a chance to see him before that, so pictures are just going to have to do. YES!! BUBBLE MACHINE!! WHOOO! Time to go swim now.