Alanz Eyes

28 April - ANZAC Holiday: Mt Ruapehu, Taupo thermal springs, Hawkes Bay

Add comment April 28th, 2005

On holiday - part 4

Add comment April 26th, 2005

ay, I'm back home!  It was good to see Eve again, and she was sooo happy to see us too!  We missed each other, and she's been very happy to see Deidre too.  That was nice. 

Anyway, the evening has been spent chilling out and catching up on the budget.  I'm very excited!  We came in $5 (each) over expectations!  I expected us to be spending $240 each, and we ended up spending $245 each.  And that's without even checking the budget or the account or being particularly anal about our spending.  We knew it was a budget holiday, and we just made sure we didn't go overboard, and it all worked out fine.  Anyway, sitting down tonight and working it all into the budget has been fun too.  Everything's looking rosy.

On holiday - part 3

Add comment April 25th, 2005

Right, I'm sitting here in the lounge room of a family friend of Deidre's, Mick and Debbie.  I've had a great time since yesterday.  Last night we watched Miss Congeniality, as I mentioned, and then went to sleep.  We woke up this morning around 8am, had breakfast, and then left Taupo to head for Hawkes Bay.  The drive was lovely.  We went over some huge mountain ranges (Kaimanawas) which had snow all over them, and got into Hastings (Hawkes Bay) around lunch time.  It was really funny, 'cause Deidre and I had looked at a map on the internet last night for the address to Mick's place, so I had the view of the map in my head.  When we were driving into Hastings, I didn't realise where we were until we got to a roundabout, and Deidre thought we should turn left at the roundabout and go straight.  However, I saw the map in my head and knew we had to do a 360 degree turn to go back the way we'd come and then we'd find the street we would have to turn off.  Deidre swore she was right and that I was now going the wrong way.  She sat there with that smug smile on her face, waiting to be proven right.  The look on her face as I turned into the street we were supposed to turn into, was priceless.  It was hilarious!  I told her I had to tell that story in my journal, and she's sitting here next to me as I write this.  She's lovely.  *grin*

On holiday - part 2

Add comment April 24th, 2005

Well, I'm 'shattered' all over again.  I think being so relaxed has reduced my stamina or something.  After breakfast we went out to Huka Falls and Waikato River, and went for a walk for an hour or so.  Got some more good photos of it.  The walk was a little tiring, 'cause it was up and down so much and my legs just ain't used to it!  We had a good time though, as we also tried to find songs from the 80's that we each remembered, and then we'd sing them together.  Funny stuff.

I knew a girl named Nikki
I guess you could say she was a sex fiend
I met her in a hotel lobby
masturbating to a magazine
she said how'd you like to waste some time
and I could not resist
when I saw little Nikki grind
- Darling Nikki, Prince, Purple Rain album

On the way back from there, we dropped in at Huka Lodge for a coffee (we hoped), which is a very exclusive resort.  So exclusive that someone came running out to 'intercept' us as we arrived, and told us that there were no casual visitors allowed.  Visiting was by appointment only, and we weren't allowed to walk around either.  The 'privacy of the guests' was very important.  The lady was nice enough to show us around the inside of the Lodge though, which was amazing.  Very expensively decorated, with some awesome paintings and decorations and furniture.  The bar staff that we walked past were all looking at us strangely.  Dinnner was by booking only, with one or two days notice at least.  They needed to expect you before you were allowed.  Dinner started at NZ$150 per person, with a 5-course meal.

On holiday

Add comment April 24th, 2005

We woke up Saturday at 5am.  Finally got out of bed around 5:30 and got ourselves ready and the car packed.  We left at 6:25am in order to beat all the traffic.  It was the beginning of the ANZAC Day long weekend and the whole of Wellington was going to be leaving the city to go on holiday.  I wanted to beat the traffic, so that the trip to Taupo would be stress-free, and it was.  Traffic was exceptionally light the whole way.  We stopped at Bulls to have breakfast at McDonalds, and while I had a Bacon and Egg McMuffin with hash brown and coffee, I was very surprised at the taste of Deidre's pikelets or pancakes or whatever they were.  Very nice. 

A story - part 1

Add comment April 20th, 2005

I was just about to start eating my dinner when there was a knock on the door.  I sighed, put down the plate of food onto the computer desk and then walked up the hallway, smiling as Eve, my cat, raced ahead of me to see who was at the door.  Opening it, I looked out at the elderly man standing there.

Budgeting again

Add comment April 19th, 2005

It's that time of year again, it seems, when I do my budgeting again.  Almost a year ago exactly, I started a budget that went well for a while, but then I lost the dedication to follow it.  It happened as a result of doing it with Swee, but then she lost interest in following it, and so did I.  The incentive to follow it wasn't there.  But now that Deidre and I have moved in together, it's important to get the joint budget sorted out.

Cowards and relationships

Add comment April 14th, 2005

My very good friend Amanda rang me this morning.  She’s my friend from Australia, who featured in some of my journal entries years ago.  See here and here for refresher information on her role in my life.  She’s been a special part of my life for a few years now.  Anyway, she rang because she is having relationship problems with her partner, who she’s been with for around 5 years now. 

I’m sick and tired of hearing about the Holocaust…

Add comment April 12th, 2005

There's an incident going down here in New Zealand at the moment concerning a Member of Parliament, John Tamihere.  He's made a few 'politically incorrect' statements expressing his opinion.  The problem is that he made these statements to a reporter who has then used that information against him and created a political firestorm.  I saw the reporter being interviewed last night, and this reporter went to great lengths to imply that Tamihere knew he was being interviewed, and that anything that's happened as a result of this reporter's actions is lying or misinformation by Tamihere.  The reporter's repeated attempts to show Tamihere as a liar and politically incompetent seemed far in excess of what's required from a reporter.  The facts should speak for themselves, but it seems obvious this is a political 'hatchet job', where information given 'off the record' is being presented as 'on the record', taken out of context and presented to the public for the express purpose of destroying the political career of Tamihere.

Fun and roleplaying

Add comment April 10th, 2005

I'm sitting here at Starbucks with Deidre.  I think that sitting in Starbucks, drinking a Chai Latte and watching the people go by, has become another hobby of mine.  I used to do something like it with my friend Scot, back in Canberra.  Now I do it with Garry, a friend of mine here, or Deidre.  It's fun and relaxing.  Enjoyable.