Hi,
Just watched the Blazers lose to the Celtics. Seemed like a good game, just did not have it in us to take it at the end.
Still waiting for baby Liam, I hope I am not writing that repeatedly for the next 4 weeks!
Saturday we are having a baby shower that Celeste's friends at work are putting on for her. There is a lot of cleaning around the house for me to do before then. We have about a ton of leaves around our house that I need to clean up. Plenty of cleaning to do inside the house as well.
This is a long weekend in NZ so many people will be vacating Wellington for the weekend. Not us, we will be here to watch over our fair city. We will take Samson to the beach so he can frolic about. He has been enjoying the beach more and more. He now will run into the water just for the fun of it, we find it very cute!
Well, back to waiting for the baby...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Listening to the Blazers put their new streak to four.
Yesterday Celeste had another scan on the baby. According to the scan little Liam is ready to be born at any moment! So...we need to get ready! We need to pack bags to take to hospital, we need to wash all of his clothes and bedding and things so they're fresh and ready. We need to make his cot. We need to clean the house. We need to organise all of his stuff! Ack :-)
Today Celeste had to renew her passport. That took much longer than it should have.
That's really about it, just wanted to mention the scan.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Hi All,
Well, the Blazers finally lost a game, was bound to happen sometime, no? But they've gone on to win two since then and have their chance for revenge today against the Utah Jazz (streakbusters). Let's see if we can get our current streak up to 3 in a row :-)
Things are good. Had one scare in the past week. Samson managed to get his paws on a tray of X-mas chocolates while we were out of the house and ate about 200 grams of milk chocolate treats. Luckily we was still very much alive when we returned. He did end up quite ill however. Diarrhea and Vomiting were the order of the next 24 hours. Silly boy doesn't learn his lesson though, he still very much wants chocolate. Sigh, he takes after his dad for sure.
Speaking of being dad...before sleeping last night I really started to think about this new commitment that is about to be born. It is very intense to think about. This little human will be 100% dependent on Celeste and me for quite a long time. Especially the first few years there is a lot of time and energy that needs to be focused on the little beastie. Really cool and scary.
Also starting to realise he could be born at any minute now. We have got to get everything ready to go! He's very active (causing his mom all sorts of misery already, once again, definitely takes after his dad). We need to organise his clothes and a bag of stuff to take to the hospital with us and get his cot ready to be slept in (though I still believe he will be sleeping in our bed). Celeste finished painting his dresser yesterday, bright red! Isn't that just asking for ADHD???
Haven't even thought about how to deal with other logistical issues, haven't let my Health Insurance company know about the impending addition to the fam. Haven't dealt with citizenship issues...hopefully that's not so urgent to deal with.
I have been pretty good at taking over many of the household chores but am still very much reliant on Let for meals. I know that's not good of me, but I enjoy her cooking so much! I did make fresh salsa and guacamole the other day. Man, it's so good. I had to make salsa just cuz the salsa here is not very good at all! As it was the first time I have made salsa in years it wasn't brilliant, but I plan on making this a regular thing, I will get better.
Tomorrow it is back to work after 2 weeks off. It's been a good break, had some productive days and lots of lazy days. Pretty good combo. Samson spent many hours playing with other dogs at the beach which makes him a very happy pup.
Oh, Jaws was on TV last night and so I watched it for the very first time...not sure I should admit this, but I thought it was a very well done movie. The dialog was generally quite good and the story was well done. Looked quite good too, especially considering that it is 32 years old. So, yes, I enjoyed the movie my mom would not let me see when I was 8 years old :-P
Went to the cinema to see Kite Runner the other day. It was a fine movie but much was lost emotionally compared to the book. So much of the story is internal angst and the movie was not effective at bringing all of that feeling across in my opinion. Still, well shot, beautiful and mostly quite faithful to the book.
Saw Deja Vu (with Denzel) on DVD Friday night. I actually liked it quite a bit. I still have some questions about the timeline aspects of it (I suppose everyone does after these types of movies), but liked the twists and ideas in it.
OK, back to the radio thing...
Well, the Blazers finally lost a game, was bound to happen sometime, no? But they've gone on to win two since then and have their chance for revenge today against the Utah Jazz (streakbusters). Let's see if we can get our current streak up to 3 in a row :-)
Things are good. Had one scare in the past week. Samson managed to get his paws on a tray of X-mas chocolates while we were out of the house and ate about 200 grams of milk chocolate treats. Luckily we was still very much alive when we returned. He did end up quite ill however. Diarrhea and Vomiting were the order of the next 24 hours. Silly boy doesn't learn his lesson though, he still very much wants chocolate. Sigh, he takes after his dad for sure.
Speaking of being dad...before sleeping last night I really started to think about this new commitment that is about to be born. It is very intense to think about. This little human will be 100% dependent on Celeste and me for quite a long time. Especially the first few years there is a lot of time and energy that needs to be focused on the little beastie. Really cool and scary.
Also starting to realise he could be born at any minute now. We have got to get everything ready to go! He's very active (causing his mom all sorts of misery already, once again, definitely takes after his dad). We need to organise his clothes and a bag of stuff to take to the hospital with us and get his cot ready to be slept in (though I still believe he will be sleeping in our bed). Celeste finished painting his dresser yesterday, bright red! Isn't that just asking for ADHD???
Haven't even thought about how to deal with other logistical issues, haven't let my Health Insurance company know about the impending addition to the fam. Haven't dealt with citizenship issues...hopefully that's not so urgent to deal with.
I have been pretty good at taking over many of the household chores but am still very much reliant on Let for meals. I know that's not good of me, but I enjoy her cooking so much! I did make fresh salsa and guacamole the other day. Man, it's so good. I had to make salsa just cuz the salsa here is not very good at all! As it was the first time I have made salsa in years it wasn't brilliant, but I plan on making this a regular thing, I will get better.
Tomorrow it is back to work after 2 weeks off. It's been a good break, had some productive days and lots of lazy days. Pretty good combo. Samson spent many hours playing with other dogs at the beach which makes him a very happy pup.
Oh, Jaws was on TV last night and so I watched it for the very first time...not sure I should admit this, but I thought it was a very well done movie. The dialog was generally quite good and the story was well done. Looked quite good too, especially considering that it is 32 years old. So, yes, I enjoyed the movie my mom would not let me see when I was 8 years old :-P
Went to the cinema to see Kite Runner the other day. It was a fine movie but much was lost emotionally compared to the book. So much of the story is internal angst and the movie was not effective at bringing all of that feeling across in my opinion. Still, well shot, beautiful and mostly quite faithful to the book.
Saw Deja Vu (with Denzel) on DVD Friday night. I actually liked it quite a bit. I still have some questions about the timeline aspects of it (I suppose everyone does after these types of movies), but liked the twists and ideas in it.
OK, back to the radio thing...
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Christmas is over and we are almost to the New Year! Wellington becomes a quiet little city this time of year. Many of the residents are away visiting family or taking holidays elsewhere in the country and the world. The streets are quiet.
Yesterday was a beautiful day and we took Samson to Lyall Bay where he got to meet many many other pups! He was particularly fond of a pug mix that he spent some time hanging out with. I feel like all of the people left in Wellington must have gone to the beach, it was surprisingly busy.
Gifts? Celeste bought me a very nice robe. I think she's telling me she's tired of me walking around the house in the nude, :-P especially since her parents are going to be arriving in less than a month. I love the robe though, super soft and comfy. And yes, I did get her a gift too, I was just trying to keep her guessing by my last posting. She does not enjoy the wind around here so I got her a nice, pretty jacket that will block out the wind. That's really about it. Very mellow Christmas, it is a very low key holiday here which suits me fine, Celeste is not quite so comfortable with that though. She is used to the same big commercialised fest that we have in the US.
We finally bought the kiddo a cot/crib yesterday. We put it together in the lounge and then were taking it to the nursery when we realised that it would not fit through the doorway! Then we thought, well, Liam will be sleeping in our room the first few months anyway, so it is better to have it in our bedroom. Didn't fit through that doorway either. So, we have to disassemble and then reassemble in the bedroom. Ooooops. We love the cot though! It can be a bassinet, then a regular cot, then it can be a first bed or a little couch too. Hopefully it will serve us well for the next 5-7 years.
Last night I was feeling him moving around, he's getting big and strong! Celeste told me I wasn't even feeling him in an active mood. Zoiks! I just can't imagine having that inside of me. I really do sympathise with how tired and sore that Let is feeling, but I'm still a bit of a grump about it sometimes. I'm just not good at being 100% 24/7 supportive. I am trying to take on more of a load to get things done around the house. I also brought Samson with me to the radio station this morning so he won't bother Celeste while she's trying to sleep.
Not much else to share really. Things are good here. What did you get for x-mas eh?
Yesterday was a beautiful day and we took Samson to Lyall Bay where he got to meet many many other pups! He was particularly fond of a pug mix that he spent some time hanging out with. I feel like all of the people left in Wellington must have gone to the beach, it was surprisingly busy.
Gifts? Celeste bought me a very nice robe. I think she's telling me she's tired of me walking around the house in the nude, :-P especially since her parents are going to be arriving in less than a month. I love the robe though, super soft and comfy. And yes, I did get her a gift too, I was just trying to keep her guessing by my last posting. She does not enjoy the wind around here so I got her a nice, pretty jacket that will block out the wind. That's really about it. Very mellow Christmas, it is a very low key holiday here which suits me fine, Celeste is not quite so comfortable with that though. She is used to the same big commercialised fest that we have in the US.
We finally bought the kiddo a cot/crib yesterday. We put it together in the lounge and then were taking it to the nursery when we realised that it would not fit through the doorway! Then we thought, well, Liam will be sleeping in our room the first few months anyway, so it is better to have it in our bedroom. Didn't fit through that doorway either. So, we have to disassemble and then reassemble in the bedroom. Ooooops. We love the cot though! It can be a bassinet, then a regular cot, then it can be a first bed or a little couch too. Hopefully it will serve us well for the next 5-7 years.
Last night I was feeling him moving around, he's getting big and strong! Celeste told me I wasn't even feeling him in an active mood. Zoiks! I just can't imagine having that inside of me. I really do sympathise with how tired and sore that Let is feeling, but I'm still a bit of a grump about it sometimes. I'm just not good at being 100% 24/7 supportive. I am trying to take on more of a load to get things done around the house. I also brought Samson with me to the radio station this morning so he won't bother Celeste while she's trying to sleep.
Not much else to share really. Things are good here. What did you get for x-mas eh?
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Two Sleeps 'til Christmas
My Prezzie from Celeste arrived the other day and still sits in its box on the dining room table (along with far too much other crap) waiting for opening on x-mas day. I wonder what it could be??? She offered to let me open it early, but I am a good boy, I will wait.
I don't think I will give her a present this christmas, don't you think the miracle of a child inside of her is more than enough of a gift? No? Well...hmmm...I'll think of something perhaps.
I will not be back to work for two weeks. That means I should really be able to get a lot of housecleaning and straightening done as well as random other house-related jobs I could take care of. We did buy a weed-whacker (seems to be the most common lawnmower in nz). We only have a small patch of weeds/grass in our back yard that just needs a bit of chopping down once in awhile.
Feb. 8! Will that actually be the date? People tend to think it will be sooner, we need so much more stuff so much more prep! We washed all of his clothes and blankets. Hmmm.
It's a beauty weekend.
Yesterday we went to see the movie Enchanted, silly disney goofiness. McDreamy was in it. Susan Sarandon. Watched Bad Santa on TV last night, first time I've seen it. That is a funny and messed up movie. I do enjoy watching Billy Bob Thornton act though.
If you are on facebook, let's play scrabulous :-)
jon
My Prezzie from Celeste arrived the other day and still sits in its box on the dining room table (along with far too much other crap) waiting for opening on x-mas day. I wonder what it could be??? She offered to let me open it early, but I am a good boy, I will wait.
I don't think I will give her a present this christmas, don't you think the miracle of a child inside of her is more than enough of a gift? No? Well...hmmm...I'll think of something perhaps.
I will not be back to work for two weeks. That means I should really be able to get a lot of housecleaning and straightening done as well as random other house-related jobs I could take care of. We did buy a weed-whacker (seems to be the most common lawnmower in nz). We only have a small patch of weeds/grass in our back yard that just needs a bit of chopping down once in awhile.
Feb. 8! Will that actually be the date? People tend to think it will be sooner, we need so much more stuff so much more prep! We washed all of his clothes and blankets. Hmmm.
It's a beauty weekend.
Yesterday we went to see the movie Enchanted, silly disney goofiness. McDreamy was in it. Susan Sarandon. Watched Bad Santa on TV last night, first time I've seen it. That is a funny and messed up movie. I do enjoy watching Billy Bob Thornton act though.
If you are on facebook, let's play scrabulous :-)
jon
Sunday, December 09, 2007
hi,
We were just in Sydney for 8 days.
We managed to see quite a bit considering how lazy i am and how pregnant Celeste is. if we walked more than 5-10 minutes straight we would take a few minutes rest. that actually worked out well most of the time, it allowed us to take in more of our surroundings. the weather was not ideal. it was quite warm and humid (as Sydney is expected to be), but it was also cloudy a lot with some rain and thunderstorms (as is less common this time of year).
It was a bit stunning for me to finally be in Sydney. Of course the city probably first entered my consciousness because of the Opera House. According to Wikipedia, the first planning for the Opera House was way back in the late 40s (slightly before my time) but building did not begin until 1959. The Opera House was completed and opened in 1973. As I was only six at the time, I am assuming I did not become aware of it until a bit later. It was definitely part of my awareness for a long time and I could never have imagined I would be standing next to it in person. Looking across the harbour at it the magnificent structure led me to ponder the paths of my life that brought me there.
We also took a ferry ride around the harbour, a lot of incredible buildings built along the shore. Many many multi million dollar homes. We went to a wildlife centre and an aquarium. Ate dinner at a private club overlooking the harbour and the Lowenbrau restaurant. Spent the weekend in Kiama famous for its ocean blowhole. Had a couple of great meals there as well. We were both stunned by the size and beauty of the pelicans hanging around a harbour restaurant. Sydney is also home to one of the few Lindt Chocolates Cafes in the world. Unfortunately (and quite rarely) I was not much in the mood for sweets when we visited so I settled for a scoop of Lindt ice cream. We also spent a day at Manly beach, quite touristy with lots of young beautiful people which made me feel old and made Celeste feel gigantic :-P Had a delicious vegetarian lunch at a local all natural cafe.
All in all I think we both enjoyed the trip quite a bit. http://www.flickr.com/photos/xoxo214/
Since being back I have been a bit overwhelmed catching up with email and phone messages. Did manage to attend the Massey-Wellington X-mas Party and also an X-mas lunch with the DVC's office.
We have about 8.5 weeks until our little boy's due date! We really need to buy him a bed :-)
Anika Moa is playing at the San Francisco Bath House tonight, I would like to go to the show, but do not know if I can justify the cost and don't know if my laziness will win out.
We were just in Sydney for 8 days.
We managed to see quite a bit considering how lazy i am and how pregnant Celeste is. if we walked more than 5-10 minutes straight we would take a few minutes rest. that actually worked out well most of the time, it allowed us to take in more of our surroundings. the weather was not ideal. it was quite warm and humid (as Sydney is expected to be), but it was also cloudy a lot with some rain and thunderstorms (as is less common this time of year).
It was a bit stunning for me to finally be in Sydney. Of course the city probably first entered my consciousness because of the Opera House. According to Wikipedia, the first planning for the Opera House was way back in the late 40s (slightly before my time) but building did not begin until 1959. The Opera House was completed and opened in 1973. As I was only six at the time, I am assuming I did not become aware of it until a bit later. It was definitely part of my awareness for a long time and I could never have imagined I would be standing next to it in person. Looking across the harbour at it the magnificent structure led me to ponder the paths of my life that brought me there.
We also took a ferry ride around the harbour, a lot of incredible buildings built along the shore. Many many multi million dollar homes. We went to a wildlife centre and an aquarium. Ate dinner at a private club overlooking the harbour and the Lowenbrau restaurant. Spent the weekend in Kiama famous for its ocean blowhole. Had a couple of great meals there as well. We were both stunned by the size and beauty of the pelicans hanging around a harbour restaurant. Sydney is also home to one of the few Lindt Chocolates Cafes in the world. Unfortunately (and quite rarely) I was not much in the mood for sweets when we visited so I settled for a scoop of Lindt ice cream. We also spent a day at Manly beach, quite touristy with lots of young beautiful people which made me feel old and made Celeste feel gigantic :-P Had a delicious vegetarian lunch at a local all natural cafe.
All in all I think we both enjoyed the trip quite a bit. http://www.flickr.com/photos/xoxo214/
Since being back I have been a bit overwhelmed catching up with email and phone messages. Did manage to attend the Massey-Wellington X-mas Party and also an X-mas lunch with the DVC's office.
We have about 8.5 weeks until our little boy's due date! We really need to buy him a bed :-)
Anika Moa is playing at the San Francisco Bath House tonight, I would like to go to the show, but do not know if I can justify the cost and don't know if my laziness will win out.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
For any Americans visiting the site, how was Thanksgiving? I did not celebrate the day. Apparently on Wednesday the American embassy had some kind of Thanksgiving meal at a local church. Thanks but no.
Friday I was in Palmerston North for my PRP (job review). Thankfully such events cause me no anxiety. I believe I do my job well and I really like the people I work for, no reason for any stress, eh? The only part I didn't like is having to drive to PN and back. Otherwise it was quite enjoyable. It is a chance to discuss the year past and the year coming. A good opportunity to talk about possibilities for the future, ways to improve work and all. I continue to talk about going back to study for my Doctorate, that will definitely have to wait awhile with the kid appearing soon.
I think we have taught our pup how to be lazy. We went to the beach yesterday and he ran around a fair amount, but not excessively. When we returned home he pretty much passed out for the remainder of the night! Lazy Sammy :-)
Tomorrow is our final Antenatal class. It is a bring-a-plate night. We will take brownies I think. Celeste makes some good brownies. In fact, time for a shout out to Celeste's cooking overall! She always manages to make very nice food for us to eat.
Need to let you know that I am playing Pump Up the Volume by M/A/R/R/S now :-D
I have found that Kiwis put up with my 'inappropriateness' as well, or better, than Americans. Anyone who knows me knows I can push the boundaries a bit and my friends here seem able to keep right up with me, quite enjoyable! I had worried about that quite a bit. Even some of the most unexpected people can be pretty edgy by American terms.
Tuesday we fly. That means 9 days in kennel for Sam :-( hopefully he enjoys himself.
And then our first visit to Oz. I must admit I am very excited to check the place out. Can't believe that the weather report shows rain for at least the first four days we are there! Still, it will be warmer than it has been here and hopefully it will be intermittent and we can still get around and see things. I know, I'm from Portland why would I let rain slow me down?
Carrie is in Paris! Though maybe on her way back now. She happened to be there during the worst transit strike in over a decade. Probably wore out her shoes :-) Sounded like she was having a great trip. I can't wait to take another trip to Europe.
Celeste and I have so many plans for travel but not sure when we'll be able to realise them. The plan is to be in Europe for Christmas '08. We would be seeing Vanessa (Celeste's sis) in Copenhagen (and the rest of the fam would be there also). We would also visit Jason in Scotland. Hopefully make our way to Ireland for a quick visit and then I would LOVE IT if we could rent a car for a couple of weeks and drive around Eastern Europe. I have wanted to do that for about 15 years or more.
Then we have also been thinking about our USA visit and of course we want to do travels in Asia and Africa plus back to Manila and the Philippines.
Much to do and no time nor money to do it with :-P
Time to concentrate on being a DJ
Friday I was in Palmerston North for my PRP (job review). Thankfully such events cause me no anxiety. I believe I do my job well and I really like the people I work for, no reason for any stress, eh? The only part I didn't like is having to drive to PN and back. Otherwise it was quite enjoyable. It is a chance to discuss the year past and the year coming. A good opportunity to talk about possibilities for the future, ways to improve work and all. I continue to talk about going back to study for my Doctorate, that will definitely have to wait awhile with the kid appearing soon.
I think we have taught our pup how to be lazy. We went to the beach yesterday and he ran around a fair amount, but not excessively. When we returned home he pretty much passed out for the remainder of the night! Lazy Sammy :-)
Tomorrow is our final Antenatal class. It is a bring-a-plate night. We will take brownies I think. Celeste makes some good brownies. In fact, time for a shout out to Celeste's cooking overall! She always manages to make very nice food for us to eat.
Need to let you know that I am playing Pump Up the Volume by M/A/R/R/S now :-D
I have found that Kiwis put up with my 'inappropriateness' as well, or better, than Americans. Anyone who knows me knows I can push the boundaries a bit and my friends here seem able to keep right up with me, quite enjoyable! I had worried about that quite a bit. Even some of the most unexpected people can be pretty edgy by American terms.
Tuesday we fly. That means 9 days in kennel for Sam :-( hopefully he enjoys himself.
And then our first visit to Oz. I must admit I am very excited to check the place out. Can't believe that the weather report shows rain for at least the first four days we are there! Still, it will be warmer than it has been here and hopefully it will be intermittent and we can still get around and see things. I know, I'm from Portland why would I let rain slow me down?
Carrie is in Paris! Though maybe on her way back now. She happened to be there during the worst transit strike in over a decade. Probably wore out her shoes :-) Sounded like she was having a great trip. I can't wait to take another trip to Europe.
Celeste and I have so many plans for travel but not sure when we'll be able to realise them. The plan is to be in Europe for Christmas '08. We would be seeing Vanessa (Celeste's sis) in Copenhagen (and the rest of the fam would be there also). We would also visit Jason in Scotland. Hopefully make our way to Ireland for a quick visit and then I would LOVE IT if we could rent a car for a couple of weeks and drive around Eastern Europe. I have wanted to do that for about 15 years or more.
Then we have also been thinking about our USA visit and of course we want to do travels in Asia and Africa plus back to Manila and the Philippines.
Much to do and no time nor money to do it with :-P
Time to concentrate on being a DJ
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Hi, Church of Bush is on the air spreading the gospel in both German and English! Are you not traurig that you are missing it?
Today Sammy and Celeste are in the studio! After this we will probably go to the market and get some veggies. Then maybe the beach or some such so the pup can run around. Oh, also there is some Santa Parade this afternoon that Celeste wants to attend so I suppose I will be roped into that exciting activity.
Last night I went to a friend's place and watched his slideshow of pix from his two month trip to Euroland. Made me miss the travel there. One of these days we will make our way...
Also been thinking a lot about a trip to the USofA to visit friends and family. Have to introduce little Liam and of course Celeste to all the peeps. We have a lot of traveling to do and no money nor time to do it! Hmmmmm...For now we are thinking of landing in Vancouver BC and then renting a car to drive down the coast to Seattle, then Ptown, then San Fran then to Charleston and up to NYC, maybe to Vermont and Mass. if we have the time...
Australia is only about 10 days away though. Excited for that trip, pure vacation time! We will get an idea of what it's like across the ditch. One good thing is that because we are "permanent residents" of NZ we received one year multiple entry visas to OZ so we can go back as often as we like for the next 12 months, not that we'll have the time, but nice to have the option. If I find a need a weekend away from Celeste and Liam :-)
Work is finally calming down. The high schools are all finishing off the year and the students are done at Massey. The only thing I really have remaining are Prizegiving ceremonies at schools. Those are a combo of fun and boredom, but overall I like all of these new experiences. It is also a chance to meet more people at the schools which is definitely a good thing.
We bought a dresser for Liam off of Trademe. Only $30. Celeste wants us to repaint the entire thing, I think it looks good the way it is. The only issue is that it has the name Emily painted on the top, but that's small and we can just sand and repaint that little spot. I also suggested we could just remove the Y and name our boy Emil in honor of my teacher from MLC oh so many years ago :-)
We have yet to purchase a cot but we are getting closer to a decision in that realm. I really want to buy one of the "4 in 1" solutions that can be a bassinet, cot and bed (don't ask what the fourth option is). Though they cost a bit more it seems as though the useful life is so much longer than the average cot that it is worth it.
And so it goes...
Today Sammy and Celeste are in the studio! After this we will probably go to the market and get some veggies. Then maybe the beach or some such so the pup can run around. Oh, also there is some Santa Parade this afternoon that Celeste wants to attend so I suppose I will be roped into that exciting activity.
Last night I went to a friend's place and watched his slideshow of pix from his two month trip to Euroland. Made me miss the travel there. One of these days we will make our way...
Also been thinking a lot about a trip to the USofA to visit friends and family. Have to introduce little Liam and of course Celeste to all the peeps. We have a lot of traveling to do and no money nor time to do it! Hmmmmm...For now we are thinking of landing in Vancouver BC and then renting a car to drive down the coast to Seattle, then Ptown, then San Fran then to Charleston and up to NYC, maybe to Vermont and Mass. if we have the time...
Australia is only about 10 days away though. Excited for that trip, pure vacation time! We will get an idea of what it's like across the ditch. One good thing is that because we are "permanent residents" of NZ we received one year multiple entry visas to OZ so we can go back as often as we like for the next 12 months, not that we'll have the time, but nice to have the option. If I find a need a weekend away from Celeste and Liam :-)
Work is finally calming down. The high schools are all finishing off the year and the students are done at Massey. The only thing I really have remaining are Prizegiving ceremonies at schools. Those are a combo of fun and boredom, but overall I like all of these new experiences. It is also a chance to meet more people at the schools which is definitely a good thing.
We bought a dresser for Liam off of Trademe. Only $30. Celeste wants us to repaint the entire thing, I think it looks good the way it is. The only issue is that it has the name Emily painted on the top, but that's small and we can just sand and repaint that little spot. I also suggested we could just remove the Y and name our boy Emil in honor of my teacher from MLC oh so many years ago :-)
We have yet to purchase a cot but we are getting closer to a decision in that realm. I really want to buy one of the "4 in 1" solutions that can be a bassinet, cot and bed (don't ask what the fourth option is). Though they cost a bit more it seems as though the useful life is so much longer than the average cot that it is worth it.
And so it goes...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Hi, we were in Auckland last weekend so no new post.
I had to go up for a seminar with my fellow SLAs throughout NZ. Celeste came up for a bit of a vacation and we spent the weekend checking out a bit of the Big City. After having heard that Auckland was the NZ equiv of Los Angeles I was ready to not like it at all before I even moved to NZ. Then the people I've met in Wellington were pretty negative about it as well. After visiting, I must say, I am not certain I would want to move there, I certainly have better feelings about the city than I did before. Yes, it is a sprawling city and I don't enjoy that, but the CBD does not seem as bad as was implied and seems to have some really nice neigbourhoods close by. Central city public transport appears to be pretty good with bus stops that tell you precisely when the next bus will arrive (Portlanders already have that).
We ate some good food, walked around quite a bit, hung out with friends of Celeste's, saw a lot of parks and slept in a very comfortable bed for the weekend. It was quite nice.
Samson was in a kennel for the period. He seemed no worse for wear when we returned.
Next trip is to Sydney Australia. Quite excited for that one. 8 days of fun in the sun? I'm not a sun worshiper but should be nice none-the-less. We will be staying with Ange and Daniel friends from work here that have moved back home to Sydney. That trip is at the end of this month.
The downstairs neighbour is now moved out, that is a relief. Now hoping that the next tenant is a little more accepting of living below a dog and two humans.
Happy Birthday to Ash, Cait, Misha, Saul, Vanessa and Marti. Anyone else I'm forgetting? Sorry!
Life is quite nice, no?
I had to go up for a seminar with my fellow SLAs throughout NZ. Celeste came up for a bit of a vacation and we spent the weekend checking out a bit of the Big City. After having heard that Auckland was the NZ equiv of Los Angeles I was ready to not like it at all before I even moved to NZ. Then the people I've met in Wellington were pretty negative about it as well. After visiting, I must say, I am not certain I would want to move there, I certainly have better feelings about the city than I did before. Yes, it is a sprawling city and I don't enjoy that, but the CBD does not seem as bad as was implied and seems to have some really nice neigbourhoods close by. Central city public transport appears to be pretty good with bus stops that tell you precisely when the next bus will arrive (Portlanders already have that).
We ate some good food, walked around quite a bit, hung out with friends of Celeste's, saw a lot of parks and slept in a very comfortable bed for the weekend. It was quite nice.
Samson was in a kennel for the period. He seemed no worse for wear when we returned.
Next trip is to Sydney Australia. Quite excited for that one. 8 days of fun in the sun? I'm not a sun worshiper but should be nice none-the-less. We will be staying with Ange and Daniel friends from work here that have moved back home to Sydney. That trip is at the end of this month.
The downstairs neighbour is now moved out, that is a relief. Now hoping that the next tenant is a little more accepting of living below a dog and two humans.
Happy Birthday to Ash, Cait, Misha, Saul, Vanessa and Marti. Anyone else I'm forgetting? Sorry!
Life is quite nice, no?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
What to say today?
Spent most of the past week in Nelson. Very pretty area, flat lands surrounded by hills next to the ocean. A great combination. I went for a few little walks in the nature but not as much (nature or walking) as I would have liked.
I found a Beastie Boys vs. The Beatles mash-up album that I am playing on my show this morning. I like it quite a bit. I do not like it as well as the Jay-Z/Beatles Grey Album so far...
Next week is NSR seminar in Auckland. We leave for that Tuesday and Sam has to spend from Tuesday to Sunday in a kennel!!! I am feeling some real guilt about that. I am sure he will enjoy himself but I really feel that I am deserting my pup. Then the next month we are having our 8 day stay in Sydney so he will be kenneled again. SUCKS, I wish we could take him everywhere with us.
Yesterday was quite stormy. Just a lot of wind and little rain showers but we took the pup out for walk on the beach and then parked for a bit just looking at the waves on the rocks. Quite beautiful. Before that we grabbed milk shakes from movenpick shop. They like the milkshakes much runnier in nz than I prefer.
I've been hearing from some peeps I've not talked to in a long time lately, I always (almost always?) enjoy that.
Man, ate at a place called the Smokehouse Cafe in Mapua(?), really really good seafood. Had smoked fish chowder and pan seared scallops in a vietnamese style salad. It was soooooooo gooooooood :-)
Indeed.
Spent most of the past week in Nelson. Very pretty area, flat lands surrounded by hills next to the ocean. A great combination. I went for a few little walks in the nature but not as much (nature or walking) as I would have liked.
I found a Beastie Boys vs. The Beatles mash-up album that I am playing on my show this morning. I like it quite a bit. I do not like it as well as the Jay-Z/Beatles Grey Album so far...
Next week is NSR seminar in Auckland. We leave for that Tuesday and Sam has to spend from Tuesday to Sunday in a kennel!!! I am feeling some real guilt about that. I am sure he will enjoy himself but I really feel that I am deserting my pup. Then the next month we are having our 8 day stay in Sydney so he will be kenneled again. SUCKS, I wish we could take him everywhere with us.
Yesterday was quite stormy. Just a lot of wind and little rain showers but we took the pup out for walk on the beach and then parked for a bit just looking at the waves on the rocks. Quite beautiful. Before that we grabbed milk shakes from movenpick shop. They like the milkshakes much runnier in nz than I prefer.
I've been hearing from some peeps I've not talked to in a long time lately, I always (almost always?) enjoy that.
Man, ate at a place called the Smokehouse Cafe in Mapua(?), really really good seafood. Had smoked fish chowder and pan seared scallops in a vietnamese style salad. It was soooooooo gooooooood :-)
Indeed.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
OH SHIT! I forgot to mention my Brush With Fame! My first one since living in NZ (and one of my few ever). While at the airport awaiting my flight to Blenheim, some slightly rowdy folk start flying down the stairs to our gate area. I notice that at least one of them is carrying a ukulele. They are just being goofy, trying to cut each other off on way to go through the gate and things. So, of course I am looking at them and as they are walking out the door onto the tarmac I notice that one of them looks quite familiar. Turns out it is Brett from The Flight of the Conchords. DAMN! I then saw one of the airport workers taking his and the other folks (probably other members of the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra) picture, I'm a little jealous. Cool Nonetheless!
Hiya,
If you like reading blogs and like movies why aren't you at penguindevil.com? That man knows movies, and many other things as well, check him out wouldja?
My nominee for best song title goes to Interpol's "No I in Threesome" it's definitely a classic.
We are having another lovely weekend here in Wellington, the wind has definitely been whipping about, but the sun is shining and I can wear shorts. Good stuff.
Yesterday we took the pup out for some adventures. We went to Animates (the big local pet shop chain) where he got to stare at bunnies and other pups and met a couple of dogs. He also wanted to mark the territory constantly, that was fun...After that we went to a filipino bakery in Petone and Celeste had breakfast (which she shared with me cuz she's so sweet). That wasn't so fun for Sam cuz he had to wait in the car, but I think he enjoys watching the world go by, but not as much as he would've liked being out playing with the world. Fortunately for him, that came next. We took him to the Petone shore and he got to run around for awhile on the windy beach. He also took one of his first runs into the water (without mom helping him). Celeste very much wants him to play in water but he has been quite hesitant, it now looks like he is getting a bit more interested.
Oh, during our visit to Animates we were trying to get some help choosing toys for Samson because he has a tendency to destroy everything we give him within a day or less. So this woman shows us quite a few things and we keep talking about how he destroys things. To illustrate the point we mentioned that he recently tore apart a golf ball, her mouth dropped. At that point she pretty much just said, we don't have anything that will stop him, but perhaps a couple of things that will slow him down!
So, we bought the thing we thought seemed sturdiest but also like Sammy would enjoy it. Well, before last night was over it was in pieces. The dog is very determined to see the insides of anything we give him and nothing stops him from achieving that goal...hmmmm. Now I want to take the toy back to the shop and show it to the woman, just so she knows we weren't kidding. We spend a lot of money to keep that dog entertained.
He is also now climbing into the neighbours yard, that's not so good (not our downstairs neighbour thankfully). Not sure how to keep him contained without putting up a fence, not really willing to take on that expense for a rental house. Blech! Is having a dog more trouble than it is worth? How am I going to take care of a kid when I can't even control my pup?
Speaking of which, Sam also got sick last night, probably from eating the toy, or drinking salt water at the beach (or a combo?). He threw up more food than I though could even be inside his little body! It was sad (and really disgusting). He was just sitting there shaking and wouldn't walk or lie down or anything. Finally we just took him to bed and wrapped him in a blankie. We all went to sleep. This morning he seemed pretty normal when I got up.
We interviewed for the other SLA on Thursday, 4 people and 2 of them seemed like pretty good options. Definitely one is the favourite so we will see what happens next. It will be nice to have someone, and it will be interesting training someone. Definitely looking forward to it.
I've entered into a travel phase. Yesterday I spent down in Blenheim visiting a couple of schools. That was nice, went to the beach and did a little (very little) walk. This week I will spend three days down in Nelson visiting schools. The following week is the SLA seminar up in Auckland (first trip up there). Celeste will go up as well and we'll spend the weekend exploring a bit. Then the end of November we are going to Sydney for our first visit to Australia. Also our last trip before we are parents. CRAZY.
Celeste's belly just keeps getting bigger and bigger, it's very cute. I will look at her and obviously I just get a silly look on my face cuz she'll say, WHAT??? And I just say, you're so big and adorable :-P It is all very exciting, and I can feel his little movements sometimes. We have done just about nothing toward preparing for his arrival, soon we must start purchasing stuff and stuff.
We did begin antenatal classes last monday. that is good. very interesting stuff. they just start telling you the hundreds (thousands) of ways you can kill your baby! Aaaaargh.
I could go on and on, but I think that will do for now!
If you like reading blogs and like movies why aren't you at penguindevil.com? That man knows movies, and many other things as well, check him out wouldja?
My nominee for best song title goes to Interpol's "No I in Threesome" it's definitely a classic.
We are having another lovely weekend here in Wellington, the wind has definitely been whipping about, but the sun is shining and I can wear shorts. Good stuff.
Yesterday we took the pup out for some adventures. We went to Animates (the big local pet shop chain) where he got to stare at bunnies and other pups and met a couple of dogs. He also wanted to mark the territory constantly, that was fun...After that we went to a filipino bakery in Petone and Celeste had breakfast (which she shared with me cuz she's so sweet). That wasn't so fun for Sam cuz he had to wait in the car, but I think he enjoys watching the world go by, but not as much as he would've liked being out playing with the world. Fortunately for him, that came next. We took him to the Petone shore and he got to run around for awhile on the windy beach. He also took one of his first runs into the water (without mom helping him). Celeste very much wants him to play in water but he has been quite hesitant, it now looks like he is getting a bit more interested.
Oh, during our visit to Animates we were trying to get some help choosing toys for Samson because he has a tendency to destroy everything we give him within a day or less. So this woman shows us quite a few things and we keep talking about how he destroys things. To illustrate the point we mentioned that he recently tore apart a golf ball, her mouth dropped. At that point she pretty much just said, we don't have anything that will stop him, but perhaps a couple of things that will slow him down!
So, we bought the thing we thought seemed sturdiest but also like Sammy would enjoy it. Well, before last night was over it was in pieces. The dog is very determined to see the insides of anything we give him and nothing stops him from achieving that goal...hmmmm. Now I want to take the toy back to the shop and show it to the woman, just so she knows we weren't kidding. We spend a lot of money to keep that dog entertained.
He is also now climbing into the neighbours yard, that's not so good (not our downstairs neighbour thankfully). Not sure how to keep him contained without putting up a fence, not really willing to take on that expense for a rental house. Blech! Is having a dog more trouble than it is worth? How am I going to take care of a kid when I can't even control my pup?
Speaking of which, Sam also got sick last night, probably from eating the toy, or drinking salt water at the beach (or a combo?). He threw up more food than I though could even be inside his little body! It was sad (and really disgusting). He was just sitting there shaking and wouldn't walk or lie down or anything. Finally we just took him to bed and wrapped him in a blankie. We all went to sleep. This morning he seemed pretty normal when I got up.
We interviewed for the other SLA on Thursday, 4 people and 2 of them seemed like pretty good options. Definitely one is the favourite so we will see what happens next. It will be nice to have someone, and it will be interesting training someone. Definitely looking forward to it.
I've entered into a travel phase. Yesterday I spent down in Blenheim visiting a couple of schools. That was nice, went to the beach and did a little (very little) walk. This week I will spend three days down in Nelson visiting schools. The following week is the SLA seminar up in Auckland (first trip up there). Celeste will go up as well and we'll spend the weekend exploring a bit. Then the end of November we are going to Sydney for our first visit to Australia. Also our last trip before we are parents. CRAZY.
Celeste's belly just keeps getting bigger and bigger, it's very cute. I will look at her and obviously I just get a silly look on my face cuz she'll say, WHAT??? And I just say, you're so big and adorable :-P It is all very exciting, and I can feel his little movements sometimes. We have done just about nothing toward preparing for his arrival, soon we must start purchasing stuff and stuff.
We did begin antenatal classes last monday. that is good. very interesting stuff. they just start telling you the hundreds (thousands) of ways you can kill your baby! Aaaaargh.
I could go on and on, but I think that will do for now!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
It must be Sunday!
The Church of Bush is now in session!
If you aren't listening, why not???
Hey Kurt, at this point you have to ask which player is Sam Bowie, the obvious is Oden, but now that Roy is having the continuing problem with his foot...
But I don't live in Portland anymore so I am giving up on skepticism and having faith in my team :-) We rocked the first pre-season game and I feel like there were positives in the second (from what I read, I didn't listen to the second).
Oh, this is an exciting development, apparently the NBA is going to allow me (and you too if you wanna) to listen to every single game this season for free! Now that is exciting news for me. The NBA is FANtastic...
My new toy is the iPod Touch. I like it, much! Now that I am using it as my DJ sidekick I am noticing a few things I do not like so much though. I do not believe there is a "on the go" playlist feature. that came in very handy when I did not make up a show playlist before coming to the station and I could just put one together on the fly. also, old school ipods automatically default back to showing the currently playing track (along with time remaining in song) after a few seconds of being on any other screen, not the case for the Touch. which just adds extra steps to my morning, not good at all! web browsing on the thing is almost perfection. websites rock, it's fast and smooth and all that. very intuitive to use.
No new drama with the neighbour, well, not that we have had to deal with directly. The landlords are apparently still hearing from her regularly though. They are tired of it. I am hopeful that she will realise the place just does not suit her needs and will find another. Hopefully we can find someone we know to take the place over, or maybe someone who is deaf and loves dogs. Hmmmm...
We do love our place though. It feels so cozy and comfortable (is that redundant?). Our pup likes it a lot too. He has now taken to exploring the hills behind the place. This means that if we let him into the backyard unattended we have no idea where he might end up. This is a bit unnerving and creates a bit more anxiety. We thought the hill was too steep (see: Cliff) for him to get up, but he is a persistent explorer and has found his way around.
We took him to the beach yesterday to let him explore a new place. He loves new environs to check out. He ran around for an hour or so then we drove around a bit, got the parents some ice cream and headed back home. It was a beautiful Saturday in Wellington.
Work continues to be crazy busy. Still doing a lot of enrolment visits to high schools along with many visits and tours of campus and the ever present email correspondence. Supposed to be interviewing for the vacant office next to mine this coming week hopefully someone great will be hired. I will be on the interview panel so I better choose well...
Okay, I will concentrate on being a dj for a bit, perhaps I will write more before the morning is over (perhaps not).
The Church of Bush is now in session!
If you aren't listening, why not???
Hey Kurt, at this point you have to ask which player is Sam Bowie, the obvious is Oden, but now that Roy is having the continuing problem with his foot...
But I don't live in Portland anymore so I am giving up on skepticism and having faith in my team :-) We rocked the first pre-season game and I feel like there were positives in the second (from what I read, I didn't listen to the second).
Oh, this is an exciting development, apparently the NBA is going to allow me (and you too if you wanna) to listen to every single game this season for free! Now that is exciting news for me. The NBA is FANtastic...
My new toy is the iPod Touch. I like it, much! Now that I am using it as my DJ sidekick I am noticing a few things I do not like so much though. I do not believe there is a "on the go" playlist feature. that came in very handy when I did not make up a show playlist before coming to the station and I could just put one together on the fly. also, old school ipods automatically default back to showing the currently playing track (along with time remaining in song) after a few seconds of being on any other screen, not the case for the Touch. which just adds extra steps to my morning, not good at all! web browsing on the thing is almost perfection. websites rock, it's fast and smooth and all that. very intuitive to use.
No new drama with the neighbour, well, not that we have had to deal with directly. The landlords are apparently still hearing from her regularly though. They are tired of it. I am hopeful that she will realise the place just does not suit her needs and will find another. Hopefully we can find someone we know to take the place over, or maybe someone who is deaf and loves dogs. Hmmmm...
We do love our place though. It feels so cozy and comfortable (is that redundant?). Our pup likes it a lot too. He has now taken to exploring the hills behind the place. This means that if we let him into the backyard unattended we have no idea where he might end up. This is a bit unnerving and creates a bit more anxiety. We thought the hill was too steep (see: Cliff) for him to get up, but he is a persistent explorer and has found his way around.
We took him to the beach yesterday to let him explore a new place. He loves new environs to check out. He ran around for an hour or so then we drove around a bit, got the parents some ice cream and headed back home. It was a beautiful Saturday in Wellington.
Work continues to be crazy busy. Still doing a lot of enrolment visits to high schools along with many visits and tours of campus and the ever present email correspondence. Supposed to be interviewing for the vacant office next to mine this coming week hopefully someone great will be hired. I will be on the interview panel so I better choose well...
Okay, I will concentrate on being a dj for a bit, perhaps I will write more before the morning is over (perhaps not).
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Doin' my show.
Still in love with the new Iron & Wine album, The Shepherd's Dog.
I have given in to my Apple Techno Lust and purchased an iPod Touch. Now I just have to impatiently wait for it to get to me, they are saying about 2 weeks...
The neighbour situation has not really improved. Friday night she showed up at our door at 10:30pm semi-hysterical because our dog was running around playing on the wooden floor. I feel for her, but I also think we have a right to LIVE in our home. We are looking at buying a large area rug for the living room ('lounge' in kiwi) in the hope that it will help dampen the noise for her. So now our adjustments include unplugging my subwoofer so the bass doesn't bother her, listening to TV and music quieter than we would like, buying a makeshift fence to help keep Samson from going down to 'her' area of the house, trying to keep our 8month old puppy from playing too loudly in the living room...woohoo! Nothing like having neighbours.
I really worry about what it will be like when we have a baby! Thankfully the landlords are very understanding of our side of things and are being quite cool about the whole situation. Nonetheless we are enjoying the new house quite a bit. It is a great little place and such an enjoyable location. We just discovered how close we are to Kilbirnie which has a lot of shops we can take advantage of.
Anybody out there want a bedsit that doesn't mind a little bit of puppy noise? I am starting to get the feeling that a place may be opening up soon. Oh, for those that are not aware, a bedsit is what they call what we americans call a studio. A living space with no separate rooms, just one living space a kitchen or kitchenette and a bathroom/toilet.
Work is still manageable though I am a little overwhelmed with doing two jobs. Hopefully that situation will be changing quite soon. The position closing date is this Monday so we should be having interviews pretty soon.
The All Blacks are playing France right now and NZ has taken a 10-0 lead. The funny thing about this match is that it is probably the biggest match for the 2007 Rugby World Cup hosts France, but it is being played in Wales for some obscure reason. I can imagine the French fans can't be thrilled about this. And I wonder how the French fans will greet the All Blacks when (if) they beat France and then show up back in France for the semifinals. Could be ugly, though the French rugby fans do seem to love the All Blacks. Hmmmmm...
BTW much love to my hometown bball team. Having some injury issues during training camp and have lost our #1 draft pick for the season but I am looking forward to an exciting TrailBlazers season nonetheless!
Right, the finally song from the I&W album is about to end, I need to be a DJ
Still in love with the new Iron & Wine album, The Shepherd's Dog.
I have given in to my Apple Techno Lust and purchased an iPod Touch. Now I just have to impatiently wait for it to get to me, they are saying about 2 weeks...
The neighbour situation has not really improved. Friday night she showed up at our door at 10:30pm semi-hysterical because our dog was running around playing on the wooden floor. I feel for her, but I also think we have a right to LIVE in our home. We are looking at buying a large area rug for the living room ('lounge' in kiwi) in the hope that it will help dampen the noise for her. So now our adjustments include unplugging my subwoofer so the bass doesn't bother her, listening to TV and music quieter than we would like, buying a makeshift fence to help keep Samson from going down to 'her' area of the house, trying to keep our 8month old puppy from playing too loudly in the living room...woohoo! Nothing like having neighbours.
I really worry about what it will be like when we have a baby! Thankfully the landlords are very understanding of our side of things and are being quite cool about the whole situation. Nonetheless we are enjoying the new house quite a bit. It is a great little place and such an enjoyable location. We just discovered how close we are to Kilbirnie which has a lot of shops we can take advantage of.
Anybody out there want a bedsit that doesn't mind a little bit of puppy noise? I am starting to get the feeling that a place may be opening up soon. Oh, for those that are not aware, a bedsit is what they call what we americans call a studio. A living space with no separate rooms, just one living space a kitchen or kitchenette and a bathroom/toilet.
Work is still manageable though I am a little overwhelmed with doing two jobs. Hopefully that situation will be changing quite soon. The position closing date is this Monday so we should be having interviews pretty soon.
The All Blacks are playing France right now and NZ has taken a 10-0 lead. The funny thing about this match is that it is probably the biggest match for the 2007 Rugby World Cup hosts France, but it is being played in Wales for some obscure reason. I can imagine the French fans can't be thrilled about this. And I wonder how the French fans will greet the All Blacks when (if) they beat France and then show up back in France for the semifinals. Could be ugly, though the French rugby fans do seem to love the All Blacks. Hmmmmm...
BTW much love to my hometown bball team. Having some injury issues during training camp and have lost our #1 draft pick for the season but I am looking forward to an exciting TrailBlazers season nonetheless!
Right, the finally song from the I&W album is about to end, I need to be a DJ
Sunday, September 30, 2007
As is clear, I skipped an entry last week. The Church of Bush was so exciting that I had no time to type an entry...or at least that's my story.
We love the new house. All in all it is just what we wanted. We feel we fit in it much better than we did the other place. We are going to have a housewarming on the 20th. If you would like to attend just leave a comment and we will consider your application :-)
Right now I am playing the second of two songs by Big Audio Dynamite. I can't help but love them. Last week my entire playlist was dictated by Celeste. This week it is back to my music.
It is only 7:40am and since we just switched to DST it is actually only 6:40 in my brain, got about 6 hours of sleep, not too bad.
Oh, the only issue with the new house is that there is a bedsit downstairs and we are having a couple of problems with the tenant down there. We have wooden floors and no soundproofing of any sort between us and her and she is very noise sensitive, problem #1. That will supposedly be fixed this coming week by the landlords putting in soundproofing insulation (which will also probably make her place a bit warmer). The other issue is our little dog (of course). When she was moving in he ran into her apt. and she got quite upset. Then this weekend he snuck out of the apt. when I was taking out recycling and made his way down to her place again. That would have been not so bad had she not chosen to open her door while he was running around and he went right inside again. So, everything that happens that bothers her she seems to call the landlords about which is making my life and theirs a little unpleasant right now. Hopefully it will all work out, but our first week with the new downstairs neighbour has not been particularly fun.
We found out about a week or so ago that we are having a little boy. We think we have already decided on a name but I'm not ready to share that with the world yet. He looks pretty cute in his ultrasound pictures. Celeste is constantly trying to decide who he looks more like :-P
I just voted in my first New Zealand election. It is just local election so nothing too exciting about it, but interesting to vote in a non-American election for sure.
Speaking of which I should update my address with the US so I can vote in our upcoming elections.
It is great living in a new area. Mornington is not such an exciting area in itself but is quite close to Newtown which is quite young and diverse and hip. That is about the opposite of Karori which is close to nothing but Karori. Many more food and shopping choices.
Oh, check out the new Iron & Wine album, I LOVE IT.
I only get one cup of Milo today cuz there isn't any more milk in the radio station, very disappointing!
Right then...enough for today methinks.
We love the new house. All in all it is just what we wanted. We feel we fit in it much better than we did the other place. We are going to have a housewarming on the 20th. If you would like to attend just leave a comment and we will consider your application :-)
Right now I am playing the second of two songs by Big Audio Dynamite. I can't help but love them. Last week my entire playlist was dictated by Celeste. This week it is back to my music.
It is only 7:40am and since we just switched to DST it is actually only 6:40 in my brain, got about 6 hours of sleep, not too bad.
Oh, the only issue with the new house is that there is a bedsit downstairs and we are having a couple of problems with the tenant down there. We have wooden floors and no soundproofing of any sort between us and her and she is very noise sensitive, problem #1. That will supposedly be fixed this coming week by the landlords putting in soundproofing insulation (which will also probably make her place a bit warmer). The other issue is our little dog (of course). When she was moving in he ran into her apt. and she got quite upset. Then this weekend he snuck out of the apt. when I was taking out recycling and made his way down to her place again. That would have been not so bad had she not chosen to open her door while he was running around and he went right inside again. So, everything that happens that bothers her she seems to call the landlords about which is making my life and theirs a little unpleasant right now. Hopefully it will all work out, but our first week with the new downstairs neighbour has not been particularly fun.
We found out about a week or so ago that we are having a little boy. We think we have already decided on a name but I'm not ready to share that with the world yet. He looks pretty cute in his ultrasound pictures. Celeste is constantly trying to decide who he looks more like :-P
I just voted in my first New Zealand election. It is just local election so nothing too exciting about it, but interesting to vote in a non-American election for sure.
Speaking of which I should update my address with the US so I can vote in our upcoming elections.
It is great living in a new area. Mornington is not such an exciting area in itself but is quite close to Newtown which is quite young and diverse and hip. That is about the opposite of Karori which is close to nothing but Karori. Many more food and shopping choices.
Oh, check out the new Iron & Wine album, I LOVE IT.
I only get one cup of Milo today cuz there isn't any more milk in the radio station, very disappointing!
Right then...enough for today methinks.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Here I am at MUNTFM doing my Sunday morning radio show. 88.5fm streaming from muntfm.co.nz!!! Listen from 8-10am NZ time. Eclectic music from the 80s 90s 00s and whenever...
Shifted house yesterday. I have left my beloved Karori behind for Kingston/Mornington. About a 3 minute drive from work (doesn't that mean I shouldn't be driving?).
The day was long and much sweat came out. Why is it that I am never as prepared as I should be for a move? It always takes longer than expected and I always forget things. But it is over now (sorta, still have a few random things to grab and some cleaning to do). We have the place for another two weeks though, so plenty of time to get things done.
Nothing much to say today. Woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, better off than Celeste who woke up at 3 and so far as I know is still awake. YUCKY.
A shout out to Le Moulin, a great, and very popular little bakery on Willis Street in Wellington CBD.
Oh, many many thanks for Andrew, Malcolm and Patrick for helping with the move yesterday!!!
I had to drive a truck, not too big, but bigger than I feel comfortable with. And then I am always paranoid because I am never willing to pay the extra cash to lower the excess (or deductible in american english) so if anything happened to the truck i could have been charged $2500. That would've hurt.
So, both last night and this morning we used our new fireplace. Love that.
Ok, that's it for today, too tired to think. I will just keep playing my music :-)
jon
Shifted house yesterday. I have left my beloved Karori behind for Kingston/Mornington. About a 3 minute drive from work (doesn't that mean I shouldn't be driving?).
The day was long and much sweat came out. Why is it that I am never as prepared as I should be for a move? It always takes longer than expected and I always forget things. But it is over now (sorta, still have a few random things to grab and some cleaning to do). We have the place for another two weeks though, so plenty of time to get things done.
Nothing much to say today. Woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, better off than Celeste who woke up at 3 and so far as I know is still awake. YUCKY.
A shout out to Le Moulin, a great, and very popular little bakery on Willis Street in Wellington CBD.
Oh, many many thanks for Andrew, Malcolm and Patrick for helping with the move yesterday!!!
I had to drive a truck, not too big, but bigger than I feel comfortable with. And then I am always paranoid because I am never willing to pay the extra cash to lower the excess (or deductible in american english) so if anything happened to the truck i could have been charged $2500. That would've hurt.
So, both last night and this morning we used our new fireplace. Love that.
Ok, that's it for today, too tired to think. I will just keep playing my music :-)
jon
Saturday, September 08, 2007
This may be on the Move to Wellington website in the near future, any thoughts? I am misquoted like crazy, but the gist of the meaning remains :-P
Name: Jon and Celeste.
Nationality: American and Philipino.
Profession: Jon- Student recruitment. Celeste- IT.
Migrated to Wellington: 2006.
“I’ve been surprised by how open it is, how welcoming people have been. I’ve been here less than one and a half years, and I feel like I belong. That’s awesome.” Jon Rousseau has been made to feel at home in Wellington.
The very enthusiastic New Yorker moved here with his Philipino fiancée Celeste Lafavilla in 2007. “I love it, I really do”. A big change to New York, Jon says it feels like his hometown of Portland, Oregon. “Café culture and laidback, it’s like going home, though there are some cultural differences”.
Jon admires the music, theatre and other cultural opportunities the city provides (“not that I take enough advantage of it”). He appreciates Wellington’s environment, citing the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, Otari-Wilton’s Bush and Botanic Gardens. “Nature is really close by in the city. On the weekend you can go to the Wairarapa or Marlborough Sounds”.
A particular favourite is walking round the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. “It’s so peaceful and relaxing”.
Jon says Wellington is a convenient, friendly city, with most of the amenities you could ever want. He responded instantly to Wellington being a liberal, cosmopolitan, diverse city. “Overall, it’s very accepting of other people and other cultures. I like walking down the street and hearing different languages. You constantly meet people from all over the world”.
“Ah good, you escaped,” Jon jokes with other Americans immigrants. He is relieved not to be in George Bush’s frightened America. “It’s not as terror driven here”.
Jon works for Massey University in student recruitment. He says the university is a great, welcoming employer. “The university is a family atmosphere, with cool programmes like their design courses. I work with everyone to do my job, it’s very collegial. I’m allowed to be independent, creative and come up with new initiatives.”
He says Massey is very supportive, and has been touched by their support on hearing Celeste was pregnant. “I look forward to this Kiwi- accented kid running into our home”.
Name: Jon and Celeste.
Nationality: American and Philipino.
Profession: Jon- Student recruitment. Celeste- IT.
Migrated to Wellington: 2006.
“I’ve been surprised by how open it is, how welcoming people have been. I’ve been here less than one and a half years, and I feel like I belong. That’s awesome.” Jon Rousseau has been made to feel at home in Wellington.
The very enthusiastic New Yorker moved here with his Philipino fiancée Celeste Lafavilla in 2007. “I love it, I really do”. A big change to New York, Jon says it feels like his hometown of Portland, Oregon. “Café culture and laidback, it’s like going home, though there are some cultural differences”.
Jon admires the music, theatre and other cultural opportunities the city provides (“not that I take enough advantage of it”). He appreciates Wellington’s environment, citing the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, Otari-Wilton’s Bush and Botanic Gardens. “Nature is really close by in the city. On the weekend you can go to the Wairarapa or Marlborough Sounds”.
A particular favourite is walking round the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. “It’s so peaceful and relaxing”.
Jon says Wellington is a convenient, friendly city, with most of the amenities you could ever want. He responded instantly to Wellington being a liberal, cosmopolitan, diverse city. “Overall, it’s very accepting of other people and other cultures. I like walking down the street and hearing different languages. You constantly meet people from all over the world”.
“Ah good, you escaped,” Jon jokes with other Americans immigrants. He is relieved not to be in George Bush’s frightened America. “It’s not as terror driven here”.
Jon works for Massey University in student recruitment. He says the university is a great, welcoming employer. “The university is a family atmosphere, with cool programmes like their design courses. I work with everyone to do my job, it’s very collegial. I’m allowed to be independent, creative and come up with new initiatives.”
He says Massey is very supportive, and has been touched by their support on hearing Celeste was pregnant. “I look forward to this Kiwi- accented kid running into our home”.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
It's September, that means it is officially springtime down under. Funny thing is, the weather has been quite springlike for awhile here unlike last year...
News...Jason starts his new job in Scotland on 1 October. For now he is still working hard to pay his way across the ocean. His work permit has been approved.
Mabel's Cafe in Portland is no more but is about to transition into a butterfly with much work from Ash and Cait.
Celeste and I found our new home, hopefully one we'll be in for a few years. Really like the place and the location, check it out http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/Residential-Property/Houses-to-rent/auction-115758678.htm?key=43465
I can't be bothered embedding anything, i'm too lazy.
We will be moving in two weeks. Also, this week Samson starts training again. He is really getting the hang of things, but I think it will be very useful for Celeste and Samson to realign their relationship. It seems as though Sam really thinks they are on an equal footing so does not feel compelled to listen to her when she commands him to do anything.
News...Jason starts his new job in Scotland on 1 October. For now he is still working hard to pay his way across the ocean. His work permit has been approved.
Mabel's Cafe in Portland is no more but is about to transition into a butterfly with much work from Ash and Cait.
Celeste and I found our new home, hopefully one we'll be in for a few years. Really like the place and the location, check it out http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/Residential-Property/Houses-to-rent/auction-115758678.htm?key=43465
I can't be bothered embedding anything, i'm too lazy.
We will be moving in two weeks. Also, this week Samson starts training again. He is really getting the hang of things, but I think it will be very useful for Celeste and Samson to realign their relationship. It seems as though Sam really thinks they are on an equal footing so does not feel compelled to listen to her when she commands him to do anything.
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