"Sunny Days"

So as I said a few days ago, we recently went to Papamoa with Brad's Family. We stayed in a huge house (it even had an elevator). We had a wonderful time.



Some Highlights:



Swimming in the clean warm (23 degrees) Ocean, under the delicious Sunshine.

Going on a Fishing Charter and seeing a Shark!

Seeing a cruise ship up close. HUGE!

Walking up to a little look-out at Mount Maunganui Beach. ( click to enlarge)

What a great little break away.



Have you been anywhere interesting recently?

"As Brothers we will stand, and we'll hold your hand"

Today I woke up next to my partner, safe in our house. I knew that my family and friends did the same.



I had a hot shower, ate fresh food and drank water without having to boil it, or thinking twice about how much I could drink.



Many people in Christchurch did not. How could this happen again to an already broken city? How could another earthquake strike with so much more destruction. It just is not fair.



I feel guilty. I feel guilty for feeling safe and comfortable when I know that so many are not. I feel guilty for knowing where and how my loved ones are. I cannot imagine the horror of waiting at the door for a loved one who has yet to return home. Waiting for a loved one that may never return home.



I can't imagine the panic people must feel in Christchurch. As I watched the television yesterday as the news broke I saw raw footage of people running for their lives. I heard parents say to the media "I can't talk I have to get to my children". I can't imagine how that must feel. I get a lump in my throat and a churning in my stomach to even begin to attempt to understand how it feels to be apart from your children in such a disaster.



Today as the people of Christchurch fight for their city, their homes and their people, we watch and wonder what we can do to help.



We can support them. We can stand by them. We can pray. We can donate.



We can make sure that the people who are trained to offer the best help have all the resources they need. This may be food and water, medical supplies and blood or trauma and grief counselling. We can make sure that the people of Christchurch are not alone in this.



I hope with all that I have that the rescuers have the strength to bring people home to their families.

May God be with those who have lost someone. 

I pray that peace be with those on their journey to heaven.   





How you can help



You can donate to victims of the earthquake at:

Online at www.salvationarmy.org.nz

Online at www.redcross.org.nz/donations

Any ANZ Bank: Account number 01-1839-0188939-00.


Any National Bank: Account number 06-0869-0548507-00.

"Auld Lang Syne"

This New Years season was filled with great laughs and few sad moments too.

As I already mentioned, Brad broke his arm New Years Eve. We spent New Years Day in the Emergency Room. Then the next two days at the hospital as Brad had to have surgery to fuse his wrist joints back together. *Sigh. Despite playing the age old Hospital favourite "you wait - we tell you nothing" game, it wasn't all bad.

The few days we spent basking in the hot Wairarapa sun were fantastic. Even some of the moments shared on a Hospital bed, in the short stay unit were amusing. My favourite would have to have been when I swapped my wedge heels with Brads jandals as we waited for him to go in to surgery. Within minutes the nurse was rushing around signing forms and collecting his personal items to put in a big brown paper bag with Brads name on it. My shoes were amongst his stuff. The nurses hassled him about this all the way up to the surgical floor about his choice of footwear. Me and my comfortable feet found it highly entertaining.

"This festive season"

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Years. It feels so good to be home. Brad & I have been zipping round the lower North Island since Boxing Day.



Here are a few highlights and lowlights of our Holiday period:



           Blingin'

• An easy, virtually stress free Christmas Day, filled with great love, food and presents - The majority of my presents were food related. Score! Kitchen post lovelies to follow. A great mixed family breakfast at our place. A scavenger hunt at Brads parents house. Knowing that next year there will be a brand new little person, Brads cousin and his wife have a bun in the oven. Oh...and food, food and more food. 

• Sunshine  - sweet, sweet sunshine.

• Hawkins-family time in Halcombe - Eating cheesecake and trifle at any time of the day. Pretty Ponies. Shopping, mooching, painting and watching family videos. 

• A nostalgic New Year in Martinborough - Sun, friends, family and amazing accommodation. 

• JENGA the drinking game -  Just when you thought JENGA couldn't get any more heart-attack inducing. You were wrong. 

          Mingin'

• Budget highs and lows - Damned STAT day bank closure. 

• Heavens Doors open - Knowing that people you love are suffering loses, and imminent loses.

• Brad vs. Ditch - Drinking games + a game of Spotlight + a ditch = A broken arm for Brad. 

• Parting with Family and Friends - such sweet sorrow.

"You can go with this, Or you can go with that"

It seems there is an upside and a downside to everything. Here are a few things that make me happy and at the same time unhappy.



Happy: A beautiful sunshine filled morning       

Unhappy: Leaving my beach-side house to go to Uni.



Happy: Getting an 'A' on an assignment.          

Unhappy: Being marked 1% away from an 'A+'.



Happy: Working up a mega sweat at the gym  

Unhappy: Not being able to walk well the following day



Happy: Learning about the Treaty of Waitangi.

Unhappy: Learning about the Treaty of Waitangi.



Happy: To be a volunteer collector this Friday for the Breast Cancer Foundation.

Unhappy: That there is such a need for it.



Happy: Looking forward to the Summer Trimester.

Unhappy: Realising your faculty haven't processed your enrolment.



Happy: That our driveway is being paved

Unhappy: At being woken up, when sick, by the contractors at 7am

Happy again: Having a little time up my sleeve to write this post.

"They will see us waving from such great heights"

When I was a little girl, I would often have sleep-overs at my Mum's Parents house in Carterton.

On Saturday mornings Nan & Grandad would wake me up very, very, very early. I would put on my dressing gown and slippers & walk in a zombie like fashion to the dining room. Nan would always have made cups of tea for Grandad and herself, and a cup of Milo for me. We would all stand at the dining room window, and Nan would pull back the curtains to reveal something magical. Something like this...

Image courtesy of  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

A few months ago we went to the Wairarapa. We went to Greytown and stayed in a cute little cottage. On Saturday morning we woke up very, very, very early and travelled to Masterton. This was our first attempt at cashing in my gift voucher that Brad had given me for my Birthday in January. Brad bought me a voucher to go on a Hot Air Balloon ride. It was such a surprise, I had no idea I was getting such a generous, thoughtful gift. I am so lucky to have an amazing partner. Unfortunately it was too windy for a Balloon Flight. Here are the pictures from our Balloon attempt 1.0.

   

When we found out that we wouldn't be able to take our flight we took a drive out to Castlepoint - as Brad had never been.

 

Even though we didn't get to take our flight, we still had an awesome weekend. We tried again over the long weekend to use our voucher, with no luck.

Fingers crossed for Balloon attempt 3.0.

"The Fossa are attacking!"

When I was growing up, I was known to be a tad accident prone. My Mum used to laugh my little incidents off by saying "Oh Nicole, you could hurt yourself playing tiddlywinks!"

This seemed to suffice her spirit, until one day I actually did hurt myself playing tiddlywinks.

I took an air born counter to the eye.

It was my own counter.



As I grew older, I seemed to shake my clumsy tendencies. Today I would not call myself accident prone. However, every now and again I stumble back across my accident prone curse. It usually lasts for a week or so. After watching a certain Children's (really?) Animated Film, I decided to dub this unusual phenomenon the Fossa. In case you haven't seen this particular Movie delight, the Fossa are a breed of carnivorous mammal.



This week the Fossa have been attacking.



We started the weekend off by heading to the Wairarapa to try once again to use the voucher Brad had given me for my Birthday way back in January. We couldn't. So we came home late Sunday night. I wish now that we had stayed the night anyway.

Monday saw us pack a few bags to go and stay at Brad's Parent' house for a few days. This was fine until Tuesday morning. Kelsey, my sister, had sent e a text message to say her face now looked like that of a cabbage patch doll, due to her immensely painful wisdom teeth. She was unsure of what to do, or how she would be able to pay for treatment. So I made a few appointments for her, and left the house in the freezing cold and rain to get to her in Wellington City.



I left the house on time, to see a bus heading in the opposite direction that I was headed. The bus stopped and the driver asked me if I wanted to go on his bus instead. I declined. Stupid Fossa on the brain. Fifteen minutes after my bus was due to arrive I rang the phone number on the bus stop to be told, that the timetable I was looking at was actually out of date. I was told to walk down to Raumati Beach to try and catch another bus from there. At Raumati I crossed the road and in a boots meet wet-pavement scenario, I slipped. I slipped backwards, and wobbled round like a crazy person ("You didn't see anything".)

I managed to stop myself from falling, and put my back out. I could still walk slowly, but when I arrived at the Bus Stop I was unable to sit down. That's when the real pain set in. I couldn't take a deep breathe without going weak at the knees.



With the help of my cellphone, ice, Panadol and my entire household family, I managed to get to Kelsey. We went to the Dentist, a found out she would have to have all four wisdom teeth surgically removed. Perhaps the Fossa effect is spreading?



Last night we packed our bags to come home. We arrived home and I got out of the Ute. I went to open the door to get my bags, and smacked myself in the head with the door. The next thing I knew, I was face down on the front lawn, with a really sore head.



Then, minutes before I sat to write this post, I was curling my eyelashes, when I pulled the device away without opening it properly. Eyelash curler or remover?



Please tell me that the Fossa attack you too? Please tell me I'm not all alone in this..

"Shut that baby up!"

Why is it that when I am out and about, I almost always come across a delusional parent?

These breeds of delusional parents have been transfixed by the miracle of reproduction, so much so that they have been mildly brainwashed. Brainwashed in to believing that their Child's bad behaviour, that annoys the entire store/cafe/library, is in fact cute.

I'm here to tell you that it isn't even remotely anywhere near as cute as you think it is. It's straight up rude. Not to mention unfair to the child. I mean, they've obviously been allowed to behave in such a way for quite sometime, why wouldn't they act up?



I think of myself as quite a child friendly person. Perhaps I should re-phrase, I think of myself as a well-behaved-Child friendly person. Over the past six months I have become more increasingly aware of bad behaved Children (or Parents?), especially in restaurants. I read this blog today, and I have to say, It ruffled my feathers.



I can hear people saying it now "You're not a Parent, you don't understand!"

You're quite right. I also don't understand how my parents didn't allow me to misbehave in public, yet so many parents do nowadays.

I have no idea how it is to be a parent. I babysat my God-Daughter last week for four hours, and found that to be hard work at times. Not hard work really, she's gorgeous and so good. I just wanted to pee at some stage during the day - that's all. I don't know how her Mother studies, runs a household, works and is able to be an amazing mother all at once, every single day.

Being a Parent is clearly hard work. But I don't think that is an excuse for the behaviour of the children I am about to tell you about.





Now I'm a reasonable person. Really, I am. I understand that children can be unpredictable, and a tad noisy at times. But here are some situations that I have been in, that I deem to be unacceptable...

• When the Fab-Four had a Birthday Brunch at an up-scale cafe on Oriental Parade, I was horrified at the in-action of a group of 10 or so parents who sat at the table behind us. There were children running everywhere, yelling and screaming, throwing food at each other, and literally using the bar stools we were seated on, as climbing frames. My girlfriend, had to physically remove a child from her leg, and another from under her seat, all the while the parents sat chatting. When my girlfriend asked one couple awkwardly, "Is this your child?", they laughed. They actually thought their bad behaviour was endearing.

• For our 4th anniversary Brad took me out to dinner at a local restaurant. Three Children used our small table as a base to play ring-around-a-rosie. Whilst running at full speed, and using our chairs as movement stabilisers, might I add. Where were their parents? Arguing over whether to get the Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Gris. Wow.

• Just recently, a girlfriend and I went to lunch in Raumati. One lady, arrived about five minutes after us, she had two children. One infant, and a boy aged about two years old. She let him run around the tables shrieking and pulling his tongue at people. This annoyed me. It annoyed another lady also, who told the lady it was inappropriate, and that she was trying to conduct a business lunch. What annoyed me even more, is that she allowed him to open the door, run out on to the footpath, and then the road - before she got up to collect him. This happened about four times. When she did eventually get up to bring him inside, she left the door wide open - every time. We were sitting right by the door. It was a freezing cold day. Every single time I had to get up to shut it. Every single time I got up, I gave her the look.

• Brad & I grabbed a late dinner one Saturday night at a casual local restaurant. Soon after we had ordered, a couple came in with their three kids, all in their pyjama's. Ten minutes later they were standing up in their chairs singing and yelling. The parents laughed. Not funny.

I'm not saying that parents shouldn't take their children out. What I am saying is, please be fair. If you are not going to do all that you can to ensure they don't disrupt other people, then perhaps you should call a babysitter. Let them play with toys, and breast feed them all you want, I just don't want to have to hear them shriek, all through my meal and have them climb on me, whilst you enjoy your meal. After all you made the decision to have a child, it's your responsibility to make sure they behave properly when in public. 

And if you can't? Then let me enjoy my meal, by staying home. They can climb on your furniture, throw food at you, jump on tables and shriek until the cows come home. I wonder if you will still find it cute then?





What do you think parents and non-parents alike? Do you think I'm being too harsh?

"I'm hopelessly devoted to you"

On Wednesday as I sat folding the washing, whilst the rain fell outside, I had a craving to watch Dirty Dancing. I Love musical Movies. Here are my Top Five Favourite, Non-Animated Movies.

5. The Sound of Music - We used to watch this, during the school holiday at my Nan's place. I'm pretty sure we watched this solely based on my Aunty Debs admiration for it. I tolerated it then, but I love it now. This is my favourite song & scene from the Film:

4. Mamma Mia! - A lot of people had mixed feelings about Mamma Mia! I was not one of them. I loved all of it - even the really cheesy, awfully sung bits. Mum forced ABBA down our throats as kids, which is probably why Kels & I love them to this very day. I find it really interesting that Kelsey hates MM! & I love it. Kelsey claims that it doesn't do ABBA justice. I argue that nothing can compare to ABBA, so considering that it's a pretty fair go. I love how a lot of the background music, was also ABBA. Like when Sophie walks down the aisle, the music playing, is an instrumental version of 'Knowing me, knowing You'. Also I find it to be a feast for the eyes.  

3. Dirty Dancing - Not technically a musical, more of a dance-ical really. I'm putting it on this list due to its fantastic choice of, and heavy use of great music. I love the scene with Baby & Johnny in the dance studio, when they lip-sync to 'Come here lover Boy.' Gorgeous story, good girl, meets bad boy, and they meet somewhere in the middle. I fall in love with the lake scene every time I see it.

2. Wizard of Oz - If you have been reading In My Shoes for a wee while, you will already realise my deep love for Wizard of Oz. I love this movie so much that I became familiar with the score for the opening titles & credits. One day after Netball when I was having a drink in the Kitchen, I heard this music and said "That sounds like Wizard of Oz." I ran into the lounge, and found that it was - and I cried tears of joy. Yea -I'm a crier. Huge crier. My family were amazed by my musical recognition, but just for the record, they laughed at my tears.

1. Grease - This is one that we watched over & over & over, when we were little. We used to try and learn the dances, using the play, pause, rewind & repeat tactic. It was fun! We would sing too, much to our parents and Grandparents disappointment I'm sure. We would also dress up. Sadly, Nan only had one Poodle skirt in her dress-ups & as I do not have the face shape to carry a high pony-tail, I quite often lost out. Even as a little boy, my cousin Cameron loved Grease. I have a clip somewhere of him dancing his booty off to 'Greased Lightning'. I will endeavour to find it. It is hilarious.

I'd love to hear what your faves are.

"I am invincible, You are invincible, We are invincible"

Well I certainly feel invincible.



The John Mayer concert was nothing short of Amazing.



I can hardly find the words to explain how fantastic it was. In fact the whole evening was perfect. Which hardly ever happens to me. Serenity & I got ready, made it through the rain to the bus stop. We got on the bus, then in a taxi and arrived at the TSB arena five minutes before our dinner reservation, which was right next door. As we cautiously made our way from the taxi on to the wet paved surface, in heels, we were granted an amazing treat. We could hear John Mayer performing his sound check. We stood at the walls of the venue, listening, jumping up and down with glee and laughing out how ridiculously excited we were. We then ran through the rain, to One Red Dog and gladly grabbed our table and ordered drinks and our meal. We ordered the anti-pasto, which as always was fantastic. Just look at it...

(I feel obliged to point out that there are six different types of cheese here. Also that there are little dishes of pesto and relish being hidden by the flat bread. That is all.)

After dinner we sat at the bar & met up with some old school friends Asha & Andy, who were also attending the concert. When it was time, we left the restaurant for the TSB arena.

There were no lines, we walked straight in, and found our amazing seats, three rows from the front, just a little right from the centre. We were stoked with our seats!

We arrived just in time to see the last few songs from the opening act, Lisa Crawley. She reminded me of a mix between Regina Spektor & Gin Wigmore - and she was fantastic!



John Mayer opened his show with 'No Such Thing' - which as a track on his album - wasn't one of my favourites. But this high energy song was perfect to open the show with and is now back in my play list rotation. Every song was perfect. He was surprisingly humble & charming on stage. I can't decide on a favourite song of the evening - they were all fantastic.

But I can say I am...



 ...so happy that he played 'Slow Dancing in a Burning Room'



...delighted & infatuated by the performance of 'Stop this Train'. The song deserves a post of it's own.



...excited & grateful to hear Live, a cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'Dreams'



...loving, more & more, each time I hear it after hearing 'Friends, Lovers or Nothing' played Live.



...taken by the way that he adjusted the lyrics im-prov styles, through many songs. Such as, from "I am invincible, I am invincible, I am invincible" to the title of this very post.



...hypnotised by the little ditty JM played acoustically as an interactive, 'poking-fun-at-self' interlude to 'Daughters'



AND...



...so thankful & feel so blessed that I was able to take my camera, so that I can re-live the night over & over, when ever I so choose.

I have heard of people talk about the afterglow you feel after seeing John Mayer Live. I didn't believe it until now. I hope my 'concert-coma' lasts just a little longer.

"Take me back to the sweet times, the hot nights"

**CAUTION** LONG POST/PHOTO STUDY TO FOLLOW

Every New Years, since the summer we finished high school, my friends and I have seen the turn of the year together. For two of the five summers we have celebrated at home, with good food, good company, and great music. This is not usually how we roll. We much prefer to, and always attempt to make a camping trip happen. We love camping. It is so good to get away, and enjoy each others company. Just as with the dinner parties, when camping we always have good food, good music, good wine and...board games. It makes for a very entertaining trip! When we were seventeen, we camped by the river in Otaki. When we were nineteen, we ventured to Pohangina, a campsite by the river near Ashhurst. This year, we went on an actual roadtrip and ventured all the way to beautiful Waiheke Island. It was by far the best holiday we've had yet.

The low down: 16 hours of driving, 9 people, 6 days, 2 ferry trips & 1 people mover (a.k.a rave-mobile).

At 4.30am Mark, Katrina & Cam arrived at my house in the R-M, to pick up Dyani, MK, Brad & Myself.

After handing out the roadtrip survival kits, donning our roadtrip t-shirts, staging a photo shoot, slapping our 'Road Trip' car door magnets on the R-M and cramming ourselves in...we were on our way.

And on we drove, whilst listening to our Road Trip playlist, all the way through to Taihape before stopping for a McDonalds fix for breakfast.

We were so excited to be running ahead of time and to be leaving the cruddy weather in our wake. Here are some of my fave pics from the trip to Auckland.

We arrived in Auckland around lunch time and headed straight to Te Atatu to visit the 'West's' house, from the television show 'Outrageous Fortune'. It was surreal to be standing outside the house, which we all had seen on the show. I felt like an Outrageous Fortune geek, as we took photo's from the footpath. We left the West's house and headed round the corner, for our number one guilty pleasure when in Auckland...Wendy's.

After eating our combined body weight in Burgers, Frosty Shakes, Nuggest & Fries, we once again sardined ourselves back in to the R-M, and headed to Sylvia Park for groceries & to meet our Auckland dwelling friend Scottie & her partner Skip.

One hour later...Groceries = bought, Scottie & Skip = waiting in the carpark, time until we had to leave Sylvia park for the ferry = 30 minutes.

Packed people in R-M? Check. Packed groceries around said people? Check. Ready to roll? Check. Broken fan, possible cracked radiator n Skips car? CHECK. Everyone freaking out and yelling at each other? Check.

It was ugly. Luckily for us, AA arrived in 15 minutes, sorted, and advised on what to do with the vehicle. We left just in time to make our Ferry Check in time. Before we knew it, both vehicles and all nine of us were on board the ferry, and taking a major chill pill.

 

Once on the Island, we felt our way to Hekerua Lodge, where we were greeted by the owner Tom, who showed us the house facilities, that we were free to use, the pool & spa & of course the camping dell. We set up camp & got some Fish'n'Chips for dinner. We went to a fish'n'chip shop called 'Ao Place' They have a really cool photo montage of customers from all over NZ & from all over the world. Every photo had a funny caption with the phrase "Ao" in it. They saw our t-shirts and loved them. They decided we had to have our picture taken. So we are now immortalised at 'Ao Place' with the caption "All the way from Paraparaumu in a van, with matching t-shirts Ao"

 

We had an awesome time on Waiheke. The weather was amazing, we spent the next 3 days at the beach or in the pool. I could rattle on and tell you how beautiful it is, but I may aswell just show you.

Here are a few of my fave pics of us playing around at the different beaches on Waiheke.

Playing 'Battle of the Sexes' board game was hilarious. It is highly amusing to recall such comments as, "I'm pretty sure it's a french tip bro..don't ask me how I know *shifty eyes*" & when some answers were shouted out with such authority, like.. "Will & Grace!!"

Then the game got serious...

We visited Mudbrick Vineyard. It was beautiful beyond words.

We left Waiheke on Jan 3rd and headed back to Scottie & Skips place in Auckland. Some of us just chilled for the evening, and the rest of us went to Sky City for dinner. On the way we stopped to look at this pretty tree. It reminded us all of Twilight. So we staged a photo shoot. New Zealands Next Top Models, I tell you!

 

  

 

Overall we had an awesome time on Waiheke. I for one cannot wait to go back.

What an awesome trip!

Love you, my friends.

XXX