End of the Year Chili Feed.

I made chili today. It was damn fine. It was taken advantage of by only 3 people: Myself, Leon and Laura. To all others: A shame that overtakes you when you realize you won't have eaten the 4th best chili made in the world this year. The top 3 all won county fairs in Texas and are either named Junior or Bubba. Or both.
This chili thing was about the only thing I felt I've done since I got back from Napier. Sure, I made dinner from friends, drank my holiday-gift-from-my-ex-work bottle of bubbles, watched a bunch of DVDs and found out how you feel the next day after consuming an entire holiday-gift-from-my-ex-work bottle of bubbles, but I still don't have anything to show for it.
I suppose I feel this way after reading Morgan's blog. I had planned to write a light-hearted account of how great chili is when it's rainy and cold and football is on TV. But the re-hashing of things important by Morgue made me think about my yeat in review. And then I thought, my last year wasn't defined by dates and times so much as definite ideas and major, nay, historical choices. My coming to NZ was a start, and will have a finish soon of an important block of time in my life. The choice to start my own buisiness with my friends is another. So when these things pass into time/history from me, then that will be the most important definition of time for me.
I hope I didn't lose anyone with my thoughts there. I am unwilling to go back and make sure they make sense, as I have to get ready to party in celebration for 2007 being one of the best, exciting and financially scary years in my life.

So with that said, Happy New Year and le'chayim!

Hawkes Bay

I decided to get out of town by myself for a couple of days, and when the weather guy says, "the only place in the country that will have nice weather the next couple of days is Hawkes Bay." He also added that Taupo, where I had planned, was going to drop 14 feet of snow in 3 hours. Or something to that effect. So my plans changed- flexibility is one of my endless character strengths.
The Hawkes bay area is known for it's warm weather and fine wines. It turned out to be in a lot of ways like Napa valley. All these wineries having cellars to purchase wine at- which I didn't take advantage of. I was there for one thing: produce.
To some it may sound odd, but as it is berry season, I was all about taste-testing all available. I consumed 2 pints strawberries, 1 pint raspberries and one pint boysenberries. All were choice.
Not forgotten in my eating were peaches, golden kiwis and tomatoes. The former were so good, I ate them out of hand like an apple. Summer. Good food. Screw root veggies to all y'all back home.
Napier is the biggest city in the region, and had some really cool art deco buildings . Iris and Mark: I though of you when I was looking at the buildings; they were right up your alley. I guess Napier is second to Miami as a representative of this style, and the city holds a big festival every year.
Some pics (not mine, which are still on film)





And some quick videos of León, El Rey de los Bogans Piñatas. He was the entertainment for the massivly successful Boxing day Ranchero Brunch. The first is "Ben Davie, piñata punisher" (I swear I watched that show in Mexico last year!) and the second is entitled, "demise."

And yes, I am wearing boots with jeans.





end communication

Holiday Whirlwind

It's over...or so it seems....
ok it's over.

I had a christmas that was a combo of the classic-family type stuff with this summer time love. I sat outside, wore shorts and jandals. I threw a frisbee. But I had the heavy winter meal. And lots, and LOTS of sugar. I didn;t cope well with the sweet-as I get older, I've become less accepting of the sweet.
After the food, gifts and presents, I took a heavy nap. I awoke to attend a party, and questioned people on their power animals. Among the responses was "red panda."

Boxing Day Ranchero Brunch was an overwhelming success, to say the least. Great food (I'm not bragging-I'm keepin' it real), great company, and my 1st cricket playing. I can womp 'em one, but my body won't allow the straight arm bowling. It says, "NO. That hurts and you can't be accurate! Stop!" So I cannot bowl. But I did somehow get one wicket on Morgan....

And then an absurd amount of time on the phone. It hurt. I am lying low tonight; resting up for a trip tomorrow to the North. It'll probably be a couple days until the next post. Have fun.

More Brains Please!

My first ever christmas eve down under was spent out of doors, at a park in the dark. What turned into a hike at night/Aaron sees glow worms and a giant weta in a cave/drink whisky, turned into a turn into zombies/scare people. Not only was the zombie banter incredibly witty (a whole zombie -written menu. Brownies ala...BRAINS!!! Maybe you had to be there.) but we scared some random, stoned teenagers. It was great. In the end I got everyone, after waiting in the shadows for a few minutes. It was good, adolescent fun.
It was followed by an indecision of DVD choices, so we ended up watching the first 5 minutes of a whole bunch of movies. Most notable: Peter Jackson's first movie: Bad Taste. It needs to be seen to be believed.

Take this job and shove it.

As MLK said, "free at last! free at last! free at last!"

Yes, the darkest chapter in my life is over. And I only said, "serenity now!" about 800 times....

I did shots of cointreu in the parking lot with Morgan. And had god speak to me through a sculpture about doing what god?!??...Burn the Skyline down?!??! No I couldn't do that!!!.........could I?

No.

Anyways, I am finally in holiday spirits, and it's only 7pm Sunday Eve. Took me long enough, but when you're cooking for other drunken people, and getting lavishly cursed at, it's not so festive. So here I am, paste on my shirt from León the Bogan Piñata, awaiting 10:15 tonight for "X-Mas eve mystery mission. Bring flashlight and holy water." I made a cross; I'm so handy.
____
Flashback to last night real quick. There was this woman at the bar who I wanted to talk to, and she left, but then came back, and I sprung at the stroke of luck/opportunity. We were talking about the usual random things, and me being my funniest (in my head anyways...) and then I find out she's a married. And has kids. She was a hot Momma. Literally.
I pretty much stopped the conversation there, but for the record, I have now moved up from constantly meeting great women who have boyfriends to great women who have husbands. And kids.
My shite luck...

Happy Festivus, for the rest of us. And may you win all your feats of strength!

In the spirit of giving....

I think it speaks for itself....

Sweet Home Lower Hutt

Lynard Skyard is a beast. He now has a shrunken head (done in an obscure and ancient barbarian fashion) around his neck of Yurg Arnak, whom, as Morgan pointed out got "owned".


The thing I've become most, er, fond of D&D is that this chracter is just an amplifier for my own personality/passion. I now can be louder and more extroverted. Sorry to some, and no appologies to those who die at the flaming blade of Lynard Skyard, RAWK!

I love it all, and want to play forever. And I mean that.

____
Got my christmas shopping done, mostly. I have a couple of pieces to pick up, and one of them is going to be a classic gift. The one everyone talks about forever.....ok maybe not.
Tomorrow I am making a paper mache Bogan piñata for the Boxing day Ranchero brunch, which will be an epic failure if my package from my mom doesn't arrive before then. BTW, the bogann piñata will have a name: León. He will have a sombrero, perhaps an orange Tui one that I've seen around/wore one night at Karaoke....

Lot's of good stuff to do tomorrow it seems, but in hindsight it won't seem like much. Nevertheless, I am excited for small reasons tomorrow, and that's great.

All hail the New Pavlova King!!!!! (that's me-I have no shame.)

none

I am so over work. It is a great thing I'm leaving soon. I just finished the toughest day of the year, and had no help really in doing so.

Oh well. Enough griping.

Not much else to say, except I hope you're prepared to go down Yurg-Arnak.

Bitch.

I give notice

I gave notice to my work today. It was liberating, but didn't garner as much "shoke and awe" as I'd hoped. I am sick.
It does really muck up the owners plans- everyone working today in the kitch will be gone in one month, except for one guy-who I told needed to leave, and he does want to, but the owners got to him 1st and gave him a raise.
And one might say, "there's a message for those idiots to be had!" (i'm one, and you're two) but guess what?!? They're IDIOTS so they've decided no changes are the way to go.

Anyways, not my problem.

I'm currently watching the FIFA World club championships and drinking beer. Productivity is my name!

I've booked plans

I am going to the South Island with Mr. Davie on the 10th of January. He will be in on the mayhem until he flies back to Welly, while I tool around for a few more days. Then I come back to Wellington late January 25th. I will head out from here to Auckland to pawn my car off to some Jafa having seen Lake Taupo and the Waitomo caves. Then I fly to Hawaii on the 5th of Feb, arriving in HI on the 4th. I'll spend a night in Honolulu due to scheduling and fly into Hilo the next morning. I get to go insane with Trever for a week, and will be back home on the night of the 12th, so let's start making plans for my birthday on the 15th.
Booyeahshookah.

Aki/CP/Wachter are invited to join in on Hawaii.
Encouraged and/or slightly demanded.

Home for the Holidays!

I'm back out in the Hutt for the holidays, and am spinning it that way to parental figures on all sides of the Pacific...
It's good to be back out in the Hutt for some reasons. Like those of you who grew up here, they're more "feelings" than tangible facts. Just the comfort of being around a family is excellent.
Anne Davie finally decided to make the weather good. It's been sunny and warm-ish the last couple of days, but there's been a light haze coming in from Austrailia due to the fact that pretty much all of Victoria is on fire. As Sam said, "that's all dead kangaroos." Er...nice sunsets though....
Today is a bog day, as I'm planning all my South Island road trip and Returning's details. Tickets for ferries and planes should be bought today. It's all gonna firm up today, and make going home "real." Which is bittersweet. I really feel the desire to stay in Wellington- I love the people I've met (except who I work with) and the city itself, but if one believes in omens, and I kinda do, then this place keeps giving me signs confirming that I gotta go home to cook food like this.

It's so amazing.

Actually, I cannot wait to try Dustin's "Alpine Herb Ricola (Cough Drops yes) ice cream. Melted pieces of the cough drops in the ice cream base. Think an herbal version of peppermint stick ice cream. With cough drops.

Kiwis are freaking out right now.

Well, I gotta go pick up my car from the shop-it's in great health and Damon's dad Anton of Anton's Autos (full endorsement) said it'll get Morgue and I around easily.
Love your life, I am.

My flatmate is a dickhead

He texted me Wed night at 11pm as I was walking home and declared, "we have to move out by Sunday night 'bro." I had heard his grumblings 2 days before, but what I had heard was that he was trying to resolve issues with the landlord- ones that I accept due to the fact that A) I was going to only be living there for another month or so, and B) Anybody that saw my last place knows my standards of acceptance of crapiness have been lowered. So as I see it, if the landlord wants his investment to go to shit, let him. It's his ultimate loss when the roof needs to be replaced because it's all rotted.
Anyways, this stupid anouncement came at literally, THE WORST TIME OF THE YEAR. I am working 55 hours this week, and have my longest, toughest days always in the first 3 weeks of December. I cannot have a life these 3 weeks. I cannot move easily by any stretch of the imagination, even with minimal stuff like I have now. I don't need this right now. So I told him he was being a dickhead in more or less terms.

4 days notice.

But it must be said that due to the informality of things around these parts, I never signed an agreement, it was all verbal, so I am at his mercy. That is something I'd never do back home, but was ok with not having a document, as I didn't know how long I'd stay. But it should be noted I'd give more than 4 days notice!
Suck.

And now something to cheer me/you up:

End of Weekend wrap-up

Yes, another weekend gone.
Highlights included mostly Sunday night D&D, which is something I wanted to write about after it happened, but I wrote the earth-shaking news instead. Yes, that was sad in some ways to post, but it's the right thing to do.
ANYWAYS, again I thank Morgue for including me in this game; it is damn fine. I've been impressed with many things, including our creativity with dealing with problem, our lack of a glaring hole, and how much Lynard Skynard can rawk the asses off of the evil doers. It came to a point on Sunday night that I just could plain intimidate people into surrendering.
Then Leon couldn't bluff worth shite, and I ended up shrugging off an attack of opportunity (disputed!) with a flaming sword attack that left the enemy dead as.

I also spent all day today working on my holiday gift for back home. Not much, but it will be appreciated. Cannot say what it is, as for some reason they're reading these very words with great interest.....
...let's just say I'm attempting to make the All Blacks squad...

This is what I'm doing.

It's official here I suppose.

I will be returning to the US and A in late january/early February. I will begin thinking about making my realization of opening my own place a reality. I won't have left NZ without seeing the South Island, and some of the North Island as well. Morgan will hopefully be involved in most of it, but perhaps, not all. And that would be sad. I will continue at my job until I have enough money to fix my car to the proper roadtrip shape. I also want to stop in Hawaii to see T-World, aka Trever Edwin Santora.

This is what I believe, and is my decleration.
I have your support.

Bogansgalore.

I don't have anything to write.
I am going bogan tonight.
More on my day off!