The boys are back in town....

.....but a few of the girls took off.

                The past few weeks have been busy and full of fun! Since my last post Charlie was back in town on Wed before his training trip of the rest of the south island. We went to world and had a Badger pizza, and just had a chilled out catch up night. The next night I headed to Red Rock, for Kate’s bday and to have a few last drinks before her and Toni hit the road to continue their travels. That was Wed and Thurs night down…. Friday again. I need a night off and apparently so did the rest of our work girls Friday night drinking team… we went to Brazz as always… Claudia bought me one. Ann had water and we sat in the sun for one and then all headed in different directions. I wasn’t feeling well that night and I can see now it may have actually be because I was getting a little worn down. .. Sat morning was great had a proper lie in and got to enjoy the weekend. Later on JOEY came back to Qtown!!  I went to meet him at the hostel and had a good catch up with Jemma and Collette as well. Then we (Colette, Joe, Touchie and I) came back to my place and watched a movie and all headed to bed. The next day Joe and I went for a walk around Lake Hayes which was good while we waited for Caleb and Brady to get back to town too. It just so happened to be Calebs B-day and also the first secret Sunday session at World bar. So we spent the rest of the afternoon with some great friends catching up, enjoying some drinks in the sun and having a laugh. The boys being back in town caused a little bit of a reunion effect and we all had a great night out on the town!

                The next week was fairly chill went for dinner with Collette and Tasha at Atlas where we tried some Tapas which were pretty amazing. We decided it was going to be our new Tuesday thing… to go for dinner and try a new place. Were thinking it’s close enough to the weekend to catch up on the gossip… but not need to go out and drink after… so we should be safe. Had a few more chill nights around the house and then it was weekend time again! Ann and I headed to a friends for a quick b-day drink and then were home by 8.  Which was perfect timing for a great start to another great night out with Tasha, Em and Chea! I think we were at just about every bar in town, and it was over all just a great girls night out! Evelyn and I had planned to go to Arrowtown the next morning but that didn’t work out for a few reasons, one being our matching hangovers, lack of dependable car and the morning drama that went on in her flat. So instead we went for breakfeast and then headed to the beach for a while and had a BBQ at her place that night! GOOD DAY!!! Sunday brought some more beach time, and a walk up Qtown hill. Went for Pad-Thai and for Johnny Bar’s also…. Just a simple great day.

                Conclusion… "what I have been up to" blog posts are good for me… but maybe a little boring for you guys to read because I’m sure a lot of what I just wrote means nothing. However, I haven’t been keeping a diary so I want to remember this stuff and I think this may be one of the best ways to do so.

                The future…. So I’m pretty much half way through the time that I had planned to stay in NZ at this point. Some thoughts that I have been having for the future include a possible trip to Thiland in April or so! I’m planning on being home for Lady A at Bayfest!! Which fits in pretty perfectly with the idea that Laura has presented me with, head to the Calgary Stamped the week before!! Hopefully these ideas all work out… At this point they are more of a plan that I realize I think! I’m pretty sure they are on the same level that my decision to go to NZ was at the time…..

                So there is your quick boring catch-up! Again…

Oh Life.... Engagements, Babies and Weddings?? Cool it kids!

            “Were adults?? When did that happen? How do we make it stop?” – Meredith Grey

            Friends at home... and you know who you are! I told you exciting things WERE NOT allowed to happen while I was gone. However it seems not many of you (if any) were listening! As if knowing I was going to have a few little ones to meet when I got home was exciting enough a few of you have decided to go ahead and get all engaged on me also. You know there was a phase there I was right there with you and this was all ok! Now I’m not. I’m single and in another country. Not your fault I know but common really?? Lol...... I miss you all loads and wish I could be there to celebrate with you! I will be home soon enough though. With lots of exciting stories of my own to tell! In the mean time can you just hold off on everything else not sure how much more I can handle missing! You may cause me to make my trip home sooner than planned! Meg that goes for you especially! And Ashton NO you can’t move out West you may never come home!

            On a serious note... I’m so happy for you guys and I can’t wait to see what the rest of our lives have in store! The memories to come and the laughs were about to share! Miss you more than you know!

Live in the Moment!

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99:

Wear sunscreen.
 
            If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine. Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing every day that scares you. Sing. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.
            Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss. Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters.
           Throw away your old bank statements. Stretch. Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone. Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's. Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.
            Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
            Respect your elders. Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out. Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. But trust me on the sunscreen.

Birthday Fun, Rugby 7’s and Curry!

            So I know I haven’t even wished you all a Happy New Year yet, I’m once again slacking on the blogging! So.... HAPPY NEW YEAR!! To you all! All the best to everyone in 2011!!! Can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for us all!!..... .. ...  I guess you could say I’ve been busy! New years was great they had loads of tents set up on the rugby pitch that we could see from our place for everyone that rolled into town and didn’t bother to think, maybe we should BOOK a place to spend the night?

            As we do after work, us girls all went for drinks at Brazz, and anyone that was still around came back to our place for some drinks later on. Had some bubbles at our  flat till 11:30 and then headed down to Pub On Wharf to have some more drinks after skipping the line. Watched some AMAZING fireworks from there! After that headed to Pog Mahones (Irish Pub) and then to Winnies for some more laughs! Devil burger for a late night snack and home! The town was buzzing they closed down a few of the streets and had set up some stages around the beach, where they had free live music! Great night! With some great friends! The best part, not much of a hang over the next day and it was another gorgeous day in Qtown! Which I took advantage of! In NZ you get two holidays for New Years and so for the second week in a row I had a 3 day work week and 4 day weekend.

Walked up Qtown hill again and then a walk around lake Hayes! Attempted to read a movie in Wanaka at the Paradisio Cinema, great to get out of town didn’t matter that the movie stunk when we got there. Also, made an attempt to make it to the Rodeo in Wanaka the next day, got there and it took us a heck of a time to decided if we should go in or not due to the weather. In the end we didn’t which was good because it did pour the rest of the day! Tuesday my first @ Thai dinner and a green chicken curry fix yum!! Wednesday (back to work) Birthday which was quiet, but exactly what I wanted! Friday another session that got messy! Thanks girls for everything you made it a great night! Sat was spent making sure the couch didn’t think it had some place to go, and sleeping. Then Sunday brought another beautiful day. Frankton in the morning for a little shopping and then watched some Rugby in the afternoon! After that went for another great @ Thai dinner Red Curry... little less Yum... but still yum.....then off to Boiler room for a little, but in Bed by Mid-night and got some great very exciting news!!

I can’t sleep I’m dreaming way to loud!

        Any one that knows me at all knows that I’m fairly obsessed with music. But do any of you know just how obsessed I really am? Yes I constantly have it on, and yes all my facebook photo albums are song lyrics but there is more. And maybe this is everyone and I’m just completely normal, But I also gauge my over all happiness using music. When I don’t have the creative words I would like to have to explain how I feel I know that I will be able to find a song that can express it for me and maybe even explain to me what I’m really thinking.

I don’t think I have ever told any of you this, I think it’s maybe just never come up. You all know that it took me a long time to decide if I should stay in Glencoe or move home. It was a song and the way that I related to that song that made me realize that I needed to get out. The song “No Surprise” – Daughtry.  Maybe I never said it out loud because I thought it might sound a little crazy or maybe I just never really thought about it again I honestly don’t know. We all know it wasn’t just the song that forced me to move out but it was what made me realize what the right thing to do was. After I came to this realization I started noticing other music related things. I had stopped having the music cranked and singing along in the car. At first I thought maybe I was just growing up and had grown out of this stage of having to rock out in my car at all times!.......WRONG……….. I eventually found out this was definitely not the case! Looking back its easy to see that moving out was what needed to happen I think we are both better off! Chips may have got the short end of that stick but she’ll get over it! If she hasn’t already she is a dog! But the idea that a song can have that kind of power got me to thinking. Who else has made life altering decisions based on a song? I can’t be the only person. A song is such a powerful thing and there are so many things I can think of off the top of my head to prove that!

Songs have encouraged people to donate to a good cause, they have the power to change a persons mood, they can tell someone’s story or teach you new things. What kind of world would we be in without music? It would certainly be a much less vibrant one! Sometime how you relate to a song can make you realize things about yourself you didn’t even know.

Some moments in my life… and the songs that bring me back to them.  

Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces: The day I found out I had got in to Niagara for school
She thinks my tractors sexy – Kenny Chesney: Basically any beer tour we went on during a hot summer day (but there is one particular tour that comes to mind)
Billy Jean – Michael Jackson: Ashton on another particular beer tour I remember quiet well
Tim McGraw – BBQ Stain: Underage drinking at Colin’s (some great times)
Garth Brooks – Anything: Reminds me of my mom & learning how to line dance with my parent’s friends when I was a kid. A lot of Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn songs bring this memory back as well.
Gwen Stefani – Sweet Escape: On particular St. Kitts party weekend(s) Carrie and Bill’s birthday and St. Pattys day.
Anything by Kings Of Leon: Summer of 2009 - Billy’s party weekends, Beach Sundays, Drinking at Ashton’s, Their concert ect.
Gavin Degraw – I don’t wanna be: Watching one tree hill at Rempel’s during high school.
Single Ladies – Beyonce: Dancing around at Meg and Tims at Christmas time last year.
Lost in this Moment – Big and Rich: Meg at Laughton’s the night before their stag and doe.
Counting Crows – Accidently in love: Roller balding around Bayfield with Martha while we were at the cottage, after some other people had showed up.
The Beatles: A great trip to Vegas with some amazing friends (Katy Perry Teenage dream has this affect as well).

So I may have turned my I-pod on and shuffled threw a few of the songs to complied this list, but if these are the ones that I can think of in the span of about 20 min listening to my own iPod I’m sure you can imagine how many more songs bring back a memory for me. I have no doubt that each of you are able to come up with a similar list. The list may only include one or two of the songs off my list, but may include many of the same sort of memories. But what are memories created from? Why do we remember some things and relate them to a song? When other memories you look back on and smile at in silence?

There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another. - Frank Zappa (1940 - 1993)

Christmas Really???

                Wow does time fly… 3 months ago before I left home I had no idea what to expect with coming to New Zealand. I didn’t even have any concept of how different things would be here, or rather how similar things would actually be. Now I’ve been here for almost 3 months and all I can think is that everyone should have this opportunity. I’ve learnt so much! Seen so much and meet an over whelming amount of cool people that I know that I will never see again but that will always be close friends!

                The whole trip has really been amazing and I can’t even imagine what the rest of the trip will have in store for me. So I have been living at Nomads for about 6 weeks and just moved out on Friday! I moved in with 2 english couples. One girl that I work with at Good Group Ann, her boyfriend dean who has a dislocated hip and currently isn’t working but was working at the YHA hostel. Sarah who is working at Quicksilver, and her boyfriend Dan who is a painter. Just getting to know them a little, as its only the first weekend. But what a weekend it has been! Friday night I left work and had some drinks with the girls from work, as we seem to do on a Friday night. Oh but Wait, I should probably mention that I had a rum and coke delivered to my desk at 4:30 and then some shots from the bar that we have in the office at the end of our work week! Any way, we had some more drinks in town and chilled out in the sun till around 9. Then at 9ish I had to get my stuff from the office (and of course we got a Ferg Burger) that I had taken there earlier in the day and bring it to the new place. I spent the rest of Friday night unpacking and chillin with Dean and Ann. I was whipped and in bed by 11ish  

The next day I did this scavenger hunt that I signed up for a few days back. I was in a group with Sandy who is from Toronto and has been with me for a while at Nomads and Blair, who just happens to be the General Manager of JagAir (They do skydiving). So we sign up for this event thinking that it will be just around town and probably get some pretty cool free food and prizes and such. Weren’t we wrong! By the end of the day I had trekked to the top of the gondola and back in my Jean work capris and a tank and another shirt that I usually wear to work. We were all soaked and not smelling of roses by the time we were done. So you really don’t get the perspective of this hill from the picture. But I think you will at least get an idea.  Its a hike…

               

            After we had finished we got some drinks at World and headed back to Blair’s place for a little bit of a house party. Blair lives with a few other pilots and they have this great place with a nice big wrap around style deck that has a great view. Oh and there is a “spa” (hot tub) out on the deck so we chilled in that for a while and watched the sun go down! I was in bed that night by 11:30 again.......(Side note: for some reason I have my self on this pattern that in Q-town I'm out till all hours of the night a few random nights during the week. But I always seem to be in bed by mid-nigh the days I don't have to work the next day.... if any one knows why that might be can you let me know so I can sort it out.) The next day I went with a few Irish guys that I had met a few weeks before for a drink or two and a little shopping trip. The whole day was hilarious, great guys and can’t wait to hang out with them again some time. They work on a farm a few hours away so they aren’t in Queenstown that often unfortunately. But may be coming for New Years! Which would be great if it works out. I guess there is a a pretty sweet sceen aroudn here at New years. They haev a few stages of live bands set up and a bunch of the streets are just closed for a few days. Should be fun... but I'll let you know how that goes later!

So, I’m now spending the rest of my Sunday afternoon, doing FREE laundry and using some, well not free… but much cheaper internet, setting my self up and pretty much just enjoying doing nothing! Hummm... I should probably be having a drink right now.....

Unfortunetly I missed my skype date with my loves back home though! They were having our annual Secret santa party back home and I would have loved to see/speak to them! But I know we will talk soon and that they will eventually forgive me for miss a date we had all been banking on for a week! Love you and you know who you are!!

PS….. Happy Birthday (Dec 17^th) Dad, wish I was able to eat that one last slice of pizza for you! I’ll be home before you know it! Love you always!

                Christmas in Queenstown, well you know that feeling at home the week before Christmas and you keep thinking I can’t believe its Christmas so soon!! Well I’m getting the same feeling here, but its more of a ....there is no way it really can be this close to christmas i doesn't feel like it at all... than a I can’t wait feeling. There is the odd Christmas carol you hear around town and lots of places have some Christmas decorations up. But the whole thing kinda seems fake! First of all it’s like an average temp of 24 degrees and just plain beautiful here every day. Second of all, I haven’t even considered purchasing or sending a single gift to any one! Even if I was in the “Holiday Spirit” you can’t get a real Turkey in this country, and stuffing well I don’t even think they have it here…. But I haven’t looked to be fair. So Christmas is six days away, and I know that we will have a few fun days of Holidays and some drinks and stuff…… But in all honesty, it sorta just feels like its 371 days till Christmas and its not really hear at all. But I know that I will miss out lots and would love to be there with everyone at home, you will all have another great holiday season!

So MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! And a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

You know your from NOMADS Queenstown When....

1.       You have a love/hate relationship with Sian Barrows, sweet girl, but she needs to stop encouraging our drinking habits.

2.       You think of world bar as an extension of the hostel.

3.       You’ve been walked by Maddy

4.       Free food

5.       Free Beer (Again Sian’s fault, see 2.)

6.       You have entered more than one Bar in Queenstown wearing a blindfold

7.       You are over the Nevis, especially the shirt that everyone insists on wearing the day they do it.

8.       Your dieing to meet more Kiwi’s and less English people, but still love that the damn germans haven’t found the hostel yet.

9.       101

10.   Frisbee golf any one?

11.   You know that Fergburger kicks devil burger ass… (or haven’t figured it out yet and are still a devil fan)

12.   You have over heard some form of hostel gossip from your balcony, but already knew what they were talking about any way.

13.   You have asked the question “ah which Mark?”

14.   Shithead is out, asshole is in

15.   Wait! (Thanks Tal)

16.   You have a secret Jealousy of the people that are in the hostel for one night, but cook the best meals.

17.   You’ve tried Jake’s Sakshuka, hummus or falafel…

18.   You know the tricks to avoid… or shall I say be safe from Jemma between 7-9.

19.   You might not remember the time in the am you got back to the hostel, but you know who to ask to find out…

20.   Give Roy an apple and a tea towel.... he’ll be entertained for hours.

21.   You wish that the PA system would set its self on fire and get some new songs! They were good for about the first week.

22.   You know who to talk to about getting a good massage.

23.   You are so glad to leave and move to your own space… but will never forget the great time you had!

Any one got more to add shoot me a message and I'll throw them up too!

New things!

So for the past month and some I have been living at Nomads Hostel as many of you know. I have really enjoyed it and haven’t been in much of a rush to move out. I have loved having people around all the time and I can sleep any where so it really hasn’t bothered me to sleep with 1 – 11 other people in the room. Some other things are really great about living in a hostel and some less great. Ie free food (good), having to take your stuff to and from the shower every time (getting old).

                So next Friday (Dad’s birthday) I’m moving in to a flat with two sets of couples from England. Didn’t really know I was looking to move out so quick. But, Ann that I work with at Good Group mentioned they had a room and I figured that there can’t be any harm in looking. I didn’t know I was going to fall in love with the place. I’m getting a room to my self with a double bed. It’s up a little bit of a hill, but has a really great view when you get there.  We have a balcony and a nice garden too!

                The other new thing I really didn’t see coming! I woke up yesterday and didn’t have any idea that I was gunna stick a few new holes in my self. Got my ear pierced twice. It just happened no real thought went in to it at all. But I now have two on one ear and three on the other.... seem to have earings in all of them at his point to.... random. Hurt like hell and the guy that did it for me was the funniest guy ever! I remember nothing of what he said about cleaning it, and they are closed today.

Needed to throw a little up date on my blog,  so this is just a quick one. More to come once I’m in the flat and don’t have to pay a dollar for 15 min of internet!

Things are really great and I have a new Irish friend Collette who has been getting me in trouble. Oh the Irish.... At least it’s one less English kid to hang out with! Luckily Collette was with me for the ear piercing experience, and caught all the things I’m suppose to be doing to look after it.