Ultra slow ultra runner; Election loser; Eating contest winner; Doting father; Sometime: Podcaster; Filmmaker; Biz starter.
Another day, another beer. South African, no less. But don’t hold that against it, this is a cheeky little darkie of a stout.
The picture to the right is nothing to do with the beer, just my lovely little baby boy. Oh, my hand is cocked so jauntily due to the not very visible Thinkpad I’m using. I’m not a homo-fag or anything.
Today I had my first loquat of the season, it was half green, all sour, and all good. Sweet and juicy would be even better, give it a couple of weeks and it’ll be there.
It rules to have an actual garden, with fruit trees and stuff, again.
I don’t understand why people are willing to subject themselves to city apartment dwelling, the time we spent in our Eden Terrace townhouse is about as close as I’d like to get.
The benefit, I’m told, is to be close to everything in the inner city, the problem is there just isn’t anything in the city for me. I go to the movies at St Lukes, where there is ample free parking. And when I’m not shopping in St Lukes, I’m shopping in New Market, where, once again, there is free parking provided.
I don’t understand why people go for litle two room places, let alone the crazies in the one room ‘studio’ apartments.
I’ll just keep my 10 room house in the burbs.
Today, for the first time in my life, I took the train into the city. Good fun too, it’s strange seeing so many buildings that I recognise from such an entirely different perspective, and I had no idea there was so much graffiti around.
We were heading into the city to check out the festival, good fun, they blocked off Queen St to traffic and set up a huge stage and a bunch of stalls, including one for Satya, where we grabbed a couple of wonderful samosas, and Danish Delight, where I got a Devon Cream ice cream with raspberry sauce. Very good. Reminded me of being in the city with my father when I was a little boy (around 7 or 8). Danish Delight has really been around a long time in the city, but I don’t often patronize them (hur hur).
We wandered around and watched fun people dancing in the middle of the street, while kids tried to learn handstands, and my good little girl browsed through the racks of clothes on offer from some of Auckland’s hip young designers.
On the way back to the station to head back out to Mt Eden, we stopped for a glass of milk and a melon juice, and I tried to touch base with a friend, ended up cancelling our trip to the station in favour of dropping in on them for another glass of milk, and a couple of hours worth of conversation, before dragging them back to the estate to prepare us a meal, while we drank wine and ate cheeses.
It’s nice having a quiet day with the flatmates out of here.
By the way, mum, I came over while you were out and borrowed the mower. Let me know if/when you need it back.
Cheese rules. Delicious cheese rules even more. Mercer Cheese have some seriously delicious cheese. Their extra aged gouda, for example, is absolutely devine. Many of their cheeses are award winners, to which the certificates which line their wills attest – gold medal after gold medal… Diluted only a little bit by the occasional silver or bronze medal.
The big problem with Mercer Cheese is that it is, in fact, in Mercer. Driving to Mercer just to get some cheese would be somewhat of a crazy mission, the cheese is great… But it’s Mercer, you’re practically in Huntly, which is practically in Hamilton, to which place no sane person should ever venture.
So the thing is, and here’s the rub, you need a place to go, which requires you to venture past Mercer, we chose National Park Township, and more specifically, Whakapapa ski field up Mt Ruapehu.
And I’ll tell you what, even without the cheese, it was a trip worth taking. What an awesome time, I forced my travelling companion (hot girl stayed in sunny Auckland) to rent Snowblades with me, and regret it I do not. It kicked ass.
Let me tell you – I haven’t skiied in maybe 3 or 4 years, I only snowboarded once day last season, but I did a whole day, including some challenging terrain, without a *SINGLE* bail. Not once did I fall over. Not once did I plant my face in the snow. I never slid out, never crashed into anyway, and never felt out of control at any point. Snowblades are truly fantastic, I found myself prepared to attempt terrain I never would have seriously considered on normal skiis. Next time I’m down, and after that experience it might not be too far away, I’ll be going with snowblades again, no question in my mind.
I’m amazed that more people haven’t ‘discovered’ snowblades, I heard a lot of people commenting on them when I was waiting for chair lifts, and a couple of people even stopped to chat with me on the slopes to find out more about them.
While we were down we also had a few nice drinks at Schnapps, including a truly delicious cocktail including a small bottle of Jagermeister, a can of redbull, and a splash of apple schnapps. Delicious. It’s a perfect combination of flavours, unfortunately the redbull component makes it dangerous to have as many as you might otherwise like (I like to be able to sleep when I want to, you see).
Good sleeping was to be had, as well, in the Ski Haus lodge, great fire pit in the lounge, too. and it was very nice for me, a touch of home even, to have a dog (Cinders) come over to my breakfast table and food beg (must have been able to smell the bacon, so I can’t blame her). Little cutie, lovely smile.
Anyway, I got 3 cheeses…
It’s all good.
Noticed a picture I took a week or so ago while doing some stuff tonight… One of the nicest sunsets we’ve had since moving into the new place. If you don’t click it, you won’t see a big version.
I’ve finally found a bad Belgian beer. It’s a bitter-sweet triumph.
Another thing, we (Hot & myself) went to the new Britomart transit hub yesterday, it isn’t finished, but what we could see was really pretty cool. It’s a huge space, fun rainbow lights on the walls, and awesome big skylights – including one which is in the middle of a fountain. When it’s all finished off it’ll be a very cool place.
I’ve heard that it’s the only underground train terminal in the world which is entirely service by diesel trains. This sounds like a bad idea to me, but perhaps it’s why they have such giant sized aircon towers.
We have a train station near our house (though far enough away to be inconvenient), I don’t work in the city, but Hot & I agree that having cool infrastructure might be what it took to get us on the trains.
If the trains were as cool as the new trains Virgin is putting into service in the UK, that would be a big bonus, they have cool laptop power points, quiet zones, bars, etc. Though even my laptop would last the 15 minute journey into the city without the use of a power point, so perhaps it’s a useless feature.
I don’t know if I mentioned it at the time, but a while ago I pretty much gave up softdrinks. I still have the occasional glass, for example if I’m at a party and not drinking alcamahol, but they don’t have any juice. Or if I’m at the movies and want a drink. But I certainly don’t do what I was doing, and drink a 2.25l bottle while sitting in my office.
Anyway, since then I think my body has been desperate to find new sources of sugar (in huge quantities, ie. what it was used to when I was drinking stupid amounts of vanilla coke, etc).
And I think it has found a good one thanks to little miss – lemon curd.
I remember being at camp, when I was about 11, watching kids butter their toast, then pour on a thick layer of white sugar, this is sort of like that, only lemon flavoured, and designed for spreading.
Maybe I should just go back to the L&P, Fanta, &c.