Heather & Rod's Amazing (& Not So Amazing) New Zealand Adventures

Rod was a bit under the weather yesterday, so I was relegated to the weekly grocery shopping on my own. With list in hand, I was off to the shops... Veges were first in, fish, meat, milk . . . oh, yes, we need some soda, so down the soda aisle I go only to be stopped in my tracks. There, on the corner of the shelf, was something of American ex-pat dreams . . . . Mountain Dew - and NO SUGAR (nothing is called 'diet' anymore) to boot! If I were in the movies, there would be a beam of light shining on the soda box and dreamy music in the background. Anyway, I picked it up, gave it a little hug and shot through the rest of the store, anxious to see Rod's face when I got home. "Honey, a little piece of America for you!!" You have to understand, in eight years, this hasn't happened often, but when it does it is a very exciting time. I remember, for instance, the first time we found Oreo cookies (they call them biscuits in NZ). We bought and ate the whole pa...

We've done it! Rod and I have decided in retirement, we're going to go around building decks. Man, we're good! We finished yesterday with a flurry of the nail gun (my weapon of choice...) and the finished product looks great, I must say. Only thing left to do is a bit of dirt movement (make that ONE MORE TIME for the movement of the dirt!) and hauling some grey riverstones in to surround the edges. But, these might be more like August timeframe projects..... When I mentioned the retirement career as deck builders, Rod said he was keen as long as all decks were built at waist height . . . . this would mean he wouldn't have to bend over. He's only 38, but his back is shot. Oh well, nothing a fortnightly (two weeks, you Americans) massage and a wheatie won't solve. Okay, Americans, the wheatie is a NZ invention we just discovered last month after 8 years on the island! It is a bag of wheat husks. You put it in the microwave for 2.5 minutes with a mug ...

Big deck adventures continued this weekend as our new deck at our Hamilton home took shape. The biggest challenge was setting the posts at an even height. I wanted a deck just off the ground, so this required digging 9 holes about 1.5 feet deep! Lots of dirt to move. And, since we're in the city, no back paddock (field, you Americans) to shove the unused dirt. So, I think we moved all dirt in this 10ft by 10ft space a total of 6.3 times! Ugh. Keeping in mind all neighbourhood cats are using the newly turned earth as a fresh toilet! It never fails - - uncover some new dirt by planting a new plant or something and the local cats are there to test it out. Okay, our cats are there to test it out too. This means inevitably you get a little prize when you are digging the dirt 6.3 times on average! Eeuuw! Another lovely thing is our cats love the feel of the dirt on their fur/skin. Pele especially - -- he loves, particularly, to do this in the middle of the night and then crawl into bed b...

Our cat, Pele, has asked me to post a letter he wrote a while ago (don't worry, I'm not psycho - just cat crazy!). When we moved to our new house, about 10 miles from our old house on Grey St, he ran away for 3 months and lived in the 'bush' (woods, you Americans) where a man named Bryan took pity on him and fed him jelly meat (gooey, gross meat in a can!) twice a day. Since Pele is a 'fraidy cat' it took Bryan three months until he could get close enough to see our number on his collar and phone us! Here is Pele's account of getting acclimated back to life with us (the wardens) and a new arrival, Mitzer the cat. He is writing Bryan a letter of 'thanks' for taking care of him. Pele escaped and travelled back to Bryan's three times (one mile away) before we confined him indoors for many months! He's very happy and settled now..... Dear Bryan, It’s been several years since I escaped the Northern Hinterlands for the green gullies of Harrowfield....

Rod and I recently returned to a friend's bach on Kawau Island, just northeast of Auckland. Here we are with Rod's parents having breakfast on the deck.... it is literally paradise. The only way in is on a water taxi and once you get there, it's just you and the birds and views of the harbour. The recent trip brings back memories of our first time on Kawau with my parents, Bob and Janet. Here's a story of that past, great adventure.... Kawau Boatie Tales: It’s amazin’ we’re still livin’ We had landed in ‘Paradise,’ but even in Paradise Americans can not live without knowing what George Bush might have been up to overnight. So, it was inevitable that we would embark out in the dingy, sail the treacherous Karaka Bay to buy the day’s edition of the New Zealand Herald. The first morning arrives and, just short of drawing straws, the father-daughter team is chosen as the pair that will brave the high seas. Neither having any dingy experience whatsoever, but this doesn’t both...

Two years ago, Rod and I built a deck at our bach (beach house, you Americans). That adventure began when, one day, on the front lawn, I wandered out about 15 feet from the house and said to my lovely husband, "I want my deck to come out to about here." Rod took some careful measurements and then looked up at me and said, "you realise if you come out to 'here' the deck will be bigger than the house?" Hmmm, curiously interesting fact, but that does not deter my big deck desires. After all, Americans want everything 'big', right and my deck should be no exception! My favourite thing to do, to embarrass Rod while building this vast wooden structure was to say in a very loud voice when the neighbours were outside pottering about, "I love my large DECK(emphasis on deck)!" Because, New Zealander's would assume I was saying another word in a NZ accent . . . . leave you to it to figure that one out (gotta keep the blog Rated G). Several months ...

My father has a dog who climbs trees. I told my cat, Mitzer, this story and he decided to try it for himself. Heather

I had the privilege on Friday of leading a team of 8 women to help build two homes for local families as part of Habitat for Humanity. We were a small contingent of 700 women who will build 2 homes in 2 weeks! My friends Rebecca, Alison, Sarah and myself got paired with 'Wayne the Builder' - - a man with the patience of Job - - to accomplish some 'building tasks.' Keep in mind others got to do painting, siding, roofing. We are in charge of 'building.' I am a closet DIYer (that's Do It Yourself-er, Americans) and love anything that involves power tools. So, give me a building task - I'm there! The first job - - affixing the facia boards (don't know what they are called in American, but boards that the gutter is attached to around the roof). The small house probably had around 10 facia boards in total. It only took my team of 4, with the builder's help, to cut and affix two 3-metre (6 feet, Americans) boards in a whopping 4 hours flat!!! Hey, put ...

Adventures in Suburbia Rod and I live in classic 'suburbia.' It's New Zealand, but not unlike any typical American suburb. Kids playing in cul de sacs, grandmas gardening on a weekday afternoon, mums taking their children to kindergarten, etc. etc. However, perhaps unlike America, there is little choice in bars ('pubs') where you can grab a quick drink with a friend after knocking off work at 5pm (now, that's a bit unlike America where it might be 6pm or beyond!). So, a few months ago, Rod and a few of his work buddies were happy to find a nice, quite bar just around the corner from home. Tucked into a strip mall straddeled by a cute dress shop and linen store. Typical suburbia... They have now frequented the bar approximately fortnightly (two weekly, for you Americans) and it's become somewhat of a habit. So imagine the shock, while having a 'quiet one' on Thursday night, when Rod and his friend Noel discover something's changed.... As per ...

Heather and Rod's New Zealand Adventures Check back soon for the first installment.