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

If I didn’t know better, I might suspect I was pregnant. (Don’t be alarmed, I do know better and this is a 100% impossibility, thank you Lord!). Why? Well, have I heard somewhere that pregnant women are ultra-sensitive to smells? Not sure if this includes actually manufacturing phantom smells, but that is what has happened to me. Every day, about five times a day . . . I smell asparagus. It’s gotten to the point where it’s driving me mad. At first I thought maybe I was eating too much asparagus (it is in season) and the smell was seeping out of my orifices. Not just my pee, as is normal you know, but EVERY orifice. Can a smell really come out of your nose? Your ears? I am beginning to think it might be possible. But, that can’t be accurate. I eat asparagus about once a week at the moment . . . two, tops. . . surely that frequency can’t leave lasting seeping effects? Then, I thought maybe it was my breath. Eek! Rod has gotten tired of me coming up to him unexpectedly and huffing into hi...

Rod and I have retired to the beach for Christmas and the summer holidays. Gotta love New Zealand, when you can take a month off at Christmas and your clients think this is normal! Whenever we contemplate moving back to America, this lovely tradition holds us here… Anyway, tired of cooking for ourselves at the bach (beach house), we decided to pretty up and go to the golf club for dinner. It is still a bit quiet at Matarangi beach as most people stay at home (Auckland or wherever) for Christmas Day and Boxing Day (day after Christmas), so thus there were only about 25 people in the restaurant. A quiet night. As I tucked in to my calamari and Rod into his tomato/feta entrée (appetizer, that is), I glanced at the bar to see a most famous face! In much too loud of a whisper, I hit Rod on the hand which stunned him out of his wine-appreciation reverie and said, “Oh my goodness! Look over there! It’s What’s His Face!!! You know from the Amazing Race TV show! Phil!!! It’s PHIL!” Rod, coolly ...