BON AU REVOIR

LA DEUX MOUCHE SUISSE DE FILLE A LA MAISON A LEUR PATRIE NATALE SI LES SOUHAITANT CE MATIN DES VOYAGES SURS. Après avoir ATTENDU TROIS JOURS DE MAUVAIS TEMPS ET INCAPABLE DE FAIRE UN SAUTE EN PARACHUTE DANS QUEENSTOWN ILS ETAIENT SUCCESFUL DANS SAUTER D'UN YESTURDAY D'AVION.

AVOIR UN GRAND VOL

MIKE DE KIWI

THE HAMILTON 400

There were a few teething problems to overcome as could be expected but all n all the V8 racing in Hamilton City went well. Holden took the win WHOO HOO !!!! way to go Tander. Ford were up to their usual dirty tactics taking out Holdens left right and center such as Radisch's car cuttin the corner unjustly to beat 5 other cars in front then clips I think Skaife's car making him fish tail from second to last in the forward pack of cars. I just woke up from my afternoon nap to witness that screaming at the tv yelling Fn' Ford !!!!

Weekend Report - Sunday

Woke early Sunday for a round of Golf where we ended up playing at Waitemata Golf course.
Hoping to iron out a few problems from yesturday that was not the case even after a fairly good start reaching the first green in regulation only to 3 putt. Well the day only got marginally worse from there on out.

After the round we stopped off at McD's for Brekkie (lunch) before heading home to rest our aches and pains. Took a short nap before sorting out dinner for Jessica and Virginia who I'd pick up around 6pm. Stopped off at Foodtown before picking the girls up and headed over to my mate Simon's for dinner. Simon set about his usual self taking on board a kitchen helper in the form of Jess to prepare our feast which went down an absolute treat and once full we all got pretty tired.

As i type this actually I expect that the girls have finally got to do their skydive and are as I type these very words they are leaping from the plane screaming their lungs out as they race towards the ground.
Perfect weather today for it so they should have any issues with it being cancelled.

Now with one coffee down I leave you now so I can top up with another

Weekend Report - Saturday

I woke early deciding to use the time productively and hit the golf course to get the feeling back into my bones.
Didn't have the time to play the full 18 holes which was unfortunate but I didn't mind as I hadnt played for quite some time and was having some short game difficulties. My driver (Bethel) was still smoking hot making some very long drives down the fairway. I finished up the 9 at 5 over which wasnt too pleased with but ok seeing as though its been a while since my last game.
Cruising on home, I had a little fender bender on Nelson Street - gods way of telling me I should get a new car.
After sorting that out I just relaxed at home took a hot shower and sat back to play my guitar and wait for Donne's text.

About half one in the afternoon, I left for Makayla's birthday party at Lollipops in Ellerslie. This place was paradise for kids with plenty of activities to do. From a towering play fort, push cars, ride on things, merri-go-rounds and so on Reckon that if I was a kid and my parents wanted to go that I would be kicking a screaming wanting to stay. The party was wonderful, We had Makaylas tight knit group of friends from Kindy join us in the private kids party room we booked. We had Rosie, Hayden, Caleb, Eshan, cousin danika and other friends. My good friends Kylie and Robin joined us with their children Daria and Khan, Lana with her daughter Jade, My cousin stef with Hubby Carl and little boy Williams (future Team NZ skipper).
The wonderful about holding her party there is that if you read back over what we did last april 07' it was an absolute mission for Donne and I to get everything ready whereas this year it was much more relaxing for us not having to set up, cook the food then clean up. All we had to do it entertain ourselves, talk with friends and break up kids fights.
The kids looked adorable sitting in their kiddy chairs munching away all wearing party hats with maks at the head of the table sitting in a big fairy painted chair. After the meal they were all off running about - we tried to get them all back into the room to open mak's presents and it was similar to herding sheep.... but worse.

After everyone left I gave maks a goodbye kiss n hug then stopped off at Lifestyle Vehicles to catch up with my good mate Simon. While I waited for him I phoned the insurance company to lodge the claim then we locked up the car yard and popped over to his house to I could view their newly renovated rental property. The builder did an outstanding job opening up the living area and updating the kitchen and bathroom with more up to date quality products. I advised them to advertise it as an Entertainers rental.

After a short stopover at Simon's I was off to the airport to pick up 'The Swiss Gals' from the airport. Jessica and Virginia whom I first met on Manta-Ray and then caught up with them again on Beachcomber had spent the last 10 days travelling around the south island of new zealand. They arrived in Christchurch and drover north to kaikoura and had the pleasure of swimming in the cold water with approximately 100 wild dolphins before heading back south to queenstown. They had hoped to do a skydive in Queenstown however unfortunately the weather disallowed the jump for the 3 days they were there. Anyhow, I met them at the auckland domestic airport and we headed into the city and dropped them at their accommodation where we sat around and chatted for a while before I headed on home to grab some dinner.

The night ends...

MAKAYLA'S BIRTHDAY

For recollection purposes I will start with the more recent and work backwards from there.

This morning, Makayla woke as she heard the shower start thinking it was her Goong Goong in the shower but yelled back "it's PohPoh!!" then went around to see Goong Goong whom was seated in the lounge.
She had pher breakfast and toast with a smile as I readied for work taking a big big hug before departing for the office.
Lastnight she arrived somewhat dozy just before 6pm when Donne dropped her off after spending the day with her mom and grandies at Butterfly Creek, but as soon as we were upstairs and she saw her presents her eyes widend and she set about opening her birthday cards and presents with excitement. Then she set to the task of playing with all her new toys including a paint set she gleefully painted in her scrap book now laid out to dry. At her actual birth time I had some photo's taken of us as she officially clocked into a Three Year Old. After an hour or so of her reading her new books including a book I recalled reading as a child myself she sat down with me on the couch after the old's had gone to get dad's computer and new Iphone fixed. She lay against my side under the blanket as we watched the Numberjacks and then the highlights of the Augusta Masters (we have to take turn with the tv channels now).
SHe soon fell asleep which is when I transferred her to bed not to rouse until morning when she heard the shower.

Sunday, I woke with a big stretch and rolled over to see makayla fast asleep to my right. Hmm last I saw you little one you were snug in your own bed fast asleep. Who know's what hour of the morning she'd climbed up on to my bed and tucked herself in to my duvet. We watched one morning cartoon in my bed, well she did as I tried to catch a few more zzzz's, then got up to get breakfast.
About now its just after 7am and Simon joined us to watch the 3rd day of the Augusta Masters Live. So that took us through till 11am when I took maks out to ride her bike for a while in hope to tire her out so she could take a nap ha ha ha to which she did, climbing up wrapping her arms around my neck and putting her head down on my shoulder and promptly went to sleep. She'd been down about an hour in her bed when Jake arrived with a present for Maks but I let her sleep just a little longer as we caught up some. Not too long after Jake arriving, my dad who'd just flown into NZ came in the front door, so I crept into mak's room as simply and softely whispered. "...Goong goong's here". She rolled over rubbing her eyes taking in a big strentch before mentioning to me "I want to see". She slowly slid off her bed and stumbled out of the room with myself following behind as she stumbled towards Dad with upreached arms. She looked at Jake and pointed out the present he got her for xmas, so she remeber's everything now. She took about 10 minutes to wake up to gather interest in opening her present which was a stripped lion which for the next 2 days would hug and kiss, put to bed, put in the naughty corner and so on.
Then we changed her ready for her birthday party down at aunty Kaz's place so I put on her nice dress she'd picked out earlier and did her hair into 3 pony tails (cos she's three now) and then we walked down the road.
As soon as we arrived, her cousin Danika ran out to greet us jumping up and down as she sang Happy Birthday to Makayla. Maks was probably a little taken back by this greeting as she clung to my leg aggressively but as soon as the song ceased they ran off together and the rest was just games, games & more games. And shockingly enough I don't recall any fighting between the two, Strange ha ha ha.
It was getting dark and I figured that it's probably time to get her back to Donne so after we said our goodbye's to everyone we were on our way.

Saturday Morning, I woke again with the little one next to me as I clearly recall putting her in her own bed the night before. Cartoons in bed before brekkie, she know's where I keep the tv remote in my room !!!
NOW. recollection is getting rather dim here as I struggle to recall what we did...

All I recall from Saturday is when I dropped her back to Donne's place and we had a BBQ before coming back home lol

Friday, well that's a little easier, I think. I picked Maks up at Donne's house around 3pm and we came home where the usual mess unsued. We did stop off at foodtown for groceries on the way back and have to say she was pleasantly well behaved unlike previous trips undertaken there. The evening was filled with games, books, her making a mess and her dad cleaning it up cos he keeps tripping on everything.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAKAYLA

My darling daughter whom I cheerish more than air turns fwee (Three) today.

Happy Birthday baby girl.

Love Dad

Maks Update 08/04/08

Over the past month or so Makayla has been well informed that her birthday is quickly approaching with her response "in April" or where asked how old she will be her reply is "Frwee". So I've been trying to teach her that she will in fact be 'Three' which teaching he has caused many laughs.
A few weeks back when I had her and cousin Danika in the back seat singing their ABC's Danika would say "lmnop... coo R S...." and Maks would try to correct her saying "It's que danika" - each kid has their own special quirk.

Both Donne and I are unsure about bday presents this year as she has lots of toys and neither place has room for much more. She loves puzzles as of late and while I'd love to get her some, the fact that she NEVER puts them away drives me nuts. So i've scratched that idea from the board however clothes are alway required for any growing child but feel lame for me to get her those when I buy her clothes regularly anyway so after an exhausted search on trademe and window shopping I'm still at a loss so idea's are welcome if you please.

She has a very busy week coming up where on Saturday she'll be with the Moult's for a family braai, then sunday with my family, Monday will spend the day with Jeff and Lorraine before coming to see me for her actual bday time at 18:05 and then on the following Saturday we will have her birthday party with other kids. Unlike this year we are holding it at a kids playcentre to save the hassle of preparing food and cleaning up afterwards. Benefit is that we'll probably spend less than we did last year on her party too so that's a bonus.

We'll have kids from our own family and friends joining us along with some of her friends from kindy. All n all it'll most likely be a really exhausting day.

Orakei

This weekend started with abosulte boredom as my Saturday shift at work brought me only time to practise my guitar as it was completely dead. After work Donne had left her eftpos card at work so I popped over to see Maks for a few min's.
She ran into my arms holding a chocolate she was happily munching on with much satisfaction. I picked her up and put her into the car to which she started to cry as had in her mind that she was coming to stay with me I would expect. So I gave her a kiss and calmed her down and she waved her little hands bye bye to her daddy.
The night was spent in relative ease to save my strength for tomorrow's canyoning experience.

With daylight savings ending I enjoyed the extra hours sleep in before grabing my stuff and heading off to skycity for the Canyoning pick up. On arriving I ran into Mick outside starbucks as he waited for a coffee and some brekkie but the new I received on arriving was not good. Apparantly they need two tour guides on hand to run the trip and the four backups were unavailable so I ended up waiting around for the other lads to arrive to explain the details for which we now have to reschedule.

So with an early start and nothing to do I returned home and took a nap on the couch pondering what to do for the day. I texted Jase knowing he was working at his mothers cafe' so figured I could hit the driving range and then go for a meal out there but he said he was leaving after 1330hrs to go wake boarding in Orakei. So that was the afternoon plan but I still had much of the morning to kill so I started about the task of fixing my laptop and preparing all my statements to load my gst return.

I arrived at Orakei basin early with my guitar and happily played for a while until the others arrived and we jumped on the boat and got wet. I've never experienced anything like this before so was keen to try but just couldn't get up after 6-7 tries. For all my sporting experiences they all require leaning forward into anything whereas here you have to lean back and I couldn't trick my mind into doing so and kept leaning forward hense the big splash and drinking the mucky water.

I woke up this morning feeling very sore, but the fun factor was all there even if I didn't manage to get up out of the water.

Terrace Downs Discovery Jet

Terrace Downs High Country Resort in March of 08' launched the Terrace Downs Discovery Jet able to soar guests up and down Canterbury's Rakaia River. The Jet Boat will speed guests 25k's up the river showing all the sights and sounds of New Zealands scenic south island.

The resort itself has been transformed by new Cheif Executive Jonny Hendrikson and his team after taking over the business from Japanese businessman and former professional golfer Shinnosuke Saito (who still remains a director/investor) last year with business partner Tim Williams. They have transformed the high country resort and brought life back into the area with an enthusiasm to offer holiday experiences to a more broader market than solely the golfing enthusists. Initially a golfers retreat offering spectacular views over the golf course and the Southern Alps, the resort has along with the new Discovery Jet now offers a range of other experiences such as Archery, clay-pigeon shooting, blokarting and have also purchased 10 horses for treking.
An arrangement with a local helicopter service now means that in the winter months, guests can opt to take a 10 minute ride to the nearby ski field, Mt. Hutt or view the unique layout of canturbury from above on scenic flights.
What this means to the holiday maker is that Terrace Downs is truly an all year round retreat to escape to rat race for not only couples and families but for corporates, weddings & conferences.

Visit Terrace Downs Website here