Alternate title: Why yes, that is a wine cellar
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
How to avoid packing
One of the best things about Hawke's Bay: winery restaurants. Napa Valley has a few, but they are mostly too expensive to eat at; or at least they were when we lived there. Hawke's Bay has dozens. Unfortunately, they have become a little more posh in recent years, but none are particularly outrageous...unless you get carried away on the wine.
Friday night, we bicycled to Clearview Estates for their very first "Affordable Friday". Nothing over $20 on the menu, wine at less than their normal retail price (which is even cheaper than the normal restaurant price), and Rooster's beer on tap. Here's a picture of me near the guitarist, who kept asking if we had any requests. "The lady would like to hear Paul Simon," said I. "I'm only playing Leonard Cohen tonight," replied the guitarist.
Yesterday was opening day at the sailing club.
I'm racing on Big Bird again this year. Ian, Mathew, and Alan pictured here. Alan claims I took this same photo last year, and wanted to know if he had more gray hair this year. To the left of Mathew's head is the old hospital. Our house is just down the street; sadly it cannot be seen from the water.
In case you were interested, here's a better shot of the hospital.
And here's a boat that we appear to be ahead of...
One of the best things about Hawke's Bay: winery restaurants. Napa Valley has a few, but they are mostly too expensive to eat at; or at least they were when we lived there. Hawke's Bay has dozens. Unfortunately, they have become a little more posh in recent years, but none are particularly outrageous...unless you get carried away on the wine.
Friday night, we bicycled to Clearview Estates for their very first "Affordable Friday". Nothing over $20 on the menu, wine at less than their normal retail price (which is even cheaper than the normal restaurant price), and Rooster's beer on tap. Here's a picture of me near the guitarist, who kept asking if we had any requests. "The lady would like to hear Paul Simon," said I. "I'm only playing Leonard Cohen tonight," replied the guitarist.
Yesterday was opening day at the sailing club.
I'm racing on Big Bird again this year. Ian, Mathew, and Alan pictured here. Alan claims I took this same photo last year, and wanted to know if he had more gray hair this year. To the left of Mathew's head is the old hospital. Our house is just down the street; sadly it cannot be seen from the water.
In case you were interested, here's a better shot of the hospital.
And here's a boat that we appear to be ahead of...
Thursday, September 09, 2010
You can learn a lot about New Zealand by reading this article (about Hawaii) from our local paper:
Say hello to happy hours in Hawaii
Say hello to happy hours in Hawaii
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Update to that last post (an update which will truly only be of interest to me).
Alternative Title: You can find anything on the internet...even if it requires the use of a wayback machine.
Tim Quirk: "I just bought a house. It's really nice. It's in Oakland, California, and the original owner was Huey Newton, who founded the Black Panthers. So, it's like, I don't feel like I'm selling out 'cause I'm like, 'hey man, a revolutionary lived here.' Anyway, um, somehow that's related to this next song but I can't figure out a pithy short way of explaining it. Go on [Jay], make fun of me, you've got your 'Tim you're a dick' face on."
Jay Blumenfield: "It's just, I mean, we've been doing this for a long time, and I've given you shit about your stage banter before and we argue about it and that's no secret 'cause we're like Howard Stern - it's all in public - ok, that's fine. But that was the worst piece of stage information I've ever heard . I would just like to say."
TQ: "You're just jealous because I have a house with a hot tub and you don't."
JB: "That is true."
Jay continued on to change the second line to "There is no space for what you need to know (or in Tim's house), on the forms that I must fill out."
Alternative Title: You can find anything on the internet...even if it requires the use of a wayback machine.
Tim Quirk: "I just bought a house. It's really nice. It's in Oakland, California, and the original owner was Huey Newton, who founded the Black Panthers. So, it's like, I don't feel like I'm selling out 'cause I'm like, 'hey man, a revolutionary lived here.' Anyway, um, somehow that's related to this next song but I can't figure out a pithy short way of explaining it. Go on [Jay], make fun of me, you've got your 'Tim you're a dick' face on."
Jay Blumenfield: "It's just, I mean, we've been doing this for a long time, and I've given you shit about your stage banter before and we argue about it and that's no secret 'cause we're like Howard Stern - it's all in public - ok, that's fine. But that was the worst piece of stage information I've ever heard . I would just like to say."
TQ: "You're just jealous because I have a house with a hot tub and you don't."
JB: "That is true."
Jay continued on to change the second line to "There is no space for what you need to know (or in Tim's house), on the forms that I must fill out."
Marathon #7
Alternative Title: I just bought a house...[There's more to the quote about it being Huey Newton's house, but I can't really remember how that goes, so we'll go with title #1.]
I pulled a muscle in my calf a couple of weeks ago; as I had already paid for the Hawke's Bay Marathon, I decided to run it anyway. I was in pain for the entire race, but still managed a pretty respectable 3:53. I had 3:45 in my sight, but the water stations were spaced too far apart, and I ended up quite dehydrated toward the end. I've said it before: this was my last marathon.
In other news, our offer for the most beautiful house in the world was accepted today. [Buying a house in NZ is a bit strange; it is currently under contract to another party who must sell their home first...said purchasers now have 3 days to remove the contingency if they still want to buy this house; they have indicated that they cannot do this, so I feel pretty comfortable calling the home ours.] This is the third home we have attempted to buy, and definitely my favourite of the three. [Nicole seems a little iffy on whether she liked #2 better...] It was one of the first homes we looked at after moving here...back in March or April, and I've been comparing all others to it. To those of you who have contributed to a Lasko NZ Time Share: Sorry, there is no ocean view. However, there is a pretty fancy guest unit complete with a kitchenette. Also, it's less than a 15 minute walk (downhill) to town, sailing, and the beach.
Here are a few pictures if you're bored:
Alternative Title: I just bought a house...[There's more to the quote about it being Huey Newton's house, but I can't really remember how that goes, so we'll go with title #1.]
I pulled a muscle in my calf a couple of weeks ago; as I had already paid for the Hawke's Bay Marathon, I decided to run it anyway. I was in pain for the entire race, but still managed a pretty respectable 3:53. I had 3:45 in my sight, but the water stations were spaced too far apart, and I ended up quite dehydrated toward the end. I've said it before: this was my last marathon.
In other news, our offer for the most beautiful house in the world was accepted today. [Buying a house in NZ is a bit strange; it is currently under contract to another party who must sell their home first...said purchasers now have 3 days to remove the contingency if they still want to buy this house; they have indicated that they cannot do this, so I feel pretty comfortable calling the home ours.] This is the third home we have attempted to buy, and definitely my favourite of the three. [Nicole seems a little iffy on whether she liked #2 better...] It was one of the first homes we looked at after moving here...back in March or April, and I've been comparing all others to it. To those of you who have contributed to a Lasko NZ Time Share: Sorry, there is no ocean view. However, there is a pretty fancy guest unit complete with a kitchenette. Also, it's less than a 15 minute walk (downhill) to town, sailing, and the beach.
Here are a few pictures if you're bored:
Friday, September 03, 2010
Didn't feel a thing.
Strong quake strikes near Christchurch, New Zealand
Of course, Christchurch is on the South Island (and we're on the North). NZ feels pretty earthquake safe...but only because the City of Napier (21k from us) was destroyed by a quake in 1931.
In other news, I'm running a marathon in an hour.
Strong quake strikes near Christchurch, New Zealand
Of course, Christchurch is on the South Island (and we're on the North). NZ feels pretty earthquake safe...but only because the City of Napier (21k from us) was destroyed by a quake in 1931.
In other news, I'm running a marathon in an hour.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Days like this are why I moved to New Zealand
After an early morning Skype with the parents (and a little nap), we got a late start for bicycling. I have no recollection of any tandeming this winter, but the 19 degree sun was calling to us. A beautiful ride along the Tuki Tuki River ended Clifton, where we had coffee and scones at an outdoor table overlooking the ocean. We took the short route back (incidentally, that's pronounced root here, unless you want some giggles), and stopped at:
1) Elephant Hill Winery. Wines, ehhh,,,especially for the price. The restaurant (which we did not eat at) has possibly the best view anywhere.
2) Askerne Winery. Very nice man talked to us for an hour and a half. Inexpensive estate grown wine; good enough for us to carry home a couple of bottles.
3) Te Mata Cheese Company. Always worth stopping if you're going by.
Total distance: 36 miles.
Total time: 6 hours.
Nico is supposed to be making a pizza now...
After an early morning Skype with the parents (and a little nap), we got a late start for bicycling. I have no recollection of any tandeming this winter, but the 19 degree sun was calling to us. A beautiful ride along the Tuki Tuki River ended Clifton, where we had coffee and scones at an outdoor table overlooking the ocean. We took the short route back (incidentally, that's pronounced root here, unless you want some giggles), and stopped at:
1) Elephant Hill Winery. Wines, ehhh,,,especially for the price. The restaurant (which we did not eat at) has possibly the best view anywhere.
2) Askerne Winery. Very nice man talked to us for an hour and a half. Inexpensive estate grown wine; good enough for us to carry home a couple of bottles.
3) Te Mata Cheese Company. Always worth stopping if you're going by.
Total distance: 36 miles.
Total time: 6 hours.
Nico is supposed to be making a pizza now...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
6 months in...
Or 6 months and a few days; it's hard to keep track, as you lose a couple of days flying, then a couple of days to jet lag. Anyway, we got here towards the end of February, and I quickly started work on March 1st. The culture shock everybody talks about never really hit...perhaps because, in the greater scheme of things, pharmacy is pretty similar everywhere in the industrialized world [and the personalities of persons in the profession are not too different either--which is good, as I don't know a whole lot of people outside the hospital].
Nico, on the other hand, took considerably longer to find a job. There is a myth that New Zealand is short of teachers. It is just a myth. She's now working in a customer service sort of position...after about two weeks she was promoted to management. We're not making huge money, but we seem to be in the black each month since she joined the ranks of the employed.
In case you haven't been reading, we did all the normal stuff you do when you move somewhere new: rented a house, bought a car, a TV, and a slew of other appliances. It took about 5 months for my beloved PT Cruiser to get here and clear all regulatory hurdles. She's nice to have, but it is very seldom that we need two cars.
RE rented house: I don't care for it. It is poorly insulated (if at all), and is heated by a wood burning stove [A wood burning stove is an enclosed fireplace; the witch from Hansel and Gretel might have one]. We've been half-heartedly house hunting most weekends, and have put offers in on two houses. (First one was so low that the seller removed the house from the market after seeing it; currently awaiting a response on the second.) Houses here are cheap if 1) You come from Southern California and 2) You brought a lot of money with you. We didn't bring enough money...
What else: We've done a lot less sightseeing than planned. We've been to Wellington once and Auckland twice (including our arrival), and to Taupo for a half marathon. We've explored quite a bit of Hawke's Bay, and I'm slowly taking up tramping (or more correctly walking, as I have yet to undertake a two day walk). Even though I work a lot less than I did in California, 40 hour weeks still seem to take up a lot of time.
Winter: It was colder than I expected, and our house was even colder than that. It was getting dark way too early in June and July, and there's not a whole lot of night life. Not that I was ever much of a night person, but knowing that a giant mall was open until 9 PM was somehow comforting. Fortunately, we've just about made it through winter #1; I'm thinking I need to buy a sailboat before summer...and a kayak...and a stand up paddle board...and can someone lend me some money?
Friends and family in the US: Still no plans to come home, and you are all terrible at Skyping. (Ok, I'll give my parents passing scores; everyone else: terrible!)
Or 6 months and a few days; it's hard to keep track, as you lose a couple of days flying, then a couple of days to jet lag. Anyway, we got here towards the end of February, and I quickly started work on March 1st. The culture shock everybody talks about never really hit...perhaps because, in the greater scheme of things, pharmacy is pretty similar everywhere in the industrialized world [and the personalities of persons in the profession are not too different either--which is good, as I don't know a whole lot of people outside the hospital].
Nico, on the other hand, took considerably longer to find a job. There is a myth that New Zealand is short of teachers. It is just a myth. She's now working in a customer service sort of position...after about two weeks she was promoted to management. We're not making huge money, but we seem to be in the black each month since she joined the ranks of the employed.
In case you haven't been reading, we did all the normal stuff you do when you move somewhere new: rented a house, bought a car, a TV, and a slew of other appliances. It took about 5 months for my beloved PT Cruiser to get here and clear all regulatory hurdles. She's nice to have, but it is very seldom that we need two cars.
RE rented house: I don't care for it. It is poorly insulated (if at all), and is heated by a wood burning stove [A wood burning stove is an enclosed fireplace; the witch from Hansel and Gretel might have one]. We've been half-heartedly house hunting most weekends, and have put offers in on two houses. (First one was so low that the seller removed the house from the market after seeing it; currently awaiting a response on the second.) Houses here are cheap if 1) You come from Southern California and 2) You brought a lot of money with you. We didn't bring enough money...
What else: We've done a lot less sightseeing than planned. We've been to Wellington once and Auckland twice (including our arrival), and to Taupo for a half marathon. We've explored quite a bit of Hawke's Bay, and I'm slowly taking up tramping (or more correctly walking, as I have yet to undertake a two day walk). Even though I work a lot less than I did in California, 40 hour weeks still seem to take up a lot of time.
Winter: It was colder than I expected, and our house was even colder than that. It was getting dark way too early in June and July, and there's not a whole lot of night life. Not that I was ever much of a night person, but knowing that a giant mall was open until 9 PM was somehow comforting. Fortunately, we've just about made it through winter #1; I'm thinking I need to buy a sailboat before summer...and a kayak...and a stand up paddle board...and can someone lend me some money?
Friends and family in the US: Still no plans to come home, and you are all terrible at Skyping. (Ok, I'll give my parents passing scores; everyone else: terrible!)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Capitol City
Weekend trip to Wellington for a live performance of the Great Gatsby. Pretty good production, though Gatsby's American accent came across a bit like Christopher Walken. Nico won a flapper contest, which prompted a woman from the Wellingtonian to take several pictures of us. Keep watching that link, and maybe they will be published.
Things to do in Wellington in the rain (all are free unless otherwise noted):
1) Take a tour of Parliament.
2) Visit the City and Sea Museum.
3) Visit Te Papa...it's a National Treasure, so you probably should do this even if it's not raining.
4) Afternoon tea at your hotel ($19.50 NZ per person; quite a bargain).
5) Photograph a cable car. $3 to ride the cable car. The museum is free, and there's a cool movie about the 400 private cable cars in the city.
6) Catch a blues band at the Lido Cafe (I guess it's usually a jazz band. Admission free; food and beverages are extra.)
Things to do when the sun finally comes out:
1) Walk around Oriental Bay...take a picture of the city.
2) Climb Mount Vic...take a picture of the city.
3) Walk around the marina.
PS: Restaurants in Wellington are wonderful. We were supposed to eat at an Argentine restaurant, but it was unexpectedly closed on Saturday...so we ended up in a Cajun place; surprisingly good. Breakfast the next morning at Beach Babylon...also very good, though it's hard to mess up breakfast.
Weekend trip to Wellington for a live performance of the Great Gatsby. Pretty good production, though Gatsby's American accent came across a bit like Christopher Walken. Nico won a flapper contest, which prompted a woman from the Wellingtonian to take several pictures of us. Keep watching that link, and maybe they will be published.
Things to do in Wellington in the rain (all are free unless otherwise noted):
1) Take a tour of Parliament.
2) Visit the City and Sea Museum.
3) Visit Te Papa...it's a National Treasure, so you probably should do this even if it's not raining.
4) Afternoon tea at your hotel ($19.50 NZ per person; quite a bargain).
5) Photograph a cable car. $3 to ride the cable car. The museum is free, and there's a cool movie about the 400 private cable cars in the city.
6) Catch a blues band at the Lido Cafe (I guess it's usually a jazz band. Admission free; food and beverages are extra.)
Things to do when the sun finally comes out:
1) Walk around Oriental Bay...take a picture of the city.
2) Climb Mount Vic...take a picture of the city.
3) Walk around the marina.
PS: Restaurants in Wellington are wonderful. We were supposed to eat at an Argentine restaurant, but it was unexpectedly closed on Saturday...so we ended up in a Cajun place; surprisingly good. Breakfast the next morning at Beach Babylon...also very good, though it's hard to mess up breakfast.
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