Saturday, April 28, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Green Acres...
Nope, Dave isn't writing an ecological column for Insite. For those who don't already know, I have purchased a Green Acres gardening franchise.
Here is my ute all nicely sign-written and being used like a ute should be...
Owning my own business has been my goal for quite a long time and having spent not too far off a decade in the office environment it wasn't a difficult decision to move outside to earn a living. I've been in the country for over a year now, so the timing was right.
I had my first day of training out on the lawns today and start out for real on my own on May 7th. Exciting times. Early to bed tonight - I'm knackered.
Here's my equipment (Testerossa and Victa mowers, a blower, line trimmer, weed sprayer and a variety of bits and bobs) all securely stored in my own rented unit...
I'm such a grown up.
Here is my ute all nicely sign-written and being used like a ute should be...
Owning my own business has been my goal for quite a long time and having spent not too far off a decade in the office environment it wasn't a difficult decision to move outside to earn a living. I've been in the country for over a year now, so the timing was right.
I had my first day of training out on the lawns today and start out for real on my own on May 7th. Exciting times. Early to bed tonight - I'm knackered.
Here's my equipment (Testerossa and Victa mowers, a blower, line trimmer, weed sprayer and a variety of bits and bobs) all securely stored in my own rented unit...
Booze, booze, booze...
Thursday would normally be a quiet one, but Casey "Ball Bags" Eden had been schmoozing customers all day for the V8 racing at Pukekohe and the company card was still shouting free beers. So he picked up Rob and me and we headed off to town to meet up with a couple of his work mates.
We toured a few bars, chasing pints all the way, then had a break at 9.30 to go and play indoor cricket. I don't really remember bowling but Rob reckons I bowled quite well. Me and Rob also put on a decent score for the first batting partnership and we sailed to another easy win (moving down a decision has proved to be a wise move).
Friday was a tough day training for my new job - I had a test on some manuals at 9.30. After that I was free to nurse my hangover.
Jo's sister, Michelle, was over from Sydney so we all went out for drinks later that evening. The camera was out and working overtime for the first time in quite a while.
Here's one where neither of us managed to pull a stupid face...
The O'Neill sisters, Maree, Jo, Michelle and Kate..
We toured a few bars, chasing pints all the way, then had a break at 9.30 to go and play indoor cricket. I don't really remember bowling but Rob reckons I bowled quite well. Me and Rob also put on a decent score for the first batting partnership and we sailed to another easy win (moving down a decision has proved to be a wise move).
Friday was a tough day training for my new job - I had a test on some manuals at 9.30. After that I was free to nurse my hangover.
Jo's sister, Michelle, was over from Sydney so we all went out for drinks later that evening. The camera was out and working overtime for the first time in quite a while.
Here's one where neither of us managed to pull a stupid face...
The O'Neill sisters, Maree, Jo, Michelle and Kate..
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Earth, wind and hire...
What's bugging kiwis this week....
1. The landslide near Wellington that occurred last August still hasn't been cleared up properly by the council. Local resident: "A backyard again, that would be really nice. I don't care what it looks like" - well that's what you've got already mate. Stop whinging.
2. The Americas Cup (yawn) has had a pretty calm start with no racing on the first 4 days due to lack of wind. I couldn't give a ship's boom personally, but it's a pretty big deal over here. Last weekend it occupied the first 8 pages of the Sunday paper's sport section. Bothered.
3. AB's chasing the pommie pound. Carl Hayman has signed for Newcastle and it looks like he won't be the only AB fleeing the nest. Going to play in a poorer standard of rugby for much more money is causing a stir over here especially as the All Blacks have a strict policy of not picking overseas players. One suggestion to keep their stars here is to offer them tax breaks. Given a lot of NZ's doctors are now working overseas due to better pay (the "brain drain") they probably want to be getting their priorities right.
And in other news, aren't cats funny?
And that's all from me. Go *&%# yourself San Diego...
1. The landslide near Wellington that occurred last August still hasn't been cleared up properly by the council. Local resident: "A backyard again, that would be really nice. I don't care what it looks like" - well that's what you've got already mate. Stop whinging.
2. The Americas Cup (yawn) has had a pretty calm start with no racing on the first 4 days due to lack of wind. I couldn't give a ship's boom personally, but it's a pretty big deal over here. Last weekend it occupied the first 8 pages of the Sunday paper's sport section. Bothered.
3. AB's chasing the pommie pound. Carl Hayman has signed for Newcastle and it looks like he won't be the only AB fleeing the nest. Going to play in a poorer standard of rugby for much more money is causing a stir over here especially as the All Blacks have a strict policy of not picking overseas players. One suggestion to keep their stars here is to offer them tax breaks. Given a lot of NZ's doctors are now working overseas due to better pay (the "brain drain") they probably want to be getting their priorities right.
And in other news, aren't cats funny?
And that's all from me. Go *&%# yourself San Diego...
Mr Hair speaks...
David James has made a few suggestions regarding performance related pay for footballers.
Interesting idea, and I agree that something needs to be done. But I don't recall him saying this a few years ago when he was being paid top whack and dropping clangers left, right and centre.
Interesting idea, and I agree that something needs to be done. But I don't recall him saying this a few years ago when he was being paid top whack and dropping clangers left, right and centre.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Happy Birthday Heyesie...
It's a day late but happy 30th birthday to my Lara's/Snakky B drinking game co-creator, Mr Peter Heyes.
No picture unfortunately as my laptop is still knacked. There are plenty of pictures on the net though of his various lookalikes which have plagued him ever since a 4 year old in McDonalds mistook him for Jimmy Nail...
Some may think he looks more like Louis Theroux...
Or Noel Gallacher....
Or Brian May (if Heyesie wore a wig)...
Or even Liza Minelli...
You decide...
No picture unfortunately as my laptop is still knacked. There are plenty of pictures on the net though of his various lookalikes which have plagued him ever since a 4 year old in McDonalds mistook him for Jimmy Nail...
Some may think he looks more like Louis Theroux...
Or Noel Gallacher....
Or Brian May (if Heyesie wore a wig)...
Or even Liza Minelli...
You decide...
The new footie season and gorilla beach volleyball...
I tried to come up with a clever title for this post but decided that the truth is bizarre enough.
Let's start with the normal. The Auckland Sunday Premier League football season began this Sunday with a fixture against Internationale on the billiard table surface at our home ground - War Memorial Park. They were kitted out in the Inter strip and consisted mainly of Italians, Spaniards and South Americans. They were a good team, but somewhat like Pele before he's taken his pills - all style and class but lacked penetration.
We took the lead fairly early and held it till midway through the second half and the game ended 1-1. We were technically relegated last season but have stayed up due to more teams coming into the leagues so this was a creditable result against one of this divisions better teams.
Rob and I were a touch worse for wear after Saturday though. Mainly due to the all day drinking we got involved with.
Rob's girlfriend Mia is quite the beach volleyballist and organised a fancy dress social tournament type day at her local club. The weather just about held up and lots of fun was had by all. Especially as Sol beers were only $4 and the tequila shots were free. Those who know me well will know that I simply cannot do tequila shots so I had to resort to pouring them in my pint with a squeeze of lemon. It's a bit bent I know, but it had the desired affect.
Rob, his brother Dave and myself hired gorilla costumes and set up our area on the sidelines with a north pole theme. Guess our team name....
It was sweltering inside the costumes which we refused to take off during the games and it was pretty tough going. We did well though and won 2 of our 5 games. Not bad considering me and Dave have never played before and Rob had only tried it a couple of times. And it was boiling. And we could barely see. And we could barely run in the stupid oversized fur feet.
Not surprisingly we won best dressed and the prize of a bottle of tequila and some cocktail slush mix stuff. Good times.
It's hard to tell who's who, but Dave is in the middle doing some dancing while either me or Rob prepares to serve...
One of our many hilarious celebrations...
Let's start with the normal. The Auckland Sunday Premier League football season began this Sunday with a fixture against Internationale on the billiard table surface at our home ground - War Memorial Park. They were kitted out in the Inter strip and consisted mainly of Italians, Spaniards and South Americans. They were a good team, but somewhat like Pele before he's taken his pills - all style and class but lacked penetration.
We took the lead fairly early and held it till midway through the second half and the game ended 1-1. We were technically relegated last season but have stayed up due to more teams coming into the leagues so this was a creditable result against one of this divisions better teams.
Rob and I were a touch worse for wear after Saturday though. Mainly due to the all day drinking we got involved with.
Rob's girlfriend Mia is quite the beach volleyballist and organised a fancy dress social tournament type day at her local club. The weather just about held up and lots of fun was had by all. Especially as Sol beers were only $4 and the tequila shots were free. Those who know me well will know that I simply cannot do tequila shots so I had to resort to pouring them in my pint with a squeeze of lemon. It's a bit bent I know, but it had the desired affect.
Rob, his brother Dave and myself hired gorilla costumes and set up our area on the sidelines with a north pole theme. Guess our team name....
It was sweltering inside the costumes which we refused to take off during the games and it was pretty tough going. We did well though and won 2 of our 5 games. Not bad considering me and Dave have never played before and Rob had only tried it a couple of times. And it was boiling. And we could barely see. And we could barely run in the stupid oversized fur feet.
Not surprisingly we won best dressed and the prize of a bottle of tequila and some cocktail slush mix stuff. Good times.
It's hard to tell who's who, but Dave is in the middle doing some dancing while either me or Rob prepares to serve...
One of our many hilarious celebrations...
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Take away food...
When you just can't be bothered cooking and don't want the abdominal pain of a KFC, the guilt of eating a greasy burger and chips, the dysentry of a curry or the ethiopian stomach of a chinese then I have the answer. Or rather Nana's Roasts does.
For only $7.50 (about 3 quid) for a "small" meal you get meat (a choice of beef, lamb, pork or chicken), peas, potatoes, carrots, kumara (sweet potato) and pumpkin.
Personally I don't normally have the carrots, kumara or pumpkin but last night I included the pumpkin and was glad I did. Very tasty...
For only $7.50 (about 3 quid) for a "small" meal you get meat (a choice of beef, lamb, pork or chicken), peas, potatoes, carrots, kumara (sweet potato) and pumpkin.
Personally I don't normally have the carrots, kumara or pumpkin but last night I included the pumpkin and was glad I did. Very tasty...
Happy Easter...
Hope you all got lots of spiritual enlightenment or chocolate eggs, depending on your take on this holiday period.
I've had a fairly relaxing time, hanging out at Rob's parents place watching Dave win big on the nags as my each way bets almost returned what I'd staked. Then a meal with Jo and her sisters where there were more easter eggs than you could shake a bunny at.
Yesterday Jo and I took a trip over to Muriwai Beach, only a 40 minute drive from Auckland. It's home to miles of unspoilt and largely empty beaches (despite it being school holidays and gorgeous weather).
Muriwai is also home to one of New Zealand's two onshore Gannet colonies...
I've had a fairly relaxing time, hanging out at Rob's parents place watching Dave win big on the nags as my each way bets almost returned what I'd staked. Then a meal with Jo and her sisters where there were more easter eggs than you could shake a bunny at.
Yesterday Jo and I took a trip over to Muriwai Beach, only a 40 minute drive from Auckland. It's home to miles of unspoilt and largely empty beaches (despite it being school holidays and gorgeous weather).
Muriwai is also home to one of New Zealand's two onshore Gannet colonies...
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
You bea-ute-y...
I have wheels again! Check out my new ride.......
It's a Toyota Hilux, which starred in one of my favourite Top Gear features (this is a 20 min vid so have a fast computer handy). You may wonder why I've gone for a motor like this, and it's for work purposes. More on that soon...
It's a real man's vehicle which is a step up from the Hyundai Honey that's for sure. There isn't even a mirror in the passenger's sun visor.
I got a real steal through trade me (NZ's ebay) as it's in great nick, has low mileage and runs really well. I think we got to the bottom of the low price though.... This was for sale as the previous owner kicked the bucket. It doesn't stop there, he bought it from a guy...who also bit the dust. It may very well be cursed.
So, thinking caps on people, I need a name for it. Suggestions please...
It's a Toyota Hilux, which starred in one of my favourite Top Gear features (this is a 20 min vid so have a fast computer handy). You may wonder why I've gone for a motor like this, and it's for work purposes. More on that soon...
It's a real man's vehicle which is a step up from the Hyundai Honey that's for sure. There isn't even a mirror in the passenger's sun visor.
I got a real steal through trade me (NZ's ebay) as it's in great nick, has low mileage and runs really well. I think we got to the bottom of the low price though.... This was for sale as the previous owner kicked the bucket. It doesn't stop there, he bought it from a guy...who also bit the dust. It may very well be cursed.
So, thinking caps on people, I need a name for it. Suggestions please...
Testing, testing...
Yesterday I took the hardest exam since my final year tourism module at Staffs Uni. After hours of hard slog I was prepared to take my road code theory test and managed to scrape 100%. Now I am an official New Zealand drivers licence holder.
There were several questions I sweated over, here are a couple of good examples:
Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
a. Alcohol makes you a better driver
b. Alcohol has no effect on the way you drive
c. Alcohol makes you react faster when driving
d. Alcohol slows down your reactions when driving.
Or how about this one....
You may stop on a motorway only:
a. to let down or pick up passengers.
b. if there is an emergency.
c. to make a U-turn.
d. to stop and take a photo.
I was stuck on this for a while, couldn't decide between b and d. In the end I took a guess and fortunately got it right.
There were several questions I sweated over, here are a couple of good examples:
Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
a. Alcohol makes you a better driver
b. Alcohol has no effect on the way you drive
c. Alcohol makes you react faster when driving
d. Alcohol slows down your reactions when driving.
Or how about this one....
You may stop on a motorway only:
a. to let down or pick up passengers.
b. if there is an emergency.
c. to make a U-turn.
d. to stop and take a photo.
I was stuck on this for a while, couldn't decide between b and d. In the end I took a guess and fortunately got it right.
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