Still Alive

Whew!!!  Has it been a while since I've written or what?  I'm pretty sure everyone thought (or hoped) I had quit blogging.  Nope...I just haven't had a chance.  I started back to work and life became more hectic than usual...not to mention Little Stevie got sick the week she started daycare...by sick I mean she averaged a trip to the doctor other day.

Our usual doctor wasn't in and she ended up seeing Dr. Quack, which is probably the nicest thing I've called him to date.  The first day daddy took her in he basically said she has a cold and welcome to day care.  Two days later the other doctor she saw sent her to the ER.  The "cold" was actually bronchiolitis.  I was at work and text Ben on my lunch break to see what the doctor said.  Imagine my surprise to find out she was down in the pediatric ER.  I ran down on my lunch to check on her and give her cuddles and a feed.  I went back up after my lunch was over and word had circulated through my ward that I had a sick baby.  My awesome boss told me to go take care of my baby and let her know if I needed to rearrange my work schedule.  I go back down and we spent the next 8 hours in the pediatric short stay unit.  Thankfully, she didn't get worse, I'm a nurse, and we live near the hospital which meant we got to go home and not be admitted.

Over the next couple of days she managed to get conjunctivitis and then both of her eardrums ruptured.  Oh, did I mention while all of this was going on, Ben and I both got sick with her.  Yeah, when I went back to work I started spiking fevers and had to go home.  Poor Ben didn't get a chance to really be sick because he was having to suck it up and take care of us.  I felt like I had the flu and didn't feel well for about a week.  Ben says I had the man flu because I stayed in bed with the baby moaning and groaning unable to do anything.  Every time he tried to be sick, I was sicker...lol  He's still not had a chance to properly enjoy his illness because there's always something going on when he's unwell.

We have all finally recovered, but in the meantime I was working working working.  So, how is work going for me?  It's going really well.  I enjoy being back in my element.  In case you didn't know, I'm working with moms and babies again, so I'm happy!!  My ward has a great manager, great staff, and I couldn't be happier.  There's some adjustments I'm having to make, but that comes with any new position.

The hardest part about nursing here is having to relearn all the medications.  I just thought I said goodbye to drug cards when I graduated nursing school.  NOPE!!!  Guess who's been making them to learn the new meds!!  It's not that we have completely different medications here, it's just that the names are different.  Take Tylenol for example.  In the U.S., the trade name is Tylenol and the generic is acetaminophen.  In New Zealand, the trade name is Panadol and the generic is paracetamol.  Same drug...different names.  So, to all of my nursing school instructors that I use to think were spawns of the devil for requiring drug cards...I take back all the nasty things I thought about you and would like to say I'm sorry and thanks!!  I'm really not going to bore everyone that isn't a nurse with all the nursey talk.  If you want to know more, feel free to send me an email.  

What else has been going on?  Oh, we made a trip down to the southernish part of the North Island.  We went down to Ben's marae to celebrate Nanny's 90th birthday.  It was the first time I've been to a marae, and it was an incredible experience.  Ben use to say things about Maori culture and tell me I "wouldn't understand" which always resulted in me rolling my eyes and thinking, "yeah, whatever..."  After experiencing what being in a Maori family actually means, I realize how right he was.  It wasn't something that could be explained; it had to be experienced.  I'll talk more about the marae another day.

Backtracking a bit, we made the drive down, and I got to see the beautiful scenery.  Since we were trying to hurry on the way down, I didn't take any pictures.  On the way back, I took some, but not many because I was just tired and slept most of the way home.  Here is one of the photos I did take

Desert Road View

After that weekend trip, we've been back home and working working working.  We've not really had a chance to do anything because of my schedule, and the fact that we're saving up cash for our upcoming trip...BACK TO THE STATES!!!!! Yep, we'll be in Alabama at the end of October!!  I'm so excited!!  I've missed my family and friends so much.  It's a short trip because of work, but I'm not going to complain because I am getting to see everyone. 

So, that's been us.  I hope all of you have been doing well!  I'm back, so be sure to keep watching because there's a few changes that will soon be taking place here.  Until next time!

My Big Announcement

As you all know, I was a bit far along with my pregnancy when I moved over to New Zealand last December.  Since then, I have been a housewife.  Part of me has been rather content to do this, and another part of me has really been feeling the itch to go back to work.  I have never been out of work for this long, so I'm sure that's part of the pull.  The other part is that I do kinda miss being a nurse.  I know...I know...I only have a baby for so long and I have the rest of my life to work, but I actually enjoy what I do.  I like working with my moms, babies, and their new families, and if I didn't I wouldn't be anxious to get back to them.  That being said...here is my big announcement

I'm starting back to work on Monday.  I had been looking at hospital vacancies, and I saw the opportunity to work in my field.  It isn't something that comes along every day in New Zealand because remember, maternity care is covered by midwives here.  The chance to work with post natal patients came up, and I jumped.  As you can tell by my start date, my interview went well. :)

I was really nervous before my interview.  I kept telling Ben (and anyone that would listen) "I'm so nervous!  I've never interviewed in another country!!"  I'm sure he was thinking "Really?!?  I never would have guessed being that you were born and spent your entire life in Alabama."  Everyone else was probably wishing I would hurry up and interview so I would hush up about it.  I interviews last Tuesday, they checked my references, and I received a job offer.  Oh, yeah, if you think moving to another country makes you exempt from reference checks, You. Are. Wrong.  So, be prepared, and make sure your referees know that they may be contacted by prospective employers.

After I knew I had a job for sure, we had to make arrangements for Stevie.  We had checked out daycare before, but we checked out one more that had previously been full.  We were lucky!!  The center close to work had an opening, so Stevie will be near enough for me to scoot over to nurse on my breaks!  Yay!!  Also, they have no problem using cloth diapers on her and when she starts solids, they make it from fresh veggies!  Double yay!!  Ben isn't thrilled she's going to be away from us, and neither am I, but I am happy we got her into this center.

There you have it...news from my little part of the world!

Say What?!

Part of moving to another country is learning to understand the locals.  It seems simple enough because the majority of kiwis speak English and you have to be able to do the same if you want to come live here.  That's where you get fooled.  I considered myself lucky because Ben is a kiwi, so I was familiar with his little expressions, the way he said things, his accent, and even how fast he talked.  We southerners don't get in a hurry when we speak, so imagine my surprise when I got to New Zealand and realized everyone spoke faster than a chipmunk on speed...and then you put a couple of them together having a conversation.  I had NO.I.DEA what 3/4 of the people around me were saying.  I did a lot of smiling and nodding initially, and I'm pretty sure my random smiles and nods earned me a few strange looks.

But wait, shouldn't I have had an easy time since I was used to Ben?  One would think, but then he got around his 'cuzzies' and 'bros' and he too got smiles, nods, and blank stares.  I know you think I'm exaggerating, but picture this, you're sitting at a red light, and some random dude yells "Aye, Ben!!" (yes, this happens ALL THE TIME, I swear I expected Ben to see someone he knew while we were over in Oz)  Ben leans over me and proceeds to yell back out the window to random dude "Ah, chur cuz!  Chu been up to bro?"  "Ah yeah, nah, yeah, just got back aye...shot over to Ragz for the day yesterday."  "Choooice!!" "Yeah, it was primo, but I got the chop from the kids and my wife cuz they weren't on holiday."  (they both laugh at this and I did too because laughing seemed appropriate) "Yeah man, that's us..light's green!"  "Sweet as!" "Catch!"

WHAT JUST HAPPENED THERE?!?!  Here's that conversation translated:  "Hey, Ben!" "Hey, friend!  What have you been up to?"  "I just got home.  I went over to Raglan for the day yesterday."  "Awesome!"  "Yeah, it was great, but the wife and kids were upset they didn't get to go because they weren't off of work and school."  "Gotta go, green light"  "That's alright!" "Bye!"  That conversation took place during the 10 seconds we were waiting for the light to turn, so yes, they too sounded like chipmunks on speed.  Ben claims kiwis don't speak fast, but they do...they just do! 

So, before you plan on coming for a visit or moving to another country, you should probably brush up on the local's lingo.  Luckily, you have me here to translate and give you a heads up on a few things you can expect to hear around our ways.  Like other parts of the world, you're going to get different little expressions and sayings depending on your exact location (example, other parts of the States don't say 'bless your heart' or 'y'all' nearly as often as southerners), but I can give you the gist of things.  Also, this is not THE definitive kiwi sayings list.  These are common phrases I hear.  If you're around a bunch of expats, you may not hear these phrases being said.

Oh, and one more thing...if someone asks you what you've been up to, don't say 'piddling around'.  I earned blank stares from Ben and his mother when I used this expression.  Piddling is going to the bathroom, so a few times I told them I had been peeing around the house all day. 

So, what you've all been waiting for...common expressions used around here!!

kia ora - hello
You will hear this and see this from the moment you log on to the Air New Zealand website to book your plane tickets.  This is actually Te Reo Maori, but you'll hear pakeha (not of the tribe) using it as well.

cuz - friend or cousin (non gender specific)

bro - male friend or brother

sis - female friend or sister

sweet as - you're welcome/no problem/yes (in agreement)/expression of admiration/I don't want to but I will/I'll be happy to
Example:  "Thanks for shouting lunch!"  "Sweet as!"
How not to use it:  "We're going out for a sweet as lunch."  "We're going to lunch and it's gonna be sweet as."  You may go to a sweet restaurant for lunch, but you are not going to a sweet as restaurant for lunch.  See the difference?  It takes some getting use to to be able to see how and when to use this correctly.

sweet - awesome, primo, choice
You may have a sweet new ride, you may go to a sweet new restaurant.  Sweet is used to describe a noun. 

primo or preemz - awesome
Example:  "The weather was priiiiimo!!"

mean - mean is not a bad thing, it's good! See sweet as, primo, awesome, or used as an emphasis
Example:  "You mean got told!"  "You mean got the chop" or "That party was meeeeaaaan!"

choice - may be accompanied by a thumbs up and can be a positive or negative.  See sweet as, primo, mean, shot
Example: "I got a new job!" "Ah, choice bro, that's mean!" On the other hand, if someone cuts you off in traffic... "Ah yeah, you're choice..."

shot - awesome/thank you/good on you or can be a negative when used sarcastically
Example:  "Shot bro, you're awesome" that would be a negative because someone just did something stupid or inconsiderate, but if they said "Shot bro, you're awesome!" that's a positive because they used it with a happy tone!

chur - when accompanied by the appropriate individual identifier, it is a greeting, farewell, acknowledgement, thank you, you're welcome, all good, no worries
Example:  "Chur bro, chu been up to?"

is that us - asking about someone's eagerness to do something
Example:  When getting ready to leave the house.  "Right, is that us?"  in other words "Are you ready?"

sorted - all good/ready/everything is taken care of
Example:  When getting ready to leave the house "Are you sorted?"  or "I sorted my doctor's appointment."

safe as - I've got it covered/no worries/sorted
Example:  "Can you make sure the back door is locked before you go?"  "Safe as"

got the chop - embarassed/denied/told off
Example:  You ask a girl out, and she says no.  You're buddies are in the background snickering because "You mean got the chop!"

got told - getting scolded/berated
Example:  You've been out too late with your friends, and when you get home you're partner is upset about this, so "You got told!"

cheap as - just that, cheap or inexpensive
Example:  "I just sorted tickets for our trip to Oz.  They were cheap as!"

a feed - a meal
Example:  We're heading over to mom's for a feed."

shout - pay for
Example:  "I'm shouting lunch."

good as gold - no worries/you're welcome
Example:  "Thanks for lunch!" "Ah, good as gold!"

nice one - thank you/primo/congratulations/awesome
Example:  "I scored a new job!" "Nice one, bro!"

too much - that's fantastic/that's awesome/thank you so much
Example:  "Oh, you're compiling a kiwi to American dictionary?  You're too much alright."

good on ya - depending on how it's used, it can be good or bad.  It is a call on behavior if you do something stupid or inconsiderate.  It can be used to say good job if you do something considerate.
Example:  "I've been cleaning house all day." "Good on ya, darling put your feet up."  On the other hand, if you just drop a glass and it shatters "Good on ya"

no worries - all good/you're welcome
Example:  "Thanks for helping clean up the shattered glass." "No worries, cuz"

stuffed - tired
Example:  "What's for dinner?" "I can't be bothered cooking, I'm stuffed."

she'll be right - it'll be okay
Example:  "You think the number 8 is gonna hold the muffler on?" "Yeah mate, she'll be right" (number 8 is fencing wire)

on to it - clever or getting things done
Example:  "I've been sorting through the kids stuff getting everything organized today."  "Ah, you're on to it."

church it up - exaggerate
Example:  "I'm stuffed!  I've been busy all day!" "Don't let her church it up, she's had her feet up all day!"

save it for Sunday - don't exaggerate
Example:  "I'm stuffed after cleaning all day!"  "Save it for Sunday!"  You'll also hear "Don't church it up, save it for Sunday!" or "Save it for Sunday, don't church it up!"

you don't know - whatever
Example:  "Man City's gonna lose tonight!"  "Shut up, you don't know!"

yeah, nah, yeah...(may have an 'aye' before you receive the explanation)- yes or no depending on context and tone, or may just be used to start a sentence
Example:  "Did you get out to the beach this weekend?" "Yeah, nah, yeah, we were going to but the wife had to shoot out to her mom's." or "Yeah, nah, yeah, we got out there on Saturday."

what's your buzz - what's your problem/what are you on about/what do you think you're doing
Example:  You're having a rant at the kids, and your partner walks in "What's your buzz?"

This is just a smidge of what I hear and try to understand.  It's gotten much better, and I use some of the little expressions myself.  However, I still get lost at times...let the whanau get together and start slinging around Maori words, and I am left trying to decipher through the muddle of confusion that Google Translate can't figure out.  If I get too lost, I remember to...

Just Jump Already!

Happy Friday from New Zealand!  With it being the weekend, I thought I would write about something fun/entertaining.  When I initially thought about my topic I was all gung-ho, but then I was like 'nah because some people know about this' and then I was like 'but wait, everyone isn't my facebook friend' so, I decided to write about it.  By now, I'm sure you're wishing I would stop rambling and actually get to writing about whatever it is I'm going to write about.  So, here goes...

Remember me posting about my trip to Auckland and the Sky Tower?  Here's a pic of the Sky Tower in case you missed it.

Sky Tower

See how tall it is?  It's 328 meters tall, which is 1,076 feet tall for those of you like me who are metrically challenged (yes, I still have issues with the metric system even though I've used it for the past 7 months).  Guess what you can do?  You can jump off of it!!  Yep, you can leap off the ledge!  If that isn't your cup of tea, you can also walk the ledge, but for some reason, that seems even more scarier than jumping.  I know, I'm weird.  I would much rather jump off with lines and wires attached to me versus inching my way around the thing with the same wires and lines attached to me.  I might fall! :D  For more info on that click here, or hop over to Jenny's Practically Perfect Blog to read more about it.

As you can tell, I did not jump off of it, but it is impossible to come to New Zealand and not jump off of SOMETHING!!!  They don't call us the Adventure Capital of the World for nothing.  What did I jump off?  I jumped off the side of a cliff (over water).  Initially, I thought that was a bit safer than jumping over the ground because at least if something goes wrong you don't go SPLAT!  I've changed my mind.  I've since realized that if something goes wrong over water, I'll most likely drown, which is worse than going SPLAT in my opinion.  But hey, if I was gonna exit the world when I jumped, at least this was my final view...

I bet you're going oooh and aaahh.  I know I did when I saw that beautifully colored water!  That's down at Taupo, which is where I bungy jumped back last June.  It was my first time, and I did it at Taupo Bungy.

Was I scared?  You betcha!!  Perhaps scarier than being drug off leaping off the platform was the number of times they weigh you.  "Hi!  I want to jump off that cliff side!"  "Step on the scale, please" O.o  Ummmm...I'm not THAT big of a girl.  After that, they weigh you again for good measure, weigh you with the person you're jumping with (if you're going tandem), weigh you with the equipment on, weigh you with the person you're jumping with once you're both strapped up, and then they weigh you one more time because they haven't given you a big enough complex.  Seriously, they do it for your safety, but it felt like they were trying to put me in therapy...lol

Okay, so once you're feeling kinda crappy after stepping on the scale so many times, they run through a few more safety checks, and then they encourage you to jump.  O.o  I would say by that time I was all prepared, but nope!  Still skeered!!  Luckily, I was strapped to Ben (because I felt better drowning with someone if something happened) and when he went, I had no choice but to go.

I screamed the entire 47 meters (154 feet) down!!  The only reason I stopped screaming is because the wind rushed down my throat and silenced me, but I was still screaming!  When it was all over, I was giving thank you prayers and actually wanted to do it again!!  I'll admit it was the biggest rush EVER!!  When I saw Sky Tower, it made me think of my bungy jump.

Wanna see Ben and me jumping?



Pretty scary huh?  Let me just add, grabbing that pole is a bit more difficult than it looks.  You're high on adrenalin, the blood has rushed to your head, and you're going round and round and round.  It doesn't seem like we're spinning that fast, but it feels like you're on the tilt-a-whirl!

I am keen for my next jump, which I plan to do solo, and maaaaaaybe it'll be the Sky Jump!  What do you think? (besides thinking I'm out of my head)  What are some jumps you have made or want to make?

What's That You're Drinking?!

Last night while having a cup of chocolate and wishing I had a flat white, I knew exactly what I was going to write about today...some of the things we drink in NZ.  I'm sure you're wondering why I thought this deserves it's own post, but you have no idea the amount of heartache I suffered while trying to figure some of these things out.  For instance, tea is not tea like in Alabama.  Coke does not taste the same, and I am convinced that when the U.S. based fast food chains opened up stores in New Zealand, they forgot to mention that the bags of Coke syrup is suppose to be mixed with carbonated water in the fountain drink machine.  More on that another day, but for now, I'm going to talk about the incredible flat white!

I mentioned flat whites here when talking about going to the gardens, so you may have heard of them, but I did not elaborate on what they are. So, what is a flat white?  A cup of wonderful goodness!  Okay, I know that didn't exactly tell you anything, so let me try again.  A flat white is a type of coffee drink that lies somewhere between a latte and a cappuccino (and I don't mean the convenience store cappuccinos either).  It's stronger than a latte and has less foam than a cappuccino.  Flat whites feel velvety on your tongue when you drink it.  I know...I know...I too thought wtf when I heard that they "feel velvety", but they do!  It has something to do with the milk. 

Now, if you look them up online, you're going to find conflicting information...starting with where and how the flat white originated.  Like pavlova, the kiwis and Ozzies argue over who made it first.  That's why you will often see sources stating flat whites are a type of coffee that was popularized in Australia and New Zealand during the 1980's.  From there, it just gets worse when they attempt to describe how to make a flat white.  Some sources say it's a double shot latte, some say it's a cappuccino without the foam, some go into elaborate details on making the perfect flat white, and still other places say who cares you can't find them in America.  They all have one thing in common though...you can always scroll down to read the comments and find a kiwi calling them out for spreading misinformation on flat whites.  To be safe, don't attempt to get one unless it's made by a kiwi, or at least made in New Zealand because apparently the directions for making flat whites are a carefully guarded secret that must be kept local. 

You can find flat whites outside of Aotearoa, though I can't attest to their authenticity.  They can be found in Australia of course, but they're also gaining popularity world wide.  They are found in a few places in the UK now, and they're even popping up in San Francisco and New York City.  Don't expect to be able to bebop down to your local Starbucks and request one because you'll probably get looked at funny. 

Speaking of looks...here's a picture of my Mother's Day flat white.  Notice the pretty little fern design on top!!

Flat White

You can find these EVERYWHERE!!  Seriously, you can find them wherever coffee is sold..except Starbucks.  I'm not sure if Starbucks in New Zealand has flat whites.  I've not been in Starbucks here, and now that I'm thinking about it, I only know of 2 Starbucks in NZ.  Hmmm...  Okay, back on topic...  Flat whites could very well be the drink of New Zealand. 

So, what if you don't want a flat white?  What if you just wanted a regular coffee?  Well, do not fear because yes, you can get it!!  Don't expect it to be poured out of a coffee pot, though.  Nope, if you want a coffee expect to hear whirring and buzzing as the coffee beans are ground and mixed up in a freshly brewed cup just for you!  If you're at home and you want a coffee, well, don't expect to go and 'turn on the coffee pot'.  Ummm...yeah, about the coffee pot.  We don't exactly have the ones found in every home in America.

U.S. Coffee Pot...not found in New Zealand

 I have NEVER seen one of these in NZ!  Not for sale, not in anyone's home, not in a restaurant or coffee shop, or anywhere...  It's okay...I promise!!  It's not the end of the world!  You can still get coffee, but not "percolated" coffee.  Instead, you either 'flip the jug' and use the electric kettle to make coffee, or you have a plunger, and no I don't mean the thing you use to unclog the toilet.  This is a plunger...

Plunger                   

See, no need to panic!  Freshly brewed coffee is available! :D

Say you don't want coffee...what if you want tea?  Well, if you're from the South, you better come visit me if you expect to find "sweet tea" or "iced tea" or as Ben says, "a cup of diabeetus".  Like grits, I can't get him to like sweet tea!!  If you ask for tea outside of my house, you're either A) going to get a meal depending on what time it is, or B) you're going to get hot water, tea bags, and asked if you take milk or not.  I know!!  Milk in tea is blasphemous!!  Who does that?!  Apparently the rest of the world....

Tea

Now, for anyone that comes into my house expecting traditional NZ tea, I'm gonna look at you with a blank stare, and that's your cue to ask for something else or at least help yourself to my kitchen.  What I concoct is not going to be what you're expecting.  If you take milk, it's usually white by the time I'm finished, and if you want it without, it's generally too strong for the average person's liking.  Consider yourself warned...I can't make tea like a kiwi!!  My mother-in-law has learned the hard way...bless her heart.  She now knows to be very specific when telling me how she likes her tea! 

There are other hot drinks I can make quite well, and they are not what you will find in the States.  I can make a mean chocolate or Milo.  I'll start with the chocolate.  It's kinda like hot chocolate, but different.  It's richer, in my opinion, and it is not as sweet.  Also, unlike Swiss Miss, it comes in a container and you scoop out what you like.

Drinking Chocolate...NOT Hot Chocolate

Drinking Chocolate

 
To make a chocolate, put one or two heaping spoons into a cup and you add hot water, milk, and maybe sugar, if you take it hot.  If you want it cold, you mix it up in a glass of milk, but it tastes much better than Nestle Quick! 

You may be thinking "Yeah...yeah...yeah...it's like hot chocolate, but different, I get it already.  What's this Milo you speak of?"  Milo, is something I had never heard of before I moved here.  To be honest, I had never tasted it until after I had Stevie and my midwife made me one.  I was sort of afraid of it...

Milo

I know you see that, and you're wondering what's to be afraid of.  Do you see what it says?!  "Made from Malted Barley"...yuck (or so I thought)!  Come to find out, this stuff is pretty delicious!!  I now keep it in my house and drink it quite often.  It isn't as rich as chocolate, but it does kinda have a chocolaty taste.  It's more "mild" for lack of a better word to describe it.

Milo

Notice it's a bit grainy.  How do you make a Milo?  Here's how I like mine:  1-2 heaping teaspoons (depending on mug size) with 2 sugars, hot water, and milk.  I take mine "milky" so about 2/3 of a cup of hot water and the rest is filled with milk.

Milo..in the making

The Finished Product

I know it doesn't look like much, but it really is yummy, as long as it doesn't get cold.  If it gets cold, Milo gets a film over the top of it and that's just gross.  I can't drink it then. 

So, there ya have it...my hot drinks of choice!  I'll have to talk about the cold drinks another day because Little Stevie is awake, and she's demanding hers!  Hope everyone on the other side of the world had a great Monday, and happy Tuesday to those of you on my side!

Auckland

While everyone in the States was gearing up for 4th of July, I was gearing up for a trip to Auckland!  That's right, my weekend started out with Indy, my mother-in-law, Stevie, and myself piling into the car and hitting the road for a bit of shopping.  Ben got me up around six in the morning, and I started getting ready.  I was feeling perky enough to ALMOST put on makeup.  Notice I said almost...it didn't happen.  I took one look at the colossal bag of products I had not touched since February, and I said nope, not today!  Instead, I turned my attention to waking Stevie up, gently.  Miss Unimpressed grumbled about while I changed and dressed her.  Once in the car, she promptly went back to sleep and stayed that way until we got to Auckland. 

Little Stevie...awake in Auckland

Getting to Auckland was quite uneventful.  We timed it well, so traffic was minimal....that is until we took a wrong turn...or failed to take the right one.  We ended up taking the scenic route across the harbor bridge.  On the bright side, I got a chance to take a few pictures from the car.  On the not so bright side, I think we went out of our way by about 45 minutes...lol

Here's a few pictures

Auckland

Harbor Side with lots of boats

Sky Tower

Sky Tower

Tip Top Ice Cream!!

 No matter how much I grumbled, I could not stop cars, signs, or guard rails  from photo-bombing my pictures. 

We did make it to the mall in Onehunga, and that's where we stayed for the remained of the day.  There is something I like about public buildings in New Zealand.  They are family friendly.  They have a parent's rooms that have comfy chairs with curtains around them so you can nurse in private, heating stations for bottles and baby food, nicer changing facilities, and some even have televisions. 

I had just returned from one of the parent's rooms with Stevie, and I see Indy trying to be a ninja and take pictures unnoticed.  She asked if I had heard of the boxer David Tua, and she proceeded to point him out.  He was sitting not far from us.  We were both acting like paparazzi and snapping pictures on the sly, but apparently we weren't sneaky enough.  He smiled and waved.

Busted by David Tua

He got up, and we figured he was leaving, but nope...he came over and started talking!  At this point, Indy and I are having a conversation that goes something like this "Omg!  He came over!!  How awesome is that?!  Omg, David Tua hugged and kissed me on the cheek...I have to tell Kepa!  Call Ben and tell him!"  The whole time, she and I are still taking pictures, and he's talking to Mom.  It's like they were best friends or something.  Don't ask my why we weren't over there chatting with them.  For some reason, we talked about him not to him.  After about 10 minutes or so, he said goodbye, and we all continued to talk about him for the rest of the day.  He really was super nice, and very down to earth. 

David Tua...talking with my cropped out mother-in-law

We figured that was a nice ending to our day in Auckland, and we soon made our way home.  There was a bit more traffic on our way out of Auckland, and I had a couple of giggles at with Indy.  She played Nascar a couple of times and barreled across all lanes of traffic to get in the lane she needed to be in, and then I thought she had a 'Towanda moment' when trying to get on the exit ramp from a red light.  You know what a Towanda moment is, right?  Fried Green Tomatoes?  Click here if you don't know because this is something you really should know about!!

No, we did not crash into anyone while getting on the exit ramp, but we did however turn right when we should have went straight...accidentally.  Not "accidentally" but really, accidentally.  Needless to say, the car behind us let us in because I'm pretty sure whoever was driving thought we were crazy and not above causing a wreck.  If you were that driver, we're sorry...she didn't mean to do it...she was foggy headed because she met David Tua.  

Other than that, our trip home was nice and quiet with Nanna and Stevie asleep in the back, but it did include a planned detour to....Pokeno!!!

Getting off at Pokeno

What's a Pokeno?  Pokeno is a little town between Auckland and Hamilton.  Once there, you stop at one of two places A) Pokeno Bacon or B) Pokeno Takeaways.  Option A is self explanatory...bacon, or meat to be more exact, but from what I've been told, it's all about the bacon.

Pokeno Takeaways

Option B is all about the ice cream.  40 flavors to be exact, and you can get them all dipped in chocolate.  The most impressive thing about this little ice cream place is the 19 scoop cone you can get for $26.  That's right...19 scoops of ice cream piled high onto a cone. The three of us opted for single scoops of ice cream.

Here's mine...

My poor ice cream

It DID have a wonderfully delicious scoop of butter pecan, but it had an unfortunate accident....

Poor poor ice cream...

My ice cream hit the asphalt when I went in for a lick.  I could have went back in for more, but apparently I didn't need it...lol  I did however have some of Indy's goody goody gumdrop!!

Sharing with Indy

After everyone's belly was full, we were back on the road for Hamilton.  It didn't take long to get back, but then it took forty forevers to actually to get home once we were in town.  Why did it take so long?

Tractors in Hamilton

That's right...a tractor!!  I laughed so hard, and all I could do was think about Alabama and all the times I grumbled about being stuck behind a tractor.  We did finally make it to the house. 

It was a great way to start the weekend.  On Saturday, we went to the Craft Expo, and on Sunday we went to see Nanna.  In other words, we had a nice and cruisy weekend.  I hope all of you had a lovely weekend full of fireworks (if you're in the States), and I hope you have a wonderful week, too!

Little Susie Homemaker

Remember me saying that we bought few convenience foods at market, or that time when I admitted to becoming a bit crunchy?  If not, click here or here and you can read exactly what I had to say.  Well, since I'm not currently working outside of the home, I have a bit of time on my hands, and I've used that time to sometimes be a Little Susie Homemaker.  June Cleaver better watch out!!  Not exactly, June looked put together while managing her humble abode.  Most times I'm wearing pajama pants, my hair has been washed (but not dried) and is in a pony tail, and I'm generally sporting a few spit up stains.  Don't judge!!  If you've never looked this way, you don't have children...or maybe you have some sort of alien super child that never spits up and gives you plenty of time for hair and makeup.

Anyhoo...appearances aside, I sometimes like to pretend to slave away in the kitchen over a hot burning stove while somehow managing to take care of a baby and have a tidy house.  Notice I did say pretend.  Usually, it goes something like this..."Crap!  We need (fill in the blank)!!  Stevie's going to start screaming in a minute...I better be quick!!"  I throw together whatever it is, wash up the few dishes, tell Stevie to hold her horses, fluff a few couch cushions, make the bed, dry a couple of tears, and there we are smiling and looking very accomplished when Ben comes home from work.

Lately, I have to give credit to the bread maker for making me look awesome.  It's winter, we've been having soup for dinner quite a bit, and nothing goes better with soup than fresh bread.  Here's an easy peasy recipe I'm going to share with you.  You too can look like a Stepford Wife by making this delicious Honey Nut Wheat Bread!! :D  You'll be able to find the complete recipe at the bottom of this post.
 
First, grab your breadmaker.  If you don't have one of these handy dandy machines, I can't help you...lol

Handy dandy breadmaker

Next, add 1 1/3 cups of luke warm water.  I'm not sure how hot luke warm is, but I made it on the warmer end since I was taking pictures throughout the process.

Water

Then comes 1/3 cups of softened honey.  I was using Manuka Honey, which is kinda pricey and used around here for medicinal purposes.  I didn't feel like running to market for more, so this is what I used.

Manuka Honey

It's also creamed honey, so I needed to heat it to soften it.  You can easily use 'runny' honey, but I prefer creamed honey.

Unsoftened creamed honey

 Next comes 1 Tablespoon of soft butter or margarine.

Butter...still cold

 Add 2 teaspoons of salt

Salt

2 cups of wholemeal flour (wheat)

Wholemeal flour

2 cups of high grade flour (all purpose flour)

 

Also known as All Purpose Flour

 3 Tablespoons of dry milk powder

Milk Powder

4 teaspoons of bread machine yeast.  I have active yeast, and so I only add 3 teaspoons.  If I add more, it rises too much, and then the middle will collapse.

Active Yeast, not the kind for bread machines

This is what it looks like once it's all added to your bread machine.

A big ol' mess!!

Turn your machine on to the wholewheat setting, and let it go.  I know what you're thinking...what about the nuts!!  Yes, well, you wait a bit.  My machine beeps (about 30 minutes into the cycle), and that's when the nuts get added.  I also toasted my nuts before adding them.

2/3 cups of walnuts (crushed)

Uncrushed toasted walnuts

About 3 1/2 hours later.  You get this!!

Bread!!!

Yummy goodness!!

There you have it!!  My cheaters guide to looking like Little Susie Homemaker!  Here's the complete recipe:

Honey Nut Wheat Bread
1 1/3 c luke warm water
1/3 c softened honey
1 Tbsp soft butter/margarine
2 tsp salt
2 c wholemeal flour (wheat)
2 c high grade flour (all purpose)
3 Tbsp dry milk powder
4 tsp bread machine yeast (3 if using active yeast)
2/3 c chopped walnuts (added at beeps)

Add ingredients in the order listed.  Turn your machine on to the wheat bread setting.  Add walnuts at the beeps.

My machine has a 30 minute time delay before it starts kneading.  It then beeps once everything is combined.  If your machine does not have this delay, add your nuts when machine has just started kneading and has everything combined.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  I'm always anxious for other recipes to try, so feel free to share any of yours!! 

Hamilton Gardens

I was sitting at the keyboard eating my porridge, yes, I said porridge, and I nearly decided to write about it.  Don't worry, you were spared by my lack of pictures!  Instead, I decided to write about the Hamilton Gardens.  How did I go from writing about porridge to The Gardens?  Because...after I finish this bowl, I'm going to need to head over and walk my breakfast off before it settles on my thighs.  Okay, enough about porridge and thighs...on to the point of this post...The Gardens!

Last week, we had a little break in the rain.  Stevie and I had been cooped up inside for a while, and we needed to get some fresh air.  It was chilly, but sunny, so I grabbed Stevie, chunked her in the car, and headed over to The Gardens.  It was a nice day to be at there because we were about the only ones there.  However, she and I looked like tourists.  I had my big camera bag thrown over my shoulder, I was wearing her, AND I had my cell camera ready to point and shoot. 

Baby wrapped, camera bag over shoulder, and cell phone self shot

 Guess what...it wasn't a good day to be there.  It's winter, and the flowers aren't blooming...duh Callie!!  I facepalmed once I realized I didn't plan that one too well.  On the other hand, it did get us out of the house, and I did have the chance to grab a flat white at the cafe after our walk.  Flat whites are my other addiction.  They too deserve their own post, but not today.

I did manage to get a couple of pictures of one of the new areas that is currently under development, but most of the pictures I'm posting are from previous trips.  You can read more about Hamilton Gardens here.  The site will give you a brief history of how the gardens started at 4 acres and grew to over 143 acres, information about the various garden collections, and you can also see even more pictures.  The best part of the gardens...it's free!!  So, here ya go...a scroll through The Gardens!!  I crack myself up...get it, scroll, not stroll.  Okay, yes I'm a dork...on to the pictures....

The Paradise Collection:

Japanese Garden of Contemplation

 

 

  

 

Chinese Scholars Garden

English Flower Garden

 

American Modernist Garden

Italian Renaissance Garden

 Indian Char Bagh Garden

The Productive Collection:

Sustainable Backyard

Te Parapara

The Fantasy Collection:  This collection is currently under development.  I'm sure it will be spectacular once it's fully established.  For now, I just have a couple of pictures of what you can view.

The Tudor Gardens

There's more to The Gardens and more collections that I do not have pictures of.  Actually, there's a whole section I have not had a chance to visit, yet.  As soon as the weather warms up and the flowers are in bloom, we will be heading back out to have another browse.

Inside, there's a very interesting piece of art.  It's a wood mural hand carved by two different artists.  It took them over 7000 hours to complete.  It is amazing!!!

I can't get over how detailed it is.  You really have to see it to appreciate it.  My pictures do not do this justice.

So there you have it, Hamilton Gardens! After battling the chilly weather, Stevie and I warmed up at the cafe, and then called it a day.  It's always nice to get out and play tourist though!!  Do you ever play tourist where you live?