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?

Football...Err...Rugby!

Back in Bama, football isn't "just a game", it's a way of life.  The SEC (South Eastern Conference for those of you confused) is THE best college football conference there ever has been, is, or will be!!  Yeah, I know there's some who disagree, and they're entitled to their opinion but they don't know any better.  It's somewhat of a big deal down south, but even MORE important is what specific team you pull for.  In Alabama, "Who you go for" is decided upon at birth.  Your choices are simple, Auburn or Alabama.  Seriously, you're born, the doctor looks at you and asks "Who you go for?"  Babies answer, well, not really, but their parents do (and that's who you'll pull for or you'll be disowned).  So, after the big decision, your team allegiance is stamped onto your birth certificate, and that's your team pretty much for life.  There are instances of people "becoming traitors" and deciding to swap teams, but it's kinda rare.  I was one of those.

That's right...I use to pull for Alabama, but now I happily yell "War Eagle!"  Well, not so happily here recently because they haven't been doing so hot, but that's another topic.  Anyhoo, since I jumped the fence, I have never been able to live it down or forget.  I'm not joking, stories are told about why I decided to abandon Alabama for Auburn.  Not only are there stories, but there are embellished tales.  The Legend of Callie's Conversion (as we'll call it) has been passed along and retold so many times, the real reason is no where to be found within the story, and nobody can actually remember how it truly came about.  I kid you not, I'm probably the only person that can actually tell you why I changed teams.  My own mother will argue with me and basically say "you don't know..."  Yeah, okay, Momma. I don't know why I no longer pull for Alabama.  O.o (that's googley eyes...it's my fave type expression)

I tell you all of this because it has a purpose.  You see it's a bit extreme, and a tad bit exaggerated (like stamping birth certificates), but it gets the point across to you.  If you had any doubts, you now know football is a big deal in Alabama.  Well, I thought our extremism couldn't be matched.  I. WAS. WRONG.  New Zealand is right up there with Alabama when it comes to devotion to their beloved sport.  The difference is, they're pulling for rugby teams, not football (grid iron as it's called here, they call soccer football).

If you're like I once was, you're sitting there thinking 'What's rugby?  Oh, that's that game kinda like football without pads!' Bingo!!  It's quite a bit like football, or at least I think.  You have a bunch of guys on a green field with lines and goal posts, and they run back and forth trying to get across one line or the other, and then they kick the ball and try to get it between the two goal posts!!  (Yes hubby dearest, I know my grammar and sentence structure was a lot worse than usual on that last one :P )  Also, like football, there's a whooooole lot of tackling and ramming into one another, and cheap head shots when they think the ref isn't looking.  Unlike football, they don't wear pads, they don't throw the ball forward, they don't get lots of time-outs, and it doesn't get drug out to last forty forevers because they're trying to stop the clock to win (it's 80 minutes with stops for penalties, injuries, and halftime).

Rugby takes all of my favorite things about football and hockey and mashes it all into a game that's even better because I don't get bored watching it!  On a side note, I know nothing about hockey other than it's pretty awesome when they start fighting.  Keep in mind, I've only been to two games, and I'm still learning about how the game is played.  My confusion is compounded by the different types of rugby.  There's Super Rugby (which are the games I've attended), there's Rugby Union (the All Blacks are Union), and then there's something called League.  From what I gather about League, it's like rugby, but rougher.  I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get bashed for not knowing the difference (I'm also gonna get bashed by both Auburn and Alabama fans, non-SEC fans, hockey supporters, and people against violence since I said I liked hockey fights). 

I'll get it all figured out eventually, and as I do, I'm sure you'll get to read aaaaallll about it.  It's still entertaining and fun to watch,.  So, since I can't tell you a whole lot about the game, I 'll show you instead.  Here we go...rugby in picutres!!!  Oh, and please forgive my blurry shots.  My phone camera has taken to being a royal pain when it comes to quality phots....

Pre-game Haka

More Haka

Scrum

Game Play

More Game Play

Now, I would like to take a minute to point out a few things.  The guy is pink is the ref, and I'm pretty sure I found that to be funnier than your average person would, hence the fact that I'm pointing it out.  I would also like you to take note that there are no pads being worn.  Those guys are hitting each other just like they do in football, and you don't hear them crying because someone was "roughing the quarter back".  Also, those guys play the whole game with the occasional substitute player.  They don't swap between offense, defense, and special teams.  I'm not saying that my beloved Auburn Tigers are falling from their pedestal, but I am saying I now appreciate other sports besides college football.

Oh, and those first pics I posted, the haka, well here's the All Blacks actually performing one.

No, the All Blacks are not what started the haka.  It's actually based on Maori tradition.  Want to know more about it?  You'll have to read my next post.  I know that sounds a bit mean, but Little Stevie is awake, and we're about to run a few errands.  So, on that note.  I'll be back soon to fill you in on the haka.  Until next time!