Faith in humanity

My faith in humanity has been restored. This morning I left my wallet on the bus, but failed to realise until noon. The usual frantic panic, tearing handfuls of hair out as I tried to retrace my footsteps. Having canceled my c/cards (which was actually pretty easy, considering I didn't have a drop of identity on my I made my way to the bus Xchange. At the bus terminal I asked whe little old ladies behind the counter if any kind citizen had handed anythgin only to be told that lost property on buses went to the bus company not the bus station. It proved harder than I imagined to suggest that maybe, just maybe the passangers didn't know this and maybe had handed it in to someone else. Without a word of warning a little lady popped her head up from behind a counter and siad that someone had handed a wallet in to one of the colleges on the other side of town, and it might just be mine. A hop and a skip through town and I was reunited with my trusted pocket-sized identity. To the mystery person who so honestly handed it in a HUGE THANK YOU!

update

At long last I have added a few photos; Melbourne. My first time. Loved it. Love it. Will return.

Photos of the ascent of Mt Somers (took me 3 years to find the summit, but that's another story) to follow. I am still dragging my legs behind me 3 days after the ordeal. It has been a while. Far too long. At least we saw some snow. For those of you interested in facts: it might be the last sighting of Shapéra in the Southern Alps for quite some time. Good luck up north!

untitled

for those of you (and you know who you are) who have been thinking, "When is there going to be something new and exciting," eat your heart out. I had actually posted a few brilliant blogs; reactions to the London bombings and more recently my comments of the finding of another planet (or not-planet, depending who you believe). However these posts were obviously deemed too sensitive or controversial and never made it up here.
I do have a stack of photos to scan and upload too, but somehow I can't seem to find the time, what with the new house (on the banks of the River Avon – not as idelic as it sounds believe me) and the new office and my new role as Creative Director of Out of the Blue. Not sure what it entails but I like the sound of it.

update

ok,ok... this might be some kind of record. Since my last post a new planet (or not-a-plant, depending who you listen to) has been discovered, and for the time being the bastards who were so intent on destroying backpacks (themselves and others) have fallen silent. What's new? What indeed. I am living in the relative comfort (an cold) of a granny flat on the banks of the River Avon.not as romatic a location as it might sound to all those not that familiar to little old Christchurch. However Ronja and I seem to be making the most of it. It is a bit like the good old days in Nelson, especially as we have Ken and Jane next door for playtime.

The great outdoors isn't quite in winter mode, sure it is cold (both indoors and out) but the snows have failed to appear and despite what I have just said it was the warmest July on record. Not in my kneck of the woods believe me. Still, there has been a time for surfing and gentle walking over the hill.

I am now Creative Director of Out of the Blue. Not that I wasn't before, only now there were witnesses and it is now on a bit of paper (somewhere). Let's just see how that fits. Things are going pretty well, but unfortunatly Smoothfluid has taken a back seat over the last 8 weeks. Still have plans. Big plans.

Terror, my 2c

In a world of 'terror' I have to admit that I am not afraid. Admitidly I am living on a tiny land mass somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean, and the world stage often seems so very far away. However, my links the the motherland are still strong and my thoughts about the explosions in London the other day are as real and valid as the next persons. So here's my 10c for anyone who wants to listen:

Always trying to keep positive about everything… 9 million people travel by public transport every day in London, so as far as 'terror' attacks go it wasn't really a big deal; I think Ireland has been worse hit by the IRA in the past. After all, if you want to coordinate an attack who would really choose to use the most unpredictable public transport in the developed world. It's a fluke that the drivers weren't on strike, as they seem to be every year. I heard this morning that the bus driver was actually lost, and had got out of his bus to ask directions. Go figure.

Admitidly going to work that morning was decididly risky, but then again the road death rate for London alone was around 4500 in the 1840s (according to a stat I pulled from a Google). To everyone I know in London I hope you are safe and well, and to the bastards who 'mastermind' such events I hope one day you work out that death and distruction is not the way forward.

An historic victory

I believe the words used were "An historic victory". Words describing the victory of what was dubbed the Lions C team vs Otago. The boys did a whistle-stop 24 hours in Dunedin to see the game, and cellebrate/commiserate afterwards. Great to be with so many Brits after so long. Looking forward to the 1st test in chch on Friday for sure!

Landslides and other stories

Days creep and sometimes slip by. Like a landslide maybe. Or not. Landslides seem to be all the rage right now, with San Fran the latest trend-hopper following a pretty tough month in the Bay of Plenty. At least the Lions held their ground. (Bizarre link I know, bet you never expected that one). Anyway… I have just popped a few photos up from a couple of days (daze?) wandering about in May in and around the chch area. In the not too distant future I am sure there will be a few more from the weekend I have just spent in Arthurs Pass shrouded in mist and snow, and over in Blackball MTB with some friends.
Happy birthday Liz! (HRH)

Moving house

You shouldn't be allowed to pull a house down until the sun comes up. That's my opinion. Sleep it too valuable to be disturbed by the incessant beep-beep-beep of backing trucks and the ground shaking rumble of brick walls thundering back to earth. Where was my gentle wake up? Where did my dreams go this morning?

Congratulations Vanessa!

Water is wet

An observation: In Fiji the water was wet.
While that may seem supremely obvious, there is logic behind most of my ramblings, and this is no exception: If the water is as warm as the air, which is as warm as you are then all you're going to notice is the wetness. Unlike the surf yesterday. I think I spied and iceberg behind the breakers, throught the rain. Still, the waves were close to perfect as we ever get here so I'll put up ith the cold for a bit longer.

and belated congratulations to Amy and Iain!