Favourite quote

What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived.
It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.
- Nelson Mandela

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy new year

Sitting in a B&B in Bethlehem, because all the hotels were fully booked at The Mount.

The Mount is Party Central on New Years Eve for the North Island of New Zealand.
I'm the designated driver for four 16 year old girls who will soon be drunk along with 20,000 other teenagers (our version of Spring Break in the USA).
If you have never been out for days with 4 teenage girls, DON'T!
It's not fun like hiking the Southern Alps.
It's not even painless like getting a tattoo, ear piercing or tooth pulled.
Wife and I have had a few relaxing / romantic hours, in between transporting kids and we do have a lovely bottle of Champagne for tonight (once the kids are asleep)

Oh yes, before I forget why your reading this, I did chat to our excellent host and wife at this lovely B&B called "The Mediterranean" while wearing floral jegging, a thin female t-shirt over a floral bra.
Due to possible harassment, I'm not "out" to daughters friends, only my family and you, so I had to minimise risk, but have sufficient "out" time to prevent getting depression.

As B&Bs go, it's on my favourite list, the owner - Gunter, like me, is OCD, making the accommodation spotlessly clean, the pool sparking, and breakfast excellent.
Bethlehem now has enough shops and eateries to make it a convenient location and easy access to Tauranga and The Mount.
I'm also happy sleeping under the stars or in 5 star hotels depending on the situation

HAPPY NEW YEAR, and I hope 2015 brings you the happiness you deserve.

And if your driving, just remember, my transgender blood is in the blood bank and has already helped  over 50 New Zealand's.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Summer arrived today

Nothing to exciting for you girls,
Spent yesterday at home relaxing in full girl mode, dropping off kids, grocery shopping, going insane over a Christmas jigsaw puzzle, aka a 1,000 piece "WASGIJ".
Wife thinks it is a good Christmas tradition, she knows I'm OCD at solving these things and don't sleep until it's completed, she thinks it's funny keeping me up for 22 hours. It didn't help that the only missing piece was found 30 minutes after dismantling the puzzle, under miss 15 wheelie chair.

Finally managed to get the boat in the water after a long winter under repairs. Fish were biting nicely so dinner is sorted for a few days, sunburned & sore back and arms, face redder than a beetroot (also a chance to make minor repairs to the trailer while the boat was off).

Days like this, makes Auckland the best place in the world, I'm sure you also have these days.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Out with Santa

Out in this months favorite skirt (my legs looking gorilla-ish).

Big news - New Zealand actually has a real football (soccer) team, hopefully one day it will be bigger than rugby

Yesterday Miss 16 celebrated her 17th birthday, lots of preparations
But the blow out was when I asked for a favor in return for dismantling my HiFi and reassembling for her on the patio, knowing that today I would have to reverse the process.
Absolutely she will NOT do me any favors, it appears to be her right for me & mum to do everything for her.
Mum rushed out late last night to buy her an amp & speaker system for her to connect her IPad to.

Anyway, I got to McDonalds for my regular coffee just after 8 am. With the shops opening in the next hour, it's busy as everyone is getting their caffeine before the stress of Christmas shopping.

At the shopping center, I walked past another tgirl, I smiled at her and she looked away as if I wasn't there, bit sad but maybe not everyone is as friendly as I am.

9 am and I'm having a lovely chat to Santa's pretty photographer who went to Katy Perry concert last night and reckoned she is the best and most lively entertainer in the world (I'm a Katy fan as well).
I got my photo with Santa just after a crying little boy (who has a hot mum) and his smiling sister had their photos.
This photo was the second of about 8.
I waved for the others but Santa said something really funny and his cute little helper thought this was the best.


Sunday, December 14, 2014

It's Christmas Shopping Time

It's summer here now, so warm, wet & windy for the next 30 days or so.
I really wanted to break out my summer dresses, settled for a Christmasy red top, and a mini skirt to show off my legs.
By 9 am, the shops just opening their doors and the mall was already packed.
Josie & I had brunch that took us to 10 am, chatted about me hoping to find a new lip gloss pallet, Christmas presents for the kids and review a Cosmology presentation we went to last Wednesday. While it was an interesting, I had a few niggles about the event horizon, actually just realized typing this - the universe is way bigger than we can see, it's just that light from distant galaxies hasn't yet had time to reach us since the Big Bang.

After brunch we had a walk around the shops, got lots of smiles, I chatted to one sales lady and wished a few others Merry Christmas as we browsed their shops.

As I had already spent up on big presents, I could only afford to window shop but found a few cool stocking fillers for the kids that I will probably return for next weekend. Shame really as I saw a few nice classy summer dresses that I wanted, even though I already have a wardrobe full.

Wife would like Santa to bring her a Splash Back for the stove, but Santa needs her to chose a colour first as Santa is not that good at choosing her favorite colour. Meanwhile my hedge trimmer still hasn't been wrapped to look like a surprise


Hopefully we can catch up before Christmas, but if not, have a great Christmas and my love goes out to you and your family

Rachel xxx

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Suns up for an early Summer roasting

6 am on a Sunday, and I really need to sleep, time to cuddle my wife and try to nap some more.
6.20 and bored now, might as well put on my blue summer skirt and a tight white top, splash on foundation (remembering less is more) and go for coffee.
30 minutes after rolling out of bed, I'm at my local McDonalds with coffee.
I've gone with my black wig, while not my preferred, my wife and kids like it best so I'm trying to get used to it.

Feels like I've forgotten something today, apart from shaving my legs in the last 7 days, I'm sure I'll remember what it is if I concentrate enough.

7 am, and the shop is suddenly rocking with early risers, old men, pretty girls in running tights and 3 generations next to me, who own the Sushi shop next door


Wife needs a blender today, as we are having a family lunch and she wants to try a special desert, so a quick visit to KMart.

After that it was time to pick up my Christmas present -
Yep you guessed it -
A power tool from Mitre 10 -
A hedge trimmer.

Shouldn't hedge trimmers be wifes present? I mean it is her hedge that she bought and had me plant, dig back up, move 4 inches to the left and re-plant.








The local shopping centre advertised Santa photos starting at 9, but having got here on time, found the mall and Santa still closed for another hour, so sitting at the busy food court watching all the people going about their business and young teens just hanging out this early is a bit of a surprise to me, as mine will still be asleep for a few more hours.

Waiting another hours for a Santa photo


Needed to use the ladies room while I wait to get a photo and just remembered what I'd forgotten, UNDER WARE.

With my slight clothing malfunction fixed, I was second in the queue for a Santa photo, 

10 am arrived as did Santa and a lot of others, when the staff called for Sandra for her pre-booked photo. Okay Sandra was a hot single mum with her kids and dog, and was very pleasant while we chatted together, and maybe I would have invited her for coffee, but really a PRE-BOOKED Santa photo? So looking at the booking sheet I could get my photo with Santa if I waited yet another 40 minutes. I advised those in line behind me of the delay, and decided another day would suit me better.