Ahh, holidays

Holidays are great, they are a time with family and friends
and a time when we can be ourselves.

Today started at 3 am, with Miss 19 and 4 friends waking up around the house. Miss 19 needed to be at the airport 2 hours later for a flight to Wellington, while her 4 friends drove down (1 hour flight verses an 8 hour drive). They all meet up with the rest of the gang later in the day to start the New Years party which should end in 4 nights time.

Miss 19 also left me, her recommended selection of her expensive make up to use while she is away.
I have such great kids or should I say young adults?

At 5.30 am I went for my first swim in ages due to my shoulder injury. After this mornings 500 meter swim it would appear that it's only the backstroke technique that aggravates my injury.

If I can get back up to 1,500 meters I should be able to lose this Christmas Pudding weight that I've gained these last few weeks.
Wife saw the photos of me at the pools and asked who else saw me, I told her there was 5 elderly Asians and I didn't get their names so can't really answer her. She did see the humour in my answer.







At about 9.30 am, Miss 18 borrowed our family car to go on a 2 day holiday a couple of hours away up north. As her group all have restricted drivers license, they all have to take a separate car. To my way of thinking that's 4 girls with under 18 months driving experience, who will be on the road as opposed to 1 driver with limited experience with 3 friends. Apparently there is some statistic that says 4 young drivers in 4 cars is safer than 4 young adults in 1 car - it's all about limiting driver distractions.

10 am and I've picked up my girlfriend Josie for a lovely morning coffee and beach walk. It's absolutely amazing how quickly and fun a few hours in girl mode can be, chatting out our required 3,000 words, that blokes can't handle. In my normal male mode, 3,000 words is a week or 2 worth yet so natural in a few hours of girl time.

Wife and I are off to Wellington in a few days to join my kids "after New Years" party and check out the area. So except for at home, I will be in boy mode for the next 2 weeks.

I hope you have a great New Year, be safe and I'll write to you next year.

Rachel xxx

Merry Christmas

I hope your having a great Christmas with the ones you love

It's Christmas day, if you classify 6.30 am as part of your day.
I've been up for an hour as per my normal "work mode" body clock, and having so many girls means I'm the only one up for the next few hours
.
This week has been a bit of a breakout week.
I mean sure I've had girl time out briefly for a girl coffee, but if you remember last post I mentioned I couldn't really be bothered with my wig, well the last few days, I've not bothered.
Unfortunately the photos look like a balding man who wants to be a female.
Sometimes life sucks as I remember back to having long hair in my youth, but the main point of life is to have fun, which I always do, regardless of which personality is in charge.

Warning Photo of old man who doesn't like being old  :)

Relaxing by the beach and coffee at Hollywood Bakery at a busy shopping mall 2 days before Christmas

At local coffee shop where the staff know me very well in both boy mode and girl mode.

At the movies watching "Rogue One" in a white tee, skin jeans and my favorite black and gold flats, no bra as I'm endeavouring to be more gender neutral.

BTW - I'm not a fan of Rogue One, to big on computerized shots, to small on script and acting.

















My Boxing Day outing, both with my wig and without (to show how scary I look without the wig) The staff at McDonalds where I had my coffee were very nice and used the correct gender when addressing me.

Boxing day also saw me getting my eyebrows waxed, threaded and shaped more feminine - I love the difference.

Still asleep

Living the dream on 3 hours sleep.
Well Miss 19 had her birthday party, music went until 3.30am and at one stage she told me how much she loves me, at least she is a happy drunk.

This time "noise control" was not called in to shut down the party - that's a good sign of maturity. 

3 hours later and still half asleep
I had to sneak out this morning as there were quite a few bodies scattered on anything that looked like a sleeping spot. I now appreciate those who tend to live in cars, bloody hard trying to put make up on and look pretty while sitting in the driver's seat using the small vanity mirror. 

I wasn't sure if I could be bothered with my wig today but sitting at the cafe typing most of this, the wig just seems right.

Spent an hour at Sylvia Park shopping center - real busy due to Christmas, even this early as everyone tries to beat the crowd. Saw some lovely presents for my wife and checked out some teen books for Miss 14. 

I found it difficult getting the make up off in the car instead of when I'm at home next to the bathroom sink, as wife rung to advise me everyone was awake and looking forward to her late breakfast so my face and nails had to be ultra - un-girlie when I walked through the door. She was even waiting to check me while cooking the sausages.

7.30 am coffee

8.30-9am Coffee & Brownie at Sylvia Park

Doing a long haul

Well that's what the post office sells us when we go from Auckland to Wellington.
So Saturday will be 9 hours on the road with a trailer following me with my oldest girls stuff as she now lives full time in Wellington. Sunday is the journey back with an empty trailer.
Wife is coming for the ride so little or no girl time.
Actually I've got a beard now and not really interested in having girl time but this video was brought to my attention about voice training, so I may be practicing adjusting my voice from now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIGRWOTxRw

Sorry my link may not work with chrome, but it does with Explorer

Hectic Summer started

Last weekend started with a bang as a 20 year old boy racer from up the street drifted sideways in his new car, past my house and through the neighbours fence. I know most of the people in my street and I spent Sunday with him rebuilding the fence as his dad was out of town and he had no idea how to re-build it. He had about 5 different stories as to why it wasn't his fault

This weekend, with money being allocated to Christmas, meant apart from a coffee and picking up essential stuff, which went over budget, left me with only gardening and mounting a large bird house to fill my time.

 

Local Saturday craft & produce market

Back yard looking better with more colourful plants

Front yard, lovely spot for a relaxing beer in this heat

My helpful little cat

Earthquake photos from NZ that you may have already seen.

The New Zealand Herald has recently also put on line a 3D graphic display from AUT geological department - very cool.