gold honours

Well New Zealand had a couple of rowers, identical twins in fact, win gold in China. It was an incredible moment which inspired me to start rowing.

Today I was feeling my back and legs from rowing practice yesterday as I walked to work. I looked up and caught one of the ads for the twins.
 
I have to say, winning gold here buys you a very different flavour of endorsement contracts. Given how uh... fancy the ad is, I suspect that they probably aren't getting paid quite as much as the US gold medalists either... 

I also finally have the basic reference for the ad in my supermarket parking lot although I have no idea who the girl in the middle is:

More Sunsets

As the days get longer here, I find myself able to watch the sunsets more frequently.




 


Which of course turn into moonscapes if you wait long enough.. This photo is for you Dad so you can compare the tilt of the moon here and there:)

I nearly am famous

I've had a pretty rough week and around three I was driving back from a client visit and decided to just call it a day and hit the mall.

I've only been to the mall once before when I went out to see the Get Smart movie. It felt very American to be in a mall that night. This afternoon however was different.

First off, fashion has changed enough since we've moved down here that I no longer have a sense of what is American and what is Kiwi as I only have seen what is on offer here this year, and nearly all the shirts look like they coudl be a maternity shirt to me, although I did find a few things I liked...
 
I was a bit distracted as I was walking out of the store. I thought my phone was beeping and as I was walking and trying to operate the touch screen I nearly RAN INTO THE PRIME MINISTER.

uh yeah.. that would have been embarrassing, particularly since there was a noticeable crowd around, but what look like a normal gathering for an American mall. The police presence was unobtrusive. There were a few security people. Maybe 6? There were several news cameras though which made me very very glad I didn't make the news as the girl wagging work to accidentally run into the PM.

And then today Traveler said - look I think I see you on the Internets!

Sunsets

Just a couple photos as the spring sun sets this week

I can see you!

Well not really, but I have fun trying to guess who I know that might glance at my blog. I know I don't write or post very often, but try to when I can.  I figure that way I can focus on you when I call or write to my friends and not have to try to describe my life here so much.

I also realize that some very wonderful friends in my life live in some of these dots..

Dots where I am having a hard time even remembering the area code because it has been so long since I called.  Well day light savings has sprung here which might help with the calling problem. It is only a 4 hour difference at the moment between Oregon and New Zealand, soon to be 3.

 But that said, it is still tricky to call sometimes, so I ask you... what is bringing you joy or hope at the moment?

For those unfamiliar with how this works, you can click where it says "# comments" (or where it says "post a comment", type what makes you smile, and then hit publish.  

You can even do it anonymously or just type a silly name.  

And yes I know, this is a desparate method to see if anyone will actually delurk.... 

Return of T Bone

Acutally tonight we had salmon not steak.  

T Bone is a nick name of sorts for Traveler.  Well at least it was one day by one of my campers.  I mentioned to this youngster that my husband Traveler would be joining the group for a day later in the week.  I have found that autism and surprises do not always make a good mix.  I was trying to give him a few details and for some reason I mentioned that his friends in school once called him T Dawg.  He looked at what he was fiddling with and did not acknolowldge that I was speaking to him.  I didn't think it was all that important.

The next day Traveler walked in with my boss just behind.  The camper then looked up and said, "Look Boss... Teeeeeeeeee Booooooooone has arrived."  

Well there was no such fanfare this morning when I picked Traveler up from his Perth trip.  He told me tales of a far away land that really sounds like the edge of the Earth and showed me the single piece of photographic evidence from his week away:

I made dinner and then was completely entertained by him flying his new toy (which replaces the first one, which was pretty hopeless in terms of its crash to flight time ratio). This one is much better in that regard - although has a very whiny motor.   

I particularly love how he lifts his feet when it is about to crash as if to hint to the device what to do.

Also, in other news (since I am too lazy another post and re-import these photos) there has been some spring music in the air.  While I was watching my friend Susan's girls, I played my violin.  It was my I'm-too-sick-to-do-anything approach to babysitting.  They knew where I was because they could hear me and they brought me spring flowers (or squealed) every few mintues so I roughly knew where they were.  

We also were given an amazing wow present:

which had the added benefit of making me organize the study a bit.  Traveler will put his own mark on it shortly I am sure.