Sunday, July 31, 2005

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:: WHAT'S IN A NAME ::

As a wee child, someone bought me a blue bear with a white tummy. It was a koala bear. I named him Koala.

As a wee child, someone bought Mr Steve a black bear with a white tummy. It was a panda bear. He named him Panda.

You may conclude from this, that neither myself nor Mr Steve have what you might call the greatest of immaginations. You'd be right. Perhaps that is why we felt drawn here to New Zealand after discovering that major sports teams have the simplest team names anywhere ever.

We have the All Blacks, Small Blacks and Tall Blacks; Black Caps, Black Sticks and Black Sox... but the best of all has to be the badminton team. Click the link here to see the... Black Cocks.

Umm... we also have the Silver Ferns (netball) and the All Whites (soccer) but they weren't nearly as much fun to write about.

- urban gypsy [7:10 pm]
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:: BLOG OFF BLOGGER ::

Here is my nice, new blog design - well not my design but you know what I mean. If I seem huffy well that's cos I am. Just entered a nice long(ish) blog post and it's been eaten by some technobug or other and whisked off into hyperspace never to be seen again.

So yeah, my new design. Hope it doesn't make your eyes sken like the other did. I've installed a chat board just so you can say hi, as I know not everyone likes to make a comment - sometimes there's nowt to comment about - but it's nice to know you came by and read this inane drivel. Will do better tomorrow.

- urban gypsy [8:48 pm]
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:: HIRE A HUBBY ::

When I first saw the blurb on the side I thought it read "Wire A Hubby" and was all set to call them.


Then I spotted my mistake. Apparently they deal with all those things that your husband won't. I daren't go down that route... could be here forever.

- urban gypsy [12:15 pm]
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:: HOT TO TROT - OR NOT ::

" Bold text on a black background looks cool at first, but it is very user unfriendly. My eyes! My eyes! (clawing at sockets)"

WOW! Does this template really make some of you feel like clawing your eyes out? *sigh* Now, tell me honestly... do you think I should change the template to something softer? Or should I keep it a wee while longer, seeing as it's only been up there about three weeks?

Answers on a postcard please...

- urban gypsy [8:22 pm]
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:: GREY DAYS ::

"You been painting?" asked Mr Steve.

"Huh? Whadya mean?" replied moi.

I sloped off to have a gander in the mirror. It would appear I need a haircut.

Far, far greater than that, it was all too obvious that I need a hair colourant.

- urban gypsy [5:42 pm]
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:: HAPPY MEAL ::

Had a good night last night, yeah... looks set to become a monthly event which is great! I arrived first and explained that I'd be meeting two or three other friends who hadn't arrived yet and that we hadn't booked. Not a problem - thank God - and I was shown to a table straight away. I'd much rather prop the bar up... far more inconspicuous than sitting at a table looking like you've been stood up! We chatted about all sorts of stuff which was really good but nothing juicy that I can pass on to you guys. Didn't chugga-lugga too much vino de blanco and so was able to tackle my website once I was up this morning.

My website is old, old, old and hasn't been updated properly for a number of years. I set about trying to simplify it today, changing the graphics and making an easier layout and I hope to have it on a new site early next month. For now though, I am absolutely sick to death of looking at it and so I am off to Bloghop around. Catch you round like a rissole ;-)

- urban gypsy [7:53 pm]
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:: Y'GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS ::

[Pooft.] There it goes again. [Pooft.] And again. [Pooft.] Yup, either next door is on fire or they've deemed it cold enough at 8.30 in the morning to stoke the woodburner. They are the nice neighbours; the ones that invited us over for dinner a month after arriving. Perhaps I should get up and look... just in case they really are on fire? Nah. I'm too cosy, wrapped up in my dressing gown with Luke one side and Elissa the other, all snuggly and watching 'Lovejoy' on UKTV. [flick] Ooh, some 'chick' (as the female of the species are often referred to here - even by other 'chicks') is baking biscuits on another channel. I send the kids to check that next door isn't really on fire and also to fetch breakfast upstairs, which this morning comprises of Arnotts Mint Slices and Tim Tams. Or as I like to call them, poor man's Viscount and Penguin. I have it on good authority that if you bite both ends off a Tim Tam you can drink Baileys through it like a fat, chocolate straw. Too early for that though. Besides, I don't like Baileys. Yeah, I know... must be the only woman on earth not to like Baileys. Gin and wine are the regular tipple of choice these days. Actually not that regular, which is unfortuate.
Making friends here is like pulling teeth. It's hard to even make eye contact with many of the mums at the children's schools, even though I see the same women at Luke's school that I saw in the morning when I dropped Elissa off at hers. It's like, "Oohh don't make eye contact with the fat foreign 'chick' or then I'll have to speak to her and she might invite me out and then I might have to invite her over for coffee and how will I introduce a new friend into the fold I've had since primary school????" Never met a bunch of more ignorant and unfriendly women as I've encountered here. However that may be about to change as I am off on my first girly night out Thursday evening for dinner with two friends I have made, both English, one of which lived about 15 minutes drive away from us in England. Small world as they say. Became friendly with Heather because she was the only one willing to speak more than one word to me at Elissa's school whilst dropping her son off there. We met up a couple of times for the children to play in the afternoon and yesterday she introduced me to another of her friends that she'd made, Alex - the one who used to live close to me - and that was that. Night out arranged and that is how it should be.
SOOO if any of you have a new work colleague/neighbour/child in your child's class, be nice. Introduce yourself and spend an hour having a tea or coffee with them and stop being afraid of perhaps making a new friend that's far more interesting and fun to be with than the ones you already have.

- urban gypsy [8:12 am]
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:: GUILTY AS A GIRL CAN BE::

"...and a packet of Sudafed, please Mr Pharmacist. Sorry? You want my name and address? For a packet of nasal decongestant?" Small voice. "Why?"

Immediately I look guilty. Maybe it's way he peers over the top of his dark rimmed bifocals, making me feel nine years old again, the whole class laughing at me when Mr Winward (God rest his soul) tried to confirm my d.o.b. as "the 10th of the 11th" and I didn't understand he meant the tenth day of the eleventh month; I kept reiterating "no, just the 10th Sir, not the 11th" and feeling so stupid, my cheeks burning with embarrassment, yet I was certain he had got it wrong. Standing up to a teacher such as Mr Winward wasn't done when I was small. He was old, old school.

"Why, madam, because of the all the pee, that's why?" My head whirls, pee, pee, pee. Nope. Not getting it. It's never had that effect on me. Ahhh does he mean the letter 'P'? Nope. Still not getting it. 'E' yes, everyone knows about the letter 'E' but this one, this is new. Guilty expression must have been replaced by stupid arse one as he goes on to explain, "It contains Phenylalanine which drug users extract to form a party pill and so we have to take the name and address of everyone asking for regular medicines with it in. Everyone's a suspect nowadays. Hardly any of this stuff left."

I duly give him my details then, to my utmost amazement, a voice comes from somewhere inside of me, one which should remain inside of me but spills forth and stupidly utters, "What's from stopping people giving you false details?" Oh for Christ's sake love - are you trying to make out you're a dealer??? He peers again. I hope he can't see me properly. He's my local chemist now. I shall be visiting him when I'm at my worst. It's not what I need. "Nothing," he replies, staring hard. "Just wondered," I cough, and hurry home clutching my little brown paper bag as if I really am a drugs runner, all the while thinking, "What does a chemist mean by party pills?"

"Here, yer drugs," I say to Mr Steve when I get home. "Have you heard of party pills?" "Yup," says Mr Steve, "they advertise them on the radio a lot. They are exactly what you're thinking but totally legal apparently. There are even party pill shops where you can go buy a few tabs for the weekend. Crazy isn't it?" and he slopes off to the bathroom with a pint of water and two tablets only to emerge 10 minutes later asking for Elton John dance floor remixes and blowing a whistle. Here is the disclaimer on one of the shop sites. First one I went to. Have a read and then tell me it doesn't addle yer brain! *manic grin*

Yet another side of New Zealand I've seen that they don't promote in the brochures. Now you know just why the Hobbits where so small.

- urban gypsy [8:22 am]
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:: TWIDDLE DEE TWIDDLE DUMB ::

Can anyone tell me why, on my blog ring codes to the left of my page, am I getting those funny A's with the twiddle on top? I know it's been a while but I just cannot figure out how to get rid of them. I have copied and pasted codes exactly as they were given to me and I can't get rid of the twiddley A's no matter what I do. I am definately Twiddle Dumb. *sulk*. Also had problems with my comments link too, so I have changed from Blogger to HaloScan; very sorry but I have lost the comments that had been made previously. Let's hope this one is faithful.

Today I took the children to the Bruce Mason Theatre up on the North Shore of Auckand, to watch The Little Mermaid. Two blokes and two women with home-made costumes and sets and lots of laughs for the younger ones. Luke didn't want to go, deeming himself to be above the 'tail' (sorry) at eight years old - of course, he thought it great when he was there! He likes going over Auckland's big coathanger. I found this picture on a web search: it isn't mine but if you want to see a few more shots of the place I live, I suggest a look at his site Perciva. Beautiful photos of the Coromandel Penninsula which is just two hours drive away. I always think it's nicer to view others photos instead of a tourist brochure... on this site, you can't tell the difference. Enjoy.

- urban gypsy [7:51 pm]
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:: LIFE'S A BEACH ::

Christ! Nearly poured gin in my coffee instead of milk. No I haven't taken to having an early morning tipple - bloody hell if I started that, I might never stop. It was out from last night. Purely medicinal. (Or is it only rum and brandy you can say that about?) Today the sun is shining and about time too after having two days of cold wind and rain. Luke is playing his PS2 and Elissa is doing a jigsaw. I am thinking of taking them to the beach after lunch.

Cornwallis Beach, West Auckland

The thing that's putting me off is that my mobile phone won't work there. I've had a mobile phone for less than two years; I managed just fine before it. I don't know if it's because the beach is a pretty quiet place and being responsible for two, small tiddly peeps in a quiet place worries me more than being in a crowded place. Is it a sad sign of the times or a real worry. This was one of the reasons we moved to N.Z. but in reality, I don't know if it's any different to anywhere else in the world. I also have to go do a Supermarket Sweep. Mmm... wonder which the kids will prefer?

- urban gypsy [10:21 am]
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:: AIR WAVES ::

The Doc has told me to lose weight. That's the arse about arriving in a new country and having to register with new doctors. I knew I'd put on a few pounds in the past two years of living in the UK. Y'see, all those things you folk take for granted such as eating out at nice restaurants, glass (bottle?) of wine, popcorn at the cinema etc; well on my return from The Kingdom I went a bit mad doing all the things I hadn't been able to do there. In reallity this means my BMI has rocketed from a slightly overweight 26, two yrs ago, to 30 bloody 2!!! WTF??? It's not good is it?

SOOO I bought a pedometer. If I lie on the bed and wave it side to side in the air, it counts my 'paces' *snigger*. So far today I've amassed the grand total of seventeen. My arm ached after that. Maybe tomorrow eh? Maybe.

- urban gypsy [3:12 pm]
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:: UPSIDE DOWNSIDE ::

I was listening to the news earlier about a new wine, developed in California and aimed specifically at women. The guy from the vinyard was saying how they have realised finally that wine is drunk by 60% of women and so they were aiming their new product, which contains less sugar (upside!) and less alcohol (downside) at - get this - 'upscale and sophisticated women' *snort*. Obviously he's never seen most women having a good night out! Well I went to their website. If the girl on the introduction page cut down on the amount of cake she's troughing, maybe she could afford to drink a bottle of the decent stuff. BTW, the wine is called "White Lie". Huh - y'not wrong.

- urban gypsy [4:01 pm]
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- urban gypsy [12:33 pm]
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