JD's Kiwi Life

29 April, 2009

As dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to this folly

So. Hello again my old friends... it is nice to be back. I'm not actually back in enzed, which saddens me terribly, honestly. However, I decided if I were to update, maybe it won't be so bad.

The past year has been wonderful. It was a very long and a very short year, depending. I absolutely adore my new job and my coworkers. I'm busier than I have ever been (believe it or not). Liz is finishing grad school and will soon be a proper PhD. She has a job at a school I have always liked, with a good football (American) programme. I have been dedicating a lot of time and energy into Martial Arts again.

Speaking of...
www.BahalaNa.org

We will be moving in about 110 days, give or take.

More soon

03 May, 2008

Goodbye Enzed

I will miss you. In 10 hours I'll be flying above you and leaving you. We have had some good times. See you again...

24 April, 2008

Remember

The ANZACs

It is safe to say that with each passing day I have more and more respect for the generations that have come before me and the things they had to do. I am constantly touched by the courage. I am incredibly thankful... and I salute you.

I'm prepping to return to the US. Six more working days. I think we're in a good place... a decent time for me to leave... It is starting to seem real, my departure. There is just a wee bit of pride sneaking in every now and then. Those brief moments when you watch a seller finish a call and start a new one, with no novelty. A sense of "we're real" ... just starting to realise that when I got here, there was a good team, but a much smaller team set up in a war room. Now we have a call centre and sub-departments... training programs... understanding. They'll be time to reflect more next week.

I'm heading up north for a couple days over the holiday... my last weekend here.

My latest old band recently created a myspace page (as you do)...

the Cardinal Number

We never officially released anything... most of these are poor demos... but it has been nice to revisit, as this was one of my most fulfilling bands, musically. Jungle Plate Tectonics was recorded for a split 7" ... and is the only one up now that actually has vocals, but check it out if you have time... sounds better loud, by the way.

14 April, 2008

.:.

Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle are You?

Master Splinter
You're wise beyond your years, and you're normally very, VERY calm in even the darkest of problems. You spend much time thinking over problems, trying to help others around you, and enjoying time alone and with family. Though you are a skilled warrior, at either power or mind, you prefer peace, harmony, and silence. Others look to you for help and words of wisdom, and often take your advise eagerly and with little question.

11 April, 2008

I don't sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death

...at least that's what Nas say.

Antipodes Observations: part II

D'you know whatz complicated?
Doing your foreign income taxes.
Especially if your partner might have had her tax return already filed via id thievery. maybe.

The only song lyrics I like are seemingly twisted. But in a smart, witty, non-marilyn manson way.

When I watch American Idol (as in it is on in the background)... I often think to myself that maybe, just maybe Bush Jr isn't the reason most of the world has a dislike of america... at least not the sole reason.

I like art.

Art Bell.

(and the other stuff)

When Liz was here we went to see a Da Vinci exhibit... it was about all of his machines and tanks and heaps of things that seem so "duh, of course... " in nature.

I would like to have dinner with: Leo Da Vinci (veggie), Albert Einstien (veggie), Nikola Tesla (veggie), Sir Isaac Newton (veggie), Ben Franklin (veggie), Steve Jobs (veggie), Charles Darwin (veggie)... is there a pattern emerging? Yes. They are all scientists, or Steve Jobs.

I may be missing being in a band. Or maybe playing shows... pretty sure it is a momentary lapse in my "I only do this for me... "-ness... the problem is I have a fantastic "rock stance" ... and I dig shows... but because I like playing. Or maybe I just like playing well with others. It could also be because several of my friends are still in bands that I am very proud of...

I think I've narrowed what I want to do... a band that sounds like Dirty Three+Neurosis+Timberland. That will change by the time I finish typing this sen... ok, back to not knowing.

Kiwi-time is almost less than 3 weeks.

08 April, 2008

...is this the convention?

This is awesome.
Click Here for Awesomeness

*make sure to read the bit at the bottom

05 April, 2008

The Fall Trip (nyuck nyuck)

Travel
26/03/2008 Fly to Queenstown
27/03/2008 Drive to Glenorchy/Paradise (day trip) (aka Isengard)
28/03/2008 Drive to Invercargill/Bluff (southern most settlement)
29/03/2008 Drive Southern Scenic Route to Dunedin (Din Eydin)
30/03/2008 Drive to Otago Peninsula
31/03/2008 Fly to Auckland

Lake Wakatipu

...is this a double-snatch block?

TSS Earnslaw - olde time steam boat

On Board

to Glenorchy

Mull Street, Glenorchy

The Cow Scout

LotR Territory

Full on LotR territory

Rohan methinks

The Mythical CowFord

I just like this...

Mordor?

"They're taking the hobbits to Isengard"

"Oh! Thank you cow king"

Isengard

See...

I think we found Fangorn

Decided: Ford? = no

Paradise

to Fiordland

yep... just really nice.

Back in Queenstown, we ride a gondola.
This sums up our experience of the ride to the top.

Result Set 1

Result Set 2

Ok, so it was quite steep... 37+ degrees

We travel to Invercargill and Bluff... around the opposite side of The Remarkables range. Which are aptly named.

'Sign' -Bluff, Southland, New Zealand

The Southern Ocean,
AKA:
the Great Southern Ocean
the Antarctic Ocean
the South Polar Ocean

Southern Ocean 2

Marco....

Polo...
No one will find me in the Southern Ocean
(in case you didn't get where I was going...
we were in the Southern Ocean... not the Pacific
or the Atlantic... the Southern... dig?)