Archive for April, 2009

We have just got back from an amazing chinese restaurant. The food was on a par with The Fountain in Newmarket. Apart from the great food and the wonderful company Shona always provides, I will always remember this evening because we shared the restaurant with a meeting of The New Zealand Institute For The Blind. A wonderful collection of guide dogs were in the restaurant, black labs, golden retrievers and an alsation.

Now, I’m not trying to make this into a quirky story, but Shona was so impressed with the food at the restaurant, that as we were leaving she nodded at the table of blind people and said to me ‘they know a good thing when they see it!’

I honestly couldn’t make it up.

Missing you all,

Paul.

I’d hate to let you all know this, but Paul is in bed before midnight on his birthday (despite his previous post). A big happy birthday to him… a year til it really counts…. but a big thank you from me for making our trip so very entertaining. Lots of love, Shona.

True story.

Shona very kindly took me to a very nice fish restaurant here in Wellington for my birthday meal. One of our fellow diners was Craig Revel Horwood, he of Strictly Come Dancing Fame.

Freaked me out a bit. I went into the toilet and was expecting him to hold up either a 1 or 2 when I came out.

He has been over here for this

The day started at 6.30am with the usual niceties of Shona waking me up, me telling her to “pee off and stop waking me up on my day off’, her getting me a coffee and then me apologising. We were heading for our first trip to the south island and we were due on the ferry by 8.30. We were travelling down with Amy who works with Shona.

There is not much to see on the first part of the ferry that you wouldn’t be able to see just by driving round Wellington, and I have, so I headed for the bar and sat down to watch the Masters from Augusta for about an hour.

Now if you are golf fan like me then you will know there is not much that can tempt you away from watching the Masters, but once we had reached the top of the south Island I couldn’t take my eyes off the scenery and completely forgot about what was happening with the golf. The weather was fantastic, not a cloud in sight (can’t help myself, can I!) and the views were spectacular and breathtaking. I have a feeling that I am going to enjoy coming back here. I am almost jealous that I don’t live down there.

Anyway, the afternoon was spent on a coach trip visiting 4 wineries in the Marlborough region. It was tough going I tell you; by the fourth winery I was exhausted!

The day ended with a lovely 4 course meal at a French style cafe/bistro which served mussels as big as your fist (only slightly exaggerating there). We were hoping to see the Johnny Cash tribute act which was due to play that evening, but we had to make a dash for the ferry home. A great day had by all.

Here is a little video of our day. Peter Jackson eat your heart out (I was aiming for cheesy so if you’re thinking I want this to be taken seriously, don’t). Has sound, so turn it up.

Is it me or does this seem like a risk too far.

P.S.

Happy Birthday Richard (Uncle, not Best Man), and Liz (Bridesmaid).

Well I have spent a week at work. The early mornings came as a bit of a shock, I am more knackered now than before I took 2 months off! Haven’t really done much other than working and sleeping. Highlight of the week happened yesterday at the Test Match. A cracking days play was enjoyed from one of the grassy banks at the Basin Reserve. I took the wife with me and she, knowing a full days cricket was ahead of her,  invited one of our friends along. Very pleasant it was too! A full days play, good sunshine, a cracking picnic and just the odd beer and wine.

We had a pretty good rota set up for people heading to the bar. When it came to my  turn, I headed to the bar with Shona to help carry the drinks back. Anyway to cut a long story short, on the way back from the bar whilst holding 2 glasses of Sauvignon Blanc she was hit in the head by a 7 year old’s plastic cricket ball, but don’t fear reader, not a drop was spilt!!!!  Pride damaged she headed on back to the place we had left our friend on the bank. I led the way and managed to sit down before 2 plastic cups landed on my head from a flayling Shona. I was drenched, our friend was drenched,  and Shona was looking round to make sure the TV cameras hadn’t picked it up.

In her defence a picnic blanket on a hill is very slippery and it could happen to anyone; anyone remember this guy from the same ground last year?