warning

this is yet another dog post, so read at your own discretion.

Well, THE SUN IS OUT!!! It's a fabulous, calm, warm day in Wellington and there is an aura of happiness around town. We deserve every bit of this sunshine. We've earned it. Even though it's a Friday afternoon, a lot of people are out enjoying the weather. A few are even braving the sea. I suspect a fair number of 9-to-5ers called in sick today.

On to the dog post I promised...

I had yet another vet appointment this morning. This time it was Berkley's annual exam (only 3 months late). I'll spare you the details. But it's safe to say it was the grossest vet visit ever.

We needed a good dose of Vitamin D and a chance to stretch our legs, so we did the nearby river walk afterwards.

You may be wondering, what was so special about this river walk? Well the dogs have never been so good when we've been out and about.

It's not like they're bad normally. I really can't complain. They stay nearby. They're friendly. They are great with people. It's just that they bound up to every single other dog filled with hope and a desire to play. Some dogs aren't really into socializing. And others get a bit intimidated by a pair of energetic hounds running at them at full speed. Can't blame 'em. Usually the dogs pick up pretty quickly on who is keen to play and who isn't and it's all good. Occasionally Kai barks a bit in a last ditch effort to initiate a game of chase. Other times Kai barks out of fear, I think. Anyway, they're just being dogs and not the perfectly behaved angels I secretly want them to be.

Back to today... For the first time ever, I managed to keep their attention on me everytime we passed another dog!! And we passed a lot of other dogs (remember it is the first nice day in a LONG time). That is like the epitome of obedience, especially for such social dogs. Just think about it. How can an owner compete with a new dog with new smells and a potential game of chase? Of course, it was total bribery, but normally that doesn't even work. The only dogs they greeted were a pair of Shetland Sheepdogs. But even then it was just a bit of a sniff, no noise, and then carry on.

Long story short: I was very proud of the little rugrats this morning.

I am 110% certain this was a fluke, and tomorrow things will return to normal and they will just be average again. But I'll always have 31 March 2006, the day Berkley & Kai were perfect angels out in the real world.

On to the grocery...

I bought some beer and rather than card me (the drinking age is 18 here, by the way), the cashier just asked me how old I am. She was really surprised, blah blah blah. Then something that's never happened... She asked me how old I thought she was. What? I would have loved to see my face. Now I know how Jeremy feels when I ask him a loaded question. Although he knows there is definitely a right answer, he's just at a total loss for what that right answer is. I was speechless for a minute and then said, "Ooooh that's a dangerous question. Well, you look about my age." She was really happy. So I guess I passed that test. Shwew.

spoiled for choice

I love taking walks with the dogs. I am seriously spoiled for choice and super lucky to have several very different options in the area.

I can drive to the dog beach in Petone and the dogs get a big run and usually a bit of a play with other dogs. (An aside... A few weeks back I got caught up in a wicked sandstorm on Petone Beach as I watched a southerly blow in. It was an insane sight and the dogs got totally freaked. We were literally coated with sand.)
Duration: 1 hr

I can drive to the end of Eastbourne to the Esplanade and go for a hard, long walk again with the dogs running free. This one is pretty exposed to the elements, but the dogs return home completely knackered. I love that occasionally I can walk for what seems like miles next to a very rough sea and not see another soul.
Duration: 1 hr 30 min

I can walk 'round the bays to meet Jeremy at the ferry in the afternoon, 3/4 road & 1/4 beach. This is fun and feels old-fashioned for some reason. I love how the dogs get excited each time a man with a briefcase comes down the long pier. Their reaction when they spot Jeremy is equivalent to if we were meeting him at the airport after a long journey. Precious. The walk home gives J and I a chance to re-cap the day, so an extra bonus.
Duration: 40 min

I can drive to Lower Hutt and do the river walk at Melling Link. The dogs get such a great run and it's a nice loop. Kai usually finds something gross to roll in on this one, but you gottta take the good with the bad! I normally do this one on errand day. It works perfectly to tire the dogs out by the river and then head to the grocery. The dogs are always sound asleep when I return to the car. And the parking lot is under cover, so I don't have to worry if it's a super sunny day.
Duration: 3 hrs (inc. grocery shopping)

Plus there are all sorts of hikes in the hills around here, but I prefer to do these with someone else, ie Jeremy. So they are an occasional weekend treat. The Gum Tree Loop in Wainui and the Butterfly Creek Walk are favorites.
Duration: 2 hrs

But by far the easiest (especailly now that the restrictions have been lifted), is just heading down the hill to the beach in our bay. At high tide it's a very narrow strip of rocky beach, but at low tide it is transformed into an entirely different beach with nice sandy bits.
Duration: 30 min

While walking this morning, I thought of reasons why I love walking on the local beach so much. So here goes...

• the terrain changes so dramatically from day to day, especially if there's been a storm.
• occasionally there isn't a single wave for as far as you can see--just like glass.
• i get so excited when i find an unbroken paua shell.
• i like collecting sea glass and pieces of super smooth colorful pottery washed up on shore (i just have bits around the house and in various jacket pockets--i need to so something with all my finds!)
• even though it's a short walk, i feel like i get good exercise because of all the rock climbing and the walk back up the hill isn't all that easy!
• behind the huge rock at the end of the beach offers a great off-the-lead quicky explore for the dogs.
• i am continually surprised by the dramatic difference between low and high tide.
• i always seem to spot single shoes strewn about. i find it so curious. today i found a single sock though. just weird.
• sometimes the local quirky fisherman is down there and he tells me about his catch.
• it clears my head.
• i usually come up with page ideas or journaling as i walk.
• i can always depend on kai to painstakingly select the perfect bit of driftwood and carry it all the way home, like it's her job. once her stick of choice was a 1.5-meter-long ponga frond (read "branch"). she carried it all the way to the street-side door but struggled to get it in. i can still hear it, "gedonk, gedonk, gedonk," as she kept hitting the door frame, taking a few steps back and trying again. finally our clever girl realized she needed to turn sideways, and all was well in her world. she was so proud.
• berkley is a fan of rocks rather than sticks. he makes this seriously crazy wailing sound if he finds a perfect rock that he can't pick up. this is very rare, so i have to treasure it when it happens!
• they get to play fetch one-at-a-time (because it's so close to the road and they have absolutely no road-sense whatsoever, so i only let one off the lead at a time) at the end of the beach and they seem so appreciative of that little burst of play.
• people who pass on the road are friendly.
• it's a nice break in the morning.
• it makes me feel lucky, which is a nice way to feel.
• it is a great walk without eating up too much of the day.

So there you have it. I'm spoiled for choice.

laugh. eat. laugh some more.

Oh yah, and eat some more.

We had a great time at Ollie's and Nath's for dinner last night. You can always count on cheeks that ache when you leave. It was a real treat to be served, sit at a table (with candles even), and eat a wholesome roast dinner. Been a while.

She even whipped up a batch of triple chocolate chip biscuits at 10pm. What a hostess!

On weather news, no sign of Cyclone Wati. The sea looks like glass and it's a partly cloudy, calm day. Northland and the Coromandel seem to be getting hammered with rain though. Hopefully the Sickling's bach escapes unscathed.

a household mystery

Can someone please tell me how the laundry that is "so very nearly" finished on Monday turns into a hamper that doesn't close on Saturday? There are only two humans here afterall. And we don't really dress our dogs. Much.

what a way to start your saturday

I awoke to three emails from Cantata Books requesting layouts. I'm a bit hopeful that they want three pages rather than two, but I'm not sure because one email was a duplicate. It was sent 15 minutes later though. So I'm choosing to be optimistic until told otherwise!

I have about 10 layouts in my head at the moment. They are maybe half fun, half work. Still I'd love to get them scrapped this weekend, so I can clear my head and move on. Stayed up 'til 2 last night 'cause I just couldn't stop. :-)

All for now.

ETA: The third email was a mistake. They want two pages, but that's two more than none, so I am still smiling. The forms are filled out and the box is packed up waiting to go to the post office.

just wondering...

is this rain ever gonna stop? After 4 days of constant showers, I'm sure ready for some sunshine. I have a little heater on for the first time today. March is supposed to be a good-weather month. I'm feeling a bit cheated.

ETA: Apparently not. According to reports, Cyclone Wati will be heading our way Sunday bringing torrential rain and gale force winds through Tuesday.

interestingness

Oh wow, my winkin' Kai photo made the top 500 interesting photos of the day on Flickr.

Interesting Photos

Made my day!

ETA: The order of the 500 photos seems to change, so the page that is linked may not be correct. :-)

friends

Last night I taught my monthly Quick & Classy course at Kiwiscraps. The theme for this month was "Friends" and we made the following 2 layouts. People had to leap far out of their comfort zones on this one--glitter, stamping, sewing, inking, paper glass, handwriting--but in all a happy crowd.

Journaling (layout 1)
margaret & i we are cut from the same cloth.

when i count my blessings, i count you twice.

sisters not by birth...but by virtue of our uncanny similarities (inside & out--just check out those mouths, gums & all). we just get each other.

at age 30, 6000 miles from home and in desperate need of a friend, i found a "little" sister i hadn't realized i'd lost.

Journaling (layout 2)
life is about sharing.

sweet.
smart.
independent.
shy.
strong.
motherly.
they are the glittery giggle girls.

caroline & julia, i hope this is the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

---
So we used the old beat up sewing machine that David bought off Trade Me. Believe it or not, it began sewing while no one was anywhere near the thing. Incredibly spooky. I think it wasn't at all pleased about the whole sewing on paper rather than fabric thing.

wink

I just couldn't resist this one. I'm so glad I snapped it before her eye cleared up the next morning. There's a lesson here. If you want to capture a part of your life or surroundings for posterity, don't put it off. This applies to glimpses into the everyday just as much as to the (more obvious) portraits and group shots.

OK, I will give the dogs a little photo break now. I promise. The camera is away. Honestly.

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh {big sigh}

I've just spent the last 2 hours making 35 submissions. Yes, you read that right! Not all unique layouts, mind you. To three different mags. For seven different calls. Fingers crossed.

Now it's time to step away from the computer and have lunch.

I have to teach tonight and I have yet to write up the directions and make the kits.

the countdown is on

Just 55 days until my sister's family comes for a much-anticipated visit! Six years in the making, in fact! The hardest part about living so far away is not having the people most important to me be able to relate to my life in the day-to-day realm. Not being able to share the simple things. That's why my parent's visit two years ago was so incredibly important to me. I relished in every moment and will never forget it. The same is true of Maria's and Eric's visit a year-and-a-half ago. There's a new level of understanding and it means a whole lot.

So, of course, I'm looking forward to all the fun, late night conversations, travelling, laughter, craft days, hikes, decorating advice, etc. But I really can't wait for that new level of understanding I will have with all of them.

Now not only is the whole family of 5 coming all this way, but my oldest niece is staying on for a few months. It'll be such a treat to have the company.

I just submitted this layout for a journaling call, and it fits perfectly with what I'm talking about.

Journaling reads:
Stefanie. My first niece. The first in a line of many. An 11-year age gap. I vividly recall showing her off to my 7th-grade friends. Filled with pride. And walking to her house everyday after school. The special days, trips to Sawyer Point, babysitting, slumber parties, and games of Monopoly, Jr. I talked about her incessantly. I was an aunt at 11.

Fast forward 22 years and I sit anticipating her visit to NZ. This girl whom I've watched turn into an amazing 22-year-old woman has become my friend and is staying with us for a couple months over winter.

I couldn't be more excited.

The combination of working from home and being so incredibly far from family causes a bit of loneliness from time-to-time. It's to be expected. I am really looking forward to having Stef around to do all those girly day-to-day things I so often long to do with my mom, sisters, and nieces. It'll mean so much to share my world with her. Knowing that such an important person from back home will have this unique perspective on my life and understand exactly what I'm talking about will mean more than I can imagine. That knowledge might even ease the occasional loneliness I'm sure to feel again once she's gone.

$70 and twenty minutes later

Kai has two little ulcers in her left eye. Eye drops will likely clear them up, but we're due for a follow-up on Thursday to make sure. They had to check for foreign bodies under her third eyelid. Who knew?

She is so cute at the vet. She hates that metal table. She is absolutely terrified but stays perfectly still, apart from her involutary shaking. She makes sure to sit right up against me, as far from the vet as possible. Whenever the vet stops handling her, she quickly buries her head in the bend of my arm. Too sweet and oh so pitiful.

What a timid little girl dog.

another trip to the vet

All in all, these guys are pretty healthy. All our vet visits seem to stem from irresponsibility on our (read "my") part or an insatiable Beagle hunger. Eating a week's worth of rubbish. Sneaking some yummy ant bait. Tasting a bit of decaying possum. Inhaling a rotten chicken bone off the footpath. These all ended in trips to the vet and lots of vomitting.

Nice.

And how could I forget that warm December morning when Kai was in season the first (and only) time?

Today is different though. There is no negligence involved. Kai seems to have an eye infection. She is constantly winking. If it weren't so pitiful, it would be pretty cute. Last night she was on the couch with me as we watched Grey's Anatomy and she just couldn't settle down. She kept rubbing her face. She sat up pawing at my hand (read "begging for pets") but she looked like she was sound asleep. She couldn't open her left eye. When we went off to bed, she tripped up the steps. A bit off balance. She couldn't look up at the light either.

So we're off to the vet in an hour.

it's early Monday morning and

• the house is clean,
• the garden is in a happy state,
• the cars are washed,
• i did my mom proud and made brekkie for my husband and
  sent him off to the ferry with a sandwich in hand,
• the laundry is (so very nearly) finished,
• i've got a cup o' peppermint tea in hand,
• Desperate Housewives AND Grey's Anatomy are on tonight,
• Emmylou Harris is in the CD player,
• it's dreary outside,
• and it's a perfect day to get lots done, workwise.

I'm working on a website for my sister's company and also a stationery rebranding. I also have a few wedding layouts to do for the annual Wedding Show in May. I'm feeling inspired to do those and get them checked off my growing list.

But first, I must share a couple photos from yesterday's walk on the beach.

Can't you just see the eyes rolling and hear a gigantic teenage SIGH?

I've been taking a lot of photos lately--go figure. I think the dogs are a bit tired of it. They aren't quite as willing as they once were. They look away when they see the camera come out and sometimes they refuse to turn their heads! Who can blame 'em really? I might have to put the camera away for a wee while. That said, I've got a huge backlog of photos to share in the coming days...

Now this is cute, Kai. Well done, girl.

the ban is lifted

and it's about time.

Responsible dog owners all over Eastbourne rejoice.

I'm all for dog restrictions, but not allowing dogs on any Eastbourne beaches (apart from the one on the far end that's about a 10 minute drive from us) from 9am - 8pm for 6 1/2 months of the year is seriously over the top.

Oh, just don't even get me started. I can't count the number of letters to Council I've composed in my head as we walked on the dangerous main road...absent a footpath...right next to the usually deserted beach. I made Jeremy promise that if we get hit by a car, he can't let it be in vein.

Well, the three of us can go back to enjoying our rock ramblings at whatever hour suits our fancy.

And for those around me, you can rejoice too. You don't have to hear me complain about it until October. :-)

fall back

Tonight we set our clocks back an hour. Sadly that means the end of summer. On the upside though, we gain an hour of TIME. I love love love the idea of bonus time, even if it is just one hour. During university the night we set our clocks back was a great one...the bars stayed open an extra hour. Instead of closing at 2am, they stayed open 'til 3, which was the new 2. Fall back spelled an extra hour of partying back then. But now fall back happily translates to an extra hour of sleep.

we should be in Auckland now

but we're not.

It's St. Patrick's Day and we're supposed to be going to the U2 concert in Auckland tonight. But life isn't always fair. They had to cancel the last 10 dates on their tour due to a family illness. Supposedly the shows will be rescheduled in November. We'll see.

Back track to fill in the details...

Against all odds I had managed to get 2 good seats to the concert New Zealanders have been anticipationg for 12 years. It sold out in just 90 minutes. I remember sitting here that December morning. My heart racing. Cell phone in one hand, landline in the other. Constantly pressing the refresh button on Internet Explorer. And then I got through. Online. Thank goodness for Broadband. My heart skipped a beat. I was going to pull it off. Even more shocking, I actually surprised Jeremy with it all for Christmas. He had absolutely no idea. I had even bought the plane tickets without him realizing.

Good wife.

Here's the CD tin I made him--each "CD" revealed more info until the cat was out of the bag.

Guess what?

You desperately need a getaway.

A rare chance to kick back & relax.

So we're flying to Auckland...

to see U2 live in concert

on their Vertigo Tour at Ericsson Stadium
on Friday 17 March at 7:30pm.

...St. Patrick's Day ...priceless ...sold out in 90 minutes
...just you & me

Bummer.

Now Jeremy has this lovely keepsake--a constant reminder of the concert that almost was.

Anyway, here are some shots of Jeremy as he opened his best gift ever (until it was canceled, that is).

I love that I caught him looking at the gift again later that night...

would you like some salsa with that?

What focus you have, Berkley. Good boy.

Polly put the kettle on

and we'll all have tea.

We finally joined the modern age in NZ and got a kettle. No, it doesn't whistle. It's electric. For real. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these do not exist in the US. I swear.

Ollie asked, "So what do you use?"

My response: "Just a normal one that whistles."

"But that's for camping," she snorted.

She also admitted to secretly mocking me when she saw our whistler the first time she came to my house. Well, I inadvertently burned that one dry about a month ago. (I dare not tell the locals that I've been boiling water in a pot all this time.) I just couldn't hear the whistle growing fainter and fainter as I worked away in my office. (I can't hear the phone in here either, for that matter. We really need to take a giant leap out of the dark telecommunication ages as well. The irony, given Jeremy's line of work.)

So back to the kettle thing. Yah, it's a staple here. You just have one, without question. It might be mandatory. We may have been breaking some sort of national law by holding on to our whistler this long. The funny thing is that some people elsewhere in the world assume that little old NZ is a bit backward. I wonder if those people still have whistlers.

Well, it's a brisk fall evening and I'm gonna go have myself a cup of tea. The water will probably come to the boil before I choose my flavor. The luxury.

Over the Rhine Down Under

Anyone who knows me, knows I've been obsessed with Over the Rhine since the early 90s...the sultry wailings of Karin, the incredible musicianship of Linford, their originality and independence, the thought-provoking lyrics, the amazing photography in their liner notes, their cool dogs,... I can categorize the various stages in my adult life by their 11 albums. I've seen them live more times than I can remember.

Well, you can imagine my excitement when I heard they were making their way to Wellington as part of the New Zealand Arts Festival. Wet-my-pants excited is an understatement! Not only did they play four sold-out shows in Wellington in the main Festival tent (in this case, tent translates to hard wood floors, red velvet booths around the perimeter, wood posts inlaid with paua, gourmet coffee, and of course wine and food), they also did a free Saturday afternoon outdoor show about an hour outside Wellington. They got incredible press--everyone I bumped into in the week prior seemed to have heard of them. My secret's out of the bag, in Wellington at least.

Jeremy and I booked for the Friday night concert and, once again, it exceeded my expectations. It had been just over a year since I had seen them last and it was well-worth the wait. A very windy night, a bit of jazz, a touch of blues, a hint of country, and a beat-style poem to boot. The average age in the audience was much higher than at any other US show I've been to, but everyone got into it and they gave OtR two standing ovations. After the show, we waited around in the bar/cafe area of the tent because I couldn't leave without saying hello from Cincinnati. I was nervous and felt like a dork, but I knew I would regret it if I didn't. I managed to catch Karin as she signed some autographs. She was very friendly and seemed excited to meet a "Hometown Girl" (They have a song called "Hometown Boy" which I mentioned I had hoped they would have played.) I told her that whenever I go back at Christmas I time my trip around their Taft show and she seemed pretty happy to hear that. So I was content.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon and the outdoor show. It was a gorgeous late summer/early fall day. We packed a picnic and the dogs and headed to the land where there be dragons, also known as Upper Hutt. As we entered the concert area, Linford made a beeline toward us. Well, toward the dogs! He was petting the dogs and asking about them when I told him I was from Cincy. He couldn't believe it. I gave him my schpiel and he was so genuinely excited. He shook our hands and went to get Karin so she could meet the dogs too. We all chatted for a bit and then they had to get going as they were on next. Jeremy and I settled in for a relaxing afternoon. Next thing I know, the sound guy came over to introduce himself. An Indian Hill guy. After OtR took the stage and played a few songs, they made mention of little old me. It went something like this...

"We're happy to have a Hometown Girl in the audience. Christina has been a fan since the early days and whenever she makes it back to Cincinnati she tries to come see us."

Then Linford added, laughing, as he gestured over to me, "And she brought her dogs today and it's their first concert."

Then they proceeded to play "Hometown Boy"--remember, I had mentioned the night before that I wished they would have played it. Man she really lets loose on that one. Gives me chills.

Very cool. I know I am a geek, but what can I say. When it comes to Over the Rhine, I'm a touch star struck.

But my story doesn't end there. Ollie, my great Kiwi friend joined us for the OtR part of the afternoon. She asked them (without my permission, mind you) if she could get a photo of me with them. They said yes, and despite my embarassment, I am very thankful to my scrapbooking buddy who knew just how good such a photo would look on my OtR layout!

Giddy in the middle...

While waiting for Karin to get the photo, Linford was asking me more questions about how I met Jeremy, about grad school, and how we came to be here. I had to mention that we got married at Old Saint Mary's in Over the Rhine, which he appreciated!

So here are some more shots from the day. By the way, most of the pictures were taken during an incredible rendition of Poughkeepsie.


Berkley lulled to sleep by Karin's angelic voice...


Kai transfixed by Linford's talent...


Just a funny one. Jeremy is holding a treat in the foreground. Check out that tongue on Kai...

A happy day.