We had a great mini break after christmas at Cooks Beach.
We only got 2 nights away but it was better than nothing. Had a swim. Watched a family get their 4x4 all but claimed by the sea (they got it out after about 30 minutes but it was pretty munted - how NOT to get a boat in). Took the ferry to Whitianga and had lunch. Got dried apple slices and macadaima nuts from the organic stall. Went fishing with our friends Blair and Lynda. It was really chilled out... wicked.
Back home and back to work... for now...
Have a SAFE and happy new years where ever you find yourself.

Our christmas was:
Present opening
Kitten wrangling
Family visiting
Texts and calls
Card playing
Bad food eating
Coffee table curling
Kite flying
Camping packing
Exhausting
but great... hope yours was too!

...of life since we got home.

It turns out that we have a fan (Mike's mum) who actually read this blog ;) hee hee and I HAVE been super usless at keeping it up to date.

So here is a bit of a catch up in photos of what we've been up to other than working.

About a week after we got home Mike got a letter in the mail... he won a Burton snowboard and bindings when we brought some energy drinks before we left. He's stoked. We both have been wanting to try boarding and now we have the best reason to learn next season.



Guy fawkes came and went. We didn't let off any on the back lawn this year. We went to to displays around town, 4 days apart and it rained at both! We sat in the car and watched the sky... it was still a good guy fawkes.







We voted... the National party won. We now have a new prime minister... should be interesting.

Last weekend we headed to Auckland to the Big Boys Toys show... as the name suggests it's all about the boys.... cars, bikes, music, games and even tanks.





Yeah so thats an idea... life is busy and getting busier every week with Christmas on the way. He wonderful wonderful world of retail. I'll be sure to come back and update this puppy more often ;) Promise

We just went to see this guy....

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzfTJYMiuwc]

And I don't know whats happened with wordpress cause there are two other posts that are just not showing up for some weird reason... ergh

So yeah, we're home. I am ALMOST unpacked. The other couch is covered in souvenirs and the floor is covered in scrapbooking stuff. I came home to a kit from SBO so I've been scrap happy most nights this week.

The jetlags been ok... I had a run of 4am wakings and 8pm bedtimes... hoping that this weekend will sort that out.

Going back to works been good but a little strange... like wearing someone elses shoes. But I'll get back into the swing of it fast... especially with that dreaded word "Christmas" coming up!

That's all I have right now... I am slowly making my way through the photos and uploading them to Flickr so i'll post some link for those once I'm all sorted.

In America... we just had Flying Pizza for dinner again... still good...

We will miss these guys... I am so so sure I'm going to cry at the airport...



We'll miss their accents... the way that Jes says "butt" and "I wanna think..."



It'll be sad but hey, it's their turn next right...

See you in the UK next!

Yesterday we drove the 2 hours up the coast to Astoria... the home of the Goonies. We even stopped for Slurpees on the way ;)

Mike is a Goonie from way back. It was so cool to see the actual house, the jail, the bowlarama and the beach... especailly when we came home and watched the movie... it was a good day, a long day and Jes is a trooper with all the driving shes been doing for us...

Oh and guess what.... we went scrapbook shopping! YAYA!

It's now Sunday morning in Portland... The flight was long and neither of us got much sleeps. A couple of hours a piece. But we seem to be doing ok... a little tired but we've had two really late nights so I don't think it's jet lag at all.
Our first night in we grabbed pizzas and beers.... my god the pizzas were MASSIVE and so good. From a place called Flying Pie just down the road.

Then yesterday was Michaels 30th. We had a full on day first visiting the Saturday Markets, a crazy big craft market were all the surrounding craftspeople bring there wares... some really cool stuff and some "interesting" people. Then we hit a part of town call Sellwood that is full of antiques and secondhand stores. Amazing what they had... would loved to have brough heaps home with me but I controlled myself. Next we headed out for dinner at McMenamins. It's a massive old public school that now houses several different bars, a restaurant and movie theatre. They make there own range of beers and even I had a pint ;)
Next we went back into town to an arcade that has all the old school gaming machines like Pac Man, Donkey Kong and Street Fighter... it was rad. They even had a photobooth so Jes and I and then Mike and I squished in.

Lastly about midnight we walked to Voodoo doughnut... I'd been so excited to go there after reading about it on the net... there was a queue out the door! Mike and I got the voodoo doughnut that it like a teddy bear with a prezel stick that you stab him with and hes full of jam. Johnny got the maple bacon doughnut.... it literally has a strip of bacon on the top and Jes got the cock and balls... I won't go into that one.
So yeah it was a really busy birthday!
We are up early (yawn) this morning and getting ready to head to Seattle for the night. It's a 3 hour drive from here.
That all for now... with update you once we get back from Seattle!

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Back in Portland after 2 days in Seattle. We did a LOT of walking (so the pizza and doughnuts are gone Murray!) and had a great time. Visited the busy Pike Place Market... it's world famous and filled with local produce, most of which is MASSIVE... Mum you'd love the nectarines I brought, they fill your hand and are so sweet. Lots of fish mongers and local crafters selling their art.

We rode the monorail to the space needle but decieded not to go up it. It was $16USD each and we had had such awesome veiws from our hotel we decided it was better to spend our money else where.

Like the EMP (Experience Music Project) a interactive 'museum' of music. We saw Kurt Cobans guitar, the Jimmie Hendrix experience... it was awesome...Seattle is the birthplace of grunge music...bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden. Took me back to my teenage years. We played with the interactive stations... Mike was drumming away while Johnny played the guitar (which he can actually play). That ticket also got us into the Sceince Fiction Muesum. They had everything from the Jetsons to the Matrix.

Seattle is filled with awesome old and new buildings... we all looked really cool, 4 people, 4 cameras... clicking away at all the architure.
Having lots of laughs... teaching these guys all the kiwi slang... they love that we say "cheers" alot instead of thanks.

We'll I hear the others stirring so best get sorted... exploring Portland today.

Gosh I just wanna go now...

Last tuesday I tripped over a storage box in our spare room and dislocated my elbow. The swelling has finally gone down but MAN it hurt when it happened.Now its just about 4 shades of bruised. Today I go for my first session of physio... just hoping it will feel almost 100% by friday (might be wishful thinking though).

On saturday I threw a surprise birthday bbq for Mike. Mainly so that the people we are leaving behind could say happy 30th before we fly out. His dad came up from Taupo, Blair and Lynda from Palmerston North, Rebeeca from Tauranga, Hayley and Vince from Huntly and of course all our local buddies. It was really short notice so I was stoked that they could make it and even more stoked that he had no idea.

OK off to get ready for work... without breaking anything this time!

And life is sweeping past...

But we are really really ready to get on this holiday. The whiteboard still has about 10 things on it that we need to do before we head off but we're getting there.

Mike headed to the Rally last weekend with our new camera and got some rad shoots of the cars.

If I don't get a chance to post again just know that I'll be updating this blog from the road so keep this bookmarked... although I think my mum is the only one reading it... hi mum... ;)

So on Saturday I got my new passport... I look like Mr Potato Head in the photo but hey it'll get me out of the country. Yesterday I got my suitcase out of the garage and tidied the spare room so it can sit on the bed in there and get sorted out over the next 2 months... yes that's how I roll ;)

Got an adapter for the USA for our camera charger... why can't the world just have one power point.. honestly, whos idea was it to have them all different!?

But we are getting excited now - I've been picking up extra weekends and am trying to get motivated to list stuff on trade me so I can have some spending money... the to do list is pretty long but all this...

...is just that much closer now.

Yeah I have been usless still - but honestly not a lot had been happening.

But today we paid for our trip in September. I am so stinking excited to visit Jes and Johnny in Oregan... then on to the UK and maybe even Italy... we got a CD and I can now ask for an icecream in italian... important stuff ;)

My new passport is sitting at the postoffice for collection tomorrow... it's weird thinking that I have been 'grounded' for almost a year! Haha.

So now we are just starting to really save some dosh and work on the major to do list of things that need to get done before we hit the skies... less than 3 months to go now. Need to sell some stuff on trade me really ;)

1. Mike and Neen at the Foos, 2. Foo Fight'n, 3. Giving it everything, 4. Demi God, 5. Talent, 6. Dave on the mini grand, 7. Spotlight, 8. Epic, 9. Rock

So we are both EXHAUSTED and now we are off to work... yawn.... pull it together.

Full on weekend of racing will do that to you... screaming, yelling, walking, lining for food, sneaking family into stands, flag waving, dancing... and more. It's a wonder I made it out of bed ;)

All in all it was a fantastic weekend. The end result was of course that Holden Racing Team's Gareth Tander took out all 3 races (like there was any doubt!).

I am busy up loading photos and there are heaps of little videos too... I will post them all later I promise...

But for now - off to work I go!

OK I know I have been usless at keep this blog updated... but I have been posting more often on my scrapbooking one... with life stuff as well as scrappy stuff.... so CLICK THIS to get there if you like....

In the meantime this is what we got us to over easter.....

Marokopa

So it's official... Mike's love of all things Holden will now be his day job...

He's leaving his job of 5 long years and on thursday starts a new chapter...at a Holden dealer... exciting.

1. Love my green straw, 2. Double Choc Chip No Whip Frap, 3. Country, 4. That look..., 5. Pericles Prince of Tyre, 6. Mikey, 7. Tray and Neen, 8. First photo with the Gorilla Pod, 9. Birthday Cupcakes, 10. The Blue Beast

It's been a LONG LONG time!
So in the last month there's been Valentines Day, my birthday and another car show (Mike went solo and I worked - and they made him park in the exhibition area! hee hee!), I discovered Starbucks love, I quit the Design Team, had some health issues, went to dinner with friends and basically just worked and chilled...

I have been updating my scrapbooking blog heaps more so you can always head there if you're really keen ;)

OK so here we are in Rome... god bless the B&B for having internet!! The updates have been so bad cause we just couldnt get to an internet cafe. Unfortunately cant upload photos though so youll have to wait. We are here for 2 nights then back to the UK on friday and HOPEFULLY to Amsterdam still.

You see Italy did not go to plan... we woke on Tuesday morning with Mikes heart in AF. Again! On holiday - again!

For those of you who may not know Mike has a little heart issue that decides to flare up from time to time (every couple of years so far). It goes into a spassy rhythm. This was the 4th time, the second time overseas. So we spent all of Tuesday in Sorrento hospital.

At the end of the day after being pumped with drugs they didnt want to shock it back so we just left with some lovely injections. He woke the next morning with it back in sink (cant spell) so we are just playing it by ear right now and taking is slow.

We did manage to get out to Pompei on Monday which was cool, not what I expected but still fastinating. Well be exploring Rome today on one of those hop on hop off tours... cant wait to see some more sights. Have to do some serious handbag shopping before we leave.

We are starting to miss this little comforts of home but the next week will fly so trying to make the most of it.

Send good thoughts for Mike ;)

Smiles, Mike and Neen

Another car show... this time it was the Kumeu Hotrod Show just west of Auckland. Supposed to be the biggest and best in the country. But I can tell you big doesn't equal best... it was ok but we were a bit disappointed. We thought there be more business and ideas... there were a lot of cars though.



1. What could be, 2. I want one :(, 3. Classic, 4. This car is hydromatic..., 5. Mike dribbles..., 6. Mineeeeee... hee hee, 7. One Bad EH, 8. Pretty/Mean, 9. Row of Blowers

You've gotta love a well tuned body clock. Even after staying up to see in the new year I was wide awake bang on 6.30am.
So I decided to walk down to the bach with the camera.

If you click on the photos ever there on the side bar -> it will take you to the full sized versions.

We took ourselves to the madness of Mount Manganui. This is what greeted us when we turned up.. nice to be loved hee hee

Kept it low key - hung out at our friend Deans flat with a few drinks.

And then we headed to the beach... after parking waaay too far away we ended up running to get there for the countdown... made it with a minute to spare. Watched the fireworks then walked down the beach before heading back to bed.

We took ourselves to the madness of Mount Manganui. This is what greeted us when we turned up.. nice to be loved hee hee

Kept it low key - hung out at our friend Deans flat with a few drinks.

And then we headed to the beach... after parking waaay too far away we ended up running to get there for the countdown... made it with a minute to spare. Watched the fireworks then walked down the beach before heading back to bed.