January 19, 2008

  • ...well...

    Bon Jovi ROCKED!

    (Thanks Connie)

    I had a great night!

    After the concert we went out for pancakes.

    (Yum)

    Ross had been out to a bucks night, so once I was on my way home
    I rang him (on hands free, of course) and said
    "I'm just on my way home now"

    and he said

    "Me too!"

    so I said

    "where are you?"

    and he said where.

    and it turns out that he wasn't far behind me on the motor way.

    So I slowed down so he could catch up,
    and once he caught up, he pulled in front of me
     and we drove home in a two car convoy.

    Once we got home we thought we'd check the tennis score,

    (Baghdatis Vs Hewitt)

    Only to discover it was a REALLY close match,
    that was only two sets in.

    So we settled in to watch it.

    ... and ended up going to sleep at 4.30am.

    *yawn*

    What a good night!

    .

  • Big weekend!

    With TK still away overseas, Ross and I decided to take full advantage and do something we couldn't normally do. Meet up after work and go to dinner and a movie before coming home.

    We saw Juno which I recommend to anyone who saw and loved Little Miss Sunshine. I believe it's from the same producers. The script is very dry and sarcastic. We loved it.

    Tonight, Ross is off to a bucks night, and Connie won tickets to the Bon Jovi concert tonight and asked me if I wanted to go with her. I SO did!

    I'm actually stoked she asked me. I was a huge fan in the 'Bad Medicine' days. *blush*

    Tomorrow we have to put a bunch of stuff out kirbside, as there is a hard rubbish collection on Monday, we are using this oppertunity to get rid of the ugly old black vinyl sofa (from the same era as Bon Jovi maybe?) ... which will make way for the NEW sofa that I went and put a deposit on yesterday!

    Hurrah!

    .

January 17, 2008

January 12, 2008

  • Lurking...

    About 10mins ago I was chatting with TK via gmail chat and he went offline.

    I'm lurking about here hoping he'll come back online again.

    It's so weird talking to him via chat.

    He even said LOL, which shocked me.

    Who taught my 10yr old chat lingo!?

    (... and 10! When did my baby get to be 10?)

    .

January 10, 2008

  • Sad.

    Everest conqueror Edmund Hillary dies


    January 11, 2008 - 9:52AM

    Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary has died, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has announced.


    He died on Friday morning at the age of 88.


    Sir Edmund became the first person to stand on Mt Everest, the world's highest peak, on June 2, 1953 - the day of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.


    His chance to make his mark in history came when selected for the 1953 British expedition to climb Mt Everest, led by former commando Colonel John Hunt, later Lord Hunt.


    On the mountain, the first assault team that tried to reach the 8848m summit was driven back by altitude sickness.


    Hillary, who was renowned for his fitness and speed, was chosen along with Sherpa Tenzing to try next.


    As he and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay descended from the May 29 attempt on the mountain, Hillary told fellow climbers: "We knocked the bastard off."


    Clark said that the passing of Hillary was a profound loss to New Zealand.


    "My thoughts are with Lady Hillary, Sir Edmund's children, wider family, and close friends at this sad time," Clark said in a statement.


    "Sir Ed described himself as an average New Zealander with modest abilities. In reality, he was a colossus. He was an heroic figure who not only 'knocked off' Everest but lived a life of determination, humility, and generosity."


    .


     

January 7, 2008

  • Our Paperweights arrived today...

    The parcel with the paperweights that Ross and I made at Hoglund Art Glass Studio arrived in the mail today, so I thought that now was a good time to post a few photos that I took in New Zealand:

    My parents:

    2007_dad_and_mum

    This is actually one of the nicest pictures of my parents that I have ever taken. Usually my father pulls a face, ruining almost every photo of them that I have. This time he was talking to my brother and ignoring the fact that I was taking a photo.

    This is Ola Hoglund helping Mum remove the finished paperweight from it's punty (that's the long metal rod he's holding):

    Ola_helping_mum

    The glass is red hot, Mum choose a blue center for her paperweight, the same colour as Ross' in the picture below.

    The pink paperweight is mine, and blue one Ross':

    our_paperweights

    As you can see, I got a bit carried away trying to be artistic with mine, Ross' actually turned out really nice in a very understated way, mine is a bit over the top!

    .

January 3, 2008

  • Hi Honey, we are home!

    In a weird kinda way, this morning I left my home to come home.

    I've no idea what on earth possessed me to buy tickets for the flight that leaves NZ at 6am...  meaning that we had to be at the airport at 4am... BLURGH.

    The cats seem pleased to see us, and I'm pleased to see my own bed.

    TK should be arriving in Nigeria any time soon!

    *gulp*

    .

December 31, 2007

December 30, 2007

  • Strawberry Cheesecake Slice

    Mum asked me to make this Cheesecake Slice for Christmas day, it was really nice so I thought I'd record the recipe here in case you'd like to try it, and so that I know where it is if I want to use it again. 

    If you try it, let me know what you think!

    250g packet vanilla wine biscuits, finely crushed
    150g butter, melted
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    500g cream cheese, not lite or spreadable, softened
    4 tablespoons liquid honey
    150g vanilla flavoured yogurt
    1 vanilla bean
    1 tablespoon gelatin, dissolved in warm water
    6-8 strawberries, sliced
    1 packet strawberry jelly crystals, dissolved in 1 cup hot water and cooled.

    Combine biscuit crumbs, melted butter and cinnamon. Press mixture into the base of a 28cm x 18cm dish and chill.
    Beat cream cheese with honey until smooth, Blend in yogurt, seeds scraped from the vanilla bean and dissolved gelatin. Pour over biscuit base and chill until set. Arrange strawberries over filling, pour jelly over (you might not need it all) and chill at least two hours.

    (makes 12 slices)

    Eat!

    .

    Tomorrow Ross and I head back to Wellington for a New Years Eve, before heading back to Australia in a couple of days.

    I hope you all have a happy and safe New Year!

    .

December 28, 2007

  • paperweight making...

    Today I dragged the family across to Nelson (approx a 2hr drive from Picton) to the Hoglund Art Glass Studio.


    We (My parents, My brother (Jason) and SIL (Pauline), their two children, Ross and me) did a studio tour (which wasn't really so much of a tour, as a chance to watch the glass artists at work.)


    We watched them make an Eclipse Vase similar to this:



    Afterward, my Mum, Pauline, Ross and I did the 'Paperweight Making Experience' which meant they helped us each make a paperweight, we 'gathered' the glass, added the coloured glass (frit), twirled the rods (which are so much bigger and heavier than the mandrels we use for bead making!), and shaped the glass into a domed shape using cherrywood tools... I must say the experienced glass artists from Hoglund did a lot of the hard work, but they let us do what we were able, and they were very patient and kind about our efforts!


    It's an amazing place, the glass art they have there is stunning (but very expensive, the red vase I fell in love with was only $9,900... *gulp*


    I did however buy myself a middle sized penguin.... very cute.



    Our paperweights are being annealed for 20hrs and they'll post them over to Australia for us, I'll post a photo when we receive them!


    It's a pricey adventure, but loads of fun, and really interesting if you are even remotely interested in art glass.


    .