Sandra, Al, and Claire are here! Finally, real live Visitors! We are having fun letting them be the dumb American instead of us. We actually get to explain things, like what the verb "sus" means and why they don't sell wine in the grocery store but instead at the bottle shop. They are adapting quite well. Claire and Karl are well behaved... occasionally. In addition to the Rosen family there is another member of our family we would like to introduce you to, Lucky. As in, "That bird is Lucky to be alive." He is a Budgie we found in a parking lot sitting on a minivan. He may be the most handsome Budgie in New Zealand. He also makes a disgusting mess and he likes Karl better than he like me even though I feed him and clean his cage.
Anyway, we are waiting to see if his owners claim him from the ads we have put out. However, I think this may be a case similar to The Ransom of Red Chief. No one seems to want the cheeky bird back. It has been nearly a month since Lucky's arrival so we have given him an upgrade in his living space...a real cage! He got to move out of the china cabinet where he had been happily residing when not riding on Karl's shoulder leaving little gifts on his shirts. (Don't worry, I sweep him off before he returns to the office.)
So, since I last posted anything, we have been all over the place. Queenstown is our new favorite place. A lovely resort town in the mountains which also happens to be surrounded by vineyards. We also got out to Fjordland, specifically to Doubtful Sound and the Tasman Sea.
What else shall I report? The Twelve Days of Christmas?
Twelve, the number of times Sandra beat us all at Gin Rummy.
Eleven trips to Hayes Hardware.
Ten new episodes of Flight of the Conchords.
Nine, the number of times Claire turned on the wind-shield wiper instead of the turn signal:)
Eight hypothyroid dogs, (inside joke...sorry I know its rude...but three of us think its FUNNY.)
Seven swans a swimming. (I'm running out of numerable stuff)
Six, what the word SEX sounds like when Kiwis say it! Seriously.
Five American tourists asking Kiwis silly questions.
Four trips to the Queenstown Airport.
Three visiting Rosens.
Two Christmas dinners.
And a Tui in a Pohutukawa Tree!
This is the sign on the way into Invercargill from the north. The sign is in reference to The World's Fastest Indian, which is a film starring Sir Anthony Hopkins about local character/hero, Burt Munro. I do recommend viewing the film. Just read the sign and think about it for a minute. I won't make too much fun of it as I am sure to take a bunch of heat from our Kiwi friends as it stands. This sign just cries out to my desire to read things literally and make sarcastic remarks! Alas, I restrain myself and leave it to you.
I know I have left out a plethora of stories, photo explanations and lists of recent grocery store prices but there is just so much. I would instead like to take this time to thank Sandra, Al, and Claire for visiting us. Thank you for all your love and generosity, your sense of humor and patience, and for traveling to the other side of the world to visit us. I hope everyone gets inspired by the pictures and decide to come and visit too. Just drink a little scotch while purchasing the plane ticket$, it will soften the blow.
What else shall I report? The Twelve Days of Christmas?
Twelve, the number of times Sandra beat us all at Gin Rummy.
Eleven trips to Hayes Hardware.
Ten new episodes of Flight of the Conchords.
Nine, the number of times Claire turned on the wind-shield wiper instead of the turn signal:)
Eight hypothyroid dogs, (inside joke...sorry I know its rude...but three of us think its FUNNY.)
Seven swans a swimming. (I'm running out of numerable stuff)
Six, what the word SEX sounds like when Kiwis say it! Seriously.
Five American tourists asking Kiwis silly questions.
Four trips to the Queenstown Airport.
Three visiting Rosens.
Two Christmas dinners.
And a Tui in a Pohutukawa Tree!
Karl & Claire at the Roaring Meg at the Kawarau Gorge in Central Otago. (you may need a very good map if you really want to know where these places are.)
This is the sign on the way into Invercargill from the north. The sign is in reference to The World's Fastest Indian, which is a film starring Sir Anthony Hopkins about local character/hero, Burt Munro. I do recommend viewing the film. Just read the sign and think about it for a minute. I won't make too much fun of it as I am sure to take a bunch of heat from our Kiwi friends as it stands. This sign just cries out to my desire to read things literally and make sarcastic remarks! Alas, I restrain myself and leave it to you.
I know I have left out a plethora of stories, photo explanations and lists of recent grocery store prices but there is just so much. I would instead like to take this time to thank Sandra, Al, and Claire for visiting us. Thank you for all your love and generosity, your sense of humor and patience, and for traveling to the other side of the world to visit us. I hope everyone gets inspired by the pictures and decide to come and visit too. Just drink a little scotch while purchasing the plane ticket$, it will soften the blow.
