A pictorial telling of our new toy

Recently, we bought a new swing set for the kids at a garage sale for $50 - what a bargain!  I was tempted to get the trampoline that was for sale also but the springs and joints were rusted - which is common place here in Raro - and I was told by the owner that they springs and joints "ping" if anyone heavy junps on it and they need to be reattached.  while I realise the tramp is intended for the kids there is no way I'd ever be able to keep Janine off it - not that I'm saying she's heavy AT ALL (50 something kgs pleaassssseeee!)

Anyway, here's how the story of picking it up unfolded...



"All aboard!"



"I Bags Driving!"





"Can I drive dad?"



"Don't drive angry..."





"Check your side mirrors..."



"Cos we got a mighty convoy..."



Ummm, wasn't the swing meant for us kids Mum?





"Oh go on then...spoil sport!"







International Football Comes to the Cook Islands

Saturday saw the a Cook Islands selection take on the might of...Waitakere City.  OK, so the term 'international' was used broadly, but in effect both teams were from different countries!  And, Waitakere are the reigning NZ club champions so they are a very good side with several past, present, and age-group NZ reps in their ranks.  And they showed it on Saturday beating the Cook Islands 9-1! 
This match was used as a warmup for  the CI team that leaves tomorrow for the South Pacific Games in Noumea where they'll meet the likes of Tonga, PNG, Samoa, Fiji, Kiribati and the like.
Football isn't overly popular here in the Cooks but due to their affiliation with FIFA are the wealthiest sport on the island.  The ground they played at is a wonderful facility.  This is the same venue where I played 5-a-side earlier in the year and the players on the Cooks team are some of those I played with and against during that tournament.  I was in illustrious company indeed...and got showed up for the social hack I am.  This is certainly not Patutahi Football ground in Ngatapa, Gisborne!

Kick Off.  The Cook Islands were doing well at this stage
with the score being 0-0!

So far, so good for the Cooks.

Waitakere attacking - a common occurrence!

A corner for the Cooks

While the Cook Islands started well they soon showed defensive frailties at the back and Waitakere's superior skill eventually told and it turned out to be a bit of a hiding.  Nonetheless, it was a great occasion and enjoyed by all.

One minor irritation for me was the ground announcer who kept referring the the score as "5 points to 1"... They're not points, they're goals!  He had a pony tail so what do you expect!

Last Man Standing Part 2

You will all no doubt know that Janine has been taken ill this week and has had 3 days off work, most unlike her.  Well today, day 3 of the illness I finally took her up to the hospital and they quickly shoved an i.v. tube into her and rehydrated her as she was severly dehydrated.  The nurse said "At least you have a little pink back, unlike the pale person that came in".  I hope she's ok to get on the plane on Sunday morning, otherwise I'll be taking her place!  She seems a little better now and even managed to eat a bit of my bacon and egg sandwich!

De ja voux...  "Your usual bed Ms Fiebig?"

My Life in 15 songs

I like to keep in touch with what's going on back home in NZ, and the world, through http://www.stuff.co.nz/.  They say you have never really fully assimilated into a new environment until you no longer refer to news from the 'old land'.  Guess I'm still in the assimilating process and yet to be completed! 

Anyway, the above mentioned site has a number of very good blogs on it, one of which is "Blog On The Tracks", http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blogs/blog-on-the-tracks, which is a music blog that in its time has discussed such bands/musicians as Queen, Neil Young, Prince, Midnight Oil, U2 unfavourably!) so is right up my alley.

The latest offering is a wonderful little exercise in summing up your life in 15 songs with the job split into 5 sections of 3 songs each.  Read the blog for further details but basically the criteria is:
3 songs from the first 3 or 4 albums you owned.
3 songs from your college days
3 songs from your early working life
3 songs gained/introduced from someone else, ie their influence
3 songs from favourites over the last 3 years (by far the hardest criteria!)

For a real music buff like me this was a difficult job becasue the choices were so huge, but I managed to come up with a final list, which is:

3 songs from early album:  

Dreadlock Holiday (10CC)

Children of the World (Bee Gees)

Little Girl (Mink Deville)

3 songs from High School: 

Fool in the Rain (Led Zeppelin)

Mary of the Fourth Form (Boomtown Rats )

’39 (Queen)

3 songs from early work days:

Lady Cab Driver (Prince)

And She Was (Talking Heads)

Hurt so Good (John Mellancamp)

3 songs from last 3 years:

Hey Soul Sister (Train)

Empire State of Mind (Jay-Z)

California Girls (Katy Perry)

3 songs from others:

Bittersweet (Big Head Todd & the Monsters)

Dance with Life; the brilliant light (Bryan ferry)

She Moves in her Own Way (The Kooks)

And there it is, my life in 15 songs... 

Add a comment with your selections, I'd be interested to read what others are!

Last Man Standing!

The Raro equivalent of Delhi Belly - the Raro Runs - seems to have inflicted our family with much nastiness and hasty retreats to the bathroom with all but myself (so far) coming down with the bug.  It can't be food as colleagues children have or are suffering the same ailments.  So I left the house this morning with George and Emily tucked up in bed with Mum and Joshua confined to his room, all feeling rather sorry for themselves - poor buggers.  I do know how they feel as I have suffered through a dose of campolabactor (spelling?), or food poisoning my self.  It was debilitating and almost put me off chicken (the suspected cause) for life.  My doctor actually advised that I never eat chicken that I haven't cooked myself.  That way you know its 'history' and that it has been cooked properly.

This is what we need at our place at the moment...or not!