Sorry to keep you all worrying folks (but thanks for the concern to those who were concerned. Interestingly enough, the concerned group does not include immediate family...)

Haven't been up to much of anything really... Lots of people have been coming and going in the last few weeks. Kinga, my German friend who I met about a month ago, was back last weekend before heading home. My favourite Canuck family, Pete, Kathy, Jenna & Kyle set off to Australia this week before being homeward bound. Kate & Dez, fellow long-termers are off on Monday. One thing about life in a hostel - it's always someone's last night in town! To apply Chad's summer camp analogy, we are the counsellors seeing everyone come and go.

An excuse for lack of blogging... routine! It's a killer! Right now, I get up about 6:30am, leave for work about 7:15 (30 min walk), work 8-5, getting home just before 6pm. Gemma & I usually go for a swim/workout, home for supper and all the sudden it's 8:30. We sit around/have a chat/watch a movie/read a book and call it a night. And that's been my life the past few weeks. Completely unglamourous but absolutely fabulous.

Weekends have been spent touring local establishments (it's only proper for people to have proper send offs) and shopping... for a car. And I bought one today!!!!!!!!! HAHA!!! I know, you're all thinking WHAT THE??!@###$!?? But let me explain. The bus system is crap. No, it's good but mucho expensivo. And leaves at shit times and hard to see all the cool places, blah, blah. This is a spectacular country that has to be seen on your own schedule. So, backpackers buy cars. it's easy and cheap and insurance isn't even necessary (although I willl get some Mom). Because the cars don't rust out like ours do (no salt on the roads or harsh winters), the market is flooded with 1980's cars that sell for cheap. How cheap? Well, being the start of winter, ths is mass exodus season for backpackers, so to pay more than $1000NZ is not neceassary. But, in 4-5 months time, when the backpackers return from migration, the prices double due to demand.

So instead of putting another $700-800 into rentals and buses, I just bought a 1985 Mitsubishi Mirage Estate station wagon (lots of room for those crazy islanders to come) for $750NZ (650 CDN). yes dad, I had someone look at it and it's in good shape. Now it just needs a name...

So now I'm off to drive on the wrong side of the road (easy enough to catch on to) and try not to stall in intersections (yep, it's a standard and even that's on the wrong side!). Haha... And now the adventure really begins!

Crap on a stick I just lost another blog.

Yes I am alive, no I haven't been kidnapped, yes that's all I'm going to say right now. Damn computer.