A Winter Christmas Update

Here is a picture from our backyard of me toboganning down the back hill. We had taken some care in "grooming" our trails and used shovels and our backsides to make the runs as good as possible (not necessarily as "smooth" as possible. We have also noticed that each day the tobogan runs get a little icier and therefore more bruise-worthy. The first victim down each trail truly takes a few moments to recover at the bottom before getting back on their feet. Truly great Canadian fun!!


Here is a picture of the whole family. We found out on Christmas morning that Kathy and Rob are expecting another baby in the summer (Canadian summer, that is), so that makes two new babies on the way, 10 adults and 5 toddlers right now. What a great day it was on Boxing Day to have everyone in the same house. Loud, but good to see everyone and to see the cousins all hanging out.


This is a picture from the kitchen window of the backyard, looking at two deer that have been visiting while we have been in Canada. What a nice treat to see "real" wildlife in the back yard. Squirrels, Raccoons, skunks, deers, fat cats and my mom is convinced there is some other type of monster/animal that has a weird musk that we have smelt outside at night; as of yet, we have yet to witness it. It may go down in the story books somewhere with the Abominable Snowman.....

Funny story from the other night. We were all sitting around playing a board game called Catch Phrase (my parents, my two brothers and their wives and Bryce and I). I was sitting with my feet under the coffee table and felt like I had a rough toenail so I was picking at it (read on, I guarantee the story gets better) and ripped a few pieces off my toenail. I looked around and didn't know where to put these things so I found a pop/fizzy drink can that was empty and threw them in there, and didn't think about them again. So, we just finished playing the game and having lots of laughsand then Tim (my oldest brother) decided to take a drink from his pop can. Little did he know that his little sister had tainted the contents.
The next thing I know, I am looking at my brother's face which is filled with disgust, and he is curiously looking at his fingers which are holding the piece of toenail that he has just pulled from his mouth. He couldn't figure out what had scratched his throat after taking a sip of his pop (the can I had assumed was finished and already garbage). Ooops. Very funny though. The room was roaring; a great family memory.
Going skiing tomorrow and just loving being here. More updates to come.

In Canada!!

So, here I sit, at my parents computer in Canada, looking through the computer screen I so often see from the "other side" when I talk to them on Skype. Still can't really believe I am here, I have missed being home so much. I DO love New Zealand, but sometimes its just nice to be at "home". I had a nice "Daddy/Daughter night" tonight, dinner and Christmas shopping with my dad. it wasn't as productive as we have been in the past, but I think we were just enjoying each others company more and not as focused on actual shopping.
There is SO much snow here. I would like to get some photos on here, but it will have to wait until I get back, seeing as our camera is weird that way. But you really should see this: so much snow that most corners are dodgy for drivers because of the snowbanks being in the way of vision, deer climbing around the backyard looking for food to graze on but not finding any because the snow is up to their stomachs, huge snowplows that are easily 1-2 highway lanes wide that were used at the airport to creat even BIGGER snowbanks. And then of course, all the boots and slush that are everywhere. The coolest are on my nephew Asher, who has funky boots that light up when he stomps. He and Abby (my niece) are just so rugged up with fleece and puffy jackets when we go outside, its very cute. And its very cold. And it gets dark at 5pm. A huge change for a girl who has been seeing sunsets at 9pm and who got sunburnt last weekend. So I freeze in this country, but also itch because I am "peeling". What an odd phenomenon.
Bryce arrives late on Friday night, so it will be great when he gets to see the winter Christmas we have been gifted this year. Lots of fun plans ahead. Will keep you posted.

Movember is over.....

So I liked the Mo while it was here, but after Bryce shaved it, I must say, I'm happy the old look is back. He no longer looks like he should be wearing a sombrero, or driving a big old motorbike, so it's good.
The night he shaved it off, he decided to do a Mo-Show and shaved off little bits and then showed off the "new look". Pretty creepy at times, but a good laugh. Thought I should share....

We did it!

So, after all the training, and long hours on the bike, we both achieved our goal at the Taupo race this year. Bryce was training for 2 laps of the lake, 320km in total and I was aiming to beat my time on 1 lap (160km). Bryce started his race at 1:30am with Carl and Denise in the Giant van as his support crew. There were 54 other mad people, like Bryce who were at the start line early in the morning, and all of them keen to get around the lake as fast as possible so that the second lap wasn't taking too long. Bryce completed the race in 10 hours and 55 minutes and was thrilled. He had hoped to do it in less than 12 hours, so needless to say, he was smiling most of the night after the ride. I have done the race by myself (other saner people do it in groups of 2 or 4 to split up the distance) 2 times before this year and each time was over 7 hours (7:05 and 7:10). This year I did it in 6hours 11 minutes. So I was very happy with the outcome of all the hard training I had put in too. Rachel, Mark and Jess all rode around the lake too, each with great results. So all in all, everyone had a fantastic day/weekend and although I was hurting throughout the race and vowing never to do it again....I may be reconsidering and wondering if I have it in me to go under 6 hours. My butt hurts a lot less than it did on Saturday after the ride and I even treated myself to a massage tonight, so I am feeling pretty good post-event.
The question is then......what next?

Wild Wellington 12 Hr Relay

Bryce was part of a team (with Carl-who organised the Colorado trip that Bryce went on in June, Warwick and Josh) in the 12 hr MTB relay on Saturday on Mt Victoria in the heart of Wellington. (Brian-on the left-is from Colorado but was visiting last weekend and rode for another team, still wearing the Colorado shirt and supporting Carl's business).
It was nice to be close to the city and essentially, close to home. We have always had to drive to Rotorua to do these types of races so it was nice to not have 5 hours drive home "the day after" the race. Bryce and his team came 2nd, only 1 lap behind the 1st place team, who were essentially made up of pro-elite riders (but not a full lap, the boys worked hard to make sure they weren't "lapped"). Bryce's team was actually in 1st place about 6 hours into the race (not for the whole of the 1st 6 hours, but for a little bit during 1 or 2 laps)! So all in all, they did quite well, although he was shattered the next day, he is ready and waiting for the big 320km ride this weekend.
I am doing 160km and therefore only 1 lap of Lake Taupo (like most people) but Bryce will be heading around the Lake, riding through Taupo township and then riding out of town for ANOTHER LAP!!
Looking forward to the weekend, and to how we both will do and to the jacuzzi we have at the house we have rented!
On another note, it is less than a month until we travel back to Canada for Christmas and I am so excited! So many people and new babies to catch up with, and new pregnant bellies to view (Kristie, Laurie and Andrea!!)
School is going well, wrapping up for the end of the year so busy getting the new ones for next year tested and organised. Volleyball season is just finishing up and the Senior girls won the finals and the Junior girls won the semi-finals tonight so we shall see how they go next week. I have been coaching both teams this year, but feeling quite proud of the successes we have been having, so it's been worth it. Our Tuesday night Volleyball Club (community) has been going well too. I did get yellow carded two weeks ago, but I swear, I was just kidding. I didn't mean to throw the ball at that girl's head. Truly.

Movember

So, here is my hunk of spunk and his tribute to "Mo"vember. Men in New Zealand (and it seems it is catching on all over now) have brought back the "Mo" as a way to draw attention to the reality of Prostate Cancer and how too many men don't get themselves checked out until it's too late. Bryce is not fundraising (this year) but is still supporting the cause by "looking cool". You be the judge. Its all over in December though.

Carl and Denise's Wedding

Well, they finally did it. After dating for 12 years, Carl and Denise got married on Saturday at a gorgeous winery just outside of Napier. The theme of the night seemed to be "Good things take time" which seemed fitting being at a winery. The weather was great and it didn't start raining until we were inside for dinner. Denise was gorgeous and reminded me of Snow White with her jet-black hair and red lips. Really, she was stunning.
Bryce looked very handsome too, as Best Man and gave a very good speech. It was a great night and it was fun to catch up with everyone. I really like the pic of Bryce and I when the photographer Anita, caught us laughing in between poses.

Tour of Waikanae 2007

So Bryce completed his 100KM mountain bike race in good form last weekend. He was dry retching at the 65km mark but came right after some food and some good distraction from some friends. This weekend he competed in a team relay called the Motu Challenge and completed a 70ish mountain bike ride. So his training is going well.
Today I did the Tour of Waikanae which was a lap race of 25km and you had your choice of doing 1, 2, 3 or 4. I did 4 and completed 100km in 3hr:46:46. I even had a sprint finish with another guy so I definitely had some energy at the end. I think I have sorted out how to eat properly for these long races and that made a huge difference. For Robyn and any other racing geeks out there, I spent 3 hours above 80% of my max heart rate, my average was 27.1 km/hr, (but was 27.6 for the first 50km) and I burnt about 3000 kcal! I am thrilled with my ride and pretty happy with the amount of training I have been doing, so it makes it all worth it. The only problem is that the Taupo race is 60km longer and has many, many, many more hills (considering the race today had only 1 hill). The results showed that I came 8th female overall for the 100km and 6th in my age category. Pretty happy really!
It was a massively windy day so it was nice to have the tailwinds at times to rest in (even though the crosswinds and headwinds were pretty exhausting). Mark and Rachel each did 50km and they enjoyed the challenge as a good prep for the Taupo race. We still have over a month to go before the ride so I better get moving. More training to do!
Next weekend, Carl and Denise's wedding!!

I think he might be missing a few screws.....

Well, we are off this weekend to Rotorua yet again, to "challenge the forest" to Bryce's endurance, or the other way around..... This is a crucial part of Bryce's training for the 2 laps of Lake Taupo at the end of next month (320km on the road). Like I said, a few screws might be missing.....Truthfully, I am very proud of him and think he'll be thrilled at the end of this season with all he has accomplished with his body this season. It will make him ready for a Canadian winter full of lethargy and eating!!
So here is a link to the copy of the map of the race course for Sunday, 100km on mountainbike trails. It won't mean much to many of you, except for the fact that it is obviously very long. Wish him luck!! Not looking for a place....just to finish!

http://www.n-duro.co.nz/series/evcmaps.php

P.S. For those of you who were worried....it's warmer here today!

CK is cold!

I am sometimes reminded that New Zealand is not the tropical set of islands that many Canadians think of when I tell them where I live. And today is one of those days. I am not sure exactly how cold it is outside, and its not nearly as cold as a Canadian winter.....but when you are expecting it to be Spring and you were wearing flip flops and t-shirts the other day, you don;t expect to have frozen fingers while typing at a computer! I think its worse knowing that my friends and family back home are experiencing an unusually long summer with gorgeous highs of 30 most days.... At least summer is around the bend. However, Bryce and I will be back in the full of winter since we are going home to Canada for Christmas! Ah well, the things you do for family!

Pirate Party

One of our friends had a birthday party and said it was a Pirate Party, so here is our attempt at looking like pirates and wenches. Personally, I am still impressed with my tinfoil swords...
From left: John, Kim, me, Bryce and Clare.
Bryce was an "All-Black" pirate since the AllBlacks game was on from the World Cup that night too.

Never run with a fork....

A classic....Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell

An Eruption!!

This picture shows the volcanoes in Tongariro National Park. On the right, the cone shaped volcano is Mt Ngauruhoe, and the bigger one on the right is Mount Ruapehu.

I have been saying since I got to NZ that I wish I had seen Mount Ruapehu erupt. It erupted in style in 1995 and was still steaming in 1996. Since then nothing, but Bryce and others mention how cool it looked back in the day. I say this all with the hope that if another one occurred I would hope it wasn't massive and devastating. I just think seeing evidence at how the earth is alive would be cool. We attempted to see lava in Hawaii, but poor planning (like not a lot of water or sandals with no socks on glass-like rock) and hot hot weather just didn't make it happen.
So anyway, last night Ruapehu came through for me, even if it was just a little burst. It erupted with some steam and ash that was sent straight up. Some debris actually landed on a tramper who got trapped and was in a serious condition. He seems to be the only one that got hurt from anything though. There were two lahars (massive mudslides mixed with rock) down the mountain but nothing that got in anyone's way. A little bit of excitement. At least I can say that I have been here while Ruapehu erupted!

Flight of the Conchordes

We have heard that our favourite folk duo from NZ is making it big in the US but not sure how much my fellow Canadians have heard. Enjoy, and if you like them, check out more of their songs on Youtube.

some more pics...

These are some pics from the half marathon I did in Taupo at the beginning of August. It was a cold, day, right by the lake with some yucky winds at times. I had two massive bursts of energy and adrenalin during the race but they were around halfway and 15km, not so much near the end. The end was miserable and very difficult to finish!! Lucky they were giving out massive Chocolate Fish (marshmallow yummy bars) at the finish line. Thats the only reason I do these things: the edible rewards!

10 Km run, last Sunday

So, I did another running race. Yep, my family keeps telling me (or more like I over hear them telling others) that I am weird to be doing this racing stuff. I like it though. It keeps me fit, or at least it allows me to eat what I want and not feel guilty about it. Plus, I like seeing what else my body "the machine" (he he) is able to accomplish. Don't see myself trying to climb Everest anytime soon, nor do I even think a full marathon appeals to me at this stage, but I do like seeing if I can keep running faster. So I am busy training for the big bike race around Lake Taupo (160km) again, which is in late November but had decided to try a 10km running race in the midst of the training. Did that in Petone on Sunday and did my personal best time for a 10km. Mind you, most of the time when I do 10km its only being in the halfway of a half-marathon, so its not like I am going "full-out" at that point anyway. I really enjoyed the race though, because it was shorter and therefore I DID feel like I could give it heaps and not worry about "lasting" the distance. I aimed for 55 minutes to try to beat Robyn's PB but achieved 57 minutes instead. I was passing lots of ladies and 1 man at the end though, so I felt like a winner on the day. Biggest frustration though was that the prizegiving was at 1:30 and I finished my race at 9:30 and wasn't keen on hanging around for 4 hours to maybe get a prize. Turns out I should have. I heard from 2 friends later that my name was called out for one of the major spot prizes! They were giving away portable DVD players and weekend getaways and all sorts of stuff and this is the ONE prizegiving I didn't go to. Sucks. Ah well. But it would have been cool....

This guy that I live with....

Yep, so Bryce has kicked my butt into gear and says that I need to update this more often, so tonight is a tribute to him. I will aim to get the most recent photos and stories on the blog to catch y'all up with Ckdownunder.
First up, we had a wicked lunar eclipse view a few weeks ago and it was a stellar night here so in between the times we got too cold to stay outside, Bryce and I nestled in our down jackets under the stars and watched the moon turn red. It was very cool. They say that back in the day, the ancient chinese thought that when the moon went red it was the "big dragon" coming to Earth, or something like that. I can imagine though, if you set all your timing, your planting crops, etc..etc, by the moon cycles and then one day the moon goes all red and eery, you might be thinking something random is happening. Not sure why they went the route of "dragon worry".....

How cute. I know I put more pics up of nieces and nephews but.....

This is Abby at a waterpark in London. You can't disguise that excitement!

Too funny

Another race result....

So, I ran another half marathon on the weekend. Did 2:13. Two minutes slower than in Wellington in June, but a different course (this one had hills!). Denise did really well and ran it in under 2 hours, which is my ultimate goal, but not achieved....yet! Will not give up until I can get there! May be next year though before I give it another go!

You have to check out this website and listen to Becky, an 8 year old Irish girl, who does prank calls to businesses. Very funny and a good laugh at the end of a long day of work.
http://www.johntedwards.com/2006/10/15/little-irish-girl-prank-calls/

Will have some shots (or maybe even videos) from the race up soon.

Max is 1!

I just love this picture. Your first birthday cake is always a good photo op, isn't it?

Bryce's MTBike trip to Colorado

Here is just one of the many photos Bryce took on his fabulous trip to Colorado and Utah for some great mountain biking. I was happy to see this picture when he was sitting in front of me, showing me the photos. Had he sent this picture to me while he was still in the U.S., I would not have been thrilled. Must be the worrier in me. Happy to say its not Bryce in the photo. He wasn't super keen on getting that close to the edge either!

Update...

These are the latest photos from a tramp we did before Bryce's trip to the US and Canada. Kirsten (Bryce's childhood friend), her boyfriend Ant, Bryce and I walked one of the "great walks" of New Zealand, the Tongariro Crossing. We didn't do the whole walk as you needed crampons because of all the snow and ice, but we did get to see some great sights. It was an awesome day and the weather held out pretty well for us. If you are on facebook, I have an album with more pics from this trip.
Bryce is now back safe and sound from his business/visit with my family/mountain bike holiday in Colorado and Utah trip. He was gone for over 3 weeks. HE just adored mountain biking everyday though and not having to worry about how to get to all the fabulous trails. The guides sorted out all the transport. He met some good friends on the trip too who are all kiwis and I'm sure future riding buddies here.
I go back to school on Monday for Term 3. These holidays have been pretty busy. I ran a Volleyball Workshop for some primary and early highschool aged children to try to get more skills being developed in this region. It was a success and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. I was pretty impressed with how much improvement the kids went through in just two days! Lets hope they come to our College now!
Yesterday I sent home a massive package with gifts for all the family birthday that have happened this summer. So Happy Birthday to Asher (Sept) Abby (July), Kristie (July), Maire (June), Raelen (June, I think...he was JUST born this year), Max (July) and Robbie (August).
And a big Happy Birthday to all my girls who are turning 30 this year. Wow. It doesn't sound as old as it used to, eh?

I did it!

This is a picture of me finishing my half marathon in 2003 when I walked the whole thing. The next year I did 2hr35min. In 2005, Bryce and I got our car towed after registering, and since my shoes were still in the car, we had to abandon the race. Then last year I finally got under 2& 1/2 hours with 2hr22min. Well, today I dropped 11 minutes and ran 21km in 2hr11 minutes. So I think the next challenge is to get under 2hours. I think I could do it. I felt good today and only had some knee pain in parts of the run. I passed the halfway mark under 1 hour, so it "could be done". Problem today was partially due to the 7o km/hr winds at my face the whole way back.

We had a great weekend. Carl and Denise came for a visit. We headed down to Wellington to pre-register for the race (Denise did the 10Km). Then had a nice walk through the Botanic Gardens and took the Cable car down into the city. Caught up with Donal and bought a new wool winter jacket.
It's so weird buying a winter jacket when Bryce is away in the "summer" of Denver on his mountain bike holiday, seriously sweating it up. Looks like he had a great time in Canada though. Including being the recipient of the International Distributor award for his company at his conference. He was very humble but its a huge achievement! I spoke to him over the webcam with the family in the background, including the babies. Hard to watch all my favourite people be together and not try to jump through the screen! Especially when they held up the "party pack size" of Clamato. Unfair....

My knees are very sore tonight as I sit and vedge in front of the fire and eat chocolate. I have some wicked blisters from the run, so I am hobbling around the house a bit. All good. The accomplishment feels well worth the pain. Question is: What to train for next?

Enough is enough....

Okay, this is New Zealand. An island in the Pacific. So what's the deal with frost on the grass this morning? This was not in the contract I signed when I decided to move to an "island nation". It was supposed to be flip flops and tank tops all year round!!

Truthfully, its nice to sit in front of the fire each night, but with Bryce away, it IS a bit chilly around the house. 20 nights left and he'll be back. And truly fit. He's away on business for a week, then a BBQ with Robyn and some of my ladies in Toronto, then with my parents and Rob and Kathy for a night, and then he flies to Denver to play MTBikes with a group who will be riding trails throughout Colorado and Utah for 14 days. How great for him!

I bought heaps of seafood which is something B does not enjoy so much so although the house is a bit stinky now, I'm eating like a star!

Half marathon is on Sunday, and although the week started off with some serious shin splints, I think I am on track for Sunday. Carl and Denise are coming for the weekend too. Then one more week of school.
Plans for the holidays are: Volleyball Coaching Course, Volleyball Workshop that I am running for 10-15 year olds, Computers course (not so excited about this one, but figured I should go), a visit with Pam and Sam, a night out at a play in the "cultural megacentre" of Levin with Mark and Rachel, and maybe a spa day in there somewhere. There were some plans for a trip to Fiji, but they didn't eventuate. All good. I am going home to Canada for Christmas, so thrilled about that! Only 6 months to go!!

check this out

http://bebo.com/watch/4179383135

It doesn't seem to link right away, so just cut and paste to see this. The Flight of the Conchordes are a musical comedy duo who are from New Zealand. Always good value. Would love to see them live.

Abby

Cute pic for her birthday invite. I can't believe she is almost a year old. I was with her in BC last year when she was born. How cool. Crazy thing is Bryce will be with the family next week as part of his business trip/mountain bike holiday. He is going to have a great time. Fun with the fam and then 12 days of mountain biking in Utah/Colorado.
I have the half-marathon in two weeks. A bit nervous; more about weather than anything else.
Yesterday, Bryce and I drove up to the mountains/volcanoes to see Kirsten and Ant. Kirsten is Bryce's best friend from childhood and we haven't seen her in about 4 years so it was great to catch up and meet Ant, her boyfriend. We went on a 7 hour tramp along the Tongariro Crossing, which is a NZ classic walk. I will get the pics on here soon for sure. It was an awesome day! A bit of a sore bum today though....

Im becoming nerdier each day....its great!

Finally discovered how to input videos onto my blog. Enjoy! I loved this one of the soccer ball!

Baby Max

Need to update this blog and get some new pics of Nisha up as well, but had to show this very cute new pic of Max (Tim and Kristie's son).

My niece Abby and nephew Asher

Bryce the photographer

So here is our house, on a night with a full moon, and Bryce using some of his fancy techniques to write on the picture. But he didn't do any of this on a computer. I think it was just a slow shutter speed and then he stood in front of the camera with a little LED light and wrote HOME (like you would with a sparkler). I like it.

Easter tramping

We had a fantastic time over Easter going hiking/tramping with Mark and Rachel. Two nights, three days, in 2 different back country huts, 17 hours walking. Mark and Rachel surprised us by being the serious gourmets and preparing a cheesecake (from scratch) to serve us "in the bush". What a treat! Along with wine and everything. The wine was great, but not something I would have wanted to carry in my pack for 7 hours!

gross

Check out this massive spider that was hanging on the wall just beside the bed. I freaked out and jumped on the bed and did a little yelp. Bryce called out and said, "is it a big one?" I said, "uh huh."
As Bryce walked casually into the room, carrying Eddie (the cat) he saw the thing and freaked out equally. Both of us were packing for our tramp/hike the next day, but couldn't deal with this thing being in our house, having been in the room!!
It was dealt to.

Blogg webcam attempt

Movie Night

This is our own outdoor movie set-up. I borrowed the screen and projector from work and Bryce hooked up the surround sound, and we had some friends over to eat yummy homemade popcorn and watch Tom Cruise under the stars. It was great!
The last month has been a whirlwind, with school dean-ing, assistant HOD PE stuff, and of course volleyball. We travelled 8 hours to Tauranga with 20 students and 4 adults, for a week of volleyball. It was fun but tiring!
Off tramping/hiking for the next few days and then 2 weeks off for school holidays. Doesn't feel like too long ago I was in Japan for the last holiday break!!

More Japan pics

Here's a start to the pics from Japan that I have been waiting to put on this site. The first one is of a temple we went to with a massive Buddha in it. This was in Nara, where they had deer roaming wild in the streets who harassed you and bit a few of us in the bum.

This is a picture of Harajuku, where lots of people have their own style (much like the girls in the Gwen Stefani videos). Note the name of the street: TAKEASHITA STREET

Here is a picture from a town outside of Tokyo where we rented some tobogans and hooned down the ski hill. Reckless westerners......

This is from the awesome sumo tournament we went to. Huge men, intimidating each other several times before the actual "wrestle" begins....

Here is Sayaka and me in front of the Kinkakuji temple. Covered in gold. Just stunning to see.

All the students in kimonos....

On the island of Miyajima, looking at a pagoda, while being reckless westerners on our bikes. Had a yummy japanese pizza pancake that day called OKONOMIYAKI.