The last week

Haven't posted in a while, just because not much interesting has been happening. Last weekend we went to see a one man show by Ian McKellen (Gandolf). It was a benefit showing to raise funds for a theater in Christchurch that was damaged by the earthquake. It was a great show in a small venue, which meant we could actually meet and talk to him after the show.

The beginning of this week was stormy, so we couldn't get outside to play much. The Minneapolis wind tunnels have nothing on New Zealand. The rain is truly sideways, and don't bother with and umbrella, it does no good. I hear Wellington is worse. It's a bit like die Foehn in Switzerland that can level the trees on the mountain, only not as warm. Luckily these winds aren't around very often. You never quite appreciate the calm days until you're biking against these winds.

Yesterday, Kaleb had to work and I had nothing better to do, so I took the free casino bus to Hamilton. I knew I was at the right bus stop when I looked around and saw no one under twice my age. Very nice people though. I was able to get a voucher for a free lunch from the bus driver too. I have to say I prefer Vegas, and not just because of my fabulous friends there. The slot machines (or pokie machines as there called here) actually still give out coins. Of course this means that if you win something that is not divisible by $2, the casino gets to keep the difference. Also, they aren't as loose as the ones on Fremont street. Blackjack was also a bit strange. You can put an extra bet in the chance you get pairs. It rarely happens (why I wasn't doing this), but can pay out big. Also, someone can bet on your hand. So someone sitting next to you or standing behind you can place chips on your hand and hope you know what you're doing. No pressure, though. I didn't loose much money yesterday (which is a success) and got to see a bit of the countryside on a free bus. Not bad.
Next week, as it's Memorial day weekend, we'll be taking a trip to Taupo and Wellington. The 3 bus trip legs for the both of us cost less than $80. It will be nice to see somewhere different.
We've also signed up to run a race the first weekend in June. Since we're missing the entire tri season, we wanted to do something. Kaleb will be running a half marathon and I a 10k. It's right outside our house, so we know the route well.