I took Tau to the park to ride the train yesterday and took a few snaps along the way.

Thought I’d post them for the family who haven’t had the chance to visit. They are in our La Casa set on Flickr.

Enjoy!

I don’t believe it! I’m standing by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said, “The road uphill and the road downhill are one and the same!”

We had a wonderful time in Palm Springs for my 40th birthday this past weekend. Dave rented a gorgeous place with a pool and a hot tub, and we spent the weekend relaxing, sleeping in, going for coffee and yes, the three of us ate a whole birthday cake! It was mostly fruit and sponge cake, or so I keep telling myself.

Also, I have been wanting to buy a digital SLR camera for a long time now and with birthday contributions from various family members (thanks again all!), I was able to order my Canon Rebel XTi and a 50mm lens last week. It arrived in time to take away with us.

Thanks for your lovely cards, calls and flowers all!

Tau has some pretty strong memories of New Zealand.

“Who did we visit in New Zealand, Tau?”

“AJ-Julie … Jaimey-Mitch?”

“And what was the dog’s name?”

“JAPPA!” (their chocolate lab, Jasper)

“And the cats?”

“Tormie and ‘fasa?” (the Persians, Storm and Mufasa)

“And the other dogs we saw in Nelson? Sam and?”

“Sam ‘n ZOE!”

And on the subject of indigenous culture …

“And what did the ladies do with their hands at the dancing?”

This one takes a bit of coaxing but eventually he’ll do the soft hand vibrations Maori women do when they dance and sing, and then elaborate. “An’ the ladies … dancing with the white balls … and the sticks …” he tells us.

Yes, the ladies danced with the white balls and sticks. He sat on AJ’s lap — motionless, just soaking it all in — the full half hour of the performance.

“And what about haka, Tau?”

Sticks out his tongue and bugs out his eyes … “WHAAAA!” I tried to get a good picture but he didn’t want to perform for the camera!

The haka is a definite favorite on You Tube at the moment. The other day, Dave caught him, wandering around the house, muttering Ka Mate under his breath.

Coffee with marshmallow fish

 
What struck us most about our time in New Zealand was how simple and open the Kiwi lifestyle is.

We noted on more than one occasion how the small communities along Auckland’s North Shore are like the neighbourhoods Dave and I were raised in thirty-some years ago in South Africa.

Before I get into the specifics of our trip, here is a short list of Kiwi pleasures — the little things that made us smile and reminded us of childhood.

1. Small neighborhood shopping centers, each with their own bakery, butcher, post office, and dairy (cafe/tearoom/corner store).
2. Kids walking to and from school barefoot.
3. Hot, flaky meat pies — steak and kidney, chicken and veg — and piping hot, tender sausage rolls.
4. Main highways with only a single lane in each direction!
5. Custard slices. Gloriously creamy, sticky-icing-sugared custard slices!
6. A Friday night youth disco to raise funds for the local school.
7. Cadbury’s Flakes. Now available in dark chocolate — even better!
8. Tea rooms and coffee shops, where each cup is served with a chocolate-covered marshmallow fish.
9. Small, locally owned stationery shops. The kind that smell of paper and ink. That sell ornaments and gifts that children can buy with their own pocket money. The antithesis of Office Depot.
10. Fanta, still hideously orange and sold in glass bottles. Couldn’t bring myself to drink one but fun to look at none the less!

Perfect day on the beach at Matauri Bay, Northland  

We flew home from New Zealand the evening of December 26th and flew into Los Angeles around lunch time the afternoon of December 26th. No, I’m not suffering from jetlag — it’s all about the international date line!  

We had an absolutely fabulous three weeks in the land of the long white cloud. Spent much of our time with my brother AJ and his family but also did two trips — one to Nelson-Tasman on the northern tip of the South Island and one to Paihia and surrounds on the northern tip of the North Island. We also spent a relaxing two days with AJ and Julie up at their new bach on Omaha Beach, just an hour north of Auckland. 

New Zealand is a fascinating country and we have LOTS to tell. So much in fact that I’ll probably spend much of the month of January posting on NZ-related topics.

But in the mean time, I’d like to point you to a set of our holiday pics on Flickr. I’m without my favorite photo-shrinking and editing software, so photos are posted in full res and without any cropping or editing. C’est la vie! Apologies to those of you with slow Internet access! Also, some are pretty fuzzy — holding out on replacing the camera ’til some time next year.

Click on the mosaic below to view the set in sequence. Once you’ve done that, clicking on the individual pics in our photostream will show the title for each, which should give you a hint as to who’s who and what’s what.

Enjoy! 

Art by niece Jaimey,
aged 6 

L to R: Julie, Dave, Daddy (AJ),
Tau, Sue, Jaimey, Mitchell

All around the Christmas dinner table,
our picture being taken, hence the “Cheese!”

Apteryx Australis 
Giclee Print by J.e. Gould

If things have been quiet here on el rancho nobaddays, it’s because we have been busy with two big decisions.

Number one, I quit my job. Without another to go to. And on purpose. Yes, I did. 

It’s no secret that while I love what I do as a technical writer, I don’t love spending two hours a day in the car in order to do it. It was time for me to find work closer to home.  And time for something new. So yesterday, Friday, was my last day in the office.

I have a history of finishing up jobs on Friday only to start a new one on Monday, with zero vacation time on hand. This time round, I’m taking a month or so off so that I can rest, work on a few things around the house and then start looking early in the year. Ah!

Having the month of December free (FREE!) and Dave having enough vacation time saved up, we also decided (second big decision) to take a good long vacation. Three weeks in New Zealand!

Yes. On the spur of the moment we decided this! Those who know us well know how we agonize over things. Well, this decision took a matter of days. Days, I say! And we are thrilled and excited.

We will spend much of our time in New Zealand with my brother AJ and his family just north of Auckland. But we will also spend a good chunk of time touring around — just the three of us – toes in the summer sand and carefree.

And seeing my brother, meeting his wife Julie and kiddies Mitch and Jaimey, introducing them to Tau, will be truly thrilling for me. I haven’t seen Andy in over twelve years. Twelve! Can you say overdue?

We leave next week. Eek! And while we are away I’ll be taking a break from el blog – but I promise to take lots of pictures and I plan to keep a journal, so we will have lots to share on our return.

We are checking out of our hotel to go and stay for a while with our friends James and Vix in an area called Pacific Beach.

Erika and Tad, thanks for the offer to stay at your place but we figure that if we go to PB, we can’t go any further West — they are literally blocks from the beach.

If nothing else, this gives our families the peace of mind that we are TOTALLY safe and will not need to move again until we can hopefully go home.

James and Vix are about 10 miles away and the roads are good. They may be out this morning. If so, we’ll take Tau to the beach for a bit of normality. It may be tonight before we can update you all again.

Oh my. I’ve been trying to tell you all about our lovely week away in Santa Barbara for two weeks. And every time I do, we end up having to take our kid to the emergency clinic and so I tell you about that instead.

So, the short version, lest we be interrupted again. And to be honest, it’s Sunday evening and I’d like an early night but I really want to tell you about the fabulous time we had away.

We love Santa Barbara. Love it more every time we go there.

This time, Dave booked four nights in a snazzy little condo he found on the Internet. A property belonging to a couple that have clearly traveled extensively, as evidenced by the eclectic decor and shelves and shelves of travel books. I should mention the gourmet kitchen and the comfy couch that was big enough for all three of us to sit on to watch Clifford the Big Red Dog and the toddler-proof, easy-clean hardwood floors. No carpet to stain. But instead, I’ll suggest you go and take a look at our Santa Barbara set on Flickr. It really felt like home without, you know, feeling like home. (more…)

The beach at Manzanita looking North

Just kidding! Wouldn’t put you through that and I doubt anyone’s interested in a blow-by-blow of our week away.

But I did want to add a link to a small set on Flickr and give you a few short takes on our time on the Oregon coast.

Note: If you view the Flickr pics as a slideshow, click the [i] to see descriptions. Can you tell I write user manuals for a living?

And please pardon the lazy bullets. It’s been a brain-frazzly week.

• McMenamin’s Kennedy School Hotel (Portland) – So unbelievably cool! I added a few of pictures of our room and the hallways to the Flickr set but please also check out their web site. Beer and pizza in their movie theater and the kids are allowed? Woo-hoo! And about that lovely reflection pool? Tau started backtreading as soon as he got near it: “All done … no-no! … Waaaaah!” No amount of coaxing would stop him crying so we had to leave. Of course, once he spotted kids swimming in the pool through the window across the hallway from our room, it was all, “Pool … pool … Mama! POOL!” And pulling our sleeves to go back.
• Mish Mash — The house we rented a couple blocks away from Manzanita Beach with Dave’s brother Stu, his wife Kristi, nephew Kai, and Dave’s Mom and Dad. Mish Mash had everything we needed including beautiful views, a big garden for the kids to run (well, actually, more like ride … on Nanny’s back) and a great comfy kitchen and fireplace. Thanks to Stu and Kristi for organizing and bringing all the kid gear we couldn’t fit in our luggage: booster seat, Pack ‘n Play, rain gear, gumboots, kites, and lots and lots of fleece!

Mish Mash, Manzanita, OR 

• Time and space — This is what I love about a vacation with no agendas. Most days we had a late breakfast, went for a walk to the beach or into the village for a coffee, ate lunch, napped, cooked dinner, sat by the fire and then crashed around 9:30. And most afternoons, I went up to “nap” with Tau. In truth, I lay on our bed watching the waves crashing on the beach or reading a book. Yes, I read a book, with printed words and a cover and everything! A travel memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert called Eat, Pray, Love. Highly recommended.
• Cuzzling rivalry — Lets just say that the boys were not too keen on sharing. Not one bit. Which lead to a fair bit of squabbling and, “I don’t want him to” from Kai and “No, NOOOO! MINE!” from Tau. But of course the minute they were out of each other’s sight …. “Kai? Kai? Dad-dee … Kai?” and ”Uncle Dave, where Baby Tau?”
• Hanging out — Dave and Stu took off winetasting in the Willamette Valley all of Tuesday, just the two of them, which was great because they don’t often get that kind of time together. Which is a shame because they are close. That day, Kristi and I took the boys to the beach. It was the one truly warm, sunny day we had and Tau and Kai had a ridiculously happy time in the “river” at the top of the beach. Tau stood in the freezing cold water for 45 minutes and threw rocks. Ecstatic.
• Celebrating – Kai’s third birthday back on June 1 and Tau’s upcoming second this October. Grandad hung balloons, Kristi made a cake and the boys blew candles … and vied for who got ownership of the orange and the pink and the green balloon.
• Did I mention all the time and space? – Time for early morning yoga at the community center in nearby Nehalem. Slow, stretchy asanas and gentle light filtering in through the tall windows. And on the Wednesday, a delicious hour-long sea-salt scrub and massage with green tea and mint. Double AH!
• And finally, lovely walks on the beach — because what’s a week spent on the Oregon coast without long walks on the beach, all bundled up cosy?

Snug as a bug! 

Now go and look at all those pics!

Just back from a week on the Oregon coast.

You know you’re in Portland when …
Dashing from awning to awning in a downpour, you see a sign in a store window advertising their Birkenstock repair service.

You know you’re in the tiny beach community of Manzanita when …
Locals rolling up their mats at the end of yoga class chide their neighbor Bill for burning without a permit and bringing out the whole darn fire department.

You know you’re in transit in San Francisco when …
The heavily accented software engineer sitting across from you at the departure gate is discussing the philosophy of search algorithms and it sounds like poetry.

And you know you’ve landed back in San Diego late at night when …
You see girls pritzing along with their purse dogs, wearing halter tops designed to show off tattoos on the smalls of their backs.

We had a grand time at the beach with the family. Very relaxing. Stories and pictures to follow!

Sunday brunch at Bombay Exotic Cuisine of India

Crossing my fingers and toes; Tau is over pinkeye and the bronchiolitis has cleared, so we’ve had 9 (nine) whole nights of beautiful, solid sleep. Feel like a million smackeroos.

Saturday: Woke up early and snuck out quickly to yoga. Great class: Spine twisting, limb stretching, quiet. Dave, Tau, Nanny and Grandad headed over to the local farmer’s market for breakfast crépes, fresh flowers and to see the train. Over lunch, Dave and his Mom planted a few new things in the garden. Late afternoon, Dave and I got cleaned up and headed over to La Jolla for California tapas and drinks at a place called Azul’s. Very nice. With wine and a martini we shared four small plates: warm pistachio-crusted brie cheese torte, a pear and walnut salad, grilled halibut on wild black rice, and fennel-crusted lamb loin medallions. Yum. For dessert, I had espresso crème brulée and Dave had a strawberry mascarpone terrine, both with coffee. Tau didn’t miss us for a second. Love having the grandparents to stay!

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Quick Links: Our trip to South Africa | Dave’s 40th in Naramata | Tau 12-18 months | Thanksgiving on the Central Coast | Video Clips at You Tube |The Days of Christmas

I see skies of blue and clouds of white, The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night, And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. - Louis Armstrong

Dear friends and family,

Hello, and how are you? Twelve months ago today we were preparing to visit South Africa with three-month old Tau! A year later, we have no idea where the time has gone.

We spent the month of January with Sue’s family in Pretoria and Durban (see pics). During our time there we visited two game reserves, enjoyed some good restaurants and did quite a bit of shopping, but with a nursing baby found that we couldn’t get in as much as we had in previous trips. Still, we were glad to have the opportunity to introduce Tau to his grandparents and it found it hard to come home. And strangely, the trip made it poignant this year to watch Tau grow, knowing that our families don’t get to see him change every day as we do.

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Peachy Canyon Winery, Paso Robles

Thanksgiving 2006 was spent — just the three of us — in San Luis Obispo County, a 3-hour drive north of Los Angeles. Having woken at 4 a.m. on Saturday, we sped through LA before heading towards Santa Monica and then through Ventura — well worth the extra time to meander through these two towns. Headed into Santa Barbara for some breakfast, shopping and wine purchases at Cellar 205, a co-op winery in downtown SB that my crazy sister-in-law Linda told us about. Highly recommended is the Oreana 2004 Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara).

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Mark and I at the start of Tour de Julian 2006

Sue has asked me to write a couple entries of our latest meanderings around the sunshine state.  The first was trip was to the “mountains” near San Diego for some cycling, and the second was a trip to the Californian Central Coast for some R&R.

So my workmate, Mark, roped me into a weekend of road and mountain biking on Nov 11/12 in the small town of Julian (http://www.julianactive.com/tour%20de%20julian.htm & http://www.julianca.com), which is a scenic hour drive inland from San Diego.  Off we went, wives and kids in tow.  Unfortunately Sue & Tau had come down with a case of the winter cold/flu, yet were willing to go along with the flow - mostly for my sake. 

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