tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21974221548472012292024-03-04T21:43:02.519-08:00The Kiwi ChroniclesThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-60126661283183721562009-08-04T14:51:00.000-07:002009-08-04T15:21:44.734-07:00Abandon Ship! Abandon Ship!<div>Kia Ora Koutou,<br /><br /><div><div>The following are some pics from an outing we had here in Wellington Harbour, on 2 Aug 2009. My employer, NZ Police, recently circulated an announcement that the Interislander Ferry was going to run a full-scale Fire/Abandon Ship Emergency Drill and needed volunteers to serve as "disaster victims", though they assured us there would be "no actual abandoning of the ship". Police staff and their families living in the Wellington region were encouraged to volunteer.</div><br /><div></div><div>In exchange for our cooperation, we would get a free light lunch, refreshments and a cruise around the harbour. Since we have never been on the big ferry, have no plans to ride anytime soon and are so broke we jump at any free lunch, we decided to volunteer. Luckily, our winter weather cooperated giving us mostly sun and calm waters. It lasted most of the day and was great fun.</div><br /><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Hopefully, Eric will post a longer and more elloquent update soon. But I thought I would post these pics to let you know we are still here.</div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366231541753344466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-wXfoZhOn_gszF2Vsb1M9dtD10-1CWk5tA_r44eUl-kPnOUKX5BHQL_oT1KW-UcQrOWl7Pevy-hvTkDUsqdXugp9nSbeBxwst2iNycQI_RE36zzXMkghrUV7qkqATFUH4V4RMQx0iN4/s400/Interislander+Ferry+Emergency+Drill+02+Aug+09+008.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366232175403796594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPvN3NnCm1w_oOPS8GJDCz43MIaJ43DYSFeHf39BkFkz9UebwruWnkfqW6kEdDvvpW3IqLfINbAV6ky6xSOKfG2uOWHwWKiPePOjh_bJcr3crZv6uW1cU68paBh1AGBVAIRi7TImdjdA/s400/Interislander+Ferry+Emergency+Drill+02+Aug+09+012.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366233252585258370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVA87syxq3dVs28zEg2VvBRX5AXK71XKSeYdIMY8-Yx6CL1tJN7oyez9F1-HCZhAzgfW0PxcAP48V2MD2IeRpv0S5ZaeXCxroQqP8K8wRDL5eVgZ8JCJ712JOKozRKT9Ae-XYqmMWtIhs/s400/Interislander+Ferry+Emergency+Drill+02+Aug+09+016.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366233262526563314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTh1KjmUjB20ogwkMuolr-yyTFh5twpMPlM4EAk8KI2jF8-6GQ_oPI6t45zhZ4r6fw1x0ZihIxIopqh8TWyCtMCwehY_392QybYPLzzAaJrdHprZ2CwEuciiP42ZvqU09ScD3ICSIwOk/s400/Interislander+Ferry+Emergency+Drill+02+Aug+09+029.JPG" /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>To our family and friends in the US, we love and miss you all! Three cheers to my Mom, who is bravely leaving the US on her first ever international trip - to visit us - at the end of Sept.! Have a safe and wonderful trip Mom!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Love, Linda<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-28041849508152016252009-07-10T16:23:00.000-07:002009-07-10T16:27:41.185-07:00Quick Note . . . Seven & Toothless!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtPiOvWCNx2hEbgYpEC2mWw9E7E-HUTXNn6QYwGIXhtfpAjxF52thS7RD6r7sOcv0TX1f8bpmv1ksIKvtcC67fSPilQzCaE_hjhsc_VDhWoRI5SPYhVntGw3VJ8pv6xYRhPUa_PXpqqk/s1600-h/Connor's+BDay+%26+Percy+Scenic+Reserve+016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356976428905809842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtPiOvWCNx2hEbgYpEC2mWw9E7E-HUTXNn6QYwGIXhtfpAjxF52thS7RD6r7sOcv0TX1f8bpmv1ksIKvtcC67fSPilQzCaE_hjhsc_VDhWoRI5SPYhVntGw3VJ8pv6xYRhPUa_PXpqqk/s400/Connor's+BDay+%26+Percy+Scenic+Reserve+016.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Kia ora mates,<br /><br />Connor turned 7 and lost 2 more teeth in June. I don't know if I will ever get used to experiencing winter in July and summer in December, but I suppose we can't really complain. We regularly go down to Percy Scenic Reserve at the bottom of our hill and feed the ducks, in the middle of winter! Hope all of you are well.<br /><br />Cheers, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-88787451257410355782009-02-23T18:35:00.000-08:002009-02-23T20:06:52.008-08:00The Unbearable Lateness of Being<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKJ4jdubA9mt58mVA-I0Z_eiBYLfmmBJNABohJ4Ew8vyuX9Ao5ePD4IAS1OoDRnS52z__cpctxRIvR3yLb-8CQWyDc6iN-2hyr6UWcCj5vwmsyAM1ub_vRzfU5SMZ0u3DHrQDuJKZK6U/s1600-h/Summer+2008+%26+Waikanae+River+Trail+014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306203853018654946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKJ4jdubA9mt58mVA-I0Z_eiBYLfmmBJNABohJ4Ew8vyuX9Ao5ePD4IAS1OoDRnS52z__cpctxRIvR3yLb-8CQWyDc6iN-2hyr6UWcCj5vwmsyAM1ub_vRzfU5SMZ0u3DHrQDuJKZK6U/s400/Summer+2008+%26+Waikanae+River+Trail+014.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, yes, I know. Almost eight months, no blog post. What can I say? I’m a charter member of The Procrastinator’s Club. I never seem to make it to the meetings, though.<br /><br />There is a terrible negative feedback loop inherent to keeping a diary, a journal or a blog. The longer you put it off, the more there is to write. The more there is to write, the less you want to write it. Soon an insidious threshold value is exceeded, and the endeavour tranforms into something like health care reform – you nod at the problem, make resigned noises and head off to the pub for a cold one.<br /><br />Besides, I keep reading that true spiritual enlightenment consists in living fully in the NOW. Since blogs are often mostly concerned with the recent past, slavery to their maintenance is the mark of an undeveloped soul. At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.<br /><br />It would be impossible to document the last few months fully, so I won’t even try. Instead, I’ll just blow like a whirlwind through the weeks, sprinkle in some nice pictures, and soon we’ll all be right here in the sacred now.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHkxVr18c-Xvuiutu4O3CyaCHkuqcUln86_m406W5kWNRfD76INq4JfS8mYRH4LBnZ6mePisEYA7_XQAkFBqvPE1itHJBcLh54t-3PTIxrcc2ZIhpzARY_v9wNYR7-p7T7SBw8iUAlVM/s1600-h/Winter+School+Break+in+July+096+-+Copy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306188765731540706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHkxVr18c-Xvuiutu4O3CyaCHkuqcUln86_m406W5kWNRfD76INq4JfS8mYRH4LBnZ6mePisEYA7_XQAkFBqvPE1itHJBcLh54t-3PTIxrcc2ZIhpzARY_v9wNYR7-p7T7SBw8iUAlVM/s320/Winter+School+Break+in+July+096+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Fall</strong>. When last we met late fall hovered over Kiwiland and our son Connor circled like a vulture over his birthday. We are happy to report that he reached the venerable age of six accompanied with the traditional inundation of gifts. The highlight of his two-week break between school terms came on a misty Saturday afternoon when we ventured up the Hutt River to Silverstream and took Connor on a ride – okay, two rides – aboard a 1900-ish passenger coach pulled by a steam engine. Before we left I hoisted him up into the cab and he gloried in the red roaring coal flames in the firebox, oogled the maze of guages, levers and valves and marvelled at the driver warming tea on the hot steel boiler plate. Boy Heaven. Okay, Dad thought it was pretty cool too.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWI378LXmdyIHJp_NCRy7KakVmBUNlhNvHKrdyEJOwxNGh3k-9Whc8Ja_5CbvBsYnAaN8qmOp1Fo8FpjckFWe381A3jhmU1mZOgXL6pE7lHFIZ4c8NrUYN6nokS0NyrcIgES1Kc_kfno/s1600-h/Winter+School+Break+in+July+106.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306189686156010802" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWI378LXmdyIHJp_NCRy7KakVmBUNlhNvHKrdyEJOwxNGh3k-9Whc8Ja_5CbvBsYnAaN8qmOp1Fo8FpjckFWe381A3jhmU1mZOgXL6pE7lHFIZ4c8NrUYN6nokS0NyrcIgES1Kc_kfno/s320/Winter+School+Break+in+July+106.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0yo9bu3Cx3_yEs9cZbzN0dVZxNa3zJf-UCbrlINSuES_UUx9bpDmVOd45WPfznG_qkXk_FPkotFwY1WRk3aCvzj1k-eKbTkIjI-Ts0O4qHSh0QCkevpwwoqXyd3pXazYxjGY6s4HPUE/s1600-h/Winter+School+Break+in+July+092.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306189465138943506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0yo9bu3Cx3_yEs9cZbzN0dVZxNa3zJf-UCbrlINSuES_UUx9bpDmVOd45WPfznG_qkXk_FPkotFwY1WRk3aCvzj1k-eKbTkIjI-Ts0O4qHSh0QCkevpwwoqXyd3pXazYxjGY6s4HPUE/s320/Winter+School+Break+in+July+092.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD-K-6QHxXs9X080U8rDIk73tuBe7RXfDE9xnvUwN9ty9NjlH-pZfqr6RmXFzoorUcRZ76n9mTRARwaOYD851u3R8NGP63fq4PU8dkWaxjachaWngCzWnaUn8FVqmLjhsxyRFlQfeFWU/s1600-h/Various+Pics+in+2008+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306190114695567666" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD-K-6QHxXs9X080U8rDIk73tuBe7RXfDE9xnvUwN9ty9NjlH-pZfqr6RmXFzoorUcRZ76n9mTRARwaOYD851u3R8NGP63fq4PU8dkWaxjachaWngCzWnaUn8FVqmLjhsxyRFlQfeFWU/s320/Various+Pics+in+2008+001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Winter</strong>. Long. Gray. Stormy. Wallet-sucking utility bills.<br /><br /><br /><br />The “Roaring 40’s” birthed storm after storm through July and August, bringing rain and hurricane-force winds roiling up our ridge. We escaped damage, though broken branches, wrenched gutters and leaning signs littered the neighbourhood. On a couple of days snowflakes danced teasingly down but did not stay. Across the Hutt River valley the Rimutakas displayed occasional white cowls.<br /><br />A houseguest arrived with winter: a gray field mouse. Every evening around eight he did his fitness work, running from the kitchen to a hiding place under the entertainment centre, or sometimes the reverse, making a circuit around the living room (“lounge”) perimeter. A live-trap finally ended his stay. Relocated to our local park, we assume he is now busily engaged in avoiding fate as a possum, cat or bird snack.<br /><br /><strong>Spring</strong>. Three or four days of winter, three or four days of sun, repeat cycle. Flowers everywhere by October. The odd metallic sing-song of Tui’s announcing longer days. Birds claiming our yard, perching on the unused television antenna over the garage and turning the front end of our car into a Jackson Pollack painting rendered in avian excrement. October to November, watching the world go crazy with Obamamania. The NZ media devoted more attention to the presidential race than to their own imminent national elections. Not that I blame them, the American circus was more entertaining. Kiwis were no more immune to the messianic fervour for Obama than Americans were. You would have thought he was running for President, Prime Minister of New Zealand and Grand Global Potentate. For several weeks our American origins transformed us into political pundits. Everyone wanted to know what we thought about the election, what we thought about Obama, were we excited, etc. It is an interesting cultural contrast that Kiwis are much less reticent to ask you about your politics than Americans are. May be it has something to do with the near complete lack of personal firearms here. Anyway, the pro-Obama mood of the country was so thick that we felt the need for caution in our answers, lest we disappoint, disillusion or offend. My stock “well, honestly, I’m not that excited about either of the two as president” answer often drew a response akin to that of a hearty belch in the middle of a sermon. People seemed surprised, and even put off, to find an American who didn’t feel that Obama was the Second Coming.<br /><br />As permanent residents, Linda and I were eligible to vote in the New Zealand election. We exercised our suffrage with a mixture of pride and amusement. Election day fell on a glorious spring Saturday. A bright cool afternoon, pleasant folks about, a barbecue going on out front of the community centre polls, and, for an utterly surreal touch, two guitar-playing teens entertaining the locals with “Sweet Home Alabama.” For a brief instant in time, it felt more American than America. However, being a parliamentary democracy, the ballot was anything but American. The simplicity was elegant. You cast all of two votes – one for a party, one for a local representative. Parties have a list of representatives, and the number they send to Parliament is determined by the percentage of vote they win. Naturally, the party and individual we voted for lost. Made us feel right at home.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUXdUgGsEu1Lxo8clnPWZjPt6WIHV_Il5SczEd5knZVgk0M8goc_PaEoV2oT9E4ST1ptACI0Elgb2oGNC11AoGl9xqtlAPKPZ0P68u4s2rLPgs0KJIwq_idwU5XePdDu4sGA8gJdMeG0/s1600-h/Summer+2008+%26+Waikanae+River+Trail+007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306191142277708786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUXdUgGsEu1Lxo8clnPWZjPt6WIHV_Il5SczEd5knZVgk0M8goc_PaEoV2oT9E4ST1ptACI0Elgb2oGNC11AoGl9xqtlAPKPZ0P68u4s2rLPgs0KJIwq_idwU5XePdDu4sGA8gJdMeG0/s320/Summer+2008+%26+Waikanae+River+Trail+007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Christmas</strong>. Connor’s summer break. Six weeks home with dad. A survival challenge. The family took a couple of nice Saturday outings over the break – a day hike along the Waekaeni River, about half an hour or so up the Tasman Sea coast, and a trip to Staglands Wildlife Preserve, about an hour north, nestled high in the mountains.<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFShw34VWFszJoh1lemTI0mawTvqvh1cNSd_BYibFvpdRy1ZGBjA48gaqVr-IiwnW6VQeyoyIA9ZiQktgWcYpyRiNUqtLonDwrUF_fmIMJ-6b6HZvy-Ro1hxBQBdnylAKKzvYJeUHmy64/s1600-h/2009+New+Yrs+Day+%40+Staglands+Wildlife+Refuge+006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306192173576730194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFShw34VWFszJoh1lemTI0mawTvqvh1cNSd_BYibFvpdRy1ZGBjA48gaqVr-IiwnW6VQeyoyIA9ZiQktgWcYpyRiNUqtLonDwrUF_fmIMJ-6b6HZvy-Ro1hxBQBdnylAKKzvYJeUHmy64/s320/2009+New+Yrs+Day+%40+Staglands+Wildlife+Refuge+006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0d2pmzucV0XTR2DtVc_2PTAjurqbLI94VaDj5PfYEkdKkyOZFgcHNjLnFgPTNaEONOyDjuadaVfqQjcqIy7l2UwJ9l6BZV_3GoxoI2gPWTVsfNRusCSkGGvsgtJ8yYGGqsV9vKMMEyAk/s1600-h/2009+New+Yrs+Day+%40+Staglands+Wildlife+Refuge+024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306191546591829554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0d2pmzucV0XTR2DtVc_2PTAjurqbLI94VaDj5PfYEkdKkyOZFgcHNjLnFgPTNaEONOyDjuadaVfqQjcqIy7l2UwJ9l6BZV_3GoxoI2gPWTVsfNRusCSkGGvsgtJ8yYGGqsV9vKMMEyAk/s320/2009+New+Yrs+Day+%40+Staglands+Wildlife+Refuge+024.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><br /><p>This was the first Christmas where Connor truly fell under the spell of Santa’s annual visit. Each day required multiple advisories on the countdown status --- “Five more sleeps 'till Christmas! Four more sleeps 'till Christmas! Three more . . . “ On tree-getting day, we arrived at the local tree stand to find A.) a movie crew packing up vans and trucks after a shoot and B.) all the best trees gone. As a result we ventured home with something of a Charlie Brown tannenbaum. I thought it humble and somehow warm and an appropriate symbol for a season of love. Linda, I think, would have traded me for a better tree. Grandparents and relatives showered Connor with great giftage this year; for several weeks after, woe to the unfortunate soul who asked Connor “what did you get for Christmas?” Heck, people didn’t even have to ask – Connor frequently offered people an unsolicited inventory of his loot.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZ6mXIwkL-a7jCoFRjFZLB4WudtiGw3ZB3BIYxDysbD4bwYEX1XqRUgtNaTKuSWCuc1R_qGxarYXlkRPBXlbFiSTwHgn3uL6IGZeOviERaDLV4ttTmtV7wS1c0aHUgK2mCKoypvvS67E/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+017.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306193098705651234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZ6mXIwkL-a7jCoFRjFZLB4WudtiGw3ZB3BIYxDysbD4bwYEX1XqRUgtNaTKuSWCuc1R_qGxarYXlkRPBXlbFiSTwHgn3uL6IGZeOviERaDLV4ttTmtV7wS1c0aHUgK2mCKoypvvS67E/s320/Christmas+2008+017.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNXdEjUbAGaIWREzDTceP1SdKOrK-VZ0C4RfeCKEnB-v8lm-OtI4izkHB3ZmK5shiLh3hJ2aE8h1qldEErz0IFN5wCKM47K0qmUoORj_rhH69p3Bclqbpz-IDVsvlhypWhUN3Bo-Jsq8/s1600-h/Christmas+2008+035+-+Copy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306192694044760930" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNXdEjUbAGaIWREzDTceP1SdKOrK-VZ0C4RfeCKEnB-v8lm-OtI4izkHB3ZmK5shiLh3hJ2aE8h1qldEErz0IFN5wCKM47K0qmUoORj_rhH69p3Bclqbpz-IDVsvlhypWhUN3Bo-Jsq8/s320/Christmas+2008+035+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><strong>A New Year</strong>. January to February. Connor and dad taking daily walks, playing on the playground, having lunch together down at our local cafe and doing household tasks. It was an enjoyable time, but I was also happy to see school start again in early February. The Boy is back in class, a small measure of peace and quiet has returned to the day. For now, dad retains tenuous hold on sanity.<br /><br /><strong>Odds and Ends</strong>. Connor has been attending “Kea Scouts,” the NZ equivalent of a pre-Cub Scout troop. So far, he seems to enjoy it. Linda has been reading voraciously in her free time, blasting through several multi-volume series of science fiction and fantasy. I am still looking for suitable work, still being house dad. The global economic downturn has reached us, and a growth in unemployment hasn’t brightened prospects for me. The US/NZ currency exchange rate took a nosedive over the past few months, from a high of about $.77 Kiwi to US dollar last year to about $.50 now. This is great for US funds coming here. Unfortunately, if you’re trying to pay down any US debt with Kiwi dollars, it effectively doubles the burden. Financially times are hard, but fortunately we are all healthy, happy and still enjoying life here in New Zealand. </p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCFmrq0I59DmfrURMXyQAk20AeE5ggpVOpcxWouXVOKpi4BX1aNo6imWHcozMQYsnRAWf5p2DXqCUyhCr3vVh5aEAZoMrz7xiAxZKGmmVsHnEu2Zb63rZ9hlXz8knLHlBa8Ft2d4Ge3g/s1600-h/2009+New+Yrs+Day+%40+Staglands+Wildlife+Refuge+043.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306193531308718130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCFmrq0I59DmfrURMXyQAk20AeE5ggpVOpcxWouXVOKpi4BX1aNo6imWHcozMQYsnRAWf5p2DXqCUyhCr3vVh5aEAZoMrz7xiAxZKGmmVsHnEu2Zb63rZ9hlXz8knLHlBa8Ft2d4Ge3g/s320/2009+New+Yrs+Day+%40+Staglands+Wildlife+Refuge+043.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt1wruybIC8L6cW01TWGwwjvfaYdaES-FQqs_gDUzNBeM339lSfoSagUDT0B37NieB63DfUNcKf-rL4sh0V37D6aP4adaBf2u-oodKZAw7qHvx1VlS_SIjVFv2sV8isLIfia_Feqnuq0/s1600-h/2009+New+Yrs+Day+%40+Staglands+Wildlife+Refuge+054.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306194004106248754" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXt1wruybIC8L6cW01TWGwwjvfaYdaES-FQqs_gDUzNBeM339lSfoSagUDT0B37NieB63DfUNcKf-rL4sh0V37D6aP4adaBf2u-oodKZAw7qHvx1VlS_SIjVFv2sV8isLIfia_Feqnuq0/s320/2009+New+Yrs+Day+%40+Staglands+Wildlife+Refuge+054.JPG" border="0" /> </a><br /><p></p><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEJG9FG3sdBzDiJNxFQkLxyzDhk-Q6g-1MsJsnVqXA0hJiG2acQahqBTeZWYUKqQSfnIZSCTrqNSZSKk8bT69t1dxCJ8dDzJtJ1DaMDGJLY0i1gkmG04cmg6RI3QEfmxcJ5ojv0xYkNk/s1600-h/Various+Pics+in+2008+021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306190827069909154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEJG9FG3sdBzDiJNxFQkLxyzDhk-Q6g-1MsJsnVqXA0hJiG2acQahqBTeZWYUKqQSfnIZSCTrqNSZSKk8bT69t1dxCJ8dDzJtJ1DaMDGJLY0i1gkmG04cmg6RI3QEfmxcJ5ojv0xYkNk/s320/Various+Pics+in+2008+021.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Until next time!The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-16014325354307538012008-06-09T19:06:00.000-07:002008-06-12T12:59:02.600-07:00Our 1st Anniversary in NZ & Connor's 6th Birthday!Hello friends, family and interested strangers . . .<br /><br /><div><div><div>The 7th of June, 2008, marked our first anniversary of the date we first arrived in NZ. It was also the day that we decided to celebrate Connor's sixth birthday, which actually falls in the middle of the school/work week on the 11th of June. </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210076162241953266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-apsmXXeUk8cGT-fXwpWobt3GTZdGFuC2udpG-9h7vR4zvp4diBMMGD14poSjG6FBJxZE8VXX0SHBFg6glDI2jQk6_q5wdSoS3bQ0dnyGrP86EbSUwrQ6HTGwSUMdKJvLRoPSGtONBkc/s400/Connor's+Sixth+Birthday+017.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>In honour of Connor's birthday, we let him select where we would have our Saturday lunch and he chose Speights Ale House; (no, we aren't starting him on booze early, he just likes their strawberry sundaes which come with every kid's meal). </div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210076738656420610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFtGKeCSThkQI4ZqKZiWgUT4BMG2uSTzSiCoDTMWJMB_KE4MrmjfoCEt_sI-ilwNcfarQ69so-JycOaYwsbuFy1HsvNW6XJH0sWkWAHOC0l12YCFRCceMPCNBiPQFJShVMfmrII0DuJk/s400/Connor's+Sixth+Birthday+006.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>Connor told us months ago that he did not want to have a birthday party with his friends, he just wanted to spend the day with his "family unit" and help mom bake cupcakes. This was a great relief to Eric & I (and our pocket book), since we were afraid he would get his heart set on a big party with inflatable bouncy castles and professional entertainers - like so many of his friends have for their birthdays. Instead, he was just as thrilled to dress up in his Chef's costume and help mom in the kitchen. (We suspect our anti-social personalities must be rubbing off on the boy.)</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210071555368489026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5v_jZwHhlBtO8ZKsZwKy9KQXm7C4rnFffu7nqB7ajPaijO7HwNuTqrV_fFwtZJ34kLPVBj7LiLPp1b3zUSwezM_HrEHkWKu9HUCzcIVwShcHli7aG17Uwy5cvv6xPRxIBoJOnrV0chaU/s400/Connor's+Sixth+Birthday+001.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>As you can see much of the chocolate batter and icing ended up in and on "the Chef" before the cupcakes were even baked. Needless to say, the day was pretty much a constant sugar high for the little man, which made calming him down for bed later a bit difficult. But, all in all, he seemed to have a really great weekend.</div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210073563713836146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EhgL50wYwqGGAZcPqMI5GsvcZN0Eu5inpl57csWJCgKePoJ4-9d4L9GS9qsTqrHPGPd5JzbJgAzqNwdNxeDWSlJqeKpqAjocrDPo5lsINPRpI5PY615OTyGdoCzkGvnbzprf_Vzjn1A/s400/Connor's+Sixth+Birthday+013.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>He loved the gifts that family mailed him, especially his handmade red afghan from Great Grandma - which he has slept with every night since - and the smaller matching one for his "Baby Kitten" (stuffed animal). We have been told that more gifts are on the way, so it will be a nice surprise when he gets to have a "second party" after they arrive.</div><div></div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210072722132992066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZrA0esE3o5mqZgL3lA3UjINXd4-NlyBd_5B0naN7QDFSDEhp4x1n1r8V957QJtGK7Wae0RS-lP0PB4vWwpvNZNT_R96apIgMMCHW9uPB3L1FYvnTCKUit780h-ankPPXmlSvQqfGuD0/s400/Connor's+Sixth+Birthday+011.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div><br /><p>For those of you anxious to read something from Eric, he promises me he will be posting to the blog in the next few days - so check back again soon!</p><p>Love, Linda</p><p>PS: A third box from Grandma arrived the day after Connor's actual birthday and the boy was thrilled to find a t-ball set, notebook and magicians costume, along with the all-important "Shells & Cheese"! (Thank you mom.) </p><p>Connor immediately tried out his magicians costume. When the rabbit failed to come out of the hat after several variations of the traditional incantation, he looked quizically at the wand and shook it very dramatically. Finally, his frustration got the better of him and he said "Mom, I think my wand needs batteries." </p><p>I have encouraged him to look for a book on magic when he goes to the school library today, so maybe that will help. We hope the weekend will be a bit drier, so that we can try out the t-ball set in the backyard. In the meantime, Connor has been using his new notebook to practice his writing, which is really coming along nicely, and has pretty much worn his magician's costume every waking moment he has been home since it arrived.</p><p></p>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-53728569381360223382008-04-11T18:48:00.000-07:002008-04-12T12:19:50.497-07:00PS For PaekakarikiEarlier this week I posted a nice long message to friends & family (see: "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Maungaraki</span> Views" below); but, since we just returned from a pleasant Saturday drive along the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kapiti</span> Coast I wanted to post a "PS" and share a few more pics.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188171340161517970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyTNa05P0aw_7M-IANTKnPDanPKpyNJu6l-UEtnk_IIZZdcdw6Juv-VHQZaHBpiWk4htyxsyWYvgZAc0HvwmAYn9-R9RVAkaSL3u2Ybom34eQV0hLDpWNDDP23bhsuQxtG7HdDnTJjk7w/s400/Paekakariki+Hill+Rd+001.JPG" border="0" /><br />We had originally set out this morning to take the train from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Petone</span> Station (bottom of our hill) to the Wellington <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CBD</span>, for lunch at Queens Wharf and a stroll downtown. But, after sitting for 15 minutes on the railway platform, we were advised by a custodian that the train was not running today because the tracks were being torn up as part of a major upgrade.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188171348751452578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSHUHHPdK0oLC7YVghpjiJoyXRzqvenHxCjLfgyxWExpzCnKe78rWRyT289wiXiQQJEqvL8XIaIyQeuY9sCkmrqp3_iuc0LFCJv_WU0MNUSCnvIZmrP8PnRgA0TDerKm5AhjOvBjTZnI/s400/Paekakariki+Hill+Rd+002.JPG" border="0" /><br />So, we all climbed back in the car and set off down the highway. I had been curious about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Paekakariki</span> Hill Road, which runs <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">parallel</span> to SH1 (what equates to a major interstate highway for NZ), but is a bit twistier and more scenic - with views of a lush green farming area, then a climb up onto a ridge overlooking the Tasman Sea and Kapiti Island. Along the way, we stopped at an overlook and Eric took these shots. The small town you see at the bottom of the hill is, as you may have guessed, the town of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Paekakariki</span>. It is an artsy little place with several cafes, ice cream parlour, dairy, train stop, and a number of cute refurbished cottages along the beach.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188171357341387186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYNQEleJ3Y9Rc10FWVtI5Pyp3f0iLzjPXHXCGuOkM8PpNGcjdqYIy_sQ9Mnj8sJA9t-17_vv9_PBjISRD9sOGSFiX65CXyRix64EnB_Z9DXRA6t4fq8TRjimZSeLRa3cCVftgsXgb5T0/s400/Paekakariki+Hill+Rd+003.JPG" border="0" /><br />We are thinking about settling in this area if/when we can ever afford a home of our own, as it is only a 35 minute drive to the Wellington <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">CBD</span> by the motorway. We had a pleasant lunch, ice-cream for dessert, stroll around town, and then drove on another 6 minutes to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Paraparaumu,</span> the main shopping hub for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Kapiti</span> Coast District. We then came home and are now gearing up for some intense couch-potato-i-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ness</span>.<br /><br />Before I say farewell, I wish to congratulate a couple of people:</p><p>First, my former boss - Connie, for announcing this week that she is finally retiring after 33 years working for the same municipal Police Department in Oregon. I wish you all the best Connie and REALLY wish I could be there for your going-away extravaganza! Maybe I will get to visit you again after you have poured your boundless energy into a new plant nursery or other endeavour. </p><p>Second, my cousin Sean and his partner just welcomed a new son into the world - Liam Allen. (Thanks to Mom for sending me many pics!)<br /><br />Love, Linda</p>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-16129393758399941392008-04-07T13:41:00.000-07:002008-04-08T12:02:03.797-07:00Maungaraki Views<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"></span><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Kia</span></span> Ora Friends & Family,<br /><br />Well, not much has really been going on at "Gross-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">haus</span></span>" of late, hence the absence of blog posts.<br /><br />I am reminded of the words of Buckaroo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Banzai</span>, "Wherever you go, there you are". Here <em>we</em> are living about as far away from where we were born as we could get without heading back again; and, not surprisingly, our day-to-day lives have changed very little. I go to work, Eric walks Connor to and from school every day, we pay bills, eat, sleep, buy groceries, read, watch a movie every now and then, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">yadda</span></span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">yadda</span></span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">yadda</span></span>. And yet, somehow, we are changed - more content, more at peace with ourselves than we have felt in a long time.<br /><br />Even despite Eric's lack of job prospects, we are adjusting to life on one income here better than we did in Arkansas. Eric is still looking for the right career "fit"; but, in the meantime, he is enjoying the stronger relationship he has developed with Connor and the increase in exercise they are both getting together. He has lost weight and feels much healthier.<br /><br />We have extended our home lease another 12 months, since the only thing more depressing than seeing what real estate you <em>can't</em> afford is seeing the only thing you <em>can</em> afford. But that is okay. Our rental is a lovely home, albeit difficult to keep warm in the winter, and it is located in a peaceful neighbourhood and good school zone. Here is a view of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Maungaraki</span></span> shops taken as Eric & Connor walk down-hill from our home on their way to school, (the harbour is actually quite a bit lower in elevation and maybe a kilometer or two distant, but the views in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Maungaraki</span></span> make it look like it is just a stone's throw away.):<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186608189016634402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0l4xbE5nZEND-NtlDQnynb6dF2CVs1-gYbU-s1ReHUlyrFb93F9McMGdtxd54s591veGbg5_aabdJ58zlH1Dpfd3Fm3QHOnzhRujQu_NRlMa5RsevbwxqkUzb7DEQbB2ZTAWVRLcqdqY/s400/Maungaraki+Views+001.JPG" border="0" /><br />Each weekday, I usually take the car to work and Eric walks Connor to school. After dropping the boy off, Eric has gotten into the habit of popping into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Benedicts</span></span>, the neighbourhood cafe/dairy/post shop/meeting place, for breakfast. While there, he peruses the classifieds, reads a book or sometimes has a chat with the locals. Then he walks back up the hill, where he cleans house, does laundry, maintains the yard, you know - all those "house husband duties" - and maybe snags an afternoon nap or computer game before walking back down the hill to pick up the boy. Connor has been having a fantastic term at school this Autumn, so a stop in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Benedicts</span></span> on the way home in the afternoon, to do homework and have a special treat, is not uncommon for them. </p><p>After they get home, clean out and re-make Connor's lunchbox, Eric usually sends me an e-mail to update me on his and Connor's day. This is something I look forward to each day, and here is an example of why from one of Eric's daily e-mails:</p><p>"Connor had a good day. We stopped at the cafe, I got him some water, split a brownie with him, and we walked back. As we left Benedicts, he gave me a hug and said he loved me. After I told him that I loved him too, he asked, "how long have you loved me?" I said, "Well, I have loved you since we knew that mom was going to have a baby, and that baby was you." This, of course, was my first mistake."</p><ol><li>"How did you know mom was going to have a baby?"</li><li>"What kind of changes happen to moms when they have a baby inside?"</li><li>"Moms get their stomach big when there is a baby inside. Was mom big?"</li><li>"How did you know I was going to be a boy?"</li><li>"It's not good that girls don't have a peepee!" (I told him one day he may think differently.)</li><li>"How do girls pee?"</li><li>"Was I inside mom when you got married?"</li><li>"When I am all grown up maybe I will marry and have children"</li><li>"If I had a baby would you be grandpa?"</li><li>"I can't have a baby because I am a boy, right?"</li><li>"Maybe I will marry a child from school."</li><li>"I can't marry Samuel because he is a boy."</li><li>"I want to marry Brock." (Brock is a sweet little girl in Connor's class.)</li></ol><p>And so it goes, the age of many difficult questions; and, thankfully, Eric gets the bulk of them these days! Woohoo! </p><p>Meanwhile, I am at work, but that location can vary from my main office on the third floor of a high rise in the Wellington <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">CBD, </span></span>overlooking the U.S. Embassy, (go figure); to the Royal New Zealand Police College in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Porirua;</span></span> or, even my private home office, (where I usually work one day a week, so that Eric can take the car for household errands, grocery shopping, etc.). We have 2 double-size bedrooms & 2 single-size bedrooms, so the later two have been converted into his & her separate offices. Here is a shot from my home office window, so you can see I am quite happy to put in a day of work in the peace and quiet of home:<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186608197606569010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00FqDd7OR9-i4ofOYlp4lHn-uwNOIUV8WC5NkjMhZ-SCHVa8_q-VbU0vJzNArqp8ZbVEcNqY3RTxxhVsEISn9y1uLE5qjAJZrVH3tHXZ7kKTqooyQSQnKApSm_jJXqUeF5JJk2b4sDQE/s400/Maungaraki+Views+011.JPG" border="0" /><br />Strangely, despite having the workload of 4 full-time Analysts dumped on me, I generally feel "unstressed" at my job. Actually, I love it! For the first time in my life I really feel challenged and invigorated by my career. I guess I figure there is absolutely no way I could ever do ALL the work requested, and everyone else I work with agrees, so I have the freedom to pick and chose the most important tasks and let the rest go. When I am at work I am really working, no time to get bored or worried; but, when I am away from work, usually, I am able to let it all go and concentrate on enjoying time with my family or by myself.<br /><br />The best part of my job is that I have complete autonomy. I can vary my workday however I see fit, and the tasks that I do take on are challenging and have the potential to make a significant impact on the way NZ Police operate. I feel like I am paid for the work that I produce, rather than the number of hours I warm a seat, something that I have sought in my career for years.<br /><br />While no one will ever compare to my former boss, Connie, who was both a good friend and a great manager; my current supervisor - a career cop and Superintendent - has been really supportive of me going out and learning first-hand about how NZ Police do their job. I have observed new recruits go through their training, taken rides in patrol cars, visited the communications centre and talked to a lot of sworn staff members about how Kiwi cops <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">operate differently </span>than American cops.<br /><br />Working for one of the few visibly "unarmed" police forces in the world has been quite a departure from my work in the States; but, also unlike my previous work, I am actually more involved with the operational side of policing, which can be quite exciting. Just yesterday I got to hold a Bushmaster assault rifle and try out a new "red dot" targeting sight, (though they didn't let me shoot anything). Tomorrow I will be developing a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">slideshow</span></span> presentation for Police executives and Thursday I will be working on a long-term project to create a new query and statistical reporting capability for our use-of-force database. I am not sure what I will decide to do on Friday, but that is what makes the work so interesting.<br /><br />Well, speaking of work, I need to get back to it!<br /><br />I hope, as you read this post, you are all healthy, happy and living life without fear. Know that we miss you and love you all and look forward to our next opportunity to visit. In the meantime, stay in touch and keep checking our blog. I promise to get Eric to post more of his beautiful long stories really soon!<br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-83699316236690878342008-02-07T14:44:00.000-08:002008-02-07T20:53:52.135-08:00Somes Like It Hot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxavu41SzJkCmGXD9AbrRnaLqb1bkrYS2fi1woHSHajOJo8ySUXUndygIqRMvzLAyCp3EVwKyK_Q2KpVYySwgmmmwy7vJY-cclJ5J7NPh1tFKq2zO8W2kmK9_vbDcOxnymdVrLn9nq4gY/s1600-h/393762404_b16cecbf09_m.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164440874580699074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxavu41SzJkCmGXD9AbrRnaLqb1bkrYS2fi1woHSHajOJo8ySUXUndygIqRMvzLAyCp3EVwKyK_Q2KpVYySwgmmmwy7vJY-cclJ5J7NPh1tFKq2zO8W2kmK9_vbDcOxnymdVrLn9nq4gY/s400/393762404_b16cecbf09_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>Kia Ora!<br /><br />I have always been drawn to islands. There is something innately mysterious about islands. They are spills of possibility on a bare, polished floor of water. Perhaps it is their literary associations with buried treasures, lost civilizations and strange creatures bypassed by the tides of time and natural selection. Maybe it is their offer, whether real or symbolic, of uniqueness in a world dominated by continental mass. Then again, it could be their promise of isolation and refuge.<br /><br />The historian in me also finds islands a natural attraction. In a field where borders and boundaries are more illusion than substance, and eras, empires and events merge and diverge with far greater complexity than implied by their dates, islands offer a refreshingly distinct and naturally defined subject. Each island is its own story waiting to be told.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjreriMaAx3t03uIkhTXo9TXymzlWwl7oneS4ZsLsM9BngZ9lIDFDVM0tDEDIEaEl_KAqAIaVPyvDmTGFKxh_OcJ-ofOlty1hQVOpvQl_8huET32VIT2gpgY_JytwPSDeCWTO77YyznlY/s1600-h/Somes+Night.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164442120121214930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjreriMaAx3t03uIkhTXo9TXymzlWwl7oneS4ZsLsM9BngZ9lIDFDVM0tDEDIEaEl_KAqAIaVPyvDmTGFKxh_OcJ-ofOlty1hQVOpvQl_8huET32VIT2gpgY_JytwPSDeCWTO77YyznlY/s400/Somes+Night.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Given this, it was inevitable that one day we would explore the little island poking its green flanks above the blue waters of Wellington Harbour.<br /><br />This last Saturday, morning clouds melted away to a bright, blue summer day, a perfect day for adventure. So, of course, the dreaded weekend exchange surfaced:<br /><br /><br />“So, what do you want to do today?”<br /><br />“I don’t know, what do you want to do?”<br /><br />“Whatever you want to do. I just want to do what would make you happy.”<br /><br />“Well, what would make me happy is doing what would make you happy. What do you want to do?”<br /><br />Wars have started this way.<br /><br />Eventually, after a few volleys of reciprocal selflessness (or indecision, the distinction is often slight) I overcame my genetic inclination to park in front of the computer and suggested we ride the train to Wellington, eat lunch at Queen’s Warf and take the inter-harbour ferry over to Somes Island. Calm days are fairly rare around here, and with no whitecaps streaking the harbour I thought Linda stood a reasonable chance of surviving the boat trip without motion sickness. (Linda’s inner ear, like her sense of smell, has a sensitivity rivalled only by the most advanced sensors found in the world’s premier particle physics laboratories.)<br /><br />The fine weather, arrival of a cruise ship and coincidental weekend of “The Sevens,” New Zealand’s annual international rugby tournament, brought out a noticeable increase of locals and tourists. White official tournament vans dodged about, each carrying the name and flag of some visiting national team. The sidewalks, usually clean, were dotted with abandoned beer cans and bottles. They lay discarded like empty fuel cans marking the trail of some advancing army.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggXKTMaGPwE4XN7HnuDMDknlXSitCU1aQQ1nlqdmO6TzJU6f9uPY7YZ65eeKhi-xl2kjz_MS55LBohiP6LmGR-bvl481SqPssPCsLm-a4Ph7FhDQdpuCTjwMdmDi8rAIuQecTfZzGsk4/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164382192442533490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggXKTMaGPwE4XN7HnuDMDknlXSitCU1aQQ1nlqdmO6TzJU6f9uPY7YZ65eeKhi-xl2kjz_MS55LBohiP6LmGR-bvl481SqPssPCsLm-a4Ph7FhDQdpuCTjwMdmDi8rAIuQecTfZzGsk4/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We ate lunch at “Chicago,” a cafe/sports bar that is a fine testament to the cultural hegemony of America. We enjoyed quite good chicken quesadillas while sitting under a Chicago Cubs banner, next to a table of South-Pacific Islanders and across from a platoon of Aussies and a small contingent of Germans besieging the bar. The world is a village indeed. (This also engenders a question: who then, is the village idiot? I know <em>my</em> first choice.) Connor was quite concerned that we might miss the noon departure of our boat and punctuated lunch with his anxiety. “Has the boat left?” “Did we miss the boat?” ‘When does the boat leave?” “Where is the boat?” “Is that the boat there?” And so on. I drifted, not for the first time, into pondering the possible uses of duct tape as a parenting tool.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7NdcUjWvAKBKjJ9mwXimMCn7vDKGAAhPJC8y3LFRsyMyIy55sSjEhzJJRP2RFiUThFq7BcfBZgIGBKCVWVZtt1dGXrFboXvqNewo68o0CowzJOuLkAkh3k7iNAVLEprqT_j1UZsp4hM/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164393827508938450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7NdcUjWvAKBKjJ9mwXimMCn7vDKGAAhPJC8y3LFRsyMyIy55sSjEhzJJRP2RFiUThFq7BcfBZgIGBKCVWVZtt1dGXrFboXvqNewo68o0CowzJOuLkAkh3k7iNAVLEprqT_j1UZsp4hM/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+004.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Much to Connor’s relief our ride, the <em>Cobar Cat</em>, lay tied up at the dock and attended by a flock of waiting passengers grilling in the midday sun. The lack of a normal Wellington brisk breeze accentuated the building heat, although by Florida or Arkansas standards it wouldn’t bear noticing at all. With the temperature nudging the 90 degree mark, the afternoon turned out to be the warmest so far in a summer which is setting records in the Wellington region for fine, warm days. When boarding time arrived, most of the passengers opted for the open top deck. Linda, already hot and getting a headache from the glare, and Connor, glowing a faint rosy pink despite industrial strength sunscreen, sensibly opted to sit below on the enclosed main deck. I love the sight of open water, the smell of sea and the feel of wind tugging at me too much to miss a chance at it, so I went back up and squeezed myself into a space at the rail in the starboard aft corner. The trip out took about 20 minutes, half of which I spent trying not to step on or sway into the utterly spent-looking German mother of three next to me, and the other half snapping pictures in hopes that one or two might actually turn out well. (I love digital cameras. At last I can snap away gleefully without feeling guilty about the cost of film and prints!)<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpX6CT01hO2Z7oAlD-eXLXYKV2W_K1rq6eTN_dnyzjxx3g2QUSNMbY3VZOsGa45XIfIzV6Kd5DKN2g2qMcWrYqSsmy_ejuJmxo_92mXPN246R_MI80Bs08zUxrTnPkMg3hv2O84rOewY/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164392423054632642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpX6CT01hO2Z7oAlD-eXLXYKV2W_K1rq6eTN_dnyzjxx3g2QUSNMbY3VZOsGa45XIfIzV6Kd5DKN2g2qMcWrYqSsmy_ejuJmxo_92mXPN246R_MI80Bs08zUxrTnPkMg3hv2O84rOewY/s400/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The <em>Cobar Cat</em> pulled up at Somes Island’s small pier, a simple work of cracked concrete, sun-bleached wood and rusting fittings. About half the passengers disembarked, and we were all ushered into a small, one-room plywood cabin at the base of the dock. Here a blonde, freckled, bare-foot ranger, looking very much like a delivery from central casting (“Hello? Yes, do you have any corn-and-lamb-fed Kiwi girls, say, 30’ish, basic Scots-Irish immigrant stock? You do? Good, please send her up.”) gave us the requisite orientation and made sure that we and our bags were free of any exotic, unwanted flora or fauna before letting us loose upon the island.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsSkXjpeMFueMzdAfvf6SxclJyyIEplYUimO9wsy9B3QtIwKDN7xc7cj5hNLp4l9H0peMYheBUnUBS0pWL2VhoGXhRfRhqCuD3bh9EdzHDJlPLgtish1noCNYSrUaB7fksrYqXX53bYE/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+019.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164395163243767522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsSkXjpeMFueMzdAfvf6SxclJyyIEplYUimO9wsy9B3QtIwKDN7xc7cj5hNLp4l9H0peMYheBUnUBS0pWL2VhoGXhRfRhqCuD3bh9EdzHDJlPLgtish1noCNYSrUaB7fksrYqXX53bYE/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+019.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />From the preceding you may have surmised, correctly, that Somes Island is a plant and wildlife refuge. </p><p>But, naturally, it wasn’t always this way . . .<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaL0vl6m97lfJ9MS4M-q-jHicq1g7z8mh2QxYMdXzruI2ajMSVLbBRbkasEtn7JmYSrbU5zAGBZw69_7YV3BWVKlBbjihghqQu8psCa36UuPoirydHpZ15HK3wvjJuVtGWbXf-Lw8An28/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164390099477325490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaL0vl6m97lfJ9MS4M-q-jHicq1g7z8mh2QxYMdXzruI2ajMSVLbBRbkasEtn7JmYSrbU5zAGBZw69_7YV3BWVKlBbjihghqQu8psCa36UuPoirydHpZ15HK3wvjJuVtGWbXf-Lw8An28/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+022.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></p><p></p><p>Note: if you’re short of time, patience or interest in history, feel free to skip the section that follows. Enjoy the photographs and return to a journal of our family adventures at “Waitangi Day,” somewhere around page 37. (Just kidding.)<br />_____________________________<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">One Island’s Story</span></strong><br /><br />Maori tradition claims that Kupe, the legendary explorer and discoverer of Aotearoa (“Land of the Long White Cloud,”) first set foot upon this little island in a large bay around a thousand years ago. He named it Matiu, and the small rocky islet off its northern tip Mokopuna, after two of his daughters or nieces (the story varies.) Kupe returned to his home, somewhere in Polynesia, with stories of virgin lands of plenty waiting to be claimed. Over the next few centuries successive waves of voyagers repeated his journey, settled in Aotearoa and became the Maori people.<br /><br />The Maori never lived on Matiu permanently; it was too small, too steep, too rugged and too exposed to hammering storms for any sizeable community to comfortably occupy. However, those very conditions made Matiu an ideal site for a <em>pa</em>, a place of refuge in times of war. Raids, disputes, tribal fractures and other opportunities for man’s oldest team sport were plentiful among the Maori, and different generations built and maintained <em>pa’s</em> on the island. The arrival of Europeans and their alterations to Matiu erased all visible traces of these havens, and all that remains of this period are the last remnants of a few Maori middens – garbage dumps.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCcOGglflixohR6IYPZdhqchuc4EJ6AZFvbkJPSq1DX_CJR3pb-TmqZ5ZVAl_2rkcBVOb5xWMW3YEMlgjNRIsGJnwN-gRkfaPDFpG6Gyiqcl3jYoEkj6OgDOE9kU3Yzp6102yQvqVXGk/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+040.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164397504000943858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCcOGglflixohR6IYPZdhqchuc4EJ6AZFvbkJPSq1DX_CJR3pb-TmqZ5ZVAl_2rkcBVOb5xWMW3YEMlgjNRIsGJnwN-gRkfaPDFpG6Gyiqcl3jYoEkj6OgDOE9kU3Yzp6102yQvqVXGk/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+040.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In time, different settlers arrived after one of their own legendary explorers, James Cooke, charted Aotearoa’s coastline in 1769. These people proved more proficient at development and warfare than the Maori, and in time made the place their own. In 1839 Matiu, along with most of what is today the Wellington region, came into the possession of the New Zealand Company. The company rechristened Matiu as Somes Island, after Joseph Somes, the company’s deputy-governor and one of its primary investors. In 1866 colonists built a lighthouse on the island’s southern flanks, the first harbour lighthouse in New Zealand. The original structure was replaced in 1900, and that beacon, now automated, still guides ships into and out of Wellington Harbour more than a century later.<br /><br />As it has so many times and in so many places, disease played a key role in shaping Somes Island’s story. In 1872 the immigrant ship <em>England</em> sailed into Wellington harbour flying the dreaded yellow flag – a declaration of illness onboard and warning to stay away. In response officials ordered the construction of a quarantine camp on Somes Island, a natural outpost to Wellington. The station remained in operation until 1920, and over nearly half a century hundreds of immigrants spent time there until they either recovered and were declared safe, or died. The later fate befell 43 people from 17 different ships. Few victims were actually buried on the island, and those who were later were exhumed. Today a small monument stands at the island’s northern peak, reminding the present of the past and honouring those whose long journey to a new land ended just offshore from their destination.<br /><br />Human epidemics were not the only medical concern of the day. In some ways even more threatening to the colony’s livelihood and more likely to occur was the arrival of some disease that might devastate the agricultural economy. Every year ships disgorged thousands of animals to stock New Zealand’s farms, haul wagons and carriages, carry its citizens on their backs and pull plows and reapers across fertile fields. Any one of those immigrants could carry a parasite or disease capable of rapid and deadly spread, making it vital to identify and isolate ill or suspect animals before they reached the mainland.<br /><br />As it had been for human quarantine, Somes was a natural site for this work. The first known use of the island for animal quarantine occurred with the isolation of a flock of sheep in 1853, though the island was not officially designated for that purpose until 1886. In 1893 the Department of Agriculture built a dedicated livestock isolation facility on Somes, then one of the two major animal quarantine sites for the nation.<br /><br />Human and animal quarantine stations operated side by side until 1920. Over this period the small island changed dramatically. Nearly all of the primal vegetation vanished; paths and trails were cut into the rock, buildings constructed and in 1919 a tramway built from the landing to the main facility atop the island. Somes’ original rich population of birds, insects and reptiles dwindled away as well, victim to the destruction of the flora and an invasion of rats and mice carried in by a steady stream of vessels.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5rNermLTL5_i0cKdlhx82CyjMEHODQXKb0RKhBEQnyFvtGnhaHAl4BDdvryaRQEu04Z5fSxcmMeGLuO1AU1nZhLXZqAccI15a_1gouzcAAMn-YHO_HFcB0R84yDgTf0kwQAvyQ9xTlY/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164398698001852162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5rNermLTL5_i0cKdlhx82CyjMEHODQXKb0RKhBEQnyFvtGnhaHAl4BDdvryaRQEu04Z5fSxcmMeGLuO1AU1nZhLXZqAccI15a_1gouzcAAMn-YHO_HFcB0R84yDgTf0kwQAvyQ9xTlY/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+031.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Although humans were no longer quarantined after the end of the First World War, animals continued to be screened and housed in large numbers. In 1968 a new, state-of-the-art maximum biological security station replaced the older facility. Within two decades, however, rapidly declining livestock imports, advances in veterinary medicine and the advent of invitro fertilization techniques rendered the facility obsolete and unnecessary. In 1995, after more than a century of protecting New Zealand from parasite and pathogen, Somes Island’s history of animal quarantine came to an official close. The derelict buildings remain, paint faded by sun and rain, concrete paving and foundations cracked and colonized by grass and weeds. The site reminds me of some bizarre mixture of a closed Cold-War military base, derelict and without purpose, and an abandoned prison, once seen as progressive but now deemed barbaric by society’s changing sensibilities.<br /><br />As war drew the Maori to Matiu hundreds of years before the European arrival, war brought new interest in Somes Island in modern times. In August of 1914 the great European powers, snockered on a century of relative peace and chronically preoccupied, paranoid and pissed off over any number of frustrated ambitions, historic animosities and attempts at altering the international pecking order, had a go at each other. Nasty things were said, punches thrown and soon friends joined the fray willingly or not. In short order the world’s first global bar fight was underway. Kiwis answered the call of the mother country.<br /><br />The contributions and sufferings of New Zealand in that tragic, horrific struggle are many. In fact, relative to the population of the nation and the number of troops it contributed, New Zealand suffered a greater casualty rate than any other combatant nation.<br /><br />Among the domestic problems accompanying a globe-spanning conflict between multinational alliances, there emerged a question: what should be done with foreign, now enemy, nationals living in New Zealand? Were they loyal residents and harmless guests? Suspect variables? A nest of potential saboteurs, subversives and spies? Historically, most governments in times of great workload, limited resources and high paranoia resolve this dilemma by locking them all away and letting the scholars, lawyers, diplomats and moralists sort it all out later. New Zealand was no exception to this rule.<br /><br />The 1911 New Zealand census recorded just over 4000 German-born individuals in the islands. When war came, the definition of just who was a German, however, was problematic. Danes, Scandinavians and Poles were classified as Germans; anyone with south eastern European origins might be classified as Austrian. Hundreds of individuals, many of them harmless labourers, farmers or seamen caught in port when the balloon went up, were arrested and interned.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNREnUcgD2khf1xdXcJ5CvIXuLDnH-JL7oyJNNfrIwD-3YZexuh8vTP22lLK8aCvQ0l_80AQqF-8MeupGE9iAieMuJ45Gx4DASKrr5x-jlUnF98Dlr3xADsHKjlmE7F0w-XQlB6kX8M0/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164399814693349138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNREnUcgD2khf1xdXcJ5CvIXuLDnH-JL7oyJNNfrIwD-3YZexuh8vTP22lLK8aCvQ0l_80AQqF-8MeupGE9iAieMuJ45Gx4DASKrr5x-jlUnF98Dlr3xADsHKjlmE7F0w-XQlB6kX8M0/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+033.JPG" border="0" /></a> With its central location in Wellington harbour, small area and pre-existing quarantine facilities, Somes Island offered an ideal location for a detention camp and served as New Zealand’s main internment facility during the war. Exact record of whom and how many were interned there between 1914 and 1918 is not available. One study of the existing sources for 1917 shows 277 internees on the island, 234 of whom were “German.” Hundreds more spent some period in camp during hostilities, either to eventually be deemed no security risk and paroled or transferred elsewhere.<br /><br />Life on Somes Island was Spartan at best, but as far as is known the internees were not intentionally deprived or subjected to systematic abuse. There were occasional escape attempts, all unsuccessful. Only one internee is known to have died on the island, having collapsed after carrying water up from the shore to the camp. Eight other Somes internees passed away during the war; six to natural causes or illness after being sent to hospital in Wellington; one of natural causes complicated by a failed suicide attempt and one of exhaustion and exposure after swimming ashore in a bid for freedom.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LnY-hzqyyu-ilD6ZNbDZ2syFv4qAa_9Rf-jKtvKQn7JtSwYStaVMpqVGF11Ho0aFk3yCJfCztmwMjDXya9zKwYZ_T3N2KCSbTjqI2JXCq8bdv-fLYWxpPQurm0iOKmmNtT9HXWDxCLk/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+035.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164448609816799202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LnY-hzqyyu-ilD6ZNbDZ2syFv4qAa_9Rf-jKtvKQn7JtSwYStaVMpqVGF11Ho0aFk3yCJfCztmwMjDXya9zKwYZ_T3N2KCSbTjqI2JXCq8bdv-fLYWxpPQurm0iOKmmNtT9HXWDxCLk/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+035.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Twenty years later, world war once again turned Somes Island into an internment camp. This time the New Zealand government exercised more discernment in classification and detention of enemy aliens and security risks, if for no other reason than that most Germans were now naturalized citizens and there were relatively few Italians and Japanese in the country. In 1939 the island technically possessed quarters for up to 450 people and a capacity to cook for around 250. The detainee population most likely never reached 200. Records indicate a maximum of 185 internees in January of 1943 -- 98 Germans, 30 Italians, 47 Japanese and a motley of individuals from various places deemed a threat to security for political or personal reasons.<br /><br />On January 31st, 1943, Somes’ “guests” were relocated to a purpose-built facility at Pahiatua. The move stemmed from a formal complaint lodged by the Swiss Consul, who observed that since a degaussing station and anti-aircraft battery had been built on the island, Somes was a military installation and thus New Zealand in violation of Geneva Convention protocols forbidding collocation of prisoners of war with military facilities. Eighteen months later, however, the detainees returned to Somes when the government decided to use Pahiatua to house Polish refugee children. By this point in the war, the danger of an attack had long passed.<br /><br />Such a threat had been a remote, but not impossible consideration in 1942. Though distant from Japan and the main areas of action in the Pacific, New Zealand was within what Japan considered its natural sphere of dominion. Long range strategic plans for the eventual occupation of both Australia and New Zealand existed, should the course of war allow. Though Japan never had the opportunity, resources or forces to bring either nation into its empire, Australia was directly attacked by air and New Zealand briefly threatened with the possibility. Throughout the conflict, as it had during World War One, New Zealand contributed valuable troops, food and materiel to the United Kingdom’s war effort, and in addition served a key logistical support role for American operations in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. It was a viable and logical, if secondary, object of Japanese attention.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjDQIMvAP9GctcaD1FJlDwh40VFhV31mmnr-sRAOhFj24BvCq7zm6-orukkrdWQfGfkFxbbFfrDfSTYIGC8NfRmh5WQLnKTcxevC6X_IkwJ-MWPL41rgW3c8_IzMiSqBJIZ7W71otGac/s1600-h/aachch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164413592948434802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjDQIMvAP9GctcaD1FJlDwh40VFhV31mmnr-sRAOhFj24BvCq7zm6-orukkrdWQfGfkFxbbFfrDfSTYIGC8NfRmh5WQLnKTcxevC6X_IkwJ-MWPL41rgW3c8_IzMiSqBJIZ7W71otGac/s320/aachch.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />As one of the two major ports in New Zealand, Wellington’s docks, warehouses, machine shops, industries and shipping required protection. As part of the city’s hastily constructed defence system, engineers blasted and gouged more than 50 feet off Somes Island’s southern peak and built gun pits, an ammunition magazine and fire control bunker for a heavy anti-aircraft battery. Later, a degaussing station was added, operated by women naval reservists. This facility protected shipping against magnetic influence mines, a new weapon in the arsenal of World War II combatants. Traditionally, mines were either set off manually by an observer or by a contact detonator when struck by a ship’s hull. Magnetic influence detonators (when they worked; not always guaranteed) greatly increased a mine’s effectiveness by detecting the magnetic field of steel hulled vessels and detonating the mine in close proximity. Laid deeper than a contact mine, magnetic mines created a hydrodynamic shockwave that could snap a ship’s keel in half – almost always fatal damage. As defence against these weapons, degaussing stations temporarily demagnetized vessels by ringing their hulls with cables carrying a powerful electric current.<br /><br />As during World War One, an internee’s life on Somes was anything but ideal; but, by the overall standards of prisoner camps among the belligerents, it was humane, safe and relatively comfortable. The care given to internees is evidenced by the fact that only one Somes island prisoner is recorded as dying during the war -- a 57-year old German who suffered from heart failure while at the Pahiatua camp.<br /><br />There was also only one known escape attempt, but for a few days it captured the imaginations and fears of Wellingtonians, as papers warned of the dangers of three German escapees at large. The exploit centres on one Karl Schroeder, interned not only for his German pedigree, but also as a “communist agitator.” In November of 1941 Schroeder and two other men stole a dinghy belonging to the island’s caretaker and made it ashore. One wonders whether or not it had occurred to the trio that escape was only relative, New Zealand being over a thousand miles from the nearest neutral territory and quite a bit further from German controlled soil. Inevitably, geography and climate gained the upper hand. Authorities found and arrested the escapees six days later in the Akatarawa Mountains. Cold, wet and hungry, the fugitives gave themselves away buying food at a local store. They were summarily returned to Somes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2S9r9e5lvG6iLvX_9bFKe2-BfBP_FrHaDJI53I_Z8zTDal3a_QVPN1X99IxKbQT1k0FsIIcj-COONquL1c0Wu-3hpAA3RdhP7_oKf-j39he9VnPpCjSasTqaLGkGZDJrSQ-fQftfqNd8/s1600-h/powcoschroederww2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164418940182718370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2S9r9e5lvG6iLvX_9bFKe2-BfBP_FrHaDJI53I_Z8zTDal3a_QVPN1X99IxKbQT1k0FsIIcj-COONquL1c0Wu-3hpAA3RdhP7_oKf-j39he9VnPpCjSasTqaLGkGZDJrSQ-fQftfqNd8/s320/powcoschroederww2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Failure apparently only whetted Schroeder’s appetite for freedom, and soon he and his two fellow conspirators were at work again. This time Schroeder planned on a seawards flight. Sailing to liberty across the vastness of the Pacific, however, required some means of accurate navigation (not to mention a great deal of luck and a rather large set of cahones) so Schroeder painstakingly constructed a working sextant from bits and pieces of wood, metal and scrap. The contraption truly was an amazing work of craftsmanship. Tighter scrutiny and changes in security protocols also forced the men to seek more clandestine methods of egress. On July 26th, 1942, an anonymous note was left with camp guards, advising that Schroeder and Co. were digging an escape tunnel under Hut Number 7. What action followed is, alas, not available to me at this moment. Whatever it was, it was enough to end further attempts. If the group actually was excavating a shaft, it seems either a most desperate or doomed undertaking; Somes island is rock. Upon war’s end and his release from detention, Schroeder handed his sextant to a bewildered camp commandant. “You might as well keep it,” he said. “The bloody thing is of no use to me now.”<br /><br />In relation to Somes’ history as a wartime detainment camp, one comes upon the bizarre and fascinating account of one George Dibbern. An avid sailor, lover of adventure, philosopher and preacher of individual freedom and the brotherhood of man, Dibbern had the misfortune of being a German resident in New Zealand at the outbreak of World War I. Interned on Somes’ island, Dibbern returned to Germany shortly after release, apparently filled with joyous anticipation for the future of his nation under a new, democratic government. The failure of that government and the suffering of the Great Depression brought Dibbern disillusion and dismay, and in 1930 he left Germany, his wife and his family. What followed was a most bizarre odyssey, the kind one would never believe if contained in a work of fiction. Dibbern returned to New Zealand, but for most of the next decade his residence – and eventually his “country” – was his 32-foot ketch, <em>Te Rapunga</em> (“Dark Sun,” a reference to a stage in the Maori creation epic, a moment of pre-dawn when all is in anticipation, awaiting the revelation of day.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpuZVCPvpBJUAYogn7HiQmUxGH48qePLE3rEsBW8W5jUl-MGVeynnHb9o_Tjx4JO7kmY7lIdA1LvK87UBiuLHqF8LY217NzQUiTl6zyCSKkrI40wE7eAsyrflHNAOyMLXR4kPg7bHhDs/s1600-h/Dibbern+Flag.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164414142704248706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpuZVCPvpBJUAYogn7HiQmUxGH48qePLE3rEsBW8W5jUl-MGVeynnHb9o_Tjx4JO7kmY7lIdA1LvK87UBiuLHqF8LY217NzQUiTl6zyCSKkrI40wE7eAsyrflHNAOyMLXR4kPg7bHhDs/s320/Dibbern+Flag.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><p>In 1937 Dibbern flaunted German law by refusing to fly the Nazi swastika aboard his yacht. Instead, he created a flag of his own devising as a statement of his belief in the sacred nature of the individual and their divine right to pursue their own path. In 1940, while seeking an American publisher for his memoir, <em>Quest</em>, he renounced his German passport and created his own, identifying himself as a citizen of the world. German authorities were not amused. Nazi party chapters in Canada, The U.S. and New Zealand reported his activities to the Gestapo. His wife and children were threatened. Efforts were undertaken to force his return. </p><p><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaxlw_HM1rsLJ9OeLfIvVkaM7AOYWkTP9FqcKrAjTEileMj8aX2or93nBBff4CtlfLjjFXF2q44qOeaJlNadtQNfazXz-EN0y1r6TsXlPB37dNo8zNaUdp-6TywvIx5FGKO_ukfqaEis/s1600-h/Dibbern.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164414649510389650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaxlw_HM1rsLJ9OeLfIvVkaM7AOYWkTP9FqcKrAjTEileMj8aX2or93nBBff4CtlfLjjFXF2q44qOeaJlNadtQNfazXz-EN0y1r6TsXlPB37dNo8zNaUdp-6TywvIx5FGKO_ukfqaEis/s320/Dibbern.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As the war in Europe grew larger and more dire in 1940 and 1941, Dibbern sailed the waters of the southwest Pacific on a crusade for peace on earth, human rights and goodwill toward men. On February 12, 1941, <em>Te Rapunga</em> put into Napier, New Zealand, after its long wandering. Officials did not accept his homemade passport or protestations of global citizenship. I imagine that such a romantic idealist and square-peg-in-round-hole-world like Dibbern stretched the boundaries of a bureaucratic world view to breaking. In any regard, an odd German semi-resident flying his own flag, bearing documentation of his own creation and cruising freely about in wartime waters set off too many warning lights. He was arrested and sent off to an internment facility. And thus George Dibbern sat out the war as a guest of the New Zealand government in the accommodations of Somes Island. Again.<br /><br />Wars come; wars eventually go. Peace returned to Somes Island. The degaussing station was dismantled; the antiaircraft guns, ammunition and fire control systems hauled off for other duties or scrap. Grass grew amidst the emplacements. The procession of animals through the stations of the quarantine compound resumed. Fifty years after the last internees watched the island shrink over the fantail of a boat, the government closed down the quarantine operations.<br /><br />Even before the end of Somes’ quarantine era, the next chapter of the island’s story was being written. In 1981, The Lower Hutt Valley branch of New Zealand’s Forest and Bird Association, in tandem with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, launched a project to return Somes Island to as close to its natural state as possible. For nearly three decades now thousands of volunteers have laboured to eradicate imported pests such as rats, mice and possums, reforest cleared ground and livestock fields and remove much of the evidence of man’s century and half of utilization.<br /><br />As regeneration of plant life progressed, the natural food chain re-established itself. Somes rapidly turned into a refuge for many native species of birds, reptiles and invertebrates. Endangered species were reintroduced, and the island is vigorously protected and patrolled to prevent the return of alien species or predators. In 1995 the Department of Conservation opened Somes to the public as a nature, scientific and historic reserve.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyC7qjarwxOZTbE5904pWSCiTCJTfg-oXii6bbjsjkIg2e3z6A2FxzWxTOkNRYrGw8BTcV88GEEVEwM90ZUCLZlX-1ya09i3eM00TV6PO7FiM7BKlvzNUqKzEBqc3w3vLAYtzVynB5GC0/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+023.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164400905615042338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="214" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyC7qjarwxOZTbE5904pWSCiTCJTfg-oXii6bbjsjkIg2e3z6A2FxzWxTOkNRYrGw8BTcV88GEEVEwM90ZUCLZlX-1ya09i3eM00TV6PO7FiM7BKlvzNUqKzEBqc3w3vLAYtzVynB5GC0/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+023.JPG" width="291" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Protection and restoration work continues and Somes Island draws thousands of tourists, nature enthusiasts and scientists every year. </p><p><br />And now, we have been three of them.<br /><br /></p><p>At home Saturday evening, face glowing warm from the day’s sun and a pleasant fatigue from the walk washing over me like one too many glasses of wine, I watched sunset unfurl a glorious red and orange banner over Somes Island. As twilight drained the colour from the sky and turned the island into silhouette, my mind cycled through the day’s discoveries. What had I learned? Where, now, did this little bump of land fit in the larger scheme of things? What message did it whisper across the waters, across the years, across the pages of its story?<br /><br />Protection. Perhaps that is the theme of this island’s story. <em>Pa’s</em>. Quarantine. Internment. Defence installation. Refuge. For a millennium Somes Island has served successive generations of two cultures as a place of protection for what they held dear and a place of protection from what they feared.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKh_4dHSXu9_CSutULmtgV6jgPUChEB-wXoLmFPC4CN5AqAjOWbyLac2jPrWk3ZFtmhAxJZZVVK_cu-tQDs9-J5vLqO8P-RrJDIck5BbEeK1PyDYXKcFJX3N2fbJxjIhn3y2T1-JpwFQ0/s1600-h/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164401734543730482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKh_4dHSXu9_CSutULmtgV6jgPUChEB-wXoLmFPC4CN5AqAjOWbyLac2jPrWk3ZFtmhAxJZZVVK_cu-tQDs9-J5vLqO8P-RrJDIck5BbEeK1PyDYXKcFJX3N2fbJxjIhn3y2T1-JpwFQ0/s320/Ferry+to+Somes+Island+021.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This island’s story testifies to our enduring drive as individuals, polities and civilizations to preserve not just ourselves and our brief moment in time, but also protect our ways of living and cherished attachments from the hand of change. It is, in its way, an ironic tale, for in defence against unwanted change – personal, communal, economic, political and environmental – man has continually changed Somes Island.<br /><br /></p><br /><br /><p>I cannot help but wonder: a century from now, how will this little island have changed again? </p><p><br />______________________________<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Waitangi Day<br /></span></strong><br />Yesterday was Waitangi Day! So there!<br /><br />Okay, okay, I’ll explain.<br /><br />On February 6, 1840, various Maori chiefs and British officials signed an agreement in which the Maori recognized British sovereignty and the New Zealand islands became part of the British Empire. In exchange, the Maori were promised ownership of their lands and the same rights as British subjects.<br /><br />The treaty itself always was, and remains, a problematic and controversial foundation. The English and Maori versions of the treaty varied greatly and different Maori signatories had different understandings of what it meant. The Maori generally regarded the document as a sacred pledge; the colonial and later national government largely ignored it until the middle of the 20th century. Today a government commission exists to interpret the treaty and reconcile Maori grievances and current claims based upon it. The task is further complicated not only by more than a century of informal disregard, but also by a lack of the original document and paucity of copies, some of which differ.<br /><br />Be that as it may, Kiwis regard, and celebrate, Waitangi day in much the same manner as Americans do the 4th of July. Waitangi Day is considered New Zealand’s national birthday and is a public holiday. Since they are in the southern hemisphere, however, fireworks are fired into the ground, rather than in into the air. Okay, well, not really.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdslcYMEQxo6VMpZNXQhC3YD8kfQWNS5n8iFLwQJoDKTkh6k54C7xv4jzb5VEykMuQmObOvIkPip187HeCkWoNZs8R5ZMM0V9KcSWqmLpPpSa6BqdTupjFKLI20ToqJmESJZouS1zfQIM/s1600-h/Queen+Elizabeth+Park+on+Waitangi+Day+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164451560459331586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="216" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdslcYMEQxo6VMpZNXQhC3YD8kfQWNS5n8iFLwQJoDKTkh6k54C7xv4jzb5VEykMuQmObOvIkPip187HeCkWoNZs8R5ZMM0V9KcSWqmLpPpSa6BqdTupjFKLI20ToqJmESJZouS1zfQIM/s320/Queen+Elizabeth+Park+on+Waitangi+Day+001.JPG" width="303" border="0" /></a> </p><p>We observed Waitangi day by driving over to the Tasman Sea and through a couple of communities we are considering as potential future homes. The western side of the North Island receives less precipitation than the east, since dominant weather patterns bring systems in from the south and east and the mountains wring a great deal of the moisture out of them before they reach the Tasman. This summer has been notably dryer than normal, and the mountain pastures and brush look decidedly dry, parched and ready to spontaneously combust. </p><p><br />Our destination was Queen Elizabeth Park, a considerable chunk of coastal territory north of Kapiti. During World War II the park was used as a camp for American Marines. Though nothing identifiable from that camp now remains (at least to my view) there is a modest display and memorial remembering their presence and contribution to New Zealand’s wartime defence.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3updVit72fzt4T63otQ_0th3ugafU5egaUKocoTIXqOIx7Jd1yQRXS01eXVLcOcA2W-XjgAmzDYSjVwamDNmzi9O1hxAdajzvq9jURMAZxw1UEfH4K1GMrRD6-4BcB_o6Idxi53o6r9c/s1600-h/Queen+Elizabeth+Park+on+Waitangi+Day+003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164403349451433794" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 277px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px" height="240" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3updVit72fzt4T63otQ_0th3ugafU5egaUKocoTIXqOIx7Jd1yQRXS01eXVLcOcA2W-XjgAmzDYSjVwamDNmzi9O1hxAdajzvq9jURMAZxw1UEfH4K1GMrRD6-4BcB_o6Idxi53o6r9c/s320/Queen+Elizabeth+Park+on+Waitangi+Day+003.JPG" width="296" border="0" /></a><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The park is also home to an organization committed to obtaining and preserving old trams (trolley cars for Americans), once the mainstay of public transportation in New Zealand and Australian cities. (If you’ve seen Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong, you’ve seen one this group’s restored trams in the opening sequences, dressed up as a Broadway Trolley of the 1930’s.) Several of these old trams are in operating condition, and visitors can ride them from the park entrance to the beach and back. These trams, most of them originally hand-built at local machine shops between 1900 and 1940, are more works of the craftsman’s art than modern mass produced vehicles. </p><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mTlMyRWJRSRrRvUm1-c2SFneBR6QzOOoR-PC78IG4ruHbFwCGE-mm_661SxX-u-TMhGIOvlFY7lCsp1eGDSvm_wwNhhdev846tEQFd-gv06cqWkQk1PJGQVm1Y5N5qLRlqj4nPXHmHY/s1600-h/Queen+Elizabeth+Park+on+Waitangi+Day+022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164404302934173522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mTlMyRWJRSRrRvUm1-c2SFneBR6QzOOoR-PC78IG4ruHbFwCGE-mm_661SxX-u-TMhGIOvlFY7lCsp1eGDSvm_wwNhhdev846tEQFd-gv06cqWkQk1PJGQVm1Y5N5qLRlqj4nPXHmHY/s320/Queen+Elizabeth+Park+on+Waitangi+Day+022.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After a tram ride and a walk through the restoration facility, we treated Connor to his first horseback ride at an adjacent stable. Connor looked very serious for most of the “ride,” (being led around on a pony by a stable hand), obviously trying to master his natural anxiety and look cool at the same time. Towards the end he did loosen up a bit and smile, and proclaimed “Yeehaw! I feel like a cowboy!” Since then, he delights in reminding us that he is an expert horseman. </p><p></p><p><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_UmqBEvUnQczpNfDJ-Ggnh9xS1MuzNqASkoXEammL1rpJMV8RZqurdej7CPRZ73MMbhdk_MkC2Migx9K5dwqF5HIZ4Qy9zBYWDQKlDriROdTKKQ-X3TE9CGSKeQvE8r2_dlZdmbw0kc/s1600-h/Queen+Elizabeth+Park+on+Waitangi+Day+028.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164405222057174882" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_UmqBEvUnQczpNfDJ-Ggnh9xS1MuzNqASkoXEammL1rpJMV8RZqurdej7CPRZ73MMbhdk_MkC2Migx9K5dwqF5HIZ4Qy9zBYWDQKlDriROdTKKQ-X3TE9CGSKeQvE8r2_dlZdmbw0kc/s320/Queen+Elizabeth+Park+on+Waitangi+Day+028.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />On our way home we stopped at Mainline Steam, a company which operates one of, if not the last steam locomotive in New Zealand. Today the engine sat quietly at rest on a siding, ticking occasionally in hot sun. Connor, devoted fan of Thomas the Tank Engine that he is, was still thrilled at being in the presence of a real “steamie,” even if it was dormant. I walked him around the locomotive, seeing which parts he could identify (a lot!) and explained how the engine worked. He enjoyed it immensely, and, well, I did too.<br /></p><p><br />Today was Connor’s first day back at school after his Christmas/summer break. As I walked him down the hill, I noticed that many of the mothers delivering their children to school wore unusually radiant smiles. Some even greeted me with more than the perfunctory pleasantries. The shared bond of liberation from a house under siege by offspring joined us all in happy accord. Today the sun burned a little brighter, the flowers glowed with richer colour and life seemed just a little more sweet. So this is how my parents felt when I returned to school . . . .<br /><br />And that’s the latest news from us. I apologize for the length. As Linda likes to say, “If I had had more time, I would have made it shorter.”<br /><br />Our love to you all.<br /></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">*Note: the first two views of Somes Island are not my photographs. The island is visible from our living room window, but the image I have from that vantage point is a bit hazy. So, I borrowed these off the web.<br /></span><br /><br /></p>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-6290013661932814232008-01-21T15:58:00.000-08:002008-01-25T00:55:03.808-08:00Over The Rim(utakas!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyB-i3Kw2K4WTHA0wBI7KyMQF4u8Hqw8r_QgTjSI1Epvyg02bcdul29BTZbkslCjUWGT7w5DTNHf1QWjkd0rEMDauNuFoa3x6GBpL_ukjrtit_HXXNhY4Z7fFZHTYyKR2Hm-SAU-aMVs/s1600-h/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158091443357004834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyB-i3Kw2K4WTHA0wBI7KyMQF4u8Hqw8r_QgTjSI1Epvyg02bcdul29BTZbkslCjUWGT7w5DTNHf1QWjkd0rEMDauNuFoa3x6GBpL_ukjrtit_HXXNhY4Z7fFZHTYyKR2Hm-SAU-aMVs/s400/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+029.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Greetings, all!<br /><br />Things have been fairly quiet here since the New Year. Linda is back in the office, and apparently one of the few who are – most of New Zealand goes on holiday from mid-December to mid-January. As for me, complications from my vasectomy kept me mostly inactive since Christmas, and only in the last week have I been out and about. (Yes, ouch. You don’t want to know.) Connor is enjoying his break, and is very busy being five. Today Linda took him over to the National Police College in Porirua, where a very kind constable treated him to a ride on a police motorcycle and in a police car.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ArNi6sxDVArWK99tiyu97CeBr8gT9tt2Jhr19wnflJwaOItw_MN9m7lgGgFdgv2nFsicV-uQBFRvrDguMYR3-k-iFCTEtJBDe16_z60N0Jh2LX-M5F8d0DiLEsSlQYySe0iTf8GSUtU/s1600-h/DSCF9811.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ArNi6sxDVArWK99tiyu97CeBr8gT9tt2Jhr19wnflJwaOItw_MN9m7lgGgFdgv2nFsicV-uQBFRvrDguMYR3-k-iFCTEtJBDe16_z60N0Jh2LX-M5F8d0DiLEsSlQYySe0iTf8GSUtU/s400/DSCF9811.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159334622322222674" /></a><br />The last week we had a run of Immigration Bureau summer weather – clear skies, bright sun and temperatures in the upper 70’s. This is the summer weather we moved here for. I fought back inertia and tackled some long-avoided work – weeding the flowerbeds and terrace, washing windows and cleaning the outside of the house and reclaiming the garage. I coerced Connor into slavery, beginning what I hope to be his long servitude in all things yard-related; a thoroughly selfish revenge for all the years my father so bound me to yard work in searing Florida heat and smothering humidity. The sins of the grandfathers shall be visited upon the grandsons, even down into the third and fourth generations . . . . Connor, being happy in all things, failed to notice it was slavery and had a great time. Oh, that this blissful ignorance and divine attitude will last. It was good to get active after three weeks of spuddom, and being outside in such weather is a treasure all its own. In fact, I even got sunburned for the first time in years!<br /><br />Speaking of sun, I am amazed at its fervour here. We’re mid-latitude, but NZ is often under the famed southern hemisphere “ozone hole,” and has a very high UV index. It also has some of the highest skin cancer rates in the world. Now, growing up in Florida, I am no stranger to bright, hard sun. But honestly, though the temperatures and humidity are (thankfully) much lower, the sun is more intense. At times you swear you can actually feel the radiation ripping gleefully through your skin on its way to play marbles with your DNA.<br /><br />The beautiful weather also motivated us to mount a Saturday exploration up the Hutt River Valley, over the Rimutaka Range and down into the Wairarapa Valley. The Rimutakas stretch about 55 kilometres (33 miles or so) north from the eastern side of Wellington Harbour, and form a natural division between the Wellington region and the Wairarapa. (Pronounced “why-ra-rap-a.” For obtuse fun I love to put on the Elmer Fudd voice and say: “Be wery, wery quiet, we’re hunting Wairarapas!” And no, I don’t know why Connor always calls me “Silly Daddy.”)<br /><br />As New Zealand mountain ranges go, the Rimutakas aren’t overwhelming like the snow-shrouded ramparts of the Southern Alps, but they are beautiful and deceptively gentled by thick layers of bush. Beneath that nice green, though, lie craggy, sharp volcanic rock, numerous cliffs, gullies, deep-cut streams and steep inclines. The mountains are essentially unpopulated. The highest point in the range is only 940 meters (about 3200 feet), but the Rimutakas are still, even today, a formidable obstacle.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu22edFVkRwEJt66qEM8FtbSWffbaOrKYmkz_35BRxzP3E0AJDcXYuHDAQxFJZA9AksKOZiWmfo7KMrWUzTz0lscUqBTK1nIJBSnL34nVXUf-AKfvW_sGzu9SiLWT82Ilf33aHbk-YC2M/s1600-h/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158098482808403090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu22edFVkRwEJt66qEM8FtbSWffbaOrKYmkz_35BRxzP3E0AJDcXYuHDAQxFJZA9AksKOZiWmfo7KMrWUzTz0lscUqBTK1nIJBSnL34nVXUf-AKfvW_sGzu9SiLWT82Ilf33aHbk-YC2M/s400/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The range is crossed by the SH2, one of the two main –north/south roads in the North Island. The highway pinches down to what might generously be called two lanes through the range, and is a genuine hurl-o-rama with many, many switchbacks and S-turns. Sturdy railings are few, and for the most part the only thing between you and a nice 30 degree plunge into the green abyss are metal and wood poles supporting a wire “rail.” As someone who is horrendously afraid of edges (heights are fine; it’s the transitional zone between them and lows that bother me) I was not amused.<br /><br />New Zealand is a young nation; the Rimutakas were not crossed by Europeans until 1841, when a party with Maori guides pushed through the pass to glimpse the broad expanse of the Wairarapa Valley beyond. Today, there is a little cafe, a scenic overlook and historical marker at the summit. You can watch cars wind their way up one side and down the other while sipping your mochachino and congratulating yourself on the fortitude of your inner ear and on making it this far in full possession of your breakfast. </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMs0gSQnNJElcDTIWCYxqUSFDBboFijipvsdU5_EA_sUDnlMFozGfVzYTbOzx38etU66bTgK0DaaA4HAte8fRKCNxIrPkFEyCv-ZsJ8_XfwvNjoD7stL5B4VDw3X7AZ8oOK_txXMEdNx8/s1600-h/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158093354617451586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMs0gSQnNJElcDTIWCYxqUSFDBboFijipvsdU5_EA_sUDnlMFozGfVzYTbOzx38etU66bTgK0DaaA4HAte8fRKCNxIrPkFEyCv-ZsJ8_XfwvNjoD7stL5B4VDw3X7AZ8oOK_txXMEdNx8/s400/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+031.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtluTT8a-1lgx31anEMGuYj6XjmM4cBa6476NkrSTzt-kms_DgTKVMujtZMzpzGsQwf7i2orMTI8_g-6ZCm1rTftf9Y6fsoK9PVj3aLYs9kb4lJhQYzXgBTFgT-h0D5-37IdnJ4__OxE/s1600-h/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158095622360183922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtluTT8a-1lgx31anEMGuYj6XjmM4cBa6476NkrSTzt-kms_DgTKVMujtZMzpzGsQwf7i2orMTI8_g-6ZCm1rTftf9Y6fsoK9PVj3aLYs9kb4lJhQYzXgBTFgT-h0D5-37IdnJ4__OxE/s400/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+026.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Beyond the crest the mountains flow down to the Wairarapa Valley, a broad plain that makes up the south eastern portion of the island. Translated as “Glistening Waters,” the Maori so christened it for its numerous streams and large lake at its southern end. The valley is bordered by the Rimutakas to the west and a ridge of coastal mountains to the east, and varies around 15 to 20 miles in width. It’s lush and scenic and sparsely populated – at least by people. Farming, orchards, cattle and sheep ranching and a growing wine industry are the economic activities here, complemented by a small tourist trade.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvKWixUp_jqBBEvOZR1pw44suxUm58B51hSTlfs9_vxhlTLMtDB2CRx9g1TT9OV_9c72gxLUQLh4WoCbIZ_zEpienIUjMbCuoxR_d3m1atolumQMetFayV4YKTRAtdKCUc8tTbZFtohM/s1600-h/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158092018882622514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvKWixUp_jqBBEvOZR1pw44suxUm58B51hSTlfs9_vxhlTLMtDB2CRx9g1TT9OV_9c72gxLUQLh4WoCbIZ_zEpienIUjMbCuoxR_d3m1atolumQMetFayV4YKTRAtdKCUc8tTbZFtohM/s400/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+014.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Playing our role as weekend gawkers, we stopped in Greytown (2001 souls), one of the five main population centres in the Wairarapa. Founded in 1854, Greytown is one of the nation’s oldest inland settlements. Among its claims to modest New Zealand fame are the first New Zealand celebration of Arbour Day, the meeting place of the Maori Parliament, and (supposedly) that Greytown has more colonial-period Victorian buildings on its main street than any other NZ town. The locals take great pride in the later, and largely by virtue of convenient location (about an hour and a half from Wellington in good weather) have succeeded in turning their main drag into a tourist draw. Sidewalk cafes, art studios, antique shops and curio stores have sprouted where once grocers, cart wrights, blacksmiths, packers and dry goods merchants tended the needs of a farming community. On perfect Saturdays (like this one) the sidewalks are filled with casually and obliviously strolling Kiwis, oddly hiding heads under floppy hats while displaying thoroughly sunburned skin in shorts, tees, sundresses and ubiquitous Kiwi footwear – sandals, flip-flops or nothing at all. (Our theory is that many Kiwis prefer as little foot covering as possible because shoes are hideously expensive here. Evidently there is no indigenous Kiwi shoe industry. But where, I ask you, does Kiwi brand shoe polish come from, and why does it exist at all? These burning conundrums bother me.) We dutifully joined the flow in a sort of Brownian movement from one end of town to the other, across the street and back again, occasionally shunted off into a capillary store or studio. We enjoyed lunch under a patio awning fashioned from a surplus parachute and bookended by a beautiful willow. Connor’s favourite stop was the local vet and pet store, thrilled to be in close proximity to actual cats, and not his well-worn stuffed kitty. There was one little fur ball, a silver-tabby runt of the litter, that immediately made eye contact with me and did everything possible to appear as cutely pathetic as possible. “Please take me home. I am talking to you with my brain. It is your destiny. Do not resist.” I resisted. But only barely.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDg0y4fKqU_EN-vi49j7GfAGDyAlhNgOjVGJS1xhLlBQbyNB-33FvCI5w85IEaUWbHRSior-jRKgzaZtT_8XFslp6rEl5jZdQ9dyTTzHpAqazpDNws38xTgq7RzA933xesPC8JPxdzKvI/s1600-h/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158094089056859218" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDg0y4fKqU_EN-vi49j7GfAGDyAlhNgOjVGJS1xhLlBQbyNB-33FvCI5w85IEaUWbHRSior-jRKgzaZtT_8XFslp6rEl5jZdQ9dyTTzHpAqazpDNws38xTgq7RzA933xesPC8JPxdzKvI/s400/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After this we drove up to another town, enjoying the scenery. Turning back, we stopped at a fruit stand, and went full bozo touristy and pulled off the road a couple of times to photograph sheep. Then, at last, it was back across the summit and home.<br /><br />Interesting note: The Maori name for Greytown is “Te Hupenui,” which means “the big snot,” or, more accurately, “the fluid that comes out of your nose at a tangi or funeral.” I think something has been lost in translation.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5i48ZubfOLW2Fo61N9YJTKG49L7QEBdwojx8DbX-Qn5omZeL2jsyqcAqUq0YzYcAadKmXUBXwMwrBuiC0aaM4pw9CBfsyxX3C1VVx9GiXJPuf2ESVhGiz_17HgRjweExoH9dXqrBktM/s1600-h/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158094866445939810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5i48ZubfOLW2Fo61N9YJTKG49L7QEBdwojx8DbX-Qn5omZeL2jsyqcAqUq0YzYcAadKmXUBXwMwrBuiC0aaM4pw9CBfsyxX3C1VVx9GiXJPuf2ESVhGiz_17HgRjweExoH9dXqrBktM/s400/Over+Rimutaka+to+So+Wairarapa+%26+Greytown+011.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In more recent news . . .<br /><br />Awoke yesterday to something quite familiar but quite unexpected – hurricane weather! Or, more properly, cyclone weather. (Cyclone in southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean; typhoon in the western Pacific, hurricane in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic.) Cyclone Funa has wandered her way southwards in the Tasman Sea, and though no longer tropical in structure, she is still a tight storm and scheduled to swing across the North Island today. All day yesterday and last night it was textbook pre-hurricane weather – still as death, oppressive and humid. This morning the wind picked up and the barometer dived, and if The Met is right (and they are no more prone to be so here than NOAA in the states) winds may get up to hurricane force this evening. Not too concerned, we had several winter gales just as severe, and it is almost always windy up here on the ridges above the harbour.<br /><br />New Zealand also continues to mourn the passing of its greatest legend, Sir Edmund Hillary --explorer, mountaineer, writer, philanthropist and environmental conscience. It is hard to describe, especially to Americans, the degree to which Kiwis appropriated “Sir Ed” and fashioned him into their icon. If in the last half century Americans have had any number of great figures to identify with, aspire after and take pride in, since the 1950’s New Zealand has had mainly one – Sir Edmund Hillary. Hillary always liked to present himself a simple Kiwi, representative of the strengths of the species – stoic, quiet, earnest, humble, self-effacing and above all filled with a determination capable of conquering anything, be it hostile Maori, a far-flung wilderness island, the trenches at Gallipoli, the jungles of New Guinea, or the world’s highest mountain. “If Sir Edmund can do it, I can too!” became a New Zealand mantra of self-motivation. A runty youth and late bloomer, insular and bookish, Sir Ed filled his youth with stories of adventure and exploration. He took to hiking – tramping – the bush and eventually climbing. By his late 20’s, his name circulated in the high stratosphere where only the top mountaineers breathed. He gained invitations to British expeditions in the Himalayas, and in 1953, at the age of 33, he and his Sherpa Guide Tenzing Norgay became the first known climbers to summit the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqnjhBDxuKsu6Z18RgpjXEr8d_4RzDENCK4sw7oOgwsVIHaxwA420e-YSV4JebKs-dH3-nrHCsU_O4YazwIYEsECmMgnuXKSxVnRzufi0WvZnRLQziosQ7hI54mK547qdDcEOCjBAqGo/s1600-h/Hillary.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqnjhBDxuKsu6Z18RgpjXEr8d_4RzDENCK4sw7oOgwsVIHaxwA420e-YSV4JebKs-dH3-nrHCsU_O4YazwIYEsECmMgnuXKSxVnRzufi0WvZnRLQziosQ7hI54mK547qdDcEOCjBAqGo/s400/Hillary.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158101605249627298" /></a><br /><br />Though it was this single feat that propelled him into history and made him a legend, Hillary continued a long life of travel, adventure and exploration. He led a New Zealand expedition to the South Pole in 1958, the first to reach it since Amundsen and Scott in 1911 and 12. He continued to explore and climb the Himalayas, and pursued a life-long mission to help the Nepalese build schools and hospitals. He flirted briefly with politics, and in his later years was gifted with a sort of “elder statesman” status by those concerned with protecting wilderness areas. Now, the quiet climber is off chasing peaks in another dimension, and his nation mourns him. As he considered himself a quintessential Kiwi, his death has taken a little of that old, colonial frontier, ANZAC essence from the land. Flags fly at half-mast and measures are pouring forth to rename a great multitude of things in his honour, from roads to lakes and parks and mountain peaks. I myself feel some historical and personal tremor at his passing, for he is one of the last remnants of a time when there were still frontiers in the world and that world had room for quiet, wiry heroes who pushed themselves against odds and elements to roll back the boundaries of the unknown. Today, commercial expeditions take scores up Everest’s slopes every season, in numbers so large that trash is now a major problem along its once inviolate slopes. And thus the story of human curiosity and the ironies of discovery and its eventual offspring, exploitation. From mystery to miracle to money in a generation, and on to other things. It horrified Sir Ed, who, having been there before all others, could not forget what had been nor drift into the easy ambivalence with which our modern world regards the once unassailable bastions of nature. Goodbye Sir Ed, may your journey of discovery and sense of wonder take you to new frontiers in what world lies beyond. Goodbye, and well done.<br /><br />And that’s the latest from down under. </div>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-23518849498942608292007-12-24T21:44:00.000-08:002007-12-25T11:06:10.309-08:00Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere! - Part 2Dear Friends, Family and Unknown Groupies,<br /><br />In case you are one of those who wonders how Santa Clause manages to get all the way around the world in one night, we figure it really helps to have multiple time zones and an international date line. While most of our friends and family are gearing up for Christmas Eve, we were already in the post-gift-unwrapping clean-up stage. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mwJjgBFjubiSH98TKQnZMqg16X2_EXqfjTjQEcYk1f1bRK4uFkbiIIEX_a7brfIoXk4t-3lpJIfeCMO5BC-0FhoSnWUxrqbRHhz9EU9Tiaj_XojS5DJKR7W-BCPmDunrB5g21lAoTNs/s1600-h/Christmas+2007+001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mwJjgBFjubiSH98TKQnZMqg16X2_EXqfjTjQEcYk1f1bRK4uFkbiIIEX_a7brfIoXk4t-3lpJIfeCMO5BC-0FhoSnWUxrqbRHhz9EU9Tiaj_XojS5DJKR7W-BCPmDunrB5g21lAoTNs/s400/Christmas+2007+001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147790930665190258" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vCiC-_-xSoI/R3CglMhGs4I/AAAAAAAAAKA/4jwjGQXuGdk/s1600-h/Christmas+2007+005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vCiC-_-xSoI/R3CglMhGs4I/AAAAAAAAAKA/4jwjGQXuGdk/s400/Christmas+2007+005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147790934960157570" /></a><br />We have had a very pleasant and relaxing first "Kiwi-Christmas". After weeks of bright sunshine and long, comfortable summer evenings, today was different. For most of the morning, we had fog, rain and a cool breeze, finally clearing in the evening - but remaining cooler than usual. It is almost enough to make you think we are spending the big day in the Pacific Northwest! Just the right kinda day for laying around the house enjoying all our new gifts. Connor had a very merry "Bob-the-Builder-Christmas" and Eric and I received a few of the books and DVDs we had on our Amazon.com wish lists, so thanks to our family who thought to go online and shop a month in advance of the holiday! (The belated stuff we are still waiting to receive will be a bonus, and much appreciated as well.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaa63zqh-4BBdpAk_G8DbvGoueAAkibwdGmvtyaPJiY19BSYxAYUiag6NI66qpydOU3wfE-iJaIUMWTUSaCqsKwc9opvYtZmX-WTawWavauhyphenhyphentubc2el9ezNSmx6sCmyM-dwLT5g06lSU/s1600-h/Christmas+2007+016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaa63zqh-4BBdpAk_G8DbvGoueAAkibwdGmvtyaPJiY19BSYxAYUiag6NI66qpydOU3wfE-iJaIUMWTUSaCqsKwc9opvYtZmX-WTawWavauhyphenhyphentubc2el9ezNSmx6sCmyM-dwLT5g06lSU/s400/Christmas+2007+016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147790943550092178" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPHh9VFlL7O2zYkRKxqfmLuTijPRH5Ws3PLyB9vORQv3IaBNg0LkrvVnvbeVG2v2hAfH1fppj17a90zSoB3P8WxP5Ps9uoA2xuss4xMees0xOj7LLUfn7nIDpMhXn7DbWogyX5FkSEXU/s1600-h/Christmas+2007+024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPHh9VFlL7O2zYkRKxqfmLuTijPRH5Ws3PLyB9vORQv3IaBNg0LkrvVnvbeVG2v2hAfH1fppj17a90zSoB3P8WxP5Ps9uoA2xuss4xMees0xOj7LLUfn7nIDpMhXn7DbWogyX5FkSEXU/s400/Christmas+2007+024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147790947845059490" /></a><br />Health-wise, we are all doing well. Eric has mostly recovered from his anniversary gift to me (a vasectomy); and, I am enjoying my 1 1/2 weeks off of work - which does not even cut into my regular 4 weeks of annual leave which I will probably use later next year. This week was also the start of Connor's longest holiday from school, (Eric and I are praying that we survive the next six weeks).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKgI7pzqBBeFQV5xPK4CHv7oUcJLBvFdvmc9SZ0-lXY7wW-rMzRlZzQS1gRu1SnvJhRJisiwExGZwBjXQg2vKF02UplfNmD6rktu9EUdem0FqXnBNmOaP5cfrgP-aLhgXHgDCoN3FZio/s1600-h/Christmas+2007+020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKgI7pzqBBeFQV5xPK4CHv7oUcJLBvFdvmc9SZ0-lXY7wW-rMzRlZzQS1gRu1SnvJhRJisiwExGZwBjXQg2vKF02UplfNmD6rktu9EUdem0FqXnBNmOaP5cfrgP-aLhgXHgDCoN3FZio/s400/Christmas+2007+020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5147966753741386674" /></a><br />On the job front, mine is still going quite well and I am enjoying it immensely. Unfortunately, Eric has not had any luck and is still looking for employment. While my income is sufficient for us to live, it is not enough to buy the only home we have found in Connor's school zone that we really, really like. (See: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/Residential-Property/Houses-for-sale/auction-128543192.htm?key=309558) So, we ask that you continue praying that Eric finds just the right job and that "dream home v.2" becomes available shortly thereafter. <br /><br />I am quite proud of Eric these days. Despite the setbacks on the job search front, he has remained optimistic and really picked up the task of being a homemaker/dad and run with it! Before his recent surgery, he was in the habit of walking Connor to and from school every day, helping with homework, fixing Connor's lunchbox, doing the grocery shopping, housework, laundry, yard work, making dinner, . . ., the whole nine yards! He still works hard, though his recovery has slowed him a bit as you can imagine, and he and Connor have really built a nice bond out of this new routine. Seeing them together in this way has really made going back to work a lot easier on me than I had anticipated.<br /><br />Well, I must get back to the post-holiday cleanup and wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day and New Year! We love and miss you and wish you well in the coming new year! <br /><br />Love, Linda, Eric & ConnorThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-19302219364546467752007-12-07T15:45:00.000-08:002007-12-07T17:01:27.637-08:00Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere!Merry Christmas Friends, Family and Kiwi-Wannabes,<br /><br />After spending my entire life in the Northern Hemisphere, I confess that it is taking a bit of work to get used to the reversal of the seasons - especially when the holidays fall on the same days of the year! <br /><br />First it was Halloween in the Spring, instead of Fall; and, now, I am gearing up for celebrating Christmas during the height of summer! Not that I ever had any "White Christmases" growing up in Florida; but, when you see pictures of Santa in shorts carrying a surf board and Kiwi birds wearing sleigh bells you just can't keep any illusions about how far away from the North Pole we live. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg050HwO0Y1ortmSEnQKQpOIN3cg2WrS_B17hCN7bIwosUMb1p1hIVCnSJKIYVOp926UX6jRsKdmBL0pbojZw-9YC1JEGpI6QuHDyDJ6EnOK6b_J1qjf4iQRIwkxndO1gTFSMWxJ2wgSeM/s1600-h/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg050HwO0Y1ortmSEnQKQpOIN3cg2WrS_B17hCN7bIwosUMb1p1hIVCnSJKIYVOp926UX6jRsKdmBL0pbojZw-9YC1JEGpI6QuHDyDJ6EnOK6b_J1qjf4iQRIwkxndO1gTFSMWxJ2wgSeM/s400/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384002431590994" /></a><br />The days are now longer - usually not getting dark till 9pm. The weather is warmer and sunnier and the thinner ozone layer definitely makes you feel like you are being microwaved when standing out in direct sunlight, though it is certainly not oppressively hot/humid and you still might want to wear long sleeves in the evenings. The DIY-handymen and gardeners are out in force, we can keep the windows open nearly all day - though it is doing a number on my sinuses, the smell of BBQs fill the evening, we have more bird crap on our car that you can imagine, and the whole country is gearing up to go on vacation! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNr0AMXC4YzUmlzmcB-tbhBEcCbL3umf4p2T9l_x2z1tpmb7Je0UJxeDu19-u7UequsjSnPU8CxshyphenhyphengkT75x96GMOXj4ijkVfAT_iVrGqnHL7ZRLOjKybtG9mr1dzUB9Sb-JDg4voR3o/s1600-h/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNr0AMXC4YzUmlzmcB-tbhBEcCbL3umf4p2T9l_x2z1tpmb7Je0UJxeDu19-u7UequsjSnPU8CxshyphenhyphengkT75x96GMOXj4ijkVfAT_iVrGqnHL7ZRLOjKybtG9mr1dzUB9Sb-JDg4voR3o/s400/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384011021525602" /></a><br />In a way, it really is great that the Christmas/Boxing Day/New Years Holidays fall right when everyone is ready to be outdoors, because they get plenty of time off work for the holidays without having to use up personal leave time to go on vacation. I, for instance, get all but one day off between the 22nd of Dec and the 3rd of Jan - and that is without having to use any of my leave time! Connor gets his biggest break of the year from school, starting the 20th of December and not having to go back until February!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NnT1SS0PT4k-N_jK6S4TO8gFrf3P3I7y-lnswqfq1r_7UIXiSAbwpQM3vuU9KxNs3vXgrTwCY66sXecQ92bpn1gCW8ADjOTPEkrHRhcgqbGAWWXGTIs-3O5dqH1UqTiCfLJxuLXicsg/s1600-h/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NnT1SS0PT4k-N_jK6S4TO8gFrf3P3I7y-lnswqfq1r_7UIXiSAbwpQM3vuU9KxNs3vXgrTwCY66sXecQ92bpn1gCW8ADjOTPEkrHRhcgqbGAWWXGTIs-3O5dqH1UqTiCfLJxuLXicsg/s400/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384023906427506" /></a><br />Last weekend the entire Gross-Family-Unit went Christmas tree shopping. Though I had seen trees in the windows of homes, I had not seen any outdoor lots full of live trees so I was starting to get concerned that we were going to be stuck getting a fake tree. Then I discovered that they keep the live trees indoors so the heat doesn't dry them out too quickly. We found a lovely 7' live tree (only $45 NZD) that wasn't too fat to fit through our sliding glass door from the back deck. I decided to put the tree in the dining room, because there was more space there than in the living room, and it would be out of the way of Connor's activities - for the most part. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysrad6HCHTWity75jsDOMzV3_sWTLVgazk4ZIAj-sumeMSfHpnVTBPFcjTlddv1igBMaFZUMGedqfVKY8ld7yPrT0ZRX8zdudfovKOjYyn4XyKxfh7MjmofzhnOGBP2j98sXoPqMx_8Y/s1600-h/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysrad6HCHTWity75jsDOMzV3_sWTLVgazk4ZIAj-sumeMSfHpnVTBPFcjTlddv1igBMaFZUMGedqfVKY8ld7yPrT0ZRX8zdudfovKOjYyn4XyKxfh7MjmofzhnOGBP2j98sXoPqMx_8Y/s400/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384028201394818" /></a><br />For the past three Christmases, while we were living in Arkansas, we were in the habit of not decorating or getting a tree because we spent those holidays with family in Florida. That was fun and we do miss having family with us this year; but, it is also great to not have to drive anywhere this year and to be able to pull out all our old decorations and reminisce about them. This was also the first year ever that Connor was able to help with the job of decorating the tree, and he even contributed the paper angel that we put on top - since we still haven't found a new light-up angel that we like. We had lots of fun last Sunday getting the tree set up, and pulling out the giant Santa that my Grandpa won back in the mid-1960s. (Yes, after decades of a subtle family tug-of-war over the Santa, Connor finally won possession of the prized family heirloom - without even asking!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-Kz-wtoC8Xaka-oKxX7LlkU2uBuLR8bpi7q6bgaLJGy4oDqyJK86eXPIgXew-gGIQ8PfrgKIIABK_fZ4-aU_rGOBCR-B706hJE1ifxfH8BNX9Qq1b5QlPDVCYn83rHmjHsHl5ZA9E7w/s1600-h/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+022.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-Kz-wtoC8Xaka-oKxX7LlkU2uBuLR8bpi7q6bgaLJGy4oDqyJK86eXPIgXew-gGIQ8PfrgKIIABK_fZ4-aU_rGOBCR-B706hJE1ifxfH8BNX9Qq1b5QlPDVCYn83rHmjHsHl5ZA9E7w/s400/Putting+up+NZ+Christmas+Tree+2007+022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141384041086296722" /></a><br />Tomorrow, the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC), where I frequently work when not at Police National Headquarters (PNHQ), will be having a Kid's Christmas Party. I promised Connor we would take him and he has been excited about it all week. A live Santa will be there and they are supposed to have rides in Police cars, a bouncy castle, food, games and other stuff. It is also a pretty drive over the mountains to the Tasman Sea - which is viewed from the College campus in Porirua(about 40 minutes from Wellington).<br /><br />In other news, Connor had an eventful week before last. After having a rather poor day of behavior at school a week ago Monday, he decided he would get some more positive attention by swallowing a 10 cent piece (looks like an American penny). I immediately called the hospital, which evidently gets a LOT of these kinds of calls. Since the coin seemed to have gone down okay, not causing any trouble with his breathing and swallowing, they simply recommended we keep an eye out for the coin to pass through his system. (I think this was also the first time Connor became cognizant of the fact that what he eats and what he poops are related.) Anyway, we looked all week but never saw the coin, so we took him to the hospital for x-rays a week later. Other than having to wait his turn, that actually went quite well. Connor even got to see an American doctor from California who looked like he belonged in one of those TV medical dramas. Anyway, the x-rays showed no coin, and he hasn't shown any sign of pain or difficulty, so we are all pretty confident that the coin was passed and we just missed it somehow. We were also thrilled to discover that the two full x-rays and the doctor consultation cost us absolutely nothing! (Oh, how I love socialized health care! Did I tell you our RXs only cost us $3? Yeah, I did, but I still can't get over that!)<br /><br />Back to the behavior issues that lead to Connor swallowing the coin - Eric met with the school Principal, teacher and education specialist, who all had some constructive advice and recommendations. We were very impressed to see the amount of time, money and individual attention they are willing to give Connor to help him learn how to relate to other children and deal with his emotions in a less physical manner. They even are assigning a special teacher aid to go out with Connor during his unstructured play time (when most of the problems occur) and help guide him into healthy, playful interactions with the other children and defuse conflict before it gets out of hand.<br /><br />Also in other news, Eric is still looking for a job, but he did apply for a position with NZ Police in the same building where I work. The job involves analyzing intelligence gathered on suspected terrorists and terrorist groups and liaising with multiple agencies and internal personnel with counter-terrorist assistance. It sounds fascinating and it would allow us to work near each other, commute and have lunch together, without being right in the middle of each other's work group. Please keep him in your prayers that this opportunity, or something even better, works out for him. <br /><br />Well, that about covers our news at the moment. We are looking forward to the holidays and hope that they find you all healthy, happy and enjoying the love of those around you!<br /><br />Love from Down Under,<br /><br />LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-8366335512529802502007-11-23T17:30:00.000-08:002007-11-23T18:26:41.282-08:00"Only You Can Stop Forest Fires", Connor!What a beautiful Saturday! Just had to post a couple of pics of our very own "Smokey the Bear", out in our front yard with the hose.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMIYPMthKqbYZMnCDAwIwe1FFEpQ5qkVZyKo2irHmhsBf9Flyc85XI4yqYyKVfaIbBoxFCrOvfd9mEpMUOE2uGMDmeyGiGR6SZx7E0uU-lEnZF90P3WMe2aNG-fHyPXF2FUlvvohHMZg/s1600-h/Forest+Fire+in+Front+Yard+008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMIYPMthKqbYZMnCDAwIwe1FFEpQ5qkVZyKo2irHmhsBf9Flyc85XI4yqYyKVfaIbBoxFCrOvfd9mEpMUOE2uGMDmeyGiGR6SZx7E0uU-lEnZF90P3WMe2aNG-fHyPXF2FUlvvohHMZg/s400/Forest+Fire+in+Front+Yard+008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136215137758631970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TcEEAg9K6JdDZiHjYRiXl1uyLGNVfWohrzbpEHpAsiivKwKruoh3XOG0zyw-BRV6g4Rrao2cNmuTqstDC2OoCPkXhG5t8gKgo0WgdkZL1l1Y5LoAM8aJtjzkVrwoFEzwHdFQKPTiccQ/s1600-h/Forest+Fire+in+Front+Yard+004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TcEEAg9K6JdDZiHjYRiXl1uyLGNVfWohrzbpEHpAsiivKwKruoh3XOG0zyw-BRV6g4Rrao2cNmuTqstDC2OoCPkXhG5t8gKgo0WgdkZL1l1Y5LoAM8aJtjzkVrwoFEzwHdFQKPTiccQ/s400/Forest+Fire+in+Front+Yard+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136215146348566578" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfoe9dggDFLtIs7bU_98UtEh3SmAfJiuxMOlaH-Lxr2PSR8rJ9nIddwDjNKNhW2bbhCc5_UR1zQa8LWH-815Ag2uT8pM8UL6dG6209wkBgoH3WluJpoi1Dr7u0LjSfPhI6BtuHHy95KQ/s1600-h/Forest+Fire+in+Front+Yard+006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfoe9dggDFLtIs7bU_98UtEh3SmAfJiuxMOlaH-Lxr2PSR8rJ9nIddwDjNKNhW2bbhCc5_UR1zQa8LWH-815Ag2uT8pM8UL6dG6209wkBgoH3WluJpoi1Dr7u0LjSfPhI6BtuHHy95KQ/s400/Forest+Fire+in+Front+Yard+006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136215176413337666" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8a0PpUH0SdkWq24Zzi48DzM3-dbxVq9NZF5HCvjoXQp_bfRmIpOqZ_8sVlYAC12hBq4RToP4RTvyAuEFbRv6fmw7DyXpyNcvoSBbpurJLEhV5AQEaKeFU3oLnlEicxJcJUTuesj8Lak/s1600-h/Forest+Fire+in+Front+Yard+005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8a0PpUH0SdkWq24Zzi48DzM3-dbxVq9NZF5HCvjoXQp_bfRmIpOqZ_8sVlYAC12hBq4RToP4RTvyAuEFbRv6fmw7DyXpyNcvoSBbpurJLEhV5AQEaKeFU3oLnlEicxJcJUTuesj8Lak/s400/Forest+Fire+in+Front+Yard+005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136215189298239570" /></a><br />Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends and family! We love and miss you all and hope this holiday is a pleasant one for you.<br /><br />Love, Linda, Eric and ConnorThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-80992973752027948282007-11-16T19:25:00.000-08:002007-11-16T19:44:59.952-08:00Model Train ExpoHi Guys, <br /><br />I just wanted to post a couple of pics from the Model Train Expo 2007, held at the TSB Arena on Queens Wharf this weekend. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEzoUbQ5sR_4IQ0ztjEV9oJjoPa5JH9dY9qVddQeP7xl1XF5SI4T2sYoN441EpKAOFcqHe6p775Ejhyphenhyphen8YRxN05j1q-qFtpEAoZBBrbxSUQ4a7Vv3BL6qCnC94XIZFM4-MsY-TRUhVTtk/s1600-h/Model+Train+Expo+2007+016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEzoUbQ5sR_4IQ0ztjEV9oJjoPa5JH9dY9qVddQeP7xl1XF5SI4T2sYoN441EpKAOFcqHe6p775Ejhyphenhyphen8YRxN05j1q-qFtpEAoZBBrbxSUQ4a7Vv3BL6qCnC94XIZFM4-MsY-TRUhVTtk/s400/Model+Train+Expo+2007+016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133646622761572370" /></a><br />Today (Sat) is a very sunny and warm day with a pleasant breeze, colorful wildflowers blooming and people out doing typical Saturday afternoon chores (at least typical for people who aren't lazy like us). This morning we took the commuter train into the Wellington CBD (Central Business District), walked over to Queens Wharf, had an early lunch at an outdoor cafe, visited the Expo, walked back to the train station for our ride back to Petone/Maungaraki, and picked up ice cream cones on our way back up the hill to home. Now we are just vegging out and enjoying having all the windows open, watching the sailboats on the harbour and listening to the birds singing their odd songs, (in between Connor's normal shrieks and chatter).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlzdDXo0n8SPsEHtEYMK3ed9zsrboTcfPUxEnzXtdZgdXpAF8TgaPFaRsh4hVV_RNjUkkl2-yCAgdaZZa4d_f9RaVsN7eFtQ2zVc9HXP9hUg5Sz91sfT-MNJcFCYhHFnn-oXX3sGVVao/s1600-h/Model+Train+Expo+2007+008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlzdDXo0n8SPsEHtEYMK3ed9zsrboTcfPUxEnzXtdZgdXpAF8TgaPFaRsh4hVV_RNjUkkl2-yCAgdaZZa4d_f9RaVsN7eFtQ2zVc9HXP9hUg5Sz91sfT-MNJcFCYhHFnn-oXX3sGVVao/s400/Model+Train+Expo+2007+008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133646614171637762" /></a><br />For family and friends back in the U.S., I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday this week. Since it isn't a holiday here, I expect to be working as usual that day, and see no reason to spend a day cooking a big meal just for the three of us. We will probably go out to eat again next weekend and maybe do a bit more exploring around the region. But, we will be thinking of all of you - thanking God for blessing us with such wonderful loved ones - and wishing you all health, wealth and happiness. <br /><br />Happy Holidays,<br />Linda, Eric & ConnorThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-19759738174097996762007-11-10T16:25:00.000-08:002007-11-10T16:40:10.171-08:00Connor, The Yard ManI guess you can take the boy out of Arkansas, but you can't take the Arkansas out of the boy. Here are a few shots I just took of Connor doing "yard work" in his John Deere hat and t-shirt. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sR9J53zw7KcrnbFaakk6C_dlqySFenFmtRZpc4SqpjhoeNgePcQ84k2sAaGb6maduurwVWiMb6pUv4SGEIM-81MO5Bp50Z8_mKZ5exRHfXdcno5wSpJ23emIes1MfRDrUzWyPVzNgRk/s1600-h/Connor+the+Yard+Man+006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sR9J53zw7KcrnbFaakk6C_dlqySFenFmtRZpc4SqpjhoeNgePcQ84k2sAaGb6maduurwVWiMb6pUv4SGEIM-81MO5Bp50Z8_mKZ5exRHfXdcno5wSpJ23emIes1MfRDrUzWyPVzNgRk/s400/Connor+the+Yard+Man+006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131373873504723650" /></a><br />After using his toy lawn mower, Connor planted a flower and then decided it needed to hear a love song in order to grow. He likes to sing with one hand in the air and one hand over his heart, for some reason. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3z7ahKdi3ydXyjpNoU80HoKx8IvYlbxLRDVRB8xTzgdke3et0XmTEzdT-K0p1fZwinuWcySja0d8Ae9YW5E4jRVpAh1BDefpgUsdQ7_bOfS8BJZqVd6nk1Wq-cP0sLPZ7YRJfvLpbi2g/s1600-h/Connor+the+Yard+Man+002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3z7ahKdi3ydXyjpNoU80HoKx8IvYlbxLRDVRB8xTzgdke3et0XmTEzdT-K0p1fZwinuWcySja0d8Ae9YW5E4jRVpAh1BDefpgUsdQ7_bOfS8BJZqVd6nk1Wq-cP0sLPZ7YRJfvLpbi2g/s400/Connor+the+Yard+Man+002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131373860619821746" /></a><br />He thoroughly watered the plants and ripped off the leaves he deemed imperfect from the rose bush at the end of our deck. (If our landlord is reading this, don't worry, I put a stop to that fairly quickly.) <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxinMJ0Mg1_6DhQIEAmRcGameddB-31XlPfP0PfnBvD-BIfP6pS5ll6oxngt3XYsFjXy15kXVyo4EbQVhuKAYzFrwjKu5Y_Hi2_FvuOoKE-IowDBwxcafQIf17CXu2OZmcwKaTwnuzDU/s1600-h/Connor+the+Yard+Man+003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxinMJ0Mg1_6DhQIEAmRcGameddB-31XlPfP0PfnBvD-BIfP6pS5ll6oxngt3XYsFjXy15kXVyo4EbQVhuKAYzFrwjKu5Y_Hi2_FvuOoKE-IowDBwxcafQIf17CXu2OZmcwKaTwnuzDU/s400/Connor+the+Yard+Man+003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131374607944131282" /></a><br />Eric hasn't been bagging our yard clippings - hence the carpet of daisies that spring up across the yard a few days after each mow. Every week there are more, so we expect at some point the yard will be ALL daisies - except where Connor conscientiously picks them for my bouquets.<br /><br />Cheers, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-80111636100157503362007-11-09T12:22:00.000-08:002007-11-09T13:25:06.319-08:00Linda's First Week At WorkGreetings All,<br /><br />Well my first week at NZ Police National Headquarters, Operational Services Group, went really well. There is an overwhelming amount of work to do. So much so that my boss is probably going to look for additional resources, but none of the tasks appear to be beyond my ability at this point. <br /><br />The focus of the work is actually really interesting - concerning how police employ the various tactical options at their disposal in order to resolve a situation. I will be responsible for the on-going development and maintenance of the database which records all uses of force by Police, then drawing that data out, analyzing it, and making it useful for a number of stakeholders. <br /><br />On my first day, after a bit of time in HR, I was given a whirlwind tour of the high rise building where I work, then taken to the Wellington Watch House to see how subjects in custody are brought in and processed. Then the Inspector assigned to show me around drove me all over the region to show me some other Police facility locations of various sizes, the Royal NZ Police College, and the Police Dog training facility. At some point I will get to go on a ride along with Police, and will also get to observe tactical training at the college first hand.<br /><br />I am blessed to still have the woman I am supposed to replace working with me until the Christmas holidays. She is frantically finishing up her projects, but squeezing in some time to show me the ropes. I feel good about my new boss as well. John is an older man, but still quite energetic and passionate about his work. He is supportive and sensitive to the fact that our group is frequently given so many divergent tasks that it is hard for anyone to actually finish something. He wants to give me plenty of time to get up to speed, and he is zealously protecting me from demands on my time that are not directly relevant to my job focus.<br /><br />The only complaint I have so far is the workplace layout is not really conducive to intense concentration. I am on the third floor of a high rise surrounded in windows, but to fit a number of people onto the floor and ensure that everyone has natural light, they have an open-plan layout with half-wall dividers. You can sit at your computer and look across the wall to the next person sitting at their computer. Noise and distractions can be hard on an analyst, so when I asked if I could schedule a workday at home each week (Tuesdays), just so I can read all the materials I need to read, my supervisor was very supportive. In addition, I have scheduled another day a week (Wednesdays) to go out to the Royal NZ Police College in Porirua and work with the analyst out there who is most familiar with what I will be doing. I will also be getting a laptop, so that I can go wherever I need to go to concentrate on my work.<br /><br />In addition to this kind of workplace flexibility, I was thrilled to see the number of holidays given. As many of you know, one of the big selling points to us when we decided to move to NZ was that they have a mandatory 4 full weeks of paid vacation for every full-time employee, regardless of job. But in addition to 4 weeks of annual leave, there are something like 11-12 national holidays as well. When I arrived at Police, I discovered that government employees also get a few extra holidays (Stat or Statutory Holidays, as well as individual Commissioners give their employees holidays). For example, without having to take ANY of my annual leave time off, I will only have to work 1 day between December 21 and January 3rd, thanks to all the National/Commissioners/Stat Holidays given to me as a Police employee! <br /><br />So, for 37 hours and 50 minutes per week (don't ask me why it isn't 40 hrs per week, I am not complaining), I will be extremely busy at work; but, I will get the schedule flexibility and more time off than I have ever had with any job before.<br /><br />Since Eric hasn't started a job yet, he has been fantastic about walking Connor to and from school on those days that I take the car into town; or, driving me to work and Connor to school on the other days. He has done the grocery shopping, housework, cooking, laundry, Connor's homework and fixing his lunchbox, etc. It has been a joy to come home at the end of a long day and know that I don't have a ton of little household tasks to perform. He has been such a great "House Husband" it almost makes me not want him to find a full-time job, though I know we need the income. <br /><br />Thanks again to those of you who have prayed on my behalf for just such a career fit. Please keep up the prayers on Eric's behalf. If he can find a fit that is equally as nice as mine, we will be in fantastic shape!<br /><br />Take care and, for friends and family in the U.S., know that we love and miss you all and can't wait for you to come over for a visit!<br /><br />Cheers, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-52593093231558641562007-11-03T16:31:00.000-07:002007-11-03T17:00:08.127-07:00A Picnic and Tramp (Not What You Think)For my last Saturday as a "Stay at Home Mom" we decided to have a picnic and hike, (or "tramp" as they say here in Kiwi-land), in Belmont Regional Park. This huge reserve lies between our Hutt Valley Hills suburb of Maungaraki and the Tasman Sea coastal suburb of Porirua. The park's hundreds of acres contain dozens of trails for "tramping", biking and horseback riding, as well as sites for picnics and tent camping, and it is all nearly at our doorstep - just a block up the hill from our home.<br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfz9b_PUUt7BaDOEilSIxNh25sVIles4ZB52HYksxH6qf83jld8ksB-LJfZbum-_37OYDo6Rr4oyXA4CE3sBM7We9n5WQmZbUk7OE9Od3-ruSSMR37d7Ruxk35rhzV_jeXIB44_Kq3Ds/s1600-h/Picnic+and+Hike+at+Belmont+Regional+Park+009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfz9b_PUUt7BaDOEilSIxNh25sVIles4ZB52HYksxH6qf83jld8ksB-LJfZbum-_37OYDo6Rr4oyXA4CE3sBM7We9n5WQmZbUk7OE9Od3-ruSSMR37d7Ruxk35rhzV_jeXIB44_Kq3Ds/s400/Picnic+and+Hike+at+Belmont+Regional+Park+009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128763105246838002" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAeclStetHwqY_lenih-696Z87B_v1IpBZOYJeszxT6VKLhLM_x2l6p6qfpzG35OujGZlnWNPry91owa-HlGarpn73W_5W3I5FjmPllWF-GWg1BYM4HnKJPYoYVdO9CnKsxSL3QvByw0/s1600-h/Picnic+and+Hike+at+Belmont+Regional+Park+005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAeclStetHwqY_lenih-696Z87B_v1IpBZOYJeszxT6VKLhLM_x2l6p6qfpzG35OujGZlnWNPry91owa-HlGarpn73W_5W3I5FjmPllWF-GWg1BYM4HnKJPYoYVdO9CnKsxSL3QvByw0/s400/Picnic+and+Hike+at+Belmont+Regional+Park+005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128763113836772610" /></a><br />The trail we took on Saturday was really beautiful and felt like a totally different world from the one just over the ridge facing the harbour. This trail wound deep into a canopied rain forest. Though it was a nice trail and a fairly easy walk going in, we knew that every step we took would mean another step UP HILL coming back and the clouds were promising rain later in the day, so we didn't go too far into the reserve this time around. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2CDS8CsAWju38SZSO-fRKi1v7hsV-fuSrw5KKaXQSubfmSZhXg3t2YZdg3yGCTJIRhzUklUd4-pQmN_Z3eq248euAQh64wZdfgsgVSTKTMeKiLTKhDlrrh0idzD1qj_9iq-mI11rUdg/s1600-h/Picnic+and+Hike+at+Belmont+Regional+Park+003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2CDS8CsAWju38SZSO-fRKi1v7hsV-fuSrw5KKaXQSubfmSZhXg3t2YZdg3yGCTJIRhzUklUd4-pQmN_Z3eq248euAQh64wZdfgsgVSTKTMeKiLTKhDlrrh0idzD1qj_9iq-mI11rUdg/s400/Picnic+and+Hike+at+Belmont+Regional+Park+003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128763122426707218" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQFNBlrWSDZrJdnwDtmFGRagR8G2sjS6OhJ9kpQrLdeQW1xVS7b6FBbvTWqBogAUiopCm3T6r58-2BQV7H5VMniP6f5dcXL9fhQar5yAjW2To7-5N9vMKSHO78z16KFEVMeEiE5ie4XE/s1600-h/Picnic+and+Hike+at+Belmont+Regional+Park+004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQFNBlrWSDZrJdnwDtmFGRagR8G2sjS6OhJ9kpQrLdeQW1xVS7b6FBbvTWqBogAUiopCm3T6r58-2BQV7H5VMniP6f5dcXL9fhQar5yAjW2To7-5N9vMKSHO78z16KFEVMeEiE5ie4XE/s400/Picnic+and+Hike+at+Belmont+Regional+Park+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128763126721674530" /></a><br />Connor had a ball learning about nature and orienteering, and we really felt invigorated and refreshed when we were done. So far, knock on wood, I am not even all that sore. I am sure this convenient wilderness area is going to become a regular haunt for the Gross family as summer approaches. <br /><br />Cheers, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-81917669376490152452007-10-30T13:54:00.000-07:002007-10-30T14:31:40.865-07:00Halloween in Spring?You would think that, after growing up in Florida, I would have no trouble with celebrating Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays with warm and sunny weather outside; but, you would be wrong. <br /><br />A lifetime of American advertising, years spent in Oregon, Arkansas and even North Florida, have convinced me that Halloween should include pumpkins, and trees covered in red and orange leaves. If Christmas and New Years are not "white", they should at least be cold and crisp, with an overcast wintery sky. <br /><br />But, here I am in the Southern Hemisphere at the height of SPRING! Needless to say, I am not feeling particularly "Halloweeny" today, on the 31st of October. While most plants in New Zealand remain green year-round, you can still see a distinct increase in the number of flower blossoms at this time of year. The skies are blue and the sun is warm, though a storm can come in and change things on a moments notice. The flowers our landlord planted are blooming, though there has always been some flower in bloom here ever since we moved into the house in the middle of Winter.<br />But if my sinuses are any indication, there has been a marked increase in blossoms these past two weeks.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM-jhPsg0ge7Zx7QnkS7aOPhCQBuxY5Zt-VBTyoYHPQr0Mt0jx9julocAM8lhXMtAJVCANIHf920AIFl8fBg6k_XxZsXgBjYXfX9Xu8A_MrkvPAyRSN5VYRwRMTZ4xfX6qySMl9UG28Y/s1600-h/Halloween+2007+003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM-jhPsg0ge7Zx7QnkS7aOPhCQBuxY5Zt-VBTyoYHPQr0Mt0jx9julocAM8lhXMtAJVCANIHf920AIFl8fBg6k_XxZsXgBjYXfX9Xu8A_MrkvPAyRSN5VYRwRMTZ4xfX6qySMl9UG28Y/s400/Halloween+2007+003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127237773381467362" /></a><br /><br />From what I understand, Halloween hasn't really caught on much in the New Zealand - not like in the U.S. anyway. So, instead of taking Connor trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, he will be attending a "Halloween Disco" at school tonight. They will have costume competitions, games, goodies, and music, and he will get to spend the event with his school friends. <br /><br />For those of you keeping track, we have tried to chose a difference costume for Connor every year: <br /><br /> 2003 (16 months old): A BumbleBee<br /><br /> 2004 (2 yrs old): Bob The Builder <br /><br /> 2005 (3 yrs old): A Firefighter<br /><br /> 2006 (4 yrs old): A Waiter, with dress shirt, black slacks, black tie, and even a classy black apron and notepad loaned to us by our favorite Searcy restaurant - Doc's Grill.<br /><br /> And this year, 2007 (5 yrs old): A Pirate!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4uTQEtC40yngrTSbX5BhCfdeBmC4zikEXm1Gpmi9G6t_DuKDnBPonTFOwpBZkVBqt8OYI_8T1pxaQsfhq-zItOIX184FH66pMpUgJtenBeJgAM1dKPZ7dpGCdUCtUGGa8t-4nL__Xi4/s1600-h/Halloween+2007+001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4uTQEtC40yngrTSbX5BhCfdeBmC4zikEXm1Gpmi9G6t_DuKDnBPonTFOwpBZkVBqt8OYI_8T1pxaQsfhq-zItOIX184FH66pMpUgJtenBeJgAM1dKPZ7dpGCdUCtUGGa8t-4nL__Xi4/s400/Halloween+2007+001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127237756201598146" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7qLxRyU6_coQl0sAX4Jx961Pn9dhRmjwot_3DUJcJe3Yex-RU2famp8wyObVkE6fPdavgelLxpZ6zAIfNrB0ZL0r43jBsdULHNUFlEPa4evSm_vycmLHeCi9pRh9_6QX-dmYPTsmL54/s1600-h/Halloween+2007+002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7qLxRyU6_coQl0sAX4Jx961Pn9dhRmjwot_3DUJcJe3Yex-RU2famp8wyObVkE6fPdavgelLxpZ6zAIfNrB0ZL0r43jBsdULHNUFlEPa4evSm_vycmLHeCi9pRh9_6QX-dmYPTsmL54/s400/Halloween+2007+002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127237764791532754" /></a><br /><br />We couldn't even find a pumpkin at the grocery store yesterday! Though I did notice some Christmas decorations at the mall for the first time last week and saw an ad for a fake Christmas tree, $50 NZD. I hope that we can find and afford a REAL tree for Christmas this year; but, either way, I am definitely going to have to dig out all our Christmas decorations this year if I am ever going to convince myself that it is Christmas in the middle of SUMMER in the South Pacific!<br /><br />Have a safe and fun Halloween!<br />Love, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-57302425422450659152007-10-29T18:42:00.000-07:002007-10-29T19:16:11.685-07:00Gift Giving OptionsKia Ora!<br /><br />First of all, I wish to thank all of you who baked and shipped us NINE POUNDS of homemade cookies recently! When they first arrived I thought we would have to share them with the whole neighborhood there were so many; but, shamefully, I must confess that the three of us have already managed to eat almost all of them ourselves.(blush, blush) They were DELICIOUS! It was very kind and generous of you to send us such a thoughtful gift, but please don't make a habit of it - or we will burst! <br /><br />Seriously, we do not expect people to send us gifts - especially not now that we are living on the other side of the world and the cost of shipping is so high. <br /><br />But, for those of you who insist on sending us something for birthdays or the holidays, you may wish to note that each member of our family has their own "Wish List" on Amazon.com. The only items that Amazon will actually ship to NZ at this time are books and dvds; but, luckily, we all REALLY LIKE books and dvds. Especially since we got rid of all our old VHS tapes before our move, we now need to restock our "classics" collection with dvd versions; and, Connor is learning to read and needs more books at his skill level for his library.<br /><br />For those of you who just can not imagine Connor going through a gift-giving occasion without toys, you may wish to visit www.playdays.co.nz. The owner of this toy shop, Debbie, happens to live next door to us. If you wish to buy something from her shop, (online, via e-mail or by phone), I am sure she would have no trouble delivering it to our home free of charge. Even if you don't see what you want to get on the store's website, send Debbie an e-mail and she can see if it is something she can get. The prices of toys in NZ are somewhat higher than they are in the states; but, keep in mind that the prices quoted are in NZ dollars. (There is a link to a currency converter along with the other links listed on our blog.) If you use a credit or debit card the currency conversion will be done automatically, and usually at no extra charge.<br /><br />Finally, if you just want to send us money - always a welcome gift - please drop us a note and we will arrange for it to be deposited into our U.S. bank account. It takes too long for U.S. funds to clear our N.Z. bank, so it is easier that way.<br /><br />Thanks again to all of you who are so thoughtful and generous. While it is certainly a thrill to see a package at the door, your prayers and periodic e-mails and phone calls are really all the gifts we hope to receive. <br /><br />Best Wishes, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-40132206669124655112007-10-23T17:52:00.000-07:002007-10-23T17:56:47.921-07:00Job ConfirmedKia Ora! <br /><br />I just wanted to follow-up to a previous post to say that my job offer has been confirmed. I start work at NZ Police National Headquarters' Office of the Commissioner, as a Research Analyst, on the 5th of November, 2007. (Very ominous to be starting so close to Parliament on Guy Fawkes day.) Still no word on Eric's job options yet, but will keep you posted. <br /><br />Take care, Love, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-70773532201240195962007-10-12T20:06:00.000-07:002007-10-12T20:12:31.479-07:00Kapiti Coast OutingKia Ora to our friends, family and any fans of our blog that we have yet to meet! I hope this finds you all well and happy.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz3m4f9cBy_5r8XeErCT57Ug9BChlhJD-p8ZqJ5w8Fqy-H1VUYU4jqOsCtrdYJ7Wr4DxBeK3ZkupJ4RFFRnJoKdMJ1NuqamMAAmZJxOFmZ6L623g5SMvQjwak_k4QFFvu1CTqqib9Mo4/s1600-h/Kapiti+Coast+Train+Trip+005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz3m4f9cBy_5r8XeErCT57Ug9BChlhJD-p8ZqJ5w8Fqy-H1VUYU4jqOsCtrdYJ7Wr4DxBeK3ZkupJ4RFFRnJoKdMJ1NuqamMAAmZJxOFmZ6L623g5SMvQjwak_k4QFFvu1CTqqib9Mo4/s400/Kapiti+Coast+Train+Trip+005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120653127622627554" /></a><br />We just got back from an afternoon of train travel along the Kapiti Coast and the Tasman Sea. We had lunch in a little cafe in Plimmerton, where we took a walk along the shore, before riding the Tranzmetro (Wellington Metro Commuter Train) to the end of the line in Paraparaumu. We then rode back to Wellington, then re-boarded the Hutt Valley train home. Connor enjoyed the ride, but was clearly pretty tired by the time we got home. <br />Cheers to you all, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-80501940330126663482007-10-03T17:46:00.001-07:002007-10-03T18:55:25.126-07:00Linda Found Work!Hello friends, family, and total strangers with nothing better to do than read the exploits of an unknown American family living in New Zealand. <br /><br />I got a job! At least, I am "recommended for appointment" to the position of Research Analyst with NZ Police National Headquarters' Operational Services Group, in the Office of the Commissioner. They will publish this recommended appointment in their internal newsletter this week and, assuming no one appeals the appointment and wins, I will be starting work the week of November 5th!<br /><br />The job will involve doing both quantitative and qualitative research and writing reports for use in policy-making decisions. The research topics will be varied, but will definitely include the analysis of police "use of force" incidents and making recommendations for changes to relevant policies, training and equipment.<br /><br />I will have the independence and flexibility to structure my own day, and the constantly changing priorities and wide range of issues should keep me interested for quite some time. I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into the challenge.<br /><br />We are still waiting to hear back on several jobs for Eric, but nothing has firmed up for him just yet. Your continuing prayers in that regard are appreciated.<br /><br />In other news, Connor has been on school holiday this week and last; but, he starts back with the Fourth Quarter next Monday, the 8th of October. Unfortunately, much of these past two weeks we have had some unpleasant weather - rain, cold, strong winds, etc. This made for some cabin fever; but, you would be amazed at how much fun you can get out of a large cardboard box. We did have a few days here and there that were quite warm and sunny, so were weren't stuck inside the entire time. Still, we are really looking forward to the coming months - our first New Zealand Spring/Summer!<br /><br />Last weekend we took the train down to the Wellington CBD (Central Business District) and walked along the Queens Wharf area, had lunch, and watched the big passenger ferry set out for the South Island, before we took the train back. I am including a couple of pictures of our outing; and, since so many people have nagged me about not ever posting a picture of myself, I am finally including one that Connor took of me. (He is 5 yrs old, so pardon the fact he cut a bit off the top of my head.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVl55MF4VENTVYT06czcdIA8Nl2lEDD8krl_Sx75dJRcWVSfbvlWFzBCMeOY-FEJoBXSBvnoLsnk7yPMABmOE_udVTi8GC6GkD7fYJc2pEkTLhTddVJKZimP0DQuPII7vAaBoO7T9_1o/s1600-h/Furniture+Damage+004.JPG"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVl55MF4VENTVYT06czcdIA8Nl2lEDD8krl_Sx75dJRcWVSfbvlWFzBCMeOY-FEJoBXSBvnoLsnk7yPMABmOE_udVTi8GC6GkD7fYJc2pEkTLhTddVJKZimP0DQuPII7vAaBoO7T9_1o/s320/Furniture+Damage+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117289274876661938" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxW2WIKpteF4bwA-KmysKRC8qa7jif2iga6NGGZ_NMEAmifEhgfjoKNoXkrq1tfFVUzoAyalICine6YwIg3FxKjgksk2esaelSkn-3CteE6bozPn3784sbYALIopRHtELYTy8ILdjOK8/s1600-h/Furniture+Damage+005.JPG"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxW2WIKpteF4bwA-KmysKRC8qa7jif2iga6NGGZ_NMEAmifEhgfjoKNoXkrq1tfFVUzoAyalICine6YwIg3FxKjgksk2esaelSkn-3CteE6bozPn3784sbYALIopRHtELYTy8ILdjOK8/s320/Furniture+Damage+005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117289283466596546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gYOUb0vXoFSh2dz9XgHZ3_Vket6s1JLtvG7F5ZBV2vUMz-rRxksAt8hPtVv935PdrERw-ekv8qXtNBmVga7WiS8AwY9vaV1jW2LDG-lJvnPe-e1QCxrjmYCzI2SNMfkQ-a4kKmQa9Y4/s1600-h/Furniture+Damage+003.JPG"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gYOUb0vXoFSh2dz9XgHZ3_Vket6s1JLtvG7F5ZBV2vUMz-rRxksAt8hPtVv935PdrERw-ekv8qXtNBmVga7WiS8AwY9vaV1jW2LDG-lJvnPe-e1QCxrjmYCzI2SNMfkQ-a4kKmQa9Y4/s320/Furniture+Damage+003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117289287761563858" /></a><br />Connor also went to a movie at a real theater for the first time ever! We took him to see "Surfs Up", about penguins surfing, because it was the only thing out at the moment that was "Rated G". Connor did quite well, sitting still and not talking for about an hour and a half. Even though I am not certain he grasped the entire story, he seemed to really enjoy the experience.<br /><br />This coming Saturday Connor will be going to a friend's sixth birthday party. Samuel is a friend in his class who lives across the street from us. The two seem to have a real "love-hate" relationship, and frequently find themselves making poor decisions when in each other's company. But, we are trying to encourage Connor to remain friends with Samuel and recognize when their judgement starts to slip and correct their behavior.<br /><br />Well, I think that covers the latest news. Our next goal, before I start work, is to get our NZ driver's licenses. We have to take a written test, but no practical driving test thank goodness. We are getting much more comfortable driving on the wrong side of the road, though I still say a couple of their right-of-way rules are counter-intuitive. Anyway, we bought the rule books and will be studying them and taking our tests later this month. Wish us luck!<br /><br />Best wishes, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-86547011522804432112007-09-07T18:26:00.000-07:002007-09-07T19:21:39.001-07:00A Day in EastbourneGreetings All,<br />We were blessed with some early Spring weather this weekend, and took advantage of the opportunity to drive over to Eastbourne - a lovely seaside community on the opposite side of Wellington Harbour from the city itself. (You can think of the harbour as being shaped like a big bag, with Wellington CBD on the right side of the opening, Eastbourne on the left side of the opening, and the Hutt Valley - where we live - at the bottom.) It isn't a long drive to Eastbourne, maybe 30-35 minutes from our house; but, the road is narrow, has a lot of twists and is very close to the water in places. We had a pleasant lunch in a small cafe, then walked over to the community playground and beach. The water is still too cold for swimming, but it was picturesque and reminded us a lot of the Puget Sound area. Connor really liked the giant slide and a spinning tire ride called the "Roctopus" at the playground. As you get near the end of the road on that side of the harbour, you can actually see the snow-capped peaks on the South Island in the distance. Anyway, here are some pictures of our day in Eastbourne. <br />Love, Linda, Eric and Connor<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbj6EvHPr8MAqme7V2ybaNyny8FKRlUwWopv_41BYijaK303r9xVwOwaZSih6Y5stnbW3F_QqqOPYW32V-bSapnpi8wMWVcMzxHRV_GIzI_3rCJPYnRLH3YokFFSeSAxM4Hmvz6gWh94/s1600-h/Day+in+Eastbourne+021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbj6EvHPr8MAqme7V2ybaNyny8FKRlUwWopv_41BYijaK303r9xVwOwaZSih6Y5stnbW3F_QqqOPYW32V-bSapnpi8wMWVcMzxHRV_GIzI_3rCJPYnRLH3YokFFSeSAxM4Hmvz6gWh94/s320/Day+in+Eastbourne+021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107652532239966242" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVmSv4CX0aQHgRbxzNCEI6Od6eJg6q632ZdqMdebqJWxH0m3X-T0r22JMlgleoqXhssc3-Ybfwk_cN4dkVX8XHKxLQ9Vs3RLBqok-cSCq9duU4wXpAmfNxz5ybIcDcgu88jaQEcl91kQ/s1600-h/Day+in+Eastbourne+023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVmSv4CX0aQHgRbxzNCEI6Od6eJg6q632ZdqMdebqJWxH0m3X-T0r22JMlgleoqXhssc3-Ybfwk_cN4dkVX8XHKxLQ9Vs3RLBqok-cSCq9duU4wXpAmfNxz5ybIcDcgu88jaQEcl91kQ/s320/Day+in+Eastbourne+023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107652536534933554" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3S1HK5MuI7PIknAr7lQcUfAtq71UQXjBXnN6l1VfH9F5YtDD48yfBzhJiMO-IH8D69A9iz2DHC8FTDCVu0nLFn0ualCypGY9LdmU0fIaPG4msL9-_gQnJShJTZdD1rNyEbWg1vZBmJA/s1600-h/Day+in+Eastbourne+017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3S1HK5MuI7PIknAr7lQcUfAtq71UQXjBXnN6l1VfH9F5YtDD48yfBzhJiMO-IH8D69A9iz2DHC8FTDCVu0nLFn0ualCypGY9LdmU0fIaPG4msL9-_gQnJShJTZdD1rNyEbWg1vZBmJA/s320/Day+in+Eastbourne+017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107652545124868162" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilubng-IsNd0exPOSdSXoNgDzuXww062BOEUerANAmUh0P7gKlQdbxe2ODET00Zia3NfOrn9ksA7dTHsEWxIgvSVMUCcMyxLYy_amu6vCfzzATs1mmp9OU2YtvGwuff3CrS6kDGvDTHKA/s1600-h/Day+in+Eastbourne+001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilubng-IsNd0exPOSdSXoNgDzuXww062BOEUerANAmUh0P7gKlQdbxe2ODET00Zia3NfOrn9ksA7dTHsEWxIgvSVMUCcMyxLYy_amu6vCfzzATs1mmp9OU2YtvGwuff3CrS6kDGvDTHKA/s320/Day+in+Eastbourne+001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107647064746598338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKt_bViEqLeTIwUsaQAPdNlducGXDVR3X58UDEAEcU9RMXNhbAareOH9FBmaUx6aPPpnGsdT-REL_YQv0pd-TRu7VkrP5WSea78hcChGi-_-EsOu2y761VDT6Wi7wsNfCXjmyugaUR0g8/s1600-h/Day+in+Eastbourne+002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKt_bViEqLeTIwUsaQAPdNlducGXDVR3X58UDEAEcU9RMXNhbAareOH9FBmaUx6aPPpnGsdT-REL_YQv0pd-TRu7VkrP5WSea78hcChGi-_-EsOu2y761VDT6Wi7wsNfCXjmyugaUR0g8/s320/Day+in+Eastbourne+002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107647086221434834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVPE8-avlTREtn8tUvcbU3wAcA8cOlv2bCPmqjZYxaf6Z7E0sZyhJsIgngJD0RFC1CgHi-Pg5qtdeFS00nw6ZZqvfIB_J2UMr_wDk8H9XOluIq0ohQMDiwZpKec731jUP1UNqn-cw2RI/s1600-h/Day+in+Eastbourne+004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVPE8-avlTREtn8tUvcbU3wAcA8cOlv2bCPmqjZYxaf6Z7E0sZyhJsIgngJD0RFC1CgHi-Pg5qtdeFS00nw6ZZqvfIB_J2UMr_wDk8H9XOluIq0ohQMDiwZpKec731jUP1UNqn-cw2RI/s320/Day+in+Eastbourne+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107647107696271330" /></a>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-18857431084976383622007-08-10T15:42:00.000-07:002007-08-10T16:02:00.116-07:00OUR STUFF IS HERE!We were thrilled to hear that our container of worldly possessions arrived in port one week earlier than anticipated (10 weeks after being packed). It was delivered on Thursday (9th of August, 2007) and we had our customs/MAF inspection on Friday and now we are finishing up with a bit of arranging and unpacking. We are leaving most of our boxes (books, keepsakes, etc.) packed up in the garage, until we have a home of our own; but, everything else fits in pretty well in the house we are renting.<br /><br />Connor is thrilled to have his toys back and I had no idea how much I loved our couches until I had gone two months sitting on the floor or a hard plastic folding chair.<br /><br />In other news, Connor is still loving his new school and doing well at learning to read. He has had some behavioral issues at school, which we are working on; but, all in all, I think he has adjusted well.<br /><br />A week ago I had a pleasant lunch with my friend, Garth den Heyer. Garth works for NZ Police National Headquarters and we know each other from our years with the International Association of Law Enforcement Planners. We had not seen each other in person since the week of September 11th, 2001, when we were both trapped at an IALEP Conference in Kansas City, MO.; but, we have been in touch via e-mail ever since Eric and I started considering a move to N.Z. Garth has been tremendously helpful and encouraging to us as we planned our move and has served as my only NZ reference for job applications. ("Thanks Garth!")<br /><br />Eric received a phone call from the NZ Defence Command and Staff College the same day as my lunch with Garth. Eric had applied for a teaching job there several months before our move; but, the college went with someone who was already living in N.Z. at the time. Since our arrival in N.Z., Eric and I have both applied for Analyst positions with the Defence Forces Headquarters(located next door to the college). The HR Representative for the college saw our Analyst applications and recognized the names from when Eric applied before - since he had been one of their top three candidates. The HR representative doesn't have a teaching vacancy at the moment, but he wanted to form a relationship with Eric in case something came up, now that we are living within a 15 minute commute of the Command College. Everyone's prayers in that regard would be much appreciated. Teaching at the Command College would be a dream come true for Eric, and certainly one of the easier commutes. I would also love to find employment in the same area, so that Eric and I could commute together and we can avoid having to purchase a second car.<br /><br />The weather in Wellington is wonderfully diverse. Today is windy, wet, and a good "nap day"; but, the day they unloaded our container it was a beautiful warm, sunny day. You just never know what you are going to get and we love that!<br /><br />As happy as we are to be here, we love and miss so many of you and hope that you are doing well.<br /><br />Love, LindaThe Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-29411463049174727202007-07-06T19:09:00.000-07:002007-07-06T19:20:52.542-07:00The Resilience of ChildrenKia Ora!<br /><br /><br /><br />Here is Connor enjoying one of several playgrounds in our Maungaraki suburb. After some play, we walked to the neighborhood cafe for a nice lunch. I think our five year old is adjusting to his new home quite well.<br /><br /><br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />Love, Linda, Eric and Connor<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAk6fKY3IZIjYFed5lJ6y3pnOkanu1KNq_dq7WsXw-eMq2XDgZiLnbRsnDYsc-ue3o1x56rgZE2iZADQH5pfaWqjNyrYB0FSVsfQqykF9PZL2R0XzSzYSEdYt0rIcCQ0bI3xJKYnYUV8/s1600-h/Connor+%40+Maungaraki+Playground+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084273404724784898" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAk6fKY3IZIjYFed5lJ6y3pnOkanu1KNq_dq7WsXw-eMq2XDgZiLnbRsnDYsc-ue3o1x56rgZE2iZADQH5pfaWqjNyrYB0FSVsfQqykF9PZL2R0XzSzYSEdYt0rIcCQ0bI3xJKYnYUV8/s320/Connor+%40+Maungaraki+Playground+001.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBoLAVFfig0ZyxfYJAITx7SQo-6cRg4i1qZKgXihDtUq4S_15pCVjdMHwxFydYV4P9x88OLUQOCyITc16_X1Cd3kr2jpEE1e854lCVAuz0qWZ3HptsEWp-zeVKGJyyUaOXKz_M0VSIH8/s1600-h/Connor+%40+Maungaraki+Playground+003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084273421904654114" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBoLAVFfig0ZyxfYJAITx7SQo-6cRg4i1qZKgXihDtUq4S_15pCVjdMHwxFydYV4P9x88OLUQOCyITc16_X1Cd3kr2jpEE1e854lCVAuz0qWZ3HptsEWp-zeVKGJyyUaOXKz_M0VSIH8/s320/Connor+%40+Maungaraki+Playground+003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7AJwkVKkXOhohNJEU1U-t4Xt-LDJp6II2-nlYU3LhoiHk1O1JjC2pYZoVg3tR5O5gdMbjJ5_a9lgxiSHJEvkv7-X7Qr1Hq4NGfXyAjJ9xAlyETmG1Sgmy5ZQek2_W4T4fc06YyFM2OQ/s1600-h/Connor+%40+Maungaraki+Playground+004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084273430494588722" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7AJwkVKkXOhohNJEU1U-t4Xt-LDJp6II2-nlYU3LhoiHk1O1JjC2pYZoVg3tR5O5gdMbjJ5_a9lgxiSHJEvkv7-X7Qr1Hq4NGfXyAjJ9xAlyETmG1Sgmy5ZQek2_W4T4fc06YyFM2OQ/s320/Connor+%40+Maungaraki+Playground+004.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-cGOjWxdMfMqHet_wdSlnXsopBuNFCcOPlr7ouVgfo4Bv3WXx2fKaNgJHjnsiuBpr4q5tdgOygMPoqZ6u7xGcyoKau94E3yGh6bPc9KcuofLNlM9OykfYpnwdPT8YuI3UL6h49INwks/s1600-h/Connor+%40+Maungaraki+Playground+002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084273413314719506" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-cGOjWxdMfMqHet_wdSlnXsopBuNFCcOPlr7ouVgfo4Bv3WXx2fKaNgJHjnsiuBpr4q5tdgOygMPoqZ6u7xGcyoKau94E3yGh6bPc9KcuofLNlM9OykfYpnwdPT8YuI3UL6h49INwks/s320/Connor+%40+Maungaraki+Playground+002.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-80730933914076011992007-07-01T15:10:00.000-07:002007-07-02T18:52:10.411-07:00A Few SurprisesGreetings friends, family, and those just interested in hearing about the adventures of an American family making a new home in New Zealand.<br /><br />We have mentioned this before, and those who know us definitely know it to be true -- we are planners. It took us nearly a full year to obtain Permanent New Zealand Residency before the move, and we put that time to good use. We researched Kiwi life from top to bottom. We knew it would take living here a while to REALLY know what it is like to be New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zealanders</span>; but, we wanted to be as prepared as possible. All in all, I am thankful to say that we have had very few surprises.<br /><br />But just because we are planners, don't go thinking we are afraid of the unexpected. On the contrary, we are thrilled when we discover something new that we had not uncovered in our research. And one of our greatest passions is to immerse ourselves in a new culture and get to know those details that books, discussion forums, and websites just can't tell you about a place.<br /><br />So, I thought I would start a list of the things that really did come as a surprise to us when we arrived in New Zealand - which was a month ago this Thursday.<br /><br />(1) We knew that learning to drive on the left side of the road would require a lot of adjustment, but we had no idea how it would affect the front passenger of the car. It is quite disturbing to sit down in the seat that USED TO HAVE the steering wheel, brakes, gears, etc., and suddenly realize you are in that seat, but have absolutely no control over the car - AND the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">rear view</span> mirror is facing the wrong way! It has taken a lot of will power to stop myself from reaching up and turning that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">rear view</span> mirror my direction, away from the driver.<br /><br />(2) Another driving surprise is the number of "Give Way" signs (often just painted on the road, without a sign to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">grab</span> your attention). The "Give Way" sign in the U.S. is called a "Yield", but here it is used in place of stop signs and even stop lights almost everywhere. If you have a "Give Way" sign, or the white triangle symbol painted on the road, then you better stop and make sure anyone coming from the right - including people turning from the left hand lane or turn lane - are given the right of way. For Americans, who are used to turning right from the right hand lane, and not giving way to those turning from the left lane into the right lane, this may sound counter-intuitive; but, you better get used to it quick. Kiwi drivers just assume you are going to follow the rules to the letter, and will not attempt to get eye contact or verify that you are going to stop before they plow right on ahead.<br /><br />(3) I am going to put "roundabouts" or "turnabouts" under the surprise category, not because we weren't expecting them, but because no one can fully prepare for how really awful they are until you are here. Almost any place where we would use a stop sign or traffic signal in the U.S., New Zealand uses a turnabout. I just can't even explain it, you are just going to have to drive into one and hope for the best. Good luck.<br /><br />(4) Apricots. Don't ask me why, but New Zealand puts apricots in everything - cereal, yogurt, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">body wash</span>, shampoo, relish . . . you name it, it probably has apricots. Running a close second<br />are pine nuts.<br /><br />(5) No cost water, sewer, and recycling pick-up! (Though we have been told that there are proposals floating around that may eventually put a price on water, we are currently not having to pay a cent.)<br /><br />(6) BASIC "Sky" TV programming (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">satellite</span> dishes are used here instead of cable), includes 2 Disney channels. If you have preschool-age children, this is great because one whole channel is dedicated to "Playhouse Disney" 24/7 - the Disney programming that is suitable for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pre</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">schoolers</span> and even includes some shows we used to have to switch to PBS to find. This leaves the stuff for older kids on a separate channel 24/7.<br /><br />(7) European-manufactured dishwashers frequently have a filter in the inside bottom that periodically needs to be removed and cleaned.<br /><br />(8) My favorite surprise thus far has to be the cost of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">prescription</span> drugs. We knew that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Rxs</span> were subsidized for Permanent Residents and citizens; but, we had no idea that we would be able to get THREE MONTHS WORTH of THREE <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">PRESCRIPTIONS</span> (normally costing approx. $600. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">USD</span>), for only $3. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">NZD</span>. YES, I said THREE DOLLARS! And that was really just the cost of having the RX written by the doctor. When we go back for refills, they should be FREE! (Don't forget, the ambulance is also FREE and healthcare services are nearly free - with only small fees for doctor visits and procedures.)<br /><br />(9) Grocery stores really do have just about everything you would expect to find in a U.S. grocery store - just with different packaging, names, and sometimes classified differently. Be willing to take your time to explore the grocery stores in your area, and I am sure you can find just about anything you would need or want. (Though I am still looking for boxes of macaroni/shells and cheese.)<br /><br />(10) Back to driving, we just discovered today that they strictly enforce the time allotted to parking in certain public places. If you see a small rectangular blue and white sign with a "P", and spaces outlined in WHITE paint, that means you can park there; but, look out for a number under the "P" - may be "60", or "90", or some other number - but whatever that number is tells you the number of minutes you are allowed to park there. If you exceed that time, you may get a ticket or worse - a boot - put on your car. Luckily, we didn't get one today, but we reached the car just as the lady who checks these things was about to give us a boot. (Which is also what they call the trunk of a car here, so I am not entirely sure it means what I think it means.)<br /><br /><p>(11) We just recently discovered something that contradicts what we have read in a number of places, what seems to be a popular misconception and what we wrote in our first post. To correct what we initially believed, Wellington Harbour is NOT, repeat NOT, a water-filled caldera from an extinct volcano. According to a number of Kiwi geologists and online government authorities, Wellington Harbour is, in fact, a broad depressed area formed by the intersection of the Hutt River Valley with the Wellington Fault; at various times, depending on seismic activity and sea level changes, it has been a lake, or open to the sea. Despite the fact that it looks almost exaclty like a volcanic caldera, topographical maps show that the harbour floor is actually not that deep, unlike real "crater lakes ." </p><p>(12) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Kiwibank</span> is a great little bank that started business about five years ago and has some of the lowest fees and best interest rates you will find in the country. They also have a branch at virtually every Post Shop in the country, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ATMs</span> (called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">EFTPOS</span> here), online banking/bill pay, and other services, making it very convenient. What you will NOT find, however, is a big <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Kiwibank</span> edifice. I am sure they have a headquarters somewhere, but we have yet to see it. We created our account via FedEx about 3 weeks before our move, and activated it at the nearest branch - with the assistance of a tremendously helpful young woman named <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Maree</span> (who has just migrated to London, so she will be greatly missed). In addition to not having dedicated bank buildings, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Kiwibank</span> does not have accounts in the U.S. or relationships with many U.S. banks. What this means to Americans coming to New Zealand and wishing to open a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Kiwibank</span> account, is that you may have trouble arranging a wire transfer from your U.S. bank to your new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Kiwibank</span> account. </p><p>If you wish to use <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Kiwibank</span>, something we recommend, your best bet seems to be doing the following, NO LATER THAN 45 WORKING days PRIOR to your move<br /></p><ul><li>Go to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Kiwibank</span> website and download the forms to open a new personal account, and fill them out. </li><br /><li>Make a copy of your passport photo and visa pages, and find one of your recent bank statements from a current U.S. account.</li><br /><li>Write a check to yourself, drawn on your U.S. bank account, in U.S. dollars, for the full amount of money you wish to transfer to your New Zealand account. </li></ul><p>Mail all of the above to the Kiwibank address provided on your new account application form, via FedEx/Return Receipt. You will receive an e-mail confirmation within 5-10 days that your bank account is set up and only requires activation at any <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Kiwibank</span> branch upon arrival in NZ. BUT, your personal check will require at least 30 working days to clear and become available to you to spend. (This is the reason we recommend you start this process a minimum of 45 days prior to your move.)<br /><br />(13) Personal checks are almost a thing of the past in New Zealand. Most everyone uses cash, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">EFTPOS</span> (ATM cards), credit cards, or online bill pay for everything. We ordered one small set of checks, but have so far not found any reason to use them.</p><p>(14) We also recommend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Kiwibank</span> for auto and contents insurance. Contents insurance covers the items you bring into your home or rental, and also covers any damage your contents may cause to a rental - such as your toaster starting a fire and burning the landlord's house to the ground. (This has not, knock on wood, happened to us, but it is worth mentioning.) In NZ the renter is liable for any destruction or damage caused to the landlord's property via "negligence;" some landlords / property managers will ask for you to have contents insurance before they will rent to you. The NZ government also offers "accident compensation" as a social service for physical injuries and outlaws personal injury lawsuits between private parties, so the only thing you need in terms of auto insurance is just what is necessary to repair your vehicle in case of an accident. </p><p>(15) When you test-drive a car in NZ, you will be asked to show your valid U.S. driver's license and sign a registry. The auto dealer is likely to give you plenty of time to try out the vehicle - wanna go to lunch? run a few errands? - no problem. But, if you should, for instance, drive the car you are test driving in front of someone else and trash the entire passenger side, then don't be surprised if they ask you to pay the deductible ("excess" in NZ) on the dealer's insurance (usually $1,000). Otherwise, they will be quite understanding - especially if you give everyone concerned free reign to say "dumb Americans" all day and buy a car from the same dealer straight away. (Yes, this did happen the first full day after we arrived; no worries - everyone is fine, and we shall never speak of it again.)</p><p>(16) The train and bus drivers DO NOT take <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">EFTPOS</span> (ATM) or credit cards, they only take cash or tickets.</p><p>(17) Wellington suffers from a shortage of transit drivers; so, don't be surprised if weekend routes are less frequent or not at all. (The train to Western <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Hutt</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Melling</span> Stations does not operate at all on weekends; same goes for some bus routes.)<br /><br />(18) Napkins are worn inside your underwear, nappies are diapers, and neither are something you wish to discuss at dinner; so, if you require something with which to wipe your mouth in a restaurant, ask for a "serviette". </p><p>(19) "Restaurants" are places where you are seated by a host/hostess, given a menu, have a waiter/waitress take your order, eat and pay when you are finished. "Cafes", "taverns", and "pubs" are places where you can walk in and order coffee, tea, "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">fizzies"</span> (soft drinks), snacks, desserts, or full dinners at the bar/counter, pay for them then, and have them brought to your table. Also, though we knew it before, it never hurts to repeat that tips are not expected in New Zealand, unless you have an unusually large party or have exceptionally great service.) There are MANY more cafes than restaurants in Wellington, and though they are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">frequently</span> quite small, you can usually find any kind of cuisine - all of it fresh - and can eat just about any time of the day. (Restaurants are often only open for set hours at lunchtime and dinnertime.)<br /><br />(20) Ground beef or hamburger is called, appropriately enough, "minced beef".<br /><br />(21) Unless you are renting/buying a brand new home, don't expect to find central heating, and air conditioning is not necessary. You WILL, however, need some form of heating in the winter months, though don't worry about snow unless you are moving to a mountain top in the Southern Alps or the top of a volcano in the North Island. The most efficient form of portable heat seems to be oil circulating portable heaters/radiators (you do not have to replace the oil, just plug it in and the oil heats up and flows through several coils that radiate the heat). But if you have very young children, you may want to go one step removed in efficiency and purchase a ceramic space heater - it is not as efficient, but you can at least tough it without worrying about your child crashing into an oil heater and getting burned.</p><p><br />(22) Every electrical outlet in New Zealand has a switch next to it to turn it on or off. So, if you are wondering why your motel's microwave or coffee pot isn't working, check and make sure the switch is turned "on".<br /><br />(23) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Kia</span> Ora is pronounced "key-or-ah," all run together as one word. It is a Maori word meaning "hi" or "welcome," and a common Kiwi greeting.</p><p>(24) The "All Blacks" are the nation's premier rugby team. We knew this before we came, but we were not fully prepared for the god-like position they hold in the minds of nearly all Kiwi. They far exceed the fame of your typical <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Hollywood</span> star in New Zealand, and their faces are plastered over all sorts of endorsed products and services. Of course, we did arrive the week the All Blacks wiped the floor with Canada on their way to France and the World Cup in 67 days, 15 hours, 57 minutes, and 35 . 34 . 33. . . seconds and counting (as of this writing).<br /><br />(25) The food is fantastic! For such a small nation, the population is very diverse. The natives travel extensively outside of the country, and a full quarter of the population are skilled or semi-skilled migrants from all over, bringing with them a wide range of cuisines. There is one "Take Away" shop a couple of blocks from our house that sells: traditional British fare (all fried, of course), burgers, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">hot dogs</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">deep fried</span>, go figure), fries (aka chips), fish, chicken, Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, and they throw in delicious homemade doughnuts with most meals - just for the fun of it! Eric and I have each gone in there once to bring home food for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">fam</span>, and were so overwhelmed with the menu that we ended up bringing enough home for about 10 people - all for about $20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">NZD</span>.<br /><br />Well, I am sure there are other surprises that will come to me later, and I am sure Eric has a few to add as well. But, I am going ahead and posting this one because it is already long enough.<br /><br />I hope this finds you all healthy, happy, and enjoying life.<br /><br />Best Wishes,<br />Linda</p>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2197422154847201229.post-20815935492105027852007-06-26T19:13:00.000-07:002007-06-26T20:18:09.109-07:00First Things First<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4MRkLTz8NhW5nOx2_WgebSQUwp3X0ae8rxOAwSrx6JCKDRUFxtIlmAk2t4VtVqT8vBhMh7RVob43VZKpV2ySDGynmOYDMDIlTM7N6uzxzFYENEw5dVq57JSpwAfhKUPALVf8OEcroBA/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080574699148553650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4MRkLTz8NhW5nOx2_WgebSQUwp3X0ae8rxOAwSrx6JCKDRUFxtIlmAk2t4VtVqT8vBhMh7RVob43VZKpV2ySDGynmOYDMDIlTM7N6uzxzFYENEw5dVq57JSpwAfhKUPALVf8OEcroBA/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUu_z065rScSvhdgeomKome_qTa22gnVq4-V0yGmjrnbVPGF8O-RLBKGWvxlK6u_Kxoz5PN5LgVrEefxLwER-mEAVqMMKQkNfYbuRp_L5i0-gSwThE738HaSuGXMlpJj4hUKYaLKvuqg/s1600-h/010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080574707738488258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUu_z065rScSvhdgeomKome_qTa22gnVq4-V0yGmjrnbVPGF8O-RLBKGWvxlK6u_Kxoz5PN5LgVrEefxLwER-mEAVqMMKQkNfYbuRp_L5i0-gSwThE738HaSuGXMlpJj4hUKYaLKvuqg/s320/010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div>Greetings friends, family and people who just want to know what it is like for an American family to migrate to New Zealand!<br /><br />Well, in case you didn't already know, it is beautiful here! We didn't take some long drive to a scenic overlook to capture the shot shown here -- it was taken from one of our living room (aka "lounge" in NZ) windows! The view is of Wellington harbour, from our rented home in the suburb of Maungaraki in the hills above Lower Hutt. Wellington harbour is actually just like Crater Lake, Oregon -- a giant caldera, the remnant of a once majestic volcano that erupted violently, collapsed into its own empty magma reservoir and then filled with water. In this case, the caldera opened to the sea -- Cook Strait -- on the southern side. Wellington and the surrounding communities are built down in the crater, while we are up on the rim. Just FYI mom, the volcano here -- unlike Crater Lake -- is much older and extinct.<br /><br />After two weeks in a cramped hotel (having a 4-year old share your space could make the hangar deck of the <em>U.S.S. Nimitz</em> feel cramped) we are finally settled in our rented 4 bdrm/2 bath home and we love it! (Though our container full of stuff still will not be here for another month.) As you have seen, we have a fantastic view of Wellington Harbour, and the Lower Hutt City lights at night, and the back deck faces a tree and fern covered hillside with tuis and other birds which make the most unusual and beautiful sounds. We almost never want to shut the curtains! We are near the end of a dead-end street, so the traffic is light, and there is a hiking (aka "tramping" in NZ) trail where the street runs out. We signed a 10 month lease, which will end between the first and second terms of the 2008 school year. We hope that by then we will be able to move into a home of our own - though we are currently leaning towards staying in the same community of Maungaraki. </div><br /><div>We visited Connor's new school - Maungaraki School - and are very impressed. It is such a safe, quiet, playful and colourful place, and the children and teachers all seem to be very happy to be there. Maungaraki School is really a combined Primary and Intermediate school (aka Elementary and Middle in the US) of around 250 students between Year 0 (Kindergarten) and Year 8, nestled in a natural amphitheatre of the mountains overlooking the Harbour. So Connor can attend the same school right up until he is ready for College (aka High School). In NZ they have four school terms per year, and the current one will end this week, followed by a two week break. Connor will start school full-time with everyone else at the beginning of Term 3, in mid-July. </div><div><br />The school is only a few blocks from our home and right next door to a little shopping centre with a quaint cafe, our doctor's office, pharmacy, a "take away" with a huge menu from Chinese to American classics, a small grocery market, a post office, and a few other necessities. We have to drive down a winding, but thankfully wide and not <em>too</em> steep (Eric notes "not too steep" if you consider, say, Monteagle Grade in Tennessee to be "not too steep") drive to Lower Hutt for everything else we might need. "Down the hill" there are several huge supermarkets, plenty of retail specialty stores and a large indoor mall much like anything you would find in the US. We can't get over all the fresh fruits, veggies, breads and deli meats available at the grocery stores. Speaking of food, we have not had a bad meal yet! To save money, we ate light breakfasts and dinners in our hotel room; but, for lunch we usually went to one of the many cafes in the area. We have had everything from healthy salads and paninis to pizza, hamburgers, traditional English fare, Indian, Thai, and Malaysian cuisine as well. Everything has tasted fresh and had really wonderfully different flavours. Well, everything except Eric's first experience with "Bangers and Mash," (sausage and mashed potatoes) which were, appropriately, bland as only English cuisine can be.</div><br /><div>In many ways, Maungaraki reminds us of where we used to live in Troutdale, OR; but, with the added benefit of a fantastic harbour view and cafes within a short drive. The commute to the Wellington CBD is about the same as our old commute to Portland from Troutdale - 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic; but, we can easily take the train from a station at the bottom of the mountain, or a couple of buses starting with one at the end of our street. So far, we have actually only gone to Wellington's downtown for one day - to visit the Te Papa Museum of New Zealand. Te Papa is a fairly new, huge, world-renown museum covering the history of New Zealand on a geologic time scale. It has lots of things to see and touch, and Connor had a ball running from exhibit to exhibit. We were only able to see about half the museum so far, but since it is free we are sure to go back many more times in the future.</div><br /><div>When we first arrived in New Zealand, we didn't really take any time to act like tourists - or look for jobs. (Our trip to Te Papa was our first and last "touristy" excursion, and that was 10 days after we arrived.) We immediately began ticking off the items on our "getting settled" list, figuring we would be in a better position to find work once we had transportation, an address, phone and computer up and running with internet and email access. So, first thing, we bought a car - a used Honda CR-V that feels newer than the one we sold two weeks earlier and has only 41,000 km on the odometer. It is dark blue and has a sunroof, and of course the driver is on the wrong side; but, otherwise it feels much the same as our old car. We figured that a familiar vehicle would ease the stress of learning to drive on the wrong side of the road. We also activated our bank accounts and started searching for a place to live. </div><br /><div>Rentals go so quickly here we were starting to get worried. We spent several days driving past places and put applications in on three other smaller, older homes before we saw this one. Luckily, the property manager immediately liked us (it helped that we were both driving CR-Vs and that he had been a police officer for 25 years, sharing my career in law enforcement), so he signed us up without showing the house to anyone else. Shortly after we were approved, we found out we could have had any of the other three homes as well, so I guess we were worried for nothing. The home came with a stove/range and dishwasher (unlike the other three houses); but, we had to go on a spending spree for our own refrigerator, washer/dryer, microwave, toaster oven, computer, TV, DVD player, telephone, beds, bedding, and other goodies. There were also all the normal little things to do when moving - phone/broadband service, electricity/gas, delivery of large items, Sky-TV and rubbish disposal. On the unexpected bright side, water, sewer and recycling here are all free, though there is talk of instituting a water/sewer fee in the future.</div><div><br />We have moved to NZ at the start of their winter - when the weather is at its worst. Well, if this is the worst, bring it on! When we got off the plane (the trip here is a whole other post), the sun was shining, the sky blue and the temp felt like the mid-60s F. At worst, we have had a couple of periods of rain and temps down in the upper 30's F; but, even those periods don't last all day. On a couple of days there has been a dusting of snow on the high mountains across the harbour and up the Hutt Valley. We have laughed to ourselves about the natives who are all walking around shivering and apologizing to us for the cold, because we have loved the weather. So far, three weeks in country, we can say that Oregon winters were worse. Another thing here that reminds us of Troutdale -- the wind can really come ripping in, especially up here on the ridge. The other night we had gale force winds howling and rumbling and shaking the trees for about 18 hours (still not as bad as the 24/7 howling we used to get in Troutdale some winter weeks).<br /><br />We have both joked to each other that all our lives we have heard people say "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes and it will change." We have always dismissed that as the usual local perverse pride hyperbole -- until we came here. <em>It really can change every five to ten to twenty minutes!</em> You can be standing under a rain cloud getting misted (like the Pacific Northwest) but see the large patches of sun and azure sky dotting the crater rim around the harbour. Wait a few minutes and the sun will be shining on you, and you will be peeling off your sweater or coat. You can look out the window and see only a few friendly little puffs of cumulus, come back a half hour later and find the sky ominously gray from horizon to horizon. The clean Pacific breezes and frequent changes of weather keep the air here fresh, and I have had no allergy problems at all since arriving. I am just thrilled to be able to take deep, fresh breaths again - like when we lived in Oregon.</div><br /><div>Well, there is lots more to ramble on about, but this is more than enough for now. Suffice it to say, everything we learned in our research and preparations before the move has either been proven true or is even better than expected. There have been no negative surprises here, only positive ones - like discovering that a three month supply of three of Eric's perscriptions (normally costing us around $600 in the US) would only cost us $3 NZD. YES, I said THREE DOLLARS! Every Kiwi we have met has been overwhelmingly welcoming and helpful to us. Our only stressful moments have had more to do with finishing up loose ends in Arkansas from so far away, and learning to drive on the wrong side of the road here - but we are even starting to get used to the later.</div><br /><div>In the meantime, know that we love and miss you all; but, we are doing very well and are looking forward to long lives as Kiwi. We also hope that some of you may make the long journey to visit us one day. It would be well worth the flight!</div><br /><div>Eric and Linda, 27 June, 2007</div><div> </div><div>PS: We now have a contract on our house in Arkansas, so things are continuing to fall nicely into place.</div></div>The Gross Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11308993635907801240noreply@blogger.com2