Right, first of all we are both safe. On Wednesday night NZ had their second biggest earthquake ever recorded. 7.8 on the Richter scale!! To put that into perspective, the earthquake that hit China last year and killed over 50,ooo people was only 6.2! Luckily for us our quake hit in the Doubtful Sound in Fjordland, which is the least populated area of NZ. That said, the Doubtful Sound is only about 100km away so we felt the tremor quite a lot.
We were both cuddled up on the sofa when it all started to shake. I thought Kate was jiggling her leg so told her to stop. She thought i was shaking the sofa so told me to stop. She got up and still accused me of shaking the couch. I told her i wasn't moving and that it must be an earthquake. Her face dropped and we both simultaneously said "Shit! What do we do?" We both looked at each other then turned to watch our heater move across the front room floor. Then it all stopped.
It was well weird. Kinda scary too and eerily quiet. I always imagined an earthquake to have rumbling noises. It was also amazing too that there was hardly any damage and no one got hurt. There were a few news reports showing CCTV footage of local supermarkets with all the foods falling off the shelves and tales of land slides. They issued a tsunami warning to Australia too but apparently the biggest wave was only 17cm over the average height. Their have been 12 earthquakes and over 200 after shocks since the big one but i haven't noticed them. I have to admit that being in an earthquake is not something i want to do very often.
I actually spent a whole day on the mountain the other day. We headed up and met up with our friends Laura, JC (Jesus Christ) and Kieran. Kate even kept up with us on a few runs. Well, until we took her down a run called Sarah Sue. It was very narrow and there was a drop off on one side which kept catching her eye. She didn't enjoy it and ended up heading down for a mulled wine. I had a great laugh with the guys and was amazed at how much air Kieran was getting! The guy was flying around off everything. I started to get my confidence up and hit a few big jumps and dropped into some huge bowls. After a while my right foot started aching and i called it a day. When i got home i looked at my sore foot and noticed that i had split the ball of it. Not sure how though. I wonder if i had a small stone in my boot or just split it on a landing. Either way it is flipping sore. I'm gonna rest it for a few days and see how it feels. Hopefully we will get some more snow too as the mountain needs some. It is well covered but is really hard and crusty. Some nice soft snow will certainly give me even more confidence with jumps as well.
Other news is that Kate won a poker tournament the other night. As well as a $50 dollar bar tab she is also entered into a $500 cash game in a few weeks. It means that between me, Kate and our friends Mike and Carlos we have won a tournament in town for the last 4 weeks. I unfortunately missed out on a seat for the cash game as i won a week before the entries started. Mike has 2 entries though so may give it to me which will be cool.
We also had an awesome day yesterday. We went to the Onsen hot tubs over at Arthurs Point. Kate got it for free as she finally used her "frontline staff" letter. People who work in frontline staff get loads of free stuff. They just have to ask for it. So i had to pay but it was well worth it. The hot tubs are in these little private rooms with retractable walls and roof. So we jumped in, retracted the roof and enjoyed the scenery out over the Shotover gorge and the shotover jet boats flying around the river below us. It was so relaxing and certainly helped my aching muscles after all the skiing the day before. We then went to the cinema in the evening and watched The Hangover. It was hilarious. I must admit that it has been the best couple of days i have had since we arrived in NZ.
So next week i drop my hours at work and then start mixing up my shifts with the Remarkables. I met quite a few more people from the Remarks at this weeks jug night so hopefully i won't be too green over there. Jug night was a lot of fun this week. I am so jammy in that i get the day off after. We went out with the admin and custodian departments to a restaurant called Joes Garage. It was a nice place and it helped that Billy knew one of the guys who works there. He also is in negotiation for them to sponsor our works dodgeball team. We are having a big tournament and wanted to be the Average Joes Garage team like the Average Joes Gym team from the film. After Joes Garage we went to Montys which is a bar i detest! Well, usually i do cos it is always super busy. On Thursday nights they have the 'ression session' where beer is only $3. It was cool this time though as there was a big crowd of us. Billy, richard and me then went and crashed the Guest services departments jug night over at Rattlesnake. It felt great to be back at Rattlesnake. The poker tournaments there have stopped but it was great seeing the barmaids again. Especially since they gave me free beer!! By the time i got to meet up with Kate and the gang for poker at Surreal, i was pretty hammered. Oh well, i got a nice lay in the next morning and plenty of time to recover.
So i am still having the best time, I just hope there aren't gonna be anymore earthquakes!
Peace y'all.
D
XXXX
Friday, 17 July 2009
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Shred the Kea!
Wow, what an awesome week! It all started with the close of the winter festival on Sunday. They had a rail jam at CP (Coronet Peak) with some of the best local skiers and boarders. It was a shame the weather was really cloudy but we managed to see a few guys absolutely wreck themselves on the rails. One guy broke his shoulder and another landed on his back from a 10 foot drop off an uprail. The comp got stopped for a while so we decided to go home and beat the crowds on the bus home. It was so cool seeing world class freestyle skiers like Jossi Wells and cool boarders like Nick Hynne. I was a bit star struck but these guys are totally awesome riders.
It has inspired me to get a bit more into the freestyle skiing. I'll maybe avoid the rails and stuff though as i don't fancy busting myself too badly. I'll just keep riding and hitting my little airs and doing my fancy little reverts.
The highlight of the week was being asked by the admin department to be one of the resort mascots for the afternoon. They came into the shop and asked if me or Billy could help them out. Billy decided he would do it as it did sound like a bit of a laugh but when the time came to go he bottled it so i jumped in. I went to the admin dept and got helped into the huge green Kea outfit. A kea is a local parrot that is notorious for being mischievous. They already chewed/pecked their way through an electrical cable which shut down one of our chairlifts earlier this week. We have two mascots. A Kea called Shred and a kiwi called Spike. A guy called Dave from rentals was in the kiwi suit. We joked about as we were getting dressed and it turned out he is from Yeading! Literally 2 miles from where i was dragged up. Small world huh? Once we were in our suits with our big heads on we were unleashed on the public. We had a minder who guided us around as the visibility was so poor in my costume. It was also about 500 degrees centigrade and as i pranced about for the kids i damn near passed out a few times! We worked the crowds over by the Skiwi kids area, high fiving the kids and dancing about and throwing snowballs. It was a right good laugh. We were not allowed to speak in the suit and under no circumstances could we take our heads off. This became a real problem for me as i was so hot.
We thought it would be a laugh to head up one of the chairlifts so we rode up one of the lifts called Meadows. When we got to the top we stopped and greeted the kids as they came off the lift. I was in bits as we caused so much carnage! Kids were concentrating so much on waving at us they were forgetting to get off the lift in time and causing big pile ups. Even the adults were trashing theirselves. I went over to help a big guy up and managed to fall down a big hole. I struggled back up as my minder wet his pants laughing. We decided to head back down the hill to the base building by walking down one of the steeper runs called the M1. As we walked over to the run we couldn't help but slide on our arses into this big bowl. As i tried to climb out of the big bowl i lost my footing and slid off down the mountain. I tried to fight it for the first 100 feet but it was pointless so i just rolled onto my back and enjoyed the ride as everyone on the chairlift pissed themselves laughing at me. It was actually quite a lot of fun, that was until i hit a patch of little fir trees and ended up smacking my balls off them! They didn't slow me down though and i gained speed as i headed over toward the nursery slopes. It all happened in slow motion but as i neared the slope i dropped off this big dip and smashed into the back off a snowboarder. I got up, helped her up, shrugged and just run away. I couldn't speak after all. It must've been such a surreal moment for her. One minute she's just chilling out sliding down the slopes when all of a sudden she gets totalled by a 6 foot 6 fluffy green parrot who just shrugs and runs off! I was cackling away to myself at the shear stupidity of it all. I had to stop after a few hundred feet as i nearly collapsed from heat exhaustion. When i stopped i noticed Spike the kiwi and our minder heading towards me in fits of hysterics, well i couldn't tell if Dave was laughing in his kiwi suit but our minder definitely was. They had seen me slide off down the mountain and both been really concerned, especially when i hit the trees but couldn't help but laugh when i smashed into the snowboarder. When i got back to admin and told them what had happened they laughed but were worried that i had hurt someone. It was all OK though in the end. I would defiantly be the mascots again but i would no way be the damn Kea again.
Work is becoming so much fun. I'm meeting loads more people. I'll probably be known as "the midwife" or "the Kea" from now on but i really don't mind. Town has calmed down a bit since the winter festival ended and it has really started to feel like Christmas. Weird as it's July but town is all lit up, it's cold and everyone is strolling around in beannies and big coats. I'm super happy. It helps that work has changed my days off to the same as Kates and after the school holidays finish in two weeks my hours drop down. It means less money but loads more time skiing. This week has been so busy. Full of stupid Australians who haven't seen snow before and spend all day shouting at each other! It meant that i didn't get a ride break for a few days. Well, i could have gone up for some runs but the lift lines were crazy long so i woulda spent most of my break in a queue. It'll all calm down in a week or so and I'll be back skiing everyday again and jumping off stuff, YAY!!
Tonight we're heading into town to meet our friends Laura and Jesus Christ to have a few drinks and play poker til the wee hours as i am off tomorrow. YAY, drinks and poker!!
Anyways guys, I doubt my career as a mascot is gonna be fruitful so i guess i'll just keep up the retail job. I must admit that i lucked out so much with my job. We get busy just like everyone else but i work with some great people and we all look out for each other. All the other departments are getting slammed! Guest services, rentals, lifts and food and beverage are crazy busy and having to work like dogs to run properly. We are busy but we still have quiet periods and time to have a laugh. I love my job!
Peace y'all.
D
XXXX
It has inspired me to get a bit more into the freestyle skiing. I'll maybe avoid the rails and stuff though as i don't fancy busting myself too badly. I'll just keep riding and hitting my little airs and doing my fancy little reverts.
The highlight of the week was being asked by the admin department to be one of the resort mascots for the afternoon. They came into the shop and asked if me or Billy could help them out. Billy decided he would do it as it did sound like a bit of a laugh but when the time came to go he bottled it so i jumped in. I went to the admin dept and got helped into the huge green Kea outfit. A kea is a local parrot that is notorious for being mischievous. They already chewed/pecked their way through an electrical cable which shut down one of our chairlifts earlier this week. We have two mascots. A Kea called Shred and a kiwi called Spike. A guy called Dave from rentals was in the kiwi suit. We joked about as we were getting dressed and it turned out he is from Yeading! Literally 2 miles from where i was dragged up. Small world huh? Once we were in our suits with our big heads on we were unleashed on the public. We had a minder who guided us around as the visibility was so poor in my costume. It was also about 500 degrees centigrade and as i pranced about for the kids i damn near passed out a few times! We worked the crowds over by the Skiwi kids area, high fiving the kids and dancing about and throwing snowballs. It was a right good laugh. We were not allowed to speak in the suit and under no circumstances could we take our heads off. This became a real problem for me as i was so hot.
We thought it would be a laugh to head up one of the chairlifts so we rode up one of the lifts called Meadows. When we got to the top we stopped and greeted the kids as they came off the lift. I was in bits as we caused so much carnage! Kids were concentrating so much on waving at us they were forgetting to get off the lift in time and causing big pile ups. Even the adults were trashing theirselves. I went over to help a big guy up and managed to fall down a big hole. I struggled back up as my minder wet his pants laughing. We decided to head back down the hill to the base building by walking down one of the steeper runs called the M1. As we walked over to the run we couldn't help but slide on our arses into this big bowl. As i tried to climb out of the big bowl i lost my footing and slid off down the mountain. I tried to fight it for the first 100 feet but it was pointless so i just rolled onto my back and enjoyed the ride as everyone on the chairlift pissed themselves laughing at me. It was actually quite a lot of fun, that was until i hit a patch of little fir trees and ended up smacking my balls off them! They didn't slow me down though and i gained speed as i headed over toward the nursery slopes. It all happened in slow motion but as i neared the slope i dropped off this big dip and smashed into the back off a snowboarder. I got up, helped her up, shrugged and just run away. I couldn't speak after all. It must've been such a surreal moment for her. One minute she's just chilling out sliding down the slopes when all of a sudden she gets totalled by a 6 foot 6 fluffy green parrot who just shrugs and runs off! I was cackling away to myself at the shear stupidity of it all. I had to stop after a few hundred feet as i nearly collapsed from heat exhaustion. When i stopped i noticed Spike the kiwi and our minder heading towards me in fits of hysterics, well i couldn't tell if Dave was laughing in his kiwi suit but our minder definitely was. They had seen me slide off down the mountain and both been really concerned, especially when i hit the trees but couldn't help but laugh when i smashed into the snowboarder. When i got back to admin and told them what had happened they laughed but were worried that i had hurt someone. It was all OK though in the end. I would defiantly be the mascots again but i would no way be the damn Kea again.
Work is becoming so much fun. I'm meeting loads more people. I'll probably be known as "the midwife" or "the Kea" from now on but i really don't mind. Town has calmed down a bit since the winter festival ended and it has really started to feel like Christmas. Weird as it's July but town is all lit up, it's cold and everyone is strolling around in beannies and big coats. I'm super happy. It helps that work has changed my days off to the same as Kates and after the school holidays finish in two weeks my hours drop down. It means less money but loads more time skiing. This week has been so busy. Full of stupid Australians who haven't seen snow before and spend all day shouting at each other! It meant that i didn't get a ride break for a few days. Well, i could have gone up for some runs but the lift lines were crazy long so i woulda spent most of my break in a queue. It'll all calm down in a week or so and I'll be back skiing everyday again and jumping off stuff, YAY!!
Tonight we're heading into town to meet our friends Laura and Jesus Christ to have a few drinks and play poker til the wee hours as i am off tomorrow. YAY, drinks and poker!!
Anyways guys, I doubt my career as a mascot is gonna be fruitful so i guess i'll just keep up the retail job. I must admit that i lucked out so much with my job. We get busy just like everyone else but i work with some great people and we all look out for each other. All the other departments are getting slammed! Guest services, rentals, lifts and food and beverage are crazy busy and having to work like dogs to run properly. We are busy but we still have quiet periods and time to have a laugh. I love my job!
Peace y'all.
D
XXXX
Friday, 3 July 2009
Jug nights and mild concussions
Wow, how fast did this week go? Answer, hella fast! Time flies when you are having fun i suppose. The winter festival kicked off last weekend and there have been loads of events and things happening around town. Last Sunday we headed into town to watch the birdman competition which saw loads of nutters jumping off a platform in fancy dress into the very cold lake which was then followed by the drag race. Sounds kinda normal eh? Well, no it was a load of dudes in drag running around a race track on the lake front. It was packed but we managed to meet up with Mike and Aya, watch the festivities then go for a few drinks. We played pool, got our drink on and had a right laugh. Kate started to feel the effects of all day drinking and got the bus home. So Mike, Aya and me carried on drinking and then went to a poker tournament at the Revolver bar. Mike and Aya got knocked out pretty quick but i went on to win! It was sweet. I won a $50 bar tab and 2 tickets to the big night out pub crawl which are worth $50 too. Not bad for a night out. Mike and I then got invited to a cash game at the guy who runs the poker nights house. It was like a who's who of Q town poker but by 4am i was out and ready for bed. What with working full time it will probably be the end of a lot of the poker games we have been playing in town. Because the winter is here the town is full again so a lot of the bars we played in are doing different things instead of poker. Probably not a bad thing but it means we won't get many chances to see the regulars any more. That said, quite a few of them have popped into the shop and said hello and we will still play regularly at the surreal bar which will probably become even more popular due to other tournaments finishing for winter.
Work is still totally awesome. I have really settled in too and am already into the daily routine of the shop. We even had a stock take which was pretty hard work but we managed to do it and won't need to do another one for at least.............. a month! Groan.
Thursday night was Jug night. When someone cocks up at work or makes a pratt of theirselves they get fined a jug of beer, which they then have to buy everyone on jug night. For example, a girl on the bus home last week kicked over a bottle of wine which spilled down the aisle. She was fined 4 jugs!! Now as there are only 4 of us who work in the shop we don't really have a jug night but get invited out by the other departments. We don't fine each other jugs either, well at least it seems that way so far. Billy and T (who i work with) are so nice, I'd feel bad about "jugging" them. So for our jug night we tagged along with the admin department and went for a Japanese meal and a few drinks. It was very civilised and i was tucked up safe in bed by 11pm. I did have to work the next day though so cut me some slack.
The next morning the bus journey in was a bit eventful. Half the bus was still drunk and the other half were asleep. I sat and eavesdropped on debauched stories from the previous evening. We sold a fair few panadol and ibuprofen tablets in the shop too. Ha ha!! It may be different by the time the next jug night rolls around as i have managed to wangle the next day off. UH OH!!
Another thing has happened at work which i am a little concerned about. It seems my secret is out. I am now known as "The Midwife." Most people don't even know who i am but they know that some guy who works in the shop is a midwife, and they know it ain't Billy! In fact a few guys have even come in to the shop to confirm the rumours. One of the admin girls came in to talk to me about it saying that it was cool that someone actually had a skill. It was nice but made me feel kinda old. My new neighbour even came into the store to chat to me about lady bits. Sort of odd i suppose but i haven't talked about lady bits in so long so i actually enjoyed it. What can i say, i know a lot about lady bits.
The only other thing this week was me cracking my head on a pretty bad tumble on the mountain. My own stupid fault of course. It snowed for the first time in weeks so i was keen to get out on the hill. At the bottom of my first run i skied over to the beginners lift called Meadows and started doing spins into switch skiing (skiing backwards) but hit a pile of new snow which stopped my skis in their tracks. Unfortunately, the rest of my body kept travelling and i cracked the back of my head on the snow. Now snow is not always as soft as you think and i was seeing stars for a few seconds after. When i got back to the shop and told Billy and T they made sure i was OK. T's boyfriend Blake is a ski patroller and always tells T about the accidents that happen on the hill (we've had numerous broken bones and a few spinal injuries!) so she made sure i wasn't concussed. Needless to say i am now wearing my helmet, well............not right now, that would just look stupid but i am wearing it when i ski now(so relax Mum). Billy has also got himself a helmet on my advice. He has also started wearing a similar beanie to me and Kate thinks he is trying to emulate me. I'm sure he isn't. He seems a strong minded guy and probably just liked the style of hat i wear. If he starts skiing with a bandana over his face(like i do), chucks on a bit of weight and starts to belch the alphabet, i'll start to worry.
Tomorrow sees the end of the winter festival with a big party on the hill and a rail jam which we are going up to see and meet a few friends. In a way I'm happy that the festival is coming to an end and that the town might calm down a bit. The hill will still be busy as it's bloody school holidays here. Stupid kids! Little gits flying around on the mountain jumping off everything and being lippy. Man i sound old!
Anyway guys, if anyone wants to email me to let me know how things are at home, feel free (hint hint).
Peace
D
XXXX
Work is still totally awesome. I have really settled in too and am already into the daily routine of the shop. We even had a stock take which was pretty hard work but we managed to do it and won't need to do another one for at least.............. a month! Groan.
Thursday night was Jug night. When someone cocks up at work or makes a pratt of theirselves they get fined a jug of beer, which they then have to buy everyone on jug night. For example, a girl on the bus home last week kicked over a bottle of wine which spilled down the aisle. She was fined 4 jugs!! Now as there are only 4 of us who work in the shop we don't really have a jug night but get invited out by the other departments. We don't fine each other jugs either, well at least it seems that way so far. Billy and T (who i work with) are so nice, I'd feel bad about "jugging" them. So for our jug night we tagged along with the admin department and went for a Japanese meal and a few drinks. It was very civilised and i was tucked up safe in bed by 11pm. I did have to work the next day though so cut me some slack.
The next morning the bus journey in was a bit eventful. Half the bus was still drunk and the other half were asleep. I sat and eavesdropped on debauched stories from the previous evening. We sold a fair few panadol and ibuprofen tablets in the shop too. Ha ha!! It may be different by the time the next jug night rolls around as i have managed to wangle the next day off. UH OH!!
Another thing has happened at work which i am a little concerned about. It seems my secret is out. I am now known as "The Midwife." Most people don't even know who i am but they know that some guy who works in the shop is a midwife, and they know it ain't Billy! In fact a few guys have even come in to the shop to confirm the rumours. One of the admin girls came in to talk to me about it saying that it was cool that someone actually had a skill. It was nice but made me feel kinda old. My new neighbour even came into the store to chat to me about lady bits. Sort of odd i suppose but i haven't talked about lady bits in so long so i actually enjoyed it. What can i say, i know a lot about lady bits.
The only other thing this week was me cracking my head on a pretty bad tumble on the mountain. My own stupid fault of course. It snowed for the first time in weeks so i was keen to get out on the hill. At the bottom of my first run i skied over to the beginners lift called Meadows and started doing spins into switch skiing (skiing backwards) but hit a pile of new snow which stopped my skis in their tracks. Unfortunately, the rest of my body kept travelling and i cracked the back of my head on the snow. Now snow is not always as soft as you think and i was seeing stars for a few seconds after. When i got back to the shop and told Billy and T they made sure i was OK. T's boyfriend Blake is a ski patroller and always tells T about the accidents that happen on the hill (we've had numerous broken bones and a few spinal injuries!) so she made sure i wasn't concussed. Needless to say i am now wearing my helmet, well............not right now, that would just look stupid but i am wearing it when i ski now(so relax Mum). Billy has also got himself a helmet on my advice. He has also started wearing a similar beanie to me and Kate thinks he is trying to emulate me. I'm sure he isn't. He seems a strong minded guy and probably just liked the style of hat i wear. If he starts skiing with a bandana over his face(like i do), chucks on a bit of weight and starts to belch the alphabet, i'll start to worry.
Tomorrow sees the end of the winter festival with a big party on the hill and a rail jam which we are going up to see and meet a few friends. In a way I'm happy that the festival is coming to an end and that the town might calm down a bit. The hill will still be busy as it's bloody school holidays here. Stupid kids! Little gits flying around on the mountain jumping off everything and being lippy. Man i sound old!
Anyway guys, if anyone wants to email me to let me know how things are at home, feel free (hint hint).
Peace
D
XXXX
Friday, 26 June 2009
In need of a day off!!
Wow, what a week! Sunday saw a brief visit to the snow centre in town for a welcome and sign up session before i started work on the Monday. It was only an hour and there were loads of fresh faced young uns keen to get started. I filled out my welcome pack which consisted of my details (bank and personal) my sign up for a NZQA qualification in tourism, which i do as i work and read through my NZski crew handbook which listed all my duties, benefits and do's and don'ts. I also got my employee ID which entitles me to free skiing and loads of discounts in town, HURRAY!! I left wondering when i was going to sign my contract though but was just so happy to be finally starting that i skipped home like a girl and spent the rest of the day beaming.
On Monday i had an induction day at the local theatre. I had wondered why it was in such a big venue but as i entered the building there were hundreds of people waiting in the lobby. They opened the big doors to the auditorium and we entered the theatre to a rousing round of applause from our HODs (Head of departments). It was kinda creepy but also very cool. We found our seats before having to sit through a day of presentations and interactive exercises. It was kinda lame but i enjoyed it and it was a great way to get to know a few of the guys i will be working with on the hill. It was a sight to behold at times. A huge theatre full of everyone wearing hoodies and beannies and a massive variety of facial hair, even on some of the women!!
I got home feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer professionalism of the whole day. I had expected a bit of a slapdash company running the mountain but they sure know their stuff. They even have a rewards scheme where if i get recognised for excellent work i can get nominated for a sno sport award. At the end of the season the guy with the most nominations gets a scholarship to go work a season in the states. Last year a guy from rentals spent winter in an awesome resort in Utah. Sounds pretty sweet eh?
Tuesday was my first real day on the hill. Had to get up at the butt crack of dawn for the first time in an age and really struggled to get ready. Kate drove me into town as she had to work too. I got onto the staff bus with all the other bleary eyed newbies. The drive up was amazing. Coronet Peak is on one side of this huge valley with the Remarkables on the opposite side. That first morning we drove up through the cloud and the sunrise i saw above the clouds blew my mind! It bathed the mountains in bright pink and made the clouds settled in the valley look like marshmallows. In all a pretty good start to the day really. Started my shift with a tour of the huge base building, meeting loads of people along the way that i will struggle to remember the names of. Also had to pick up my uniform but it seems everyone at work has a 21 inch waist! They had to order me fat boy pants! Not such a problem as the trousers look kinda lame and cheap and it means i get to wear jeans until my XXL trousers arrive.
By the afternoon of my first day i was back in the groove and once i got the till system sorted i was flying. It certainly helps that i work with some really cool people. Billy, who is from London but prefers to say he's from Edinburgh, and Tee who is a kiwi from Cambridge in the north island. They were both really supportive and helped me out when i got stuck with a few things. When they told me to go for my ride break i was out of the door in a split and out on the snow. Got to ride most of the mountain whilst munching my lunch on the fly. I had already stuffed the pockets of my ski jacket with carrots and nut bars to save time. I was pretty tired after my break but keen to get back to the shop. The only other thing that i found a wee bit difficult was cashing up the till but I'm sure with a bit of practice I'll get it.
The next day i worked with Billy again and couldn't help but notice he was getting a lot of female attention from one of the girls in guest services. She came into the shop a few times and they were pretty obvious in their flirting. She introduced herself to me and i couldn't help but overhear her talk about her flat and how it was spread over 4 floors. I asked her if she lived in Greenstone terrace. She said she did and i told her i did too. I then joked that she was probably my neighbour (remember the smoking hot Swedish girls i saw move in? Well, i still haven't really seen them!). She said she lived at number 24 which meant that yes, she actually is my neighbour. We had a laugh over it and arranged to meet for the bus in the mornings, turns out she is actually called Lisa and she is from Australia. When she left Billy said he couldn't believe that he had spent the night in the house next to me. So i guess their flirting was because they are seeing each other. She seems really nice and Billy is really cool. He's a good looking lad (Kate fancies him!) too and they make a cute couple. Just hope they keep the noise down.
The rest of my week has flown past. Each day i have felt more and more comfortable at work and have met tons and tons of people. Another cool thing is that a lot of reps come into the shop to train us up about products and things and they also like to give great discounts and free stuff! I got told to order a free pair of dirty dog sunglasses and get 20% of wholesale giro helmets which usually retail for $300. The goggle reps are coming next week so I'm hoping to hit them up for some free shit too.
The winter festival started yesterday so Kate, me and our friends Mike, Aya, Laura and JC (a guy called Kristan who i call Jesus Christ) met in town to watch the fireworks that start the festival and have a few sneaky beers. The town was packed! The fireworks were quite good too by Q town standards apparently.
So we have had a very eventful week. Lots of new experiences and new people and some very early mornings which i am gonna take time to get used to again. It has been awesome though. I am proper tired after 43 hours at work and loads of skiing too. Wouldn't change it for the world though.
Peace
D
XXXX
On Monday i had an induction day at the local theatre. I had wondered why it was in such a big venue but as i entered the building there were hundreds of people waiting in the lobby. They opened the big doors to the auditorium and we entered the theatre to a rousing round of applause from our HODs (Head of departments). It was kinda creepy but also very cool. We found our seats before having to sit through a day of presentations and interactive exercises. It was kinda lame but i enjoyed it and it was a great way to get to know a few of the guys i will be working with on the hill. It was a sight to behold at times. A huge theatre full of everyone wearing hoodies and beannies and a massive variety of facial hair, even on some of the women!!
I got home feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer professionalism of the whole day. I had expected a bit of a slapdash company running the mountain but they sure know their stuff. They even have a rewards scheme where if i get recognised for excellent work i can get nominated for a sno sport award. At the end of the season the guy with the most nominations gets a scholarship to go work a season in the states. Last year a guy from rentals spent winter in an awesome resort in Utah. Sounds pretty sweet eh?
Tuesday was my first real day on the hill. Had to get up at the butt crack of dawn for the first time in an age and really struggled to get ready. Kate drove me into town as she had to work too. I got onto the staff bus with all the other bleary eyed newbies. The drive up was amazing. Coronet Peak is on one side of this huge valley with the Remarkables on the opposite side. That first morning we drove up through the cloud and the sunrise i saw above the clouds blew my mind! It bathed the mountains in bright pink and made the clouds settled in the valley look like marshmallows. In all a pretty good start to the day really. Started my shift with a tour of the huge base building, meeting loads of people along the way that i will struggle to remember the names of. Also had to pick up my uniform but it seems everyone at work has a 21 inch waist! They had to order me fat boy pants! Not such a problem as the trousers look kinda lame and cheap and it means i get to wear jeans until my XXL trousers arrive.
By the afternoon of my first day i was back in the groove and once i got the till system sorted i was flying. It certainly helps that i work with some really cool people. Billy, who is from London but prefers to say he's from Edinburgh, and Tee who is a kiwi from Cambridge in the north island. They were both really supportive and helped me out when i got stuck with a few things. When they told me to go for my ride break i was out of the door in a split and out on the snow. Got to ride most of the mountain whilst munching my lunch on the fly. I had already stuffed the pockets of my ski jacket with carrots and nut bars to save time. I was pretty tired after my break but keen to get back to the shop. The only other thing that i found a wee bit difficult was cashing up the till but I'm sure with a bit of practice I'll get it.
The next day i worked with Billy again and couldn't help but notice he was getting a lot of female attention from one of the girls in guest services. She came into the shop a few times and they were pretty obvious in their flirting. She introduced herself to me and i couldn't help but overhear her talk about her flat and how it was spread over 4 floors. I asked her if she lived in Greenstone terrace. She said she did and i told her i did too. I then joked that she was probably my neighbour (remember the smoking hot Swedish girls i saw move in? Well, i still haven't really seen them!). She said she lived at number 24 which meant that yes, she actually is my neighbour. We had a laugh over it and arranged to meet for the bus in the mornings, turns out she is actually called Lisa and she is from Australia. When she left Billy said he couldn't believe that he had spent the night in the house next to me. So i guess their flirting was because they are seeing each other. She seems really nice and Billy is really cool. He's a good looking lad (Kate fancies him!) too and they make a cute couple. Just hope they keep the noise down.
The rest of my week has flown past. Each day i have felt more and more comfortable at work and have met tons and tons of people. Another cool thing is that a lot of reps come into the shop to train us up about products and things and they also like to give great discounts and free stuff! I got told to order a free pair of dirty dog sunglasses and get 20% of wholesale giro helmets which usually retail for $300. The goggle reps are coming next week so I'm hoping to hit them up for some free shit too.
The winter festival started yesterday so Kate, me and our friends Mike, Aya, Laura and JC (a guy called Kristan who i call Jesus Christ) met in town to watch the fireworks that start the festival and have a few sneaky beers. The town was packed! The fireworks were quite good too by Q town standards apparently.
So we have had a very eventful week. Lots of new experiences and new people and some very early mornings which i am gonna take time to get used to again. It has been awesome though. I am proper tired after 43 hours at work and loads of skiing too. Wouldn't change it for the world though.
Peace
D
XXXX
Friday, 19 June 2009
Smurfing
So the hunt for a new hat was very fruitful, if not a little arduous. When i was up at Coronet last week i tried on a few and Kate really liked this green one. I bought it, using Kates 10% discount as my 20% discount doesn't start until i do. The hat was a little tight but when i got home i stuffed it with other hats and socks to stretch it. It's first outing was at poker on Wednesday night. It failed miserably. It kept rising up and looking like a smurf hat! Kate made me laugh when she told me my hat had smurfed itself as "to smurf" means to slap ones penis around someones face, in the porn world at least. So i decided that the hat needed more drastic measures to try and stretch it and relax the weave. When i got in i managed to stretch it over my ski helmet. I put on my helmet and looked a lot like a soldier, a look i might replicate up on the hill! I left it for a few days and give it another outing. It was a lot better but still occasionally 'smurfed' itself. So i decided to leave it stretched over my ski helmet for a few more days and keep looking for an alternative. Yesterday i found my new hat. I wanted something comfortable and not too thick. Something i could possibly wear casually, like my old grey beannie. This hat is a wee bit more elaborate than that as it's bright orange and turquoise with a huge bobble! It sounds kinda gross but i really like it and it looks quite cool too. I will no doubt get some pics wearing it over the next few months, especially since the weather here has truly turned antarctic!
We popped out to the local video store yesterday and i gave Kate my newly stretched green beannie to wear. She was reluctant as she doesn't really like trendy head gear! She rocked it though! It looked so cute on her and i was totally jealous. It looks like all the stretching has worked but when i put it on my bigger head, i could tell it still wanted to 'smurf' itself. It's back on my helmet (ski helmet, you pervs!) and i reckon in a few more days it'll be where i want it. If not, Kate can have it and i will just rock the bright orange number. No fear of Kate wearing that as it will clash with her carrot top.
I start work on Monday, gulp! Have to go in to town tomorrow to sign my contract and give them all my bank details and hopefully get my lift pass. Monday begins 4 days of training, one in the local theatre for some reason. Hope i get on the stage. You know me, i like to perform. Hopefully will be all trained up for the start of the Winter Festival which starts next weekend. It looks like it will be a laugh. Fireworks, Mardi Gras, gigs and lots of other cool stuff including a flying man competition in the lake and an underwear race called "the undie 500." It draws lots of people to town so it'll be like being dropped in at the deep end but I'm sure i will manage. Gonna have to get used to the early starts too. I haven't really needed to be awake before noon for like 6 months. Well, apart from the numerous job interviews. I can't wait to get up on the mountain.
Biff caused us a wee bit of grief this week too, bless him. He had his WOF, which is the NZ equivalent of a MOT. He failed with a rear brake imbalance. We took him to a local mechanic and hoped that they could sort him out on the cheap for us. Turned out he needed a whole new rear brake system which had to be ordered in from Invercargill. Sounded expensive and it was. When they called to say the work had been done they had already had him for 4 days. It had snowed here and the whole area went on hiatus for a day though. I was so excited to hear he had been fixed i agreed to pick him up straight away, not really considering that it was 4.15pm and the garage closed at 5pm and was over 5k away, oh and i wasn't dressed yet. No worries, i got dressed and sprinted out of the door, jogging the 5k in only 25 mins (uphill all the way) to go collect him. It hadn't even occurred to me to wear any of my running gear, including my running trainers so i trudged all the way there in my jeans and my skate trainers. When i got home i suddenly realised what a bad idea that had been. I stiffened up and thought i had given myself shin splints! When Kate got in i could barely walk without clopping my feet around like i was wearing flippers! I was in agony but still managed to go into town for a game of poker with the guys. In fact, my shins have only just now started to feel normal but my knee feels like it has been hit with a sledge hammer. A stern reminder that i am no spring chicken anymore. Shit, I'm not old either but obviously should've considered my running shoes for that sort of distance. Oh well, we live and learn eh?
We have been entertaining this week too, albeit a bit impromptu. One of the guys we have met at poker is a local guy called Mike. He is a chef in town and has latched onto me and Kate. He is 29 and up until he met us he considered himself old. Cheers mate. Well, he brought his girlfriend with him the other night to poker and they ended up dropping us home and coming in for a night cap. I felt a bit weird having people over. It has been a very long time since we entertained and the flat was it's usual pig sty state. It wasn't actually that bad. Mike met us the following night and said his girlfriend had loved us and wanted to go out for drinks and a meal in town. Sounds good as we have only eaten out in town once for dinner since we got here! Don't get me wrong we eat out for lunch a fair bit but only venture into town for poker or beers. We'll see what happens.
Have still felt a bit helpless this week regarding my sister and her ankle dramas. She had her surgery and it went well, except the surgeon was super concerned about the lack of bone density my sister had in her legs. All sounds a bit ominous to me. They kept her in for tests but i doubt it'll be a while until we hear the results. I have spoken to her a few times and intend to more over the next few weeks. I just wish i was there to give her hugs. I miss you sis.
Anyway guys, i will let you know how my first week on the job goes. Chat soon.
Peace
D
XXXX
We popped out to the local video store yesterday and i gave Kate my newly stretched green beannie to wear. She was reluctant as she doesn't really like trendy head gear! She rocked it though! It looked so cute on her and i was totally jealous. It looks like all the stretching has worked but when i put it on my bigger head, i could tell it still wanted to 'smurf' itself. It's back on my helmet (ski helmet, you pervs!) and i reckon in a few more days it'll be where i want it. If not, Kate can have it and i will just rock the bright orange number. No fear of Kate wearing that as it will clash with her carrot top.
I start work on Monday, gulp! Have to go in to town tomorrow to sign my contract and give them all my bank details and hopefully get my lift pass. Monday begins 4 days of training, one in the local theatre for some reason. Hope i get on the stage. You know me, i like to perform. Hopefully will be all trained up for the start of the Winter Festival which starts next weekend. It looks like it will be a laugh. Fireworks, Mardi Gras, gigs and lots of other cool stuff including a flying man competition in the lake and an underwear race called "the undie 500." It draws lots of people to town so it'll be like being dropped in at the deep end but I'm sure i will manage. Gonna have to get used to the early starts too. I haven't really needed to be awake before noon for like 6 months. Well, apart from the numerous job interviews. I can't wait to get up on the mountain.
Biff caused us a wee bit of grief this week too, bless him. He had his WOF, which is the NZ equivalent of a MOT. He failed with a rear brake imbalance. We took him to a local mechanic and hoped that they could sort him out on the cheap for us. Turned out he needed a whole new rear brake system which had to be ordered in from Invercargill. Sounded expensive and it was. When they called to say the work had been done they had already had him for 4 days. It had snowed here and the whole area went on hiatus for a day though. I was so excited to hear he had been fixed i agreed to pick him up straight away, not really considering that it was 4.15pm and the garage closed at 5pm and was over 5k away, oh and i wasn't dressed yet. No worries, i got dressed and sprinted out of the door, jogging the 5k in only 25 mins (uphill all the way) to go collect him. It hadn't even occurred to me to wear any of my running gear, including my running trainers so i trudged all the way there in my jeans and my skate trainers. When i got home i suddenly realised what a bad idea that had been. I stiffened up and thought i had given myself shin splints! When Kate got in i could barely walk without clopping my feet around like i was wearing flippers! I was in agony but still managed to go into town for a game of poker with the guys. In fact, my shins have only just now started to feel normal but my knee feels like it has been hit with a sledge hammer. A stern reminder that i am no spring chicken anymore. Shit, I'm not old either but obviously should've considered my running shoes for that sort of distance. Oh well, we live and learn eh?
We have been entertaining this week too, albeit a bit impromptu. One of the guys we have met at poker is a local guy called Mike. He is a chef in town and has latched onto me and Kate. He is 29 and up until he met us he considered himself old. Cheers mate. Well, he brought his girlfriend with him the other night to poker and they ended up dropping us home and coming in for a night cap. I felt a bit weird having people over. It has been a very long time since we entertained and the flat was it's usual pig sty state. It wasn't actually that bad. Mike met us the following night and said his girlfriend had loved us and wanted to go out for drinks and a meal in town. Sounds good as we have only eaten out in town once for dinner since we got here! Don't get me wrong we eat out for lunch a fair bit but only venture into town for poker or beers. We'll see what happens.
Have still felt a bit helpless this week regarding my sister and her ankle dramas. She had her surgery and it went well, except the surgeon was super concerned about the lack of bone density my sister had in her legs. All sounds a bit ominous to me. They kept her in for tests but i doubt it'll be a while until we hear the results. I have spoken to her a few times and intend to more over the next few weeks. I just wish i was there to give her hugs. I miss you sis.
Anyway guys, i will let you know how my first week on the job goes. Chat soon.
Peace
D
XXXX
Friday, 12 June 2009
The end of an era..........
Quite an eventful week this week. Don't worry I'm still managing to squeeze in my 4 hours of porn a day and play poker. Had a few set backs though this week. Firstly the news that my little sister Ellie has broken her ankle in 3 places and had to have surgery! It's the second time since I've been away that i have wanted to come home. Just drop everything and jump on a plane. I hate being away from my family when stuff/drama is happening. It's not that I'm worried about missing out but i just want to be there to give moral support and lots of hugs. I have long arms which are very good for hugs apparently. Get well soon sis. I love you millions and we are thinking of you lots and lots. Probably have to put the whole professional football player thing on hold for a while eh?
The second, and even more drastic setback is the loss of my grey hat! If anyone has seen me over the last year then they will know that that hat has pretty much been permanently glued to my bald noggin. I remember buying that hat on a shopping trip to Westfield with my little sisters, who i swore to secrecy because i bought it in a womens clothes shop! I'm not a tranny or anything but the hat was awesome and subsequently got sold in the mens section of the shop too so i consider myself more of a trend setter as oppose to a cross dresser. Anyway, i put my hat in the washing machine without thinking to look at the label and guess what? It got a bit stretched and mishapped. Kate came up with the great idea of boiling it and tumble drying it to make it shrink again. A great idea yes, if my hat had been made of wool. It wasn't and Kates laughter will forever haunt my soul when i put the hat back on. It was pretty much ruined. Well, it looked more like a duvet cover than my old hat. I had a little ceremony when i threw the hat out and have begun my search for a replacement. Groan.
On a more positive note, Coronet Peak has opened. I don't start work up there until the 22nd of June so don't get my ski pass til then but my boss emailed me and wanted me to go see the layout and have a ski so he sent me a free day pass. We went up there yesterday and had a blast! The base building is super modern and enormous. The shop is huge and well smart. I met up with my boss and also met Billy, who is another guy working in the shop. He is from Edinburgh and my first impression is that he is a really nice guy. We chatted like we had been friends for ages so I'm super stoked about starting there in a few weeks. The skiing was good too, actually a lot better than i thought it was going to be. Only half the hill was open but it was still relatively calm up there and i have already scouted out a few little ledges and jumps to throw myself off at some point. I really am psyched about getting up there. I also found out that i will be working full time. I'm OK with that too as i get ride breaks. Meaning i get a long lunch break to go skiing every day. Cool huh? There is also talk of being able to swap over to the other resort, The Remarkables, for some time too. Although Toshi (my boss) said i was too good to work over there which boosted my confidence a little bit as Coronet is definitely the better of the two resorts. Well, it's more of a ski resort. The Remarks is more of a ski park style resort. It has lots of parks with pipes and rails which is something i wanna get more into but means there will be more boarders than skiers there.
So I'm still not sure what days i will be working but they seem relaxed about rotas and stuff. Good too as there is a ski instructor course running that i am quite keen on doing too. We shall see i guess.
Kate is happy as well. She fell a few times up on the hill but not badly. I should remind her that she is technically still learning and that falling is part of that. She is already starting to parallel turn and just needs to work on her weight distribution and posture and she will be fine. It also helps that everyone is loving her ski jacket. She has a bright green North Face limited edition coat and is getting lots of compliments from people. I can certainly see her up on the hill and green always compliments her ginger hair so it's all good.
So i am still so happy about my job. Well, even more so now i have met some of the guys i am gonna be working with and have seen the hill and the awesome base building. Other awesome news is that we found a British sweet shop. We went in to look for strawberry liquorice and ended up spending shed loads on drifters, Baby ruths, Tizer and red vines. I think i had way too much sugar and have not really been able to sleep since then! Maybe i need to detox myself.
Still playing poker regularly in town and still meeting lots of new people. The town is really starting to fill again. It's funny at poker now as we know so many people and everyone has there own little hand shake. I get confused often. I go in for just a regular handshake and am suddenly pulled in and hugged or there is a complex shake, twist then punch greeting. I guess i just to practice more which means more poker! Yay! It has been a bit weird this week as i played a lot of games sober. I've had this stomach bug and just felt horrible. Not bad enough to stay in but not good enough to get my drink on. Did OK at poker but certainly wasn't as relaxed without some dutch courage in me.
Wow, this is going to be my last week of just chilling at home, watching porn and playing poker. After that i am gonna be working so no more 3am poker at the Surreal bar for me! Had better make the most of it then. Take care all, especially you Ells. Get well soon baby.
Peace
D
XXXX
The second, and even more drastic setback is the loss of my grey hat! If anyone has seen me over the last year then they will know that that hat has pretty much been permanently glued to my bald noggin. I remember buying that hat on a shopping trip to Westfield with my little sisters, who i swore to secrecy because i bought it in a womens clothes shop! I'm not a tranny or anything but the hat was awesome and subsequently got sold in the mens section of the shop too so i consider myself more of a trend setter as oppose to a cross dresser. Anyway, i put my hat in the washing machine without thinking to look at the label and guess what? It got a bit stretched and mishapped. Kate came up with the great idea of boiling it and tumble drying it to make it shrink again. A great idea yes, if my hat had been made of wool. It wasn't and Kates laughter will forever haunt my soul when i put the hat back on. It was pretty much ruined. Well, it looked more like a duvet cover than my old hat. I had a little ceremony when i threw the hat out and have begun my search for a replacement. Groan.
On a more positive note, Coronet Peak has opened. I don't start work up there until the 22nd of June so don't get my ski pass til then but my boss emailed me and wanted me to go see the layout and have a ski so he sent me a free day pass. We went up there yesterday and had a blast! The base building is super modern and enormous. The shop is huge and well smart. I met up with my boss and also met Billy, who is another guy working in the shop. He is from Edinburgh and my first impression is that he is a really nice guy. We chatted like we had been friends for ages so I'm super stoked about starting there in a few weeks. The skiing was good too, actually a lot better than i thought it was going to be. Only half the hill was open but it was still relatively calm up there and i have already scouted out a few little ledges and jumps to throw myself off at some point. I really am psyched about getting up there. I also found out that i will be working full time. I'm OK with that too as i get ride breaks. Meaning i get a long lunch break to go skiing every day. Cool huh? There is also talk of being able to swap over to the other resort, The Remarkables, for some time too. Although Toshi (my boss) said i was too good to work over there which boosted my confidence a little bit as Coronet is definitely the better of the two resorts. Well, it's more of a ski resort. The Remarks is more of a ski park style resort. It has lots of parks with pipes and rails which is something i wanna get more into but means there will be more boarders than skiers there.
So I'm still not sure what days i will be working but they seem relaxed about rotas and stuff. Good too as there is a ski instructor course running that i am quite keen on doing too. We shall see i guess.
Kate is happy as well. She fell a few times up on the hill but not badly. I should remind her that she is technically still learning and that falling is part of that. She is already starting to parallel turn and just needs to work on her weight distribution and posture and she will be fine. It also helps that everyone is loving her ski jacket. She has a bright green North Face limited edition coat and is getting lots of compliments from people. I can certainly see her up on the hill and green always compliments her ginger hair so it's all good.
So i am still so happy about my job. Well, even more so now i have met some of the guys i am gonna be working with and have seen the hill and the awesome base building. Other awesome news is that we found a British sweet shop. We went in to look for strawberry liquorice and ended up spending shed loads on drifters, Baby ruths, Tizer and red vines. I think i had way too much sugar and have not really been able to sleep since then! Maybe i need to detox myself.
Still playing poker regularly in town and still meeting lots of new people. The town is really starting to fill again. It's funny at poker now as we know so many people and everyone has there own little hand shake. I get confused often. I go in for just a regular handshake and am suddenly pulled in and hugged or there is a complex shake, twist then punch greeting. I guess i just to practice more which means more poker! Yay! It has been a bit weird this week as i played a lot of games sober. I've had this stomach bug and just felt horrible. Not bad enough to stay in but not good enough to get my drink on. Did OK at poker but certainly wasn't as relaxed without some dutch courage in me.
Wow, this is going to be my last week of just chilling at home, watching porn and playing poker. After that i am gonna be working so no more 3am poker at the Surreal bar for me! Had better make the most of it then. Take care all, especially you Ells. Get well soon baby.
Peace
D
XXXX
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Come on Hamish, not in a porno way though.......
Hello everybody peeps!
Sorry my last entry was a bit of a downer. Funny how only i can take a really positive situation like getting your dream job and turn into a shitstorm of dread and anguish. Stupid pessimistic brain! No i feel really upbeat about the job situation again. It helps that the ski season starts in a few days with the Coronet Peak resort opening and then the Remarkables resort a few weeks after that. It also helps that i bumped into Hamish again last night and he told me had another interview with NZski who are the company that owns the resorts, and my current employers (well, they will be after i sign my contract). It is his 6th interview with them! I asked if he had his own private parking spot at the snow centre yet and if they all knew him on first name terms? I wished him all the luck in the world and really hope he gets something. Hopefully up on Coronet as it will at least mean i know more than two people up there. I told him about the dickheads i met last week and he shared in my shock that they were given jobs and that he wasn't. I recommended he dye his hair orange, get a few facial piercings and drop a few C bombs in the interview. It obviously worked for Xmas face girl.
So whatever you guys did a few weeks back to help me get my job (prayer, positive vibe sending, crossing of fingers, death threats, blackmail, bribery) i would appreciate it if you sent a little more to hook my homeboy Hamish up. He really is a good kid.
Life in Q town is as good as ever. Well, improved actually. The town is filling up again with smoking hot women all dressed in their cute little ski coats and beanies and the snow is falling. We missed the big storm that was supposed to hit. It dodged Q town and wrecked Rotorua in the north island instead, dumping a foot of snow on the unsuspecting town and causing it to shutdown. Another big resort in the south island, also owned by NZski, is called Mt Hutt. It is a small resort and a bugger to get to and very isolated. It had to close on it's opening day because..................wait for it........................they had too much snow!! How the hell can that be a problem? Not enough snow? Yeah i can get that but too much? What are they doing up there? I get a free pass for Mt Hutt included with work so might see if i can venture up there for a few days. It's a good road trip away. About a 6-7 hour drive across some sketchy icy roads but might well be worth a visit. Might have to get in good with a few guys in town who own their own helicopters. Now that would be pretty frickin sweet!
I hear that the UK is experiencing some awesome weather at the moment too. I am oddly really missing summer. I'm not a hot weather kinda guy and after a few days of heat like it to cool down again. Which is why i love the UK because we very rarely get a real long string of really hot weather. This year, apart from a brief warm period when we first got to NZ, we have had back to back winters. I am really missing being able to sit in my sisters garden with a cold beer long into the evening, talking about shit and eating one of Harrys legendary BBQs. I miss that so much. Have been thinking about home a lot this week. I have got to a point in the story that I'm writing which is really reminding me of my family and all my friends. I've been all alone this week too as Kate has worked a seven day stretch and it all adds up to me just really missing my mum, my sisters and the rest of my family and friends. I want you all to know guys that i am thinking of you and that i love you all millions.
Anyway guys, chat soon.
Peace
D
XXXX
Sorry my last entry was a bit of a downer. Funny how only i can take a really positive situation like getting your dream job and turn into a shitstorm of dread and anguish. Stupid pessimistic brain! No i feel really upbeat about the job situation again. It helps that the ski season starts in a few days with the Coronet Peak resort opening and then the Remarkables resort a few weeks after that. It also helps that i bumped into Hamish again last night and he told me had another interview with NZski who are the company that owns the resorts, and my current employers (well, they will be after i sign my contract). It is his 6th interview with them! I asked if he had his own private parking spot at the snow centre yet and if they all knew him on first name terms? I wished him all the luck in the world and really hope he gets something. Hopefully up on Coronet as it will at least mean i know more than two people up there. I told him about the dickheads i met last week and he shared in my shock that they were given jobs and that he wasn't. I recommended he dye his hair orange, get a few facial piercings and drop a few C bombs in the interview. It obviously worked for Xmas face girl.
So whatever you guys did a few weeks back to help me get my job (prayer, positive vibe sending, crossing of fingers, death threats, blackmail, bribery) i would appreciate it if you sent a little more to hook my homeboy Hamish up. He really is a good kid.
Life in Q town is as good as ever. Well, improved actually. The town is filling up again with smoking hot women all dressed in their cute little ski coats and beanies and the snow is falling. We missed the big storm that was supposed to hit. It dodged Q town and wrecked Rotorua in the north island instead, dumping a foot of snow on the unsuspecting town and causing it to shutdown. Another big resort in the south island, also owned by NZski, is called Mt Hutt. It is a small resort and a bugger to get to and very isolated. It had to close on it's opening day because..................wait for it........................they had too much snow!! How the hell can that be a problem? Not enough snow? Yeah i can get that but too much? What are they doing up there? I get a free pass for Mt Hutt included with work so might see if i can venture up there for a few days. It's a good road trip away. About a 6-7 hour drive across some sketchy icy roads but might well be worth a visit. Might have to get in good with a few guys in town who own their own helicopters. Now that would be pretty frickin sweet!
I hear that the UK is experiencing some awesome weather at the moment too. I am oddly really missing summer. I'm not a hot weather kinda guy and after a few days of heat like it to cool down again. Which is why i love the UK because we very rarely get a real long string of really hot weather. This year, apart from a brief warm period when we first got to NZ, we have had back to back winters. I am really missing being able to sit in my sisters garden with a cold beer long into the evening, talking about shit and eating one of Harrys legendary BBQs. I miss that so much. Have been thinking about home a lot this week. I have got to a point in the story that I'm writing which is really reminding me of my family and all my friends. I've been all alone this week too as Kate has worked a seven day stretch and it all adds up to me just really missing my mum, my sisters and the rest of my family and friends. I want you all to know guys that i am thinking of you and that i love you all millions.
Anyway guys, chat soon.
Peace
D
XXXX
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