Birthday at work!

My squid cake!

my bday cards thus far! * note, just got two more

Sexism in Star Wars

you know, when you put it this way

Birthday fun!

So for my birthday on Saturday I road tripped with Rachel and her sister Amy up to Gravity Canyon. All 3 of us opted to do the flying fox which is 175 meters or about 574 feet above the 'river'  from the launch pad. You harness up and go about half a mile on the zip-line. It's like a super awesome roller coaster at 160kph or 100mph!!

Amy the photobomber

downside you have to walk up the stair of mordor to get to said fox

we are this high up. see that building at the corner of the deck? that's where we started from

me and rachel

Flying Fox!

Next Amy and I got on the bridge swing which is 50m or 164 feet of freefall on NZ's highest bridge swing.

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Today

It's been a long time since I wrote so this is far past due and I hope to update many more posts soon and post them as well with my adventures.

Things at work have been great, I feel like i am finally getting my feet under me and can do my job well. :D I still enjoy my job and there is rarely a day i don't enjoy getting up and going to work. Those days are usually accompanied by frost and rainy wind as it's winter time here. it's just not fun to walk in. seems all that conditioning I did in college is paying off.

I did buy a scooter but it's been the baine of my existence since February and let's suffice to say that it doesn't work. There are days when i really miss my dad and the ability to take something to him and say 'fix it and i'll cook you whatever you want'. This is one of them. On the upside I believe I have finally located the last part and am hopefully getting it in the next few days so maybe with a little luck it'll be up and running by next week. Fingers crossed.

Monday night is Catan night, a board game that I love and brought with me from the US to share with the girls at work since they liked the card games I brought. We ended up having to make an event of it; I think Rachel's partner (Mark) was getting sick of me being at their house all the time ;). This way we have our game night as he has his rugby nights ect. Since they have a 1yr son the kind of have to balance nights out. Other nights I come home and read or work on personal projects. Sometimes I call home to friends because they work night shifts and they are the only people I know up at 3-4am.

Hope everyone else out there is having a good one!

Many hugs and much love!

Natalie

Boxes from home

A few days ago I got my first package from home since before Christmas! Oh how exciting to have goodies from the US that I can't get here. I stop by my post box every few mornings on my way to work. I'm sure I looked the happiest and silliest site carrying a package, lunchbox and purse to work in the freezing cold. And oh the goodies! Double fun to unwrap them slowly through out the day. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what is in the box, rather that someone took the time to wrap it up with loving care to send it to you. Thanks mom, dad, Hugh, and Mertice!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Best memories? Countless hours of softball!

Me at work

Halloween

Marti Gras

Valentines

Movie Night

"joker" - Cover by Matt Carroll and the Browncoats

This is a group of my friends from Birmingham that play in and around the state. Thought I would share this one. Matt hosts open mic night every Monday night at Basecamp in southside and he's on the top of my friends list on facebook if you want to get on his list for shows.

Odd shopping in Palmerston North

bling walking canes

this is just funny

i'm sorry we just don't have woks in the south

pie makers what?!

???

3 Day weekend

This weekend was a 3 day weekend for me as the Queens Birthday is celebrated/observed the first monday of June here. With paid leave, I'll say "God Save the Queen". Most of this weekend was spent reading and catching up on mundane things such as laundry and cleaning. I got not of my goals for the day accomplished except clean the living room which is 1/3 of the goal of clean the apt! Ah a lazy Monday is something I needed more.

I need to finish reading these library books on photography and take them back so I can check out more on web design. I considered getting or signing up for web design courses but have decided against it. In this day in age with so much free information and the lack of a certification needed to do the work I'll just copy a syllabus from a college and do the work on my own time. I foresee me scheduling myself around a faux class schedule.. hmm yes..

I big hearty wave to all!

Official Travel Dates For Christmas

Hi all back home! Looks like this year I get to plan a little more in advance and so I have already purchased my plane tickets home for the Christmas holidays. I hope to spend more time with the family this trip but I'm also already planning a week of my time to spend with friends traveling around the south a bit.

I'll be flying into Birmingham on Dec. 26th and flying out of B'ham on Jan 27th.