Sweet Ride, City Living, and New Sports

We have left Fat Madame and the frigid house behind and are on to bigger and better. Last week, we bought a car and got an apartment. Car first. He is dark, handsome, and quite large, with a few minor imperfections that just make him all the more lovable. His name is Shaggy. We bought this fine Subaru Legacy Grandwagon from a nice man who also sells "Shagvent" calendars. See link for further details. Viewers must be over 18 or have parental permission please. You can also see the fine window decal free with the vehicle purchase.



Shagvent Calendars

Anyway, we got a good deal and hope the car will be reliable for our adventures in the next 18 months. It already proved its value when we used it to move 2 large dressers, a desk, and a night stand in just 2 trips! However, as gas is already unaffordable and on the rise, we continue to walk most places. It's more interesting that way anyhow.

Driving has been a learning experience. As the steering wheel is on the opposite side, and you drive on the left side of the road here, it's difficult to get a good feel for where you are on the road. Well, for me anyway. I almost hit a parked car during the test drive. Craig says he's fine but was driving in the gutter the other day. Actually, it has been easier and more fun that I expected to drive here.





On Friday, after being stood up by our apartment's property manager twice, the third time was the charm and we got our apartment keys. It's a pretty cool place, has one bedroom and a loft area with a fold out couch. That means we are equipped to handle visitors so book your airfare! The bedroom and loft each have a huge skylight. It's a nice, spacious place with a good size balcony. And while it's not toasty, we haven't been able to see our breath once, and we haven't turned on the heater yet!

So we moved in Saturday and spent most of the weekend cleaning, unpacking, and shopping for sheets, etc. We're thrilled to be in our own space, although we do miss the evil cat. Apartment pictures to come in the near future.

Also on Saturday, we went to the Octagon (city center) for an All Blacks party. For those of you who don't know, the All Blacks are New Zealand's rugby team. They had a test (game) against South Africa in Dunedin on Saturday. We tried to get tickets but it was sold out before we even got to NZ. So, in the Octagon, a bunch of bars put up tents and had a large screen to show the game. There were tons of people and lots of NZ beer. It was really fun, even though the All Blacks lost. There is some interesting tailgaiting around here though. This was on the front page of the newspaper, seriously!



We are excited to finally be getting into a routine and be able to do some exploring now. We'll keep you posted.