Another Brick in the Wall

Chinese Garden, Dunedin

2008-07-11T17:23:00.007+12:00

Dunedins Chinese garden has finally opened. The only one in NZ, they have been building the garden for a couple of years, beside the old bus station on the one way. Here are some photos from our first trip through. We really enjoyed the garden despite the fact it was bitterly cold, especially with the breeze from the harbour. Here are a selection of the numerous pics I took...

Gates of welcome with one of its two lions and garden entrance back right.

Closer pic of the gates with a cold looking Craig
Getting a bit to close and personal with one of the lions.....
View from one of the many gazebos across the lake

I really loved all the different roof lines

Tower block, apparently there is a conference room upstairs you can book as a function room.

'Climbing mountain half pavilion' peaking out from behind the rocks

Another view of the tip of 'Climbing mountain half pavilion' from behind one of the waterfalls

Different view across the lake

Loved the use of shapes.....

And the small details
Heaps of cool rocks around including this one......

and this one, which is my favourite

Craig in the gazebo off the main entrance hall

Me in the same gazebo
Some of the awsome detailing in the many cellings.

So pretty, cant wait to see it all again in spring!

Front Yard DIY

2008-05-11T18:57:00.004+12:00

Here is the proof that we have been doing some DIY!

We recently finished our front garden that for the past year has been a mud pile. It used to be grass, but due to Craig often forgetting to mow it and that fact that it was blah we decided to rip everything out and built a fence. We then had a few technical issues with the fence and a few weeks ago ripped the new fence out as well and then built a new one. Now with the addition of a few native NZ plants, wood chip and stones it is a garden reformed!

Looking from the back path

Looking at the new, pretty plants towards the driveway

Looking from the street - don't worry, a new letter box is still to come!

New Leaf

2008-05-11T18:26:00.002+12:00

Yes I know, we are totally shocking at writing our blog. I personally blame Craig, but anyways, we have now turned the page and are onto a new leaf of keeping up to date with our blog. There is a plan (however I won't divulge it here just in case it doesn't work!) which should see a much more regular entry from both of us.

Here goes!

Snapshots of Japan

2007-10-16T20:17:00.000+13:00

Our Exchange Group
School Life and activities we took part in

Taiko Drumming

Host family and friends, sights and odds and ends

Starting to look pretty....

2007-10-10T18:10:00.000+13:00

New photos from our bathroom and laundry - had the plumber in recently and things are now all attached and ready to go.

All(!) we have to do now is finish the walls and get the floor laid.

Yay!

Man at work

Laundry with new hot water cylinder and tub. We are really praying that the washing machine is going to fit between them.... Craig reckons no probs, me however......

New Shower fittings - all very silver and shiny

My fav part, the new vanity. Pushed really hard for it and reckon it was worth all the money!

Now all we have to do is find the time to do the rest of the work.........

I want a Bathroom!

2007-10-04T18:55:00.000+13:00

While I was away in Japan, Craig ripped out our bathroom. This was to plan, so it was ok. What didn't quite go to plan was the fact the the plumber couldn't come when arranged and had to come a week late! So we now have an open space and NO BATHROOM.

So here are some photos to show you what I came home to after travelling for 22hrs from Japan to home........ (Japan photos will follow soon.....)

Here is my bathroom

My toilet

Looking from the bathroom, through the toilet, into the laundry

Here is the boy hard at work....

and again, putting gib up on the walls of the toilet

Bathroom with batts and one wall. The bath is just sitting there to look pretty.....

and finally the bathroom ceiling...

Of course, everything that used to be in the bathroom, toilet and laundry has to go somewhere - so here is my spare room!

We are now poor poor poor!

2007-08-13T17:57:00.000+12:00

Well its been a good long time since our last update. This is partially due to my large facebook addiction, but also as we have well and truly been in the hurly burly of every day life.

Things are going so quickly now, its hard to believe we are nearly half way through the school term. School is school, however my trip to Japan is now feeling real. We had the reciprocal visit the other week and every time they gave a speech in English I cringed with the knowledge it will soon be me in Japanese!

We just this afternoon got our mortgage refinanced - brilliant news as we now have some money to do our DIY with. Very scary as well as we just added a large chunk of money onto our mortgage, as well as a large increase in the interest rate we now have to pay......also 30 year term is such a long time!

However, more money means action!
Action means photos!

Lets hope we will soon be the owners of a very fly home...... ha!

More Snow Pics

2007-06-23T16:50:00.000+12:00

Craig and Snowy

Snowy and I

My very first snow angel....

Snow day! Pity its a bloody Saturday

2007-06-23T11:05:00.000+12:00

Photos from our recent snow fall. Made life very tricky last night when coming home after a competition but was only a sprinkling compared to what we woke up to. More snow on the forecast...all I can do is hope it keeps snowing till monday..... please.....

Our backyard

Suey was an earlier riser than us!

View looking towards the city

Our new front garden...much prettier white than its current muddy brown!

Find Craig's car!

Cheers Cris

2007-06-19T19:53:00.001+12:00

It is sad day as Cris announced she is returning to Canada in a couple of weeks. Guess she is off to create a new life back in her home land. But her memory will always remain in our house as she has kindly donated her much loved plant to join our many. We have decided to name our new member to the household "Kris" in her memory. This along with our habit of saying "AYE" at the end of every statement Cris has had a profound influence in our lives..... Cheers Cris :)

The man in action

2007-06-02T17:14:00.000+12:00

Here is the photographic proof of construction (proof of destruction is never needed!)

Welcome to Missy, the new member of our family

2007-06-02T16:38:00.000+12:00

Finally here she is, my new baby Missy.

Here is the 'butt' view. Hard to see, but there is a modified exhaust :-)

Another side view

Inside picture of racing pedels

Another inside pic and one of the reasons I love my missy, the pretty blue trim. (Sorry its a tad blurry, todays weather is crap and really dark, and didn't alow for it when I took the photo)

Damn Facebook

2007-06-01T19:58:00.000+12:00

Damn facebook. Such a huge procrastinating tool. Have spent so much time surfing it this past week that I am now way behind in my work. And don't even mention those 100 plus reports that are due next week. Rahhhhh.

Thank goodness for Queen BDay and a long weekend....and extra day to catch up and lots of time to spend on facebook :-)

Chch

2007-05-28T21:21:00.000+12:00

Bye Bye Prude

2007-05-27T17:32:00.000+12:00

Farewell Prude
You have done me proud

Plonker Time

2007-05-27T16:21:00.000+12:00

I have added another first to my list - writing a blog while sitting in my car....

My bro who lives in OZ is here until Monday. While some may say spending 5hrs in an enclosed environment with him on the way back to Dn from CHCH could possibly be enough time I figured I would turn up early for our family dinner tonight to enjoy just that little bit of extra time. (Another reason for turning up early could quite possibly be that school on a Sunday just isn't fun and my 30 mins I managed to spend made me feel justified in going to my parents house earlier than planned and NO I would not be procrastinating).

So that was the new plan - however fate has intervened.

Last night I left my cell ph at my parents so at present am without that handy device that could have informed me that no one is actually present at my parents house. That ordinarily would not have been a problem - I have a key and am well adapt at letting myself into my parents place when they are not around.

The lock I have a key for is however a tad funny. It does not like to be unlocked if there is a key in the other side. And you guessed it - the key is well and truly in its pride of place inside the lock. Most often this little set back would not be so problematic as my family quite often have issues with locking all the numerous entrances of their house - today however is one of the days when EVERY POSSIBLE door is locked.

SO I have no way of getting into there house. Luckily their broadband connection has a large range and I am able to get an ok signal from my car which is parked in the driveway. So here I am typing away, hoping my laptop battery will last, sitting in my car feeling like a plonker.

Photo Time

2007-05-18T19:57:00.000+12:00

Here is some more photographic proof that things are being done around the place.

First the good stuff.

We have painted the front fence, stair rail, windows and sills on this side of the house.

Here is a closer pic, notice the pretty cat on the mat

Now the other side of the house....

Started but more to do...

Then we get to the landscaping at the front....

The plan is for a maintenance free (no grass as it was often forgotten when mowing time), fenced area that has a magnolia in the centre and lots of hebees around the border. At the moment however our poor neighbours have to deal with wonky posts and mud, not to mention that rather phallic drain cover!

The plan is to do the concreting this weekend - however first the huge crack right through the base of the wheelbarrow has to be fixed!
We are also trying to put in some drainage along the side of the house - at the moment all we have is more mud

And finally a pretty picture of chopsuey

Blah

2007-05-15T14:17:00.000+12:00

This weekend was a biggie - I said goodbye to prudence. Yip, good old prude has done me proud, however her time in my life is up as she has just packed on too many pies (or Kms) and it was either now or never to say goodbye and up grade the prudester.

So for the past couple of weeks poor Craig's been dragged round all the car yards to help me find replacement (mind you i don't think he minded too much!). Then finally we found her, all pretty and shiny and nearly new, test drove her (several times!) and yip, brought her.

All very exciting except fate has stepped in to squash my joy with the mother of all colds. So instead of crusin' around town looking all cool and stylish in my new car I am home sick from work lying in bed feeling sorry for myself with the whole swollen red nose look adding to my non existent good humor. This bug has hit quite hard, so much so that my witty photos I was going to take to show off my new shiny car will have to wait until any resemblance of wittiness returns to me. Oh woe is johjos.

So photos to come, as is good health.

House update

2007-05-09T19:23:00.000+12:00

Time to show that yes, we are renovating our house, all be it very slow! Photos to come soon of the mud pies we are making outside but here is an update of what we have done to the master bedroom. Its all nearly done, just waiting for Craig to make a pelmet cover and a door handle....

This is what our master bedroom looked like not long after we moved in

Absolutely stunning I know!

Took us a while but we now have this....

I wanted it to look like living in one big caramel chocolate.....

These are our pretty floors that we sanded back

And this is the door Craig made for our wardrobe

Blogging I will go.....

2007-05-09T12:45:00.002+12:00

YAY this is is my first post and wouldn't you believe but the bell has just gone :( guess it will be another riveting reading class. any way must rush off and do this again when I am not teaching.....

Blogging I will go.....

2007-05-09T12:45:00.001+12:00

Blogging I will go.....

2007-05-09T12:45:00.000+12:00

Its a New Day

2007-05-06T18:11:00.000+12:00

Well its finally happened - we have wireless broadband. After much fuss and waiting we are now up and running which means we can now blog (we have been unable to in the past as blogs are a no-go zone in schools). Yay.

However we are both sure that our blogging is going to prove the point that all our students constantly believe- teachers have no life......

will have to wait and see