Saturday 27th July

I have the flu darn it, the first illness i've had really since taking my trusted Spiriluna tablets. Bought some lemsip which cost $15 so had to work an hour and a half to pay for them if you work it out like I have! I dont think they have helped really Mike made me get them but I would have not bothered. I was trying to fight it off and went up the mountain with it yesterday blowing my nose and sneezing on the ski lifts! I did one day at the school last week to cover for my replacement that was on a first aid course. I must have cought the cold from one of the kids. I enjoyed my day at the school, my old desk was piled up so my aim was to get rid and do everything I could to make get the new girl a bit of a head start! Mandy my mentor told me that she had gone on the internet and ordered the book " How to Develop a Super Power Memory" as she was amazed by what I showed her. I had snowboarding lesson the other day from a girl from work so yesterday I was practicing what she shoed me and was linking my turns on steeper terrain that i have never been able to do. Its amazing how much you progress with lessons. Kev our friend is going to teach me a few things tomorrow as well. After boarding yesterday we went to James housec for Christmas Dinner. We all had to bring a present wrapped up to the value of $5. I wrapped $5 worth of scratch cards and Mike wrapped up a little shot bottle of Jagermeister. We all had to make and bring a dish, Mike made cheese and pickle hedgehogs as it was the only thing he knew how to cook and I made a tomato and pepper pasta bake. We went round and it was brilliant, christmas songs, christmas hats, big long table taking up the whole of the open plan kitchen and living room. Christmas serviettes and kareoke machine. The food was of great variety! We had pumkin soup to start which me and mike tried for the first time it was delicous! Pumkin is so nice and its all they eat over here! Not surprising why. We then had some sausages in blankets (james made), Soy sausage rolls which a lady called Lindy made who was a vegetarian. There was huge salads, lamb, roast potatoes, yorkshire puddings, fresh garlic bread, sweet potato, mexican kidney bean mince, carrots, and some tea eggs which a japanese girl made! They were eggs boiled in tea in their shells? Very strange I didnt have one of those as I'm a fussy eater as it was just was just pushing the boundary's! Mike and all others had some and they said they were wiered. I opened my present and got a tub of nutella and mike got a bottle opener. James got a kimono other presents were more tea eggs from the Japenese girl, socks, C.,D's, chocolate etc. It was a really good atmosphere. We had some chocolate brownies for dessert and sang on the kareoke. Everyone was super duper bloated though from eating so much and we were trying to drink our Still Vodka and Fanta but it wasnt going down well. My flu symptoms were deteriorating, I started to feel sick not knowing if it was from the drink, food or cold and decided to head home. We walked home as James had picked us up, took us about 20 minutes. We took the road that we walk back from Gus's and it is PITCH BLACK. I think I have said this before but if I has in the UK i would be crapping my pants walking down there at 12.00am! We commented on the Milky Way which was our only source of light we could see, with the occassional blindness of random cars streaming past with their full beam on. I made us both walk on the grass verge when they came by just incase they couldnt see us. Usually we would always make cerial and a brew, an unhealthy habbit we have attained before going to bed when out drinking but we were both so full we rolled into bed. Mike let me put the electric blanket on low all night as i was sniffling and coughing. Mike woke up at 8.30 and got picked up by James and Keve to go up to Cardrona. I was supposed to be filling in for Elle at Tango's but called to say how I felt and they told me to stay at home. Otherwise i'd be spluttering all over peoples sandwiches and sending all the staff home with germs! I lazed around all day, washed up, cleaned the bathroom, went on the internet, practiced a bit more Thai, watched a film "Rules of Engagement" Emailed Jo, Mum and my Autie Denise and just generally slobbed around feeling sorry for myself. I made myself scrambled eggs for the first time (cant believe how easy it is!) And chicken burger, fish fingers with peppers, onions drenched in soy and Vinegar for my lunch. Mike came back at 4.15pm and had work at 5.00pm so I made Mike and James a double chicken burger and some crisps with a brew. (End of the shopping week and as you can guess we only have frozen chicken burgers left!) When they came we arranged to all go up the mountain again tomorrow. Kev is driving again. We will all give him $5 each. They told me about this 4 x 4 which skidded on the way up / down the mountain and rolled over the edge. It tumbled over and over as it was the car infront of Mike/James/Kev! The roof went through the steering wheel, so if the guys head was there it would have been split in two. There was only one guy in the car and he scrambled out of the window with just a deep cut to the head. There was blood everywhere but the cut wasnt very big. Fire engines and police cars were driving up the mountain and the guy may have been drinking as there was an empty bottle of some kind of liquer on the snow with the rest of his belongings. There are huge storms in the north island at the moment but not down here in the south. The visibility up the mountain has not been very good this season so we are hoping for some more clear days. In a bid to lose some weight I hit the gym again a few days ago and did 10 mins on the treadmill, 15 mins on the cross trainer and 5 mins on the skipping rope (in one minute slots its exhausting). I did these wiered stomach exercises where I hang from two arm rests and push my legs up to my chest, and some bingo wing weights. I then went into town and bought a skipping rope so I could do some cardio at home. I desperately need to loose some inches none of my jeans fit me! Mike has bought a new snowboard which HE LOVES. Thats all he talks about. Its nice to hear him get so excited about somthing normally he is so placid! I think I'l buy him a new board every christmas! He was umming and ahing for weeks to get a new board, and which one. This one is the most expensive board in the shops! Its a 2009 Ride DH board 155cm LIMITED ADDITION. Its black mainly on the front with splashes of aluminous colour and on the back its full of florecent yellows, pinks, greens. It actually looks like he has a light underneath when he is calving it up on the snow! Thats exactly what he wanted. Its a really fun board to ride,a good all rounder which lets him ride park aswell and is really responsive to what he wants to do. We talk about it at the dinner table, on the ski lifts, when we are having lunch, when we are clipping in the bindings! His little cute face lights up and I just know he is going to say something about the board! The good thing is by the time we go to the UK next year it will be that years new board as NZ are a season ahead due to it being summer in the UK at the moment. I spoke to Shelly today and she is coming up to Cardrona on Wednesday with her two friends and Matt. It will be good to go snowboarding with them. Takes about an hour to get from Queenstown to Wanaka. I definately think we made the right choice going to Wanaka. Wanaka is more brighter and gets more sun due to all the open space. QT is all bulidings and the sun cant really be seen. Plus I think we would spend more in QT because of all the fast food places, bars, clubs etc. Wanaka its all about the snowboarding and house parties. Plus I think you meet more people that are doing a season in Wanaka, QT its full of people coming and going, I like the fact Wanaka is smaller and everyone knows everyone and is much easier to make friends. Anyway I've written too much again sorry peeps! oooh also a big huge hug and kiss to the new addition Baby Alfie and Jen & Phill happy parenting! Love you guys Hayley & Mike x x x x