Old Post 6

The long arduous task that has become well known as Movember has begun once again.  As is quickly becoming tradition, I began the month clean shaven (including my head, not just my face), and have proceeded to grow what I'd like to call a Mo.  I've put a couple of pics on the Photos page for everyone to laugh at, so go ahead and have a laugh.  This year I'm thinking I should really sign up to the whole sponsership thing, but we'll see what happens.  If I get my arse into gear, you'll no doubt hear from me wanting some money.  It's all for a good cause though... Mens Health.

In most recent years I've donated to the Breast Cancer foundation, in the hope that my future wife will have fantastic boobs, and won't have to have them removed due to disease.  I figure the least women could do is sponser a guy, so that his fun stick doesn't fall off either.

Anyway, on to other things...

Like I mentioned previously, I'm living in Surfers Paradise and am loving it!  They don't call it paradise for nothing.  Hot Girls, Warm nights, Cool parties... you can't go wrong!  Hell, I even have a semi decent tan!

I'm looking forward to the rest of summer kicking back on the beach. To top it off, I'm heading back to NZ for a wedding in what is usually the scortching hot Hawkes Bay, and I don't see any reason why it won't be this summer.  Then a few weeks later, home again to celebrate my folks 30th Wedding Anniversary in the Sunny Bay of Plenty, then straight on to Bali for another wedding!  Tis the season of Happy Days comin up!

On that note, I'll leave it there... Things to do, places to go, people to see.

If I don't see you before, or around Christmas, have a goodie.

Remember, Don't Drink and Route!

Old Post 5

Well, as per usual, I have been useless and haven't updated the site since about October 2007.  It's now May 2008, and a ridiculous amount has happened.

Probably the biggest thing, is I have moved to Aus.  I joined the masses of New Zealanders  moving to Australia every year.  Except in my case, I was offered the Job without even looking.  I moved over at the end of April, and was pretty quick to find a flat and get sorted for all that side of things.  I'm living just outside the heart of Surfers Paradise, although it is only a 10minute walk to Central Surfers.  My job is up in Beenleigh, which is about a 45minute drive away, however being without a car means it's taking me around 90 minutes to bus and train it.  Makes things a mission each morning being up at 6am, but its usually bright and warming up by then, so nothing to major to deal with.

Heaps of other things have happened.  In March I finally completed all my Exams by upgrading my MCSE in Windows 2000 (which I completed in October 2007) to Windows Server 2003.  My new job has me doing a course in SQL Server 2005, so thats proving to be quite interesting and different.  It certainly takes being a real geek to fully understand SQL.  Here's hoping I don't become a Coder!!  Ha ha!!

Numerous 'Weekend Activities' took place in the first few months of 2008.  Let me see, there was an Engagement Party, the Wellington 7's (brilliant as always), a Stag weekend, a Wedding and the other usual weekend boozing and shenanigans.

2008 started with quite a drop... I jumped out of a plane from 12,000 feet!!  Sky Diving had to be the biggest rush ever!!  Certainly better than any roller coaster.  You can check out the photo's here.

Anyway, believe it or not, last year is all a blur now.  I can't help but think how crazy it is how things work out... Who would have thought when I came back from the UK, that I would have been moving to Aus within the year.

One last thing... To remember the Men and Women who had served as ANZAC's, I made sure to attend the Dawn Service in Surfers Paradise.  It was also a great opportunity to remember the amazing trip to Turkey that we went on last year for ANZAC day.  I sure hope you all got up at a sparrows fart to do the same thing!!

Old Post 4

It's been a few months now since I've updated the website.  So much has happened.  I reluctantly came home to New Zealand to earn some cash, I picked up a job to earn me that cash at one of my old clients from DTSL, I passed my final MCSE 2000 Exams, to become an MCSE in Windows 2000, I saw Linkin Park play for the second time this year in Auckland, I met some of the Band members for the second time this year (and played Blackjack with them), and I started a business!!

So although I'm back home in Wellington, things certainly haven't been bad.  Although the length of time it took me to get my job, was starting to worry me.

Anyway, all of that can be written up another day.  I've just finished writing about the Linkin Park concert I went to in Auckland last weekend.  Like in Prague, I can't really describe it, but to put a word to it, it was Awesome!  Photo's are here so check them out...

Linkin Park in Auckland, October 2007

Trip to Auckland  11/10/07 - 14/10/07

When I posted the details about seeing Linkin Park in Prague, I didn't say a hell of a lot.  It was because I was so stoked to have seen them, that I couldn't really come up with the words to describe it.  Well, this post will be very similar, because they played better than in Prague!!

When I met the Band in Prague, I got speaking to Phoenix (the bassist), who asked me if I would come and see them if they played in New Zealand.  Naturally I said yes, and so would a whole heap more people.  About a month later, I read that they were indeed coming to New Zealand, and I had already booked my flights home.  So that sealed the deal.  I was of course dead keen to get tickets to the show, and while waiting for the pre-sale date to roll around, I got a txt from Mark, asking if I was going (silly question) and that he'd be keen to go (of all the people!!).  Anyway, I brought the tickets after hearing that Adam was keen to go as well, and spent the next 2 months, waiting for the concert.  (A lot happened in between, but thats another story)

So the days counted down, and finally we left on Thursday the 11th of October.  We drove from Wellington to Auckland, along the way stopping off in Taupo for a quick round of Hole In One, and arrived at around 18:30.  After checking into the hostel (ACB XBase Backpackers), met up with Becs (who I'd met at Fort Minor in 2006), and headed to the pub for $7 jugs.  By 9pm, when the $7 deal ended, we were smashed!!  Eventually we ended up in bed, at around 4am, but thats only a guess.

I awoke the morning of the concert dying of thirst, as the hostel rooms were ridiculously hot.  I headed for the Bathroom to get some water, and was 2 meters away, when I passed out.  Purely from dehydration of course.  Nothing to do with the massive quantity of alcohol I had consumed the night before.  So there I am lying on the floor, carpet burn and a developing lump on my forehead from hitting the ground, when I hear the lift open.  As I push myself up, a girl from reception steps out and asks if I am Ok.  I put on my best 'perfectly normal, what are you talking about' voice, and reply that I'm fine.  I take another step towards the bathroom, and fall straight back on the floor, this time on my back.  The girl helps me up and into the bathroom where I drowned myself in water to rehydrate.

So all in all, a brilliant start to the weekend.

We went to DressSmart that afternoon in Onehunga for a look around, and headed back to the hostel for some sleep before the concert.  Becs had managed to score a meet and greet pass, so she left earlier.

Mark, Adam and I headed down to the Vector Arena and arrived at around 20:00, in time to see Chris Cornell finishing his set.  It was bullcrap!!  The tickets said that doors opened at 19:30, but aparently it was supposed to be 18:30.  Anyway, I wasn't there to see Chris Cornell.

Like I said at the start of this post, I am lost for words to describe the show.  All I can say, is that they played 100 times better than in Prague.  I would assume because the crowd was way more into the show.  So thanks New Zealand for cranking out a good audience, to make it an awesome show.

After the show, and this is where this post gets really cool, we headed back to the Hostel, got changed, and headed up to the Casino.  When Adam said, "isn't that the guitarist from Linkin Park", I almost didn't look, expecting it to be a joke, but sure enough, there next to a Blackjack table was Brad Delson, Chester Bennington (singer) and Phoenix.  I could not believe it.  After sitting at another Blackjack table and getting nowhere for 10 minutes, Mark saw that the dealer on the table that the LP guys were at was his 'lucky dealer', so he headed over and sat down.  Not to be outdone, I headed over, and pick up a seat next to Phoenix and Chester, telling them that the show was awesome and better than Prague.  The guys were brilliant, talking away to those of us at the table as if they were regular people and having a good time.  Hell, they even loaned me some chips when I was almost out, just so I could carry on.

I kinda feel bad for the rest of the weekend, because even though it was nice and relaxing, it simply didn't compare to that night.  And unless something massivly awesome happens in the near future, that night will be the most amazing night of my life... Ever!!

So there it is, our trip to Auckland.  All I can say is "When's the next one!!"

Metallica at Wembly, July 2007

Metallica at Wembley - 08/07/07

It was Grants 21st Birthday about a month ago, and I was struggling to think of something to get him.  Anyway, I got a txt from Helen asking if I'd like to go to Metallica.  Naturally I said yes, and also thought it would be a pretty sweet present for Grant.  Especially since he had never been to a Concert.

So I booked the tickets, and after a month of waiting, it was finally time for the concert!!  Albeit a month after Grants Birthday... but who's counting.

Anyway, we caught the train into London, had a couple of Magners at Helens place, then headed to Wembly.  As Wembly is a brand new stadium, it was quite impressive.  The place is huge!!

As Impressive as the stadium was, nothing was at the stadium was as good as Metallica were.  They are just as good Live in real life as they are on DVD's ...and Albums for that matter.  The supporting Bands were nothing in comparison, even though Machine Head were one of the opening acts.

They played all the classics... Master of Puppets, Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, The Unforgiven, The Memory Remains, Seek and Destroy, Sad But True, ...And Justice For All and No Leaf Clover, as well as a couple of new songs from the upcoming Album.  It's going to Rock when it comes out, as the new stuff sounded awesome.  After playing for 2 and a half hours, we were a little disappointed that they didn't play Fuel, especially as it was the only song that Grant really wanted to see.

They put on a damn good show though, even though we were miles away from the stage.  Definitely worth the 40pounds!!

Old Post 3

Well, here I am, updating the blog.  Over the past month, I experienced a level of Excitement that I have never had before.  As you may have read below, I was to meet Linkin Park in Prague.

Well, I met Linkin Park in Prague.  First I was interviewed for the LPU TV, then I got my album signed, had a conversation with the Bassist, Phoenix, and watched them play a wicked set, that included 6 songs from the new album as well as some older stuff.  The crazy thing is, that because I was so stoked, I really don't know how to describe it all.  I guess all I can say, is that it was a dream come true, and I really hope I can see them again, this time in New Zealand.

Oh, on another, slightly disappointing note...  I have booked a flight home to New Zealand.  Basically I have got to a point where I need to get back into the IT world so that I can keep up to date with all the changes that have been happening this year, and no-one here in the UK will even get back to me about Job applications for IT work.  So back to NZ it is, where I should be able to slot into something relatively easily, save some coin, and head back over for a holiday at some stage.  So on that note... See some of you soon.

P.S.   I leave the UK on the 7th of August, and arrive in Tauranga on the 9th.

Prague and Linkin Park, June 2007

My trip to Prague!!  10/06/07 - 13/06/07

UPDATE...  I've gone through and put in some place names that I couldn't remember when I first wrote this, but have found out now, so it should all make a little more sense.

So anyway, Helen and I went to Prague last week, and saw quite a lot.  We managed to see everything that people go to see in a day and a bit.  The central area isn't really that big, and we were able to walk pretty much everywhere.  It is a really beautiful city, and incredibly clean.  When you compare it to the littered streets of England, it's great.

We saw a bunch of stuff, that right now, I can't remember the names of.  But things like the Old Town Square with the Old Town Hall and Astronomical Clock, the Charles Bridge and the massive Cathedral (St Vitus Cathedral) up at the Castle are definately things that I remember.

On our last day there, we also took a day trip out to a small town (Kutna Hora), which was really cool.  It was great to see some of the countryside outside of Prague.  I wish that we had had time to take a guided walk around Prague now, just so that we could have learned more about the city, rather than reading it from a book.

Anyway, Prague was a really beautiful place, with a tonne of history that I would love to go back to.  Especially for a piss trip with the lads!!  Ha ha.

Oh, I also went to see Linkin Park play, and met the band and got my album signed.  I don't really have to say how excited and stoked I was, because those who know me, know exactly how I would have felt.

Wooooo hoooooooooooooo!!!!!