Kiwi Bound Threesome

Unknown and forgotten by most family members is Rocco. Rocco was adopted into the family when Kristen was two and admitted into the hospital. Her doctor felt that Kristen would recovery more quickly with a furry hospital companion. Rocco volunteered to remain with Kristen and after her recovery, moved in with the the family. During the years that followed, Rocco was at times forgotten and neglected, sometimes living in closets, storage containers, garages...forgotten, but always faithful and ready to continue as the faithful companion he had always been. In appreciation for his many years as a faithful family member, Rocco will be a part of New Zealand 2008 entourage. Stage left, we see Rocco in his celebratory traveling duds. In this blogly documentation of NZ 2008, Rocco will be seen at various scenic sites in New Zealand.

Where in the world is Oregon?

For those who may not know, Oregon is very close to the North Pole. This little known fact is part of the phenomenon related to being in close proximity to the Oregon Vortex, located just outside of Gold Hill, Oregon. The adjacent photo documents a native Medfordite during Sunday's blizzard. The person in the photo was trying communicate with photographer through the howling blizzard but little could be heard. We believe that it she was asking, "is it time to leave yet?" But it could have been, "Haven't you left yet?".

Christmas 2008 ++

I intended to have some pictures with my last post and forgot. So here is another attempt. A group picture of very handsome people...three generations + the fourth generation (Doris) with greatgranddaughter Sarah.

Packed and Ready

19 days until lift-off. The weather has been pretty cold and we are looking forward to being in a warmer place for a few weeks, visiting family & friends, catching some fish, digging some tui tuis and making fritters...we're almost there. Had a message from Air New Zealand the other day about "a change in flight times". Fearing the worst, we called and were told that our connecting flights (UAL) had shifted an hour or less both coming and returning. It had no effect on our arrival in Aukland or our return to SFO. As I have previously mentioned, we have been packed (and repacked) for some time. We have only to pick up some last minute contraband for the care and feeding of the NZ natives (Carey's Toffee, Maple Syrple, etc.). More and more as the days tick by.

7/11 party 12/08/07...Together for the first Christmas party of the season. Great food, family and silly gifts. Mathew...fully involved, playing the game and loving it! It's his first Christmas...at least the first one that he may remember. 62 days until departure for New Zealand.

Where does the time go? It's already December 2 and there are only about two months until departure...of course we've been essentially packed for the past month. Be prepared! Christmas is fast approaching. Scored a WII at 0700 this AM. The Abominable Storeman is often sited at 0-dark-thirty...in inclement weather, lurking outside darkened stores, excited in anticipation of "the kill". The weather is extremely blustery and rain could arrive most any time. It's going be a lazy Sunday afternoon following an outing to purchase some unique and costly 7/11 Christmas gifts.

BEGINNINGS

For the time, this is about a trip to New Zealand, which is the homeland of my wife, Marie. Who can know the sacrifice required to leave one's home and country, travel to a strange land and marry someone known only for a short time? Anyway, this will be only the second trip taken purely for enjoyment and adventure and not associated with the sentinal family milestones or loss of loved ones. It is our goal to document this trip through photos and prose. We will depart in February and return in March of 2008. Stay tuned as we describe our preparation and the events of our trip.