By the way...

...welcome to New Zealand winter.

Don't be fooled, though -- it's only this nice when you're in the sun. And also, as houses are both unheated and uninsulated, butter at room temperature is completely solid, and at nights one can often see one's own breath while watching TV. So, it's not paradise.

But it sure beats snow! ;-)

Over the Channel to Picton

Last weekend we decided to venture to the much-renowned South Island of New Zealand. Wellington is on the lowest tip of the North Island, thus we were able to catch the ferry departing right out of the city itself. The ride there was smooth, and about 3 hours long. Dave was in heaven, as the scenery was nearly identical to that of the BC Vancouver-Victoria ferry ride. For a duration in the middle, however, there is a point at which the ferry is surrounded by no land at all -- this part being the infamous Cook Strait. While it behaved well on the way there, the way back was rough and had a number of very large swells, and many people were very ill. Luckily neither Dave nor I are prone to seasickness (thank God!) but hearing so many sick little kids helplessly crying and retching was almost as bad. Poor things, but the sad thing about seasickness is that the only real cure is arriving, which isnt anything that anyone can really help with.

In Picton, the day was cloudy, and by that I mean cloudy in a specifically New Zealand fashion; the clouds gather, then descend upon the cities so that everything is stuck in mist. It does not necessarily rain, exactly, but a stroll outside will fast render you drenched. We did some boat rides around the sounds, which were stunning, and learned of some boat-access-only hotels of all price ranges that Dave and I vowed to stay at next time. In addition, a mere 2-hour drive away is New Zealand's most famous sanctuary of wild seals, dolphins, and all types of whales, surrounded by eco-tourism companies offering the opportunities to watch and swim with them. We did not make it that far this time, but to think, this is all so close to Wellington!

We ended the day with dinner at one of the town's few restaurants open past dark, and during our post-meal drinks we were joined by a group of the town's rugby hooligans. It took no time whatsoever for the evening to go from quiet to insane, and we somehow ended up at a bar with very few women there. To be honest, the only aspect of it I remember with total certainty is that "mixing" is gastrointestinally wrong, and I vow to never do it again. (Let us ignore however many other times I have made that same vow...) ;-)

On a similar note of gastrointestinal wrongness, I must tell the story of an astoundingly wretched burger we encountered in our misguided attempt to find onion rings in a small town after dark. Stupidly running astray of the main street, where respectable people eat, we finally found an open greasy spoon where we could get onion rings, and a burger each. All was well, until we got the burgers home and looked at them.

The deceptively normal bun concealed two grey patties, undercooked ham, wilted lettuce, an unidentifiable array of sauces all in aggressively unappetizing colours, and a rubbery egg. Best of all was the melted cheese, which was a putrid, rotting yellow which pulled apart in a way that suggested that it had been a prop in a gory science fiction movie. We dubbed this, "Death Burger".

Death Burger and mixing aside, it was a very fun trip, and we intend to do it again now that we know about all the hidden gems of accomodation hidden in the Malborough Sounds near Picton. Though hopefully next time, the Cook Strait will be calm-ish both ways. ;-)

Seals!

Ok, so these are the rocks that you see when speeding along the coastal road. On our first pass-by, nothing seemed special about them... we were too busy looking for seals.

So on our way back, no longer expecting to see any seals, I see this rottweiler-like head poke out of some long grass. We stop to investigate, and sure enough, it's a seal. And another one, and another one. They are sooooo cute!
Here are the pictures... none of them are that close, since I didnt want to get too near to any wild animal that's significantly bigger than me. ;-)

What was also really interesting is that, once you know what to look for, the otherwise-unremarkable rocks become teeming cities of seals! This shot gives you a better look at that. There's at least a dozen in that shot... can you find them? ;-)

The Nearby Wine Region

So, here in no particular order is the scenery we encountered in the Wairapa region this weekend. Luckily, the weather was ideal for the whole time, and the drive was only an hour long. By "only an hour long", however, my main point is not how lovely it is to be so near something so lovely, but rather that I could not have lasted a single minute longer on that twisting, winding, curling, and at times even death-defying so-called highway, which was little more than a ledge carved out of steep mountainsides. And of course, being a highway, all the local drivers would insist on carrying on at what seemed to us at speeds which appeared borderline insane. Luckily this harrowing part of the drive lasted only for the first half -- during the latter, we saw flat pastoral lands that would not have been out of place back on the prairies. But for the not-entirely-straight road, that is.

We headed to the coast first, as we had heard that there were wild seals to be seen there. At first we saw nothing, but decided to enjoy the coastline anyways. The beaches had black sand, made from the breaking down of volcanic rock. I had never seen it before, and it was an impressive sight. Huge waves breaking on the shore attracted several groups of surfers that we saw along the way. The black, volcanic rocks jutting out from the shore were also very neat -- they have a rough, pocked surface with sharp outcroppings that make the rocks perfect to climb. Shoes grip that kind of surface marvellously, but it is also a surface that you do NOT want to fall onto, lest you wish to be exfoliated like you've never been exfoliated before! ;-)

We got to the end of the road, and though we had been disappointed by not seeing any seals, the scenery was easily beautiful enough to deserve its own appreciation. There was a lighthouse atop a massive cliff with an endless set of stairs that I somehow got talked into visiting, and the first picture on this post is the results of that climb. (Once I had finished being dead of exhaustion and petrified of the height, that is.)

You'd better damn well appreciate it! ;-)

Also accompanying Dave and I on the trip was one of Dave's workmates, a Belgian named Wym. He was cool, and it was neat to have someone else along. One of the neat things about NZ is that there are all kinds of fellow foreigners around, so you get to learn quite a bit about where they're from. So much so, in fact, that a Maori fellow at work once said that he always wished to experience the rest of the world... but it seems, in New Zealand, that one can learn firsthand all about the rest of the world, as the rest of the world seems to always make its way here! This is not as much of an exaggeration as it may sound -- after four months in NZ, I now know more about Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, South Africa, China, the Phillipines, and even Alaska than I had known before. It's very neat.

On an unrelated note, New Zealand's english-dominance has one very pleasing side effect -- of all the people I've met, all the co-workers, friends, strangers, telemarketers, etc, NOT ONE has mispronounced my name. People in non-Manitoba Canada always had a great difficulty with it, which irked me to no end. But not here! Hooray!

Back to the trip itself, we finished up at the coast and left. But it's a terribly interesting thing, what things appear the moment you stop looking for them... more on that later. We went to lunch, then hit the last winery that was open for a tasting. Tirohana offered us a numer of delectable wines to try, and every last one was delicious. Two in particular stood out, one being the cafe-style Pinot Noir (not to be confused with the proper, much more intense Pinot Noir), as well as a dessert wine that absolutely blew my face off. It was sweet, but tart, and not at all syrup-y. Naturally, we bought a bottle of each, then headed to a nearby town, Greytown, for a nice Italian dinner.

After that we headed home. Strangely, the drive through curvy mountaintops alongside gaping abysses tends to be less stressful when the dark prevents one from seeing (and thus, fretting about) the abyss. ;-)

New link!

Have added a new link to our sidebar--Euphemistically Convivial--which is our friends Nathalie and Brian's blog. Karla got to know Nathalie thanks to Nathalie's Dad, who happens to be Karla's old Director at StatCan. Nathalie is also pictured below with the fabulous Karla

Nathalie and Brian are great people, and have a great family--three kids named Julia, Ethan and Noah. The kids were in bed when we were having our party during the Weekend of Mayhem though. 3am is way past their bed time.

Ours too, for that matter.

So here I am, finally

So, I have to say, I am lame for taking this long to post.

Karla, I think everyone would agree, has been doing a fantastic job with this blog. But it's time I put some stuff up too. I sure hope I can be as good and fun and entertaining as she is.

Yesterday I played a full 80 minutes at my regular Saturday afternoon rugby game. And today, I am truly, truly, truly sore. Hurling yourself at 200-250 pound grown men for an hour and twenty minutes will do that to you, I guess. But good Lord is it ever fun. I never knew I liked knocking into people so much. And the beers that happen right after the game are terrific--as you come into the lockerroom, tired, muddy, bloody and sweaty, some guy hands you a Cold One. I don't think anything is ever so tasty as cold beer after a hard physical effort.

Everything is really well organized too. We have uniforms, team socks, fully refereed games, the works! There's an unofficial 'clubhouse' at this bar at the Cambridge Hotel here in town. My team is called the Pink Ginners, my handle is 'Moose'. See me intimidating the competition here and in all my glorious form here.

As for Karla's post on the Mr. OBU/Universe competition, she described everything really well, and I gotta say I had just a great time. Everybody 'backstage' was really cool, and cheered everyone who went out there on in a big way. I still think I should have placed though. None of us internationals (the sock man was from Vermont, USA) got even a nod, and we were bloody entertaining (especially me!).

Anyway, can't really complain. Though I never want to drink a litre and a half of beer that quickly ever again. On the other hand, it kind of helped a fella cut loose, which was definitely a good thing given the competition. It also helped me ignore the dishpit that was my changing room. Ugh. And me trying to get in and out of my good suit.

Will try and keep posting more regularly, and maybe throw up some links to stuff that I come across that I find interesting. Hope it all works! TTFN!

Weekend of Mayhem, Part Two

Dave's Mr. Universe competition was the next day, and fortunately, the rugby that afternoon de-hangover-ified him nicely. However, he did not recover fully enough to be at full form for the beer-skulling contest, which was the first round. Then again, that quantity of alcohol (1.5 L) would be hard to take all at once at any level of sobriety. He downed it all, as was expected by the crowd, but not without difficulty. Indeed, some competitors did not finish theirs, and of those that finished more quickly, there were some digestive consequences backstage.

The subsequent rounds included formalwear, swimwear, and two talent rounds -- one to be prepared by oneself, one to be drawn from a hat. Dave did marvellously with the eveningwear, and despite my persistent encouragement otherwise, had decided to go with the respectable swimming shorts. Alas, how were we to know that such degrees of nudity and silliness were so commonplace, if not expected? The collage above was Dave's competition, which helps give one an idea of the sheer madness afoot. There was everything from stripping, swimming, seranading, drag, Dutch pickup lines, brakedancing, Elvis inpersonation, marshmallow-mouth-stuffing, and even a girl competing for the title of "Mr. Old Boys University". I might have cheered for her more, if she hadnt been relying entirely on skin rather than an actual schtick. Another contestant worthy of creative praise would be Mr. Blue Sock, who paraded through a crowded bar wearing head-to-toe tinfoil. In one fell swoop he tore it from his body, to reveal a lone royal-blue sock to hide his shame. (Naturally, he had chosen a knee-sock for the job, which only made the whole thing funnier.) I'll bill him for my therapy later.

Dave stepped up to the competition well. For his swimwear performance, he smartly had grabbed two props -- my silly Canadian toque and a glass of water. Strutting down the catwalk in a way that would have made Derek Zoolander proud, he reached the end, took off the toque, and in a most sultry fashion poured the glass of water all over himself. The crowd went wild, but not so much so as they did for the chosen-talent portion. Dave returned to the stage in his formalwear and got everyone to clap in rhythm. At this point, he produced a harmonica and jammed on it solo into the mic. While the playing itself was excellent, no one had been expecting this; once they recovered from the sheer shock (note, a be-sock-ed man was actually less shocking to this crowd) they cheered even more wildly than before.
In light of the fierce competition, Dave did not win, though it was agreed by all -- including Mr. Universe himself -- that he at least deserved to place. The night was still a very fun time, and we even met a bona fide All Black, Conrad Smith (between the ladies, naturally). For those less familiar with rugby, the All Blacks are the worlds' best known rugby team, and are known to perform a Maori war-dance called "The Haka" before each game to scare their opponents. While I cannot speak for professional rugby players witnessing this dance, the first time I saw it, I felt a strange but urgent need to hide behind a large piece of furniture. Anyhow, from meeting Conrad I can say that he is far less scary than the dance his team does, and it was really neat to meet a Kiwi celebrity.
Also, in many of the above pictures you may have noticed the lovely Ms. Nathalie -- of Brian and Nathalie, where Brian is the guy with the guitar in the previous post. They're Canucks too, and dangerously enough, Nathalie is just as fond as I am of makeup, shoes, clothes, nails, and all that girly stuff... malls of New Zealand, beware! ;-)

Weekend of Mayhem, Part One

In case further confirmation was needed of Dave's and my mutual inability to keep dates straight, we have gotten it this weekend.
;-) A fortunate turn of events stemming from seemingly mysterious baking behaviour revealed that the Poker night with Brian and Nathalie was in fact a different night than the Mr. Universe competition. (She was baking for the party on a Thursday, thus casting into extreme doubt my understanding that the party was on the Saturday.)

So, a fabulous time was had at Poker on Friday -- so much so, that Dave and I didnt make it home until the next afternoon. ;-) Not too much money was lost overall, and as more alcohol was consumed, there was much enjoyment of Dance Dance Revolution. The potluck (which Kiwis call, "Bring a Plate") was also a considerable success, as the Caesar salad was well-received. One partygoer came a little too close to an untimely death by persistently making guesses as to the secret ingredients -- he just didn't buy that it really was "love". Or lots of garlic... sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. ;-)

The evening wound up around 3AM with an enthusiastic though inebriated round of Karaoke Revolution, which is always a hoot, and later a sing-along courtesy of both Brian's and Dave's guitar skills. It was a good way to wrap up a fun night.



...But the weekend of madness wasn't over yet!







(to be continued...)

So How's This for Coming Outta Left Field?

New, legally appropriate measures of hazing have evolved, apparently. While certainly better than the kind of hazing that used to occur, it is nonetheless a shock to learn of the new methods. Particularly in the form of your lovely fiance coming home and announcing, with some trepidation, that he has been volun-told by his rugby team to enter an upcoming Mr. Universe contest. This contest includes, but will not be limited to, a drinking contest, a pick-up line contest, an eveningwear contest, and of course, a swimsuit competition.

Eventually, the hysterical laughter subsided. We will be prepping for this ahead of time -- I mean, how cool would it be if he won!? -- but in the meantime, I thought you might get a chuckle out of this. I know I sure did. ;-)

The Webcam is Now Functional

...Just thought I would get the word out. While it will be a bit tricky to work in terms of the time difference, it would be splendid to talk to you all. In fact, the reception is both clearer and less lagged than the telephone, not to mention cheaper.

However, since this is a video medium, and that it will likely be morning for me, I reserve the right to take a minute to de-scary-ify myself first.
;-)

Feeling Accomplished

So, I just finished my first presentation for work. Granted, it was only for a half-dozen people or so, but it was well-received despite being first thing on a Monday morning. (Personally, I have a hard time receiving anything well on a Monday morning, unless it's more sleep!) ;-) I think I even answered the questions intelligently, which is definitely a good feeling. Hooray!
Also, it turns out that in the duathlon I ran last weekend, I placed fairly decently (about average). Meaning, I ran 5k and biked 10 in 68 minutes. Who would have thought it? But seriously, there is to be no worries about me becoming a health-nut. ;-) I just do these things so I can eat more Tim Tams (which are DELICIOUS cookies sold only in Oz and NZ).

Of a less good note is that the "professional" pictures from the duathlon didnt turn out so well. Who would have thought that people dont look very attractive while exherting themselves to within an inch of their lives? Needless to say, I was far too concerned with things like persuading one foot to go in front of the other to notice the evil cameramen lurking around the corner to take unflattering pictures of me. Damn paparazzi. Boo, I say! Luckily, Dave took a few before and after, when I was in a state of not being dead. Not to say that those are much more flattering, especially given my unfortunate placing of the race number, but still less bad.

If there is one thing that can pick a tired girl up after running a duathlon....

...it's remembering that Lent is over, so a good, cold brew is on the menu for relaxation! Bonus, eh?

Wrinkles and Leather Pants?

In most circumstances, sixty-plus year-old men publicly bemoaning their lack of "girly action" would be socially frowned upon, if not met with legal action. Last night, instead, this situation was met with unbridled applause from over 30, 000 Kiwis, for they had paid good money to hear these very sentiments from these very men. Dave and I were there, and what a great time it was... I now much better understand why The Stones are still as big as they are.

We only decided to go yesterday, as the impending event only really grabbed our attention then. Both of us work within earshot of the stadium, so the workday that day included much testing noise and window rattling, and workmates pretending not to notice it. We figured we would grab dinner wherever we could, then head back in time to see if we could get our hands on any cheap-ish tix. Every restaurant in a 3-mile radius was positively packed, but luckily Dave thought to try this hidden gem of a restaurant, the Katipo Cafe, which we frequent for Sunday breakfasts. Sure enough, it was open and still had some room, the latter probably being due to its' being largely invisible from the streetfront.

The meal was fabulous, but there was a sinister (and delicious) twist -- their french-fry dipping sauce bears an uncanny resemblance to the patented, ultra-secret Helgason-Caesar salad recipe. I might have berated them for stealing the family recipe, if I could have possibly kept my mouth fry-and-dip-free for long enough to do so. ;-)

We then secured some tickets to the show. While they were higher on our price scale than what could be called "cheap", the seats were killer. Or, more specifically, the tickets allowed us access to a section of the floor that made sneakily slinking to better and better spots a rather simple matter. Stealth was still required, though, since security was tirelessly ensuring that anyone being where they shouldnt were quickly replaced to their former spots, or at least farther away. But Dave and I went uncaught, as no one ever suspects the Canadians.

We arrived during the opening act, which was Calgary's own Nickelback. They played very well, and more importantly, displayed a grateful humility that, aside from cementing their status as Canadians, endeared them to the crowd even further. The audience remained reserved, however, until The Stones arrived -- after that, it was madness all around.

They went through the hits, mostly, and the highlight of the show (for us) was when a section of the stage travelled way out into the audience, giving the rest of us on the floor a close view (30 feet away, I'd guess) of the band for a song or three. Very cool. Other than that, there were videoscreens and pyrotechnics galore, and the encore (featuring the essentials, "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "Painted Black", and then "Satisfaction" as the finale) was ended with a fabulous fireworks show.

All in all, very much worth the price of admission -- The Rolling Stones rock!

More Dam Pictures

Here be the before and after, as well as a neat shot down the creek. Lovely, eh?

Weekend in a Volcano

Well, not in a volcano, exactly... We went to Taupo, which is a large lake covering what is known to be a rather large volcano. It is NZ's biggest lake, and its major claim to fame are the monster rainbow trout found in it.

The 6.5-hour bus ride there meant that we arrived late Friday night (2am Saturday morning, to be exact). Our hostel was lovely, and fairly inexpensive. What was neat about it was that it was one of the few hostels I have ever visited that had ALL ages of guests, even a few families. Saturday's weather was stunning, and just like summer.

It was just what I needed after the long grey days in Wellington. Dave took the opportunity to go skydiving, but I decided to save all death-risk-y activities until my second excursion out of Wellington. So, I caught up with the sunshine and read a good chunk of my amazing new book, "American Gods".

Sunday, we were not so lucky with the weather. Too bad we'd planned all our activities for that day, and it was our only full day left in town. So, rainjackets fastened on, we braved the elements to see Taupo's sights.

1) Craters of the Moon.
Not nearly as cheesy as it sounds, it is a super-awesome sight to behold. Magma heats the underground water, causing big craters to gush steam at all hours.

It was like a movie set. In fact, Dave and I enjoyed doing a two-person Lord of the Rings re-enactment. Here is a picture of us, trying to look like we're on some kind of quest. Clearly, with my comparatively feminine looks, I was Frodo. Good thing that my ring is considerably less evil.


2) Next, we moved on to the dam opening. Most of NZs' electricity is obtained through natural means, and this dam is a great example of it. Three times daily, it releases built-up water into the neighbouring stream. The results are most dramatic. Adding to the sense of alien beauty is the profusion of black swans in the bay. They are beautiful creatures, and I have not ever seen them outside of a zoo. It is said that their wings are strong enough to fracture the leg of a large human male. Luckily, Dave had me there to defend him. ;-)

3) Huka Falls. By this time we are totally drenched, with the notable exceptions of two dry spots beneath each knee. Apparently, that is just how hardcore we are walking. The falls are marvellous, and we hike in the nearby rainforest awhile to look at the neat birds and plants. There was one bird I couldnt really identify, but from its showy, erratic flying pattern, she seemed to be distracting us from a nest. Funny, you travel halfway around the world, and birds still act like they do in St. Adolphe.

4) Taupo Hot Springs. A perfect destination for a day of being cold and soggy. The whole days' stresses melted away in the lovely hot pools which we so greatly needed. Especially since even the insides of our backpack got soaked... I have discovered a whole new level of discomfort, and it is putting on a sopping wet, cold bathing suit in a cold changing room. But again, nothing the hot springs didnt remedy right quick.

Then home we went, exhausted and adventured-out, where we treated ourselves to a rebelliously un-cultural meal of Burger King, and a night at the movies. We saw a cute movie called Sione's Wedding, a NZ comedy which I highly recommend. But, thats enough for now! :-)

Good News!

The movers are arriving at 11 AM tomorrow to deliver our stuff! Thank goodness... sleeping on an air mattress is only fun for the *first* month. ;-) And though it has been hard to wear the same five sweaters over, and over, and over for the past three months, I have been (mostly) successful at resisting the alternative, which of course would be a major shopping spree. But now all my clothes will be joining me here, which is exciting me to no end. It's like Christmas!

...

(Oh yeah, and there's also furniture coming.) I guess that's good too.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

So, it started raining on Sunday and hasnt stopped yet. There isnt even any soul-restoring sunny spells... just an endless, wet grey. Even indoors is wet. You put on your clothes in the morning, and even they're wet, too. This is really messing with my prairie blood!


...Yes, I am depressed. This rain stuff is way lame. On my walks home, I keep expecting to see some beardy guy building an ark.

The good news is that this is our first completely useless weekend, and we intend to relish it. There will be much wearing of sweatpants, movie watching, uselessness and general slobbishness... after the full weekends we've had, this will be bliss.

Plus, it means we dont have to travel outdoors. Excellent. ;-)

Meet Matthew

Forgive the quality of the pic, but this was the best I could get before he dashed off. And man, when they're not being completely still, these things are FAST!

Will post better picture if I can get one.

Pictures, as Promised

Dave at the international sailing competition.



"Huh?! Since when is SAS cool enough to have its own sailboat?!"



Dave's post-first-day-of-work celebratory drinks!



The Yann Arthus Bertrand "World from Above" exhibit... "Hey, Dave -- Balance on Hawaii!"



Spreading NZ awareness of 'Toba!

Who's Got Internet Connection...? We Do!!!

And not a moment too soon. :-D For the first time in a month and a half, I am sitting in front of an internet-connected Madison, playing my own music and posting for those I love. I even have a nice cup of tea here. Life is good.

Also, our stuff is due to arrive in the country today. While this does not mean we get it today, it's nice to know its nearby. One Canuck couple we recently befriended found that their stuff had been shipped here... via Italy! (Uhm, mover-guys, you're going the wrong way!)

Speaking of Canucks, Dave and I bumped into a 'Pegger during St. Patty's festivities last night! He's a Renfrew & Grosvenor Heights-ian (which, for the non-Peggers, is really close to where I lived for 10 years)... what are the odds of meeting him here, now? Anyhoo, St. Pats was a blast, even without booze. We went out with Nathalie and Brian (Canucks, too) and some people they know, and had a great time dancing to a cover band in a popular pub here. The weird thing is, I never thought I would miss hearing Tragically Hip or Great Big Sea in situations like that... but man, I really do! When Daves' guitar arrives, we already have plans to spread the gospel of Canadian music. ;-)

So, our plan today is to find a veggie market that allegedly opens on Saturdays nearby. Then we have to watch a couple of movies that need to be returned today. Also, we have tickets to see DJ Spooky tonight, which will be fun. So, itll be a full day.

Well, take care, and give my love to the Northern Hemisphere!

News as of Late

So, after Telecom making us wait a week and a half, as of today we now have an active phone line. Our own internet connection may also be up and running shortly, which I am far too excited about. No more net cafes with creepy smelly gamers surrounding me! Hooray! (Yes, apparently no matter how far away you go, gamers are still creepy and smelly. Luckily this does not seem to be the case for statisticians.) ;-) Anyhoo, the phone number will be (+64 40) 470 - 7775, I think. Will edit the above once I know for sure.

Other than that, the only news is that I have signed up for a biathlon. No, this is not to be used as evidence as any of the following:
a) Karla has been replaced with a Karla-resembling robot
b) Karla has been brainwashed by aliens
..or worst of all,
c) Karla is becoming one of those annoying health-nuts.

Allow me to pre-emptively dispel any and all of these conclusions, and instead assure you that it's a really wussed-down biathlon (3.5k, 10k on a bike, then 1.5k) where you get a cool shirt for participating. Plus, it's sponsored by Special K, which for most of my childhood I believed was a cereal named solely to proclaim my greatness to the cereal-consuming masses. (Hey, I was 5.) ;-) So here are the details...

Go Girl Biathlon Site

Wish me luck! In the meantime, it's time to enjoy having a phone that works. Hooray!!!