Christmas on the Beach

Christmas day started off with the traditional Christmas Day Swim. For some reason it was a lot more bearable in Ireland where 1) you knew it was cold because it was in the middle of winter and 2) you knew Martha had a brandy infused hot coffee waiting in the car. Thankfully that was the worst of the weather and Christmas ended up being a wonderful sunny holiday.

Pre-dinner champagne on the deck.

The assimilation into the New Zealand culture is coming along nicely. We can be seen playing cricket on the beach.

Then off to Tithai bay for a hike. Move Over Leonardo DiCaprio. Fred wants to make it clear that this is not him but another O'Leary.

From left: Mark O'Leary, Peter O'Leary, Barbara, Mike, Fred. Titahi bay in the background.

The sunsets are fabulous at the beach shack. More than makes up for the scary kitchen.

The last rays of sunlight before the new Year.

The First Week

Molly contemplates how to chew through the inner cell fence and then scale the outer perimeter fence.
Life is falling into a familiar pattern here. Get up, drive 50KM to visit Molly, come back and spend the afternoon on a fruitless attempt to win a bid for a bed on Trademe - the New Zealand equivalent to Ebay. There is a national bed crisis in New Zealand. Beds that you could not give away in California are fetching hundreds of dollars down here. My conclusion is that it must be over-use. It would explain Fred's fond attachment to being horizontal, it's a nationwide condition.

We managed our first cycle since we got here. I could get used to the views. It is strangely like Southern California -without all the republicans.

We had the most fabulous day yesterday which ended with a stunning sunset.

This photo was taken from our deck last night. The land far in the distance is the South Island Marlborough Sounds.

New Zealand Here We Come

7am in Wellington Airport. Exhausted from travel and about 200lbs over the allowed luggage limit. But everything including the kitchen sink arrived in one piece.

Next off to visit Molly in the Lockdown facility. The last time I saw Molly was at 11am the previous day in San Francisco. She was not a happy camper.

This is the last known photo of Molly in the United States of America.

Appearently Molly had been picked up on some minor drug charges, allegedly running a butt sniffing ring.

Molly hightailed it to New Zealand where she turned herself in to the MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Farming) on a minor charge requiring 30 days in lockdown.

Molly has adjusted very well to the climate and is currently working on brushing up her tan for the summer.

Only 26 more days to go in the slammer. The South Africans next door are a little annoying.

Fred's First Frat Party

So Fred has moved the entire O'Leary family into the Love Shack

Fred's first woop it up Frat party at the love shack

The Wisdom of Elders

My mother just recently did an interview on the Irish equivalent of NPR, Radio 1 Ireland.
She has a lot to say about our sense of grounding. Click on the link over the commentator's photo that says "Listen to latest show"

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/farmweek/
Click on the link on the right of the page over the guy's head "Listen to Latest Show"

Fred's Fantasy Frat House

Fred has often talked about how he wanted to simplify his existence and live in a batch on the beach. His cousin had a simple setup on the east coast of the North Island, 2 bedrooms with an outhouse, how much better can it get. When put to the task of finding a suburban rental for himself, me and the dog, he jumped on the chance to live out his fantasy.

We now find ourselves in a one year lease on Fred's Fantasy Frat House:

OK, so I am being a tad cruel here, this is in fact the garage that Fred will be living in when I get to New Zealand. On a clear day (3 times a year) the property has stunning views of the Tasman Sea, Mana Island and the South Island. Molly will be ecstatic with the sensory overload wafting into our living room at low tide. In addition, a beach walk will entail a simple amble to the end of the garden onto the public beach at the other side of the fence. She will get to live out her final days in doggy bliss.

So lets turn to Barbara and her desires. It is a well known fact that one of Barbara's favorite things to do is cook. Gourmet cooks have fantasies about gourmet kitchens. The good news is that Fred took enough time to establish that the house had a bathroom, although he had difficulty recalling any details on the kitchen. They say that traumatic memories are best wiped out of the mind. Below is a photo of my kitchen for the coming year, those of you who have been to Mistletoe Road, compare and contrast this with my humble kitchen in California.


I know what you are thinking to yourself:

"I wonder is that wall paper Laura Ashley or Liberty Print"

"The mosaic should be an inspiration for crock pot recipes"

"The pot bellied stove will be perfect for simulating Naan on a Tandoori
"Has Fred left the country yet"

Like all great experiences, it is the journey not the outcome that is the reward. May my reward be bountiful.