so off we go

to the southern hemisphere- flying via SFO to SYD and then taking a flight to Auckland because we were able to get a business class seat upgrade and a reasonable base fare round trip to SYD... we were meeting my travel buddy Tom (TB) in San Francisco and he was flying Global First on the SYD round trip as he has oodles of miles and big time status as a 1K million miler-

our flight to SFO was uneventful - and noteworthy only because they had direct TV on the plane so the time went fast watching my mom's old standby network HGTV- LOL... TB's original flight was canceled and he was re booked for a tight connection but made it with five minutes or so to spare- we all got settled in and would meet again in SYD. 

we had booked the upstairs cabin in the 747 and had flat bed seats so I had no trouble sleeping pretty much all the way to SYD - a 13 plus hour flight that went over the date line - so our arrival was around 8:30 AM two days later than we left ORD.

we had finagled to have our bags checked all the way to Auckland and so we only went through SYD as transit passengers even though the tickets were booked separately.  after a bit of hassle at the Air New Zealand club we got boarding passes and met TB back at the club to await our now delayed flight. This would prove to be a distinct issue with the Air New Zealand international flights.  As it turned out this flight was only delayed by a little more than an hour - our return to SYD was delayed a full day... would definitely NOT recommend their airline for international flights (note however that the domestic flights within NZ seemed to go fine and there is virtually no security so no huge time add-ons to the airport process!)

anyway back to the flights- both TB and I saw the sun rise on the way into SYD (below- about the point where I woke up on the way there - not too bad for keeping the flight manageable)

here is one cute thing I saw in the SYD airport by the gate where we departed for Auckland-

and when we got on the Air NZ flight to Auckland I found their "airshow" quite appealing- Phil was impressed by the "Hobbit-style" safety video featuring characters from the movie which had just had its world premiere in Wellington. I found the approach hokey but the boys liked it better.

we finally arrived in Auckland around 5:30 (it is a two hour time difference and a three and a half hour flight) and after nearly an hour in the "nothing to declare" line at customs, we headed to the hotel (an $85 dollar cab ride so you can tell the airport was not right there in the city) to get settled and find dinner and then crash.

before we had even opened our suitcases our new best friend Mike knocked on the door to deliver a packet of info for us and to welcome us to New Zealand.  He is our guide for the next two weeks, after which we will split up for our own stuff and then we three meet back in SYD before the Christmas holiday for several days of visiting that lovely city.

we ask Mike about dinner places and he recommends going up to "K-Road" which is short for Karangahapi- LOL we will become more accustomed to the Maori names as we get to know NZ.  WE walk up in that direction and find mostly a much younger crowd in a series of what looked to us to be "dodgy" eateries... one was on my list of places (Ken's Yakitori) but was already quite crowded... all three of us were walking around like zombies and no one wanted to make a decision so we returned to the hotel and ate in the dining room.  Fish and chips for Phil/Tor and TB had a pasta dish.

Mike stopped by the table and commented that he had bet the hotel guy that we would be back to eat there when we headed out to K Road...  a tad on the passive/aggressive side, we figured he wasn't thrilled with our comments on the unfriendly welcome of the 55 minutes plus we waited in the "nothing to declare" customs line at the airport.... not off to a wonderful start but we were all tired and cranky so who knew how things would go over time....

so I got one photo of a coffee stand in the airport, that was right next to where we waited for TB as he got a SIM card for his phone -

anyway- here are some photos of the room and the view from the room- the hotel was the Amora on Grey's Street and was very nice and convenient to the downtown while still being on a nice green quiet street.

and our first curiosity - as we walked up to K-Road from the hotel we came across this quaint store.... so of course I had to take a photo...

 

so we headed off to bed- with plans for VS and TB to meet at Starbuck's for free wi-fi the next morning before the other six of our group arrive and we get the AM briefing... obviously much more to come....

so I have been

seriously remiss-

of course you knew we were going away but even before we left I had completely spaced our on blogging about the Birthday dinner at Goosefoot (a month+ late) for Phil and Robert.  What seems like ages ago, back in July when we first went to Goosefoot we found out that both Phil and Robert (one of the eight people in the group that evening) had birthdays near each other in October so we decided to have another Goosefoot dinner together to celebrate the boy's birthdays.  The earliest reservation Nina had at that time for four on a night Robert and Catherine could do it was November 30th.  Hence the last minute before leaving for New Zealand (NZ) and Sydney (SYD) for the month of December. 

so - we did actually have the dinner and I had prepared the photos for a blog entry but somehow time got away from me before we left due to packing for both the "down under" trip but also getting things organized for Florida as well. so if I can beg your indulgence, I am going back an picking up on the evening of November 30th- one month late - but better late.....

the menu was a combination of old and new dishes- a new soup- FABULOUS! and a couple of new desserts and a few updated preparations of dishes we had before in one of the prior meals from July, September or October...

here is the menu:

 

the wines: Robert and Catherine brought a lovely Chablis and a wonderful Sauternes and we brought an old Bordeaux and an old Chambolle-Musigny

so interestingly enough the couple at the table next to us (celebrating their marriage with a gift of dinner from friends) had the exact same Chambolle-Musigny wine, from the same producer, just a much later vintage (2008 or 2009) I think... so we offered them a taste of the older vintage to compare and when they seemed interested we offered some of the 1982 Bordeaux...LOL which was probably older than they were LOL.

 

it was another lovely meal and the good news is- we have one more Goosefoot dinner before we leave town in two days- we have been invited for the New Year's Eve dinner there... a special menu

 

 



so it sounds really good and will undoubtedly taste amazing as Chris packs a lot of flavor into his preparations.  More later of course - and I promise to soon start the catch up process for the NZ SYD trip... lots of things to tell you about!

time machine

one of my neighbors is a photographer.  he was so very gracious and dropped off some photos he had taken when the house was under rehabbing long before we bought it.  we think it was rehabbed in 1996 or 1997 and we bought it in 2004... so this was very interesting to us.

What it looks like now-

I have kept photos of changes we have made over time - especially to the yard but these were such a pleasure to see - "Sherman, set the way back machine!"

you can never tell...

When Shaw saw The Importance of Being Earnest, he decided to show Oscar Wilde how to really write comedy. The result was You Never Can Tell, loaded with dazzling wit and pointed jabs at turn of the century British society.

Set in an English seaside resort, a young penniless dentist is swept up into the delightful world of a formidable feminist authoress and her three eccentrically-raised children, none of whom know the identity of their father. Invited to lunch, the dentist instantly falls in love with the elder daughter and must now negotiate a maze of family dramas, lawyers, and long-lost fathers, aided and abetted by a kindly old waiter. Shaw's beloved combination of dazzling wit and clear-eyed social critique makes this romantic comedy of mismatched parents and children a perfect holiday treat for the whole family.

Will lovers unite? Will the children ever learn who their father is? Will parents’ wills prevail? Will the twins ever shut up? And will these men survive Shaw’s “woman of the 20th century”? You never can tell.

(Above synopsis from the Remy Bumppo website)

so we saw this play Thursday night and here is my thumbnail review: LOVED LOVED LOVED the waiter! the farce was broadly played and clearly nearly all of the actors were having a lot of fun- perfect for fluff like this- a good time- light and airy but with a number of good jabs made along the way.... recommended.

packing-

no- I haven't forgotten about the blog- it is just that I am busy... we had a semi disastrous Thanksgiving when the goose basically exploded in a ball of grease on the grill (we now have a "well oiled" deck railing in the spot nearest the grill....)

I forgot the rolls I had put into the toaster oven to warm them- thereby ensuring that the spirit of my mother (who always did the same thing) was there with us for the holiday celebration- LOL

we had left over turkey pie (a family favorite recipe) for Saturday night dinner with Mick & Steve (the boys also had duck so Phil didn't have to eat turkey AGAIN!) by Sunday night most of the leftovers were gone or pitched; the turkey stock made for later use in risottos etc.  and we had worked to get the cellar in order (ha ha ha) pulling wine for our time away in Florida.

Monday lunch was the LSP office holiday luncheon at Sarajevo and Monday night we had dinner with Brian and Tina at Sun Wah - we still have leftovers from that... yesterday we ran into Sheila & Mary when we went for the last time in 2012 to Anteprima for some kick butt pasta.  Today I have my ddi office holiday luncheon (these are the folks I do consulting work for) then, tonight and Saturday Phil has concerts. Tomorrow we have a play and Friday Goosefoot dinner with Robert & Catherine... so I have to apologize for no blogging but between getting organized for FL, packing for New Zealand and Sydney and social stuff... just hasn't bee time...

but coming up- blogging from exotic places returns- LOL

meanwhile here are a few photos to illustrate time -

ticking clocks...time time time.... on we go....