So lets see…. the last month was almost a normal month in the Christchurch. Almost. Mix in a couple of Sunday Sessions and one helluva Thanksgiving, and you have a damn good November. I have started my 100 pints club at the local Irish pub…. yup, 100 pints of Guinness gets your name on the wall…. get ready.

Also, one of the most memorable Thanksgivings ever. The good old Orphans Thanksgiving. My buddy Jonny and his lady Orla put it on. Right when you walk in a giant American flag with pictures of Obama, Paris Hilton, and a few others…. it was awesome! We stopped by the pub to have a pint around noon, then headed over and started cooking/ everything else…. Shoved the birds in the oven and off to the park for Football and Cricket! OHHH YEEAAAHHHHH!!!! About 10-15 of us or so. Good times all around, and many great laughs. And of course, many memories. Cheers guys, it was great.

Other than that, nothing too much. Just looking into making a few trips over the next few months, and heading home. Crazy how quick its passed by. 6 months. 6 months without driving, almost without baseball, and many others. Its been great though!! Always remember the times in Christchurch. Especially the people I met here.

Right. Music time.

Songs:
Breakeven – The Script
We Cry – The Script
The Fixer – Pearl Jam
Just Breath – Pearl Jam
Black Balloon – Goo Goo Dolls
Chocolate – Snow Patrol
The Road – Frank Turner
I MIss You – Blink 182
Wheels – Foo Fighters
Be Yourself – Audioslave
Who Says – John Mayer
Down the Line – Jose Gonzalez
Somethings Gotta Give – John Butler Trio
Somewhere Down in Texas – Jason Boland
Times Like These (Acoustic) – Foo Fighters
Sunchyme – Dario G

Albums:
The Script – The Script
Battle Studies – John Mayer
Greatest Hits – Foo Fighters

well, thats it for now. Hope all is well back home… give me a yell whenever!

cheers.
E

So lets see, in the last month, really nothing too exciting has happened. The flatmate, Sarah, moved off to South Korea to teach, so that was a bummer, but shes good over there, so its all good. Speights is still going…. I am over it. Ready to move on and travel around for a while, then head on home. Its been a long time!

I did book my flight home yesterday. I leave Christchurch at 2:30PM on Friday the 5th of March, arrive in Auckland at 3:50…. leave Auckland at 7:15PM, and arrive in LA at 10:15 On the 5th of March as well! Havent booked the ticket from LA to home yet, but that wont be too hard. Anyways, I am excited about it all! I have loved my time here, and will enjoy the next months for sure, but it will be good to be back in America.

I have played netball a few times, and will again tonight. It seems like a cross between basketball and ultimate… when you shoot you have to have at least one foot on the ground….the ref has called off a couple of my shots because they were jump shots. Its different for sure, but I play with fun people…good times. I have been working a lot lately, its becoming the busy season, and I am trying to just save up money….so its fine. Work hard, and play harder. Working at a pub does have interesting benefits…. like a few free pints after work, so thats actually a cost saver. A good one. I like good beer, and New Zealand has it. I must say, I will miss Speights (the beer, not the pub) when I come home…

I have gone to bother Dwayne, Emmy, and Cayden a few times since they got back. The kiddo is growing up so fast….its amazing to think that when I first got here he was just crawling around and barely pulling himself up on stuff, now he is running around like a small child. Its awesome. very very cool kid.

Dwayne and I will be seeing Pearl Jam in about 2 and a half weeks!!! YEEEAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

ok… well…. here ya go.
Music that got me through October.

Use Somebody – Kings of Leon
The Fixer – Pearl Jam
Just Breathe – Pearl Jam
Superman – Five For Fighting
All On Our Own – Midnight Youth
Breaking the Girl – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Boondigga – Fat Freddys Drop
Who Says – John Mayer
Dutch Mushrooms – The Mighty Orq
Fire – The Black Seeds
Best Days – Dorkstar
Comedown – Bush

as for CDs….
The Brave Don’t Run – Midnight Youth
Based on a True Story – Fat Freddy’s Drop
Backspacer – Pearl Jam

ok, thats about it for now….. be sure to keep your ear out for the new John Mayer album, Battle Studies. Its going to be rockin.

hope all is well for everyone, talk soon!
Cheers.
E

What a crazy month. Its weird feeling like I am in a routine over here. I like it though. Just working and living, nothing really too special.

Some of yall know, but I kinda quit the bar job. I will miss it, the job itself was cool, but the hours sucked!!! Especially for the pay (remember, hospitality works on a flat rate, no tips). So getting home between 5-7 in the morning, getting paid not too much, with little respect from the above management, led me to not really feel like working there. But, I got my experience, so thats good. Speights is still kickin along. I kind of wish I could just smack some people around…but that usually ends in me not having a job, so there goes that idea.

I have been getting a plan going though. I think its going to be working to just shy of Chrsitmas, then heading up to Auckland for Christmas/New Years with Dwayne/Emmy and the family, then hanging around the north island until middle of January (“Big Day Out”…one day ACL type festival) with Muse headlining!!! then just driving around the South island, and spending a week or so down south with some friends (playing cricket and baseball!!!)

I think that sounds like a good end to this good trip.

I went to Wellington the other day with Sarah. She had an interview for a work VISA for Korea…..and thats where ya have to go. So we took a couple of days and chilled it out. Its a cool city, they also call it the Windy City, and its true. It was overcast, rainy, and windy for the most part….but awesome. We saw the museum, and ate on the water…..took a cable car to the top and it was beautiful, had some awesome curry for dinner….and mostly just had a mini vacation!

Well…on to the musical choice of September…

Notion – Kings of Leon
Satellites – Luke Thompson
Tessie – Dropkick Murphy’s
Good Rats – Dropkick Murphy’s
The Fixer – Pearl Jam
One – Metallica
How to Save a Life – The Fray
Shadows – David Crowder Band
Uprising – Muse
Orange Sky – Alexi Murdoch
Spaceman – Dave Matthews Band
Midnight Youth – All On Our Own
Name – Goo Goo Dolls

CDs
The Brave Don’t Run – Midnight Youth
Green Day – Dookie
Only By the Night – Kings of Leon

Sweet as, there ya go.

Thats about it for now, hope all is with with everyone back in the States, miss yall.

Cheers!
E

Nothing new has been happening, but its been great. Just working and playing. I have been getting in pretty good shape from biking/walking everywhere….no complaints there.

well….thats about all for now, I have to work tonight, but have Monday off and I think I am going to play catch with a friend….its been too long!!!

Cheers, for now.
E

On to the jobs….
the bar is still going on….its…well….yeah. I am getting tired of it a little….the job itself is cool, but some of the people drive me up the wall, and its just not cool.

Speights is going great. I am getting more hours, including some in the bar….and the people there are all pretty cool. Its always nice to get in with the chefs too….dont go hungry too often!

Allright….now for the music that got me though August….

Notion – Kings of Leon
Satellites – Luke Thompson
Superman – Five For Fighting
How to Save a Life – The Fray
You Found Me – The Fray
The Saints Are Coming – U2/Green Day
Dont Panic – Coldplay
I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
Somethings Gotta Give – John Butler Trio
Spaceman – Dave Matthews Band

CD’s
Only By The Night – Kings of Leon
Dookie – Green Day

thats should be it….for now at least. The Kings of Leon CD has been played countless of times….its awesome. I havent heard an album I like that much in a while.

Well, I saw Inglorious Basterds yesterday….and from the first second of the film, it caught me. One of the best flicks I have seen in around 5 years or so…hot damn! I am ready to see it again.

College Football is on. What a sweet time of the year. I must say that I will miss being with everyone at the games, and bitching after, but its all good. Expect many phone calls.

ok, its go time. Going to hit up a chinese restaurant and go to the jobs….its going to be a good night!

Leave some love.

Cheers!
E

There has only been one big thing that has changed in the last week….and its that I have moved. I jumped into a flat with 3 other people….2 guys and a girl….but no pizza place. They are all really cool, and I enjoy it a lot. It feels real good to be out on my own….ish….and living with random people and just going through life with them. I love it.

Besides that, work has ben good. I will be getting more hours at Speights soon, so I will cut down my bar hours (to about 1 day….) so hopefully itll all work out.

ok, thats it for now, I promise there will be more details coming soon, with pictures.

love yall.

cheers.
E

Everything has been good here. i worked my ass off last week…..around 50 hours, which I know isnt too much, but factor in a 2.5 mile walk a couple of days, plus a few working late/early mornings, and itll catch up to ya. Oh well, I did it to myself! No bitching too much.

I am moved into my new place. its cool. Took a few days to get settled, well, my stuff still isnt unpacked, but I have worked doubles the last couple of days, so thats ok. The flatmates are cool too. I came home from work last night to one of them cooking chocolate cupcakes….and they were fantastic!

ok, thats about all for now…time for sleep….but hopefully more tomorrow!

Cheers!
E

nothing new has been happening though. Its been good. I am getting more and more settled each day, and I feel like I belong here….at least for a little while. Everyone at my jobs has been accepting me, and making me feel welcomed. I really feel that the bar is working for me, even though the hours are still bizarre. This Thursday I will wait tables from 6-11ish, bartend from 12-4ish, back at the restaurant from 12-9 or so….then bartend again at midnight….it will be crazy awesome.

more will come soon….I am about to move into a flat with unlimited internet, so I will be able to do whatever, whenever.

keep me updated with all of yall’s life as well!

and a special CONGRATS to all my friends that just graduated!! SIC EM BEARS!!!!

Cheers!
E

Here are a few pictures….one of Cayden walking with his….well, I really dont know what you call it….
there is also one of our friends baby…Lockland. or Locky….or Locktopus….he is cool too.

Lets see….jobwise, everything is floating along. One of my friends in the bar was in a horrible car accident, so she wont be working for a while…that will change some things up. She was planning on traveling to the States in a few months and well, doing what I am doing just over there, that trip got put on hold for a while…sad.

I went over to another coworkers house the other night and played some pool. Had to represent America, and won. It was fun, a lot of house rules….which I am totally ok with. They had a little “reset button” that they drew on the side of the table, and if that was pressed, you had to hit everything as hard as possible…thats just one rule…

I think I am about to move into a flat with 3 other people, I saw it yesterday, and it was a cool place….nothing too special, just a fun group of people. No commitment in how long I have to stay there, so thats a plus.

I think thats it for now…it was a good week, just uneventful.

Cheers!
E

I had a mild annoyance this past weekend. I worked 2 doubles in a row (which is fine, money…money), but on my way to the first job on Friday, I stepped on a nail…so every step felt like another nail going into my foot. Combine that with a nice pressure headache…it always makes dealing with people just a little harder. Especially when you ask them if they want a wine glass with their bottle of wine, they say no, then look confused as to why you didnt bring them one. oh well….the joys!

Here is a list of a few tunes that brought me through July…
Use Somebody – Kings of Leon (Still up there…)
Sex on Fire – KIngs of Leon
Tessie – Dropkick Murphys
Down the Line – Jose Gonzalez
See You Soon – Coldplay
All the Words – Kutless
Drops of Jupiter – Train
Better Man – Pearl Jam
Stranglehold – The Nuge
Pearl Snaps – Jason Boland
Bullet and a Target – Citizen Cope

CD’s…
Garth Brooks Live! – Garth Brooks
Yourself or Someone Like you – Matchbox 20
Better Days – Robbie Seay

thats about it for this round…time to enjoy the beautiful day and head off to work.

Cheers!
E