Coping with Stress Test #1: Host a Kids Birthday Party!

Lets face it a working week is not tiring enough. Ramp up the stress levels with a kids party.

What is it about the parties kids expect nowadays? It used to be that you had a party only on those special years like turning 5 or 10 years old. There was a cake (mum baked), fizz (generally Fanta, I remember drinking so much once on my birthday that I threw up), potato chips, a few presents, a few friends and the crowd was rounded out with cousins and family!

Now it is a major bloody annual event each year. The round of birthday parties is as long as your arm that kids have to attend. Themed events, activity based, fancy dress or whatever happens to be Hollywood at the time! There is the gift that is mandatory, preferably a label of some significance and of course everyone who attends must walk off with a huge bag of goodies ranging from a sugar based hits to some handy smiggles type stationery.

Last night 11 little girls invaded at 4.30pm for three hours of on tap entertainment. Caetana turning 9 was supposed to be a "tamer" event with the big "10" looming next year and expectations that an Oscars type event will be needed for that. So arriving home a bit earlier to offer support to the preparation and fortified with a couple of Rum and Cokes, I thought "bring it on".....how bad can it be? After all, on their own, all of Caetanas friends seem lovely.

It hit like a tidal wave and when it was over the house looked like downtown Sarajevo (complete with sniper ally). The gym had been set up as the main scene of events for the Pajama party and pillow fight. There were music videos and a fish and chip dinner, cakes, pillow case races (standing in the pillow case and hopping) and so it went on. I make the following observations of a group of 8 year old girls;

• There is always one or two who are bored and feel it their duty to let you know about it. These individuals would be bored at a space shuttle launch so don't let it phase you. In fact grunt and look angry and they will eventually go away.
• They argue like crazy with each other. There is a need for the odd intervention because left unchecked it leads to tears and "hurt feelings" or war. These kids are all in the same class at school so it does make you wonder what goes on each day.
• There will be an injury requiring a band aid and the onset of at least one life threatening illness. Last night we had two girls stay over and at about 10pm one developed asthma. Of course there was no instruction manual or mention of this so after several attempts to raise the required mother an inhaler was whisked down from Mt Pleasant and the treatment duly administered.
• The gluten free kid won't be able to eat anything on the planned menu and must be specifically catered for with a specially gluten free battered hot dog (her mum dropped this in luckily) and a gluten free muffin. This will prevent a slice of the real birthday cake from inadvertently killing them.
• The kid who only likes Ice Cream cake will take it personally when she discovers the birthday cake is a banana cake and then bang on about it all night.

Overall a good time seemed to be had by all....we think. The gifts seemed to be technical and branded enough, certainly there were "wows" and "amazing" outbursts as they were opened and even one "oh my god" shouted from the bleachers.

Afterwards as Belinda and I sat back and enjoyed a late dinner and reflected, it did indeed seem like the event went off well. After all no one was killed, the cats did need counseling but seem to be responding, and our stress levels were dropping with each sip of Cabernet Merlot. 

Nothing a good nights sleep and most of Saturday cleaning won't fix. 

Can't wait for next years birthday party! If your life is a bit boring you should try hosting one.

The Ultimate Ride... Something to aspire to!

Is this not the coolest Harley you have ever seen? Not the flashest or shiniest but customised none the less! I like the set up the owner (Pan Head Billy) has. Looks like he has been living off it for a while. in fact the bike has done over 500,000 miles in the last few years.

The iron horse! It makes me want to just get on the thing and ride it right across the USA something I am going to do in the near future if at all possible. Want to do the Sturges rally in the Carolinas!

I have ridden Nevada, Florida and Hawaii so it is now in the blood. The bike pictured on the right is in the Florida Keyes. Not as slick as Pan Head Billy's bike but did the trick for four days on the road.

Waihopai Verdict- What a Bloody Joke!

Like most normal, law abiding New Zealanders, I nearly choked last night when I heard that the three protesters, who broke into the Waihopai Base and damaged property, were to walk free without conviction (link here). I am the first person to believe in freedom of speech and the right to protest, in fact like most New Zealanders who served in the military, I know also it is the military that preserves this right by being prepared to step into harms way and stop those that try and damage democracy and freedom of speech. Hell, I bet these three protesters and their mates are all very nice, gentle, educated individuals who think God is right behind them on this crusade.....and good on them! This does not make them, their opinions or their actions right.

There are several issues here. Were they charged with the correct offence? They seem to have been (but I am not a lawyer) and no doubt the Police will bring further charges if their legal advice is contrary to this so I won't dwell on this. These characters might believe in God and the fact that the US Intelligence and Military has made some awful mistakes over the years, but in general they have a tough job. Further to that New Zealand is part of a large group of countries who commit to gathering intelligence and given that no Government has changed this arrangement in recent years one can assume it is in New Zealand’s best interests. If it needs to change then it must be done through our Parliamentary process.

The fact that a small minority can do this and get away with it is just ridiculous. If they want to protest then do so by all means but breaking in a damaging property? Come on! It damages New Zealand’s International credibility, it makes us look stupid and worse it actually damaged a system that is set up to stop terrorist organisations from achieving their goal of killing innocent people. An extreme version of what these Waihopai protesters were trying to do.....raise awareness of their cause!

So what are we going to put up with next?

The Wild East Coast: Kaikoura, New Zealand!

There is something pretty magical about the Kaikoura coastline of New Zealand. It is wild and rough and gives you the feeling that it could all turn pretty nasty very quickly and of course it does!

I often take my family up that way and we stay and enjoy the outdoors and the scenery. Mountains on one side and the ocean pounding on the other and lots of wild life. Seals, sea lions, sea birds, fishermen, boats, cray pots, cray fish to name but a few.

Of course there is the endless stream of traffic down the main highway. Trucks and freight from the ferry and tourists everywhere in their campers and cheap rentals. I read in a tourist brochure that Kaikoura hosts over a million tourists each year which is pretty full on. For all that there is little evidence that they come and go which is great!

This weekend we went and stayed at our favourite spot at ocean ridge, took time out sleeping and watching movies and enjoying the coast. It was a hot Autumn weekend and looking at the seals lounging around in 30 degree heat on the rocks certainly was idillic. They are pretty laid back and let you get real close. Of course every now and then they remind you they are pretty quick over 20 metres and might just rip a limb off so it pays to remain vigilant.


Where else but New Zealand can you explore this sort of coast line with very few people to ruin it and all for free? Brilliant!

Kendall