a Beginning

Things I've done so far:

30 Oct: packed up my gear & my house stuff for Lisa moving in and me moving out.
31 Oct - 2 Nov: flown to Auckland. In a seat ahead of me sat Thorsten, an engineer bound for the South Pole again with lots of helpful advice for me. He predicts he'll see me in Chch, though he's scheduled to fly out before I arrive Monday night.
2-4 Nov: driven down with Kate the fabulous and played awesomely in Taupo Hat tourney.
5 Nov: flown to Christchurch and practiced a bit of ulti. Not too many folks left I knew, but enough. Discovered Thorsten: no flights out to the Ice since Sunday.
6 Nov: errands! Mailed box to Mom. Dinner with Thorsten and some other South Pole workers, including some Swedish drillers. And radler!
7 Nov: biked Chch with Spencer and his mom, saw the Riccarton Bush and beautiful, exotic Monavale. Lunched at the Sacred Heart veggie cafe, then down to Akaroa. Walked about and had stunning views from both the drive and the harbor.
8 Nov: got my ECW (extreme cold weather) gear from the CDC (clothing distribution center). Never imagined I'd be a small parka (reduced girth). Am totally stoked to have a pair of snow pants (4th time was the charm!)... my first since I was 6 or so! Pretty good practice afterward. Fish'n'chops. That's fried fish and chips = fries, kiwi style. Umm.
9 Nov: Akaroa with the Swedes: more stunning vistas, lighthouse and dead-people (cemetary) viewing; dirt cliff- (Anders) and tree-climbing (Jimmi) with action shots (Frederik); Swedish lessons; climb up to Heratige Park with all of Akaroa at our feet. More yummy Indian with Thorsten, Tom & Tom, and the Swedes.

And flights still haven't left. Pretty much everyone but my group is now on the passenger manifest for tomorrow. But perhaps we'll be able to rent a van instead and wander around the Banks Penninsula crater rim instead.
Over and out.
-T:)