Wandering amongst the bluebells and ducklings in Christchurch's botanical gardens in the springtime made me feel like I'd just woken up again, as if I slept through what remained of autumn and all of winter.

You guys are totally gonna think I'm lying here, but I finished my paper this evening. AND IT WASN'T 4AM. This hasn't happened in about a year. I guess not having classes on makes all the difference.... Maaan...there's nothing like going through Blur singles when you kindof have nothing due. It's like, whoa, I can actually properly enjoy music! Mmmmm.

... made our way to the post office, mailed our shit ($441NZ), checked into our hotel, took the camper back, came back to the hotel for a 2hr bath/nap/room service break, and then walked all over Christchurch.   We got a little testy with each other.   Partially because neither of us got much sleep last night, and partially because we just had so much to do..   But Christchurch is...

Bus system maps , because Metroinfo's ones suck badly. Get yourself an account on the wiki and add more of them. (The wiki skin is kind of new, so if you spot any bugs, leave a comment here or on the discussion page of the main page. Ta.)

...in it, and is also WAY too sweet.  So, here I am in total paradise, bitching about the food.  Typical, whiny American.  LOL That's mostly it..  Just a long drive after the whale watching down here to Christchurch.  Tomorrow we have to truck around and find a post office to send a bunch of stuff home, turn in the camper, organize ourselves for the train trip on Tuesday morning, etc., etc, etc..  It's...

...in the streets of Melbourne, and on the trains and roads with cars that shimmered in and out of existence. I knew this before I arrived in Melbourne. (I had wandered into an art gallery in Christchurch, New Zealand and saw videos of Melbourne in the Daniel Crooks: everywhere instantly exhibition, just before I flew to Melbourne. Soon I should actually begin to explore Melbourne and see...

...the hotel around 10pm and fly out at something like 2am. This has happened so much that I'll believe it when the Ice is under my white bunny boots and not until then. We now have 4 flights waiting in Christchurch to fly to the Ice, and #5 should be arriving soon. Went to a ropes/zip like obstacle course today and had a lot of fun. I can't see something like that happening in the US just because someone...

A flying visit to Christchurch today for an emissions workshop. I got noticed as the ministry's fleet model expert, which wasn't as uncomfortable as I would have expected. Hmmm. I may have a bit of imposter syndrome going on here. I managed to miss today's southerly front by flying over it.

I'm in Christchurch, got here this morning. Tomorrow is clothing issue day. Next day I fly to the Ice, weather permitting. Hotel So is as cool as my room is small. Imagine a room deep enough to contain 2.5 twin beds and wide enough for that bed plus about a foot. Including a cool toilet/shower combo. Neat lighting though. Right now it's time for me to find a sandwich for dinner and read a little...

1. I haven't seen much more beyond the first 45 minutes of the first episode, but I didn't think it was hardcorely sexy at all, but apparently some crazy people seem to think Gossip Girl is too *racy*...things a tad bit too seriously. 5. Wikipedia is totally accurate. Or 99.8 percent anyway . Good enough for me. Hah, suck on that, snotty uptight academics! 6. RIP Richard Wright (Pink Floyd). Sad.