Beer O'Clock

I'm sorry, ok. There I said it, I'm sorry. I admit that it's careless of me, just when people start reading this stuff I go for six weeks without a new post. It's just that I'm still in Methven and things are pretty much the same as the last post. But I'll post some random tidbits of information to try to keep you entertained. I would also like to touch on the subject of photos. I'm still taking photos, but I haven't been near a good computer to get the phtos off my camera. I can't use the computer here at work for that, eventually I'll add a bunch of photos to all these posts but I can't tell you exactly when that will be. And now the random tidbits:

• I've been skiing a lot, on average 3 or 4 times a week. I got a cheap mid-week season pass thru work that enables me to go Monday - Friday. I've also got a half decent pair of skis and boots. It's supposedly the worst season here in the last 15 years, there just hasn't been that much snow. We got a 20cm dump last week that was heeps of fun last week but then there were gale force winds that blew most of it off. I'm still having fun, it's propbably better that I don't have a previous season under my belt to compare this one to. The drive up to the ski slopes is something else. It's 14km up a windy, unpaved road without guardrails. The mountain is made of crumbly rocks that are always breaking off and landing in the road. They say nobody has died driving up or down since 1992 but a couple vehicles go over the side every year.
• There's usually keas in the parking lot at Mount Hutt. What are keas? Keas are alpine parrots that live only in the south island of New Zealand. They are not afraid of people and are quite silly. They like to spend most of their free time perched on campervans pulling all the rubber parts off of it. They're know to get into a lot of mischief and destroy a lot of things and are protected by law. Basically they are the hoodlums of New Zealand. Keas are absolutely hilarious.
• The largest represented nationality where I'm starying is the Japanese, followed by the Australians. The Japanese have been a blast to hangout with and really like to party. They's tagught us some Japanese drinking songs and we've taught them some unique colloquialisms as "beer o'clock", "dry as a dead dingo's donger", and "did you touch my ass?" There are many good laughs being had. Almost as funny as the keas.
• The election for Prime Minister is in about one month. The incumbent, Helen Clark of the Labor Party is running against Don Brash of the National Party. Labor leans more to the left, National more to the right. Labor is favored to win, that's fine by me.

That's all I have for now. I'll try to find some good material while I'm here skiing, and some pictures, stay with me please.