Caption Contest Final Podium

It's Wednesday, KiwiDante Caption Contest Announcement Day, albeit later in the day than I expected to be posting this. Actually, it's Thursday here on the other side of the planet; I'll blame that for my lateness. But it's here. Finally. I've deliberated, and asked the opinions of others, and made shortlists. There were a number of high quality submissions, ranging from funny, to inspiring, to stupid, to downright inappropriate. I tried to award entries from all points on that spectrum... But I didn't.

There were many losers...

...but there could only be three left standing at the end...

...so without further wasting of your time, here they are...

(1. Advance location scouting for Nonnapalooza 2010)

(2. The Stinker)
(3. I ate too much cheese and found a gopher hole to poop in)

As mentioned in previous posts, winners will receive custom prizes that will somehow reflect their personality and tastes (unless I don't know you very well, then it will probably be something like this or this or one of these). These fantastic prizes will be delivered personally by me via bicycle in and around the middle of December 2009.

Congratulations to everyone who entered, and especially to those who Contadored, Lanced and Schlecked their way to the top 3.

I'll leave you with some honourable mentions/shortlist finalists. Sadly, you get nothing.

- A friend and I enjoying the destination and the journey

- A traveller without observation is a bird without wings

- Inward calm cannot be maintained unless physical strength is constantly and intelligently replenished. -Buddha

- Beautiful silence
- Ha Ha Ha...silly followers! This isn't a picture of me in NZ! This is me at the beautiful point of Point Pelee! Can't you recognize Pelee Island in the distance?!

- Wish I had legs to ride this bike lying behind me.

Firsts

Firstly, before the firsts, a caption contest update. The contest is officially closed and there have been several wicked awesome entries...some posted online and others emailed to me, the sender thinking they were not publishable for whatever reasons. I agreed on all counts. Not surprisingly, those were the funniest ones. Thank you to all who took time to waste time entering. We will have a winner announced by NZWednesday, as well as a 2nd and 3rd place. Yes, there were enough solid entries to warrant a podium.

Secondly, I had my first Burger Fuel burger within the first few days of my arrival. We'll pretend that I've only been there once and the following pics are from that one time.

(can't go wrong with a logo like that)

(killin' it, with the burger fuel eating aid)

Thirdly, two great friends of mine, Brooklyn and Dean, recently had a first...her name is Lennon and she is absolutely gorgeously beautiful. Congratulations again, you three.

(keep breeding!)

Fourthly, I sold my first house. This brings about some mixed feelings. My only large financial tie to Windsor was just cut loose. I feel freedom and a weight lifted, but it also opened up a rather long door in front of me. And I can't forget all that is left behind...friends, family, family that we've lost...all contributing to where we are today and still influencing decisions to be. Time will tell.

What I can tell you is that I'm shocked and ecstatic about who actually stepped up with an offer...incidentally, this is a first for them as well!

(actual skype view, as seen by me)

He is going to kill me for this, but for Fifthly, we have my Cousin EEEEEEEE's first visit to Skype...

(haha, look at that licata shnoz!)

So the weekend rolled around. And then rolled right past, as it usually does. I managed to crawl out of bed in the morning, rather than the afternoon, on Saturday. It was a long week, but a good one, and I was knackered. I rode almost every day after school, including a visit to WoodHill (night MTBing) again. I rented a bike this time and all I could think while riding this thing was, 'it sure would be nice to have my own mountain bike.' Therefore, Saturday turned into Celebration Saturday.

What are we/you celebrating? you might be wondering. Well, a few things, and in no particular order...my sold house, for one. Secondly, my newfound joy in my old love of riding a bike around a trail. Finally, we're celebrating a successful first-ever kiwidanteblog online contest.

How did we/you celebrate? is probably grating on your mind next. Well, I hopped on my bike and rode (about a 6 hour roundtrip journey) to FullCycle, an Aukland bike store having a massive sale on Merida moutain bikes. They run a great bikestore and the service is impeccably friendly. My adventure is fully documented, including a few more firsts, in this video...

Celebration Sunday? you're probably dying to hear about. Well, I went back to WoodHill to test out my celebratory purchase. What else would I do?

Updates, Sunday Drives, and Oysters

First, dear people back home and elsewhere around the globe, thanks for the caption contest entries. There have been many witty and insightful entries, making my job of decider that much more difficult, which is a more than welcome problem.

Previews:
-The Boy And The Bike
-beautiful silence
-Malden Park, NZ

I may have to adopt the tactics of BikeSnobNYC in one of his latest contests and declare a top 3 podium-type finish to this. We'll see. And though prize details have not been revealed to you, just know this: they will be determined based on the personalities, likes and dislikes of the persons on the podium. Remember, the contest closes this Saturday at midnight, Eastern Standard Time.

The ups and downs of living a new life in a new country continue, but (unlike the coastal roads on NZ) it suddenly became much flatter. There's no reason or explanation for this, other than that time (more specifically the passing of it) tends to fix almost anything. I also managed to ride 3 out of the last 4 days and am hopefully heading back to do some night MTBing tonight. Getting back to the things you love to do and a more normal routine couldn't hurt either.

But sometimes, on Sundays, it hits you. Normally a day for family back home, Sundays here can be long and tedious. Which is why they are the perfect day to find adventure, to keep busy exploring. This past Sunday was one of those days. My friend, Kate, generously offered to drive and we headed to the great North, near and around Puhoi. It was a bit like heading south into Essex County, but very different as you'll see in the pictures. We drove without destination and the GPS tucked away in the glovebox - the only way to roadtrip. We found roadside pubs, cheese factories and beaches. If you click on any picture, it will blow up to near life-like size. Be careful with which ones you choose to explode, you may end up with my mug all up in your business. Enjoy the scenery...

(a bridge designed to look like the pukeko's legs)

(an actual Pukeko, proving my previous statement)
(photo by Kate)

(famous random pub stop, with delicious NZ beer)

(The pub, whose name I forget, is littered with stuff including money from all over the world)

(Look closely and you'll see a familiar blue fiver)

(the gorgeous rolling countryside)

(some of the roads we found ourselves on...)

(...that lead to some amazing views)

(boats. all stacked up. neatly. colourfully)

(more countryside)

(Kate didn't want to hop the fence)

(nor did she want to take one home)
(but she did tell them that we'd eat them one day)

(photo by Kate)

(3 attempts. one photo to show for it)

(random rocky isle)

(Ent, anyone?)

(the rainy day ended with a rainbow)

Lastly, I'll leave you with a first. Last week I tasted my first oyster. Yes, I was also shocked to realize I had never before partaken, being the seafoodivore that I claim to be. Kate was generous enough to offer me one...as well as shoot video of me and my first oyster. Which, incidentally, was followed up with another tasty ocean booger, as Kate likes to call them.

Enjoy...

Flying Solo (with special caption contest)

(_________________)

Before you read about my musings on Life, have a go at creating a caption for the above picture. I couldn't find words for it, so maybe you can. Just post a comment with your caption. The winner will be announced one week from today (Saturday August 22nd) and will receive a suprise NZ gift item to be personally delivered by me just before Christmas.

Moving to a new place is always exciting. But the inevitably of that excitement wearing down is a fact. Much like a long ride along the NZ coastline, there are ups and downs. Busy times, and not so busy times. That has been my experience so far. The first week was new, fresh, exciting and busy. I was thrown into the classroom, was trying to get my living arrangements in order, and had some form of physical/social activity planned for every night of the week. Then reality hit. And last night (yes, Friday) I sat at home and watched Australian Idol. That is a new low. I hate TV, especially reality TV! But such is life in a new city. Settle in. Meet new people. Make friends (I currently have 3, woohoo!) and get on with life. That's where I'm at now. Joe Dirt taught me that sometimes you just have to "keep on keepin' on."

I hadn't been riding much this week and suddenyl I was motivated. I found 2 races to enter in the coming weeks and decided I was going riding both days this weekend. Today was ride #1. It was my first solo ride with the intent of getting good miles in, not getting from Point A to Point B (which has been all of my riding lately. Going to school and back. Going to a friend's house and back. Going to Burger Fuel and back, which incidentally is the greatest Burger chain on Earth).

So here are a few pics from that ride. Enjoy.

(gorgeous tree lined road next to a golf course)

(view from the hill, visible in the previous photo, I climbed)

(when flying solo, your bike becomes the focal point)

(the city of Auckland)

(views from the top)

(rugby. it's everywhere. maybe i should learn to like it.)

(island with a name i don't know. too many islands around here)

(at the bottom of the hill)

(Takapuna beach)

(kebel)

And now, an almost 360 degree panoramic video from the top...

A Week's Worth

Monday. I played good volleyball again (clarification...I certainly wasn't good, the level was) with Teryn's (flatmate and fomer teamamte at UofW) local team. Awesome to be out there again but I hurt. My fingernails are even in pain.

I rode to a mecca called Kiwivelo on Tuesday after school. I left at 4:30 and thought I'd have no problems covering the 15 kms there and the 15kms back before dark. haha. I'm not in Windsor anymore. Good thing I took lights. Aside from wrong turns and second guessing my red-pen-written-directions-on-a-scrap-of-paper, the hills made their presence known. I took a road pleasently named Beach Road that follows the coast, which is comprised of bay after bay after gorgeous bay. The road climbed way up then dove back down to a bay...then up again...then back down to a bay. over. and over. again. I did make it to Kiwivelo, which incidentally was Italian Road Bike Nirvana (Pinarello and Colnago everywhere), for a floor pump, bike cleaner and chain lube. Finally, some air pressure in my Michelens.

Yes, that's a prefectly good Cinelli on the roof of the shop.

After begging some carbon grease for my seat tube (we're so strange, us cyclists...that almost sounds innapropriate) I put my flashers on and started the pedal home.

(my 'i think i should hurry' face)

Darkness fell almost immediately- it is winter here - and the light rain started. Twisty, wet, hilly roads with no bike lane. Awesome. Luckily the traffic wasn't too bad.

That same night I got my first introduction to coed, indoor, small court soccer. We got roughed up...on the scoreboard and literally. Let's just say the other team was a bit "soccer intense". Good times, though, very good times. Sorry (and thankfully), no pics of that. Hand-foot coordination? Not so much with this Italian.

Wednesday.

Full moon is out...

day

and night

...perfect for night mountain biking. Off to the Woodhill Mountain Bike Park. Beaker (friend of a friend) drove us out there with his borrowed Canadian steed on the back.

yup. that's a Kona Stinky.

Rex, another friend of that friend, met us three there with bikes for us to borrow. Awesome. Saved me some cash on the rental. The bike? Legendary. Why? It was Rex's commuter and included this...

So here I am, on my first moutain bike ride in New Zealand on an undersized, kick-standed commuter bike with the wrong pedals for my bike shoes (this equals slippage and danger on good trails, which this was). No worries. This trail system was fantastic. Like a Nutella Crepe. Perfection all wrapped up in a nice package. It was like Pinckney, but better climbing, more fun stuff (teeter-totters, bridges, jumps, boardwalks) and it seemed HUGE. The four of us were plodding along nicely for about an hour until I watched Rex's borrowed bike's back end explode in front of me on a descent. Derailleur eaten by wheel. Awesome. He coasted down the main dirt road and the rest of us managed our way down via trail. I'm completely hooked. I now need a moutain bike and a car to get me there. Send either if you have them lying around (Jim, that MTN bike is just sitting there, dude).

Tonight I was back at the volleyball. That might be the last. I can't keep up with the kids on the court anymore.

Tomorrow night I get to see the DT Auckland scene. And my teacher freinds are having drinks after school to welcome me. Yeah, drinks in the school. More on the school (Rangitoto College)and my job next week. I'm having too much fun posting about the fun!

I'll leave you with some pics and video of the Mountain bike adventure.

Special night forest scene picture.

Beaker (on pre-shattered Stinky) and Rex. Awesome dudes.

Kate, my new New Zealand friend that grew up in Windsor.

Slays trails.

Owns kitchens.

Heals ears.
Super Cool Chick.

Shout out to Le Cullion, formerly known as The Butcher, now known as The Mad Butcher.

Trail Entrance

teeterFAILtotter

teeterPASStotter

New Zealand!!!

Well, here I am at it again. I've finally landed myself in New Zealand. I arrived early Thursday morning (one day late) after spending a suprise day in L.A. due to a late flight from Detroit. If you've never been to LAX, let me tell you it's a nutty place and if its any indication of what L.A. is like, I want no part of that city.

My first three days here have been great.

Day one involved staying up all day to avoid Jetlag, which I think was sucessful. I also got some shopping done for bedding, hooked up a cell phone and a bank account.

Day two was great. I went into school and had a day of orientation. I met a million people and had all kinds of info thrown at me. I forget it all. That night I met up with a friend of a friend from Windsor who happens to live in North Shore City (where I am). She made dinner for her flatmates and I got to join in. The mussels were heavenly. The rest of the night involved the captain and 5 muppets literally cutting a rug (see Facebook video) until the wee hours of the morning. It was a great welcome to New Zealand.

Last night my flatmates had a bunch of people over (late Canada Day party where we had Canadian music and Canadian Club; the music didn't go over as well as the C.C. did) and I got to make a few friends. One of them being a cyclist which led to an easy paced, early morning 60km ride today. My first ride here was amazing. Roger (new cycling friend) and I chatted most of the time and I took in the ridiculous views. The roads are up and down, a bit like Helluva Ride, but I can't believe how beautiful it is here. I'm pretty stoked about getting in with some groups and getting out for some massive rides.

After the ride today, my flatmates and I got out for lunch (yes, I know and I'm not proud but isn't that hat awesome?) ...and then grocery shopping. I put a hurt on the bank account there.

Closer look:

Some proof of ride.

Dirty bike:

Dirty/stinky cycling clothes hanging in the garage:

So to summarize, my first three days involved Canadian Music and Canadian Club, hanging out with a Windsor native, Wendy's and two Tiger games on MLB.TV. Good thing I flew to the other side of the planet.

I'll leave you with some pics of our flat which may be our former flat very soon. We're looking to upgrade to a bigger place in the next few weeks.