Today we went to Dunedin Railway Station for the Craft Beer Expo. We sampled many delicious and new beers – the coconut milk stout was surprisingly good.
The Taieri Gorge Train was available for people to sit in which proved priceless as the weather turned nasty.
All in all a great inaugural event, roll on 2015.
Today three people working at a branch of my work were shot. Two are now dead. A man walked into the office with a shotgun and fired at them. He then fled and hid from police for most of the day. He is now in police custody, recovering from dog bites.
Two people went to work this morning and are not going home. At least not as they should be.
What makes me most angry, upset, bemused, is that there are people online making snide comments that it was inevitable or justified because we work for a government agency. One even said that he should have taken more people out.
I hate people sometimes, and in this case the ignorant f*cks who think they are being funny or clever sit higher on my list than the gun man. Think about what you are saying. Those women are daughters, sisters, mums, aunties, grandmas, wives, cousins and friends.
My workmates are fantastic, dedicated people and we stick together. Even though this happened in another town we stand with them and it is because of this that the stupid attitudes of outsiders will be but annoying blips on the radar. Stay strong Ashburton.
Four years ago I achieved a life goal – be in a movie. I was an extra in “I Survived a Zombie Holocaust” filmed here in Dunedin. I walked barefoot in mud after my shoes broke; stood in drizzle for hours; got cold, sticky, blood splattered all over me; endured hours with irritating contact lenses in; drove an hour for night shoots until about 3am; and took a week off work – all for the love of it. And love it I did.
Today was the Red Carpet World Premiere at Dunedin Town Hall and it was so, so fabulous. It was better than I could have imagined, hilarious and polished to a point you wouldn’t know it was made on a shoestring.
I had been a bit nervous about MiL Pigalina and her friend’s reactions, but they loved it – getting frights and laughing the whole way through.
Mummy Pigalina was also an extra and both of us can be seen on screen if you know where to look. And my friends will be knowing where to look once it is released. I’ll make sure of it!
(Pictured – preparing for the premiere).
When I peeked out of the curtains this morning and saw the snow I was ready for the day in less than 30 seconds. I love, love, love, snow on the beach and I had to go and see it. It is just such an odd juxtaposition.
The snow kept falling in enormous flakes but Mr Pigalina needed to head to his work to retrieve his laptop to carry on with a project. He headed in in my car, vowing to return shortly, and then decided to stay there.
I have been forced stay at home, by the fire, watching “Diana, Her True Story”.
After work I went to Toitu – Otago Early Settlers Museum to visit their World War One exhibition.
I believe Mr Pigalina’s Great-Great Uncle is in the photo of soldiers from Port Chalmers. The map of Dunedin, marking casualties from the war, has been much publicized but with good reason, so many deaths. It’s hard to imagine that many people leaving town and never returning.
Had a lovely walk with the dog after work. Now the wind is raging and the rain is lashing the windows. Potential snow day forecast for this week too!
With gale force winds and rain forecast I envisioned our trip to Moeraki to be largely spent indoors. In fact we had quite the opposite, apart from a blustery late afternoon.
We visited the reserve by the lighthouse and discovered the field that grows sea lions; took the dog for a walk up the Millenium Track to where the whalers used to look out for whales until they killed most of them off. We dined on fish at the World famous Fleur’s restaurant. So. Much. Fish.
In the afternoon we read magazines in the sun, then when the weather took a turn, watched the worst movie ever – High Freakquency. (Seriously bad, the story, the acting, the sound quality, the camera work; heck the cover even has a photo from ANOTHER FILM on it (Friday). Avoid. What a waste of 12c to buy it).
In the evening we squeezed more food into our full bellies at the tavern where I sampled Moeraki Draught.
A great, relaxing weekend and only an hour from home.
Sitting at Lake Wanaka enjoying a delicious lunch I made the mistake of feeding a tiny bit of bread to a cute, tiny, bird. Immediately the seagulls gathered. Then one dive bombed my burger from behind me.
I had to eat around the area it had grabbed at. Too good to waste.
We awoke to snow in Hawea which almost meant a whole day inside keeping warm. It soon stopped so the day’s plan – a trip to Queenstown was back on.
We headed to Below Zero, a bar in a refrigeration unit where the seats, sculptures and glasses are made out of ice. My fingernails felt like they were going to drop off and Daddy Pigalina’s juice froze solid.
On the way back to Hawea we stopped off in Kawarau Gorge where Mummy Pigalina did a bungy jump! Not our average Saturday.
My connecting flight from Christchurch to Auckland was slightly late. I was informed by the stewardess while she was giving out the drinks that the cabin had been contacted and I wouldn’t be making my flight to Rotorua.
When I landed I went to the desk and was placed on standby for a flight two hours later. Standby. It has never happened to me before and visions of the tangled mess of phone calls rebooking hotels and taxis flooded my mind.
Luckily me and the other person on standby made it onto the flight. But the pilot was AWOL. Seriously? The pilot finally arrived proclaiming his watch was set to the wrong time and I entered the smallest plane I have ever been on. Twenty seats in total. One each side. I could see the cockpit and I was seated next to the emergency door. I hastily scribbled a note in case I died with no final words.
It was possibly the bumpiest landing I have ever had – like I said I could see the cockpit, thus out of the front window and the horizon was waving like the sea.
I am recovering in my hotel bed watching fuzzy TV and sniffing Rotorua’s sulphuric air. I miss Mr Pigalina.
Pigalina's Palace 