You’re not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on

This isn’t about expenses as much as its about spending copious amounts of money on shit we don’t need.
Yesterday I took Cia to the private hospital ACC had taken upon itself to send us to so she could have a 5 minute examination on her ankle, explain to the Dr that she had forgotten to bring her crutches back.
By the time we had left it was around 1 in the afternoon.

So being bored little hicks in the bustling metropolis of Palmerston North we headed to the place where you worship consumerism… in this case a shit-hole little mall called the Plaza (funnily enough situated right next door to the IRD building where dreams are harvested and destroyed for the government… and thats just the employee’s I wont get into the actual un-extortionate creatures at the blunt end of that stick)

Sarah managed to drag me inside and we had spent $108 in the first two minutes on a comforter and European pillow’s, making a saving (I love how I “made a saving” by spending over a hundy) of several hundred, after I had walked back to the car with two big bags full of comfortables and back to my family, we went to some apparent in house fashionable kitchenware store, full of lady’s with those trendy “skunk on my head” hair styles dressed as though they were 30 years younger… this wasn’t the Plaza I remembered, where were all the drunkard student’s, or the boys high boys mincing about?
Palmerston North has obviously become a smaller try hard version of down town Wellington… 5 years ago.

After I had gotten over the fact that the store owners all had a thing for Cruella de Vil, the Hungover 18 to 24 year old sect have all grown up and moved to somewhere more desirable… I don’t know, the shit end of Brataslava, I started to have a really good time.

We ran into several shops with younger management, who gave us very good service, the young lady in some shoe store (I wasnt paying attention) made herself two sales (and made Cia a very happy girl) the man at whitcouls was helpful, and although he didnt have a copy of Iwi, which I’ve been trying to find (apparently the only copy in the country is at the massey store…I just got an idea, Cheese im calling you) I went and bought a book on NZ Design and a copy of Clarkson – Dont Stop Me Now.

We then went to a store that sells books, CD’s, DVD’s and coffee… can’t remember the name, but best service yet, we wanted Riverside Cottage books/ DVD’s and the young salesman told us all about how in depth the cook books were etc etc hooked me up with a free coffee and ordered me two DVDs, I ended up buying a couple of CD’s for the drive home.

So it just goe’s to show when your stuck in Palmerston North its not the end of the world… provided you have some money… otherwise just kill yourself.

(P.S very funny to hear on hauraki that Hamilton is apparently not “Chlamydia Central” any more, Student City takes some more honours… Mike I know your doing your part)

-Tama

Computers Want Me Dead – We Walk In Circles 4:07

Ended up having a wicked day working out the river, sucked up plenty of sun, and thankfully the aerial span wasn’t too much of a mess.
Tomorrow is my last day for a bit, and Sarah’s already planning on getting me to ferry her off to the Hawkes Bay, Personally I’d like to spend some time sitting in my own space for once this holiday season, maybe hit the beach and visit some more friends – possibly catch up with Steve and Kai properly.

We’ll see who has the larger will (read; we will see how long until Sarah gets her way) I’m fed up with driving, so far in the last few months we’ve done Northland, Auckland, Te Puke and several days ago I drove to Taupo and Back to pick them up, not to mention the excursions down south and around the place on a regular basis… So I rally can’t be farked with tripping this long weekend.

-Tama

Ewww gross, what are you – some sick werewolf freak?

So we opted to take public transport into the gig, this would allow us to drink and be merry… big mistake, the que from Mt Smart to the train station was epic, the footpath was littered with those who could not survive the journey vultures picked at there festering corpses, a fat American man loudly told everyone in a 5k radius about how he was an American, I got less and less excited about the prospect of another night in downtown Auckland. The gig finished at around 11.
We got home close to 2am, ate the worst Burger King of our live’s and decided to call it a night.

Good thing too because we had to be out of the classy hotel before lunch the next day, And I had to drive to Te Puke then onto Levin, all up it was an awesome gig, wicked experience, yes we have it good down the bottom of the North Island (the lack of white sandy beaches and stonking hot weather aside) It was nice to kind of get to know Cheese’s lil sister, who I can’t thank enough for letting me go with them, hooking me up with a place to stay and generally being good company.

-Tama

Whatever you do, don’t you ever bring a roller backpack to school, because douche bag kids will kick them over.
We don’t see why though they’re really convenient!

So the night before the gig (just to confuse things even more) I ran into the lovely Jolene (read; little sister of the ages) and her boss Kent, in on of the many bar’s visited around Queen St/ the Viaduct that night.
Drinks were drunk (including a round of shots) and before I knew it we had talked shit until 3 in the morning, time to go to bed.

The continental breakfast on the top floor made me feel less seedy the next day, which was good because Anna wanted to go shopping at dressmart.
I ended up scoring a couple of hoodies and some mean blue blockers reminiscent of the ones I had in 7th form, we were all ready to hit the concert.

—

The headliner was of course Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder had already come out to sing with Ben Harper (Queens “under pressure, see below) and had the crowd fully amped up.

We got a solid set, with All my favourites, Daughter, Do the Evolution, Yellow Led Better, Evenflow, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Black, Given To Fly.
Covers of Neil Youngs “Rocking IN The Freeworld” And the Who’s “Love Reign Over Me” blew our minds, the encore came and went, but th people wanted more, we were about to head out (My idea, as public transport back to Britomart was going to suck) but Cheese persovered and lucky he did.
Eddie Vedder walked out and said “We’re stuffed, but I’ll toast ya” Neil and Liam Finn joined him and they done a cover to Chris Knox’s “Love not given lightly” really fitting as I’d just bought “stroke – songs for chris knox” for the car.

Anyways too many words for a day, Public Transport on th way home next post, and some more pics

-Tama

Smosh – Sex Ed Rocks 4:28

Went to Whangarei for a family re-union, which was alright, I took Sarah and Sadie to Kelly Tarltons for the first time ever, which was just as cool as I remembered – a must see attraction for a visit to Auckland.
photos to come

Riki took us all on a Tiki Tour of Northland, Several Waterfalls (on in which Riki was going to cannonball off of) later we headed to Whale Bay, The place is fucking magic! Mustive swam around there for two odd hours, Sadie even had a dip with her mum, it was just a really really good day.
photos to come

Things went up a notch when I got a last minute ticket to go see Pearl Jam, Cheese hooked me up with a ticket and place to stay, a bloody awesome place to stay, right beside the Britomart station infact (Marcure) Two days in the C.B.D hooked up in a ritzy hotel was cool, knowing that your about to notch another of the big bands you’ve always wanted to see off your list was over the top.

– a random side note –
We saw this funny as fuck band on T.V thought I’d share

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So the day came to go see Pearl Jam, Ben Harper and Liam Finn, all great acts, we decided to take the train in.
First Impressions of Britomart Station = AMAZING what a class building.
Second Impressions of Britomart Station = Why are we wasting this on the Jaffa’s?

The trains shake about worse than the Johnsonville line in Wellington, although theyre alot flasher than our clean green electric jobbies, th unit we took was full of Young, drunk fuckheads who took it upon themselves to piss off the Large Maori ticket collector by ignoring very sign not to drink, smoke and be an utter fuckhead plastered around the place while loudly proclaiming that thy live in greenhythe and never take the train.

Anyway… we (Daniel, His little Sister Anna and myself) rode the train, walked up Mt. Smart got some beer and sat down to watch Liam Finn with EJ Barnes, the atmosphere down the back was perfect for his style of music, people were seated enjoying beer in the sun building up to “Second Chance” the crowd went nuts for him.

Ben Harper was much the same for me, chilled out down the back, while he played everything I wanted to hear on slide guitar, on top of that, we got a cover of queens (feat david bowie) under pressure with Eddie Vedder making his first appearance of the night the crowd really started to surge up around this point…

To be continued… Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the headliner, catching up with Jolene, Aucklands nightlife and the shitty handling of public transport after the gig.

-Tama

Sublime – Scarlet Begonias (live) 4:00

Back in the North Island, and I am so tired, waiting to see my family (who are still Te Puke – Te Awamutu ways, right now thinking of bed.
Will update when I have the energy to think about it.

-Tama