Childhood Jubilation

Believe it or not, this was my absolute favorite movie when I was about 6 (mom would have to verify). I remember watching a copy we had taped off of TV (remember when we all did that?) what seemed like every day after kindergarten. I loved it. I thought it was the closest thing to perfect happiness. I remember my tiny little self bouncing and bobbing around the family room in complete joy.

Of course, it is based on the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "Pirates of Penzance" which I wouldn't even give a chance ( as there is a very good movie version with Kevin Kline) seeing my movie as the pinnacle of cinematic creation The question is...what strange and unseen force took hold of my young movie watching perspective? "The Pirate Movie" has to be one of the worst movies ever made and after viewing it a few years ago, chuck full of raunchiness and crude jokes...totally lame. I questioned my mom about this very thing and she noted, quite wisely, that I had no idea what was being said and loved the songs (which were also undertoned with a myriad of sexual connotations). Greatfully, one afternoon when I was visiting my Aunt Gus she opened my world to "The Pirates of Penzance" and my joy was renewed. I was considering showing Mike "The Pirate Movie" but I can't even get through the thing but I still sort of want the outfit she wears at the end. It's so peculiar and amazing how our minds and imaginations work as children because in a way I will always think on "The Pirate Movie" with Fondness even though it is one of the great fallacies of modern cinema.

Shoot, gotta go to work.

My birthday video

Yes, I know it's been weeks since my birthday but now that I have figured out how to post video (even though it's not necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing video player) I thought I might as well post this video. In fact, I might as well just take weekly videos and post them...but than maybe nobody would miss me, after week upon week of annoying video, and come visit. Oh well.

Oh so here's to explain a tid bit about the featured people who we live with here in Queenstown and are like family. First off is Ben who owns the house we live in. I've known Ben since the very first time I came to NZ as Mike and I stayed here in Queenstown for a few days on the "roadtrip of luvvvv". Ben is the man. He is also the one who has organized the Grecian Isles yachting trip that Mike and I so luckily will be attending. Hip, hip for Ben. Oh and he also meowed "Happy Birthday" to me while holding the cat, Romeo, and moving his lil paws around. Wow, what a morning birthday breakfast this was. Then it Pans to Sasha who lived with Mike's family for 6 years and is pretty much a sister to him. She is from Queenstown before she moved up to Christchurch and is down here living and working at the Restuarant with me and Mike. Oh and she rocks my world. Then we see Ashely who is Sasha's brother and good friend of ours. He is currently living in Souther France (as of 2 weeks ago) and deciding what to do with his life and he's the one who ran the restaurant that we are now working at...the youngest restrauteur in NZ.... I met Ashely back in Hawaii when he came to visit Mike's siter. Then we see cool Mike before the camera pans back to me where I so something funny with a big lollie and my lips. Hmmm. I must say that I have just given you the abbreviated version of this family system and the interconnectedness of it all.

It's not a very interesting video but you can see me, mike, and our flatmates in action. Whoa.


GO TO THIS LINK

http://grouper.com/GlobalMedia/MediaDetails.aspx?id=607309

Anders, another Nephew

And this is Anders Brigham Larson...Brig and Chelle's boy. Now what I've been wondering is where did he get those cheeks, woo-eee.

Funny t-shirt.

My Nephew Max (about a year ago I think)

Max is awesome. He's nearly 3 now. Whoa. But I love how he says, "up" at the end to do it again.

GO HERE

http://grouper.com/GlobalMedia/MediaDetails.aspx?id=605097

How to post in the Tag Board

Ok just for all those who can't figure it out...on the lil conversation/tagboard you click where it says "name" and type your name. Then click where it says "message" and type your message. Then click "go". Yep, it's as easy as that. I've had several bewildered comments and thought I would help clear it up yo.

Mi Madre

This is the coolest photo of my mom...back in Argentina, back in the day. Love it.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER.

This is to celebrate Brig's birthday here on the website. I love Brig and the other day I was reminiscing with my friend, Kasey, about the time we made up theme songs for eachother. It was Sci-Fi Kasey and Brig was Captain Foo. The theme went as follows...
"My name is Captain Foo (foo foo)
I'm gonna kill you. ( you you).
My middle name is Brig (Brig Brig).
My middle name is Brig."

Oh and if you want to know what I was....well then you'll have to contact me personally. (ha!)

 

No U2 but we found things to do

March 15th-18th we were meant to be up in Auckland at a U2 concert...yeah right now I would be rocking out. But apparently the Edge's daughter has Leukemia so they put the tour on hold until later this year. So because we already had fills for work, we had the days off. We got up to some little adventures we'd had on our mind. This collage of pictures depicts our adventure of the Remarkables which are those massive Mts. behind Q-town. This is also one of the ski areas we'll be showing off our stuff at so we wanted to go and get mentally pumped pre-season and all. We just hopped in the Landy and took the 13km winding dirt road up the mt. and then at the top thought we'd take the hr. hike up the rest of the way to the lookout. I always thought it was crazy that they used to wear Chucks to play basketball but my 9-yr. old pair faired incredibly well. Made me wonder why I even need any other shoe...except I have an addiction to shoes. Ash was wearing flip flops and this was no lil hike. Just goes to show how spontaneous( and somewhat ridiculous) we are as a crew. 

Mt. Doom

Remember the scene at Mt. Doom with Frodo and Sam...well here it is or so I've been told. I re-enacted it but somehow we didn't get a picture of it. Actually it's this cool slatey volcanic rock all over but this sure looks Doomish to me. 

This is the panarama from atop the Remarkables but you sort of have to piece it together in your brain after the top 3 just keep going. 

There's a lookout over Queenstown and the Valley and we found ourselves up there. Remarkeable from the Remarkeables. 

Hey, Good lookin'

Mike on top of the Remarkables. 

I just like the way the clouds are billowing over the mountains. Yep. This is looking East down Wakatipu lake. It's a funny long lake that goes all sorts of directions. 

Dunedin, the first capital of NZ

Yes, after staying in Queenstown on Wednesday we decided to head to Dunedin (2nd largest city in the S. Island) on Thursday. Many people told me it had cool architecture and it does. There is also a castle (NZ's only one of those) and the Cadbury chocolate factory. It's got a cool octagonish centre with a cool old Town Hall and then lots of this and that dabbled all over the place. There are many colonial looking houses, then the classic NZ villas, mixed with some cool Gothic and Neoclassical churches. Quite ecclectic. Ever since we've been in NZ, I have been somewhat excited to just pop off the road somewhere by a lil river and tent. So now that we have this new tent and sleeping bags, I thought this could be the perfect opportunity. So off we went to Dunedin. 

Sand Fly Bay for me and for you

So after some Thai, Cadbury Eggs (oh, the Cadbury NZ factory is in Dunedin, eat your heart out Larson women!) and a movie we headed back down the Peninsula to Sandfly Beach. We parked at the end of the gate and luckily it was a bright lit night thanks to the waning gibbous moon so we didn't have too much trouble...except that it was over a lamb station so there are about a thousand lil lamb trails so it was hard to tell which one was for us. We went up, and down, and up again and then through some serious bush and vine to make it to the sand and then to a little a nook behind a dune. Luckily, the walk helped us heat up and tire us out so we could just lie under the Southern Hemisphere sky and check out the stars. We intended to use our new tent but it was just too clear out. Mike showed me the Southern cross which points due south very much like our milky way and it's north star amigo. Yes, sandfly beach (despite it's unfortunate nomenclature) was a good place to rest for the night. 

You know how it is when you sleep outside...you wake up all the time. Hey, and we were sleeping in style with brand new sleeping bags, thermarest mats and woolens but you still have to shift every 1.35 hours. So the last time I woke up and saw the sun rising, I was up and at 'em. I couldn't quite see the sun rise but I got some beautiful pink wiffs on my side of the sky. The picture on the bottom left is to show the lil nook we picked for our camp site. You can just barely see Mike there in a bundle and then you can really see him cacooned up in the other photo. It was beautiful and quiet and chilly. I've missed listening to the waves and see them rhythmically slide in one after another. Mike was happy to nap and I was happy to snap...thes pix. 

Looking back towards where we parked by those houses in the background. Gorgeous light. 

Some nice light on Sandfly Bay. No sand flies from our experience. 

After what I felt to be an appropriate amount of time, I got Mike up. He was so happy with the effectiveness of our new sleeping bags. We stayed snug as two people can be in really expensive sleeping bags should be. I guess the real test would be to their max of -12. I don't know that I want to be on that trip. 

Trying hard for a picture here. First, I thought we'll try my hair out...then I tried to wrangle it back and then Mike just told me to put the hood back on. I had no idea he was taking pix that whole time. He just told me to put the hood back on because it was cute...I think it looks likes something you would wear under a space suit...like a real Astronaut suit. Yeah. 

I mean these photos aren't ever really good at the best of times, and then combine that with beach campout sleepiness and tight funny hoody on Chris. Aaahhh well... I still insist we get some photos together to prove our wee lil adventures. 

After we packed up and hiked out of the beach we drove down the rest of the Otago Peninsula. This is at Taiaroa Head which is the end. There's an Albatross Colony here and also a peguin beach just down from it. The coast in the distance heads north to Christchurch. 

Mike. 

and me. I am very much hip to the colors in this scape. yo yo. 

St. Patty's

So although, on this St. Patrick's Day, a U2 concert would have rocked the world (despite what Lucy says) we've had some nice days off and seen some more beautiful NZ. It just never seems to end.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Well on March 7th, after staying up until 2AM watching the Oscars, I awoke to a wonderful birthday breakfast put on by Ben and Mike. Bacon, Crepes, Fruit Salad, and Mike's very creative Omlette a la looks nasty but was very very yummy. Ash and Sash got me a cake and I had the most incredible version of "Happy Birthday" sung to me....Ben was laughing uncontrollably, Ash was totally out of tune, and it was just generally very funny. Great day. Great day. I spent the rest of it lazing around trying to get my energy levels sufficient to go wait tables. Thanks for all the birthday wishes that came my way. 

Odd smile Chris, but anyway. My cake, my prezzies, and my money in a mix of currencies. Who gets that eh? I am now 25. That seems to be the most weighty of all the birthdays thus far when articulated verbally. "I'm 25" 

Here are my birthday lovelies. Mike got me an India guidebook so I can plan our trip that we will take there one day. I have always dreamed of going to the silk festival in Rajastan. Dad sent me the "If you were a Redneck" card and my flatmates got me the princess card. The Cammocks gave me this cool keychain and some nice soap. Yes, great day. 

Sweet Birthday Rock Yoo-Hoo

So I also received the sweetest package in the world from Chelle and Alicia Vial. I had mentioned in an email that life would be a little bit better with some Honey Bunches of Oat, Reeses, Cinnamon Gum, and A "People" and lo and behold what do I find....exactly that! Wa-Hoo, Goldmine, look how happy I was. This photo collage is for you girls...THANKS!!!! I love you people.