Friday, March 31, 2006
Mike's exciting job news
Mike is going on his first water job tonight!! He has been waiting for this for over a year now. Mike has been pushing the owners to buy equipment and get going on water jobs, but they are a little tight with their money right now and they just keep putting it off. Today, a water job came in (in case you didn't know, they advertise that they do water damage and then they just sub it out, which is how Mike met them in the first place because they used to sub their jobs out to Servpro - they get jobs regularly so Mike has repeatedly reminded them that all they have to do to get the division going is get equipment because the jobs are already coming in, no advertising needed), and the owner asked Mike what it would take to just go out and do it instead of subbing it out. He said he could run and rent some equipment with no problems and go straight out to the job. So he and one other guy are working late tonight. It is the best type of job he could ask for - no contents, small basement, clean water - and he hopes that after the owners get a taste of what the bills look like and how much money they will get from it, they will decide to just go buy the equipment and get moving on this. Pray for Mike that all goes well and they will move forward with the water division.
New Zealand photos
What wonderful photos of New Zealand Wes and Carrie sent us! They are so beautiful! I viewed them at work, because I have cable there, so they download faster. Incredible! The only problem with viewing them at work is that occasionally I had to hide behind my monitor and wipe away a tear, caused by all the beauty I was seeing.
I am looking forward to the gathering on Sunday.
I am looking forward to the gathering on Sunday.
Friday, March 24, 2006
we need some updates!
i've been sending my updates via email, so i don't post on here all that often, but we need to hear more from mom, brian, and rachel! i just heard that rachel has been teaching once a week. holy cow, when did this start?! how is it going? what subject do you teach? we need to hear what's going on with you folks!
oh here's a bit of an update. i went to a rugby game last night, professional level. it would take me hours to describe everything there, how it works, etc., but let me just say that rugby is WAY WAY WAY better than american football. i don't know how i'll go back to watching the browns. sorry, i may sound like a traitor, but it's true. american football is boring and played by pansies compared to these guys. :) and you know what else? they're actually LOGICAL! the numbers on their jerseys actually mean something. they represent specific positions. and the rules make more sense. and they have SALARY CAPS!!! Harvey told me it was 3.5 million, and I thought, okay, 3.5 per player. no, its for the whole team!!! they don't let their players get out of control and demand millions and millions of dollars, and it levels the playing field so they don't have teams like the yankees lording over everyone! we really need these guys over in the states to kick some sense into our athletes. they were appalled when i told them the league minimum in baseball is a little over 300,000. anyway...
and i also saw a big puffer fish wash up on shore yesterday. it was still alive and flopping around, but when i helped it get back to the water, it wouldn't swim away, so i would guess the seagulls ate it. stupid fish.
oh here's a bit of an update. i went to a rugby game last night, professional level. it would take me hours to describe everything there, how it works, etc., but let me just say that rugby is WAY WAY WAY better than american football. i don't know how i'll go back to watching the browns. sorry, i may sound like a traitor, but it's true. american football is boring and played by pansies compared to these guys. :) and you know what else? they're actually LOGICAL! the numbers on their jerseys actually mean something. they represent specific positions. and the rules make more sense. and they have SALARY CAPS!!! Harvey told me it was 3.5 million, and I thought, okay, 3.5 per player. no, its for the whole team!!! they don't let their players get out of control and demand millions and millions of dollars, and it levels the playing field so they don't have teams like the yankees lording over everyone! we really need these guys over in the states to kick some sense into our athletes. they were appalled when i told them the league minimum in baseball is a little over 300,000. anyway...
and i also saw a big puffer fish wash up on shore yesterday. it was still alive and flopping around, but when i helped it get back to the water, it wouldn't swim away, so i would guess the seagulls ate it. stupid fish.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Whales on the horizon
It's Thursday, March 23rd in New Zealand, and we're in Kaikoura, on the east coast of the south island. In an hour and a half we'll head out to see to go whale watching.
Since our last update:
Monday we limped out of Tongariro Crossing and rushed down to Wellington, on the southern tip of the northern island, hoping to make the 2pm ferry crossing to the south island in time to do a little sightseeing. We squeaked in at 1:40 pm, rushed in to return our car, and... found out the 2pm ferry was cancelled. So there we were, stuck at the ferry station (not the nicest part of town), until 6:15 pm.
We grabbed a bite and lounged around; things got a little more interesting when a very young "gentleman" (I use that term only to indicate gender) showed up to fix the 2 broken internet terminals in the station. Something (we missed the beginning of it) led to an altercation with a party van man also parked in front of the station, and soon we were treated to a 10-minute cultural display on the ancient form of fight-posturing by males of European descent. We also experienced a bit of a new foreign language, sometime known as "Kiwi cursing that would make Quentin Tarantino blush."
The ferry crossing was uneventful, though on an unexpectedly large ship (think smaller cruise ship), and we arrived on the south island in reasonable time. We hopped in a rental car and headed up to Blenheim, a small town about 20 minutes, where we discovered that everything (including hotels) in New Zealand shuts down much earlier than in America. After knocking on closed doors with "no vacancy" signs for about an hour, we finally found one bleary-eyed bloke working late who gave us a room.
Tuesday we took a vineyard tour (which ended at a chocolate factory -- God is indeed Good). The vineyards were absolutely lovely. We also learned a bit about how expensive and wealth-generating the wine business is. We got some great pictures which we'll share when we get back.
Yesterday we headed west along the northern coast of the island to Nelson, where we sailed out on a catamaran. It was a wonderful 6 hours out at sea and at a couple of small islands, including a tour of New Zealand's second-oldest lighthouse.
Today, as mentioned, we go to see the whales, and then we head to Hanmer springs, home of thermal pools and mud treatments.....
Since our last update:
Monday we limped out of Tongariro Crossing and rushed down to Wellington, on the southern tip of the northern island, hoping to make the 2pm ferry crossing to the south island in time to do a little sightseeing. We squeaked in at 1:40 pm, rushed in to return our car, and... found out the 2pm ferry was cancelled. So there we were, stuck at the ferry station (not the nicest part of town), until 6:15 pm.
We grabbed a bite and lounged around; things got a little more interesting when a very young "gentleman" (I use that term only to indicate gender) showed up to fix the 2 broken internet terminals in the station. Something (we missed the beginning of it) led to an altercation with a party van man also parked in front of the station, and soon we were treated to a 10-minute cultural display on the ancient form of fight-posturing by males of European descent. We also experienced a bit of a new foreign language, sometime known as "Kiwi cursing that would make Quentin Tarantino blush."
The ferry crossing was uneventful, though on an unexpectedly large ship (think smaller cruise ship), and we arrived on the south island in reasonable time. We hopped in a rental car and headed up to Blenheim, a small town about 20 minutes, where we discovered that everything (including hotels) in New Zealand shuts down much earlier than in America. After knocking on closed doors with "no vacancy" signs for about an hour, we finally found one bleary-eyed bloke working late who gave us a room.
Tuesday we took a vineyard tour (which ended at a chocolate factory -- God is indeed Good). The vineyards were absolutely lovely. We also learned a bit about how expensive and wealth-generating the wine business is. We got some great pictures which we'll share when we get back.
Yesterday we headed west along the northern coast of the island to Nelson, where we sailed out on a catamaran. It was a wonderful 6 hours out at sea and at a couple of small islands, including a tour of New Zealand's second-oldest lighthouse.
Today, as mentioned, we go to see the whales, and then we head to Hanmer springs, home of thermal pools and mud treatments.....
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Sore and sleeping
Lessee, since our last email update, we have:
1) Gone blackwater rafting. AMAZING. Floating through a cave with all our headlamps turned off, looking at the glowworms on the roof meters above us.... Try it sometime.
2) Slept in an airplane. Our team stayed in this hotel that is all these funky rooms -- ours was in a made-over 1950's British air freighter (we stayed in the nosecone). This place also had a Hobbit motel -- I kid you not. We got good pix of it which will send when we get back and get everything downloaded.
3) Gone jetboating on some kind of boat that only needs 4" of water. We jetted around at speeds that I shudder to think of; it was great fun.
4) Wes jumped off a 154' cantilevered bungy jump thingy. (I stayed on the ground and prayed.) The jump was successful, in case you were wondering -- and we have the whole thing on DVD.
5) Gone to a Maori cultural festival and dinner, at which we ate foods that had all been cooked in an earthen oven underground.
6) Taken a walking tour of the geothermal springs in Rotorua. Have you ever seen mud boil? It was mesmerizing; like watching a lava lamp.
7) Ridden a water zorb. The best way to describe that is that it's like a giant hamster ball ridden downhill (with both me and Wes in it), also containing water. It was an absolute blast. http://www.newzealandnz.co.nz/activities/zorbing.html
8) Gone street luging (I even rode the advanced course! At no more than 20 mph, I'm sure.)
9) Eaten at the Skyline Restaurant, high above the city of Rotorua.
10) Hiked Tongariro Crossing (aka Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings) http://www.icdc.com/~neubauer/tong.htm. We did that today (18 km in just over 7 hours; not bad for beginners). That is why Wesley is currently asleep at 8:30 pm Sunday night New Zealand time, and why I am busily typing, because I am so sore I can't get up from this computer chair.
And all of that since Thursday morning!!!
We are heading down to the South Island tomorrow, and from that point on we are totally winging it in terms of what sights we see and what we do (our team split off last night), so who knows when/what we will report next.
Hoping all is well with you,
Wes and Carrie
1) Gone blackwater rafting. AMAZING. Floating through a cave with all our headlamps turned off, looking at the glowworms on the roof meters above us.... Try it sometime.
2) Slept in an airplane. Our team stayed in this hotel that is all these funky rooms -- ours was in a made-over 1950's British air freighter (we stayed in the nosecone). This place also had a Hobbit motel -- I kid you not. We got good pix of it which will send when we get back and get everything downloaded.
3) Gone jetboating on some kind of boat that only needs 4" of water. We jetted around at speeds that I shudder to think of; it was great fun.
4) Wes jumped off a 154' cantilevered bungy jump thingy. (I stayed on the ground and prayed.) The jump was successful, in case you were wondering -- and we have the whole thing on DVD.
5) Gone to a Maori cultural festival and dinner, at which we ate foods that had all been cooked in an earthen oven underground.
6) Taken a walking tour of the geothermal springs in Rotorua. Have you ever seen mud boil? It was mesmerizing; like watching a lava lamp.
7) Ridden a water zorb. The best way to describe that is that it's like a giant hamster ball ridden downhill (with both me and Wes in it), also containing water. It was an absolute blast. http://www.newzealandnz.co.nz/activities/zorbing.html
8) Gone street luging (I even rode the advanced course! At no more than 20 mph, I'm sure.)
9) Eaten at the Skyline Restaurant, high above the city of Rotorua.
10) Hiked Tongariro Crossing (aka Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings) http://www.icdc.com/~neubauer/tong.htm. We did that today (18 km in just over 7 hours; not bad for beginners). That is why Wesley is currently asleep at 8:30 pm Sunday night New Zealand time, and why I am busily typing, because I am so sore I can't get up from this computer chair.
And all of that since Thursday morning!!!
We are heading down to the South Island tomorrow, and from that point on we are totally winging it in terms of what sights we see and what we do (our team split off last night), so who knows when/what we will report next.
Hoping all is well with you,
Wes and Carrie
Monday, March 13, 2006
James's first word
James said what I believe is his first word yesterday. He said "Dadda" or "Dad." He kept saying it and I said it was just him making noise, but then last night Mike was playing with him and then got up and walked away and James watched him go and as he got out of sight James said "Dadda" so Mike came back and James got happy. I don't know for certain he knew it, but Mike works with him all the time on saying dad so it is possible. Also James has discovered his own high-pitched squeal and enjoys listening to himself.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Well, let me see......
I decided to get on here and post something since it has been so long since I have posted anything. But once I got on here, I sat and scratched my head, trying to think of something to say. Compared to you jet-setters, I have done nothing, seen nothing, and tried nothing.
Oh yeah, Dad and I did go to the Habitat Store and found 22 sheets plus scraps of paneling that will be perfect for the interior walls of the cabin. Now mind you, I am not referring to that cheap paperboard stuff with the shiny finish that was so popular in the '70's, and which we used to finish the walls of Brian's bedroom in Mespo. I mean something that is only one step down from the real thing. The real thing, of course, would be 3-inch-wide boards that we would put up one at a time. This is 8-foot high, 32-inch wide sheets of thin pine boards put together in various lengths, with horizontal cleats attached behind, which stick out on either side like tabs. The tabs are staggered, so that when you put the sheets together, the tabs interlock like a jigsaw puzzle, and, tightly fitted together, it will look like one solid wall of 3-inch-wide pine boards. I think it will be very nice. We haven't decided yet how--or if---we will finish the paneling. We got it for $10 per sheet for the 22 complete sheets, and they threw in some chopped-up sheets free. I suspect it was used in someone's basement rec room. Most of the sheets are in perfect or near-perfect condition. I think if we were to buy them new (if we could even find them new) they would probably cost at least $20 per sheet. This will not only make the perfect interior walls for the cabin, but will save us having to do drywall, which is a huge plus. I doubt that it will be enough for the whole house, but it will definitely do the downstairs. Of course, we are not ready to install it yet---the next step is plumbing---but it is great to have it.
Oh yeah, Dad and I did go to the Habitat Store and found 22 sheets plus scraps of paneling that will be perfect for the interior walls of the cabin. Now mind you, I am not referring to that cheap paperboard stuff with the shiny finish that was so popular in the '70's, and which we used to finish the walls of Brian's bedroom in Mespo. I mean something that is only one step down from the real thing. The real thing, of course, would be 3-inch-wide boards that we would put up one at a time. This is 8-foot high, 32-inch wide sheets of thin pine boards put together in various lengths, with horizontal cleats attached behind, which stick out on either side like tabs. The tabs are staggered, so that when you put the sheets together, the tabs interlock like a jigsaw puzzle, and, tightly fitted together, it will look like one solid wall of 3-inch-wide pine boards. I think it will be very nice. We haven't decided yet how--or if---we will finish the paneling. We got it for $10 per sheet for the 22 complete sheets, and they threw in some chopped-up sheets free. I suspect it was used in someone's basement rec room. Most of the sheets are in perfect or near-perfect condition. I think if we were to buy them new (if we could even find them new) they would probably cost at least $20 per sheet. This will not only make the perfect interior walls for the cabin, but will save us having to do drywall, which is a huge plus. I doubt that it will be enough for the whole house, but it will definitely do the downstairs. Of course, we are not ready to install it yet---the next step is plumbing---but it is great to have it.
Things we have done and tried in New Zealand
Sunday March 12, evening
Here are some things I have read about in books and always wanted to try. So I have:
1) Marmite. Conclusion: really, truly, disgusting.
2) Vegemite. Conclusion: really, truly, thoroughly, amazingly disgusting.
3) Maori sweet potatoes. Conclusion: they taste surprisingly like plaintains and are pretty darn good, especially considering that I hate American sweet potatoes.
4) Ginger beer. Conclusion: Not bad. Tastes like a combination of ginger ale and Slice. (And like ginger ale, it is non-alcoholic.)
5) Beef Yorkshire. Conclusion: Not bad, but mine at home (although I make chicken with Yorkshire pudding, not beef) is better. ;-)
Words and phrases we have learned:
- Have a sticky beak = Have a look-see
- Homely = homey, comfortable (not ugly)
- Stopping = to apply drywall mud/plaster
- Good on ya = Good for you
- That's a load of turd = well, you can guess that one....
Scarily enough, we have grown somewhat accustomed to driving on the left-hand side of the road. I am now worried about driving again the first day after we get home!
Today was a day off, and we went yachting on a 38-footer. Walked around a reserve island, and then swam in the Pacific by jumping off the side of the yacht repeatedly. LOVELY is the only phrase to describe it.
Wednesday we had a half-day off, and we went on the "mystery tour" on Waiheke Island, about a half hour out from the bay outside of downtown Auckland. It was basically a scavenger hunt/road rally kind of thing, and it was BEAUTIFUL. The island was full of sheep farms and vineyards and alpaca farms. Just absolutely breathtaking scenery of the coast and the pasture lands. Unfortunately we have no way to upload pictures just yet; we'll have to send those around when we get back.
Saturday Wes and I built the frame for a deck for the house (by ourselves!) and tomorrow we'll finish it. It's really just a little landing area outside of the house rather than a full size deck, but it's nice to learn the principles of deck building.
We have 3 more days of the build, and then off to white water rafting, polynesian hot springs, black water rafting, hiking across Mt. Doom, and after that -- who knows!
Much love from across the world.
Here are some things I have read about in books and always wanted to try. So I have:
1) Marmite. Conclusion: really, truly, disgusting.
2) Vegemite. Conclusion: really, truly, thoroughly, amazingly disgusting.
3) Maori sweet potatoes. Conclusion: they taste surprisingly like plaintains and are pretty darn good, especially considering that I hate American sweet potatoes.
4) Ginger beer. Conclusion: Not bad. Tastes like a combination of ginger ale and Slice. (And like ginger ale, it is non-alcoholic.)
5) Beef Yorkshire. Conclusion: Not bad, but mine at home (although I make chicken with Yorkshire pudding, not beef) is better. ;-)
Words and phrases we have learned:
- Have a sticky beak = Have a look-see
- Homely = homey, comfortable (not ugly)
- Stopping = to apply drywall mud/plaster
- Good on ya = Good for you
- That's a load of turd = well, you can guess that one....
Scarily enough, we have grown somewhat accustomed to driving on the left-hand side of the road. I am now worried about driving again the first day after we get home!
Today was a day off, and we went yachting on a 38-footer. Walked around a reserve island, and then swam in the Pacific by jumping off the side of the yacht repeatedly. LOVELY is the only phrase to describe it.
Wednesday we had a half-day off, and we went on the "mystery tour" on Waiheke Island, about a half hour out from the bay outside of downtown Auckland. It was basically a scavenger hunt/road rally kind of thing, and it was BEAUTIFUL. The island was full of sheep farms and vineyards and alpaca farms. Just absolutely breathtaking scenery of the coast and the pasture lands. Unfortunately we have no way to upload pictures just yet; we'll have to send those around when we get back.
Saturday Wes and I built the frame for a deck for the house (by ourselves!) and tomorrow we'll finish it. It's really just a little landing area outside of the house rather than a full size deck, but it's nice to learn the principles of deck building.
We have 3 more days of the build, and then off to white water rafting, polynesian hot springs, black water rafting, hiking across Mt. Doom, and after that -- who knows!
Much love from across the world.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Regarding New Zealand
We're a week into our three-week stay in New Zealand. So far, the most surprising thing about life here is how dissimilar it is to life in the states. New Zealand is actually a lot like south Florida. Just like in south Florida:
Have a different accent
Have different stores selling the same things
Drive on the other side of the road.
Have a different accent
Have different stores selling the same things
Drive on the other side of the road.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
First real job interview
I had a job interview today, but not for teaching. It was for the head coach position at Hillsdale for girls soccer. I didn't say anything before because I wasn't sure how things would go. I sent my resume in early last week kind of on a whim. I got called on Monday to schedule an interview and went in today to meet with the principle and A.D. I have mixed feelings about the interview. I think I answered some questions well and others I was very general. Since I've never coached before I felt like I really don't have a chance, but I went onto confident and ready for anything. I will know in another couple of weeks whether I will get it or not. I have no idea how many other people applied. I am not going to stress about it. If I get the job, great. Maybe then they will open up or create a teaching job for me as well. And if I don't get it, oh well. I talked to my old soccer coach to see if I could use her as a reference. She is quitting next year and said if things don't work out at Hillsdale maybe she could use me this year and then take over next year when she is done. So I have possibilities there.
On the teaching front, I am sending my resume to places, but it is a little early for schools to have definite job openings. I will probably be more involved with interviews and such after I actually graduate.
On the teaching front, I am sending my resume to places, but it is a little early for schools to have definite job openings. I will probably be more involved with interviews and such after I actually graduate.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Here we are
It's something like 7 or 7:30 pm, Tuesday March 7th, in New Zealand. I think it's about 1 or 1:30 am for y'all on Eastern time.
Lessee.... The plane rides were somewhat eventful, in that we were delivered late to LA for no apparent reason, had to run clear across the airport (and if you've ever been through LAX, you know that it is at least a mile long, probably bigger), and barely caught our flight to New Zealand. On the flight I slept a full night (despite several Canadian teams travelling to the Commonwealth games in Melbourne; 3 track stars were standing right next to us talking at the top of their respective healthy track lungs for half the night), watched a movie or two, read a book... And still had 2 hours left in the flight. Wes was sitting in front of me on the last leg and managed to sleep most of the time.
We arrived and met most of our team (a nice group, ranging from an 18-year-old high school student from Akron to a 70-ish couple from Germany) at the Auckland airport at 7:30am on the 5th. We headed off to do a tour of the city first thing. At the very first stop on the tour, someone broke into our van and stole the purses of 3 of the women in the group. (Wes and I had our stuff with us, so we were ok.) These poor ladies lost all their money, travellers' checks, credit cards, passports, airplane tickets... The thing is, we had been told over and over how crime-free NZ is, so people weren't as vigilant as we perhaps should have been. I feel badly; if I had had my backpack with me instead of just my little travel wallet, I probably would have left it in the van and been ripped off too.
So instead, we spent most of the day at the police station. That was fun.
Then we went to a house dedication, which was moving, but also extremely long, as there were 4 different pastors and chaplains there.
Monday we started worked on our build. We are finishing one house (interior) and starting a second that is using experimental construction for the foundation, so it's been educational. On the interior, instead of 2"x4" framing with drywall, they instead use ~1.5" thick tri-board (that's something like MDF). No framing. Which means that you never have to locate a stud. Pretty interesting, if you're at all concerned about construction techniques.
Apparently today is also the New Zealand census, which we were required to take part in.
Today was blessedly uneventful; we worked on the build all day and just got back from supper. Actually my wrists are killing me as I type this, because I've spent the last 2 days mudding (or "stopping" as they call it here).
So -- not too much to report yet; tomorrow we work a half day and then go on a "mystery tour" somewhere near Auckland, so that should be fun.
Oh, I forgot to mention -- our team leader asked for volunteers to drive for the R&R portion of our trip (next week.) Wes and I got International Driving Permits (IDPs) so that we could do this. Well, no one else was stupid enough to volunteer, and then we found out that we were actually needed to drive the team around every day back and forth to the work site (we have two vans.) Driving on the left side of the road is waaaaaaay more nerve wracking than I thought it would be.
I should also mention that our hotel (during this portion of the trip) is about a half step up from a no-tell motel. Let's put it this way -- they do make our beds for us and there is this one computer (on which we have to buy time, and wait for other people to be done using it). But they don't change our sheets. The bathrooms are shared for our whole floor. No phones in the room. Etc. etc.
I'll try to report back again sometime when we have more time. Oh, and Stephanie -- we were told that New Zealand, Australia, etc. have way less ozone than most other areas of the world, so that's why you're getting burned so badly!!!
I do have to say -- the summers here seem maybe 5-10 degrees cooler than ours in Ohio, but it is soooooo nice to be in summertime! Looking at all the beautiful flowers and gardens is wonderful; I can't wait until we get to the second half of the trip and really get out of the city and into the countryside.
Until later,
Wes and Carrie
Lessee.... The plane rides were somewhat eventful, in that we were delivered late to LA for no apparent reason, had to run clear across the airport (and if you've ever been through LAX, you know that it is at least a mile long, probably bigger), and barely caught our flight to New Zealand. On the flight I slept a full night (despite several Canadian teams travelling to the Commonwealth games in Melbourne; 3 track stars were standing right next to us talking at the top of their respective healthy track lungs for half the night), watched a movie or two, read a book... And still had 2 hours left in the flight. Wes was sitting in front of me on the last leg and managed to sleep most of the time.
We arrived and met most of our team (a nice group, ranging from an 18-year-old high school student from Akron to a 70-ish couple from Germany) at the Auckland airport at 7:30am on the 5th. We headed off to do a tour of the city first thing. At the very first stop on the tour, someone broke into our van and stole the purses of 3 of the women in the group. (Wes and I had our stuff with us, so we were ok.) These poor ladies lost all their money, travellers' checks, credit cards, passports, airplane tickets... The thing is, we had been told over and over how crime-free NZ is, so people weren't as vigilant as we perhaps should have been. I feel badly; if I had had my backpack with me instead of just my little travel wallet, I probably would have left it in the van and been ripped off too.
So instead, we spent most of the day at the police station. That was fun.
Then we went to a house dedication, which was moving, but also extremely long, as there were 4 different pastors and chaplains there.
Monday we started worked on our build. We are finishing one house (interior) and starting a second that is using experimental construction for the foundation, so it's been educational. On the interior, instead of 2"x4" framing with drywall, they instead use ~1.5" thick tri-board (that's something like MDF). No framing. Which means that you never have to locate a stud. Pretty interesting, if you're at all concerned about construction techniques.
Apparently today is also the New Zealand census, which we were required to take part in.
Today was blessedly uneventful; we worked on the build all day and just got back from supper. Actually my wrists are killing me as I type this, because I've spent the last 2 days mudding (or "stopping" as they call it here).
So -- not too much to report yet; tomorrow we work a half day and then go on a "mystery tour" somewhere near Auckland, so that should be fun.
Oh, I forgot to mention -- our team leader asked for volunteers to drive for the R&R portion of our trip (next week.) Wes and I got International Driving Permits (IDPs) so that we could do this. Well, no one else was stupid enough to volunteer, and then we found out that we were actually needed to drive the team around every day back and forth to the work site (we have two vans.) Driving on the left side of the road is waaaaaaay more nerve wracking than I thought it would be.
I should also mention that our hotel (during this portion of the trip) is about a half step up from a no-tell motel. Let's put it this way -- they do make our beds for us and there is this one computer (on which we have to buy time, and wait for other people to be done using it). But they don't change our sheets. The bathrooms are shared for our whole floor. No phones in the room. Etc. etc.
I'll try to report back again sometime when we have more time. Oh, and Stephanie -- we were told that New Zealand, Australia, etc. have way less ozone than most other areas of the world, so that's why you're getting burned so badly!!!
I do have to say -- the summers here seem maybe 5-10 degrees cooler than ours in Ohio, but it is soooooo nice to be in summertime! Looking at all the beautiful flowers and gardens is wonderful; I can't wait until we get to the second half of the trip and really get out of the city and into the countryside.
Until later,
Wes and Carrie
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Depressed 2
I am feeling sorry for MYself because we started vacation tonight and are leaving the country tomorrow and can't go to work for 24 days.
Oh, no, wait -- I forgot. I don't feel sorry for myself about that at all.
Oh, no, wait -- I forgot. I don't feel sorry for myself about that at all.
Depressing Times
I am feeling sorry for myself knowing that if I were in regular classes at Ashland I would be on Spring Break next week. But because I'm on NW's schedule, I have another 6 weeks before any break of any type. Next week they have achievement testing so I will be working on my unit for Math class.
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