Dear All,

I have now been formally presented with the Book of Hot Auckland Lurve, which frankly is quite spectacular. I feel tremendously honoured to have such a great bunch of friends, not to mention a spectacular girlfriend who put this together. I shall hug you all individually when I see you soon.

On a separate note, went out with Fish last night and met up with Ross and Amanda and got very drunk, and spent a spectacular amount of money in a swanky London bar.

Hugs and smooches and stuff like that.

Pete

"Share the love".
"Always a pleasure never a chore"
"Out with hate in with love"
"A fish in the bush is worth two in a parked car".

pour chat,
I know you are trying to contact me, but for some reason the msg's are bouncing back. Looks like mine arnt getting through to you either. Don't worry, the messages are being passed on, and in responce...
always a pleasure, never a chore.
I'll see you when you get back to the Land of the Long White Cloud
merci, mon petite amie.
Adam

Quick hi from call box in Edinburgh. Hung over post wedding. Hope you all had a good time in taupo..co.uk Anygoss? Hugs

The Fish is under my close supervision and is close to being hugged into submission. Things are ok up here in (no longer sunny at all) Bangor, and we are going out on the piss tonight for the first time in a while. I am heading north for wedding partay tomorrow and Fish is then coming down to London on Monday to be introduced to the greater Baldwin clan and the swedish ambassador and ferrero rocher. Thank you for all being wonderful, and we both miss you terribly, but shall hopefully return to you all not too distantly.

Mucho hugs.

Pete

*** Fank You ***
Thanks everyone for making it look like I've got friends. I forgot to take any pictures to prove that people came around the house whilst I was living in Auckland, even if it was just to have a portion of dumplin'.
I had a great weekend, yet again, and now I really Really REALLY don't want to work!
There is a lot planned for the the next month. Damn, you're good.

*** Losers ***
Pete, Matt and Stu, you are all losers!
Also, your numbers, at the casino, didn't win either!

*** Game on ***
11 and 13 eh? well, we'll have five cents on each I think, heck, what the hay, gimme ten cents to win ... ON EACH me babbers.

My number is, and has always been, 13. Given that that's my birth date. Go forth and multiply your chips...

I am very busy at work thank you, I have to monitor blog, email, find recipes for goulash etc.
Starting reading book, bit strange at first, but now I'm getting used to the characters it starting to really appeal.

Pete & Matt, I'm going to put a chip on a four way bet on the roulette table inspired by each of you, choose a number [we are going Saturday, so you better let me know by then] and the first spin will be using your numbers. If it wins I’ll put it towards a round of drinks for those that come along.

Adam

Whichever of us was labouring under the illusion that Adam was busy at work was clearly cruelly deceived...

Have you looked at the Calvin and Hobbes book yet Adam?

P

*** Money Money Money ***
Say good bye to your hard-earned cash, cause this weekends suggested event is a trip to the Casino [with a trip to the top of the Sky-Tower by night].
The afternoon is planned like this.
12pm Start getting ready
1:30pm still sat chatting, not started yet, must start now
2pm really must start getting ready
2:13pm shout abuse at whoever is in the bathroom
2:15pm pace up and down kitchen
2:18pm shout more abuse at bathroom
2:36pm 'queue jumping' curse and threaten horrible things to flat mate as he/she slips into bathroom
3:10pm finished getting ready, head count, one missing, where's Jo?
3:20pm wait for Jo to go into bathroom
3:42pm wait for Jo to come out of bathroom
3:59pm all start to wander towards the front door
4:07pm all wander back again
4:12pm all wander to front door again, some even manage to get in a car and start it
4:17pm finally get in car and head towards Carlton Gore
4:28pm arrive at Carlton Gore
4:29pm shower Adam with praise for delicious gourmet wafts of heaven coming from kitchen
4:33pm where’s Jo?
4:38pm after much debate, realise Jo was left at service station
4:39pm Fetch Jo
4:40pm drinks finally served
4:50pm shower Adam with praise for being Adam
5:00pm Dinner is served
5:05pm, 5:06pm, 5:08pm, 5:12pm, 5:18pm Shower Adam with praise for nutritious gastronomic taste sensation, like a duff duff party on your tongue.
5:20pm Jo arrives just in time to wash up, she’s more than welcome to help herself to leftovers
5:20pm to 7:03pm Take the piss out of Jo, reminisce about other times Jo has gone missing, shower Adam with more praise, drink.
7:04pm start talking about going to the Casino
8:06pm summarise Casino options
8:26pm order taxi’s and leave
8:30 onwards – go up tower, loose money.

If you want to skip the food at Carlton Gore, fine, fuck you, I’ve never liked YOU anyway, you can go directly to the casino, and let’s hope you loose your wife AND both kids on poker.

I’m thinking about doing a traditional Czech Goulash with dumplings and bread (with Veggie-terrible option for all the pumpkin lovers). Bring along your own grog, Pils beer would be a great thing to bring along if you like it.

If too many people want to come along we will change the home cooked food option to a take-away option.

Puh-lease let me know if you are interested in the food option, so I can plan.
If you can’t make it at all, don’t miss out on the ‘showering Adam with praise’ this can be done by email, phone or fax at any time, or by writing a cheque, postal order or direct debit.

Always a pleasure, and very rarely… no, never a chore

Oh well, shame you all had such a shit time, but then it was only to be expected in the circumstances.
Dearest Schmanny, thank you for the phone call, twas lovely to talk to a few of you. I was a little pissed at that point, my apologies if I was incoherent.
Im not even sure if it was before or after the stripper. As I write, you're probably all getting up after Matts do and feeling shit. No sympathies, drinking without me indeed...

I'm now back in London after the Swedish adventure and burning at high speed down the Autobahn (bottled it after hitting 200K) and counting down the days until Matt gets back (oh yes, and Ms Fish).
Oh yeh, saw a bottle of new Vanilia Absolut the other day. Must try some...

Miss you all. Now Bugger off.

Pete

*** Non-Geeks ***
Listen up, there are two stages to a Blog, posting and publishing.
Posting saves it to the blog. Once things are posted only those people who sign in can read them.
Then you can publish, this publishes to a proper web page which means you can bookmark the page and quickly look at the latest blogs without having to log on:
http://freezin.blogspot.com/
Puh-lease make sure you post and then publish, then we can all see it.

*** Real Blog ***
I'm not too sure what's happening here, but if you've got a moment have a look at 'slug's' blog. It's very funny.
http://menameaslug.blogspot.com/

*** Great Weekend ***
The weatherman said strong winds, rain and even the chance of hail…
We had glorious sunshine served on a cloud-dappled blue platter followed by a generous sprinkling of stars and lashings of milky-way.
At one point we even seen THREE MOONS!
What a great weekend, YABBY!
I hope the horsey people aren’t too chaffed.
I have some good news and some bad news., The bad news is, as well as over 50 digital photographs I took 4 films of photo’s, which makes for a very LONG evening. The good news is, it may take a while for me to get around to having them developed , so you have some time to escape Auckland.
Thanks everybody, even Pete was there [via phone and very pissed, but he was there!]
Where next…?