Summertime, and the livin' is easy

We have thornless blackberry vines in our backyard, and I harvested this bowl Saturday morning. They are pretty good. I prefer raspberries.

We have been making pizza at home with crust dough made in our bread maker. Our latest creation is based on one from Hell Pizza, with salsa, refried beans, red bell pepper, green onion, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, spicy chilis, and avocado, after it comes out of the oven. Here's a photo of it. it was YUM.

The following photo is my brother-in-law at the Kumeu Wine and Food Festival. The stall was selling "American-style" hot dogs. We had a really nice time visiting the different wineries and breweries and food stalls.

Darin found a Bavarian import beer/liquor that was really interesting. Check out the beautiful food decoration at the Thai restaurant's booth.We were supposed to bring home a Rottweiler puppy this weekend, but we decided against taking the one the breeder selected for us. My sister and I did a puppy aptitude test (Volhard) on the 3 pups, and the little girl showed some less desirable responses. Her temperament appeared to be more of a challenge than the others, and the breeder thought this would be fine for us, because we're experienced owners (this will be our 4th Rottie). If I ever breed a litter of pups, I'm not going to sell a pup to a family with a 16 month old child and it's their first Rottweiler (I'm slightly bitter). I was really sad about it but now realize it's the right decision. I've done well by following my gut instinct before. The right puppy will be there for me, when the time is right.

I went to a concert on Valentine's Day with a friend I used to work with, Interpol. We had such a great time, the band was awesome. You can watch music videos on their website (link is in name above). I hadn't realized how elf-like the lead singer is, hah! This friend also told me about the elf-worship of FIGWIT, which stands for "Frodo is great...Who is that?!" because of a scene from Lord of the Rings in which Brett McKenzie (of Flight of the Conchords) plays a non-speaking elf role. I find it highly amusing that he has this fan base that was so profound that a documentary film was made about it. Flight of the Conchords, by the way, is so funny!!! They just won a Grammy- way to go guys! The other half of Flight of the Conchords, Jermaine, is in the movie Eagle vs. Shark. Why haven't you seen this yet? It is funny and sweet and made by a Kiwi.

Darin and I had dinner out at the Bluestone Room. They have a Saturday $10 dinner deal, and it's a very atmospheric place. Good service, beer, and food too. It's in a restored historic (1850's) building in downtown Auckland. Here's a picture of the bar. I'll definitely go back there.

Somewhere over the rainbow

We almost found that pot of gold! This was taken last weekend as we returned from Murawai Beach and entered Kumeu. This rainbow extended into a full arch. It was about 7 pm, and the sun was beaming on this raincloud. Here's some puppy photos from the beach. They are 5 weeks old.

I forgot to mention in my last post that I attended the memorial for Sir Edmond Hillary. A large screen was set up in the Auckland Domain to show live feed from the funeral in the afternoon. He was an amazing man, to hear his children, grandchildren, and friends talk. He is New Zealand's most famous citizen, and I wish there were more people like him. According to his son, Peter, it didn't matter if you were good at something, the most important thing was that you tried. He is on the NZ $5 bill.

I finished reading The Epicure's Lament, the first fiction I've read in awhile. I enjoyed it, but in the end, I was glad I'd borrowed it from the library and not bought it. It's about a man who's a nicotine addict, and supposedly an epicure, but it really has very little to do with food, and a lot to do with death and pain. I'm now reading What is the What, which is really pulling me in. This is a fictionalized biography, and it's very compelling. Reading a book like this makes you appreciate what you have. It also reminds me how horrible people can be. Similarly, No Country For Old Men follows this same thesis. I love the Cohen brothers' films, especially Fargo, Hudsucker Proxy, and O Brother Where Art Thou?

Darin finished his sailing course and had a great time. He's keen to continue on to his Day Skipper certification.