Our boat

Today we took the boat for a test run (sea trial) and it passed, so it will be ours by the weekend.
I managed not to embarrass myself by reviewing my breakfast, in fact I didn't feel at all queasy.
Still need to think of a name for her.

Tunstall does Tangled

Excellent cover.

Love KT's voice and seems she may be a Bobcat too...



Postscript, I've just found this one too - she is definitely a Bobcat



And another - this gets better and better. I love Billy Bragg too. Some good finds today.

Bob and Obama and a nameless boat

 

Great shot. They both seem really pleased to be there. 

On the home front, it is hot and humid which saps my energy so I am largely being lazy. 

We are shortly going to spend a few days at a beach bach near Whitianga with my cousin who has been travelling around NZ for the last few weeks in a bid to escape the frozen waste of northern Europe. 

When we come back we will take delivery of our boat that we are in the process of purchasing and will sign up for Day Skipper and Marine Radio courses. More will be revealed next week. In the meantime we are need a name for the boat and I have been given approval to use a Dylanesque name, so am thinking of a song title or character. So far on the possible list are:

• New Morning
• Desire
• Isis
• Jokerman
• Baby Blue
• Expecting Rain

Any other suggestions welcomed.

Bob sings at the White House - beats snow storm

Apparently it was a day earlier than planned because of the "snowmaggedon" on the US East Coast.

He sang the Times They are A Changin', quite an appropriate song when you consider this verse...

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

You can see a selection of official Dylan videos here

An 'appy alpaca birthday

My birthday celebrations this year were spread over several days, and good fun it was too. Thursday I was at work and in the evening Paul & Jaz were busy (at the AC/DC gig and French classes), so we went out for a meal altogether on Friday instead.

The food at Verbena was excellent - and as good as the Engine Room.

On Saturday John, Jaz, Mark & I drove out to an Alpaca farm near the Kaipara harbour and stayed overnight there. The hosts Hans and Chris were very entertaining and it was great to get up close with the Alpacas, including a few day old little-un that I was able to hold. The farm has over 200 alpacas of various breeds. One paddock was in quarantine as they were about to be flown to Germany for export. We hand fed the females with buckets of a fragrant mixture that contained cumin and ginger.








Bob news: Dylan and others, including Joan Baez will be performing at the White House in a 'Celebration of Civil Rights Music' on the 10th Feb. The show will be streamed live here

Black sheep in white shorts

Ralph, one of my work colleagues is currently on day 4 of the 14 day 'Ride for Heart'.

Yes, he is cycling the length of New Zealand to raise money for the Heart Foundation. You can watch him in the clip below (he is the black sheep in white shorts), and if you are feeling even a little bit generous please donate a few dollars to this worthy cause by going to this page. It's simple, fast and totally secure and the money goes directly to the Heart Foundation's bank account.