What do you mean its already November?

OK, so I haven't put any updates on the blog since September. Maybe I have been busy with work, and maybe I have been busy with weekend trips around the island, and maybe I have been busy uploading photos to Facebook. Whatever the reason, I haven't been updating the blog. Well, let's see, Sydney and Galen are still in school. Galen is now in cricket season and having a great time. Sydney plays indoor soccer for her school and softball for the town team here in Halswell. Even Tyler is playing softball for a Halwell team. Both men and women play hardcore fastpitch softball here as baseball is not a big deal in NZ. Nick's dad, Rick, has been with us for a couple of weeks and we all took a trip to Doubtful Sound in the fiordland located in the southwestern part of the south island. Had a great time fishing and enjoying the beauty of another region of the country. We are all pretty well adjusted to Kiwi life and doing our best to enjoy everything that we can while we are here. We just wish more people would hop on planes and come on down as we live in the perfect place to show them the island. With summer just around the corner, we are really looking forward to a few months of warm and sunny weather.

September Update from Tai Tapu

It has been a busy few weeks for the Ericksons. We moved to a new house in the hills and we're bottle feeding two lambs. There was a great trip to see the seals of Kaikoura and a crazy 18th birthday for Tyler that included indoor bowling in Darfield. No, we didn't finish in last place.

The critters of the commute

I am constantly amazed at all there is to see here on this tiny island. While there are all kinds of wildlife around both islands, I actually see all of these animals on a daily basis during my drive to work. There are 3 bison, about 10 ostriches, and 20 or so horses, but hundreds of cattle and thousands of sheep including hundreds of brand new lambs right now. It is also shearing season so most of the sheep are clean shaven. The total sheep population of NZ has gone down over the past few years; there are only 33 million!

The amazing beauty of New Zealand

We continue to be amazed at the beauty of our new home down under. From the clouds lying low in the western foothills of the Southern Alps, to the view from the top of the Mt. Hutt ski field with the mountain tops breaking through the cloud layer, to Tyler continually enhancing his kitchen skills, we are truly amazed every day. Now if it would just stop raining, we could enjoy the outdoors even more and you would once again see new photos of everyone spending time outside.

Galen enjoying all things Kiwi

Galen continues to have a great time in NZ. He has played two rugby matches for the hometown Rolleston Rugby team (under 11 1/2 league, so some big farmboys on other teams). He got his dog fix from Nipper as we had dinner with new friends in Kirwee, and he showed Rick the real way to make the upper crust for Rick's famous homemade apple pie. He pretty much loves all things Kiwi, and if school didn't keep getting in the way, he would enjoy it even more.

The view from the Summit Trail hike that Sydney and Rick took when the rest of us were either too tired or covering the clinic. She hadn't hiked Taylor's Mistake the day before so here legs weren't so tired. Of course, Rick did both hikes and wasn't complaining, but he's used to this stuff.










Sydney in her favorite Movin Shoes sweatshirt. You know Rick, always getting that free advertising even if he isn't still in San Diego. Some things never change.
Even on a misty day, the view back to the ocean is pretty amazing. We're headed up to this trail tomorrow, so hope it is clear so we can take more outstanding photos.

Shopping in NZ

Turns out you have to be a little careful when shopping in NZ, and there are always interesting new signs to follow. If you need eggs, don't look in the coolers, just the shelves as they don't keep them in the reefer.
If you need hamburger, don't grab the first meat roll you see as it may be intended for your four-legged friend! Some Americans thought that the meat actually was dog meat intended for human consumption. Not to worry, it is wet dogfood and no, we haven't accidentally eaten any yet.
What, you don't know what a trundler is? That would be your grocery cart, and like in the U.S., if you don't tell people where to put them when they are done, they will leave them standing around in the parking lot.
Our new favorite, that would be the gigantic chocolate chip cookies from Cookie Time. We live a couple of miles from the main outlet warehouse and have found it impossible to drive past without stopping in to fill up on some great cookies (for the kids of course).

Change is good, because I said so!

Well, the fun and games of our initial arrival have ended, and real life has set in. The kids got their fill of playing with Oliver and Belle (Ollie is in the photo), watching endless hours of rugby and the Tour de France, and enjoying feast after feast with our friends Rick and Lynn Vandertie in Papanui. But now we have moved to our temporary residence in the rural bedroom town of Rolleston, the kids have started school, and there is no TV and no dogs to play with, so things aren't quite as grand. On the bright side, Sydney's class is going on a ski trip to Mt. Hutt on Friday, Galen was able to sign up for the local under 11 rugby team, and Felicia has been able to navigate herself around Christchurch without getting lost, so there has been a bright side of things. I was going to put a photo of Sydney in her school kilt on here, but she would surely hate me forever if I did.
Work at the clinic is quite smooth so that bodes well for my year down under, and we are busy planning our multiple trips around the island in an effort to see as much as we can in the next year. We are really looking forward to having visitors from the US as there is so much to see and do, and with two cars there is plenty of room for everyone. Tyler and Nick are well on their way to golfing the entire South Island and are planning their trip to Wellington to see a concert in August. They have also taken a bite out of the local food economy and continue to rave about the grand food of New Zealand.
Whoops, lost track of time, must get ready for work. More photos to follow.

I'm not in Kansas anymore

Sitting in the Auckland airport watching the rain and clouds and realizing that it will be at least a year before I see desert again. Coming in to Auckland there was nothing but green hills and trees. Although it was cool with grey skies upon arrival, it has now progressed to a steady rain that will likely follow me to Christchurch in an hour when I head there on my next flight. The red-eye from LAX was uneventful with plenty of sleep and a row of empty seats for sleeping pleasure. Still can't believe that the plan that seemed so far in the future is now here and I actually start working on Monday. Imagine my excitement when I read in the paper that the swine flu has overrun the local clinics here. So I get to deal with mass hysteria again on this side of the world. The kids are having a great time at Hume Lake, Felicia is happily preparing the house for our departure, and we will all be together again in a week or so. 

Educated and Unemployed

Well, Tyler has actually done it. He graduated from high school. To be honest
it was pretty cool to take a photo with the three of us in our gowns.
With Felicia teaching high school history and me teaching physics, we ended up sitting with the rest of the faculty while Sydney and Galen sat with friends in our family row of seats.
I think this is the first family photo we have taken in several years.
We have cleaned out the garage and started on the closets as we prepare the house for our departure. Our social calendar is filled with visits to friends for farewell dinners and we will even have a farewell block party next weekend. Galen's All-Star baseball team will be playing on the next two weekends and then everyone is off to Hume Lake for their annual camp. Felicia and I will go straight from Hume to LAX for my flight, and then the rest of the family will follow after they get back from Hume the following week. We are all excited about the move and the life that awaits us in NZ. I am looking forward to posting regular updates once we arrive.

44 and Counting

According to my calculations, I will be arriving in Christchurch in 44 days to commence our year with the hobbits. The only unfortunate part is that I will actually have to work while there which will put a crimp in the exploration effort. That and the kids having to go to school will hinder our overall fun, but we're still pretty sure that it will be an excellent adventure. Felicia and the kids have purchased their plane tickets and will be meeting up with me on the 16th. We have rented a home in Rolleston for the first two months of our adventure and will be exploring the neighborhoods prior to our home shift in mid-September. The ski slopes open on May 30th, so it will be quite a transition in July when we arrive. We're putting the finishing touches on our move from Yucca Valley while also preparing for Tyler's high school graduation. We're looking forward being able to update the blog with photos from down under to ensure that those who want to enjoy a little break from reality can do so.

Tyler's future is so bright, he's got to wear shades.

The excitement is building and we are really getting ready for the move down under. Now there are 6 of us invading the South Island as we are bringing Tyler's friend Nick to spend his college summer vacation with us. We're really hoping that he can keep an eye on Tyler as they are looking to play every golf course on the island, and maybe a couple on the North Island also. Heck, they may even make a trip to Australia to see if they can hit golfballs there too. Only 5 weeks of school left here before Tyler graduates, Felicia and I are really looking forward to the break from teaching, and Sydney and Galen are actually getting excited about the move. We should be purchasing our plane tickets this week and the visa packets will be submitted in a few days. We look forward to vacation visits from any and all friends who have always dreamed of visiting the land of hobbits.

64 days and counting.

Update on the move

As we rapidly approach the 3-month mark of our move down under, we are realizing that our time to get ready is quickly evaporating. Had the big garage sale yesterday and rid ourselves of much of the "essential stuff" that had filled our garage and closets for the past 6 years. Somebody even bought the old "Mini-Nightmare Champion 1998" baseball cap. Don't worry, I still have the rock, in case anyone disputes the award. Memories of shoes being left in the mud come rushing back to mind. Still awaiting word from the NZ Ministry of Health, but not expecting any issues on that end so we will be submitting our visas in the coming month. Ordering a math textbook for Sydney so that she can be sure to be on track when she arrives in the middle of 10th grade. Not too worried about Galen as his main focus is playing rugby and snowboarding when we arrive. Tyler will be given a backpack upon arrival and will hopefully stay out of the local legal system until he returns for school in January. I'll just give him directions to Rick's house in the event he needs to perform hard labor to earn spending money. All in all, the move preps continue to go smoothly and we are really looking forward to the transition from desert sand to total green surroundings.

JS XC at the first meet, before uniforms

Gonna miss those runners

While we are all excited about the temporary move to New Zealand, one part of my life here that I am really going to miss is my cross-country team. We were able to start a running program here at Joshua Springs with a group of middle-school runners who went from a motley crew of joggers to a team of fantastic runners. Here is a photo of our award winners from the end of the year Middle School XC Championship Race in Moreno Valley. With the entire team looking forward to the 2009 season and hoping to recruit even more runners, there is a lot of excitement of things to come. Unfortunately, I will be coaching via internet training plans and the team will be in the hands of one of the dad's who will do everything he can to keep the kids motivated in my absence. Hopefully, within a couple of years, we will have a highly competitive varsity team training in the hills of Yucca Valley.
Good Luck JS Cross Country!

Update on the move

Well, with the arrival of 2009, the stress of the NZ move has now fully hit all of us. Tyler has now realized that spending a year in NZ beats the heck out of being a freshman at NAU, so he is coming with us. As for getting an education while he is there, who knows. We can only hope. The rest of the planning is still in the paperwork stage, but seems to be moving along OK for our July departure and arrival.

At right you can see Tyler and I in front of the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. The two of us were blessed to be able to spend a week in Israel with a church group and it was fantastic. If I find the time, I may put a slide show on the site, but since I am the only one looking at it there is no reason to put it here now.

164 days to the move (about)

Dr Jay