Something Old
Something that has been part & parcel of generations of NZ'ers (especially those that have a sweet tooth - including me !!!) is the Chelsea Sugar refinery, which was constructed on the foreshores of Birkenhead, one of Aucklands suburbs, in 1883. One hundred & fifty construction workers built shacks or set up tents to make bricks from the clay of the surrounding hillsides, which were then used to build the buildings of the refinery, which started operating in September 1884. Today, 122 years later, the refinery is still producing not only white sugar from natural sugar cane, but also a range of other "sugar" products. I have been to the refinery once, many moons ago when I helped with their head office removal from the city to the refinery. I have also seen it once from the water-side when passing on a boat heading up to the Riverhead pub but have seen it many times from afar, when going over the Auckland harbour bridge. It is NZ's only sugar refinery, which is owned by Australians.
I know I should cut down on "sugar", but I have got so used to having 2 teaspoons of white sugar in a cup of of coffee or a teaspoon in a cup of tea; brown sugar, a lump of butter & cream on porridge; white sugar on other breakfast cereals; golden syrup spread on toast - shall I go on.........???
Chelsea Sugar also have a great website which I have listed on my Foodie Blog - it includes "video's of recipes" (hey, you will get to hear a NZ'er talk but don't blame me, if you cannot understand her !!!) as well as details of their products, etc.
#461. Something New
My heart bleeds for them............people who live in apartments !!! Everywhere you look at the moment within the inner city area there seem to be new apartment blocks going up like topsy turvey. It seems that every square foot of land is been built on.
Apartment blocks build right up next to each other, so you can look out and see the person sitting at the table in the next apartment block - if they open their mouth, you would even be able to see what they are eating !!! (Hehe). As for the bedrooms - well keep your curtains closed !!!
There is 3 blocks that have been built, which they said would have great views - forever !!! Well, it just so happens that if plans been made to build a stadium on the wharf bear fruit, they will have a great view of a stadium & people - thousands of them, as the "new" stadium is expected to cater for 60,000 people. It is either upgrade Eden Park or build a new stadium altogether - in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
#462. Something Borrowed
I could not understand the language, but as art everyone can understand what they are saying here....."The world is heating up".
I found it .......here !!!
#463. Something Blue
Most Australians, as well as other people right around the world have been feeling "blue" with the death of not one two well known Australians - Steve Irwin & Peter Brock. Steve just "diving" around in the water filming, when stung by a string-ray - Peter just out there on the road, "driving" when his car, hit a tree. It came as a real shock and it goes to show you, that you never know when your number is called up yonder. May they both - "Rest In Peace".
Steven Irwin is burried within his Australia Zoo - a property which he purchased in 1970. (While I'm typing this and trying to find the Zoo's website, there's a song playing on the radio - "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" !!!)
I haven't read anything in the papers about Peter Brock's funeral, which was going to be a State funeral.
#464. Currently Reading
I haven't had much time for picking up a book to read over the past week because I have been reading - not just looking at the pictures, I might add - our main NZ paper, The New Zealand Herald. The week-day editions cost $1.50, while the Saturday edition, which they called "Weekend Herald" costs $2.50 and has several sections. (They called it the Weekend Herald, because it normally takes all weekend to read it, but then they decided to bring out a "Sunday Herald" as well)
Yesterday's Saturday edition -
Section A - 28 pages of news from around NZ. The main front page news is "MP's grease skids for Brash" - Don Brash, leader of the National Party who has been having an affair, with Diane Foreman of The Emerald Group, which has a controlling stake in the expanding ice-cream chain, NZ Natural, which has outlets in NZ as well as in China; Hong Kong; Malaysia; Thailand; Australia; Indonesia; Vietnam and the USA.
Section B - 14 pages "Review" goes into more juicy detail of the main news stories as well as overseas news.
Section C - 28 pages "Business" news and employment adverts.
Section D - 14 pages "Sports" & adverts
Section E - 18 pages "Prime Assets" / Commercial properties & adverts
Section F - 16 pages "Drive" / Motoring & adverts
Liftouts - (A3 size)
Section G - 16 pages "Timeout" / Movies & TV and whats on around Auckland
Section H - 72 pages "Homes" and properties for sale in the top half of the North Island.
Section I - 54 pages "Canvas" which is a lifestyle magazine. Because it's Fashion Week in NZ, it's mainly to do with "Fashion" - funny that !!!
And if that isn't enough to read - today you can buy the "Sunday Herald" or one of the other 2 Sunday papers - "The Sunday News", or the "The Sunday Star Times which is the biggest Sunday paper with 5 sections / total 90 pages, plus 2 liftouts - 1 of 32 pages & 52 pages.
Front page news of The Sunday Star Times is.............
NZ's Prime Minister, Helen Clarks' Husband, Peter Davis & That Kiss !!!
#465. Where Is It ?The beach, the headlands, the rolling waves - looking right out to sea with no land in sight - is it NZ ???
#466. Is Someone Trying To Tell Me Something ???
I don't whether "someone" is trying to tell me something or not, but..........I have been blogging now for about 16 months and in all that time, it has never ever happened to me before - not once, read on...........
Last week........I spent a few hours on Sunday morning blogging at the internet cafe that I usually frequent on the weekends which is open from 8am to 2pm. I have breakfast first of bacon, eggs, hash brown, sausauge & toast, followed by a couple of cups of coffee and then I blog my little heart out. It was mainly the Blogger-Beta blogs that I worked on, copying & pasting from a USB. Anyway, to cut a long story, short - I left there around 2 and went for a walk around the inner city area, including an old cemetery, to stretch my legs. Around 5, on the way home I called into another internet cafe - just to have a quick read over what I had posted. I walked into this cafe where I have been several times before at night after work - I suppose there would be about 30 computers in the place which is own by asians and so caters mainly to asians with their games, etc. They aren't supposed to smoke in the place, but as it is mainly asian's guys, they do so there's a smell of smoke in the air. Most of the computers have asian instructions, but there's about 3 computers with english instructions which were already taken, so I had a quick look around. Seven computers were taken, leaving 20 computers that were available so I said to the guy, I would have number 6. I have been there so often, that I have managed to work out the asian intructions and find my way around the blogs and the internet. (This story is getting longer rather than shorter - hehe) Anyway, I found my blogger-beta blogs and was sitting there reading thru them, - sniff, sniff !!! Smell like something burning ??? Noooooo !!! I carry on looking & reading - sniff - sniff ??? Something is burning. The guys are running around in a panic, feeling the backs of the computer monitors. There's me, Krazy Kelvin sitting there reading and the next thing............smoke starts drifting out of my computer monitor........hehe !!! The guys rushed over, unplugged all it's bits and I move over to number 8 computer. The asian guy on number 7 computer was just laid back in his chair - eys closed !!! Once all the excitment died down and the guys went back to their games - they were talking away in their language and you could hear the laughter, which I knew was directed at me............buggers !!! So, was it a omen, that my Blogger-Beta blogs are going to crash & burn as it's the first time a computer monitor has done that on me............I suppose only time will tell !!! Krazy !!!
Footnote - After they had unplugged all it's bits, they left the monitior there until it had cooled down and just move away to another area. Hopefully the place is equiped with fire extingushers because if it had gone up in flames..............
#467. Still Waiting !!!
It's getting to be like that "cartoon" photo of those women sitting around the table waiting.........for the perfect man !!! I am waiting for Google, to change my old blogs over to Blogger-Beta. A couple of people said, I should do it by myself but..........??? I had a couple of "orphan blogs" which have been changed over okay after blogger left a message in the space, just where you have the Blog Search Box. How they will change over all my old blogs, I wouldn't have a clue. Most normal people just have one blog, not 10 !!! All I can do is wait.
#468. (964.) My Thoughts On Life ???
I do not know how you look at life, but to me life is sort of like been on the "road". You are on a journey on the road of life, not really knowing what is around the corner, nor what is over the brow of the hill. Sometimes you get a long straight, where you are just coasting along nicely until all of a sudden, someone pulls in front of you and you end up running off the road. Sometimes, you get to the "crossroads" and you sit there for a while, wondering what way to go. It's bloody hard sometimes, but you keep going. Every now & again, you pull off to the side of the road and revitalize yourself. and then get moving again. If you don't know what is around the corner, you don't worry about it. If you spent all your time, worrying about life, you would not get anywhere. So you might as well do the best you can, with what you have got and get on with your life. Despite what people say, I don't think anyone really knows, that when your number gets called, whether it is going to be upstairs or downstairs ! I aren't worried where I go ! I have managed to come this far in life with my "Guardian Angel" not far behind me. It's a wonder I didn't get killed of my own doing by accident or at the hands of a stranger.
#469. (975.) Computer Hint 2 - Easy Way To Delete Spam
Did I hear you right - you don't get spam ??? I aren't talking about the tinned variety either, because thats where "pink pigs", like the one flying past the window at the moment ends up. Ohooo he is flying mightly low and I think he is heading in your direction !!! (To those that don't know, a flying "pink pig" means that the person is telling porkies or lies)
Spam - If you receive a large number of spam emails, you don't have to delete them individually. Hold down the Ctrl key as you use the mouse (not the pig) to select each email, then hit the delete button, to get rid of them all at once. I will see what other computer hints I can find to share with you. Anyone got any ??? Email me ..... thanks !!!
I had a look in the archives (no one really has a look in there - too many cobwebs & spiders) and dragged out two old posts - # 964 & # 975 just to fill this up. Next week, I'll be on the "ball" with all new posts !!!
I'll be back............
