What's happening in your world?

[Farseer]

^ You're welcome.

Most dangerous moment was when my eyelids started going southwards at the end of the return drive, but that was fixed by stopping at a gas station and walking around in the fresh (around freezing point) air for a few minutes.

In all of my many years of long and constant driving stretches, I've never had a problem with this...until recently. I think I must have stumbled over over some threshold and now must eat, and eat, and eat to stay awake, even if I'm well rested and the long journey just begun. Maybe the roads have just become *too* familiar, the driver's seat *too* much like home or my body *too* aged!

['thul]

feeding starts up additional bodily systems, so its not unnatural that it works on keeping you awake...

In cases of serious injury, it is common practice for first-aiders to deny food/drink (unless that be the correct treatment), as that would fire up the digestive system, taking important resources away from the body repairing itself.

['thul]

hmm... these beings are wondering what date "shoot your employee"-day is...

[Farseer]

^ I have no idea but it sounds like my kinda day!

Not sure if I came back to update about this here but I missed Mervi's visit to Sydney as she'd already gone south to Melbourne before returning to New Zealand in time to see the premier of The Hobbit (hope you don't mind me sharing that Mervi! ).

Yesterday I was lucky enough to catch up with Kim (from Robin's Newsgroup) again. It's nice to meet fellow Hobb readers face-to-face.

[Mervi]

Not at all Farseer! I should have planned my visit to Australia better (and timed it differently, I did NOT do well in the heat) - I really would have wanted to see things beyond the big cities/tourist traps. Let's hope there is another time!

I'm currently again in stupid lovely Wellington where the pohutukawa trees are in full bloom and the streets are decorated with hobbity banners. I'm not at all a city dweller but this place is something else. Which reminds me - free wifi or not, I should get my ass out of the hostel and go enjoy my limited time here!

['thul]

Sounds fun, mervi. except for the heat.
heat belongs to dragons, not humans. give back or be eaten.

These beings are quite comfortable with about -9 to -10 degrees outside their door. Its very nice to have stable, practically unchanging nice weather. No rain to be annoyed over, no slippery ground, etc...

[Farseer]

I did NOT do well in the heat

I had to jump in and share that I have spent much time in the same 'heat' huddling in my room under blankets and even had to resort to buying gloves and a scarf! Just goes to show it's what we are all used to...

['thul]

its all about what you're used to.

It is no longer cold for 'thul to be outside in a meagre -7 C.

[Valarya]

I'm currently again in stupid lovely Wellington where the pohutukawa trees are in full bloom and the streets are decorated with hobbity banners. I'm not at all a city dweller but this place is something else. Which reminds me - free wifi or not, I should get my ass out of the hostel and go enjoy my limited time here!

Sigh. This makes me happy. I remember seeing all the videos during the premiers of the LotR and the parades they had there in Wellington. What I wouldn't give to live in NZ. I have a friend who lives in Hamilton - real close to where they built the Shire (her grandparents were Hobbit extras in the 1st movie, too - haha), but the grandeur of all the Middle Earth posters and banners and other such Middle Earthy things in Wellington makes me quite jealous of where you live.

[Farseer]

Mervi actually lives in Finland, Valarya, but has been on an extended LotR/New Zealand holiday. She did take a quick trip up here, across the Tasman, but then returned south to the Land of the Long White Cloud to see The Hobbit. My second son is planning a trip down there at the end of next year, to see all of the 'LotR sights'.

On a tangent, a couple of nights ago I caught up with my cousin from New Zealand (in Christchurch) via Facebook Chat and it was **fantastic**. We had not 'seen' each other for twenty-eight or nine years (since we were about ten!). She was also able to meet my husband and two-thirds of my children.

It's a tad past midnight here Down Under so, already having clicked over to Christmas Day, here's wishing those of you who celebrate it a 'Merry Christmas'.