The Italians are coming

It was officially announced this past week for Rugby World cup, Nelson will host the Italian team. They will also play 2 games here- one against the US and one against some yet to be determined European team. The rugby following here has the same intensity as the hockey following back home so it'll be good to be in on the excitement!

I just got back from taking Allie to the vet for a checkup. She got to have another set of shots, lucky girl! She behaved so very well with only a little squirming during the physical exam, and a bit of crying in the car. She's now peacefully napping.

Wow, Christmas time is coming. The plan is to spend the 25th through 28th in the sounds before returning to work on the 29th.

We're getting our first warm weather of the season. It was 25 yesterday, but I think hotter in my old uninsulated house.

I continue to battle the ants. They discovered the cat food yesterday so I had to relocate it, and so far they haven't discovered the new bit yet. I DO NOT enjoy ants...

In other news, I bought a bike off trademe and picked it up this week. I haven't actually ridden a bike much since the days mom and dad bought Shawn and I new bmxs. We must have been 8 or so. Once that was outgrown, I've only been on them a handfull of times: Rental bikes in Ireland, a borrowed bike on a wine tour in blenheim where I totally held up the group, and for a short bike ride around the track in Nelson on my old flatties bike. We'll see how we go- I'd like to get out on it this weekend except that the weather is forecasting buckets of rain.

I decided to finally start playing the stock market game. When I first moved to NZ interest rates were so high that I couldn't pass up fixed interest investments. Them having dropped about 5% or more, I thought it was finally time. I signed up with ASB so I could do self directed trades- on either the ASX or the NSX. My first investment is on the ASX. In the next month or so I'll make another investment after I get around to doing some research.

Less than a week until Christmas. Wishing you all a very good one.