Oh Dear, it's Ebay again...

I'm not sure if one can even begin to imagine how many crocodilians one can find on any Ebay site at any time. It would take a whole blog on it's own to even come close to being able to show all the weird and wonderful creatures I have come to own over the last few years.

It all seems to happen for me when in the USA. Not sure why, but it has become a bit of an institution that upon arrival in NY I start a croc search on Ebay and fill Jane's mail box several times over - she is not yet aware that the parcels will begin to arrive soon...
.

Today I bought a potato peeler and a Bakerlite croc with monkey

Why?

Because I could I guess...

Just for Lucy - here's the weather update...

It's cold yet again.

We had a lovely few days after a good snowfall last week. I went walking in Central Park with Jane and the boys on Monday. Had a picnic lunch alongside Alice in Wonderland then met a snow cow/wolf on our way home.

Tonight it is -4C but with windchill it's -12C (and getting colder).

One day soon, I will have time and energy to write something interesting - I hope.

It's still cold

I took the boys out for a walk today. It was -9C when we left - with the windchill it was more like -18C. They were dressed in their snow suits in the pram with cashmere hats and blankets, snuggled under the apron with the rain cover on to stop the wind.

I carried the thermometer in the pram so I could come home if it reached 0 degreees C inside the pram. I also have a thermometer on the outside which reached 0 very quickly and then malfunctioned when it should have gone lower.

They went down to 9C inside the pram and we had a lovely walk looking for socks for the boys. I found one pair at gap and then went to Maddison Ave to another shop I'd been recommended. They did have the type of sock I wanted but were charging US$18.00 per pair, so funnily enough I decided they could stay in the shop for some other fool... I'm off to go internet shopping instead.

My chin had an ice cream headache this time but in my nice long coat (thanks Mum) and knee boots I was very toastie everywhere else!

It's cold now!

Today it finally turned 'New York' cold and I just happened to only have my light coat... I must have caused the cold snap because of that!

I came out of the subway this evening and the wind was one of the more lazy ones I've met - it went right through me and everything else in it's path instead of going around. There were flurries of snow and a cold cold wind... oh I already mentioned that. I had an icecream headache in my face and hands. Brr

Tomorrow is supposed to get even colder... Yay!! I've been dying to try out mum's new long, down coat that she kindly left here for me! I wore it a couple of times earlier and got way too hot in it so put it back in the cupboard. It will certainly be out again tomorrow.

Just checked the temp outside and it is -9C but feels like -18C due to wind chill factor etc. Eat your heart out Lucy you're only -7C at the moment!

New York

I made it to NY on Monday after a long and tedious journey - all thanks to the always efficient Washington DC (Dulles) airport.

Last I flew through Dulles in 1994 I had the worst time and as a result barely made it to my international flight. This time was not much better - different story though - we were grounded while waiting for a pilot to turn up and fly our plane. We then sat on the tarmac for over an hour while we awaited a take off slot.

I got to NY 1.5 hours late and instead of a nice relaxing evening with Jane, it was home and off to bed very quickly.

I met up with mum on Tuesday and so it all began...

I have 2 lovely little boys here to fill all my time - and more! I am so tired I can hardly think let alone blog. I just spent last night at Jane's and we had a chilled night in. I slept til 11 this morning and still feel I could sleep til 11 again tomorrow!

Hopefully the energy levels increase soon so I can be more enthusiastic here...

A-shopping I did go...

I went shopping today and came home with an item that I did not expect to come home with.

I mostly don't regret the impulsive purchase, in fact very little of me regrets it at all, the only wee problem is that this lovely new thing is quite big and I (and my mum - gulp - she has no idea!!) live in a very small bedsit with barely enough room for us let alone the lovely new thing too.

I bought something I have had my eye on for years and vowed I would get before I returned home to NZ. I had thought I would get the full version of it and not the 'play' version of it. But it was the toy one that presented itself to me today with a sign on it (I think only I could see it though) saying 'Buy me Jenn - you know you want to'.

Daisy and Tom is closing - can you believe it?? I can't. It's the best toy shop I have ever had the pleasure of shopping in. It has always had just slightly different things that other places don't have. It also has the most incredible range of children's clothing upstairs. Slightly out of my price range - except for today. It also has it's own Merry-go-round that runs a few times every day for the children to ride on free of charge. Upstairs in the clothing section it has an automated puppet show.

They sometimes stocked the full size Silver Cross coach built pram that I dreamed of taking home with me one day. But what they always did stock was the children's one. I often looked up on the top shelf where it sat on display and thought how nice it would be to have one for myself.

Today my wish came true and I have a Silver Cross doll's pram all to myself. I am just not that sure how my mother will react when she arrives home to find it parked in our small room. I do think she will be a little more underdstanding when she sees that it is in fact a twin doll's pram.

I have 2 weeks in which to break it to her gently...

Where did it go...?

I could have sworn it was 2007 last time I looked.

Suddenly it appears it is 2008 and I am left wondering where 2007 went. Over the hill and far away it seems.

It's been a busy year and one with ups and one with downs - but more ups then downs. Overall a rating of about 7.5/10. Not bad at all. 2008 will hopefully continue as it has started (all 1 hour 14 minutes of it...) with more very enjoyable work, some (lots) more lovely NZ wine and of course the important factor - heaps of travel.

Happy New Year and may all your dreams be realised.

xxx