TOYS FOR BIG GIRLS AND BOYS

We had a chuckle over Motellas post on travelling etiquette for vibrator owners...

It is very wise advice indeed.

It reminded us of a family story that is now legend. We have blogged on it before but its worth another whirl..

Ma and Pa have the near perfect life. They live in Alexandra and when the want takes them, they head for the highway in Bugsy's Burrow, their beloved motorhome.

They meet all sorts of people and some of them have become life long friends. A couple of weeks back they met up with some Aussies in a Hire Motorhome at the canals nearOmarama, who were heading to dads place of birth, Stewart Island. As people do, they soon worked out they shared a common ancestor Rob Roy McGregor. Bonds were cemented.
As they prepared to fish together, the Aussie brought out his pride and joy. It was a travelling set of fishing rods reels and stuff that fitted in a plastic container the size of a cake tin. Dad was envious. Everyone was deeply impressed. Dad helped the Aussie set up his lines and they caught fish, lots of fish.

Soon the Aussies departed and headed their motorhome south, bound for Stewart Island. That night as dad packed up Bugsy's Burrow he spied the plastic container full of his distant relatives fishing gear.

They called up the " nephew" Vaughn Fisher star of the TV3 series Million dollar catch who lives in Bluff.

They didn't have much to go on - Dad told Vaughn to leave a message with the Stewart Island Ferry for "An Aussie called Dave who was a descendant of Rob Roy McGregor who had lost his fishing gear." 24 hours later mum and dad got a call.

Dave the Aussie, was stunned and ecstatic to get his very expensive fishing gear back.

Anyway, mum told Dave everyone was curious, as in amongst the mini rods and reels was a small bright purple thing about 4 inches long that hummed. The consensus was that it was some sort of fish attractant.

Er, no the Aussie said, it was his wife's vibrator. Seems that on their worldly travels he and his missus had copped a bit of flack from Customs over the vibrator. So he hid it in the fishing gear.

Mum reckons that the look on the old mans face when he heard what it was, has her wondering if he didn't try it out on the trout. He aint talking.

CAMPERVAN PARK IN WELLINGTON CENTRAL

We have long been advocates for a decent motorhome park in down town Wellington and we are delighted to see its a reality.

Newbie scribe Melissa Mcdonald over at News Wire have the story  complete with the revelation that there will be a bit of a price hike for Rugby World Cup. Double the rate in fact. So for the moment its about $12 for 12 hours - so essentially it will be $24 for a day. However - during the world Cup that will increase to $50.

While the price may  seem steep , the parking areas comes with a set of ablutions so with think it will be in very high demand. 

Well done the Wellington City council.

BLOG BITS

This will make us think twice about buying " Fair Trade coffee" again - seems its designed to keep poor people poor. Eye2theLongrun often has some interesting blogs on economics..

Inquiring Mind who does some great fisks - fisks Fran O'Sullivan.. excellent it is.

Alf Grumble does a great piss take of Winnie the Poo.

And Gonzo has a funny cartoon about House Tv series..

and we only have 5 days of work left before we are on Holiday! And only 3 days before the olds cross the ditch in Bugsy's Burrow

50 YEARS OF LOVE.

Fifty years ago on December 8 our parents got married. Joy - was the eldest daughter of six and she fell in love with a skinny bloke with piercing blue eyes and a wicked grin.
Robin, was the farm hand. Mum was the farmers daughter. Dad came from a family of six whom, from a very young age, were brought up by a widowed mother.

He was born on Stewart Island and a piece of his heart is still there. I reckon down a muttonbird burrow on Ernest Island.
He came from fishing stock on both sides of his family and his Maori blood came from Pura, a Kaipoi woman sent south to get away from marauding Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha . She married a Portuguese whaler. Dad is a Campbell, and comes from the Goomes and Hanning Clans as well.
Mum has fine Scottish stock in her history, Stewarts and McLauchlans. Her family too are fifth generation Southlanders .They have left their proud mark on many aspects of Southland history.

Mum's dad was none to happy about the union. I was talking to mum about the fact I can never remember the wedding anniversary date and I apologised for not remembering.

She texted me and said that she couldn't forget it as she was suffering from morning sickness on the day of her wedding and it was my fault but she didn't mind.

Getting pregnant was one way of getting round the family displeasure of the relationship with the blue eyed farm hand with the touch of the tar brush, I suppose.

Funny thing is - Dad turned out to be my grandfathers favourite son in law. In fact he was probably closer to my grandfather than his own sons.

He kept my grandparents in fish , helped on the farm and in their old age he was the one who sorted stuff.

Dad is a character. A good bastard. A curmudgeon and a staunch and loyal friend to many, many people. His adventures have enriched the lives of scores of people who would have had dull existances if it wasn't for the fact he and mum welcomed others into their wonderful world.

Mum is the best of mums and dads best mate. Well dad is mums best mate as well I suppose.
They have had an extraordinary love that has spanned five decades. There has only been one love for the both of them - each other. I have watched as friends parents and indeed my own marriage withered from the acid of betrayal - Never mum and dad. It is to my everlasting sorrow that I could not repeat their steadfast union.

They have had their share of battles but they fought them together and always came out stronger on the other side.

Mum has an enormous sense of justice and fairplay. She is and always will be my best mate and as she lives in the South and as we live in the north, a day doesn't go past when I dont feel a dull ache of separation. We have always been a clannish family. Big family gatherings were the norm and I miss them as does my son.

In a way Mum and dad dont really need anyone else. For years now they have toured around the country in their beloved motorhome Bugsy's Burrow, meeting new people , making new friends, catching up with old ones.

So tomorrow night in Alexandra ma and pa will be having a bit of a knees up with some of their mates. Crayfish and muttonbird and moonshine will be the order of the evening. Then at the end of this week , they will get in their motorhome and head north to spend the Christmas season with me, my sister and our families and friends.
Dad will bring with him his new spuds. He will kill and dress a sheep for Xmas, smoke a few eels, cook a few barbeques and mum will make us all groan under the weight of her great baking.

And sometime over Xmas, probably on the old mans birthday, we will invite some mates to share in the joy of our parents long and happy marriage.

Ma and Pa - happy Fiftieth. And here's to many many more happy years. We love you. All of us.

FISHY

Ma and Pa have the near perfect life. They live in Alexandra and when the want takes them, they head for the highway in Bugsy's Burrow, their beloved motorhome.

They meet all sorts of people and some of them have become life long friends. A couple of weeks back they met up with some Aussies in a Hire Motorhome at the canals near Omarama, who were heading to dads place of birth, Stewart Island. As people do, they soon worked out they shared a common ancestor Rob Roy McGregor. Bonds were cemented.
As they prepared to fish together, the Aussie brought out his pride and joy. It was a travelling set of fishing rods reels and stuff that fitted in a plastic container the size of a cake tin. Dad was envious. Everyone was deeply impressed. Dad helped the Aussie set up his lines and they caught fish, lots of fish.

Soon the Aussies departed and headed their motorhome south, bound for Stewart Island. That night as dad packed up Bugsy's Burrow he spied the plastic container full of his distant relatives fishing gear.

They called up the " nephew" Vaughn Fisher star of the TV3 series Million dollar catch who lives in Bluff.

They didn't have much to go on - Dad told Vaughn to leave a message with the Stewart Island Ferry for "An Aussie called Dave who was a descendant of Rob Roy McGregor who had lost his fishing gear." 24 hours later mum and dad got a call.

Dave the Aussie, was stunned and ecstatic to get his very expensive fishing gear back.

Anyway, mum told Dave everyone was curious, as in amongst the mini rods and reels was a small bright purple thing about 4 inches long that hummed. The consensus was that it was some sort of fish attractant.

Er, no the Aussie said, it was his wife's vibrator. Seems that on their worldly travels he and his missus had copped a bit of flack from Customs over the vibrator. So he hid it in the fishing gear.

Mum reckons that the look on the old mans face when he heard what it was, has her wondering if he didn't try it out on the trout. He aint talking.

NEW ZEALAND - THE GOOD COUNTRY

Bustedblondes parents are tooling around in their motorhome - affectionately known as Bugsy's Burrow, somewhere on the West Coast.

Little Sis got a bit panicky when she couldnt raise them on their mobile.

But they called in tonight . They are, as usual having a ball,

And after five nights away they have had , eels, trout, crayfish, venison and whitebait. They got the venison after dad sorted someones TV out , and some whitebiat because they didnt catch much but a nice coaster gave them a big feed .

They will undoubtedly catch some flounder and probably score some paua as well. And they will catch some salmon ( if its the season ) as well.

And chuck in a feed of mussels as a fair bet.

They pretty much go away with veges from their garden , mums fantastic preserves and some lamb from my uncle..

Its not bad when the old boy is 73 and mum is 68 and full of arthritis has a steel knee and pins in her back.

Anyway - Its the hospitality they get and give in return that is the hallmark of this fair land - long may it stay that way.