Today is a good day

    Today is the 24th of June.  One month since Lizzy and I set foot in New Zealand.  31 days, (33 w/ the leap forward) since we said our good-byes to our families and got on a plane.  I have to tell you, today is a good day.
    We spent the weekend with Mr. & Mrs. Fishman, our benefactors here, their son Zev, and their daughter Anu whom orchestrated this whole adventure here.  Last night we cooked an amazing vegetarian Thai dinner all together, sat down afterward and watched the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team trounce the Ireland national team 60-nil, then had tea and oatmeal cookies.  Today we walked the property with Anu who is the visionary of everything going on here at Uma Rapiti and received the run down of everything going on.  Today is a good day.
    Lizzy and I went into Auckland on Thursday to celebrate our anniversary.  It just so happens to coincide with summer/winter solstice depending on which hemisphere you are in, and the Maori New Year called Matariki.  We went out to eat at a fantastic Israeli restaurant called Ima, then followed it up by the opening performance of KAHA by Atamira dance company.  When we missed the 10:15pm ferry back to the island, we sat and had a beer while listening to two young guys rock out on guitars acoustically while singing their butts off.  Today is a good day.
    I found out my brother whom trashed his knee dancing with his wife last Saturday only has a separation  and will be up playing Softball in two weeks.  In addition, he finally got a marketing job that's right up his alley after being unemployed for a long time,(not by choice) and a stint as a teller at a soul-sucking financial institution.  Then today I learned my youngest brother was accepted to TVF&R as a volunteer firefighter, which is dang hard to get, and at the same time has been requested for an interview in Roseburg,OR after passing two tests.  This is for a career position.  I'm so proud I cried.


Today is a good day.