Back in the USA

We made it back to the USA without a hitch.  I think I'm getting the hang of the 30-hour travelfest involved with flying from Austral-Asia to the USA.  We sold most of our stuff but couldn't part with a surfboard, kiteboard, 2 kites, 2 snowboards, and a few items of clothing.  We've been back for 3+ weeks and still haven't felt the need to buy anymore clothing -- I think this nomadic lifestyle is really starting to stick.

1am at the Detroit airport.  30+ hours of travel and we still squeaked out a smile. 

After a great week visiting with my parents, sister and nephew, we took my dad's truck down to Indiana to visit Scott's sister, Becky, and her family.  We had never visited Becky at her home.  It was also our first visit with Nick, her husband, and their two kids Cayden (4) and Camren (5).  After a bit of hiding upstairs, the boys introduced themselves to Uncle Scott with a baseball to the skull. We had so much fun with them over the next 24 hours -- playing Cayden Ball, watching T-ball, and eating at Shake 'N Shake (because it's all about the shakes).

Next, we drove to surprise Scott's brother, Skip, at his college graduation party.  Skip is no ordinary college student.  He is 39 years old with 4 teenage kids.  We are so impressed that Skip stuck with it for four years during an incredibly hectic time for his whole family.  They thought we were still in New Zealand, so the surprise was priceless, as was the look on Skip's face (see below).

We are back at my parents' house in Ann Arbor.  I call it the 5-star resort -- all-you-can eat and drink, fluffy bed, a free gym membership, manicured lawn, spa-like showers, our own car, wireless internet, a TV in every room, fresh coffee waiting in the pot every morning, and our favorite orange kitty.

Repetition is a Sign

by Scott

We are in the final days of our year in New Zealand. The gear is gone, and it's raining, so I've found time to record a song I wrote last year in Australia.

The song was inspired by Ann Arbor's Chris Bathgate. He writes beautifully mysterious songs with lines like:

I twiddle my thumbs at the rag I've become and wait for the world within
cause all I need is the night as my steed and a kiss to serve as my shield
cause it's comfort and ease on evenings like these that turn all my poisons prose

It takes a secret decoder ring to figure out what he's talking about, but it's undeniably poetic. Unfortunately, my brain doesn't work like that. Simple chords. Simple lines. Simple man. Simple mind. Repetition is a sign (mp3).

My band in a box--every van dwelling songwriter should have one

Ruakaka Kiteboarding

Eve and Heather at Mair Rd

by Scott

Several weeks ago, while hunting for kiteboarding possibilities, we stumbled upon Ruakaka. Lucky us. Within minutes of arriving, Dave, the local kiteboard builder (Decay Kiteboards), kiteshop owner, kite instructor, and cable park entrepreneur was offering us demo gear. Later, he gave us a tour of his factory, let us plug in the van, hosted a barbecue for all the kiters, and even cleaned and cooked a fish I caught.

We kited for a couple more days until the wind died. Heather, excited to finally meet another female kiter, finished off the remaining wind with a girls-only morning session with Eve (from Switzerland).

Thinking the wind was over, we said our goodbyes, and hit the road, but like many kiters, we couldn't quite escape Ruakaka. For no-wind days, Dave has built a cable park--think wakeboarding behind a boat, but without the boat or the wake. OK, maybe more like kiting without the kite or the need for wind. See (and listen) for yourself, as Heather, inspired by Eve and coached by Dave, almost lands a backroll.

With no wind in the forecast, we said our goodbyes again, only to end up back in Ruakaka a couple weeks later. Again, Dave hooked Heather up with a small kite and Decay board, allowing both of us to be on the water at the same time -- a rare pleasure. We did an epic 20km (12 mile) down-winder from one end of Bream Bay to the other. The day was capped off with a big kiter gathering back at Dave's with fantastic carbonara pasta and freshly made Kiwi pavlova.

There was no wind the next morning, so we again said our goodbyes. With a flight back to the states in 5 days, we aren't planning to be back in Ruakaka, but until the plane is on the runway, you never know.

Make the Most of Every Day

by Scott

As I approached my 40th birthday, I was thinking about getting old. That led to memories of my dad and grandpa. Dad always greeted Grampa with, "How are you doing?" Grampa always replied, "It's no fun getting old." That was as close as he ever came to complaining. I can still hear Grampa saying it, and after visiting Grampa, I can still hear my Dad repeating it. It seemed like a song waiting to be written.

It didn't have to wait long. The dark rainy New Zealand winter was forcing us to spend a lot of time in the van. Unfortunately, for the first time in almost 20 years, I was without a guitar. Never again. I had to work out the song in my head. Poor Heather had to put up with endless renditions of me whistling the guitar solo. After searching New Zealand's eBay equivalent for a month, I finally broke down and bought a used guitar and a calculator-sized digital recorder.

I spent the next month playing with my new toys - recording, re-writing lyrics, and arranging drum tracks. I was hoping to have the song finished by Christmas, but a funny thing happened - summer! The sunshine and long days meant less time in the van and less time for music. Now that the rain is back, and the days are getting shorter, I've found time to finish it. Click here to enjoy it while you can (mp3). Getting old ain't much fun.