Christchurch – Day 6

February 12, 2010 - Day 6.

0630. Have been up for 45 minutes or so trying to figure things out. There's not much to that, but I seem to be moving around and not being very efficient about it. That's not wholly true, though. Have sent a couple of emails from the blackberry and discovered the hotel restaurant which has a breakfast for me. Cool. I'd hoped so but wasn't sure.

I'll grab a taxi here for the trip to The George where we're to meet at 8.30. And there'll I'll meet my new best friends for the next week and a half. My beard has entered the transition stage between just looking unshaven and into the scruffy stage. Can't say much about it yet except that it's pretty gray. Hmmm.

Ate pub grub last night and enjoyed it immensely. Great

beer (note the empty glass) and fish/chips. I'm just a little disappointed that I'm not spending any more time here. It's a place that beckons a bit…although once again it's a city with an abundance of tourists.

The staff at the pub was wonderful to watch. Two young women tending bar who were both unconventionally pretty and wonderfully engaging. Long legs and lean, they smiled often and warmed the whole pub scene. Their male colleague played his part well, too. Handsome and rugged and seemed to be glad to be serving blokes like me in off the street. I liked looking at the girls way more. Just so there's no doubt....

The drive from Martinborough yesterday was easy and pretty much a non-event. Getting through the pass wasn't an issue...more exciting than threatening. The one memorable thing that happened was when I was in Wellington rush hour traffic. A sporty little Suzuki passed me and pulled in front. How about this license plate? Can you read the last line? "We Luv Ya Neil Diamond." I hummed Sweet Caroline all the way to the airport. Go figure.

The flight to Christchurch was, again, a reminder of how much we've lost in the US since 9/11. Yes, the cockpits are hardened as ours now are, but the entire airport and aircrew operation is much more relaxed and reminiscent of what commercial flying used to be like. Our crew of flight attendants managed, in a 45 minute flight (full), to offer snacks (chips, candy, cookie) and a beverage, pick up everything and then pass thru once more with a basket of hard candies. One of the FA's enlisted an attractive 7 or 8 year old girl to help her with the last task and she carried it off knowing she had been handed an adult responsibility. Made me smile.