An Expatriate Independence Day

Saturday

Happy 4th of July to all our friends and family back home! Ro had an enjoyable time at rugby this morning, and had a standout defensive play. Rainy weather moved in after the match, though, dimming the prospect for any outdoor activities this afternoon. Ro started his two-week winter holiday today, a stretch dreaded by many parents around here. Finding something for the kids to do is a lot harder in chilly weather. We exaggerate a tad - it's really not all that cold in Tauranga. A cold day here feels like a crisp March or October day back in North Carolina, or a July afternoon in San Francisco. Occasionally we'll get snow and ice up on the Kaimai Range surrounding the city, but locals can't recall it ever snowing in town.

A rainy day in Mount Maunganui

With a steady rain falling, we headed across the bridge to Tauranga to go bowling, figuring that was the most American sport around with which to commemorate the 4th. Ro quickly got back in the hang of it (with the bumpers up), and unlike the last time we went bowling in the States, no head injuries! He tried the granny roll, but found he could get more velocity by simply throwing the 8-lb (yes pounds, not kilos like everything else here) ball like a two-handed shot-put. The bowling alley was packed with other families seeking an indoor diversion, and a good time was had by all, even if our rusty bowling skills left a little to be desired. Like many of the pubs around here, the place even had a separate room for video slots gambling. Ro was able to pick up four spares, which elicited more than a little happy yelling, but Sherry kept leaving one pin standing with disturbing regularity. Mark posted the high score of our day, an ignominious 91. And that was with bumpers! Yeesh!

"What do you mean it's Mommy's turn?"

Taking the brute-force approach to bowling

Ro didn't quite pick up that spare

The bowling killed a fair amount of the afternoon, but not nearly enough. So once home, we headed downstairs to the hot tubs. One for Ro to splash around in and one for us, rain be damned. Ro finally tired of swimming, so as Sherry prepared a spaghetti dinner, Mark and Ro wrestled and fought with toy swords. Ro helped Sherry bake M&M brownies, making sure to lick the batter spoon. After dinner and putting Ro to bed, we enjoyed the last of a bottle of wine with some brownie a-la-mode, and watched The Last Boy Scout on Sky TV. As we were getting ready to go to bed, we heard a welcome sound - fireworks! Someone was lighting off rockets on the main beach, and we could see them explode over the houses. There were only about six explosions, so it certainly wasn't a professional show or anything, but it was good to know we weren't the only US expats on The Mount.

Ro happily splashing in a steamy hot tub

Mmmmm...salmonella!