Everything is Fast, My Life and My Past

INK MATHEMATICS

2007-03-17T11:53:00.003-06:00

Faithful Readers-

It turns out that I have adopted another website and this one will see little or no action in the future. The new site, Ink Mathematics, will mainly be a forum for audio blogging and perhaps the occasional photograph and diary entry. I will be posting weekly (hopefully) a 20-30 minute mix of music on Ink Mathematics along with individual tracks I believe to be worthy of checking out. So, if you want to get your fix for new music head on over to the new site. I'll miss you, don't you worry bout me..collin

www.inkmathematics.com
www.inkmathematics.com

I'm Glad

2007-01-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

so, 2007 is here now and I feel as if I am buying into the "fresh start" idea that rolls around with each new year. I don't know if it was the beer, or my close proximity to the action, but the fireworks that brought in ought-seven looked pretty incredible.
I Work tomorrow morning at 6:30 and I am looking forward to it. Customer service in the morning is so much easier than in the evening. Everyone is fresh, new, and looking forward to the day when they come in for their morning muffin and cup of joe around 7am, but the folks at the end of the day drag, and they carry the weight of the day on their faces and I must turn the music up louder in order to combat what they give off.

my valuable hunting knife

2006-12-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here is that list you so urgently requested:

Frank Zappa

Grizzly Bear

John Lennon

Joy Division

Flying Canyon

Skygreen Leopards

Gilberto Gil

Django Reinhart

Menomena

Billie holiday

The Beach Boys

Air

Adem

Black Lips

David Bowie

David Byrne

Destroyer

DEVO

Cold War Kids

Townes Van Zandt

Tom Ze

Swan Lake

Sparrow House

So Percussion

Os Mutantes

Lou Reed

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Man man

Neon Boys

Robert Pollard

The Jam

Guided By voices

Caetano Veloso

Silver jews

and johnny cash

Pitchas

2006-12-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

The Monumental Mt. Mansfield.

The wilds of Vermont.

The lobby of the Harv.

Ethan and Olin making bread.

My room with guy on floor.

On top of Mt. Mansfield in an angry pose.

My Home.

Me looking at an egyptian with a butterfly hovering about.

2006-09-01T20:33:00.000-06:00

To The Coffee House

Viennese poet Peter Altenberg, quoted in All About Coffee, 1922, by William H. Ukers

When you are worried, have trouble of one sort or another -to the coffee house!

When she did not keep her appointment, for one reason or another - to the coffee house!

When your shoes are torn and dilapidated - coffee house!

When your income is four hundred crowns and you spend five hundred - coffee house!

You are a chair warmer in the office, while your ambition led you to to seek professional honors - coffee house!

You could not not find a mate to suit you- coffee house!

You feel like committing suicide - coffee house!

You hate and despise human beings, and at the same time you cannot be happy without them - coffee house!

You compose a poem which you can not inflict upon friends that you meet in the street - coffee house!

When your coal scuttle is empty, and your gas ration exhausted - coffee house!

When you are locked out and haven't the money to pay for unlocking the house door - coffee house!

When you acquire a new flame, and intend provoking the old one, you take the new one to the old one's - coffee house!

When you feel like hiding, you dive into a - coffee house!

When you want to be seen in a new suit - coffee house!

When you can not get anything on trust anywhere else - coffee house!

Art is life, life is life, but to lead life artistically is the art of life.

2006-08-26T09:50:00.000-06:00

It feels as if fall is already here in Missoula. I slept with the windows open last night, something I have been doing since my return from NZ in May, and I awoke shivering and cold clinging for more blanket. It'd nice that the heat has subsided for a second, but every time I realize the summer is over I get a sort of sinking feeling in my stomach. With the fall comes a few changes in my life. I've motivated myself over the last month and have chose to leave Missoula this coming October. I was searching the U.S. frantically for a new destination/home and by chance the name, "burlington" was dropped to me in conversation. For some reason or another "burlington" stuck in my mind and now I am getting up each and every morning to search the on-line "renter wanted" posts on various Vermont websites. I don't see any reason not to give Vermont a chance, worst case scenario = I boogie to the next. I haven't really spent too much time on East coast and Burlington is quite close to a lot of intriguing destinations. Boston is 3 or so hours away, while new york is five or thereabouts. I've got family in Jersey, so hopefully I'll be able to make it there for a visit. Well, over the month of September I hope to get everything sorted out in a magnificent fashion.

and I say

2006-08-07T11:12:00.000-06:00

We Don't Know How to Act, Tell Us.

2006-07-10T11:01:00.000-06:00

Last night I drove up to my friends house at around midnight and the headlights of my car shined across the driveway illuminating a man with a white face sitting in the midst of total darkness. Missoula can be ok some times

Dan Bejar (Destroyer)

2006-07-09T15:37:00.000-06:00

WATERCOLOURS INTO THE OCEAN

listening to strawberry wine
for the 131st time
it was 1987 and it was spring
it's 1987 all the time
now it's 1987 all the time
well we were there
too thin too fair
downing your third drink
standing at arm's length
in the square
just off a mildly successful
killing rampage
where good writers go
to find one thing
and stick with it

oh life
is bigger
than a life on the run
from the united states
and her friends
on this night
made of jewels

it took three
carabinieri
to peel em off the streets of the town
she's named after
dragging the lagoon was a disaster
they found him alive and
relatively well
well some situations
seek redressing
some songs just
go testing, testing,
i took a picture
i was sick of motion
and wore her watercolours into the ocean
and wore her watercolours into the ocean

First Week/Last Week....Carefree

2006-07-08T10:37:00.000-06:00

I awoke this morning with a hangover. Last night I must have had 4 or 5 beers over four or five hours, which seems like moderation to me, yet this morning I awoke with a headache and a disgusting sensation brewing within me. I can remember the days of yore when a man like myself could drink 12 beers in a night, visit the precipice of oblivion, stumble home, and some how awake the next morning and have the energy to do any activity in mind, say, jumping-jacks. Nowadays it just isn't so. Maybe I don't allow myself to do that sort of rotten garbage any more, or maybe my body has had enough of that risky bizness, either way I can't tolerate it like a champion should.

Work in one hour, coffee in my hand, and a few good tunes playing to keep my spirit raised. Thank goodness it is saturday, the bakery dies this afternoon.

Robert Frost

2006-07-04T11:31:00.000-06:00

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Burning Building Girl Ghost Picture

2006-06-17T22:10:00.001-06:00

Finally, Scientific Evidence!
I typed, "burning Building" into the google search engine and this is what came up. Even if the picture is a hoax, which it is probably best to assume so, I still think it is very well done and I believe it gives off a certain sort of ghostbusters/scooby-doo mystery team feeling. Very eerie.

"Wem Town Hall in Shropshire, England burned down to the ground. As many spectators gathered around the old building consumed by flames (built in 1905), Tony O'Rahilly was one of the onlookers who took photos of the scene with a 200mm telephoto lens from across the street. One of the photos
showed what looks like a small, partially transparent girl standing in the doorway. Neither O'Rahilly nor any of the other onlookers or firefighters recalled seeing the girl there. Further examination of the negative proved the ghost picture to be authentic and not tampered with."

Jogging Gorgeous Summer

2006-06-14T10:23:00.000-06:00

The summer is here in Montana. It is hot, humid, and sunny and I am doing everything within my power to enjoy it, it's not too hard.

This last weekend was my big brothers big wedding. The occasion was held about an hour from missoula on a nice spacious ranch surrounded by empty land with nice snow-capped mountains in every direction. Everyone was in high spirits and the whole occasion went incredibly smooth. It was very nice spending time with relatives and friends that I rarely get to see. My brother and his wife, robin, were all smiles the whole weekend, the proof is in the pudding.

My friends and I, in particular Josh and Nathan, have been spending some time trying to put together a short abstract sort of film. The other night Josh and I found an industrial strength lighting source in his garage and we pulled that mother out into the forest and filmed the brightly-lit weird surreal forest. Josh and I have also been making some creepy electronic music and we hope to use that at some point. We've got more ideas than time, so I hope we can do some serious FOCUSING and maybe at the same time increase our work ethic. It'll be out soon in theaters everywhere!

I've been over-indulging in music lately. I believe I worked up an incredible hunger for new music while I was in New Zealand. I went damn near 7 months with only 50 albums or so, and now I am going crazy. I've got the DJ thing going now, so hopefully that'll keep somewhat satiated and I won't blow my piggy bank on records I don't need. In case you are interested my show is on sunday nights from 10 to midnight (mt time) and it can be heard here.. www.kbga.org

Also, I ate a buffalo burger this last weekend. That is the first piece of meat I have consumed since september. I handled it like a champ, but I don't plan to make it routine, special occasions only please.

here is my anthem of the last 4 days:
http://www.ezarchive.com/pugarros/AlbumSpace/89PU2AU3UD/02+You+May+Be+Blue.mp3

right click and save as!

you want some more? well, here is some more! This one is wild y'all.

http://youaintnopicasso.com/mp3/Danielson%20-%20Bloodbook%20On%20The%20Half%20Shell.mp3

Also, www.emusic.com is sweet. You get 40 songs a month for $10.

)))Collin(((

Eve, below, might still be around after a global collapse, though her batteries would have run down.

2006-05-30T12:05:00.000-06:00

May 15, 2006—She can hold a conversation, make eye contact [uh huh], and express joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. These school-age tots seem to be making friends with EveR-1, a female android that made her debut this month in South Korea. The robot was built by Baeg Moon-hong, a senior researcher with the Division for Applied Robot Technology at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH). Fifteen motors underneath her silicon skin allow her to express a limited range of emotions, and a 400-word vocabulary enables her to hold a simple conversation.The android weighs 110 pounds (50 kilograms) and would stand 5 feet, 3 inches (160 centimeters) tall—if she could stand. EveR-1 can move her arms and hands, but her lower half is immobile.KITECH scientists are now working on EveR-2, which they say will have improved vision, a wider range of facial expressions, and the ability to stand and move all four limbs.

please do not grow weary, I will not detain you long

2006-05-30T09:42:00.000-06:00

Here are some sites that offer a particularly good and eclectic mix of free mp3 downloads.

http://gorillavsbear.blogspot.com/

http://awesometapesfromafrica.blogspot.com/

http://funky16corners.blogspot.com/

http://leafhouse.blogspot.com/

http://myoldkyhome.blogspot.com/

wake-drink-fake drink-drink-sleep

2006-05-28T12:13:00.000-06:00

hooooo, ha, hooooow, aaaaaaaaaaaaaa, my liver.

I just returned home from three days of debauched, bachelor party-type boozing, and I feel like a 100 bucks. My brother's bachelor party was a complete success. Rain drizzled almost non-stop, but we persevered and managed to stay high on a PBR drunk for two solid days. Much of our time during the party was spent chopping wood out in the forest in order to sustain the totally necessary magnificient massive bonfire. When the keg ran out last night the boys took it into their brains that the only logical use of the shell would be to use it for a keg-tossing contest. I awoke this morning and the keg, which I had purchased days before, was laying in the middle of the fire with gaping axe-wounds and rock-dents all round, it'll be a hard one to return.

Anyway, the party was a lot of fun and my mind and body will need countless hours of rehabilitation over the next few weeks. I feel totally exhausted and filthy. Collin

2 + 2 = 5?

2006-05-21T11:54:00.000-06:00

Good day.

Oh, here I am, back to my old ways in Missoula, Montana. The plane ride from Wanaka to Missoula was long and arduous and my armpits were a little too moist for comfort. I was too tired to read and I wasn't comfortable enough to sleep, so I spent much of my time on the planes curled up in an uncomfortable position pretending to myself that I was going to drift off to La-La land any second. I got home and I felt like a wreck, but my parents soon revived my spirits and poured out a nice tall glass of wine to relax to. Ahhhhhhh, it is nice to be home.

My schedule for the last couple days has been; coffee, computer, coffee, run, coffee, computer again, read, tea, music, sleep. Not a bad schedule to readjust to life here in Montana, but unfortunately it will not last long, for tomorrow I start work at the Bakery, the same one I was at when I left this town 'round 7 months ago. It'll be quite a switch to go straight into a job which entails massive amounts of customer contact, I hope I can still formulate sentences with my mouth.

It has been great to hang out with my dogs for the last couple days. They are pretty weird, indeed. This morning they awoke me at 530am and demanded that I get out of bed in order to feed them. My dog, Mazie, goes absolutely bonkers in the morning when she knows she is about to get some food. She was spinning circles in a quick-dizzying fashion, while at the same time jumping and clawing my legs, while I stumbled around attempting to get the sleep out of my eyes. It may have been a bit too much excitement straight out of bed so early in the morn, but that is the way it works with the piglets.

The weather here has been totally out of sight. My body was gearing up for winter while I was in NZ, but now I have been thrust directly back to spring, and it looks like it is going to be a bloody gorgeous one.

Collin/

I had to leave the country Though there was some nice folks there

2006-05-16T18:24:00.000-06:00

Howdy there Part'na. Today in Wanaka the air is crisp and clean and smells of the forthcoming winter. The sky is perfectly blue and there is snow on the mountains across the lake. I spent the vast majority of the early morning cleaning my car and packing my bags parked down by the waterfront. My car has developed some new problems and I'm afraid I probably won't get any money for it. The muffler has detached itself from the body of the car and the engine roar can be heard for miles around. Oh well, a loss of a few hundred dollars for a car that carried me damn near 7,000 miles. I'll give little brownie to a friend of mine and hope that he takes care of her for the remainder of her life. I proposed that I would like to see her go out in a blaze of glory (perhaps, when she is on her death-bed, you could drive her off a massive cliff, is that too much to ask?). Tomorrow it is AIRPORTS...I bought "for whom the bell tolls" by Hemingway...Hopefully it'll satisfy me for the 30 hours I have to spent getting from here to home. Well, it has been a good time.
Clean up the air and treat the animals fair, collin

All my fingers ran off and I just couldn't follow them

2006-05-14T23:00:00.000-06:00

oh, the day has been drizzling off and on for hours on end. The sky will open up with a patch of sunlight or blue and I will begin to get my hopes up, but quickly enough the rain comes and my hood goes back on. I've spent the last three days in ChristChurch doing this and that, the chores of a person travelling. Today I finished it all up and had the whole day to do whatever happened to catch me. I ended up spending most of my day in bookstores purusing the stock while fantasizing about novels I am going to purchase, read, and put on the shelf when I am back in Montana. My travel amigo and tramping partner, Martin, left this morning for good. He's off to do some work on an organic farm up north before he heads off to spend a month in Thailand. It was a sort of sad farewell, a farewell to new zealand in an odd way. Martin has, at work or on the trail, been around me in some sort of fashion for the last 4 months. He's one of a handful of people here in New Zealand that I have spent more than a fleeting moment with. Today I thought about what it'll be like to arrive in the fair city of Missoula, Montana in less than 5 days. I can picture it all absolutely perfectly. Missoula is sooooo engrained in my being that it is almost as if I have assumed the identity of that place. Collin "missoula" Pruitt. It'll be comfortable to be back home with the ability to devote my time to something else besides mainting my funds for travel. Although backpacking new zealand has been a true pleasure it has also been sort of exhausting in a distincitve sort of manner. It's hard to live out of a backpack and meet new people every single day in and out, at least for me it is. I'm not saying I'll never do it again or disliked it, but I am saying that I would like a little bit of relief, maybe a room for myself, even if it is in my parents house. HA!

Tsk Tsk Dear Boy

2006-05-10T21:48:00.000-06:00

Yoweeee
Less than a week left in New Zealand and each day I find myself wondering where the time went. I'm ready to head home though, I think. I've had some great experiences here and I've met some incredible individuals, but I feel like my time is up, on to the next thing. Martin and I just got out of yet another hike, this time we had hot springs to soak in, and that was a bonus. I'm driving for a few more days up the west coast and then I head back to Wanaka and kiss the sweet soil under my feet and say, "au revoir!".....or something like that.

2006-05-07T18:09:00.000-06:00

Golly,
This last trip I took with 3 of my friends was just spectacularly bodacious. We hiked up to a pass called, "gillespie Pass", on what might have been one of the most perfectly blue and sun-shine soaked days of my life. Snow capped all the surrounding peaks and the views down into the valleys on either side were at the very least dramatic. We also hiked up to a glacial lake on one our planned side-trips. That was also un-real, but time on the internet here is very expensive and I am but a poor boy. Today we flew out of the trip via a small plane that touched down on a minute airstrip in one of the valleys. The flight cost 35 dollars..Cheap As! Now Martin and I are off to spend two nights hiking around and soaking in hot springs on the west coast of the south island near a little place called, "Welcome flat". The days are flying by now.....Golly.

AS AN AM

2006-05-04T00:42:00.000-06:00

Wheeeww.
I've been doing a lot of hiking lately and that has been spectacular, but yesterday, when I arrived back in Wanaka, the S hit the F, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. Paul, my x-flatmate, kicked me out of the house in a crazy screaming rage. Man O Man...I was pretty darn close to hitting that fool when he was screaming inches away from my face with a frantic hungry look in his eyes.. I don't understand the whole situation. I reckon I was a scapegoat of some sort for his inner angst or whatever. The door slammed millimeters behind my head and I could hear it bolt and lock while he continued to curse my name. Oh well, moving on, I leave tomorrow for another bout of hiking. Two more back-packing trips and then my time here in NZ will be finished. I'll be back in Missoula on the 18th of may and I will probably be working by the next week. It'll be cinteresting to have such a dramatic change in life, maybe it'll keep me on my toes.
Collin

out of the frying pan and into the fire

2006-04-21T18:30:00.000-06:00

I am back in old Wanaka and I have moved in to the same flat I lived in when I left. The dynamics of the flat have changed considerably due to the recent addition of three Canadian boys inhabiting my old room. The most significant change is the sound of the television. Nowadays the television is on full volume all day long and I dare not turn it off and put on music because the canadian lads stare at that thing day and night as if it were their idol. Oh well, I suppose my time back in Wanaka is short, I should be thankful for the roof over my head.

My whole perspective on wine has completely flipped itself over. I spent the last two days working in the winery, miles away from the mundane lifestyle I was accustomed to on the vineyard. I spent hours filling barrels with fresh wine in a room that was thick with the rich dense smell of oak. I spoke with wine-makers and got some insight on what happens to the grapes after they leave the vineyard. It was a great experience indeed and now I am able to look at a bottle of wine and know even more about the processes that went into it.

That's 'bout it for round here. I am planning on leaving wanaka in a week or so to hitch-hike up the west coast of the south island. It sounds like a pretty good plan to me, I hope I stick to it.

OH....I believe I have found a new owner for my car, "little brownie". A Swedish gentleman named, "Mons".

A beach is a place where a man can feel he's the only soul in the world that's real

2006-04-15T17:40:00.000-06:00

Ahem,
I am going to try to recollect my recent visit to Stewart Island, but unfortunately my mind is a bit groggy, hazey, and lazy due to a lack of sufficient good hot black coffee. Anyway, here goes.

Martin and I began our trip to stewart Isl. by flying onto a nearly deserted beach about 100 KM from the nearest village (Oban (pop. 400)). We flew in the smallest plane I have ever been in, a 4-seater Cessna that barely fit martin. We touched down on the beach, threw our bags out of the tiny cargo space, and watched the pilot take off and disappear in a matter of minutes. We stood on the beach and laughed. We had just gone from civilization to standing on an isolated beach 60 miles from civilization. We picked up our packs and trudged up a sand-dune to find the first hut we would be staying in for the evening.

Much of the 8 day hike on Stewart was similar to the dusky track, the hike we had completed 3 days before. The trail was muddy, steep, and full of tree roots and tricky little sections requiring all of my coordination. The track overall, however, was incredibly different due to the beaches we came across every day. The beaches were incredibly scenic, pristine, and rugged. Massive waves slammed pillars of rock right before us while we clamored along on slippery rocks. Looking out at the ocean I truly felt as if was on the edge of the world.. There were also beaches that were full of great golden sand and sea-shells. It was quite a sensation to stand on a beach that stretched for 6 km's in one direction and not see a single human being or trace thereof. We didn't get too much rain on the island and that was surprising. I bought a whole bunch of good rain gear before the trip and I barely got a chance to use it, Dad Blast It!.

The bird life on Stewart is truly phenomenal. The island is reknown for it's abundance of rare and plentiful bird-life. The kiwi, that famous flightless bird particular to NZ, is found on stewart island more often than any place else. Martin, my hiking partner, saw 4 of the birds, while I saw none. He gloated quite a lot and showed me video of the birds on his digital camera, I stewed. I did, however, see a whole load of "kaka", one of the rarest parrots in the world. The birds down here in NZ are not the most beautiful in the world (so I've been told), but they have some of the most beautiful, unique, and memorable songs I can imagine. While hiking we could here bird songs everywhere. We'd stop, stare around at the trees, and listen to the birds fairly often. I've got to find a recording of those birdies, I can't let their songs slip from my memory.

There is so much more to say about the trip, but this is all I got in me right now.

Now I am heading back to Wanaka to work for a week or two. The last three weeks of travel have depleted my funds considerably, but I suppose you've got to pay the piper if you want to do the really good stuff. I leave NZ on the 18th of May, so my days are dwindling down. I'm not sure what I'll do with the rest of my free time here.

In the Airport on the South island we saw a sign for the southernmost McDonald's in the world, so this was, without a doubt, the farthest south I had ever been.

Adios Muchacho/a,
Collin

My head is my only house, unless it rains.

2006-04-03T17:12:00.000-06:00

3rd of april 2006-
Holey Moley folks. 10 days tramping and kayaking in Fiordland National Park. 10 days of gorgeous rain-free back-country bliss, I tell ya. Today is my first day back in civilization after 10 days out in the Fiordland bush. My friend Martin and I began our trip in Fiordland with a 3 day kayak trip in Doubtful Sound (good name for a rock band?). We kayaked with a group of six others in a sound which receives little tourist activity. Of the three days we kayaked there we saw, on average, 2 or 3 boats a day. Each day we kayaked around 15 miles or so to certain sections of the sound while admiring the odd and surreal landscape of rich dense forested mountains dropping directly down into the water in which we paddled. The light blue bright sky of each day provided some incredible reflections/mirrors on the water (hopefully the pics do some justice). We saw a rare sort of dolphin called a "bottlenose" which is apparently particular to fiordland due to its' size and extra layer of blubber it has to protect itself from the frigid winter waters. We also kayaked by a fat old seal rolling about in the water spending his day with play. All in all the kayak trip was a complete success. 410 smackaroos spent wisely for this a-here country boy.
Immediately following the kayak trip, Martin and I began the challenging part of our trip in Fiordland. The kayak company has stored our hiking gear, so we immediately hit the trail and began an 8-day, 84 km, tramp known as "the dusky track". the Dusky is known for deep mud, flooding, and extremely rugged trail conditions, so going into the trip I was a bit nervous. The night before the dusky began I knelt down before my 1/8 inch thick sleeping bad in my tent and said a silent prayer to the rain gods. Praise Be!, my prayers were answered and somehow, I'm not sure how, it didn't rain a single drop on our entire 8 day tramp. Unheard of ! Good karma or global warming? Fiordland sees rain 200 days a year, 10 meters annually, 30 feet people!, we slipped through the cracks. The tramp was still the most challenging one I've ever done. Hidden mud pools still existed and the rugged terrain still beat me mercilessly. I can only imagine what the track must be like for most trampers when they get hit with massive amounts of rain. Those poor souls! I pity them! Anyway, the hike was out of sight and know I look back at with an incredible sense of achievement. The scenery and sense of absolute isolation on the dusky still has me aching with awe. I look back on the trip now and I only see good memories. None of the heavy strenuous garbage that can weigh people down on a long hike has stayed with me. It;s pretty rare that I had the chance to fall into mud up to my waist, I've never done that before. On one of the nights out I watched the sun set over a lake that had countless stumps protruding out of the water. As I watched the lake it dawned on me that I was the only person in the world seeing it at that moment. I thought that was pretty neat-o.
In a few days martin and I fly down to stewart island to begin another muddy 8 day tramp. Will the rain gods side with me this time?
Collin

I'm not a rock star. I'm a soft person. I'm not a rock.

2006-03-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day living in Wanaka. I have spent much of the morning running errands here and there, and I will spend much of the afternoon cleaning out my pig-sty. I'm sort of sad to be leaving Wanaka. Life here has been incredibly lively and comfortable and I can imagine myself getting stuck here for quite a long period of time. I am, however, very glad that I have stuck to my plan to go tramping for the next month and in reality I will probably not miss Wanaka in the least. Martin (my tramping partner) and I are leaving tomorrow morning to begin the big trip. We've been sorting out the details of trip for the last few days and between the both of us we are on top of everything.

Here's some info on the trip:

23- Orientation (te Anau)
24- Doubtful Sound Kayak
25-""
26-""Deep Cove Doc Hut
27- Start Dusky track from trail head to Upper Spey Hut
28- Upper Spey to Kintail Hut
29- Kintail to Loch Maree Hut
30- Loch Maree to Lake Roe
31- Lake Roe to Halfway Hut
1- Halfway to Hauruko burn Hut
2- Hitch-hike from lake Hauruko on Southland Scenic Highway to Te Anau and pick up car

So, excluding the kayak trip, the dusky track will take 6 or 7 days, but possibly up to 9 if wether gets troublesome. Here's the map of the trip: http://www.doc.govt.nz/pdfs/southland/Dusky-Track/Dusky-Track-Map.pdf
Here's the informational booklet on the Dusky: http://www.doc.govt.nz/pdfs/southland/Dusky-Track/Dusky-Track-Brochure.pdf
Here's the weather forecast page:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/Weather/regiondetails.aspx?regionid=639

This last weekend here in Wanaka has been absolute madness for me. Every person whom I ever met in Wanaka seemed to be wanting to spend time with me. I usually lay pretty low on the weekends, but this last weekend I was drinking wine and schmoozing with all sorts of people, I'm tired, Goodbye's are hard and exhausting!

Well, talk to you after the Dusky! Oh, and those two folks in the picture with me above are Martin and Talea. My two friends that I spend far too much time with. They even worked at the same vineyard as I.
Collin

Bollocks for you and yours

2006-03-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

I Bruise Like A Grape

2006-03-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

Giving Up The Grape

2006-03-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

Today was my last day working at the vineyard, and Oh boy, it was a doozy. A whole bunch of people had chosen this friday as their last day at work so nearly everyone was going nuts, talking constantly, and throwing grapes this way and that. I was unexpectedly sad when the day was over. I've made quite a few close work-mates and it is odd to be saying, "goodbye" to them for what will probably be the last time. Three gentlemen from Argentina became close acquaintances of mine over the last few weeks and I have taken a personal vow that I will one day visit them in Buenos Aires. They have been teaching me some key spanish phrases over the last weeks and I have convinced myself that I absolutely must learn spanish one day. The boys from Argentina have been trying to convince me to move there at some point in the future and teach english while learning spanish myself. Sounds good to me!
This is my last weekend in Wanaka and I am bound to become "muy triesta" (very sad) as my departure date comes nearer. It's been so great living here in Wanaka.
Since the beginning of my time in New Zealand each week has been better than the one before and I can only hope that this trend continues.

I think more children should play with mudpies, but that's out now

2006-03-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Good Day-
Life has been cruising by for the last few weeks and unfortunately I haven't been updating the 'ol blog as often as I should. Last weekend I hiked up to a nearby glacier called, "Rob Roy". The day was perfect and the hike was marvelous. Upon arriving at the glacier my friend Martin and I plopped down and sat in the sun for a few hours enjoying both the weather and view. This coming week is my very last week of work at "gibbston valley vineyards". It's good that work is nearly over cuz I have been getting itchy feet and each day at work I watch my watch constantly. After this week of work is over my friend and I will head to Fiordland National Park to do a 4 day kayaking trip with a guided group. Here's a little description of what I'll be up to:
After we do the kayaking we will immediately go into an 8-day tramp that sounds as if it will be incredibly challenging. Lots of mud and lots of rain and some seriously long days. I hope I can hack. Yes, of course I can hack it! Here's some info on that: http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/002~Tracks-and-Walks/Major-Tracks/Dusky-Track/index.asp
After finishing Dusky Track we will take a few days off and then head down to the tip of the south island and take a ferry over to a little island called, "stewart Island". We'll be doing a 10-day tramp on this little remote island and the trip will undoubtedly be the toughest of the lot. There's a pretty good chance that I'll see a real-live kiwi-bird down on stewart Island.INFO: http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/002~Tracks-and-Walks/Great-Walks/Rakiura-Track/index.asp#North%20West%20Circuit%20Tracks

Right now I am devoting most of my time to reading. I picked up "the Trial" by Franz Kafka the other day and I have spending most of my free time wrapping my mind around that one. The weather here has been getting colder, so I have been spending more time inside that usual.
Well, until next time.
Herr. Pruitt

Alpha Blondy

2006-03-09T01:12:00.000-07:00

Nothing Much to Say Today

. Will Write More Soon.

Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky

2006-02-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

So much has happened lately that I have been extremely assistant to write on this a'here blog, but I feel as if I may be able to hit a few of the highlights with some sort of accuracy, so here goes. Last friday my Uncle Mike and Aunt Sandi were in a nearby town (queenstown) for the day, so I hopped in my little brown car and tooled over and caught up with them in the mid-morn. They had obviously been hatching some serious plans for the day, so we got right down to it and hit the local water, Lake Wakatipu, with a two-hour ride on a 1912 Vintage Steamship named,"the TSS Earnslaw". From the old steamship we got a pretty good view of the surrounding mountains and lake. It was a glorious day outside and the peaks were shimmering with fresh sunlight, so I spent much of the ride talking with Uncle Mike and Aunt Sandi while gazing out at the scenery. After the ship ride we hit the local gondola for a trip up to a peak that conveniently has a cafeteria style restaurant on it. Man, this is where the tourists go! We had some good grub and then shot the breeze a bit whilst enjoying the view. After the gondola ride down the real action came. Uncle Mike and I took a jet-boat ride up the Shotover river. Cruising up a river at incredible speeds while dodging rocks whilst hoping that the dude driving the boat doesn't have a brain-fart had my heart racing, for sure. The dude driving the boat does this crazy 360's in the boat and it is pretty hard to remain seated while he is pulling off these tricks. My uncle mike lifted out of his seat due to gravitational forces during one of these stunts and my immediate thought was "DANGER!"....Fortunately he re-seated and composed himself with very little trouble.

Today was a pretty good day at work due to an in-flux of new employees and some serious sunshine. I spent the morning chatting with a new German girl while in the afternoon I spoke at length with three dudes from Argentina. I've decided that I must one day learn spanish.

Last saturday some friends and I went to an outdoor reggae festival at a nearby winery. There were about 4,000 people there and most of them were drunk on wine and sun-burnt. The main-act "fat freddy's drop" was pretty solid and they definitely got everyone there in a good chilled-out state of mind. My friend Byron forced me to climb up on his shoulders during the show just as a joke, and unfortunately he dropped me and my spectacles got bent out of shape, so now my glass have tape on them.

Hand cramping. goodbye

Aha Shake Heartbreak

2006-02-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

It's rainy and gross here today and for some reason I can't find the motivation needed to really update the blog properly, so, as a sort of treat, I have put up a picture of myself! click on it to make it life-size.

South No North

2006-02-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

It's thursday and I'll be damned if my legs aren't still sore from the hike I took on Sunday. Jeez, I have got to mold this massive blob of flesh I call "my body" into something resembling the human form (with huge muscles, of course). The hike was absolutely spectacular. It was one of those unbelievable days when the natural beauty of Earth leaves incredible imprints on your mind. All week long I've been waltzing through life living off the memory of this past weekend's high-alpine adventure. The hike, which I did by my lonesome, took approximately 9 hours. The climb up to the saddle was some real hardcore vertical business. I'd stop at one hiking post, look up the mountain, cry, and try to convince myself that the top was just right above me out of sight. Once I reached the actual saddle I fooled around with the camera a bit and then napped in the sunshine. I took some pretty spectacular photos from the top that look nearly like paintings. Off to my left was a glacier, directly in front of me was Mt. Aspiring covered in snow, and off to my right lay the valley I had hiked up through containing a slow meandering river with light blue water. The hike down nearly wrecked me. I was dragging my feet for the last two hours. Upon arriving at my car I collapsed and immediately began stretching in hopes of avoiding sore everything.
Tomorrow I am meeting my Uncle Mike and Aunt Sandi in a nearby town called, "queenstown". It's just by chance that they happen to be vacationing in NZ while I am here and it seems like a great and rare opportunity to catch up with them. I'm not sure what we'll get up to but "queenstown" is chock full of all sorts of touristy things, so I imagine we won't have to look far for some form of enjoyment.
Last night I went to a local Indian restaurant and gorged myself on rice and whatever other dish happened to be in front of me. Some dudes that were at the dinner ordered a ridiculous amount of wine so I did more than my fare share of sipping. unfortunately the bill at the end of the meal was a little steep due to the excess wine. When the shock from the bill sunk in I suggested the old "hog and jog", but that didn't go over too well with the others. After the meal I complained that I had been given the "Dheli Belly"....whatever that means.

I Haven't Been Myself of Late

2006-02-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Today is saturday and I am relaxing with plans to go swimming and drink coffee. Tomorrow I plan on going all out with an extended strenuous hike in nearby MT. Aspiring National Park. I will be hiking to one of the most highly praised saddles in new zealand. This spot, Cascade Saddle, is apparently unreal in clear conditions and I can only hope that the weather holds out until the morrow. It'll probably take around 8 hours round trip to do the hike, but I am up for the exercise and everything will be dramatically easier due to the light-weight day-pack I'll be using. I'm pretty excited to get back out into nature. I did a pretty big hike last weekend, but that seems like ages ago and now I am itching to get my fix once again. I'm going alone, so it is bound to be a different sort of outdoors experience than last weekend.
All else is good here in Wanaka. My flat-mate and I have come to an understanding and now I sort of feel like an asshole for holding such deep grievances against him over a sandwich. It's true, however, that the sandwich incident was just the tip of the ice-berg and I had been close to boiling over for quite some time, so I shouldn't feel bad, I suppose. Anyway, I'm not holding any grudges against the poor fellow and I imagine that from here on out things will be easier. Yep, the problem has been solved!

Eyes Aiming for Ashes

2006-02-17T01:19:00.000-07:00

Oh Goodness!
Today at work I stewed and pouted and cursed and looked generally displeased for 90% of the day. Why did I act like this one might ask? This morning when I awoke at 6;30 in the morning to prepare for my day at the vineyard I was greeted by a disheartening surprise. Upon opening the refrigerator door I noticed that the plate which contained my pre-made lunch for the day was stark white empty and where my sandwiches once rested sat a note. In a scrawled midnight handwriting I saw, "Oppps! Thanks You! I.O.U. -Paul. Dreadful demonic images of revenge immediately popped before my eyes. Curses crossed my lips without the slightest notice of what was said. Should I throw a bucket of water on him while he is soundly sleeping? Should I arouse him and demand a new batch of sandwiches, similar to the first, be made? I took my coffee, ate my porridge, and let my jets cool for a moment. I chose no action. I will not lower myself to his level and allow him to receive the attention he so eagerly wants, I reasoned. Today after work I composed myself and sat in the living room awaiting his arrival home. He entered through the door and I pointed at him. He strode into the living room with a goofy-ass shit-eating grin plastered on his sloppy mug. "Do you remember that speech you gave me weeks ago about mutual respect?," I asked. No Answer. "Well, I'd like to point out that eating my lunch, which you knew I made on the last evening, does not fall into the category of respect, in my humble opinion". Surprisingly enough he agreed and seemed to realize his fault. I emphasized that that sort of garbage will not stand. He again empathetically apologized and assured me his motive for eating the sandwiches was not out of malice, but just out of sheer foolishness. Well, I was partially satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and I will let it sit for now. I can't believe a 38 year old man doesn't know better. Shame on him!, don't you agree? --Collin

The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.

2006-02-12T23:39:00.000-07:00

Man-
Today was a long day on the old vineyard- I'll tell you why. I worked all day long with the same person and unfortunately he is the only person on my work team whom I don't consider "awesome". Anyway, his name is Dave and he is 18 years old, he lies, and he is dating the boss's daughter, she is 14. Today I learned that dave beat up 7 guys at once, and they had bats! I also learned that Dave likes to jump off a 200 foot high cliff into the river everyday after work, he says it doesn't hurt. It's odd to hear someone lie to you straight faced. I wasn't sure what to say to him after he told me he beat up 7 guys at once. What do you say? "Ya don't say!... 7 guys, Jeeez!...I've only done 5."
Also, my friend Byron moved into my flat yesterday so now the house seems a bit more balanced. He'll only be living there for two weeks, but it'll be nice to have a compadre about.
Today I went swimming after work in a nearby river and I saw first-hand what an introduced algae had done to the river ecosystem here in new zealand. Apparently this stuff, called, "didymo", is choking up the rivers here in new zealand after only being introduced from somewhere around north America last year. Big globs of the stuff were floating all about in the river. GROSS! BARF ME OUT! GAG ME WITH A SPOON! check it out http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests-diseases/plants/didymo/

And now....you are going to dance...like you've never danced before!

2006-02-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Howdy Folks. I've been settling into the life of a "working man" here in Wanaka quite easily. My flatmate and I have been getting along pretty well and I am really digging the feeling of having a room all to my own, even if it is just a mattress on the floor with no furnishings whatsoever. Work at the vineyard has been great due to the relaxed atmosphere and cool co-workers. I feel as if I am finally becoming immersed in the culture and lifestyle of the Kiwis. Many of my friends are locals and it's nice to get off the back-packer's circuit and actually feel as if you are living some where
Yesterday a few friends and I did a fairly massive day-hike on a track known as "the routeburn". We hiked approximately 20 miles in 7 hours. It was an exhausting day, but the scenery and the challenge made it all the more memorable. I thought my legs were going to be jello today, but I feel surprisingly good - perhaps I am not the blob of fat I thought I was! I hope to do some more long day-hikes over the next few weeks.
I set aside some time tonight to watch one of my favorite movies, I haven't seen a good movie in a long time. I am watching a german film called, "fitzcarraldo".
goodbye for now

No More Crumbs For This American.

2006-02-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Yowza. This last week and a half has been B-U-S-Y. I put in a 60 hour week between working as a "viticulturist" at the vineyard and washing dishes like a little piggy at the cafe. I tried to mentally psyche myself up to work 7 days a week, but alas after doing it for a bit I have decided that I can't hack it and I quit the dish-pig job. The boss at the cafe is a jovial fellow named "paul". Whenever Paul makes a somewhat comedic remark to me he winks when he does it. He has an incredibly thick and quick kiwi accent and in combination with my failing hearing

I constantly find myself saying "what's that?", or "come again?. Sometimes, out of embarrassment, I pretend that I understood what he said when in actuality I didn't catch a word.
Each day he makes me a pretty good lunch for my mid-day break. I have the pick of the entire menu and most of the stuff is pretty good-looking and pricey. He asked me what I wanted my first day and I told him that I was a vegetarian so my options may be slightly limited. He squealed, "what!, you're a vego!?"..."aw come on, you can't be a vego, you're a bloke!". I assured him that it was true, I am both a vegetarian and a bloke. "oh, can't be", he went on, "you're just caught up in the little fad like the rest of 'em"...."you'll be back to the beef before you know it!" Paul was a little sore when I told him I was quitting the job.

Just last week I finally found a room to rent while living here in Wanaka. The house is in a great location and is quite nice. My room-mate and landlord, Paul, is a 38 year-old Kiwi who practices Law here in Wanaka. He drives a little scooter around town while wearing a business suit. He drinks wine and tells me all about the complexities of it. His brother owns a coffee company and he has an expensive coffee machine in the house (it cost $3000, he told me that, he tells me how much everything costs) that I make espresso with every morning. Before moving into the house he gave me a little speech about how to keep things clean around the abode. He came across as a wee bit anal-retentive, so over the last week I have been keeping an extra close eye on my level of cleanliness. I feel as if it is an extreme challenge to keep the house up to his standards. I find myself constantly cleaning minute crumbs that would be entirely insignificant in any other household. Last night I took the time to do the dishes even thought none of the dishes belonged to me. He saw me doing the dishes and in passing said "good job". An hour or so later he passed me in the hall and again told me "good job". Now that I think about it I am pretty sure that he is playing some sort of sick mind game to see how much work he can get the new room-mate to do. Well, I am onto to his little head game and from here on out I am reverting back to my old slovenly ways. No more crumbs for this American.

Ciao! Chow.

In The Darkness of My Night

2006-01-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

Last night I slept in my car in a fairly remote residential area here in Wanaka. It was hot as blazes outside so I slept with my windows rolled all the way down. AT approximately 4 a.m. a head popped through the window directly next to me. Some noise awoke me and I groggely opened my eyes to see the slightly illuminated figure of a teenage girl peering at me from a few feet away, she was by herself. A coversation ensued:
Girl: Hey man, wake up, man, man, wake up!
Collin: Please go away.
Girl: No seriously, do you have a lighter I could borrow?
Collin: A lighter?
Girl: Yes, I need a lighter.
Collin: No, I don't have a lighter.
Girl: Oh, well would you mind if I pee behind your car then?
Collin: Yes, you may pee behind my car.
girl: Thank you.

And then my ears were delighted to hear the glorious sounds of a drunk teenage girl whizzing a few feet from my car door. She finished and left and I quickly rolled up the windows, locked the doors, and peered around before heading back off to la-la land a bit confused.
Today was my first day washing dishes at a cafe here in wanaka called, "ritual espresso". Usually I think of washing dishes as being an incredibly boring and crap job, but I actually enjoyed work today. The boss and owner was incredibly nice and didn't treat me like the dish-pig I am. They fed me a great lunch, slammed espresso down my mouth, gave me food to take home, and poured me a couple of glasses of beer to sip on while I did the dishes. Not bad at all...perhaps I will be able to handle working 7 days a week....Ok, well I'm going to off to enjoy the rest of this saturday before work tomorrow morn. Someone asked me today how long it had been since I'd slept in a shower and I thought about it and realized that it had been 10 days. Since it has been ten days since a hostel that logically means it has been 10 days since I have had a shower. I tried to justify not having a shower for so long by explaining that I swim in the lake everyday, but I was immediately met by shouts of "Dirty American Pig!".
If tonight someone asks me to pee behind my car I am going to tell them no, no you can't pee behind my car.

Crawling Back to the Grape

2006-01-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

HoY Hoy-
I've settled down a bit in the last few days having secured myself a position on one of the vineyards near a small desert-like town called, "Cromwell". The vineyard I work for is called, "gibberston valley", and they produce pinot noir. In 2000 their pinot noir garnished worldwide acclaim by winning "Best Pinot Noir" (in the world, apparenlty). A bottle of their wine costs about 40 bucks here (haven't tasted it yet, although I can get them for 1/2 price). Anyway, the job is plush. The pace of work is much more slower than the work I was doing in vineyards up north. I don't hear any yelling and no one peeks over your back every two minutes. Nice and Relaxed. So, I got that job and I also have another job in another town about 30 miles away. Tomorrow I am washing dishes in a small cafe in a town called, "wanaka". So, I guess I am going to work 7 days a week for as long as I can withstand it. I might as well make as much money as possible. I am currently without a home, so I have been sleeping next to a lake which is in close proximity to the vineyard. It's odd to wake up in a tent, cook breakfast on a camping stove, and then head off for an eight hour day. It's cheap and easy to live next to the lake, but I'm not sure I would be able to stand it for too long, it might get pretty old. I think I am going to look for long-term accomodation in wanaka over the next few days here. The vineyard will pay for my petrol to drive back and forth so it doesn't sound too bad to me. My very tall (6'7) german friend, Martin, secured the job at the vineyard for me and he is also camping out next to the lake. We both plan on doing some back-packing trips together in about a month, so it makes it much easier for us to plan if we are living near eachother. Today was a ridiculously hot and dry day. Cromwell is only able to support vineyards due to massive amounts of irrigation. Everyday after work I drive to the lake and immediately take a dip, not a bad way to end a day.
SOyonara

Crime and Punishment

2006-01-21T16:55:00.001-07:00

Hello-
This morning I awoke inside my car. The seats recline fairly far back and if I situate my little pillow "just so" the night usually passes quickly. I awoke and slid over to the driver seat and drove for two minutes down to the edge of Lake Wanaka. It's a beautiful warm blue lake with great mountains surrounding it. I cooked up my oatmeal and got some hot water going for my morning cup of joe. After breakfast I took a dip in the lake. The lake water here is incredibly warm in comparison to most lakes back in montana. The dip in the lake acts as both my wake-up/refreshing period and as a partial cleansing in order to stave off the stink which will slowly grip me if I continue to sleep and live in a car. Today I plan on walking around this small tourist type town in search of employment. I've seen some places that look pretty good. I'm in the market for some sort of job that will be incredibly intellectually stimulating so I am aiming for either dishwasher or ice-cream scooper. My fingers are crossed! I just started reading a book entitled, "crime and punishment" by the russian author Dostoyevsky. It was written in the mid-1800's, but the subject matter and wording of the literature seems very modern to me. I've been fairly engrossed in it since I found it at a shop around here for fifty cents. He's one of those authors I had always planned on reading but I had somehow always slipped by him. Well, hopefully I land a job here in wanaka so I can start saving up some cash to do some more tramping. There are some pretty intriguing national parks down around this area. I'm looking to tramp in Fiordland NP, Stewart island (the little island south of NZ...It is 90% national park and the chances of spotting a real live kiwi-bird down there are pretty high), and Mt. Aspiring NP. I'm heading back to Missoula mid may, so I am going to try to cram in as much hiking-action as possible in the next months.
Au Revoir!
Collin

Tomorrow will be the same but not as this is.

2006-01-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hi.
Well, I am in a little town named Wanaka right now. I've been camping out in arthur's pass national park for the last 5 days and now I have decided to return to civilazation for a bit. My time in Arthur's pass was incredibly unique. I spent nearly 4 days in total solitude. I'd wake in the morning and brew up some coffee and then head off for a six hour hike up some peak nearby. Upon completion of the hike I'd return to my campsite and read until dinner. After I gorged myself on cous-cous I'd retire to my tent for a night of quiet contemplation. It was a pretty solid routine I had and I am kind of sorry to see it go, but alas I must find work soon to support my lifestyle (whatever that may be). I think I'll camp out around this town for a bit until I hear word from a friend of mine about potential job opportunities nearby. I just finished reading catch-22 the other day. I was living in that book! I loved it! Yossarrian Lives!

old photo

2006-01-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

Stefanie (german-lady) Myself (collin) Carthage (Irish)

MT. Cook

2006-01-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Check it again!

Rees and Dart

2006-01-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Check it!

The Beard Diaries

2006-01-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hogwash!
It's been far too long since I've updated this little journal and I am going to do my darndest to catch up. Mark arrived on the 25th of december and since then life has been a mellow/chaotic scramble to get from one beautiful national park to the next. Mark and I got up to some seriously good tramping in arthur's pass national park before the new year. We were joined by an american friend of mine named, byron (the dude that drove me from auckland to wellington in his superb van). Lachie arrived on the 29th and we all spent our new year's up in the woods outside of christchurch. I backpacked in 3 litres of cheap wine, so our new year's eve party had a little bit of a spark. We didn't make it to midnight. Man, I feel like old man and man I'm not even 25. Mark left on the 2nd, but lachie has been travelling with me since then and we have been having a seriously good time. seriously. We spent three days driving in the car getting chased from one national park to the next due to an immense amount of rain on the western portion of the south island. Lachie and I finally arrived in Mt. Aspiring national park and just yesterday completed a four day trip up the Rees River and down the Dart River. We trampled through incredible amounts of mud (sometimes up to my knee), and scrambled down some questionable loose gravel. The area we were in was incredible. we walked through valleys with Great high peaks covered in snow above us while sun shined down all around. We had a few rainey days, but that just added to the experience, making every hour passed that much more memorable.
Tomorrow lachie and I are going to be in Mt. Cook national park. We plan on doing a one nighter up to a hut at the base of MT. Cook. I'm really looking forward to it since every photo I've seen of the area has been outta this world.
It's been great having lachie and mark as travel-mates here in new zealand. Having good friends around has given me a new perspective on the overseas/wandering hobo experience I am currently engrossed in.
I've left out huge chunks of great stuff, but unfortunately I don't have too much time on the comp. I'm gonna get pictures up one day, I swear. I hope you are doing great.
Your Faithful Servant,
Popeye Pruitt
P.S. Lachie and I have been growing our beards for quite some time and a good portion of every evening is spent combing and manicuring each delicate hair.

Moisture, Real Country Darkness, More Pancakes

2005-12-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

Oh, hello there.
Today is x-mas eve and I am spending it here in blenheim with two friends, Eddie and Kris. Eddie and Kris purchased a house here in blenheim and plan on staying long-term, so they offered to put me up on my way back through blenheim. Incredibly nice people. This morning I made them german pancakes with an array of optional toppings.
Mark and lachie, my two friends from Australia, are arriving tomorrow, so I have been planning and preparing like a mad man. This morning I went grocery shopping and spent damn near $160..My heart shattered when I saw the total, but I imagine the amount of food I purchased will last a good deal of time, and it's better to be prepared then to be stuck in arthur's pass (the place we are going hiking) without grocery facilities.
I just got back yesterday from a four night trip in Abel Tasman National Park. I went with two german friends of mine, Yvonne and Leila. They were a great crew to travel along with and we had some pretty hardy laughs. The first day of the trip could have been disastrous. It started raining midway through the trek and didn't let up until morning the next day, Heavy Hard Rain. We sought out shelter in a kitchen shelter and ended up spending the night in there. My tent, which I inherited from some friends, would have disintegrated in the rain, that's for sure. Other than that the trek was nearly flawless. The beaches were incredibly scenic and I indulged in more than my share of dipping. Blue waters with sort of borderline lush tropical surroundings. It couldn't have been a better area.
Last night I met with my old friend Chris from Chico State University. He's a native kiwi and by chance his grandparents live here in blenheim, so he was swinging through for x-mas. Here's a story- On the vineyards I worked with an 84 year old man. He did the same job as I. Bending and picking at plants over and over. Anyway, after speaking with Chris for awhile we figured out that the man I worked with was actually his grandfather. Small world indeed.
Well, I hope this festive season is treating you well. Bye.

P.S. The car is driving like a dream. A 1982 light brown dream.

German Pancakes

2005-12-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Good Gravey.
Yesterday was my last day working in the vineyards. I was in an awfully good mood and no amount of work set before me could make me frown. Today I set up little brownie with car insurance and registration. She's street legal boys! I'll be leaving here this coming sunday to head to abel tasman for a much anticipated bout of tramping. Three nights camping out along the coast is just what the doctor ordered. I'm going to have to get a bunch of pics of this spot. From what I've heard Abel Tasman is fairly spectacular.
I'm somewhat sad to be leaving blenheim, but at the same time most of my close friends have left and I feel like their isn't too much more this spot can offer. I'm glad I stayed here a month and saved up some cash, it's been a memorable experience for sure. I'll actually be back here on the 23rd and 24th to meet up some folks for some x-mas pre-partying. One of the people I am going to meet up with is an x-room mate of mine from university in california. His name is Chris and he is genuine real live Kiwi that resides most of the time on the north island. Fortunately his grandparents live here in blenheim, so I'll be able to meet up for a wee bit.
I've found a place in town that sells cd's for fairly cheap. I splurged and bought two bob dylan albums that were previously unheard by myself. 1. The times they are a'changin. 2. Desire. Both are phenomenal and have been on heavy rotation in my compact disc player.
I scored a whole bunch of good gear today. Some friends gave me a tent that they didn't want anymore and it seems to be in top working order.I also found a good pair of boots in a closet here at the hostel. the closet is full of stuff that people have left behind over the years. SCORE!
I also bought the book, "catch 22" by joseph heller. I tried reading this long ago, but was never dedicated enough to finish it. This time I am determined. SOYONARA!

Acquiring Little Brownie

2005-12-09T23:27:00.000-07:00

Today Little Brownie rolled into town. A 1982 Mitsubishi Hatch-back, Brown. I drove her today on the highway for about 40 minutes and she purred away perfectly. I'm paying 350 dollars for the car + 50 for warrant of fitness + 120 for registration + 225 for third party insurance. All total I will pay about 740 dollars NZ for the car, or around 500 dollars US. I'm fairly psyched about the whole deal and everyone I speak to about it seems to think it a good deal. Little Brownie is so ugly that she is almost beautiful.
Work has been slowing down a bit in the vineyard lately, so last week I had two days where they my services weren't needed. Oh well, I guess it's only a couple extra bucks and I really have been able to save up some good cash well staying here in blenheim. I'm going to work one more week and then on saturday I will head to the northern coast to do a 3 day backpacking trip with two german girls I met here in blenheim. After that I am going to pick up some australian friends and get down to some serious backpacking. It'll be a nice way to round out december and kick off the new year.
Well, I better get going. I've got to give Little Brownie a full body wax job.

Anthony Hopkins = Pure Solid Gold

2005-12-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hi-
I went out to the pub last night with damn near every nationality of world represented. It was a huge crew and it became a little overwhelming at times. There were 4 or 5 Germans that would not stop screaming the lyrics to "with or without you" by U2, and nearly every kiwi in the place was staring over in our direction without a smile on their face. I shook my head and said, "damn germans, will they never calm down?". I went and saw "the world's fastest indian", a movie about a kiwi that heads to america with his motorcycle to break the world's speed record. It was pure genius. An oscar contender if I've ever seen one. Anythony Hopkins gave new meaning to the word "acting". Mesmerizing. Is that enough praise for ya? I'm not sure when it is going to cross the seas to america, it being a new zealand made film, but do make sure to swing by the theater when it does come there. Well, a few of my good friends that live with me and work with me have decided to move on to another place. It's kind of sad. I've surely settled in with my lifestyle here in blenheim and it is going to give me a jolt when a few of my compadres wander on. Better get used to it I suppose, that is the life of the wandering new zealand migrant farm worker. My two australian buddies, lachie and mark, have chosen some dates after christmas to come visit new zealand. It's going to be ridiculous to see them. A damn hoot, I should say. Anyway, I need to get on the planning band wagon so we can do some sweet backpacking while they are here. Time is going faster than ever these days. I've already been in new zealand a month and I have yet to unpack my bag....Oh, you should have seen my japanese friend Yoshi dancing last night. I've never seen someone so uncoordinated. It was stunning. I was in Awe.

sun shattered down on the rain soaked ground

2005-11-28T01:05:00.000-07:00

Hi///
Ah Ha, another monday and it was a pretty good one. I worked with the same group all day at work today, so while we picked leaves and tore things off we had quite a few interesting conversations. My Irish friend, Carthage, whom I met in Wellington, is not living here in blenheim and also works with me. He's an incredible character and is captivating no matter what topics he seems to start discussing. Also, a funny thing, today my boss yelled from across the vineyard at an older women worker, "shut your mouth, do what your told you old bag!". I was laughing hysterically. What other job would a boss yell that at an employee, espescially with everyone listening? I am going to relax tomorrow evening and head to the cinemas for a much overdue dose of film. I am going to watch the latest anthony hopkins joint it's called, "the world's fastest indian", or something along those lines. Nearly everyone I am in contact with here has seen it, and they all rave, nonstop./

takin' 'em off here, boss.

2005-11-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

I will forever respect the Grape!
I will forever cherish and savour each sip of wine I get!
These are two mantras that shall forever run through my head whenever I speak or think of wine. The last three days have been filled with hard slave-like labour and I am little too sore tonight for comfort. Eight hours, in the sun, on your knees, picking at leaves, does that sound like relaxing? No, no, it's really not that bad. I just love to brag of my misery. The crew I work with and my boss are pretty interesting/entertaining people, so my day drags by a little faster than it would seem possible. My boss is an absolutely gigantic individual. He's maori (kind of looks samoan) and bald and loves to yell about the most mundane bullshit known to man. He is totally ridiculous, and an absolute liar, but I laugh a lot at the spectacle he puts on. a lot of the people I work with are characters.....straight out of novels. Old men and women and young teenagers..the whole works...It's very diverse and very different from the usual work scene back in MT. While working I spend most of my time discussing important topics like ice cream. Just today I screamed, "Hokey pokey!, that's not an ice cream, chocolate, now that is an ice cream!"...very important stuff. The sun is absolutely blasting and before work I pretty much lather myself in sunscreen from head to toe. the boss has huge speakers in his van and every once in awhile he puts them on the roof and blasts music across the fields while we work. Today david bowie and the rolling stones occupied the airwaves...I'm pretty much exhausted after a day of work, so I usually rinse off my filth and lay around and read my book, that's the extent of it.Well, I must go, but make sure and look for a bottle of wine produced in the marlborough sounds in a couple years, perhaps my blood and sweat and tears will be present in the delicious nectar. I feel sore and bad, but otherwise my spirits are doing pretty intensely good. BYE BYE!

Hark! the angels sing, "OH! Blenheim OH!"

2005-11-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

Hi-
Well, I made it to Blenheim and now I am currently staying in a nice hostel called, "the grapevine". It has sort of a college-house kind of feel to it and everyone knows one another so it makes for a relaxed atmosphere. The internet here is ridiculously expensive ($6 an hour), so I can't use it too often, so don't feel neglected when I don't write to ya. I start work in a vineyard tomorrow. I'll probably be doing mindless physical labor in the hot sun, but I don't think I'll care too much, at the very least I will have minimal responsibility, and that sounds good to me. I should be here until x-mas, saving money and chilling out. I believe I'll buy a very cheap car from another person living here, that way I'll be able to do some backpacking in the national parks (kiwis call backpacking "tramping", or going on a "walk"). Well, I should take advantage of this internet time and get some business done. Smell You Later.

Up 'n' down through the blues the skies give me my silent cues

2005-11-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I'm still kicking it here in Nelson, but I plan on moving on tomorrow. I've been kicking back and forth ideas for work over the last couple of days and I have decided to head to a small town called, "blenheim". From Blenheim I should be able to work in the vineyards. Blenheim is apparently a big wine producing area, and cheap labor, such as myself, is in high demand. I plan on staying there about a month and hopefully saving somewhere near a grand. I'll quit around x-mas and then travel around for a month or so. Anyway, i figure if the job is too terrible I'll just quit and move on to the next, no worries.
It's been rainy and cruddy here in nelson my entire stay, so my spirit has been lower than usual. Well, I'll let you know how I feel after working a day in the fields.

On The Strength of The German Thumb

2005-11-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Kind Ladies and Kind Gentlemen-
What's cookin? It seems as though a lot has happened to me since my last posting, so I will attempt to edit out the mundane garbage and hit the high-lights. I took a ferry from wellington across cook strait to a small port town called, "Picton", two days ago. The ferry was incredibly scenic, and by chance I was adopted by a group of travelling germans as their honorary american. They practiced their english on me, and I got some interesting info out of them about their daily lives in the home land. The wind on the ferry was something fierce, but it was damn fun to lean against the wind without falling down. All of the germans and myself stayed in the same hostel upon arrival in Picton, so we got a chance to sip on some beers and get a little loose. One of the german girls, Stefanie, decided to hitch-hike with me today to a beach town called, "Nelson". She is a pretty interesting individual and laughs at damn near everything I say. I'm not sure if this is due to my hilarity, or to the fact that she probably doesn't understand what I am saying, either way it is a great boost to my self-esteem. Stefanie is an incredible hitch-hiker, I've never seen such aggresive tactics. She gets herself damn near in the road and jams her thumb out at every passing car, a huge smile on her face. I sat back, relaxed, twirled my mustache, and let the rides pour in. A scotsman and his wife picked us up. They were truely too kind. Half-way through the trip to nelson they stopped at a pub and bought us a couple pints of beer...Extraordinary! Front door service to our hostel! Now I am in Nelson with a belly-full of tomato soup. I'm not sure what my plans are from here on out, but I can safely bet that I will stay in Nelson tomorrow and attempt to hit the beach and wash my foul clothing. I hope you are doing well and I'll post another message when something exciting happens. Soyonara!

The Harbour is an Ironing Board

2005-11-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got a plan now, and I'll be damned if I don't stick to it. In two days I am going to cross to the south island and then hitch-hike around from there. The s. island is apparently very easy to get around on (according to some guy). I'm hoping to work for accomodation in a lot of the hostels I hit along the way, stretching my pennies as far as they go. When my pennies run out It's to the fruit-picking fields to earn some extra cash..Mark and Lachie, two australians I met in the netherlands, plan on making a trip over here in late december, so I am planning on setting some time aside to travel with them, there's no way I could miss out on that. I'd kick myself for the rest of my days. Other than that, tonight I am going to see a movie called, "thumbsucker". Mr. Ari Teichman recommended it to me awhile back and luckily I get the chance to see it here in Wellington. I spend most of my day out of the hostel walking the streets. I can't really stand being around all those people for too long, but everyone else in the hostel seems to dig it. I took a great walk last night along the harbor, I made it pretty far actually. It was very windy out and the clouds were just flying by in the dark.

stuck up in Wellington, again

2005-11-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

Still hanging around wellington attempting to catch my breath. I've fired off a few resumes to some prospective employers on the South Island, but unfortunately I have yet to get a reply. Damn them all, they don't know what they are missing! Anyway, last night this swedish dude drug me out to the bars along with an english girl. It was fun, but eventually the two of them slowly just chatted to eachother and I kind of just looked on and stroked my mustache. It was still fun though, and i got some free drinks. Well, tonight I am going to a free film entitled, "Discovering Electronic Music". It should be neato. I used the dryer in the hostel this morning and now all my clothes have a sort of odd weird reek to them. I can't really afford to wash them again, so I guess I have to go through the days stinking. Tis Life

WELLINGTON>>>>DREAMING

2005-11-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

So, I travelled down the length of the north island from Auckland to Wellington and here I sit in the back of some chinese restauraunt using their cheap internet. Wellington is an incredibly beautiful city with a lot of character. It's sort of a like a clean San francisco. It's very easy to navigate and for right now it seems like a pretty damned good place to stick around for a few days, espescially since the hostel I am staying in is pristine. I'm on the lookout for work, so I've spending a few hours a day trying to find something suitable outside of wellington. I'd like to head down to the south island and work somewhere near the national parks that are down there. It'd be nice to be able to hike around on my off days, and perhaps I could work with a crew of travellers like myself. Who knows? Today I hiked to the top of Mt. Victoria here in wellington. The view was sensational and I took some time out there to chill out and listen to some tunes. right now I am going to the big museum here in Wellington with a swedish dude named, "christian" that I met yesterday. should be a good time.

ellemeno P

2005-11-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

HI!
Well, today is kind of a down day after heading out to a bar last night with a bunch of drunk strangers (I sat quietly in the corner twirling my one foot long mustache). I need to pick up a phone and then figure out where I am going to go tomorrow. I'll tell you one thing- I need outta auckland. It's too busy, too many people, and doesn't fit my idea of new zealand at all. However, it's the one place you can get all of you business attended to, I'll give it that. All of my hostel buddies left this morning, so i guess it is time to find some new ones. "excuse me, I am a lonely american, will you be my friend?".

tanglewood numbers

2005-11-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

Man,
I am ridiculously sore today..Way way too much walking yesterday. I sat in the lobby of the hostel for a bit and then met a german girl named Katrin. We hit the road and spend 6 or 7 hours walking the streets of auckland. It was nice to get a perspective on what this city is all about. I think I am leaving tomorrow and heading north by bus, not 100% sure though. Today I've got business to attend to,

everything hits at once

2005-11-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

OH, hi.
I made it to auckland and now I sit here at this comp paying way too much money for a few seconds to type. My flight was pretty damn smooth. I slept nearly the whole time thanks to a couple glass of old red red wine. It's 8am now, and I am smelly, and I am waiting to get into my room at 10am, so I can drop off my big bag and then go hit the city for a cup of hot black joe. Not much else to report. I feel pretty darned good right now....

))<>(( FOREVER.

2005-11-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I leave in 15 mins. Soyonara!

Z<<<<<>>>>>>ABC

2005-10-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

Missoula is rainy today and the pigs keep on following me around asking to be taken on a walk. This morning Gretel and I had breakfast at the Hob Nob. After many cups of coffee we entered a heated debate on wether or not missoula today was dreary or gloomy. In my opinion gloom is a much stronger and foreboding sort of word; dreary just reminds me of rain and mud and dead leaves. I've been scrambling round the house throwing this and that in to my backpack hoping that I don't forget something major. My bag in total will be under 50 lbs. For some reason I find this very minimal amount of weight to be very comforting. It's nice to know all of my belongings can fit on my back. Tomorrow I hit the airport around 10am, fly to salt lake and then to LA. I leave the US at 8pm and I fly for 13 hours before landing in auckland at 5:30 in the morn. I'll arrive in NZ a total nightmare, but it probably won't be anything that a cup of hot black joe can't cure. 'Tis all for now. I'll fire off some e-mails with some pics once I get my feet planted.

finally feeling time step up on me

2005-10-26T21:56:00.000-06:00

It's a wednesday night, I leave for NZ this next coming tuesday morning. Surely the next days of life here in Missoula will be filled with the odds and ends of life that seem to present themselves far too frequently when you are moving away for a good deal of time. Spoke on the phone yesterday with a number of friends. all of the conversations I had compounded in to two distinct feelings. 1. Excitement/anticipation. 2. nervousness/ill-feelings. Well, I've decided to ignore the second of the emotions I seem to feel and instead focus on the excitment/anticipation part, that seems logical to me and less self-defeating. So, I am looking forward and I'll be happy that i did.

the day after halloween

2005-10-21T10:41:00.000-06:00

yes, yes, yes..I leave for New zealand the day after halloween. I'll probably sit around with ma and pa on halloween and hand candy out to the children whilst gathering my mind for the following days. it's all very exciting!...here is an idea for a halloween costume:

So, here it begins.... a new nerd on the internet

2005-09-26T11:28:00.000-06:00

Folks,
Yes, this is the beginning of a so-called, "blog". Damnit, "blog", what a stupid name. It sounds awful rolling off of the tongue. I'd like to put down a few notes on here every now and again to tantalize the mind of the reader. I'll begin with the good stuff in November. good day