good times...good times...

This weekend was great, really. I already told you about the Naked Aquatic Olympics, so I can skip that. Last night, after a long day in the library doing open word surgery on a passage from Joyce’s Portrait of and Artist as Young Man, I rewarded myself with a laid back night of good people, good food and good music. A few weeks ago I became friendly with this chap named Gareth (not sure if I mentioned that his ancestors were pirates, like real ones, hooks and peg legs) and he and his mates (mateys)who invited me and whoever I wanted to bring to join them downtown this weekend. One of their friends bands was playing at the Queens Head bar, So, I said yes and obviously invited Summer along, cause we are attached at the hip. Before the show, we took the train to the burbs, where I hadn’t been yet, and where Gareth’s house was. Glen Innes is a lovely 2 dollar train ride, and we were rewarded with a really fun BBQ and some Rugby lessons, not involving getting off the couch, but a attention demanding play by play dissection, it was very informative. I got to know the guys a bit better and ended up having a lot of fun, it was nice to hang out with new (not American) people. At around 9 we caught a bus downtown. On the bus we picked up a drunk girl named Bubbles, her friends had abandoned her, so we adopted her until shew sobered up a bit. The band we saw was a local cover band called The Duxton Affair, these guys were great. I mean I know, you cant really butcher songs that have already been classified as greats, but these guys pulled it off with a sort of unironic glee. They were visibly happy to be on stage entertaining a crowd mostly consisting of their friends. They played all the right bar tunes at all the right times, good job boys, I’d buy your cd...maybe. After the show and after hanging out for a bit in the bar, the group headed down to the Viaduct, the area by the wharf where all the poncy clubs have set up shop, unfortunately we only walked outside the clubs, summer and I were not dressed properly for a Saturday night on the wharf, as people kept telling us...over and over again. We were having a grand ole’ time just walking around, laughing and taking the piss out of each other (that means making fun of each other in Kiwi). At about 4am we parted ways with the boys and walked home...but not before an obvious stop at Foodtown. We made Quesadillas, and I stumbled (from tiredness) to bed at around 5:15am. Today was the Auckland Food and Wine festival, it was amazing, there was so much... food...and wine...we were stuffed by 5pm, so we just sat and listened to the live music and looked at the water, and people watched. It was a great Sunday after a great Saturday night after a great Friday night. I love good weekends. Sorry this is so long, whatever, you all love it.

BBQ at Gareths

Food and Wine festival