Have you heard about the incredible jumping donkey?

Right then, today I have to share with you last night's dream. (They're not dull when they're your own, believe me). 

I dreamt that I was standing in a paddock - possibly part-paddock, part-orchard. Anyway, it felt like home. And suddenly a donkey came crashing through the branches of the tree (some sort of fruit tree I think) and landed with an almighty WHARR-RUMPH! on the ground. It would have winded the life out of the poor fella - he landed on his side.

And I looked over at the donkey and remembered it was a habit of his and I thought, 'When is he going to learn that he can't land on the top of the tree and think the branches will hold him?'

I just had to share that with you as my dream brain has yet again scared me. Where does it come from? Aliens must have planted it, cause I can't come up with this myself - surely?

Anyhou, I shall stop going on -'tis a gorgeous day in Auckland  and, even better, public holiday - what more could a girl ask for ? 

It's off to the beach, for me.

*Runs out of the room before objects start getting thrown in her direction.*

Take Two.

So there I was last week asking you not to hate me while I bragged about how I managed to have beautiful weather on my holiday as well as grab an extra week away.

And then what does a girl do?

After three and a half days back at work takes herself off on a ‘pudding’ holiday.

Hello Wanaka.

You can hate me now. But you’d have to stand in line, my bank account is considering filing for divorce. 

And finally !

And Happy New Year ! Granted, I am rather late to the 'Happy New Year' party, but when your boss asks if you want to take an extra week off, what's a girl to do?

I'll tell you what she does, she takes it, runs with it, and happily suspends reality for an extra week. Bliss.

Unfortunately the downside of all that blissful reality-suspension is that after two days back at the coal face, I'm a touch knackered and desperate to shut whoever invented the concept of work in a sound proof cupboard and throw away the key.

Oh well.

I've had a beautiful break and managed to be one of the jammy few who managed to fluke stunning weather for most of my time off (please don't hate me).

I caught up with some very dear friends who were out from the UK,(their nine year old is my godson and I have no idea why he calls me Princess Bonkers). My godson's mother is from NZ, and her family have holidayed in Arrowtown all her life. But after over fifteen years living in the UK she has decided that New Zealand is like the afterlife.

'Ya what?' Says I.

'It's like the afterlife!' Says she.

'Do I look like a ghost?'

'No, but if you want to go for a swim, we drive to Lake Hayes, we get a park and we go for a swim. It's stunning, it's clean.'

'Hmmmm?'

'And if we want a coffee, we drive to Arrowtown, get a park outside a great cafe and go and get a fantastic coffee. It's like the afterlife should be!'
                                         

I feel she has vaguely got a point. Not that I shall superglue myself to that point, otherwise people may think I'm a bit of a mental(and you lot in the cheap seats can keep your traps shut). However I now feel it is my duty to phone NZ Tourism and suggest a new slogan for their 2012 NZ marketing campaign. 

New Zealand - it's like the afterlife.