Part of fish with friend at last...(7)

Well it has been about 3 years since I last blogged, and Michelle has written 10, so I thought I'd better write one or change the name of this blog to Michelle 2007. So we're in the South Island of New Zealand in a place called Dunedin (which is the Gaelic name for Edinburgh). There is a big Scottish contingent here, not sure why exactly, and it is one of the most historical places in the whole of New Zealand. It think it is also the most Southerly point either of us has been to in the World. There are Victorian buildings here that were actually built in Victorian times, rather than replicas. I know they are still only 100 years old but that is ancient in NZ as most things are (and look) like they were built in the 1970's. I suppose it's only fair though as this is a very young country compared to most in Europe and it really is obvious to us Brits. Still Dunedin seems like a nice place so far, and we're haven't even made it in to the main town square (or Octagon apparently) yet having just stopped off for a Thai lunch and now wandering into an Internet cafe!

So as to the strange title of this post; obviously being away for 10 months we are finding ourselves with a lot of free time on our hands. Now we are managing to fill this with tours, eating, sleeping, walking, sand boarding, ferry crossings, amongst other things, but now that we have a camper van (with electricity in most places!) we probably spend more time chilling out there. It is easier and nicer to spend time in our own space as it was in South America as most places we were in was hostels that we didn't really fancy spending time lounging around in. So we are spending a lot more time chilling out, drinking copious amounts of tea and coffee and yes... wait for it... reading "womens" magazines. I may as well come clean and admit that I am enjoying them as much as Michelle as I haven't got an excuse really. We've got a TV in our van too which means I could watch TV instead of reading magazines but I don't.

I am now "up-to-speed" with all the celebs affairs (news affairs not adulterous affairs although to be fair most of their news affairs do involve someone elses husband or wife or both!!); Nicole Richie's eating disorders, yes she has got all of them I think, Brangelina's adoptions, they seem to be averaging one Cambodian a week at the moment. By the way Brangelina is the correct way of saying Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie apparently and anyone who doesn't use this is so last season. Following the same nomenclature Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are called TomKat for short and David and Victoria (Beckham obviously) are called David and Skinny Bitch. Anyway where was I; yes also appearing in every single one of these mags, is Jennifer Aniston, Hugh Grant, Britney Spears (showing some shaven part of her anatomy), numerous black rappers, Pink, Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton, Keira Knightley and a host of other screwed up people! p.s. I don't think Hugh Grant is screwed up by the way, although saying that he did have an incident with a black prostitute a few years back. What also makes me laugh is the fact that one week you'll be reading about some celeb couple getting hitched, e.g. Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson, and the following week you'll be reading about them splitting up (and one of them trying to commit suicide and failing - sorry that bit has only happened once, and I actually quite like Owen Wilson, the Wedding Crashers is a good film.)

But, I hasten to add, in my defence, the reason we buy/borrow these magazines is not for the news (if you can call it news, I've not seen one article on the deforestation problems in Bangladesh) BUT for the puzzles. Yes, each one of these mags has umpteen puzzles in them ranging from Sudokus, crosswords, word searches, gridwords (whatever they are) and cryptic crosswords. Our favourite at the moment is the cryptic crosswords. Now, I've never been any good at these really. I know my Mum and Dad do the Daily Mail one and Michelle's Dad (Geoff) does the Telegraph one on Sundays. To be honest he completes it in the same day which I find quite a feat when you read the clues. Even when he explains the answers and how to get there I still don't follow more than half of them! And Deyesy and Roly attempt the Sun Cryptic crossword at lunchtimes in the Fox but really it was Bryan who used to finish them (sorry for any non-Comet people reading this you won't know who any of these people are or indeed what the Fox is.) Luckily the "women's" mags cryptic crosswords are relatively easy but it is still quite taxing and at least it's giving our brain a good workout and we're not turning into retards!

So as you've probably guessed by now the title of this blog is in fact a cryptic crossword clue , the number after it is the number of letters in the answer (derrrr!). My challenge to you is to email me the answer (I won't write my email here otherwise I'll end up getting even more adverts for Viagra than I currently get!) and the first correct answer will receive errrr.... nothing, but I'll give them a special mention in my next blog (probably in February next year judging by previous posts). Also please don't post the answer as a comment otherwise you'll spoil the fun for everyone else!

Well, that's all from me, I'm off to check my Facebook, shares, bank account, weather, news!

Adios,