Racist wallpaper

Sup from the way-lower east side.....

So some of you know I have a pretty sick sense of humor absolutely inappropriate for most dinner conversations. But sometimes my love of Louis CK, Ricky Jervais, and Chris Rock gets the better of me and I find humor in the weirdest, most unexpected places, such as the bathroom of the Mac's Brew Bar and restaurant in Takapuna.....

I got some video to explain:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=richmYuumKQ

Black guys drinking in the park and holding up skinny little white guys at gunpoint?  Seriously?!  Simultaneously the funniest, and worst, interior decor in the world.

Louis got it right though.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vooueoY6YYQ 

Bethells Beach: wild, windy, wet

Last week we headed to Te Henga (Bethells Beach) on the west coast for a gig. We learned a new definition of windblown as were were almost torn apart by the gale-force winds of the west side. Bethells is wild, full of little caves and huge waves. We got some video of it. Enjoy!

Video link:  http://youtu.be/4rYKUwD9H38

Road Trip - January 2014

So what do you do when you have no jobs and gas is $8/gallon? Burn a hole in your wallet and go on a road trip, of course! Here is a little video of our of first road trip around the north island. We camped near Lake Taupo, then stayed in a friend's caravan in Waikanae Beach. After that we camped just north of Napier at a beautiful spot with a stream and jammed for an hour with three American hippies who had a guitar, spoons, and a gut bucket (homemade one-string bass). Then we headed up to Tauranga to stay at an ocean-side mansion with our awesome Airbnb hosts. What a wonderful trip!

Click here if you are having trouble streaming the video.

Here are a few pictures from our trip. Click here to see more pictures in our gallery.

Near Napier, Hawke's Bay

At the top of Mount Maunganui, Tauranga

At the top of Mount Maunganui, Tauranga

Ramble on...

Paradise!

I think I see a hobbit!

Our for-now home - Murray's Bay at sunset

Hoopy New Year!

"Hoopy" New Year, everyone!  Just a little hoop dance from warm, sunny Auckland!  It's to "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles, requested by a friend of mine. Enjoy!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdcYwSi7C2U 

Don't hate me too much - it rains here about every day and ruins all our dry clothes out on the clothes line! For some reason, Kiwis haven't discovered clothes dryers yet....

I've been hearing of ice on walls and windows back on the East Coast of the U.S.....yikes!  Sounds like some of you need to plan a trip out to NZ to visit us in 2014-15!  

We have a vlog coming soon of our recent road trip....more to come!  xoxo

I taw I taw a putty tat.

Talking birds always intrigue me. Maybe it has something to do with my childhood love of Tweety Bird and Woody the Woodpecker. The birds in New Zealand are really cool. Recently we've become acquainted with the Tui, a sort of crow looking bird with a white tuft on the throat. They sound like R2D2 on acid. Here's a video of one we found on our walk...

And here's a video of a Tui bird at a bird recovery center in New Zealand that TALKS!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqF33vc_q68

More cool birds we saw in New Zealand on our trip last year to the South Island (all photos are copyrighted and property of Melissa Cox - all rights reserved):

Bellbird (wild)

Kaka (in sanctuary)

Takahē (in sanctuary, extremely endangered - only 263 remaining in beginning of 2013)