What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

I swear I don't know what day it is anymore.

I have spent the last 10 days stuffed in a car with relatives while attempting a road trip through the South Island. We were in 8 locations which required 8 different hotels, B&Bs, or farm stays.

After teaching Jeff to drive, it was hard to pull him away from the wheel and I must admit, he drove quite well apart from the habit of tooting his own horn when he thought he pulled off a great maneuver...like driving successfully through a roundabout.

He also overdid the driver wave. We have a lot of one way bridges and you give the guy waiting a little acknowledgement after you cross. Jeff practically wanted to stop and chat about the experience.

The Millers are also amazing consumers and have helped boost the NZ economy. Especially the hat department. If a little coffee kiosk sold head wear with a logo, he bought it. Ditto on T-shirts. In fact, you know how hotels in Vegas will comp a high roller, knowing he will gamble lots in their casino...? Well, The New Zealand tourism council should send Lauren and Jeff a free first class ticket at least twice a year. Those two alone could keep over twenty people employed for a year. I'm not a shopper at all and neither is Kimberly (wink, wink), and we spent at least a grand just being in their wake.

We hiked in Abel Tasman, milked a cow in Greymouth, climbed glaciers, saw sheep, seals, castles, waterfalls, and gardens. Kimberly and Lauren drank Absolute Vodka in a high cover charge bar called Minus 5, where everything, including the bar and glasses are made of ice.

We were the first earthlings to see the entrance of the 2008 in Queenstown, where the police and security were treated like rock stars.

The worse part was probably the

potato wedges that seemed to appear in a giant bowl at every meal. We all need to do a cleanse and extreme diet and exercise to cure the potato poisoning.

Lauren and Jeff are going to Saturday Market for a bit more shopping. I'm sure there will be chips and sweets in addition to the hats and shirts. I will be running 10 km on the treadmill 5 minutes after I drop them off at the airport. I gotta get into driving shape.

Chloe is coming in 5 weeks.