Issue # 61 - September Shenannigans

. September 2012 .

Hi there!

We're back! We've had a fairly colourful month with a few things going on.

September is now history and our account of it is up next. A wee bit of partying. Some diving. Some weather and a little bit of traveling pretty much sums it up.

Plenty of pics to keep you entertained as well.  We'll do our best to explain what's going on in some of them!

Enjoy the read!

Summer Touch Prize Giving Dinner

As usual, the Summer Touch dinner is always a night of fun and colour. This year was no different.

The theme is always announced well in advance so people and teams can get all of their kit together (notice I said 'kit').

The theme for 2012 was.....Circus! There were a great range of costumes on show of various types and all were pretty impressive really.

Our team combined with another this year and everyone went as 'Cirque du Soleil' characters. As you can see they did a pretty good job with the face painting and the outfits and they even won best dressed team (well they had to win something this season!). 

Dave however had other ideas. He donned his underpants, vest, belt and dumbells (as you do) and went along as the 'Strongman'.

Great outfit for picking up chicks...

or vice versa.

Serious photo...

And the winners of the best team costume went to...

Dangerous stuff that Trapezing...

Clowns were out in force

Love the tents!

Grrrrrrrrrooowwwllllll....!!!!

Not sure how the Romans fit in...

Even Monty Python's lot turned up!

Click here to see the behind the scenes pics (and others) from the Touch dinner

Beach!

We made a couple of Sunday beach days. Sometimes the weather looked a bit iffy. But generally it was OK.  One day a water spout formed a bit further out, which was pretty cool to see.

Water Spout - slightly closer view below

Pretty cool!

The Jet Ski is always popular with the kids, and also Michelle. She likes taking it out and towing the many kids around for ages.

Although some kids get left behind at times...

Sam and her mates floating in unison

Oops!

Jake and Co take on a minor building project

Could be time to head off before the rain comes

Weather

As is relatively common around this time of year, there was a bit of storm activity in the neighborhood. Thankfully nothing too major, but there were some exciting electrical storms from time to time.

These were taking early one morning from our front door.

Click here for more pics from around and about

Diving

We managed to get in a couple of dives in September. A friend of ours had a visitor who wanted to go out we took her to a couple of the easier, and better dive sites around here. Both of them almost across the road from us!

Sam with the Mermaid at the Sunset Dive site

Flamingo Tongue

The crabs aren't usually around much during the day, but this boy was still out when
 we came along. He was huge - Sam cetainly got a fright!

Some nice swim throughs at Eden Rock.

Michelle exits one of the swim throughs

See the rest of the Dive pics. Click here.

Rugby Trip

Dave headed for Austin (Texas) on the last weekend of September with the Rugby Club. They hadn't done Austin for a few years so it was time to re-visit, Dave hadn't been there at all and was looking forward to the trip.

An early flight Friday morning found them with a few hours to kill at Miami Airport. Time for some breakfast...so to speak.

Then it was off to Dallas where a bus was arranged to take them on a three hour trip to Austin. Why they didn't just fly there is a mystery... although they bussed last time as well and enjoyed that so maybe that's why. The bus driver lady pulled into a liquor store fairly soon after setting off and demanded that everyone have a few beers. Everyone then had a few beers.

Things were fairly jovial in time for arrival at the Hotel in Austin. Although the Hotel manager didn't look at all jovial as this lot wandered in. But everything was sorted and everyone went to bed early, as there was rugby the next day.

Saturday breakfast was at an Irish pub in town where typical Irish breakfasts were consumed with vigour. The Aussie v South Africa game was also live at 10 am so that was pretty good timing.

Then it was off the stadium for the game against the Huns. That is their name. They chose it themselves apparently.

OK, so maybe it wasn't quite a stadium. It did have the modern day long-drop toilet though, complete with can of air freshener. It was only a single seater as well, so that little room was popular pre-game.

 The game got underway with Cayman making all of the play for the first 40 seconds. After that it was quite the battle with the home side coming away deserved winners. The visitors were just thankful to come away.

 The hosts were a good bunch and provided the requisite refreshments post-game. They managed to Shang Hai a Sth African guy who was at the Pub watching the game and had played Rugby in South Canterbury for a year or two... (for Celtic). Possibly a fair indication of his skill level, but he did pretty well despite the rest of the team he had to contend with!

Another one who had spent time in South Canterbury.
This guy actually spent some time in Waimate (Dave's home town) a few years back
 working on the Gregan's farm at Makikihi. Small world!

 After the game everybody headed back to town to clean up and then watch the All Blacks take on Argentina. Funnily enough it was back in that Irish pub. The revelry continued...

Some local 'Kiwis' celebrate the All Blacks win

 Dave ended up at a High School re-union that was going on in one of the ball rooms at their Hotel.

Not sure what sort of school it was!

 The next morning it was up and at 'em for the Boat trip on Lake Travis. They'd been having a bit of a drought for the last few years and the level of the lake was 30 feet below its average. There was a cold wind blowing up the lake, which didn't bode well for the Cayman boys in their boardies and tee-shirts.

The drought breaks and about 15 Cayman guys come down with exposure...

See how low the water level is. Not much of a wake happening around there!

They managed to call the boat trip early and head to the nearest bar - with walls. Let the thawing begin!
The bar even had a picture of Marina Cay (just for you BVI fans!).

The local wildlife try and do what local wildlife usually do.

Sunday afternoon and night pretty much carried on in the same vain. However, some of the tour group were fortunate enough to find themselves out in the wops at a bar (we'll loosely call it a bar) where they had... wait for it.... "Chicken Sh!t Bingo." 

Click here to see it for real

In short, they have a large Bingo Card on a table. You buy a number for two dollars. They then place the cage on top and then add a chicken. The number where it drops it's load is the winner!

The things you do!

Monday was hometime. Back on the bus... no so many beers were evident. Then two flights, one delayed and the tour was over. A great time was had by all.

Click here to see more pics from Austin

Touch

We promised a pic from our Touch Team last month. Here you go!

Swimming

The kids have continued with their swim training but due to some rough weather have had a couple of their swim meets cancelled. Hopefully they will re-schedule so we can see what progress they are making.

Next Month

There are a few things going on in October.

• Dave is coaching a Women's Sevens team for the Club sevens.
• The Rugby Club Halloween Party is on... brace yourself.
• We hope to complete at least one swim meet!
• and whatever else happens to be going on!