A short selection from the Waikato Times, best read slowly and out loud:
Two Cambridge mates say they may turn their unusual method of trimming hedges into a business, after they suspended a ride-on mower from a crane to do the job.
“This is how the Waikato boys mow a hedge,” the ride-on mower operator told the Waikato Times.
The operator, who did not want to be named, is now nursing a broken hand, but said it wasn’t a fall from the mower that caused the injury but one off the crane.
He admitted it was not the safest method of trimming the hedge, but said it was all done as a bit of a joke.
They wanted to film the stunt, put it on the internet and see how many hits it got, but in the end had no video camera.
The unusual sight bemused passing motorists. One passer-by, Bart Dinger, said it was a classic case of Kiwi ingenuity.
“A kiwi classic – jandals and all,” he said.
Anthony Trollope is one of my favorite classic British authors, so naturally I was surprised to learn that he, without my knowledge, wrote a book about his travels in Australia and New Zealand. His son apparently worked in Australia’s gold fields, so Tony packed up his things and the missus and went for a visit—no short boat ride in the 19th century. The trip took over a year and a half, but from it came a striking account of his travels that captures New Zealand’s infant spirit. The 
Question: First of all, welcome home! It sounds like you had quite the adventure coming home. What happened?
Coming back (I hesitate to say “home”) is tougher than I imagined, and I may end up using this space to vent. Or not. You know how blogs go…
I’m starting to have nightmares again. This much was expected, and happened before I left. Back then, I worried about losing touch with everyone back home. I should have realized it much sooner, but it wasn’t until long after “whoa, New Zealand!” evolved from a whimsical fantasy plan to a concrete itinerary-based trip that I accepted how massive a change this was, and how extraordinary the emotional cost would be. Sadness was built into the equation, all the more if the trip succeeded. And now, the final installment payment is due.
My calendar starts the new week on Saturday. I’m tempted to switch it to Monday, just to savor an extra few hours before staring down the final week.
