Hello, New Zealand!

I have approximately 10 minutes and 23 seconds left on my Orewa library computer pass, so I'll have to keep this quick.

Got into Auckland at about 7AM this morning, in pretty good shape. I had one hell of a layover in LAX (about 11 hours...guh), but I slept pretty well on the LAX to NZ flight, thanks in no small part to the wonder drug Ambien. I caught the first half of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which totally sucked.

Joanne picked me up at the airport and we drove to her home in Orewa, a nice little suburb of Auckland. Her house is only a block from Orewa Beach...sweet as. Today's activities consisted of running errands in Orewa, eating lunch, buying a sun hat, and taking a long walk on the beach. Yes, ladies, I enjoy long walks on the beach. Tomorrow I'm planning on taking the bus into Auckland and having a look around. Also, I hope to have procured a car within a few days. Despite my mom's insistence that I will lose my concentration, drift into the right hand lane, and collide head on with a turnip truck, having my own car seems like the best option. Look at it this way, Mom: at least I won't be hitching.