It's raining so I figured I should update you guys.

Hello, as the title of this states, it's raining outside right now and a little stormy. I just got back from a walk to the surf shop to look at this board again that I have been drooling over the past couple days, and pick up some fresh bread from the bakery. I was going to get a new kind of meat pie today, but it was only 11 and if I have one now I will be hungry again in like 2 hours and probably end up walking back down to get another one. I have kind of done a complete 180 from my eating habits at home. I really haven't been health conscious at all, and its showing a little. I am filling in quite nicely, and frankly I'm into it. I know that when I get to Bali and south east Asia I will loose all my weight again. So I figure i will just live it up now. I also had not gotten any exercise in about a week from that stupid spider. Yesterday was actually my first day back in the water, and the waves were pumping over at Matakana Island. We took Andy's boat over at around 5 and surfed till about 8 and had a blast. The only way to get there is by boat so you pull up and outside the break is littered with all sorts of boats, which is cool because you can really tell when the good sets are coming. All the boats get lifted super high. I love pulling up to surf when your in a boat, you really just get to jump into the line up without having to paddle out through the breakwater and whatnot. And I like to do backflips off the boat when we pull up. It really felt good to be back in the water though. Hopefully the weather dissipates and the wind dies a little, or turns off shore, so that we can go out there again today. The swell is supposed to build through the week so by Friday I think its supposed to be 6-8ft, but we shall see. I am always weary of surf reports, i like to believe they are telling the truth, but they are usually always lies.

In other news, my face is healing up very nicely! Thank you all for your prayers, they really did help. There are no visible scars on my face, I cant even see any marks from the surgery now. The inside of my mouth has a massive scar, about an inch and half long or so from where the doctor had to go in and clean the infection and venom out. It feels real weird when I run my tongue along it. There is still a small bit of swelling but its basically just scar tissue now that will break up in a short amount of time. The numbness isn't that bad either, I just cant feel if there is food on my face or not.. which is stressful all in itself. If i go on a date and I am still numb there I will be so self conscious wondering if there's food stuck to my face and I will become a compulsive face wiper. I met with the doc yesterday actually and he said the infection is all gone and I am good to go. He also told me that I may be more susceptible to infections from spiders than most people (duh) and that next time I should really try to get to a doctor sooner next time (double duh). I actually tried to get into the doctor the day after I felt it growing and New Zealand had some weird public holiday and all the freakin doctors offices were closed!! And the next day I went in and went on a puny antibiotic that didn't do anything and i think just fueled the fire in my face. But oh well, it all ended up working out. I was only really laid up for a few days. When i was feeling better I started goin on walks on the beach around the mountain and through town. We got some golf in and went fishing one day with some friends over at Matakana. So it really wasn't that bad. The surf was actually not too goo the whole time I was out too, it just picked up yesterday. I must admit though, being able to fully clean my teeth again and eat normally is amazing. I could only clean the right side f my mouth for a while and it was driving me crazy! I could not fit a toothbrush in the left side, it was too swollen and painful. And eating using my whole mouth again, such a dream come true. I pulled the last of the stitches out on my own because they were killing me while I was eating, as much as those dang tubes. But I am back, and back on the meat pies. I think I am going to go for the chicken Alfredo today, or possibly a mince and cheese. I feel like its too late in the day for a bacon and egg, so I should go with a more time-of-day appropriate. I might go to an all new bakery and see what gems I can find. Or i might just get a kebab again. Who knows. All I do know is that the person who told me the food in New Zealand was no good could not have been more wrong.

Ps. Here are some photos from the first leg of the New Zealand segment of the trip!

Enjoy!