Euromom Pete September 2005 With Lindy back in school and me back in my routine, I find that I’ve taken a favourite Woody Allen quote ("I've procreated, now I can die.") a little bit too far. My life has reached a pathetic low on the coolness scale. My epiphany came the other day whilst pushing Niamh around in a stroller. Nothing wrong with the stroller, mind you, but there is no forgiving the Euromom miniature backpack I was wearing. Rock bottom, however, was when the carrying compartment on the stroller collapsed as I crossed the street and beer bottles went a-rolling. There I was, in the middle of the street, stroller in one hand, escaping beer bottle in the other, and the idiotic miniature backpack on top. This was unfortunately not an isolated incident. There have been other episodes of worryingly un-cool moments, some of them captured on film. I don’t know if they’ll ever let me in Studio 54 again. I keep hearing better and better things about New Zealand. Apparently, Dunedin is one of the nicer parts, especially if you aren’t a big fan of the sun and warm weather. The city is at the end of an inlet surrounded by rolling hills. There are walking trails all around, minimal traffic, affordable houses, a large brewery and a couple of micros, good restaurants, and not too many people. The university is known for some beautiful old buildings. Less known are the horrifically ugly post-war ones, which share the ‘early, low-bid’ architectural style of UAF. There is a wealth of wildlife in the area, such as albatrosses, sea lions, and seals. Not to mention penguins. There are penguins in Dublin, too, but the New Zealand kind don't wear sensible shoes. The climate and topography are similar to the Puget Sound region. They get some good storms blowing in from the south (aptly named “southerlies”), which should make a nice change from drizzle. I’m looking forward to an improved grocery store and coffee situation. The grocery store near our apartment in Dublin is a member of the world’s worst and most incompetent chain, Tesco, so I’m sure that Dunedin will be able to do better. Of course, I'll have my coffee roaster back and will be able to make perfect coffee myself, brew it in my perfect vacuum brewer and drink it in my perfect mug. Alternatively, I can keep working on making Turkish coffee, which I have the proper equipment for, but, alas, not yet the proper technique. Of course, the reason people start a thesis is to create an environment that demands they perfect all forms of caffeine intake. Previous ramblings...