**BHAG**

Big Hairy Audacious Goal – is a term that we have used in business and in our personal lives and I am about to reveal one of these to you now.

I am in training and have been for a few months and the other day I booked tickets to Auckland for a "qualification" race in November. I’ve told a couple of people in confidence but I am now putting it out there so to speak.

My goal for 2011 is to qualify for the 2012 World Age Group Sprint Triathlon Championships - this is what I’m training for.

I have it written on my wall in my garage where my weights are, I have it written on my Road ID. I have a race in a few weeks in Rarotonga and this is an Olympic distance triathlon race and it will also be the longest race that I have done. I really have no idea how long this will take me but I’m thinking around the 3 hour to 3.15 mark – I’ll keep you posted.

It’s been so frustrating in the last few months with not being able to surf as the ocean has been out of bounds due to raw sewage and they think that it could be like this for a number of months. I have a trip planned to Australia in June so will take my board on that one and get some “ocean time” in between “meeting time”

Earthquake update: the CBD is stuffed, they have just earmarked another 96 buildings to demolish, the roads around our suburb are still buggered, so much so that we’ve bought a 4WD vehicle – great for inner city driving.

I was sent this list the other day and I thought it was so funny, so what better thing to do than share this with the group.

It’s called – You know you’re from Christchurch when?


• Geonet / Christchurch QuakeMap is your homepage

• The rest of the country offers you a place to stay

• “Munted” and “buggered” are official technical terms

• You go 'pfffff' when Wellington has a 4.5 earthquake that's 40km deep

• You see a nice park in another city and think it would make a good evacuation point

• You sleep in one suburb, shower in another and collect water from yet another

• When you drive on the right side of the road and no one thinks it's wrong

• You are happy two Policemen came for a visit

• When your bike becomes your best friend

• You think it's fine for a soldier to be stationed at the end of your street

• You see armoured vehicles driving down the road

• It’s normal to greet people with “do you need a shower?”

• A bucket of sh*t is no longer that old car you drive

• Instead of rushing to the clothes line to get clothes in when it rains, you put dirty washing on the line in the hope that it will rain enough to clean them

• Going to Wellington to escape earthquakes makes sense

• Your doctor recommends having a few stiff drinks before bed to help you sleep

• You have tied the pantry, liquor cabinet and all the cupboard doors closed and it's not to keep kids out

• You prefer to sit under the table instead of at it

• You think electronics that have "shock proof" should say to which earthquake magnitude

• You know and actually understand the terms and conditions of your House and Contents insurance policies

• You can see irony in claims about houses made of “permanent materials”

• Your en-suite has a vege garden, dog kennel and grass

• Your teenagers are only too happy to sleep in the same room as their parents

• You stop using the term “built like a brick sh*t house”

• Dressing up to "head into town" means putting on a hi-viz vest, hard hat and boots

• Discussing toilet habits with total strangers is an everyday norm

• Wee boys don't get excited when they see (another) digger or a dozer - but all the adults in the street cheer wildly

• You know what that extra gear lever on your 4X4 is for

• Metservice includes a graph for dust

• You have dust mask tan lines

• You can use the term "liquefaction" in everyday casual conversation, even your 3-year old can

• When a massive group of students appears in your street, you feel overwhelmed with gratitude instead calling the Police. What’s more, the students leave the street in better condition than when they arrived

• The answer to where anything is ... it’s on the floor

• You smile at strangers and greet people like you’re one big family