A Kiwi Friend writes

We have been thinking of you – Wednesday in Wellington is the premier of the Hobbit – they are actually going to give two hours live tv time to it.

In typical kiwi fashion, it is all very low key – except that Air New Zealand has actually covered one of their jets in Hobbit pix –

Matamata is gearing up for the onslaught. They expect thousands of people through that little town – again – this coming year. The family who let Peter Jackson film on their dairy farm for the first films – have allowed them to use the farm again – there is even a pub there, now. This family will never have to worry about milking cows again.

It’s sorta exciting – I will watch the stuff on tv on Wednesday for awhile.

Thinking of you

My friend Susan and her very long-suffering husband John endured my insistence on visiting the set of Hobbiton back in 2003. I acquired a) a photograph of me with my butt planted firmly on the flagstones of Bag End and b) a bit of dirt therefrom and some needles from the Party Tree which induced my children to worship my Total Awesomeness(TM) for a full week. The only cost, the repeated sighs of impatience from John, who hated the films and kept repeating “There is death in the camera” as he suffered through my tedious American fanboyism. I also enjoyed telling him bad jokes and deliberate mispronouncing words. It’s my nitch in life. Susan is a very patient hostess.

Yes. I am looking forward to “The Hobbit”.