Hmm, Now Jay Thomas thinks I'm 2 Kinds of Nuts - Plain and Eco-flavored!

I'd love to know if any of Jay's listeners would shave their heads for a trip to New Zealand. If you're a listener reading this, please comment: Would you shave your head for a round trip flight to New Zealand? Remember, the tattoo lasted about 2 1/2 weeks and was not permanent.

Although Jay pointed out the amount of carbon it takes to get to New Zealand, I think we learn about ourselves and each other through travel. We can combat global warming by changing our lifestyles and flying economy class when we travel (not that I'm totally adverse to first class - but first class has fewer seats and premium service making it have a larger carbon footprint than coach). Plus, on Air New Zealand, even in coach, you are treated like a human being. I found this true on both its domestic and international flights. Now we just need all the American carriers to treat us as well on domestic flights as they do on international flights.

Read the NY Times article - Laughs at my expense

My trip to Tonga and New Zealand were well worth a head shaving. Will blog shortly about my trip. In the meantime, check out Andrew's article about the 30 wacky Angelenos that shed some hair for Air New Zealand: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/business/media/18adco.html

For any billboards reading this, if you haven't finalized your ticket yet, consider making a stop over in Tonga, it's a wonderful country with friendly people and fabulous scuba diving in Vava'u. If you go to Tonga between July and November, you may have an opportunity to swim with whales (one of two countries in the world where you can do this). Just as dolphins are protected in New Zealand during a dolphin watch, the safety and health of the whales get first consideration and only five people and one guide can swim with the whales at a time. Check out Allan Bowe's website for more info.: http://www.mounuisland.com/whale_Watching_vavau.htm

OFF TO TONGA & NEW ZEALAND TONIGHT!

My reward for shaving my head is at hand!

Hurray AIR NEW ZEALAND (http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/default.htm) Thanks for this opportunity -- hope my hair made someone a good toupee! It's looking like I'll get a side benefit from the head shaving as my hair seems to be growing in thicker (though I may have to resort to some peroxide to be as blonde as I once was). Still no gray - but haven't bungy jumped twice yet!!

First the good folks at ANZ take me to Tonga for 4 1/2 days and then on to New Zealand (exploring Northland/Bay of Islands (8 days on North Island) then Queenstown (5 days on South Island).

An attorney in our office queried today: "Do you have to take your trip before too much hair grows back?" I replied: "I could have waited and gone in New Zealand's winter (USA's summer) but then my short hair could make it a bit chillier)."

For all of you planning a trip to New Zealand - you should consider stopping over in Tonga - the Friendly Islands (according to Captain Cook -- everyone is certainly friendly by e-mail!).

Upon landing in Tongapatu, hopefully I'll hear: "Malo e lelei" (Welcome to Tonga!)

Malia Mailingi of Gateway to Paradise and the Tonga Tourism Bureau and their website all helped me plan my trip. See: http://www.gateway-to-paradise.com/ and www.tongaholiday.com were very helpful in planning my trip.

ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS INCLUDE:

DAY 1: Tour of Eastern side of the island ie Captain Cook landing, Paepae ‘o Tele’a Terraced Tombs, Ha’amonga Trilithon, Anahulu Cave; Light lunch at Oholei Beach and transfer to Fua’amotu Domestic airport, fly Chatham Airlines (http://www.chathamspacific.com/) to Vava'u (chain of islands - known for swimming with the whales June to Nov.)

Night Dive with Dive Vava'u (http://www.divevavau.com/index.asp
Stay one night at Vava'u Harborview Resort (See Trip Advisor's review page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g317042-d311909-Reviews-Toula_s_Harbor_View_Resort-Vava_u.html

DAY 2

Diving with Beluga Divers http://www.belugadivers.com/

Visit/snorkel and dine at Mounu Island and interview Allan Bowe who launched the swimming with the whales activity in Tonga.

Stay at Mounu Resort (which uses solar power): http://www.mounuisland.com/

DAY 3

Visit the local market which will be a hub of activity since all business close on Sunday for the Sabbath so everyone can attend church

Kayak with Friendly Island Kayak Co. (http://www.fikco.com/)

Fly to Nuku’alofa. Visit the Blow Holes, Flying Foxes and Vakaloa Beach

Sleep at Liku’alofa Resort (http://www.likualofaresort.com/)


DAY 4

Attend church on Tongatapu (See Tonga Holiday's site page about the importance of family and religion in Tonga: http://www.tongaholiday.com/index.php?page_id=10)

Laze around at Pangaimotu Island Resort (http://www.tongaholiday.com/index.php?page_id=121 )

Sleep at Fafa Island Resort (http://www.fafaislandresort.com/index2.html

DAY 5 - Head to Auckland for more adventure in New Zealand (http://www.northlandnz.com/ and http://www.queenstown-nz.co.nz/

IF YOU DECIDE TO HEAD TO TONGA, I'd recommend contacting Malia at Gateway to Paradise for assistance. She can work with a variety of budgets.

I think I previously blogged about my Northland and Queenstown Itineraries. If I didn't will add a post later.


Ciao for now!

Air New Zealand in the news - re: eco-friendliness

Check these LA Times Peter Pae articles out about eco-friendly airlines and details about what Air New Zealand is doing to try to be the most eco-friendly airline:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-biofuel8-2009jan08,0,761065.story

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/05/business/fi-newfuel5

Dallas Christmas Report - Aunt Terry the Human Chia Pet

All the kids, along with my brother and sister-in-law now find me the most pettable relative. And I must thank Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.com )for my new Chia pet status.

As for the color of my hair, it appears to match my eyebrows - kind of a dirty, dirty ash blonde. If I could prevent my thoughts from straying to naughty innuendo (i.e., hopelessly dirty mind) I might be able to regain my originally blonde roots. Hopefully the sun in Tonga and New Zealand will help me reclaim my blonde image.

NEWS FROM KYLIE -- WITH HER NEW BLONDE LOOK

Kylie (whom you will recall has alopecia and lost her hair at 15) reports:

Can't say I've had much to any growth -- however, I did invest in a new wig, which is a good change. I'm still me, just a longer blonder version. I actually took the cash so no trip to new zealand for me

Since Kylie won't be traveling to New Zealand, I will try to pick up a cute Kiwi to import to LA for her.

NEWS FROM KATE THE BILLBOARD

Hi, Billboards and others headed down to the Land of Kiwis. Here's info about Kate Thornburg's upcoming journey as well as her hair growth update:

"I've got about an inch of hair so far, very boring brownish- didn't know what the real color would be!

I'm going to NZ Feb 19th-Mar 15 and have decided to fly directly to Christchurch, get on the Stray Bus hop-on, hop-off backpacking around the south island (http://www.straytravel.com/ )and then back up to Auckland, taking in the Tongariro Crossing on the way up. Cheers to Terry for the tip on the AirNZ website as I got a one-way flight for US$37! I'm doing a 3d stopover in Rarotonga, Cook Islands on the way back and (I think) staying at Aremango Guesthouse or Vara's. If anyone else is going to be there while I am let me know and maybe we can hang out!
Link for Tongariro Crossing info: http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/

Air New Zealand's NZ site: http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/default.htm/

Why My Co-Worker Wasn't Receptive to My Shaved Head

Shortly before Christmas, my co-worker figured out why she was so unsupportive when she first saw my shaved head. Apparently, during the Manson trial, most of the female defendants shaved their heads to demonstrate their allegiance to Charlie Manson. Hmmm, not a guy with whom I'd ever want to share any association. I have assured my friend that he will remain locked up while my little short-haired self flies off to New Zealand.

Trust Costco for Tires, not Sears

Tomorrow I'll blog about the fabulous Eco Gift Festival I attended in Santa Monica this weekend, but first I must rant Sears vs. Costco when it comes to tires.  Costco builds installation and warranty into their price while Sears nickels and dimes you.  What kind of business quotes a price on a tire -- not including the tire valve stems?

I got a flat Sat. nt on the way home. AAA put the donut tire on my car on Sun. am. After internet research it looked like Sears' prices might be close to Costco, so I drove down the street to Sears -- taking my Macbook along to show which tires I was considering. I had picked out a Michelin tire with ICE in its name (costing about $80) which is for colder, icy climates and not even carried in Santa Monica. Sears quoted me $331 for 2 tires w/road hazard and about $662 (before $56 rebate) for 4 tires - and had me convinced I'd be a fool to only replace two tires.

I didn't like the price and drove to Costco. The Costco tire man also inspected my tires and said I had plenty of tread on two of the tires - especially since I frequently ride the bus or walk rather than drive to keep my carbon footprint low. He actually heard me when I said I drive less than 7000 miles a year whereas the Sears man must have had commission dollars dancing in his head. Costco sold me two BF Goodrich tires (after telling me BF Goodrich is owned by Michelin). Instead of paying $331, Costco charged me approximately $184 including tax - and my car performance tires rather than the Michelin passenger tires Sears wanted to sell me for $109 each.

Where Sears picks your pocket is on road hazard, tire valve stems and a couple of other items whereas Costco builds installation and tire valve stems into its price.

There is a big drawback about Costco -- you do have to wait unless you time your arrival perfectly. I killed 4 hours waiting for them to get to my car and install the tires. When I called, the wait was 2 1/2 to 3 hours. By the time I arrived - about 30 minutes later, the wait was 4 hours.

Maui Report - ANZ, SHAVE MY HEAD PLEASE

The big news from Maui was that I met many men AND WOMEN who would happily present their craniums to Air New Zealand for  a chance to fly from Hawaii to New Zealand.

Andy, who often captains the boat for Mike Severns' Diving said: "Hey, people look at the back of my head every day.  I'd be a great billboard."  Andy's head is actually bigger than mine, so he could actually carry more copy for Air New Zealand than my little ol' head.  Plus, as a scuba diver and great videographer Andy needs to go diving in the Bay of Islands.

Of course, if Air New Zealand would prefer a billboard who plays the ukelele, I met an Hawaiian on my connecting flight from Honolulu to Maui who would also love a chance to visit New Zealand.  His wife (or girlfriend) put a quick stop to his ukelele playing when she emerged from the ladies' room at Kahalui Airport.  I don't think she objected to him being a billboard as much as his serenading me, the lady from the plane with the buzz haircut.

Coolest thing about my current short, short (less than a half inch) hair is that now people think I got this look from a stylist rather than an airline!

THE GOBBLE GOBBLE REPORT

Well, this shaved head survived Thanksgiving and even left the table before becoming a stuffed turkey myself.

For the most part, all the relatives were very kind.  Some even said I had very nice features to have so bare a head.  

The most painful moment happened at my ex-sister-in-law's house.  My brother and I went over to pick up my niece and nephew and I had the choice of sitting in his car like a coward (my first choice) or being brave and facing a woman who always that I was wacky when I had hair.  I knew she had read this blog, so I figured I might be mocked or called a chicken if I dared not face her.  Actually what I experienced as disapproval was probably more disinterest.  When she opened the door I said "Hi, I figured I should face you since you heard about this shaved head thing."  She just said "Hullo," and perhaps my name and then seemed to look away.  Instead of my appearance her focus was on keeping my brother and me from entering her home since it apparently wasn't presentable.  

Of course, my apartment is more often unpresentable than presentable while my ex-sister-in-law usually has a pretty immaculate place.  

If I had it to do over again, however, I would have stayed in the car -- my hair's too short to even hide behind bangs.  The irony was that all I could think based on her silence was "SHE THINKS I'M A FREAK" when all she was probably thinking was: "Must not let the weirdo see my house is not in perfect order."

My cousin who lost her hair several years ago when undergoing chemo was pretty kind to me. I felt a little guilty since I voluntarily gave up my hair, and she had no choice.  She was kind enough to lend me a mylar wig to try on family game night, and I discovered a wig can get pretty hot.  

The best thing about my family was that I was embraced and accepted regardless of the length of my hair.  A couple of the kids really liked petting my peach fuzz as if I was the new family dog.  My nephew pulled away as if short, short hair might be contagious.  

And as I shared some of my New Zealand itinerary with friends and family, several said they thought it might be worth it. . . not that they would do it. . . .

I met at least two people in Dallas, however, that think Air New Zealand needs to come to Big D and shave some heads.  They thought a shaved head was a small price to pay for so much adventure!

Sites of Ideas about Bicycling through New Zealand

Looks like I'll need multiple trips to New Zealand to have all the adventure I want. This trip I won't have time to enjoy a bicycling trip (but perhaps I can squeeze at least one day of cycling in). A friend asked for cycling trip info, and I found these four sites that look tantalizing - especially the first two:
Here are links to four web sites I found for bicycling in New Zealand. Let me know what you end up doing.
http://www.activenewzealand.com/?gclid=CMaJ_b2GlJcCFQOaFQodbSkv-A

http://www.pedalerspubandgrille.com/rides/nz-grand.htm?gclid=CKL_ttKHlJcCFRgqHgod-kWo-w

http://www.vbt.com/Warm-Winter-Destinations/New-Zealand/New-Zealand-The-South-Island-2008/Bicycle-Tour-Details.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_keyword=default&gclid=CP_SxqGHlJcCFQSPFQodMBKl-Q


http://gorptravel.away.com/xnet/search-2.tcl?destination_id=149&activity_id=1

PLANNING YOUR VISIT

I think it would be possible to spend my entire trip exploring Northland. They have an amazing website to help you plan your trip including activities, lodging and cultural treats. Before you abandon North Island for the call of Queenstown on South Island, be sure to surf this Northland site: http://www.northlandnz.com/visit/

I had no idea that there is just as much adventure to be had on North Island as on South Island. If you want to scuba dive, sail, kayak or go sand tobogganning, consider spending some time in Northland. Oops, have begun drooling with excitement so Kia Ora for now.

Hey, Now I'm Reminding People of GI Jane!

I saw my podiatrist yesterday and he thinks my current "look" resembles Demi Moore in "GI Jane" so this weekend I hope to meet a younger man like Ashton Kutcher. . . .

Biggest concern about the military look would be if Bush decides civilian women can be shipped off to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan based on haircut.

The journey is what it is all about

My hair is starting to grow back in nicely and the tattoo has completely warn off. My hair should be back to normal before long. I am starting to think about when I want to travel to NZ. I look forward to the trip and all of the cool things to see. As for the hair, honestly I have realized that I really like my hair! LOL. Being a redhead I kind of feel like an important part of my identity was removed. I guess it is because I was used to people making comments on my hair from an early age when they noticed the red color. Now that unique part of my identity has just started to resurface. I think I appreciate it even more now. I am glad I had this experience because it has made me think a little about things like that. Our physical presentation to the world and how that affects how we view ourselves. I think there will be great discoveries and even more experiences ahead on the trip and I look forward to continuing this journey.

Close up on a fading billboard & DOUBLE VISION

OH WHERE, OH WHERE, HAS MY BILLBOARD GONE?

I Must Suppress the Tomboy in Me with such short, short hair

Today, I learned that if I don't want to be viewed as a lesbian with short, butch hair, I should not attach my metal water bottle to a belt loop on my jeans by a carrabeaner. My hands were full, so I thought it made sense to exploit the carrabeaner -- never thinking sexual preference could be indicated by a haircut and a carrabeaner.

Admittedly, I should have picked a loop back more toward my butt rather than two loops from my belt buckle. With the bottle positioned on my upper left thigh not far from my zipper area, it did give me a semblance of a swagger. Okay, it practically swung between my legs -- but hey, my hands were full. I guess it was more Rosie O'Donnell of me than Audrey Hepburn, but I was being practical.

Anyway, I found out from the guy running lights for my friend's play that with my short, short hair and my water bottle striking my thigh, as I entered the theatre, he pegged me to be a lesbian. When I was explaining my faded henna tattoo and remarked that "barely there" hair makes people think I'm either punk or gay, he told me he had thought gay -- with the water bottle. I immediately unhooked the carrabeaner from my belt loop.

At least I no longer seem to strike people as a chemo patient, but with my henna almost completely faded, I'm not that convincing as a billboard either.

Tonight I just used a hand mirror to inspect the back of my head. You can almost make it out the henna tattoo if you know you are looking for: "NEED A CHANGE? HEAD DOWN TO NEW ZEALAND" The website address has completely vanished.

If you don't know what you're looking for, my head CLOSE UP reads: ".. EED .. A.. AGE? HEAD DOWN . . . ZEALAND"

In the meantime, studying my head in the hand mirror, you can easily see three scars on top of my head where hair isn't really growing. That's from the cat who jumped on top of my head when I was about three and came between the cat and my boxer. Fortunately, I don't remember the blood and the stitches from that cranial cat attack. Next time someone refuses to accept I had my head shaved for a trip to New Zealand, maybe I'll blame it on a cat claw dancing on my head when I was three.

GEE, MY BILLBOARD IS ALMOST GONE

After the initial trauma of having my head shaved. . . twice in one week, each day less of my henna tattoo is legible -- both fading and obscured by hair.

Despite the side glances from passerbys who believe I'm either a chemo patient or recovering from brain surgery, anyone who paused long enough to read my skull was intrigued. Now I feel like my head in disappearing into the punk scene -- perhaps I need to join a band. . . .

I've started wondering whether some re-applied henna over my hair might revitalize my tattoo. Or what if only the back of my head was re-shaved for a fresh henna tat? Would that make me some kind of mullet billboard?

If John McCain had seen one of our 30 cranial billboards, might he have desperately made Sarah shave her head? The day our heads were shaved, many billboards really wanted a henna Obama applied to the side of our craniums. Fortunately, Barack won without such cranial support.

A friend has a t-shirt that reads: "Once you vote Barack, you can never go back." I think we billboards will never quite be the same either. After all, now that I've shaved my head for adventure, I may just need to marry a Kiwi while I'm in New Zealand. Besides I'm old enough to have already been through one marriage. . . .

Kylie's report - opening eyes about Alopecia and Air New Zealand

The first two pix of Kylie were taken at a HUGE 3 block NO ON PROP 8 Rally where she wound up by accident. Kylie reports people at the rally had "HUGE questions about alopecia and the billboard."

The third photo is Kylie with her soccer team: "So you see the wide spectrum of people who have been exposed to my ad."

Hey, My Billboard still works! & I have disowned my shadow

Day 19 of being a billboard for Air New Zealand.  After a couple of days with little notice, a man came up to me as I headed toward our building on Wilshire Blvd. and said: "What's your head say?"

I was so happy to know my cranial sign still attracted some attention.  Since all the hairs on my head are still under an inch long, I want my sign to keep attracting interest in New Zealand and its signature airline until the last speck of Henna has faded.

 On a separate note, despite encouragement to keep my hair close to this short because my skull lacks dents, I still visualize myself with more hair.  When I walk home toward sunset and my shadow is highly visible, I think: "Who's that with the alien skull?"  The shadow of my head is so petite and round that I feel disconnected from it.

I just can't wait until my hair gets long enough to cast a shadow.  In the meantime, I'm getting more excited every day planning my trip to New Zealand.