[boorer]

Mother Bear - I hope this might cheer you up on your "bed of pain". I broke my leg last year and know it's not funny. I really feel for you having to postpone your trip to NZ!!

Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Heaven, God went missing for six days.
Eventually Michael the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day.
He inquired of God, "Where have you been?"
God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed
downwards through the clouds, "Look Michael, look what I've made".
Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said,"What is it?"
"It's a planet" God replied, "and I've put LIFE on it.
I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a place of great balance".
"Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused.
God explained, pointing to different parts of Earth, "For example,
Northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while
Southern Europe is going to be poor; the Middle East over there will be a hot spot.
Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people".
God continued, pointing to different countries.
"This one will be extremely hot and arid while this one will be very cold and covered in ice".
The Archangel, impressed by god's work, then pointed to a landmass in the bottom corner and asked,
"What's that one?"
"Ah" said God.
"That's New Zealand, the most glorious place on Earth. there are beautiful mountains,
lakes and rivers, streams and an exquisite coastline.
The people from New Zealand are going to be modest,
intelligent, and humorous and they're going to be found travelling the world.
They'll be extremely sociable, hardworking, and high achieving, and they will be known
throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace.
I'm also going to give them super-human, undefeatable rugby players who will be
admired and feared by all who come across them".
Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed :
"What about balance God? You said there would be BALANCE.
God replied wisely "Wait until you see the loud-mouth bastards I'm putting next to them. .."