B & A's Death Defying Plunge off the Harbor Bridge

"So what do you guys want to do today before you have to go to the airport?"

"Lets throw ourselves off the Auckland Harbour Bridge"

So thats what they did. It wasn't so simple for Adrienne at first, but nevertheless, the NZ air got to her head and she agreed at first to go tandem. Jodi adamently refused and I feel that I was not mentally prepared for such an activity on this particular day. Okay maybe a little more reluctant than that. I think we were more scared for our first nursing shift here (which was to be the following day)so wanted to save all our nerve for that. After all, we would be messing with other people's lives, not just our own. Alright, maybe we are just a bunch a chickens. But the whole plan is to throw ourselves off many things once Karen gets here in November. We will see how that goes!

So for 100 bucks you can see your life flash before you for about 1/2 a second and then plunge into the freezing harbor water and emerge alive (I imagine with great thanks and surprise). Unfortunately, Jodi and I had to watch from the ground very far away as you cannot go up the bridge with..er jandals on. So with great content we waited to see our friends go flying off the bridge attached to a giant elastic. So we were waiting to see the 2 of them strapped together, like some kind of extreme wedding or something. Instead, I saw a black dot followed by a loud and echoeing scream that could only be identified as Adrienne. It took a while so we wondered if there were some cold feet. But in fact the extra time was used to convince Age to go solo. So we were shocked and very proud. At least I was, Jodi had insisted to her beforehand that she should not jump at all. This scream was unbelievable, but the type you would imagine for a first timer. Age stated afterwards that she in fact discovered a "new" scream. One that came from deep within and that was executed with such power and strength that it may have been more shocking than the fall itself. The next flash a of a person was Brian, like an old pro the crazy SOB jumped backwards and by choice hit the water. If you look closely at the pics below you can see them each hanging and bouncing from the bridge.

When we first layed eyes on them as they walked off the bridge, Age looked like she had just been slapped really hard in order to absorb the shock of witnessing something totally incredible, when in fact she had overcome her wee little doubts and became that incredible something. Brian looked like he had just taken the best drugs on earth (I imagine it is) and could not stop bouncing around like a little school girl. They looked awesome and super pumped. It was cool to just be a part of their adventure that day and to document it. Age, you have definitely inspired us (or at least me) to just go ahead and do it, even if my body completely rejects it. Brian you have also inspired me to go all the way and hit the water, but don't be thinking I will be doing a backwards swan dive. Jodi...well we will have to work on her. But some gentle coaxing, perhaps a couple drinks and maybe a friendly nudge will do it. Stay tuned for sometime in December to see if I am all talk or not and if Jodi evens shows up! Good on you guys. Great day.