one last look... (counted down part 2)

T-Minus: 1 day!!!!!!!!!!!!

(why didn't i buy that time machine off the internet?!?)

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Location: Botanic Garden

Objective: I have none...

well people of the web wide world it is over. my quest to get into new zealand. my last hope of fulfilling the government's criteria has failed utterly...

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tomorrow when i fail to present all the requirements for my immigration their going to ship me back to canada (i sure hope i don't have to pay for that!!!)...

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meaning that this was my last day to enjoy new zealand. i had wanted to see so much more of it then dunedin and a few airports... now to boot i don't have much of a day left at that... i hadn't even get to check out all of the otago museum...

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first thing was first. i was going to have to head back to salmond hall and get all my stuff out of craig's room... after everything that has happened with him i don't want to make him any more angry with me...

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well okay that is second thing. at least i can enjoy one last walk through the botanic garden... i'm going to miss the garden. it is by far my favorite thing in dunedin. i was really sad realizing that after this i might very well never see it again...

as i came up to the end of my depressing trek there was one of the many gardeners working away making the place so nice and pretty...

i tried to walk past him so not to interrupt his work. i've already messed up enough people's lives trying to settle here in new zealand. why bother one more i thought...

as i attempted to sneak by he looked up though and said hello...

this took me by total surprise. why would anybody bother to say hello to me?

"i've seen you around here a bunch lately." the gardener said. oh no i thought. was i somehow in trouble?

"have i done something wrong?" i hesitantly asked.

"gracious no!" he laughed. "it's just different seeing a dinosaur walk through my garden is all what's your name?"

i told him who i was.

"ah well a pleasure to meet you. my name is ben. i'm the head gardener here of the botanic gardens." he smiled.

"you look a lot more down then normal mr. the tyrannosaur." he observed. "what's bothering you?"

oh man. what wasn't... so i told him all about my troubles. my being kicked out of new zealand. how i'd messed everything up with getting my life back on track. how this was my last time in the gardeners very beautiful garden.

"it's too bad i couldn't just stay here for the rest of my life." i mused about the garden. won't that have been too easy a solution...

suddenly ben started thinking. wasn't quite sure why, but he was deep in contemplation. wish i had a nice big human brain...

the next words out of his mouth made me think i was dreaming or something...

"frankly i couldn't see any reason that you couldn't just live here in the gardens." he said. "afterall i'm in charge. No point in being that if you can't decide the rules. besides who ever heard of a tyrannosaur living outside a jungle?" he laughed again.

i hadn't been that happy in a long time! i jumped up and gave him a high five!

oh boy! i couldn't wait to tell craig. more to the point the government was going to be satisfied.

"thanks so much mister!" i jabbered. "you won't regret this! i'll be the best tenant ever! i'll move in tomorrow!"

with that i ran off to go and tell craig the good news, and grab my stuff. oh man can you believe that. just like that everything went from disaster to miracle! this doesn't happen except in the movies (well i guess that is no longer true!).

okay those government criteria weren't too bad. tomorrow when i presented proof of my job, my new address, and handed in my 2 testimonials i'd be set to become a permanent... wait a second... 2 testimonials... i needed 3... AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

then an idea hit my tiny brain!

running back up to ben i asked "uh ben would you mind signing this?"

"what is it?" he asked caught off guard.

"uh i just need... you to sign this saying i've moved into the garden." i replied.

"they have a form for that?" ben hesitated.

"oh yeah. you know how the department of conservation is." i lied.

"won't this be for immigration?" ben inquired.

"that's who i meant..." oh man i needed him to sign that form...

he looked at the form for a second thinking about it. i couldn't look him in the face. i just blew everything with this lying thing...

then he just signed it. i couldn't believe it!

i snagged it the second he was done writing. i couldn't afford him finding out i'd lied to him about it...

come to think of it i hope he isn't mad about me doing that...

fortunately for me he seems to have not really cared. he was just a little confused is all...

like that he just went back to maintaining his garden...

well can you believe that people of the web wide world?

just like that one little trip through the garden and everything falls into place...

i'll have to make sure i make it up to ben. my being so hasty and all. not only did he just get me out of the biggest pickle ever, but i guess he's also my land lord now!

okay next up i need to get into the government and prove i met all the criteria...

To Be Concluded