Elf: 1, Sheep: 0

And now traveling back in time: The Lord of the Rings full day tour! Big announcement: I met an elf. A genuine elf. His name was Nathan and he was banner holder number 2! He schmoozed with hobbits and orcs and Viggo! He was my tour guide 1 of the day and I stupidly failed to snap an awkwardian picture, which I could later subtitle nerdily with " Me and an elf!!!" Sigh. I should have proposed marriage then and there. I did, however, take pictures of everything else in all of Wellington and once my luggage finds me with my connector cord, I will commence the arduous upload. Back to morning tour: only one other person, an ignoramous from Canada who I found irritating for only watching the film twice and calling gollum "that little weird dude." I wanted to be on a tour with authentic, unrefined, LOTR nerds! Quote lines nerds! Wear elf ear nerds! Run around reenacting scenes nerds! I had to make up for everyone else's lack of nerddom (pictures to prove this later). We hit up basic Wellington bits, saw Peter Jackson's local house and a few studios (reverse Hollywood- small, nondescript, tucked into the landscape), went to a cafe where WETA workers frequent (I wonder if I loitered there everyday puttering with some clay and paints, I could get hired?) The best part of the day was picking through this rocky coastline with abalone and salty air and wind. I had a flashback to Olympic Park, Washington, rocky coast with abalone and salty air and wind. Nathan dropped me off at Nomads and I wandered along with my pet Canon Billy. I bought a sandwich and beer, the latter just to giggle that I could. It was gross, as expected, so I bought an orange juice. Old habits die hard and I am old. Later, Laura the monotone chick tour guide 2 picked me up. She, unfortunately, was no elf. But she was quite quick to inform us of her use as Orc grunt during the Rugby game wherein Peter Jackson instructed the spectators to supply mass sounds effects. Note: not as cool. On this afternoon tour were more despicably normal human beings, legit stick up the arse regulars and one Danish who jabbed at Elvish speakers and called them "freaks." I was quite truly bristled. Travel all the way yonder here, take a full day $100 tour, and you're not an obsessive Ringer who has memorized every extended DVD fact and outtake? BAH! BAH I SAY! I was also bristled by Laura whose job I could easily and more charismatically take over. Hmm...anyhow, we went to Rivendell and I jumped on a swinging bridge, then we tottered to a few more locations, took some nerdy pictures (could have been nerdier, no dent on my nerd scale today) and finally got back around 6:00 PM.
I believe I may have seen a sheep. However, the sighting was not conclusive so the count remains at a dismal 0. But Elf: 1, Sheep: 0 is not bad.