Happy New Year!

Okay - New Year Eve here in Australia and I am just contemplating whether or not to make any resolutions this time round (I usually start off great with them and then get distracted over time. Not that I'm implying I am as blonde as once I wa.. oooh shiny thing!... erm... never mind)

So this year I may just keep it simple. 

*Work on myself (get back to my daily walks after work - it's good for my stress levels as well as my health).

*Be committed with my studies (I am doing a part time - via online - Bachelor degree. Only 9 more subjects till I graduate)

*Don't let my work rule my life and leave the stresses behind each night

*Work on my relationship

*Keep up the cheer to my adopted soldiers and decide whether to adopt any more when these ones go home (I probably will - I just hope I get more that aren't too freaked by the Strange Aussie Girl)

*Conquer the Debt monster (I think I need to refinance the mortgage this year - maybe consolidate my credit debt in to that and sort it all out)

*Work some more on my relationship (we've both gotten complaisant after seven years together)

You'll notice I'm not putting in any impossibles there - like "resist all chocolate temptation" or "strive for world peace".

My New Years hope for all my friends - Stay safe, be well, keep in touch.

And now I need to go write some "what I did on my holidays" cards to Martin & Gilbert so they have mail to return to after their Christmas leave. Take care all

Firstly... an apology

My blog comments have recently been hijacked by someone pushing their own belief system - apologies to those he's tried ranting at directly. I have now blocked him and as soon as I work out how, I'll start screening comments left before they go "live" [looks at my technical assistant with panic... how do I do that again?]

Secondly I seem to be at a loose end with the whole "Sending treats to troops" thing - one of my guys is coming home soon so gone "No Mail" - the other two are currently home on Christmas leave so I'm nervous of sending anything to them till I know they are back (the whole "ping-pong-package" thing seems so very silly).

So is there anyone you know in need of a quick Marsupial fix? (I'll even throw in some timtams).  Whizz me an email if you do

Boots!

Warning - this is a Girlie post...



My friend Kathy has just bought some boots during her recent trip to Lubbock Texas (she lives in Clovis NM so she's buying the accessories - bags/buckles et al - via mail order)

http://www.sheplers.com/womens/justin_fatbaby_gypsies/045e02.html

Not quite my style so I checked out their full range.  Mmm... wonder if I'd get disowned by the cowboy readers list I'm on if I were to get these ones instead?

http://www.sheplers.com/womens/victorian_boots/045549.html

So very very tempted

Hello.....!

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/01/27/zombie-hello-kitty-c.html

Bestest Christmas gift EVER!!

Some of you may know that I have a thing for Penguins. (Platonic love I swear!)

It all began years ago when a copy of Bloom County feel into my hands (mmm Opus!) and grew even more once I saw the Penguins in the movie Madagascar (My ideal penguin isn't the sort that just waddles about - I really like the ones that make things go KABOOOM!  I <3 Rico!)

So imagine my joy yesterday as I began unpacking not one, not two but THREE parcels shipped to me from California

I am now the proud owner of 4 hand made evil penguin tshirts; a soft toy , a book on evil penguins and the US special version of Madagascar!

I am feeling the Penguin love :)  - Thank you so much Vicki!

Hey Santa - are you sure you checked your list twice?

Christmas Morn here in Australia and I'm unwrapping the odd gift or two.

Turns out that >

is indeed a vacuum cleaner.

....   at least it's purple...

And Ben just said "Now you can tell everyone that my gift to you sucks" (as he proudly demonstrates the machines power).  Some days reality doesn't visit us here (possibly too scared of being beaten up)

Anyway - Merry Christmas My Friends - may YOUR gifts be of the non-domestic type!

Merry Christmas!

Tis the Night before Christmas so I thought I'd show all of you what our itty bitty tree looks like

And here's one from long ago

(why yes.. I once was that short!)

Operation Santa Stockings... 2nd delivery made!

Just received word back from the Talons that their Santa Stockings have arrived And they sent pictures!

I don't have permission to show the ones with the people but below is their designated christmas area. The fluffy stockings grouped around the tree are the ones sent by Vicki & Myself.

And they made people happy :) [I'm doing the "I helped do something good for a stranger" dance tonight]

Sadly Peace on Earth isn't happening but Good Will to all Men - and to all a Goodnight.

Pax
(downunder)

Go look...

I have seen a few of these photos before but not all of them

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/10/30/photographer-collection-david-guttenfelder-in-afghanistan/

Operation Santa Stockings - the continuing story

News just in from Izzy that the box of Santa Stockings has arrived safely to his base.  No word from Martins 2IC as yet  (I don't have the SSG's contact information - D'oh!) but I'm hopeful their batch will make it through soon.

And credit where credit is due - Vicki (the super-wonderful and massively organised) in California did all the hard work on these - she obtained the stockings and the sweets & cookies & all the extra bits; stuffed  & sent them. Pretty much all I did was supply the aussie bits & pieces and the toasty-warm things ; the name lists (since the troops are the team mates of two of my adopted soldiers) and some of the postal funds.  I think she'll be more wary next time I say "I have an idea"... :)

And now for some more pictures of a few of the things that were sent to our special troops [full contents are classified just in case this list is being monitored by those who are about to receive]

Your standard basics for troops trapped in Icy Climes - toasty toes, hothands and I think some other type of warmer too [it's been months since we started shopping for the project so brain-fuzzies on details will occur]

To the left you can see some of the multitudes of aussie toys that were sent to them. And somewhere under that pile are a batch of single serve Vegemite packs (why yes - we Aussies *do* enjoy sharing our weird national food)

The Teams are both made up of mixed troops so Vicki made sure the girls all got Pink Stockings (the boys Red or Blue ones). Final lists were thankfully sent to us in November with M or F on them averting a near pink-tragedy for one poor soul with a multi-gender-use name.

Vicki added extra sweets and cookies to fill the stockings up.

 

She also included a packet of peppermint candy canes to each box - thinking that the team could share with others on their bases or even hand out to the local children.

Gift tags were then attached to each stocking (note the glitter on them? - she hand applied the sparkles to jazz up the cards)

And finally they were all ready to ship out.

By the end of it - 23 stockings all up - containing a mix of Aussie & American items.  Sure hope the teams find them fun to open come Christmas Day.

Yay!

Ben's back from his family-obligated-trip to Canberra today - maybe I'll manage more than 3 hours of sleep a night once he's home (over-active nerves will be the death of me yet)

Sigh....

I realise that the Universe considers my life one big comedy but does it always have to involve tools into the equation?

*nothing to see here.. move along.. move along... bleeding has stopped*

:(

Mwhahahaha!

Oh that was fun! - even more tinned marsupials despatched to the unwitting.  Sadly no Kangaroos in stock :(

EDITED TO ADD... and another one organised for delivery (at this rate 1000 years from now an archeaologist will unearth one in Iraq and become extremely perplexed  *heh*)

Operation Santa Stockings is a Go!

I'll write more on this later (after my brain has recovered from a day of work frustrations and university re-enrollment dramas)

For now let me just say how amazing Vicki is to have managed to pack all the below in to boxes and lugged them off to her local US postal office. 

They should be received by Izzy & Martin (well actually Martin's 2IC since M's off home for christmas - Yay!) before the 25th and they have been told that they *can* give them out to their teams before Christmas day if anyone really needs an early pick me up

Season's Greetings - and other difficult phrases

I began filling out my Christmas cards today - and you know how you need to write a heart-felt, warming & personal note on each of them?  Yeah... epic failure of brain cells occured.  Filling out each of them I was actually thinking how this person is so super fun or loveable or insane* or goodhearted (sometimes all of the above) and trying to articulate it in to 20 words or less - but the words - they failed me.

So if you happen to receive a card from me and the message is more "Special Needs" rather than "Special Thoughts" just engage your imagination and add in a Hallmark moment of your very own

Posting out starts tomorrow

*unless it's Michael & Shell reading this - and then the sentiment is exactly as I wrote it :)  [and the tag line accurate - after all, how many Nutty Aussies do you actually know? :) ]