December catch up

Wow - time has really been flying here.  I am still madly working away at the apartment renovations and the end is (mostly) in sight.  One wall left in the living room to patch up and repaint and then I can move all the bookcases back out and achieve order. So looking forward to that!

In Milsupport endeavours - I have had a LOT of fun this year playing Santa-Pax. 

• Decorations and small gifts made their way to three of my Adopted Troopers.  Reports back from the two I am "Friended" with on Facebook are that they were very happy with the assortment of silly things received.

• The Re-adoption of one of my previous Soldiers' Angels troopers.  He is USA Airforce and once more Downrange and in the thick of things.  With the wonderful help of my friend Vicki in California - a parcel of Christmas decorations managed to be sent off to him just prior to the Military Christmas Mail deadline.  Vicki went above and beyond by baking a huge batch of Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies and sending them with the decorations.  Appreciative Noms were achieved [R makes sure that most of the things I send him are shared with his crew so Happy Airforce points achieved]

• My newly adopted team of Marines missed out on the "authentic made-by-Pax" Christmas wreath but scored well in the TimTam (an Aussie Chocolate covered cookie/biscuit) area.  I also sent them some Aussie toys - some foam boomarang-ish throwing toys [foam to avoid injuries to themselves; equipment and figures of authority]; a bullroarer [which sadly failed to give enough noise due to it's teeny size - replacement has been sourced and will be sent along shortly] and a wee cuddly Koala [there are 15 of them - surely one of them is manly enough to be seen with a fuzzy toy :D].

I *have* given the Marine team the option of receiving practical stuff (i.e hygiene stuff or chemical hand warmers or some blankets etc) but their "Point Man" (or should that be "Point Sgt?") says they are enjoying the randomness of my parcels and to keep that up.  I have to say that I am REALLY enjoying treating this bunch - their appreciation of "Weird Aussie Troop Support" came when I was at an emotional low point and has helped to remind myself just why I do this (To Give and not to count the cost - to cause smiles and joyful confusion) - I think I'm hitting the targets okay so far :)

So currently I have 4 adoptees via Soldiers' Angels - and the team of Marines via AnyMarine.com - which is accounting for about 1/4 of my fortnightly pay packet.  I think after a few of my troopers head home in January/February I may need to cut back on the milsupporting for a little bit and get the finances back in order  [of course I say that now... and then I will see the plea for someone to adopt "Army person X - who never receives any mail and needs some cheering up" and I'll be back to the official Three adoptees again.  Yes Yes - I know - I *am* a soft touch but since studies have shown that this sort of support really helps the morale and confidence of deployed troops - most of them young enough to be my children had I not foolishly squandered my reproductive years - then the cost to myself is just something to factor in and work around.] 

New Year's Eve is tomorrow here in Australia so I will leave you all with the wish that 2012 is good for you all - and that you remain safe and well.

Pax - signing off for 2011

And the Jokester Winner IS

NavyOne

Come on down!

His joke...

NavyOne said...

An oldie, but a goodie:

A young man with a wild and multi-coloured hairstyle sits next to an old man on a park bench. The old man stares at the young man.

"What's the matter, old man?" says the young man. "Never done anything crazy in your life?"

The old man replies: "Yeah. When I was in the Navy, I got really drunk one night and had sex with a parrot. I thought you might be my son."

Your winning prize will be winging it's way to you shortly

Season Greetings from Downunder

To all my friends - all around the globe - I wish you a Merry Christmas and the hopes for a Happy and Safe New Years.

Two days left to enter the Cap Competition

See HERE for details

All you need to do is tell a Military related Joke or Funny story to win -

Brake ... for Elephants...

Part of my Transport Department Library job occasionally requires that I do research for obscure reference queries.

Today I was searching worldwide historic train crash records online and came across two different crashes involving Elephants. (This alas was NOT the research the client needed but I thought I would share the information with my Happy Blogging friends)

• September 15, 1885 – St Thomas, Ontario: Express goods train hauled by a Grand Trunk Railway locomotive hits a dwarf Asian elephant on an embankment. The elephant is thrown down the embankment by the collision; the trains engineer throws the locomotive into reverse, but is unable to prevent a rear-end collision with an African elephant, killing it and derailing the locomotive and tender.

• 1891 – Delta, California: Elephant travelling as a passenger on a Southern Pacific train removes a coupling pin from a car. The train parts, and the forward portion travels 20 miles before the locomotive crew discover the split.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rail_accidents_(before_1900)

 

 

I am trying to find out more information on the 1885 incident - was it a close encounter with the Traveling Circus? - a break out from the Local Zoo?    Interested parties (well.. not the actual Library one) wish to know!

 

Dwarf Asian Elephant?

Milsupport one liners

One of the nicest notes I've received recently from an "Adopted" trooper (Marine) reads in part

well i had no idea what Tim Tams were, but myself along with some other Marines are in love.

:)  Isn't it nice when you can offer munchies that provoke such happiness

[and no... I haven't yet sent this Marine any Musk Sticks - let me bask in the side-effect of Aussie Cookie love for just a bit longer!]

US Navy Drill team

Very Impressive!

Pax goes Nautical

So how about a competition to help make the Merry Season even Merrier?

And let's make the prize a Nautical one - how about an Australian Navy cap!

Bought it from HERE

So what do you need to do to win this very nifty hat?  - Glad you asked!

Tell us (in the comments section below) your best Military related Joke or Short Story

The Rules:-

Must be PG-13! (if you feel that using a rude word is required then bleep it out - let's think of the potential that one day my Mum might read this)

Can be a joke or story that happened to you - or one you are simply retelling.

You do NOT need to be a regular reader of this blog to enter (sniffle... but you COULD stick around and read more - just saying)

You can be from anywhere in the world. All that I ask is that you respect that this item represents my Country's military, and is to be treated as a prized possession.


If you win - you will need to supply me with a mailing address. I promise to hold the information safely and never share it beyond my Post Office.

If you leave your entry under the "Anonymous" tag - please be sure to add your name or nickname at the bottom so I can track you down later should you win.

The Winner will need to contact me by 1st of January 2012 at the latest with their mailing address or there will be a redraw.


The Winning Joke will be judged on or about the 25th of December

Toys for Tots clip

Awwww I love this!

Pax poses the question

While other bloggers are neck-deep in the dramas of the world - either preparing to fight zombies or reporting on new Pentagon cost savings, I have been more concerned about clarifying a vex'd question.

To wit......

What Military service DO the Penguins of Madagascar really belong to?

To a casual observer - the answer may appear to be "Navy" - after all their Leader goes by the name of  SKIPPER

Dashing, debonaire crew-cut wearing Alpha Bird

My Source for many things Navy (and strangely many things Hollywood - what can I say - he's diverse!) writes this about the term :- Skipper is the term for the Commanding Officer of a naval command. Also known as the CO, the old man (not to his face), or the boss.

But wait! - the Junior member of the team is called PRIVATE

Cute cuddly and a bit clueless

My source advises "A Private is a rank in the Marines, Air Force, or Army"
Strange... and worrying... is this perhaps a multiforce special ops team?

Their On-the-Spot Science man - Kowalski - known as the 2IC - nominal rank of Lieutenant

Never afraid to try SCIENCE!

At last but not least - their Ka-boom-in-ator

Able to regurgitate C4, detonators and anvils at call.

So there we have the team - one gung-ho commander (nominally Navy); one Private (could be Marine... but he's a bit too cuddly); one Science Boffin (drafted Civvie?) and their Trigger man (*definately* a Marine - his blade work is excellent)

Let's see them in action...

Questions remain......

Answers are required.....

Comments welcome!