Learning from the past...

If you work in an office, or regularly participate in the activity of receiving and forwarding bulk emails, you would have no doubt, seen the email that goes something like this..




"CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO WERE BORN IN THE
1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gob stoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no Lawsuits from these accidents.

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and bully's always ruled the playground at school.

And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!


I've edited the email somewhat but I'm sure you get the picture.

Every time I read this email, it raises my annoyance level a little further. Yeah congratulations, YOU made it! YOU survived, as if we're all so much over the top today. But is that all that matters?

What this email originator doesn't get, is that although we survived, MANY didn't and their deaths/disappearances/accidents & diseases could have well been avoided.

Sure, life is different today and you know why? Because we KNOW BETTER!!!

And while there will always people who will be too careful and too over the top, you should never berate a parent who actually gives a damn about what their kids are doing, who they're hanging out with, and being contactable at any given moment.

We know better.

We've learnt from mistakes and that doesn't mean we're doing it perfectly now... But we are doing it better in somethings and hopefully, we will continue to learn to make this a better world for our children's children.

Quiet please (well I did say please)

Hubby and I went through a stage where we watched a lot of tennis.

I always found it fascinating that the umpire/referee or whatever you call that guy who sits over the net, could call out "quite please" between games and the crowd would immediately quieten down to a pin drop silence.


It's fascinating but you have to think, why the hell do the players need complete silence?

Can you imagine a football umpire requesting complete silence when a player was shooting for goal?

Can you imagine the cricket umpire requesting for silence when a bowler was coming in to bowl?

In every other sport (apart from golf I guess) crowd participation is not only ok, it's encouraged but no, not so for tennis! They require complete silence to do their best.



Aside from that though, it's the sheer power of the person wielding that command that gets me!
I want a tennis umpire in my living room to say "quite please" every time someone opens their mouth when we're watching tv!!! Heck I'd pay good money for that!

And can you imagine if you and your significant other or children are having a domestic dispute, he could intervene with a "advantage mum".
Yes, I like it!

I know what I want for xmas...

Now excuse me while I just go dd tennis ref to my xmas wish list...

At Last!!!

As some of you know, hubby and I have been regularly doing the Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty route lately. I just love it there!

A month or more ago, we were lucky enough to see a koala there. As bad luck would have it, I didn't have my camera!


Every time we've been there since, I've made sure to bring my camera but haven't had any sightings.
There were no more koalas to be seen.



Today hubby and I went there and decided to go a slightly different way to the top. The path was nice and peaceful. We saw a bird with a red splotch in front of it. I don't know what type it was but couldn't get focused on it quick enough to take a decent picture.








Hubby tried to make me feel better by pretending to be a koala but although I appreciated the effort, it wasn't much consolation.















We got to the top, caught our breath, had a drink and came back down. We decided to go back the way we came.


Near Cleland Park, I got a fabulous surprise!

Right in front of my eyes was a kangaroo!!!

It was a small one... It didn't have any fear of us and came out right in front of hubby and I.


I was madly snapping away with my camera. When the kangaroo crossed the path, we saw that it went to join another, much larger (mother?) kangaroo who was waiting for it and they slowly hopped off together.





It seems they expend so little energy for such big movements. What incredible creatures!


And if that hadn't been enough, when we passed the site where we'd first seen the koala, not only was it back again, but it had a baby!!!!




It was the most amazing thing and I couldn't help myself and had to tell everyone who came by the path while we were there

"Look there's a koala and it has a BABY!!!"









Cameras were taken out by all spectators. We were quite the paparazzi!!!


Such a fantastic experience. I can't wait to go again!

When a ml over or under means oh so much

The girl looked on while the boy, with an intense focus, studied the task he’d been set.

Was he up to the challenge?

Carefully he took the bottle that held the much sought after fluid in his hand and judged the contents, mentally picturing the amount of fluid that was to go into each container.
He had to get it right.

The girl held her breath while the boy carefully started to tip the bottle that held the precious fluid.
“You better get this right” she warned. She just hated it when he got it wrong.
“Well you do it then” he quickly fired back, sick of her constant nagging.
She signed deeply “Just do it”
“Well shoosh then” he replied angrily, focusing his attention once again on the task at hand.

He got down on one knee to have a better line of vision.

Carefully the contents of the bottle started to be poured.

The boy put a little into the first container, then a little into the second container. The girl watched while her heart thumped loudly in the surrounding silence.

The boy checked the remaining contents of the bottle once again and cautiously began to tip the fluid into the awaiting containers, alternating between the first and second container.

He held his breath as the last drop was poured, sure that the girl was going to accuse him of cheating, or of not doing it right. She got down to his line of vision and nodded quietly.

Success.

He liked when she was pleased

They then both stood up, took their individual glasses and drank their coke.

Just another day in my household....

What do you mean work? It's my birthday!

I was sitting in a public area, quietly minding my own business (ok I was playing Tetris on my ipod touch) when I overheard a couple of friends talking.

They were discussing what shifts they were on next week.


The first person, a male, said he was on 7.30 starts and the woman he was with exclaimed her horror at that.
She said "I'm on 8.30 starts and thank god for that because it's my birthday on Monday and there's no F******G way I'm getting up at 5am on my birthday to come to work"

Well who's a spoilt little princess then?

Are you kidding me? Since when did we start taking holiday's on our birthday's?
Oh please, what did you do? Just survived another year!! That doesn't entitle you to have a day off work!

Sure, get a few gifts, get a few birthday wishes, go out for drinks/dinner etc, but life goes on and ulitmatley, no one really cares about your birthday but YOU! (oh and perhaps your mum!)

To think that having a birthday is an excuse to not go to work is just beyond my comprehension!!!

Singing a happy song...

I don't want to speak too soon but life has been pretty good lately.
The major exception to this is that I still am not able to run but I'm trying not to dwell on that...

When I was in high school, my best friend and I were into biorhythms.
Being the rationalist that I am now, I know that's all bunk but I must admit there are times in your life where everything just seems to flow.

Birthday celebrations are almost over. They've lasted for almost two weeks with the final bbq for friends and family this Saturday.
Two cakes have been made, one bought and another one to be bought for this Saturday. So far everything has pretty much been a success.



The photo of the banana cake is quite flattering and doesn't let the viewer know how awful the icing was... whoops.. made a little error there but no one will remember that from the pictures.













The berry cake tasted nice but looked messy.. it's the taste that counts right!












And believe it or not, work has been pretty good lately! I don't want to go into details but things are working out for me there too.
Everything is working out just fine.


Oh and to cap off my good mood, I indulged in a little retail therapy today. I bought a new lens for my Nikon D90.
It's very yummy!
I could hardly wait to get home to use it! Can't wait to experiment a bit more


Thank you world, keep shining your light on me a little longer!

Step away from the jeans...

I should have known better...

Today I took Miss newly 16 to the shopping mall so that she could find some new clothes.
First order of business? New jeans!

In one of the stores we ventured into, the saleslady was so helpful that while miss 16 was trying on her selections, I decided to get her to pick some jeans out for me.

I told this saleslady that I never wore jeans as I hated the way I looked in them. I told her of my problem spots, trying to spare her the gory details and asked her what she recommended...

She, very confidently, took me to some jeans and picked out a couple in the size she and I both thought I was.

When I got in the change room, I wondered what I was doing. I was never going to fit into these!


Well, with a bit of huffing and puffing, I did put the jeans on. It took a while but I was proud when the zip went up and the button was done.
Now the dilemma.
Do I go outside, and risk other people seeing me, or do I just assess how I look in the small confines of the change cubicle?

Feeling courageous, I opened the door and stepped outside, but not before making sure any overhanging flesh was covered by my top.

It took about .00000056 of a second for me to realise the jeans were a huge mistake.

I retreated back into the change cubicle and started to take off the jeans.

I swear I almost heard an audible sigh from the jeans as I undid the zipper.... they were glad they were coming off too!!!

Against my better judgment I tried on the second pair and as I opened the door to check myself out in the bigger mirror, Miss 16 came out of her cubicle. She didn't say anything but she didn't have to.. they looked terrible!

So, no jeans for me today....

But I'm happy to say that Miss 16 found a perfect pair of jeans, a skirt and a couple of tops and she looks great in them all!