Family Christmas

Adelaide December 2010

Skywatch Friday

On Christmas Day, my wife decided that it would be a good idea to go and see the Christmas lights in Lobethal, a small town in the Adelaide Hills which is done up for Christmas and about an hour away. Great plan except we went too early, everything was closed, the kids moaned, the dog threw up, we couldn't find anything to eat.... Luckily we found a Chinese restaurant open in Norwood, a very nice suburb of Adelaide. As the kids and Elizabeth sat down to order, I stepped outside to take the dog for a short walk and saw this. It is the Odeon in Norwood with the sun setting behind it. Everything was good again.

The irony of the story was that the street behind us gets decorated and that is where we took the kids to see pretty Christmas houses, including this understated one. Funny.

You can see other nice sky photographs here.

Photo Hunt: Wide

The great wide expanse of Sellicks Beach. It was just us and a few cars yesterday afternoon on the way back from Granny's. I learned today that some vested interests had tried to push through a marina for this location. Very glad that got the kybosh. It is such a glorious expanse of open beach, sufficiently far from Adelaide that it is never too busy.

This is a great time of year here in South Australia, with great weather, hanging out in our pool, holidays, Christmas around the corner and cricket on the radio (and television). I have loved cricket since I grew up in Scotland. Being in Australia it is hard to avoid, which I like.

Tonight the cricket was from Perth, where Australia are hosting South Africa in a showdown between the number one and number 2 ranked test teams. I rarely have time to sit down and just watch cricket, but rather listen to the very entertaining coverage on the ABC. I was able to watch tonight outside by the pool while Elizabeth watched The Bill, because they played late due to the time difference and rain delays. The kids had gone to bed (ha ha ha), but they thought that it was a bit odd, and came out to take some photographs. They even caught one of me signalling a wide.


Merry Ho Ho Ho to all Photohunters and in fact to everyone.

Obligatory Christmas Post

You Are Comet

A total daredevil, you're the reindeer with an edge! Why You're Naughty: You almost gave Santa a heart attack when you took him sky diving Why You're Nice: You always make sure the sleigh is going warp speed

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

A Christmas Poem I saw somewhere.

On Dancer
On Prancer
On Comet
..
On Visa
On Mastercard

Merry Holiday Season Everyone. May our kids be very happy with our Visa Bill.

Carnival of Australia Bloody Christmas Edition

Guilt Trip?

My Christmas Outfit Darlings. Wouldn't I look Special?

Welcome to the SuperWoopdeeDooMega Just Before Christmas Carnival of Australia with the usual mix of the wierd, the interesting, the serious and the down right wacky. A veritable cross section of some of the best Aussie Blogging. This is a bit late and patched together with not too much due care and attention due to our family situation. We are right in the middle of moving. This week has been three days of painting, two days of packing and tomorrow we move and on the twelfth day, we may rest.

I am composing this after having a stand up fight with Optus and finally getting the modem that they sent to us to work at our new house. We have nothing here except a Christmas Tree and some camping chairs, but broadband is up and running and the laptop is humming. Modern technology can be so exasperating, but very bloody useful.

Anyway less of the tedious personal stuff. On with Peace and Love and Goodwill to all Peoples.

With Christmas being a time for kids, Megan has a competition to keep kids safe. Go and win some Christmas Pocket Money. The more who enter the more you can win.

Gavin R. Putland presents Complete solution to vertical fiscal imbalance posted at Gavonomics.

In Australia, as in most federations, only the Federal government may impose customs duties (i.e. tariffs on imports) or excise duties (see s.90 of the Constitution). But whereas most countries understand excises as taxes that counteract tariffs by discriminating against locally produced goods, the High Court of Australia has ruled that excises include all inland taxes on new goods. Consequently the Australian States, unlike their U.S. and Canadian counterparts, cannot impose retail sales taxes.

If the alcohol and food on Christmas Day does not put you to sleep, this might. Important stuff all the same. I can attest to the nasty state taxes having just paid a huge wad to the state in stamp duty on our new home. Was this not one of the taxes that the states were supposed to give up?

Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh have been to Blog Vegas Real life link love in abundance as Suzie schmoozed with the A List Bloggerati including John Cow and Wendy Piersall. Posted at The Abundance Highway.

Based on my own experience, the best thing about Las Vegas was leaving. Such great scenery including the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Death Valley a short drive away.

Sue Bayliss likes Raymond James, an Irish Aussie. "Eirinn Go Brach" is his heartfelt cry ... posted at Spasmodic Dysphonia.

As always Meg comes up with some useful stuff. This week it how to add a YouTube Video to a WordPress Blog posted at Dipping into the Blogpond. Useful!

Cellobella makes the case why My husband is a woman! posted at SultanaBlog.

Groover loves cooking, can keep a fantastic house, makes the bed like a nurse, disciplines the kids, manages the money and irons beautifully.

Me I am a women only in the cooking department. I am hopeless at all the other womenly attributes.

SimoneM presents Beating the Bored Room: How to Stay Motivated When You Work From Home posted at Outfit Inspirations.

But when the conventional office is replaced with the home office, our roles can be less distinct. If your partner is off work with a cold or visitors arrive from out of town, it can be difficult to justify staying hunched over the laptop with the blinds drawn.

As we are not “at work”, other jobs can also be absorbed into our work day, such as picking up the dry cleaning, doing the grocery shopping or waiting around for the plumber to fix the mysterious leak.

Very interesting. I have done at home consulting a few times and realised that it was not for me. I work part time and could work from home more, but I know that I would get nothing done. There would always be some diversion that I could use to justify not working (like blogging).

And just in time for Christmas, Craig Harper presents Living in Fat City. posted at Motivational Speaker.

If you live in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada or New Zealand, then you live in the same place as me; Fat City. Fat City of course, being more of a collective mindset, and a culture of eating too much and moving too little, than any geographical location, or 'literal' place. And while it's not a literal place, it is very real. If you know what I mean.

Thanks for spoiling the seasonal gorging and grogging Craig! I'm going to be doing it anyway.

Addy discusses a very serious topic in Get Me Through December: Losing a friend to suicide posted at "All That I Am, All That I Ever Was".

I was listening to the radio this morning and for all the "Good Times" associated with Christmas, this is the worst time of the year for depression, sadness and loneliness and some of the more extreme outcomes. If you know someone who is by themselves this Christmas, make an effort to be in contact with them. I can think of three people that I know who have lost family members this year. Even people who have lost them many years ago find this a difficult time. Go on Give Someone a Hug!

Riayn presents a very sad story.What the?? posted at Dancing About Architecture.

This is a devastating story and worth a read. In a previous life I looked after foster kids. To be abandoned again after many years would be too much. It made me think about the Animal Shelters who are overflowing at this time of year. How can humans treat other humans like this. It is bad enough that we abandon animals... Rant over.

Karen is getting all Hamletty on us as she discusses being indifferently honest posted at Miscellaneous Adventures of an Aussie Mum.

Cheer up Karen. I've been there and it is amazing that my wife didn't kick me out. It was a sure sign of depression when I didn't wash the dishes or clean up after the kids. Hope you are feeling better.

Albert Foong has some good advice for those feeling low inPsychology’s unique contribution to your Compassion and Self-Esteem posted at Urban Monk.

As Albert says

One of the biggest myths about self-esteem: someone with high self-esteem feels themselves superior to others.

But that is simply not true: you must have seen it for yourself. Those who feel superior to others hide a shame, a fear, of insecurity.

Amen to that!

Kevin Dayhoff presents a happy story from Yanqui Land, not too far from where I used to live in Maryland, where they haveOperation Christmas Tree. Posted at Kevin Dayhoff - Soundtrack Division of Old Silent Movies.

Mark Simkin from the ABC goes to America to find a good Christmas story.

"He said that Australia has troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and this is a “wonderful Christmas story, mate.” He described how the Australian news will broadcast the story “all across Australia and eastern Asia.”

And the Carnival of Australia! We just got our Christmas Tree from a local tree farm. What a great smell. Now the kids have to decorate it.



Megan suggests that we go and readAustralia Lacks Courage on Climate Change posted at The Body Shop Australia's Values & Campaigns Blog.

This is an interesting campaigning blog and well worth a read. They also need suggestions for a name.

And if you are bored in Brisbane over the holidays, you can go and see some FREE! Christmas Movies at Suncorp Piazza posted at Life in Brisbane - Queensland - Australia.

Anyway have a great holiday season everyone. We will likely be using our new pool and unpacking. Not very exciting, but important. I hope you all have more interesting plans.

This concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of australia using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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No Ho Ho Ho Yes Ha Ha Ha for Santas in Adelaide

Coming Soon to Adelaide?

With yesterdays Adelaide Christmas Pageant done and dusted we can move on to the Peace and Love blatent commercialism of Christmas with the arrival of Santa. Adelaide Santas have a more complicated politically correct agenda to contend with this year, with the term Ho Ho Ho banned by their politically correct employer, Weststaff.

The term "ho" is also American slang for a prostitute. "We were told it (ho) was a derogatory term for females and can upset people," said the Santa, who did not want to be identified publicly.

"As far as I'm concerned, a hoe is something you dig the ground with.

"I don't think you'll hear too many Santas saying `ha, ha, ha'."University of South Australia communications senior lecturer Dr Jackie Cook said any banning of "ho, ho, ho" was "nonsense".

"Can we use a garden hoe anymore? Do we have to remove that?" she said.

"Ho, ho, ho from Santa is going to be everywhere. It's going to be in books, on Christmas cards and kids are going to come across it sooner or later.

"You could say that `ha, ha, ha' was dangerous because it was always tied to the villains in movies and horror films."

Santa as the Joker?

And in case you were interested, Santa is on an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) with the following conditions.

The `ho, ho, ho' edict came as Santa's working conditions were also revealed. The Sunday Mail has obtained a copy of Westaff's "Santa Project" Australian Workplace Agreement.

The 15-page document stipulates, in part, that Santa will:

WORK on a casual basis and earn a base rate of $20.50 an hour.

GET a 10-minute paid toilet break during a four-hour shift and a 30 minute unpaid meal break if working 5.5 hours or longer.

BE AVAILABLE to work at any time on any day for the six weeks leading up to Christmas.

He must also maintain character at all times so as "not to raise any questions or complaints" from customers. His uniform and accessories must always be presentable.

Mr Jansz said the AWA passed the Federal Government's Fairness Test.

This sort of stuff makes me want to puke.

Elfamorphise Yourself

You can be a dancing elf for a few minutes. My kids really liked this one.

Santa Goes to School and Work

That Santa guy he gets around in broad daylight. He was at school with the kids to say goodbye to the School Secretary on her last day after 36 years of service. This, after going to school there for 7 years. People are just not as loyal nowadays. I thought ten years in my last job, in four different locations and lots of travel was a long time. Kaye spent 43 years out of 60 years at the school. Even her parents and grandparents went to the school.

Then Santa went to work and offered photographs to my colleagues. Nobody took him up. Santa has now gone into Christmas preparation mode by having a rest. The reindeers however, are being trained up for the big night.

Personally I am still adjusting to 40 degree Christmases. Not being a great fan of Summerval (apologies to all those Winterval advocates), I enjoy it for the kids. They think it is ace.

Christmas Singles Suck

Not having lived in the UK for over 20 years has many benefits, including not having to listen to the Cliff Richard (or the like) Christmas Single incessantly for weeks on end. A seasonal event that I have never much cared for. Beau Bo D'Or reminds me what a good thing this is. Oh by the way, did I mention the weather as another good one.

Oh No It's Christmas Soon

Ryans best friends family are totally into Christmas. Their house is a temple to crass Christmas commercialism, with the tree, tinsel and all and it is only early November and summer has started. My northern hemisphere instincts are still powerful and warm weather and Christmas together are still a challenge. That despite having only one cool weather christmas in the last 10 years.