Monday-itis

Monday 29th November, 2010

Woke up to a grey and drizzly morning.   The weekend weather was very cool and we had some showers.......geez where has the sun gone?  Haven't been able to put away the winter clothes yet.

Today is a very quiet day.  Just got to go and pay a few bills and do some shopping.

After we got home from dinner, Katie rang to remind me that Glee was on.  They have changed the night from Wednesday to Monday.  I ended up falling asleep while watching it.

From the Lens............the entance to the Heysen Tunnels on the down track of the freeway

Don't Give Kids A Choice For Breakfast

Sunday 28th November, 2010

I have learnt not to give Katie a choice for her breakfast.  I had run out of bread and forgot to buy some yesterday.  Normally she likes to have toast in the morning.   I only had cereal.   So I gave her a choice, have Weet-bix or McDonalds.  

Guess what she chose.......

We decided to go up to Monarto Zoo today.  They have just got four female chimpanzees from Holland.  The zoo already had four males.  The Zoo hopes to breed with these and from what we saw today it may not be too far away.

After a few warm days the hills quickly start to turn brown

When we first got there the females were sleeping while the males were grooming each other.  The keeper then got some fruit for them and they suddenly came to life.  They are fed  in the outside enclosure, to give people a better opportunity to see them.  They were given coconuts, apples, bananas and oranges.  You could stay and watch them for hours with the silly antics they get up to.

We then took the bus around the Zoo.  Unfortunately we were on the last bus of the day so we didn't go into the lion enclosure but we got to see all the other animals, bison, wild horses, bongo, cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes, elands, zebras and a lot of other animals.

Katie got very excited when she saw the deer.  Friday night the Myers' Santa asked her what she would like to be when she grows up.  She told him a Zoo keeper.  He told her how he's been to Monarto Zoo and so she thinks the deer they have got there belong to Father Christmas as he must  he leave them there while he is in town. 

Katie had to take a photo of the deer

Even though we loved seeing the more exotic animals, the people on the bus also got excited to see some rabbits.

From the Lens...........a genuine white magpie, they say it is not an albino

Tea Time In Miniature

Saturday 27th November, 2010

Exactly 4 weeks today is Christmas Day and 5 weeks today it will be 2011.  Ugh!!!!

Needed to go to Ikea today as yesterday I broke the lid on the coffee jar.  On the way there we stopped off at West Lakes shopping centre and Katie put a bag of toys and other bits and pieces under the Wishing Tree.  This is organised by the Salvation Army for disadvantaged families at Christmas time.  We are trying to teach her that Christmas is not only for receiving but more importantly for giving as well.

I wanted to get the miniature Wedgewood cup and saucer and teapot that can be used for Christmas decorations.  We went and had a look in David Jones and luckily they had them both.  They also had the Royal Albert ones so I got them too.

On the way to Ikea we passed this playground that Katie wanted to play on so we promised her that we would come back to it.  Ikea did not have any of the containers that I wanted.

Back we went to the playground and spent the remainder of the afternoon there.  It was quite windy and cool but somehow this does not deter kids from playing.

While driving around we noticed that a lot of homes have their Christmas lights and decorations up.  The Brewery were to turn on the Riverbank lights tonight but it was too cold to go out so that will have to be for next time.

From the Lens...........Christmas Decor

 

Off To The Magic Cave

Friday 26th November, 2010

I know there will be one excited little girl when we go to pick her up later.  We are off to the Magic Cave and to see Father Christmas.

Tony has to stay back at work tonight.  Firstly he is having Christmas drinks with one his clients and then a function is being held in the Grand Hall by one of the tenants for "Mo-vember". 

I went and picked Katie up.  Tony was able to come with us to see Father Christmas, if he was needed back at work he was able to be contacted by phone.

She was very excited and luckily the line wasn't that long even though we still had to wait 30 minutes or so.  I think we got there on their dinner break.  She had a talk to the Magic Talking Tree.

She said her tummy was "very jiggly".  She is beginning to have some doubts as the kids at school are saying it is only someone dressed up, but part of her still wants to believe, as she thinks if she doesn't, she won't get any presents.  I think this will be the last year of her believing.

Father Christmas was most impresssed with her beautiful smile and told her he still remembered it from last year.  She told him how Darrin was going to set Santa traps.  Father Christmas and her then worked out a plan how to get him back.  She asked for a scooter and Polly Pockets.

She then had a ride on Nipper and Nimble, the two horses that they have in the Pageant, a ride on the merry-go-round and looked at the elves busy at work.

Ride on Nimble

From here she wanted to go and see Father Christmas in Myers.  She asked which one was the 'real' one.  I explained to her that the one in the Magic Cave is the real one and all the other ones are just helpers.  Seeing that there are thousands of children in Adelaide it would be impossible for the real Father Christmas to see them all so he needs some help.  She was happy with that.

So off we went to Myers.  No wait here.  She knocked on the door and Father Christmas answered for her to go in.  Rudolph was laying in front of the fireplace.  She told this one that she wanted a basketball ring and new basketball.

Then it was time to ride the Santa train, send him an email and write a letter to put in the post box.

Katie with the Myers Santa ...........

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday 25th November, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it.  Here in Australia we do not, but it still does not mean that we can't be thankful for the things we have and the people we love.

The First Test started today.   Ooohhh I think the Poms will beat us this time.  The only cricket worth having any interest in these days is The Ashes between the Aussies and the English (or Poms as we lovingly refer to them).

Don't know how much longer Test cricket will be played for as there doesn't seem to be much interest in it anymore.   They have introduced 20/20 cricket (20 overs per side) and seeing it's over within a few hours this is what people are preferring.  Even the One Day games (50 overs per side) are losing interest.

Update:   Yaayyy for the Aussies and Peter Siddle especially.
He took a hat trick (3 wickets with consecutive balls) and it's his 26th birthday as well.    He ended up with 6 wickets.  They had the Poms all out for 260. 

C'mon Aussies!!!

From the Lens............

Still Got Car Troubles

Wednesday 24th November, 2010

The most tragic news came through this afternoon that the 29 miners in the Pike River mine near Greymouth, New Zealand had died after a second explosion happened there.  A lot of people were hoping for the same miracle that happened in Chile a few weeks ago.

This morning Tori and her friend came around and as I needed to go into the city I ended up taking them into town as her friend had some business to do there.

Lucky I did.  Just before we left the rain came.  On the way in I had to turn the lights on and have the window wipers going.  By the time I got in to Tonys' work the lights had dimmed and the wipers were barely working.  Tony came down to check it out and went and rang the mechanic.

The mechanic asked for the car to be dropped off at around 3.30pm.  I drove the car home as I forgot my phone and in the few minutes it was switched off, it struggled to start again.  I only just managed to get it to the mechanics.  The instrument panel died, the wipers barely wiped the rain off the windscreen and it felt as if it had no power when I put my foot on the accelerator.

They ended up replacing the alternator and after having a new battery put in yesterday, they had to replace that as well as it was so flat.  We have everything crossed, hoping that this fixes the problem once and for all. 

When they tested the alternator yesterday it was tested with no load, plus Tony had the battery charger on the car all day Monday which we think also gave a false reading.  At least the mechanic got to see what the real problem was.

From the Lens...........We found Rudolph at Monarto Zoo

Snakes Everywhere

Tuesday 23rd November, 2010

While listening to the radio they said that the snakes are out and about due to the warmer weather.  They have had about 80 callouts just in the suburbs in relation to snakes being in peoples' backyards.   Most of the snakes found here in the city are brown snakes which are the 2nd most venomous snake in the world.

The snake catcher said they are usually found in yards with a lot of rubbish laying about......now I know why I like my yard nice and tidy and clean.  He said the largest snake he caught over the weekend was 6 foot long.

Tony took the car back to the mechanic to have them look at the alternator.  They could find nothing wrong with it.  He did all the tests on it and it didn't fail any of them.  He said perhaps it was the battery and when Tony told him what had happened when he left the keys in the ignition and the battery went totally dead, he advised us to get a new battery.  He said that with the batteries these days, usually they will only charge to 60% if they have been left to go dead.  Let's hope that solves our problem.

Tori rang just as I was doing dinner and wanted a lift back to her friends place.  I had to leave it, go pick her up, drop her off and come home and finish cooking.   

From the Lens..........Lilies