IMG_0217.JPG - Vox

Wow!  The quality of this picture is perfect!  This is Christmas to me.  The light of the candle represents the Christ Child who came into the world on Christmas Day to be our light.  The wine bottle represents good times with family and friends.  And the Christmas tree is a reminder to stop and think about the people in our lives who provide light for our days and make living worthwhile. 

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26532514-952,00.html

Dumbest criminals caught out

THEY may have broken the law but these offenders could never be called criminal masterminds.

June 11

A police officer noticed a vehicle following him while he drove around Clermont, 280km southwest of Mackay, about 11.45pm. The car followed the police vehicle into the police station's yard and the driver got out to discuss a relationship problem. The man appeared drunk and when tested blew a blood-alcohol reading of 0.26. The 35-year-old man was charged with drink-driving, fined $1800 and disqualified from driving for 16 months.

June 19

A teenager was seen leaving the Harvey Norman store at Warwick, 80km south of Toowoomba, with two video games he had not paid for. Police went to the store to speak with the informant and get a description of the suspect. Instead, they were handed a very useful document. A staffer recalled the thief had visited the store earlier to seek employment and had given them his curriculum vitae. Police went to the address listed on the CV and charged the teenager with shoplifting.

August 18

A woman went to Cecil Plains police on the Darling Downs to report her mobile phone had been stolen the night before. She had left it on her dining room table when a 34-year-old man known to her visited. When he left, she realised her phone was missing. When police visited the man's address, he denied knowing anything about the missing phone. Police then rang the number and heard the woman's phone ringing in the man's bedroom. He gave the phone to police and was given a notice to appear in the Dalby Magistrates Court .

November 5

Two men who allegedly robbed a hotel at Gladstone, 100km southeast of Rockhampton, at knife point did so without the benefit of a getaway car. They were forced to hitchhike away from the scene and were about 30km from Rockhampton when they used a $50 note as bait to flag down a silver Toyota sedan. The vehicle pulled over and the men got in only to find they had been picked up by two plainclothes detectives. One man and one juvenile were charged with robbery while armed and will appear for sentencing on April 1.

You never know what you will find here:) From me begging you to donate to worthy causes to what I'm reading. This afternoon, I finally have settled in to read Tales from a Travelling Mum: Navigating Europe with a Babe-in-Arms by my pal, AliceGriffin. I've been following Alice's adventures for a while now through her blog. It is a delightful read written by a delightful person. Great for armchair travelers, families with a dream and those actually starting their planning:)

Also, remember that amaryllis I saved? Look how it has grown and not only that, a twin shoot grew from the same bulb alongside it and now is ready to burst into bloom also!

Monty approves....... I'm learning how to use my new lens:)

We have about 6" of snow on the ground, north of Chicago, but a bit to the west they had 12 or 134 inches.  The forecast had been for 2-3"!

Because I am team leader... I feel a bit of responsibility towards the rest of my group and am posting this here because there are only two days left to participate in this opportunity to help purchase a new digital mammogram machine for our local hospital.
For a $10 donation you will be entered in a draw on December 30th to win ALL of this! So far, only 60 tickets have been sold.

2 tickets to Mooseheads game on January 8th vs Montreal Juniors

$30 gift certificate to THE ARMVIEW

YaY!  The Avatar edition of Cinefex is out.  Usually they have 5-10 copies on average.  Brian got their last 2.  I might send mine to my mom and get another later.  Mom missed Brian's name in the credits while looking for them and this is cooler -- a full page ad taken out to thank his team and another -- with his name in it.  Can't miss it.

So, as we near the end of the year I though I would put together my best / worst lists.  I'm too lazy.  Sleep is a mess.  Not getting anything done.  Didn't get to go see Avatar again yet.  Didn't get to mail stuff yet as I've not been awake at hours I could use sewing machine, so stuff to mail to mom isn't done.  Etc.  So, I'm just going to do.. hmph.  My best person and worst person of the year, how's that?  Good, good.  Here we go then:

Best person of the year -- The Iranian people.  I realize they're not one person.  Shush.  They realized they got screwed.  They knew they'd face death if they stood up and said so.  They stood up and said so anyway.  They're still saying so.  They're still dying.  In fact today, it's being reported that Mir Hossein Mousavi's nephew was killed.  It seems to be confirmed on Mir Hossein Mousavi's FB.  Other reports say it wasn't him.  Whoever it was that died -- it's a YouTube video.   I'd not post the link, except they want to be seen it seems.  Because that's what they're fighting for.  Their country doesn't want them to be seen or heard.  So, whether protesting or dying they want it seen.  Sad.

Runner up for person of the year --  Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.  I know, I know.  He says he's no hero, that he was just doing his job when he landed that plane in the water.  But you know what?  We also had some pilots who should have been doing their jobs while they missed their runway by what 70 minutes?  So while airlines charge customers more and more for every little thing and pay pilots less and less? And those other pilots sleep through their duties?  Good job to Sully for being awake and alert and doing his job pretty damn well!

Worst person of the year -- Politicians.  Most of them collectively.  Again not one person, I realize this.  But there were only a few who seemed to stand true to what they believed without wavering back and forth about opinions, without caving, without being bought and sold.  And while I'm okay with a little silliness?  Most of them seemed to encourage flat out stupidity, rudeness, ignorance, just -- wow.  Between the two major parties -- I can probably use the fingers on ONE hand to count the ones who stayed totally true to their political views all year and weren't douchebags in the process and didn't encourage really bad behaviour.  A little showmanship I expect -- the rest, shame on them all.  

Runner up for worst person of the year -- rude people.  From Kanye West deciding to ruin Taylor's moment, to Joe Wilson yelling You Lie, to people deciding that "I have Freedom of Speech, God Dammit" means being the biggest jackass man has ever seen.   Your neighbor too has Freedom of Speech and frankly I'd rather listen to the one who was speaking calmly and respectfully -- not the one yelling over everyone, insulting everyone, ranting, waving their arms like a madman, etc.  Act respectable or I'm gonna suggest that people take headphones with them everywhere they go -- and when you exercise your freedom of acting like a fool they should blast those headphones as loud as they go until it's someone else's turn to speak, oh wait it wasn't your turn -- that's why you're rude.  

I am still at work on Christmas cards.  (On Facebook, one friend wrote me she had just given up!)  And I notice that I am sending out quite a few more than I receive.  In this regard, I think my wife does better--getting more than sending, and it seems to me, is better able to keep up to at least this degree friendship or relationship from many decades past.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. We had planned to go to see my family in Broken Arrow this year but the turnpike was closed Christmas Eve. We ended up going to my in-laws house but they had plenty of food and we all had a good time. We also got to see the new baby again.

Ryder in His Santa Suit

The Boys

The Cat is Going to Hate This

Boxing Day sales start. I'm not much of a shopper but I have a Lululemon certificate that I am hoping to stretch to twice it's size today:) I also want to pick up an armband for my new nano.

I am also hoping to try out a new lens I got for my camera:)) Better get out there!

Only 3 days until this is drawn!!Only 58 tickets sold!!
Dec 30th. The BustaMove BIG PRIZE DRAW , hoping that you might be interested in donating $10 to help purchase a digital mammogram machine & be entered in our fabulous draw. Help make the boobs of Nova Scotian women merry! Thanks to all of you who have done so already:)) Winner gets it all. Great odds at this point!

December Views