ANOTHER SHOUT OUT FOR KIVA

I've decided to make a loan or two per month, as my small part in making the world a slightly better place. Between that and fostering puppies I'm racking up serious karma.
All my current loans are paying back so I had a $9 credit to burn. Which was a bit exciting, knowing the system works.
There are not many choices at the moment because so many people are donating so quickly.
Which is wonderful.
So if you have a spare $25US ( i know the Aussie $ is crapola at the moment) or more then go check it out and make a difference.

AT LEAST I STILL HAVE MY VEGEMITE

Thank the FSM that stuff never goes off. I've been eating a lot of it lately and I think the jar is the one I brought over when we moved here, which I'm glad you asked, is exactly 2 years ago. Jan 17th 2007 we landed in snowy but sunny Flagstaff from sandy and sunny Sydney.
2 years!! How ape crazy bonkers is that?!

And you know what? I'm not ready to move back yet. We are really enjoying it here and I would have never learnt to snowboard at home.
We always said we probably would move back to Oz at some point. Us and long term planning is like having a distant slightly repellent relative who you feel like you should make a vague concession to their existence at Christmas and mall shootings.
One thing is we will stay until I can get my duel citizenship, which I think is after 3 years, so I can start that process in a year or so.
I don't miss Sydney that much, but I do miss the people a lot.
My niece and nephew growing up as well as all my friends kids. Having people around for a BBQ and games, the crazy native birds, gum trees, meat pies and home delivered Thai.
We were vaguely planning on coming back for a visit around April but since we only have my income at the moment we probably should be good and not spend too much.
Big sad face.

In other news, we had the busiest day at work on Friday. The mobile was out at Seligmon about 1 1/2hr from Flagstaff. It is a rural community and on Route 66 so the main street is geared for tourists in a slightly run down dusty way.
Anyway I left home at 5:45am and didn't get home till nearly 9pm. Lots of surgeries and in the afternoon vaccine clinic. We had people lined up and waiting for ages and ages. Most people were patient and everyone knows everyone so it was like a town reunion. One thing is that most of the folks don't have just one well behaved pooch and moggie, they have 8 Dire Wolves and 3 Sabre Toothed Tigers. In the end as darkness fell we were vaccinating in the back of utes and through car windows, just to get through the backlog.
One couple brought two Cane Corso pups to be desexed. We were worried that we wouldn't have space, since they are a type of Mastiff. Lucky they were only 5 months old and 'only' 55 pounds.
They were so cute, big floppy ears and sad eyes. I was looking at them online and sadly it seemed to be a habit to cut their ears off into ugly, scarred points and dock thier tails. Blahhgg.
I can see the reason behind such things when they were used to hunt and the such, less bits to get ripped and injured. Nowadays not many people are out hunting Aurochs so its just a macho wank.

I found this awesome photo of one. If that doesn't send shivers down through the caveman part of your brain, then you aren't caveman enough.



Another amazing photo to send a shiver or two. Waiting for rescue after landing in the Hudson River, NYC.

Finally, a decent example on explaining the one true measurement system to the yanks...
thank you XKCD....again.

Since Einstein, our new foster puppy started howling way to early this morning I thought I'd get up, hush and feed the dogs, make a cuppa and play some WOW....but noooooo stupid server maintenance until 11am. You would think with the elevently billion $$ they get a month from nerds like me it would be enough to keep the game running all the bloody time. Weatherwax was in the mood to smite some undead trolls too.

Einstein, was so named because when we got him from Cottonwood Humane to bring back, he looked very 'special' and they thought a positive name may help, and I think it has. He has a minor eye infection and a dome head. He looks very much like Tazzie our last foster except chocolate brown. He is very lively and fun and he and Roo gnaw on each other with wild abandon.
He is asleep on my lap at the moment.

Last Friday night we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters strutt their stuff. My nephew is turning 11, is as tall as me (5"6) and plays basketball so it seemed a perfect night out with his friends and family.
It was a great deal of fun. Talk about mad ball skillz.
They played the Washington Generals who have not won against them since 1971, so there was much trash talk between coachs and players, hijinx involving remote control balls, changing the score and distracting the Globetrotters with dance so to place a plastic cover over thier hoop.
They still won.
They were easily distracted by dance, which was a good thing in my eyes. They sure could move.

We are off snowboarding today.
It hasn't snowed for a while so its going to be all hard and icy up there, but the great thing about Season passes is that if it does suck we can come back early and not really wasted money.
Maybe the WOW server will be back up.

BIRTHDAY CAKE PLEESE

Please deliver in 11 months but skip the disturbing food items in the back....

Via Cake Wrecks....awesome

WHAT ANOTHER ONE?....

Bye bye 2008, why were you so quick? You were a great year,gave me much traveling, surrounded me with fabulous family and friends and taught me a thing or two. No great achievements but nothing horrible either.


We brought in the New Year by watching the Big Pine Cone drop in downtown Flagstaff, then went snowboarding. What better way to usher in the New Year than falling down a snowy hill. It was a blast except when I totally bollocks getting off the lift and sprained my left thumb...ouch. Being only half opposable sucks.



I have a few plans for this year, but won't mention them in case they never happen. Deny everything especially in the case of New Year resolutions.