Sheila’s Neighborhood

It was my 9yo who brought this "story" to my attention,  She said to me in disgust the other night "Did you know that they had on the news that Princess Mary had gone to the shops to buy nappies!?!".  I then told her about Cate Blanchett's shoes and she was even more amazed and went running off to tell her dad.

I actually find the whole Princess Mary carry on in Australia quite puzzling.  She is just a real estate agent from Tasmania and doesn't even seem to have much of a personality.  I remember a radio announcer joking at the time of the "Royal wedding" that we should change the Australian national anthem to "Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen".

No wonder the Republic didn't get up!

This will make more sense when you read my preceeding post. Let us just say that I need no more prompting to avoid hot air balloons, and should my children ever be spirited away to an eagles nest, then they are very much alone. Don't look to Mum to save you!

Passengers survive balloon powerline crash

A hot air balloon has crashed into an 11,000 volt powerline west of the Gold Coast, but no-one has been hurt.

Police say 13 people, including a six-year-old child, climbed free of the damaged balloon basket at Kerry, near Beaudesert, about 7:30am AEST.

The crash was the pilot's first incident in 25 years of flying.

Senior Sergeant Andrew Dupere says it had the potential to be a very serious incident.

"When we arrived the basket was actually arcing off with the transformer and I think their saving grace was they had an electrician that was actually a passenger," he said.

"He was well aware of what electricity can do, so I think their saving grace was that he got them out safely."

Senior Sergeant Dupere says they were shaken but not injured.

"There's a couple of people from Canada - French-speaking people, there was a couple of people from the Gold Coast and there was a small child - a six-year-old child," he said.

"I don't think they realised how close they came to going to see their maker.

"I think the shock was just starting to set in on them - they have been transported back to their accommodation."

The crash cut power to about 500 homes and businesses in the Gold Coast hinterland.

Energex says only a few customers are still without electricity.

These are today's photos of my sister's neighborhood in our hometown of Palm Bay, Florida after Tropical Storm Fay bitch-slapped the place.  That's my bro-in-law canoeing in his backyard... and no, there is not usually a river there.  At least he can save gas by paddling to work now.  That's my nephew and his friend boogie boarding on the streets.  Ah, Florida... I miss you.  A few elderly neighbors vanished in the floods, but it was time for them to go and no one really cared for them anyway.  The Lord works in mysterious ways and Mother Nature has the wrath of a wolverine on angel dust.

Another happy child is rescued... dammit.

That's some dirty-ass water kids, have fun.

Show us a fashion trend that you hope goes out of style ASAP.

I had thought that this one had been asked previously but I just looked it up and found that I had actually given a sarcastic answer to a very different question. 

Kimmeee

Fortunately I think the muffin-top look is pretty much on its last legs now so my current least favourite fashion trend would have to be all those clothes like the smock top that make non-pregnant women look like they are in their last trimester or at least eating for two.  Given that being asked if I am pregnant is something that completely ruins my day, I can't see why anyone non-pregnant would voluntarily embrace this fashion trend.

Smock top

Also liked Diamond's answer to this question.  Hopefully the phase out of the muffin top will also result in the phase out of that particular nasty trend. 

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Today was one of those days which starts off badly and then has a peak in awfulness....  followed by something redeeming!

I was woken at 5.45am by my assistant to tell me that she wasn't coming in because her cute little baby was sick. 

Normally, when I am two-legged walking, this is not a problem because we get a temp in to answer the phones and I do the mail which involves a complicated machine and various accounting procedures. 

So..  already I'm feeling pressure!  I call the temp agency which opens at 6am and request "someone who has been before" because at least they will have a clue.  The guy was rude & indifferent which annoyed me so much that later I called to complain about him and found out that he was the General Manager!!  LOL -  well,  I have to wonder if our Account Manager is actually going to take that complaint to him!  It must be a bit awkward telling your boss that there is a complaint about him!

About 11am I was feeling mighty warm and wondering if I was having an "hormonal moment",  when people started calling to complain about the air conditioning!  

Oh dear....   the EMS (whatever that is) had ceased to communicate with whatever it is supposed to communicate with and so no air conditioning.  Estimated time of repair - 1 hour.   One and a half hours later on a day in the 90's the updated status is another hour then another...

It was actually out for nearly 4 hours - during which time my cast basically filled with sweat!!  Thank goodness I have  only a couple more days in it because it is going to reek!
 
A most unpleasant experience! But, not quite the high low-point of my day yet.

As I was trying to get in the front door tonight, pulling the handle outwards and holding onto my handbag, one of my crutches got caught under the door and jammed against the step and the door slammed against me throwing me inside onto the floor!   This must have looked really funny from the street! 

As I was wondering if I had broken my wrist and little finger I saw I had a box -  oh, happy, happy, joy, joy.....  it's my backpack!!!! 

Now I can't wait to go to work tomorrow. (ha ha). 

As I drove to work this morning I saw two hot air balloons flying over the city.  I would never ever go up in a hot air balloon. I don’t know if I inherited my mother’s height phobia, or developed it all on my own, but anything above chair height off the ground and I am not there.  Having one eye plays with one’s depth perception too, but I can’t use that as a true excuse as I was height phobic long before the said eye removal.

So, it is generally acknowledged that I would only ever go up in a hot hair balloon if I had to rescue my children from an eagles nest, or it was my choice between execution and going up in a wicker basket, though I guesstimate my chances of survival to be only slightly improved with wicker and silk, and it is highly probable that I would suffer a fatal heart attack brought on by fear anyway. (Just drop my body over the forest, mate, let me make some good compost. Tell the family I died a hero.)

Despite all my phobias and peccadilloes crowding together in my brain, and we all know there are many, as I drove along the hot air balloons kept sailing into my sight line. They looked so majestic against the blue early morning sky. My own mood lifted just watching them. I actually had to remind myself that I was on the freeway and to watch the road not the sky. The feeling of freedom and wild abandon that they represented just reached out its tendrils and engulfed me as well. I am sure that my step is lighter this morning for just catching a glimpse of them.

A friend’s mother, who has lived a very simple domestic life, surprised everyone by requesting a hot air balloon ride for her 70^th birthday. It was so out of character, but there really is a free spirit inside of everyone if it is just allowed to roam. It was one of the most beautiful moments of her life and an experience she still treasures.

While her enjoyment and continuing survival do nothing to entice me to up, up and away, I do envy the joy and the purity of the moment that those wicker riders must have been enjoying. No doubt their lives have been enhanced by the experience, and maybe in some way mine has been too. Those balloons sailing across the great blue sky caused me to remember that life is often moments, moments of joy and happiness, and moments of fear and sadness.  Those moments, all strung together make up our lives, and none of them, good or bad, should be valued the less for being. We should make the most of our moments, as just like the balloon ride, our moments do end. Appreciate what you’ve got, be it riding in the clouds, or watching from the ground, it all has meaning.

The Central Canadian Exhibition (aka Super Ex) is on in Ottawa this week. It was pouring rain and thundering last night, so since riding was out of the question Mr BA and I went to check out the 4H horse show at the fair.

The fair takes place every August at Landsdowne park, which is actually very close to downtown (we would have walked from our house if hadn't been raining). The midway was in full swing, but there was hardly anyone there because of the weather. We went in through what we though was a side gate, only to discover that we had bypassed the ticket booths completely and somehow got in for free.

The agriculture exhibits are held in this beautiful old structure called the Aberdeen Pavillion.

Aberdeen

Here's another view. Check out the awesome flying cow weathervane out front:

Aberdeen pavillion

The 4H horse show was in full swing. The little girls (they were all girls) were getting ready for the last classes of the day. Here are some of the equine beauty contestants:

Mama and baby

This Mama was so sweet. She was letting little kids pat her baby and not getting upset at all (some mares are like lionesses).

These little dudes nearly made my head explode. They are driving ponies! There were FIVE of them, all identical. So cute!

Matched set

After admiring the horses, we walked around the rest of the barn to see what we could see. There was a little boy with a baby barn owl in a box:

I has Owlicks!

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There was this 4H poster on the life cycle of a dairy cow, which I'm sure AmyH would be familiar with:

Maple

This poster made me LOL:

99%

Then the best part: the petting zoo!

I disapprove of this fair

The goats were my favorites.

Long ears

Nibblage

Check out this crew, arranged oh so symmetrically around their little stand:

Goaty-go-round

On our way out, Mr BA and I dropped a couple of bucks on the carny games. Here I am with my loot (a pony and a pink poodle, and some beads I didn't even have to flash my tits for)!

W00t! L00t!

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WHAT  are the Vox banner guidelines ? Simple enough for a total novice to follow.