Thursday 25 December 2014

Merry Christmas!


Deck the halls with boughs of fake tree, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.



Tis the season to be (a bit too) jolly, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.


Don we now our gay apparel, 
Fa la la, la la la, la la la. 


Troll the Coogee Christmas carol, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

I feel this needs further info - there was a carol concert by the beach in our suburb of Coogee.  Just so ya know.

See the blazing Yule* before us, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
* Sun 


Strike the harp and join the chorus. 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 


Follow me in merry (wine) measure, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

While I tell of Yule tide treasure*, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 

* Food. Food is precious, like treasure.

Christmas couscous! I realise it's not exactly the best food photo ever, but I was too busy eating it to care...

Fast away the old year passes, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la.



Janta Klaas says you'd better have a good 2015, or he's coming at you with the Blue Steel...

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Monday 8 December 2014

Things we lost on holiday

The next section of my parents' visit concerns our holiday to Queensland.  However, I feel it's important to be honest and give you some understanding of a typical Oates family holiday.  I therefore present the following list of the things we lost on holiday:
  1. My passport*.  
  2. My parents' passports
  3. My glasses
  4. My dad's glasses
  5. My dad's camera
  6. My dad's hat
  7. My engagement ring
  8. Jan's patience with this ridiculous family who lose everything
  9. My mother
But you can all breathe safely - we pretty much found everything again.



* I had put it in a safe place.  You know the one - it's so safe even you don't know where it is.

Thursday 4 December 2014

Birthday

Or, cake-for-breakfast day, as it's known in our house.  It was fantastic having my parents here to celebrate with me, because:
  1. I hadn't seen them for ten months, so being able to spend the day with them was super special.
  2. We got to go to the Opera House for our first time and theirs.
  3. Having your parents around always makes you revert to behaving like a child, anyway, so I felt much younger than the 21* I was turning.
* What?!

But mainly it was number 1.   To start the day, it's a tradition that the birthday person gets a birthday table - including, but not limited to: a cake, flowers, candles, a present, cards,  chocolates, miscellaneous sundry treats.  This year I got TWO birthday tables!

The inside table, flowers, cake, gift and cards achievement unlocked
Outside table - good weather and good company achievement unlocked
 After spending a lovely day together, we got togged up in our best attire and headed to the opera house.  We had a lovely dinner there, with this as the view:


Then we had a great time watching the King and I.  Sadly, we seem to have no pictures of us all looking dapper and sophisticated, but let's just pretend you can imagine that, ok?!

All in all, a satisfactory start to my 21st* year!

* Seriously, what?!