Ringing out the OLD...

And at MIDNIGHT this year will be done.

"Idgy" and I (and John) already ringing in the New (Virtually) to the drone of bagpipers and sounds of revelry outside Temple Bar in Dublin, Ireland.

(screenshot from Earthcam live)

As the midnight hour approached there (7 PM here) a lone bagpiper stepped out the door and the New Year greeted by the playing of the pipes.

Later I found a video on Youtube as to the revelry inside the bar.

https://youtu.be/DaEXQfBSA5o

Which was actually kind of surreal when I realized what the crowd was singing. Laughed out loud!

Despite my ongoing complaints regarding Trump a fairly good year overall.

Filled with art, learning and adventure, a year-long virtual trek to Australia, Family and Friends, Shelby and Sofi, love and much happiness!

Life is Good!

Here is looking forward to a wonderful, ZEN 2019

 More anon...

A MONTH of Christmas...

Started Christmas with Loretta and Amber on December 2nd...in between enjoyed it with Sisters Day and Lisa, Tina, Stacia and Serena, John, Diane and Judy, and ended it this weekend with the kids and grands (both human and puppy)

Yeah...it feels a little like this!


Wonderful month, though. 

And loved sharing the last weekend of it with

Chris, Tina, Bennie and Neville (my grandpuppies)

Even if Sofi did trash talk from her crate during their visit.

and

James, Nicole, Aiden, Brenden and Emma

Oh...and apparently ELVES are REAL!

Santa Aiden!

Who knew???

So, thanks everyone for the chocolates and cookies and brownies and brunches and kitchen appliances, gift cards and accompaniments and candles and yes...even more chocolates and "bacon jerky" and cards, boxes and bags...but mostly than you (all) for the hugs...and love...and most of all the time shared together!  

There is nothing more important than Family & Friends (and the cats of course)! 

Will enjoy the peace and quiet and tiny white lights (and my Christmas Village)
until the first...and then it is time to undeck the halls and stow the whole bit until next December.

Finally, after all these years, took the time to watch Die Hard...and it is true

Die Hard may be the Ultimate Christmas Movie!

Abbey from Texas sent me this

The Natkatomi Tower entirely made of Gingerbread.

I found this ornament.

and realize now it is true

The Book this Week by Michael Caine

70 years of wit and living. Good life advice and a lot of laughs, as well.

Definitely one you will want to read...and a perfect book to end my year on. 

The Movie

Worth every moment of the hype!

Great love story...plenty of action...lots of humor...great CGI effects...strong sexy female lead...oh...and one of cinema's hottest leading men. What's not to love?

If you haven't seen it yet...you must!

Only giving the Trump Circus a cursory glance this week...the government is STILL shutdown...Trump is still blustering...because he doesn't quite get it-

As soon as the House is seated on the 3rd and Pelosi becomes Speaker of the House...his life is about to get much much more complicated.

So let him enjoy his little temper tantrum for a few more days...because it may be the last enjoyment he has for a long long time. 

For the rest of us...it is time to roll up our sleeves and FIX this mess!

More Anon!

I found this absolutely brilliant!

And tonight the Colts play the Titans in a MUST WIN game in order to stay in the playoffs.

Dearest mother — All of our hard work and dedication to one another as a unit has led us to this point. We march to the Ten Sea to battle Titans once more. Should we achieve victory, our campaign shall gloriously expand. Inform the cows my resolve is strong. I love you. — Andrew

Dearest mother — I have received your care package of salted raccoon thighs and zesty gopher wrists. We continue our march to the Ten Sea. It’s been decided that we shall battle at night in the hopes of being the most tactically sound. The men are anxious, but confident. — Andrew

Colt scouts spotted Gen. Vrabel and his Titan company preparing their defenses. They will not allow any honky tonk to distract from stifling your campaign. All eyes will be upon the battlefield overmorrow when you lead the assault on Fort Nissan. — SNF

Dearest mother — Tonight is our most important battle yet of this campaign. I know not the outcome, but our unit is as prepared as possible for a clash under the shimmering stars. The Ten Sea will be alive with excitement. The Titans will have their hands full. @SNFonNBC — Andrew

Popcorn at the ready!!!

GO COLTS!!!!

Addendum:

WE won we won we won we won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

33-17

We're headed to the PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ending Virtual Australia: Uluru (Ayres Rock)

All great journeys eventually come to an end...whether real-time or virtual.
Today, after spending the entire YEAR exploring much of what Australia has to offer is no different.

It seemed appropriate to  end our adventures here...at the site of one of the most iconic place in Northern Territory.

Like Sydney's Opera House, this monolith needs no introduction.

All who see it knows it is Australia.

One called Ayres Rock it has been renamed...reverted like our Denali to the tongue of its aboriginal ancestors. Uluru. 

The name has no particular meaning but is instead a proper noun for the landmark.

It is essentially a single stone. A rock. Sandstone. An Inselberg- literally an island mountain, formed in early Cambrian times. 

It is 2831 ft. total- although most of its bulk is underground...it rises 1,142 feet in the air.  It is 5.8 miles around. 

It glows red at both dawn and sunset.

It is the centerpiece of the Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park.

Legend has it that anyone who attempts to take even smaller rocks from Uluru (bits that have broke free from the massive stone) will be cursed and terrible misfortune will befall them.

(...being the rock-hound that I am...were this a real-time adventure...I would have to take my chances, I'm afraid...)

Reminding me of a friend who brought me back an amazing stone from Belieze that she admitted (much later) she had (verbatim)

"Yanked from a Mayan Ruin"

...omfg...

Climbing is not currrently prohibited, but is discouraged by the local aboriginals because of the spiritual significance they attach to the stone. 

(...note...beginning 2019 climbing will be banned...)

Uluru Climb from 2015

https://youtu.be/kwTXMIA0pBo

During the Spring rains waterfalls dance down its surface.

 Drone Footage

https://youtu.be/xUADPqYbnvI

I have the Yellowtail Wine...but do not antipate the arrival of the Emu Steaks until early January...but will post recipe and photos here when we try them!

I hope you have enjoyed this virtual year in Australia as much as I have...and perhaps learned a few things along the way.

Now it is time to say Hoo Aroo (pronounced OOO-AROOO) goodbye to
Australia

Countdown to Christmas...Settled in for a Relaxing Week....and "Dude, Where's my Government?"

"Keep watching, she said there would be a jolly fat guy in a suit and eight tiny reindeer...you KNOW how I love Venison!"

The halls are decked...a few more packages to wrap and waiting on my shipment of Petit Fours (kind of a holiday tradition...ever since the kids were little)  and this year's Christmas fudge has been distributed. Did a mix-in of Christmas Cookies in the Milk Chocolate Fudge and topped it with broken pieces. Turned out yummy!

Since we are having our Family Christmas on the weekend...this week is all about relaxing...eggnog...spa baths...old Christmas movie favorites! Baking a bit of turkey which will also become Turkey and Noodles later in the week. And maybe some more Christmas Cookies closer to our Gathering!

Sat down and filled in pertinent dates on my 2019 Calendar...and surprised to see how quickly it is filling up, already.
Going to be a busy year next year!

No new movie or book for the week...it's been busy.  Nicki and I are going out to see Aquaman soon I think...because...yeah...

"You had me at Jason Momoa"

...beastly...

And I need the break because the last few days of politics and chaos have absolutely got me exhausted.

And not in a good way, okay.

So...the GOP and the DEMS sat down for 2 weeks and hammered out a budget deal in the House.
Together.
There was hope.

It passed The House 100-0

Everybody agreed. It was a shoo-in for the Senate.

(...wait for it...)

Then like a giant orange turd in the proverbial punch-bowl....Trump floated to the top and declared unless it included 5 Billion dollars funding for his border wall...he would veto it.

WTFF....

Or as Republican Susan Collins blurted out

"...are you just trying to ruin my life?"

But it all went back to the drawing board...where it will be staying for the foreseeable future...

And we have another SHUTDOWN.

It is insane.

Everyone has firmly dug in...and nothing is going to change until after Christmas now...if then.

Then the WH tweeted a photo of Trump busily signing a document and piles to be signed. "Working Hard" it said.

Except on closer inspection the document in front of him was a blank piece of paper...and the pen was still capped...

Yeah, I know.

But wait...there is more.

Die hard Trumpers have now started a gofundme for The Wall. They are raising an incredible 1 million a day so far. At this rate they will reach their first Billion in 2.5 years.  Since it is projected to cost 25 Billion (not taking into account inflation) it will only take them around 61 years to pay that sucker off...lol! Of course many of them are close to Trump's age so neither he or the idiots who are throwing cash at it will be around by then...but hey...it's the thought that counts.

For the record...I think you're all morons.

General Mattis (the only other ADULT in the room) has handed in his resignation...February will be the end for him. And he spelled out WHY...because TRUMP refuses to listen to any of his advisors...which is kind of the point...and because of the immediate pull out from Syria and half of the troops in Afghanistan.

Needless to say Putin, ISIS, and The Taliban are thrilled.

It will be a literal bloodbath for our allies.

US Envoy in The Isis Fight- Brett McGurk immediately resigned as well.

In the midst of this shitstorm Trump was still babbling on about that damned border wall and why we needed it...including the following statement copy and pasted-

A nation without borders is a nation not at all. Without borders, we have the reign of chaos, crime, cartels and believe it or not, coyotes.” 

Yes...the POTUS does not know the difference between

A Coyote

and

A Coyote

(Traffickers who routinely move illegal immigrants...usually at night...for huge sums of cash...across the border, are known as coyotes)

He actually thought he was referring to wildlife.

And for godsake...don't even mention the Drug Mules to this guy!

"They are DRUGGING MULES??? We must get PETA on this..."

Yeah, I know, right?

Drug Mule

 and on x-ray

Garden Variety Mule

Jack sez

 "Don't make an ASS of yourself, Donald."

So yeah...that is where we are at...heading into The Holidays.

Try not to think about it.

Here...have more eggnog!

More Anon.

Tomorrow the Colts take on the NY Giants!

Dearest mother — Before you read more of this, I shall need you to sit. Giants are coming. Scouts do not know their exact dimensions, but they have already departed. Please do not fret. We shall drill in pairs atop each other’s shoulders to better prepare. Resolute. — Andrew

Dearest mother — I have received your care package of braised turkey knees and spiced pigeon toes. The unit continues to prepare for the Giants. Word may have reached you I was not among the Pro Bowl honorees. Yet, others in our unit were. That is just as special to me. — Andrew

GO COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!







Addendum: We won...we won we won!!!!

Dearest mother — You may breathe once more for we were victorious over the Giants. They attempted to squish us, but we were prepared for their massive limbs. I have never been more proud of these men. Winning was never a guarantee, but we all dug deep and battled as one. — Andrew

Virtual Australia: Northern Territory- Katherine

Billed as "Where the Outback Meets the Tropics" in Northern Territory, AU is the small town of Katherine.  About 90 miles from the Pine Goldfields and at the mouth of the Katherine River.

Like Darwin, Katherine is subject to the dry (hot) season and the wet (monsoon) season. It has been the site of intense flooding at times...the last of which was in 2006.  Katherine's population stays at just over 6,000, and the temperature at 81 degrees.

Things for us to (virtually) explore in Katherine
include:

(so let's go!)
 


Katherine Hot Springs.

One of the truly safe water holes to swim in...most water in Katherine contains crocodiles.

Crystal clear water and bathwater warm...a natural thermal spring.

Video of Katherine Hot
Springs

https://youtu.be/sC8DvLgLr44

The Katherine Museum

Tour

https://youtu.be/zlxrD2JC4bo

The Museum preserves the lives, culture and history of the Northern Territory. Including its art.

Tour


https://youtu.be/Ot0ZiAc0JjI




and Nitmiluk National Park

A series of gorges on and around the Katherine River and Edith Falls. The name means place of the cicada dreaming.

Freshwater crocs inhabit these waters year 'round.

Rangers routinely remove them and release them elsewhere...but, although many tourists "take their chances" and swim here. You won't catch the locals in these waters. 

Yeah...I'm convinced.

Gorge Tour

https://youtu.be/4jFYEmBUECo

and Sunset over the Katherine River .

And our virtual Australian Adventures are soon to come to an end...as our final destination will be next week at Uluru  (Ayres Rock)

and trying Grilled Emu with Yellowtail Wine.

See you there!

Sisters (and Cousins) Day!

Twenty-four hours later and the house STILL smells sweetly of baking sugar cookies!

What a GREAT Sister Day..made even more wonderful with the addition of Cousins. And even one Granddaughter to spoil.

                                   "Don't MAKE Me Come Over There..."

With wraps and rolls and puffs, cheeses and crackers and sodas. Lot of family photos (thanks Stacia) and Serena to spoil (...or at least sugar-up)

And Wedding News from Chris and Tina

in the form of magnetic "Save the Date" cards!

It was an amazing Sisters Day!

Sisters are simply the best.

And I'm still munching cookies...we made dozens!