The more eagle eyed of my readers may have noticed that Cat was missing from the light hunting photos. And that Natasha’s shorts are far too short (she’s 13 and she could pass for 18, life is not fair for parents of girls).
Cat had started house sitting for 3 days, 2 nights for Uncle Jason. Uncle Jason went gadding off with his entire family somewhere I forget, leaving poor Bella the 1000 year old Yorkshire Terrier alone with no one to cater to her whims. Cat does a really good job and it is good for her. She gets to pretend to be a grown up for a little while (she is only 23). She also had to look after the chickens; this is less fun as she fears birds with sharp beaks. Her father stopped me when I tried to explain that geese may have rounded beaks but are more aggressive; thank goodness sometimes my autistic need for accuracy is not helpful.
Because we didn’t have Cat and the car had overheated the night before &it had been 42* Gav decided to borrow Mum’s car instead. At least I had the same sexy driver.
Cherise wouldn’t put her head out of the car for the first half hour. She must have remembered last time Grandma took us to the vet and told me off for putting the dog in danger letting her head out of the window; it wasn’t my fault Cherise had opened the window herself. She finally gave one last look around for her Grandma and then stood up with her head in the slipstream.
Good thing we took Mum’s car; the next day we found out our car needed a new water pump. That night the rest of the family went light hunting as they dropped Cat back at Jason’s after dinner then picked the dogs and I up for a short light hunt.
The mechanic has not yet returned from holiday so we were stuck with a 5 seater car and a 6 seat family. We decided it wasn’t the same with any family member missing and so Light hunting ended early this year. So glad we always start early in case something happens.
Meanwhile I forgot to tell you about the Australian UnChristmassy Christmas Day. 41* heat so Gavin’s family spend it outdoors; a hundred people drinking pretty much alcohol and eating cold meat, salad & prawns (shrimp). It is a wonder more Australians don’t die of heat prostration. When I was still in school we had an exchange student from the USA and she had to return early because when November hit she got heat stroke every second day (the day in between spent in hospital). Poor Jason was given $30-$50 worth of chocolate from his Secret Santa; it did not survive Christmas day, melted to oblivion before a single bite could be sampled.
So we go to his parents on Christmas Eve; with the lovely Aunt Fiona, Uncle Jason , Charlie & Bill. We have cold meat & salad and lots and lots of desserts. It was so hot in the late afternoon that the airconditioning couldn’t keep up and a sweaty dazed Lisa was dragged outside where it was (surprisingly) cooler. It was a lovely night. I brought some mango wine the P&F recommended; only Grandma & I liked it so I drank Fiona’s.
Then Christmas; we had an almost ideal Christmas. Awake early open gifts; the Santa issue was resolved so Tash was okay about the gifts from Santa, especially after I told her about our visitors. Then we slept through the main heat of the day, leftovers for lunch. And then the big traditional roast Christmas dinner; turkey, pork and ham (we found another turkey). Plus gravy, roast potatoes &veggies, forcemeat, crackling & stuffing. We had really good christmas crackers. The mango wine came in pack with strawberry wine; Mum hates mango, so we had that along with the fruit punch Mum always makes for Christmas. We all hated the strawberry wine, but I loved it mixed with the punch. We finished off with Ice cream christmas pudding (Christmas pudding with the cake ingredients replaced with icecream; Mum made a non alcohol, non sultana version for the kids this year. Followed by lovely, lovely chocolate liqueur.
I haven’t drunk more than one serve of alcohol in a single day since I was 20 and never more than twice a year (over 25 years an annual average of less than 1). In the past 2 weeks I’ve had at least 20. I am seriously reconsidering my stupid stance on personal alcohol consumption. I don’t know 100% that my father was an alcoholic, he had a lot of different diagnosis’s. I love alcohol!
The freezer destroying our turkey was okay we got another turkey and a new freezer that fits better for only $388. Orion destroying the tree was hilarious and at the Boxing Day sale Gav got a 7 foot $150 tree for only $20.
The car and the resultant halt to our Christmas light hunting was a bit sad; but we had already seen so many.
BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!
Addendum Addendum; to weggieboy (you know the guy with the two gorgeous smoke Persian brothers ) I tried your advice about how to write the degree sign but either my computer or I are hopeless & it didn’t work.
autistsix 